I'm wondering where I am this week. The past 3 days the high has been barely 80 degrees. It's sunny with a slight breeze. I'm keeping the windows open and have turned off the A/C. On Sunday, I saw a woman wearing jeans and a turtle neck sweater. Last night, with our bedroom window ajar, I actually had to turn off the ceiling fan because Dana and I were too cold. I dressed Kyler in jeans, and he kept tugging at the pants muttering, "uh, uh" as if to say, "what is this strange fabric on my legs, and where'd my knees go?" This morning on the local news, the weather-woman suggested some people in a northern suburb might turn their heat on, as it was just 49 degrees at 6am. I must be in a parallel universe.
Then, I went outside and saw this hanging from my neighbor's house:
Seriously, though. For the first time since we moved back to Texas, I've really been missing our old stomping grounds of Madison. Of course, I've missed my friends since I backed out of Jen's driveway in sub-degree weather at the end of February (though I had a huge smile on my face as I rolled into Dallas the next day into 75 degree sunshine!). But I haven't really missed the city. Now that things have finally started settling down, I've had some time to reflect on what we've left behind. Late summer/early fall is my favorite time of year in WI. The weather's so lovely. Our recent "cold" front (brought on by Hurricane Ike) is reminding me what I loved so much.
That, and the fact that our electricity bill was "only" $219 this month. (Who gets excited about a $200 electric bill you might ask? I do, when last month's bill was $340 and the A/C never went below 80.) My goal is to get below $200 for September. Root me on!
In other news, preschool seems to have sparked a new-found independence in Beckett. Not that he could ever be described as a follower. He's not exactly a maverick (much like McCain), but he certainly has always had his own idea of how things should be done, like pottying requires a full strip-down, not just pulling down his pants.. This goes hand-in-hand with his insistence on how things shouldn't be done, like refusing to dress himself b/c he's "a baby, not a big boy" even though he's fully capable of doing it. Well, here is a list of things Beckett suddenly can/wants to do by himself since starting school:
1) Cut up his own food
2) Put his pajamas on
3) Buckle himself into his carseat
4) Put his shoes away
5) Hang up his backpack
6) Wipe his own butt (how excited am I about this?!! I just might throw myself a party!)
7) Zip his pants up/down
8) Put his underwear back on after pottying
9) Cook his own food
10) Make his bed
Now, the majority of these tasks are not a product of watching other kids at school because most are things not done at school, except maybe for the butt wiping. But just attending school has clearly given him a sense of accomplishment and maturity that's sparking a desire for increased independence. Since I think this newfound desire to do necessary tasks on his own may very well be short-lived, I'm racking my brain for additions to the list so that I can maximize my own rewards. The possibilities are endless! I'm open to suggestions. . .
The boys also have new stats:
Beckett - 40 1/4 in. tall; 36 pounds
Kyler - 32 in. tall (75%); 23 lbs. 6 oz. (49%) (he's grown a foot since birth!); head size, 45% (though, this one's a little iffy. the first time the nurse measured his head, she was concerned that his head had actually shrunk since his 12 mos. appt., which is very, very bad for reasons undisclosed to me, but still, very, very bad. she measured it again, and he was fine. not sure how much I can trust these #s!)
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