And, expensive

Along with sucking...this past weekend is turning out to be expensive...

We had to buy another washing machine. 2 little boys = lots and lots of dirty clothes. I swear that I have seen them just wallow in the mud. Luckily, Trish got us a good deal on a floor model at home depot, but still not something we had budgeted for.

My sweet car... turns out that the breaks are completely shot too. So in addition to the alternator, an alignment and new tires we are looking at 1000.00, not budgeted either.

We paid the house painter, a lot, but it was budgeted. And, even if Loren doesnt like the color anymore, it does look nice to have the house all one color.

Now we need to take down 2 trees in the back yard. Never ever plant a box elm! They grow like weeds and have very weak branches and roots. We are in the process of getting estimates. The first guy who came out said that he would pass on the job because it is too difficult (not a good sign) The second guy said that it would be 3000.00 for 2 trees, not to mention the tree in the front we wanted trimmed up. I had never known that tree work was so lucrative.

And the ER visit...I would do it again in a heartbeat, but now we wait for the bill. We have a 50.00 copay which is fine, but now we must wait for the doctors bill on top of that. The first time Loren went to the ER I was very, very surprised to get a 2nd bill for the Dr. Not something that they tell you in the insurance pamphlets. The doctor was really great and made the whole process so much less painful then it could have been. (and loren got to see inside Lukes hand)

Think we can get another stimulus package cuz we did such a good job of spending our tax return and then some!

The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad weekend

This weekend just sucked.

First my car died...literally.
We are going to have to have it towed somewhere and I am
sure that it will be very expensive.
(Luckily, I can drive the van)

Then the washing machine broke, also unfixable and now we get to go to the laundromat...
when you ask?...that is a good question.

and the very worst thing this weekend was our trip to the ER.

Luke was running around in the back yard after dinner, and fell down...nothing new there.
When he got up his was crying really bad and I rushed to him to have him wipe his hands off
I got covered in blood.
It was a really deep cut so we wrapped in a towel and rushed to the ER.
Luke was quite the trooper. He only cried when he got a shot.
We were in the ER from 7:30 to 11. I tried so hard to get him to sleep, but he was not having anything to do with that.
Luckily, Grampa Dick lives right by the ER so Jack go to hang out with him rather then with us.
4 stitches later and 2 sleepy boys we headed home.

Now we get to keep it clean and dry. Not so easy with the boy that loves all things dirt and all things wet.

I hope next week is easier!

99 things - I scored 46

I saw this on a blog that I recently found and like a lot.

http://hopestudios.blogspot.com/2009/04/99-things.html

You are supposed to bold the things that you have done and add the rest to your life list! Lots of times I feel like I havent done much in life...but really, I have, so it is nice to see sometimes!

1 Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyworld/Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain (ive lived on mountains)

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo (seriously, no one wants me to sing a solo)

11. Bungee jumped (as if)

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (knitting counts, right!)

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning (sadly a few times)

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables - this year included

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (it sure is small)

20. Slept on an overnight train (headed to barcalona)

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked (only once and I didnt know we were hitch hiking cuz the boys we were with said he was a friend)

23. Taken a sick day when you were not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (ive been to venice, but we never did the gondola thing

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise (thanks Monnie)

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. sing karaoko

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (sadly in hawaii, by myself)

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted (when I was 3!)

48. Gone deep sea fishing - I am deathly afraid of fish!

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

7. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason (good husband)

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check (accidently!)

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt (something I really want to do!)

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been laid off from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox (twice)

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous (I backed my chair into Clint Eastwood)

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a lawsuit

98. Owned a cellphone

99. Been stung by a bee

Wordless Wednesday - reading with the grands plus a dog

Attack of the baby snatchers

So, the other day Loren and I were noticing how much Luke has "grown up" in the past few weeks.

It is kinda eerie.

One day he was this little guy stomping around, not saying much other then screaming...and now we have a full fledged toddler.


Almost like a big boy. He looks older, less baby like.

He can talk, sort of, at least he can try to repeat what we say. (really got to watch the swear words now!)

And, he can run very fast.... He wishes he could jump, but hasnt quite mastered that yet.



He is very defiant. I am hoping it is just a stage!


He knows what he wants and doesn't do what you tell him to do, less he wants to.


He is a major climber and we are all really lucky that he has not gotten more seriously hurt. I feel like I save his life at least once a day and all deck chairs and some house chairs must remain on their sides at all times or you never know where you will find Luke.


Luckily, Jack is a bit of a tattle tail. I hear "mommy, come safe Luke" a few times a day. Today, he got up on the computer chair in the spare room and was batting at a nice picture on the wall. He had almost hit it off the wall as it was barely hanging by a wire and the nail was bent at a bad angle.

But he is really looking like a little boy, with longer limbs and a less chubby face.

And, he uses the potty!!! Well, he doesn't have much control over it, but he has no fear of peeing and pooping in the potty...unlike another little boy I know (sadly). Gotta get that diaper on right away after cuz he has no problem peeing on the floor. Thankfully, Jack does have control tho he doesn't want to use it.



Luke still has his snuggle bug tendencys and is still really cute ( I am his mom so I am biased), but I do miss his babyness too.



No more babies for us. Thankfully we get to sleep thru the night!

more on costanoa

Here are a few pictures from our Costanoa trip.





We stayed in this neat looking lodge.






I really like this tree! There were lots of them on the property.















Here is a picture of the ocean from the car.

It was way, way too cold and windy to actually get out
of the car, but we could still enjoy the view.

We drove around the town of Pescadero and ate at Duarte's Tavern. http://www.duartestavern.com/
It was amazingly busy for a restaurant in the middle of nowhere!
It was really good and I highly recommend the green chili soup mixed with the artichoke soup. I also had some of the best fried oysters that I have ever eaten.

We then drove around the area and found an fabulous goat cheese shop called Harley Goat farm. http://www.harleyfarms.com/ It had samples of the cheese and I love samples. I had a picture of the place, but after loosing the picture on blogger 3 times I am giving up. Lots of cute goats in a beautiful location and a friendly staff.

wordless wednesday

Happy Belated Easter

I have been mia for awhile...I have been sick and feeling crappy.
It is really hard to take care of the energy filled boys while all i want to do is lie on the couch.
Then Luke got sick and then Loren.
Loren and I also go to go away for 2 nights to Costanoa Lodge with no boys.
http://www.costanoa.com/site.php
It was horrible weather and we were both sick, but it was wonderful.
We lazed around, ate too much and played games. We had 80 minute massages...relaxing.
Thanks to everyone on team Jack and Luke who pitched in to take care of the boys. Sorry that
Grampa Dick didnt get any sleep!

Rainy day

Today was a rain day and I had the boys all day long with out
any things we had to do. Jacks speech class was on spring break.
I was going to go visit my mom, but the rain deterred my drive over 17.

So today was craft day in the Fontinell house hold.
I LOVE my blog "friends" for ideas.
We made the sun catchers I found here
http://www.preschoolplaybook.com/2009/04/easy-suncatchers.html

and we made chicks that Jack is holding in the first picture.
http://www.kiddio.org/2009/04/hatch-brood-of-pecking-chicks.html
Actually, Jack make the sun catcher and Luke make the chick.

Everything looks perfect in blog world...
Luke had no patience for the sun catchers and all Jack
wanted to to with the chicks was watch them fly (and pull the feathers out)

Play time

We went to Bill and Kates for dinner on Saturday.
The weather was beautiful and we got to enjoy some
time outside.

Jack played with his trucks.

Luke checked out the scenery and headed off in to the wild blue yonder.

Here we are checking out the garden area.
The boys love digging, poking sticks and yelling POW at the top of their lungs.