Step 15 - Exterior Carpentry

Fascia/Soffitts up. Apron Poured

Step 14 - Interior Work - Downstairs

Living Room out to Back Patio

Kitchen with Island Stub Outs

Master Bedroom out to Back Patio

Tanner Loses a Tooth

Look Ma, no tooth!

In the kids never-ending quest to make me feel old (of course they do it on purpose), Tanner lost his first tooth last night.


In a perfect example of the current state of their relationship, Jake actually knocked it out while they were getting ready for bed. The tooth had been really loose for awhile and ready to come out and they were horsing around in bed and Jake knocked Tanner in the mouth and out it came. It is interesting to see how they are getting used to the idea of each having their own rooms in the new house. They still like sharing a room now, but are starting to show signs of getting big enough to need their own space. Fights are becoming more common, as are their desires to be doing different things at the same time. It will be cool to see how their own rooms change their relationship and the way they interact.


As a bookend to this event, we were just watching some old home movies the other day of when Tanner was really little. He was still not talking in full sentences, still had the lispy kind of enunciation that toddlers have and was still in diapers. As the middle kid, he always just seems so much younger than Jake did at this age, which brings me back to my opening point. 


He's not so much younger that Jake was when he was six, I'm so much older than I was when Jake was six. Tanner is getting ready for sign-ups for his second year of baseball, he reads anything and everything and is just cruising through kindergarten and just yesterday it seems like he was getting rid of his "night-nights" (pacifiers). The time flies by. I am amazed and very proud of the little boy he is now. Love you bud, your OLD man.

Step 13 - Install Windows/Plumbing Rough In

Windows/Doors being installed. Rough in plumbing being done.

Step 12 - Roof Deck and Felt

Aside from Doors and Windows, we're pretty much weathered in, just before the 1st big snowstorm hits

Step 11 - Exterior Sheathing

Roof Trusses up, Exterior Sheathing on

Step 10 - Roof Trusses go Up

Continued Framing and Roof Trusses Up

Step 9 - Second Story Goes Up

The second story framing is started and the roofing work continues

Step 8 - Start the Roof Framing

Roof and Second Story Framing going up.

Step 7 - Framing Coming Along

Hey Look! A downstairs!

Step 6 - Begin Framing

The start of a Garage

Faith, Tanner, Jake - January 2012

I had to take a second to jot down some things I want to remember about the kids these days. Just this morning I was sitting on the couch with the three kids surrounding me and we were all looking through our blog book from 2008 and I was reading it aloud to them and we were all just cracking up at the stories and pictures. There is so much that I had completely forgotten. I was so glad to see it all in print and to be able to relive it with the kids now that they are a little older.

So....

At Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Faith. She is my creative, artistic soul. She has taken to making up complete songs and walks around the house singing them. They make sense and sometimes they rhyme. She has a decidedly country-music feel to her singing and inflection (Hmmm.... could be that's because that's what she hears her Mama sing all the time?).  Seriously, though, she is almost "soulful" in how she sings these songs! She still loves to color and draw- lately she has been into making rainbows and drawing us under them. She is such a smart little girl in so many ways. She is book smart- she loves to write and sound out words - but she also just "gets" things in a way that I think is remarkable. I am constantly looking at Brian pointedly with my eyebrows raised after she has said something particularly insightful. She really bonded with Papa this last trip. The highlight of her time with him was probably the day we went to Old Navy to return something. She and Papa played hide-and-seek in the store and "chase". No, not behavior I would normally condone in a store, but both she and her Papa were having so much fun, I just had to let them carry on! She began her dance lessons last week and LOVED it. She did ballet and tap and the videos I got are hilarious! It remains to be seen whether or not she will have any actual talent for dance. Right now she mostly just jumps around and makes lots of noise! She loves preschool. This month they are studying space and she is so excited that she gets to do homework (they have to draw a picture of the moon each week for the month to follow the stages). 

We have no idea why he's a Packers fan...

Tanner.  He is doing so well in Kindergarten. He, too, is such a smart, attentive little boy.  He has never had any behavior issue at school. He is a good listener (at least at school...).  He is reading words and sentences and likes to look over my shoulder at whatever book/magazine that I happen to be reading and find words he knows. He is very good at math and amazed his Papa with double digit addition (I had no idea he could do that so I was pretty amazed, too!). He loves school and loves his friends there. He plays football nonstop with his brother and the neighborhood kids. He has all the makings of an excellent wide receiver- however, he needs to put on some pounds. This boy is all skin and bones. A good word to describe his present body type is "scrawny".  All my kids are cuddlers, but he takes the cake. If I start my morning without immediately giving him a hug he finds me (usually by the coffee maker) and says, "Mommy, I don't think I gave you a hug yet today!" and then just grabs on. He often asks me to bend down and then he kisses my cheek and tells me how much he loves me.  Apparently he is quite the "ladies man" of the K class. We tease him about a little girl named Emma who has a crush on him. He gets all embarrassed and turns red. Too funny.  He is definitely in a bit of a "testing" rebellious phase. Listening and following directions at home is not his strong suit right now- Sometimes he is naughty just to be naughty and see what he can get away with. Normal kid behavior, I guess, but it is getting a little frustrating to both Brian and I! 

This poor soul has decided he's a Raiders fan like his Daddy...

Jake. What's up with my eldest these days? Well, he was invited to his first girl birthday party (where the entire class wasn't invited- just a few kids). It was him and one of his best friends, Braeden, and three girls from his class. He was so funny getting ready for it. He spiked up his hair the morning of the party and he used some of his own money to augment her gift (we only let the kids spend 10-15 dollars for party gifts and what he wanted was 25.00 so he used his allowance that he had saved to pay the difference!).  It will be interesting to see who he wants to invite to his bday party this year.  He has had a little trouble lately with some boys at school making fun of him for being small- which hurts me to see but I also think its a great learning situation for him because so many things have come easily to this kid. He wants to play football so badly and some of the bigger boys tell him he will never be more than a ball boy and things like that. He doesn't get too upset- we just remind him how to react and give him ammunition with all the smaller NFL players, NBA players, etc... If heart has anything to do with it, this kid will go far in sports!  He still likes school, even as it is getting more challenging. He tends to "freak out" a little over projects so Brian and I are working with him on taking things one step at a time. He has been starting (finally!) to read books for fun and not just for the minimum for school. Of course, they are all still sports books... but one hurdle at a time!

Step 5 - Flatwork

Flat work done. Ready to frame

Step 4 - Grading & Material Delivery

Grading is done. Utilities stubbed out. Framing delivered

Step 3 - Backfill and Run Utilities

The backhoe was back and working

Step 2 - Pour the foundation

Stem Wall and Anchor Ties in place

Merry Christmas 2011

Because the real live dog isn't good enough

Christmas this year found us hanging out at home, playing games, baking, watching lots of football, and just generally relaxing (or trying to at least!). Papa arrived last week and helped me with last minute shopping and entertaining the kids. He introduced them to 52 Pick-up (which they loved for some reason) and played lots of games of War, Sorry, Payday, and Stratego. 

We had a "snacky" dinner again (complete with pigs in a blanket, of course) and settled in to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Shrek the Halls.  As is the tradition, we moved all of the kids mattresses onto the floor in the bonus room and they had a big sleepover for Christmas Eve. Surprisingly they all fell asleep within minutes of laying down their heads and were out by 745.  They woke up by 615 and we watched Charlie Brown Christmas in our room together before going in to wake up Papa to go downstairs. Santa had come, eaten all of his cookies, and brought the boys Air Hog remote control helicopters and Faith a "Furreal" Puppy dog. This was probably the biggest hit of the year. She named it Snowball and she takes care of it like a real dog: feeding it, giving it water, playing with it, and taking it on walks down the block. She is so funny talking to it and reprimanding it, giving it treats when it is "good", etc... Yesterday on our walk the puppy (with the remote control leash) kept veering off to the right toward other houses. Faith says, "Mommy, Snowball is looking for a boy dog so she can go kiss is. That's why she keeps trying to go to these other houses!". 

Once again the highlight of Christmas!

After opening stockings and seeing what Santa brought we made breakfast and, in the Simonich tradition, opened presents until almost noon. The kids were so excited about everything. Tanner and Jake LOVED the football jersey/cap/Fathead gift from Auntie Sue and Uncle Eric and the Madden 12 Wii game from Grandma Mary.  Faith was so excited about the Boise State Cheerleading outfit, complete with orange and white pom poms, and she immediately put on the whole ensemble and showed off her cheerleading skills. Other favorites included the game of Stratego, a stuffed cheetah from Abby, a new Nerf football, and walkie talkies. We spent Christmas Day playing with all the new toys, learning new games, and watching the start of the delayed NBA basketball season.

The boys have an indoor football camp this week everyday from 1030-1 and Faith and I plan on going to the Y each day during that time. Dad leaves tomorrow, Mom comes home Thursday, and life goes back to "pre-holiday normality" next Monday. Until then, I see lots of family games, football games, and play dates in my future :)

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

Step 1 - Dig A Hole

Footings poured, stem wall rebar in place

Holiday Performances

Hi Mom and Dad

Jake didn't have a holiday performance this year, they had their performance earlier in the year I think to keep the music teacher from going insane trying to have one for each group of grades.

Tanner and Faith both had theirs though.

Tanner had several performances of theirs, for the school only and two times for the school and parents (so the 1/2 days kindergarten kids could be in it and one without them). His performance was very cute. It was kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders. They sang some Christmas favorites that Tanner was practicing for a few weeks in advance through the house when he thought no one could hear him. He wore his antlers and sang the songs and did the moves, without A LOT of entusiasm, but he did do them, which was a plus.

Foxy Lady!

Faith had her performance the same night at the clubhouse. This was our fourth and last Smart Start Preschool performance, so it was a little bittersweet. Ms. Erin has been so great for both Tanner and Faith and they have loved their pre-school experiences, which have both included elaborated holiday performances. This year they were doing The Mitten, which is a Ukrainian folk tale. Faith was thrilled as she got to be a fox and had been practicing her "fox walking" in preparation. They also sang a bunch of Christmas carols after the main performance was over. Faith sang all of them at the top of her lungs and was VERY into the whole performance.

Nothing like little kids singing Christmas songs to kick the holiday season right in the butt. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy Season, whatever your holiday!

Feliz Navidad

Ho Ho Ho Santa - 2011

Merry Christmas To All

The holiday season is officially upon us. I guess it has been for awhile- I heard my first Christmas song right after Halloween. In any case, we are all in the holiday spirit. The kids love waking up and opening the advent calendar each morning, I love seeing the lights on the outside of the house each night and sitting in front of the Christmas tree each evening.  I sing along happily to all of the music on the radio and even heard my favorite, Bruce Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Between that and having the Starbucks red holiday cups I am in heaven. Small pleasures... 

We went back to our old tradition of getting our tree from Home Depot- after the tree we got last year (at a local neighborhood farm) died within days of getting it. Decorating the tree was highly anticipated by the kids. They love the traditional "snacky dinner" (including such healthy items as salami and cheese, mini tacos, pigs in a blanket, and bagel pizzas) plus they love how Brian sits on the couch with the bins of ornaments and takes out each one and hands them to the kids. We talk about where each one came from, which are our favorites, etc... This year we listened to the new Michael Buble Christmas CD while we decorated. The tree looks beautiful! 

Jake was up for angel duty this year. The first year he
 did it on his own without being lifted up.

Yesterday was the annual Hidden Springs Holiday Party at the barn. The kids- especially Faith- were very excited to see Santa. Once we got there, though, Jake told me he was getting too old to sit in Santa's lap and asked if he "had to". I said, no, but Brian made him stand next to him at least for the photo.  Faith didn't cry (first time ever!) and although Tanner wasn't completely at ease, he also didn't burst into tears upon seeing Santa walk into the barn. They all LOVED the gifts that Santa brought. Faith got a Zooble that then came with us everywhere for the rest of the day (and had to be rescued after being left behind at Joe's Crab Shack) and the boys got NFL knit caps. Jake swore he would never take his off- not even to sleep. 

Tuesday we are both taking the day off work to go Christmas shopping. We leave at 830 AM and will be gone most of the day to shop, eat lunch, have a coffee/diet coke break, and just generally take in the festive atmosphere of Boise. We did this the last two years and it really helps make the holiday relaxing and fun and allows us to avoid shopping on any weekends!  The boys are hard to buy for this year. All they have on their list is NFL gear and a trampoline. We'd like to do the trampoline but since we are moving it doesn't make a lot of sense to get one now and then move it in May. Not sure what we will get for them. Faith is easier- she basically wants anything that is an animal- stuffed, plastic, electronic, or other. She wants zoobles and littlest pet shop and build a bear puppy, and Furreal Puppy and... you get the idea! 

No tears for the first time EVER!

Like our Thanksgiving, Christmas will be very low key. My Dad will be here and I will cook and bake but nothing fancy and no extra guests- just the six of us. The boys are signed up to do Y Sports Camp during their time off school, and an indoor football camp the week between Christmas and New Years.