Finding Time

Wow!  Hard to believe it's been 2 weeks since my last update.  A lot has happened, but we've been so busy I haven't had the time to post.  Well, let's be honest.  I HAVE had the time.  Every day I waste a good 8 hours just watching the inside of my eyelids.  I COULD have updated the blog then... I guess it just wasn't a priority at the time.

I have been busy homeschooling Logan, taking him to doctors appointments, taking care to the daily chores AND trying to get my business up and running here in our new town.  Eric has been busy with work lately too and has been out of town most of these last two weeks.

Last Friday was Logan's 100th day post transplant.  We have been anticipating this day with baited breath as the first 100 days are typically when you will see any major transplant complications.  He's not out of the woods yet, but we are all breathing a little easier.  He chose this ridiculously large cake to celebrate his special day.  Chocolate on Chocolate covered with Chocolate!!!

We have also had some warm weather lately.  Logan has taken advantage of this weather to practice his target shooting.  He really, really, REALLY wants to go squirrel hunting next month.  I hope I can handle this new hobby.  He got this CO2 pellet gun for Christmas... and he's a really good shot too!  We had a shooting contest and let's just say he's a better shot than me and leave it at that.

Funny Amanda photo.  She nibbled on this cracker until she had the perfect shirt shape.  AND LOOK!  IT FITS TOO!

We're going to the Zoo... One fine day we visited our local zoo.  It's really nice that Logan is getting more and more freedom in his activities.  He had to wear a mask when around crowds and I asked him to wear it as well when in the buildings with high humidity but he was a great sport.  I think he is happy to get back to normal living too.

Last update for today...The Wildlife.  We have really enjoyed the wildlife that comes to the creek behind our rental house.  The dogs have been very entertained watching out the windows and chasing the squirrels.  I didn't get a photo of this critter, because the dogs scared it away before I could grab my camera.  I caught a glimpse of its tail as it skittered way and there is no mistaking that it was a raccoon.  We have also seen a small herd of deer out our back windows.  Remember we are in the heart of town here!  I was very surprised to find 5 large deer wandering around.  It was still fairly dark so the photos didn't turn out great but I promise there were 5 total!

Then a different morning the dogs started barking like I've never heard before.  We hurried to the door to see what had them so fired up and it was hard to spot at first.  

This was a very cold and icy morning and this lonely stray snow goose was just walking around the neighborhood!

Feet, Fox, and Puppy Love

Over the winter break Amanda asked if she could play with my Dad's marbles.  This is the same jar of marbles I played with when I was a little girl.  When my dad passed away I asked if I could have them to remember him by and they have been sitting on my desk ever since.  It made my heart swell with joy to see my daughter enjoying these glass spheres just as I had enjoyed them so many years ago. 

Since we are still home bound anyone wanting to visit has to come to us.  Whenever any of Logan and Amanda's cousins came over some I feel like I should keep the film rolling.  Some crazy antics and stunt are sure to develop.

Last night during our evening chores Amanda starts yelling "FOX"!  "FOX"!  I grabbed my camera before heading to the window.  This time I got much better photos and videos!

I had to reduce the quality of the video to upload them to the blog but you can still tell it's a fox!

I missed getting video of one of the foxes jumping our fence but let me tell you, those critters are agile!  One little hop and he was over the fence and gone!

The dogs have been spending most of their time at the front window watching for squirrels and chipmunks.  Now that they have seen the fox from the back windows the are having a hard time deciding which way to look.  I guess this position solves that problem.  That way no one can sneak up on the brothers.

Logan is still doing great.  Little by little they are reinstating some of his former freedoms.  He can go outside without a mask as long as it's not windy.  He is now also allowed down in the basement.  He can even venture into public places as long as it's not crowded.  With the flu season starting Eric and I are being extra cautious about germs, but that's not anything new for us! 

Next Tuesday Logan is scheduled for surgery to have his Hickman catheter (tubes) removed.  He's been asking the doctor to remove them for over a month and I guess he had a convincing argument.  Without the tubes Logan has to endure a needle in the arm each time the doctor wants to draw labs, but in Logan's mind a small needle is much better than the tubes hanging out of his chest (and the dressing changes) so out they will come.

Ready For A New Year

 Christmas arrived with the usual fanfare at the Two Little Monkeys house. 

We made our traditional breakfast casseroles in preparation for Christmas morning.. .

... set out the snacks for our guests... 

... cleaned the house (because Santa doesn't bring gifts to a dirty house you know)...

...and pulled up the Norad website to track Santa's progress.

 When the kids saw how close he was they quickly brushed and flossed their teeth and headed off to bed so the coast was clear for the big guy.  

Each year I sneak into the living room after Santa has stopped by (but before the kids get up) to capture a before photo.

This is what was left of the carrots, celery, milk and cookies...  I should have taken a before photo of this!  The plate was pilled high with veggies and the kids put out a to-go bag in case Rudolph didn't make the trip this year.  Amanda spent a half an hour writing all the reindeer names on the plate!  I just love these Monkeys!

The reason I always sneak in my before photos because the kids like to wake up early and preview their gifts before waking us up Christmas morning.  I'm very thankful that they slept in until 6:30 this year.  Some years we've been up at 4am with them!!!  This is what I came down the hallway to find...

This year Logan asked Santa for a giant Nerf gun and Amanda ask Santa to surprise her.  : )  Well surprise he did!  Among the other items, he brought us a super awesome cotton candy maker!  How cool!  We have been experimenting with different flavors and I am shocked at how little candy it takes to make a batch of cotton candy.  You melt one or two small pieces of hard candy in the machine... that's it!  All that fluffy goodness from two tiny pieces of candy.  Who knew!

Christmas morning in our house lasts all day.  The kids are never in a hurry to open all the presents.  They never have been.  They open one thing and play with it, try it on, or explore with it before moving on to another present.  One of the things Amanda got was this fun Fibber game where you "grow your nose" if you are caught fibbing.  As you can see by how long my nose was I got caught quite a bit!  : )

 Here are a few more random Christmas morning photos...

About noon time we had to take a break and head outside before all the snow melted away.  One of the things that Santa brought was these cool snow trackers.

 Dinosaur tracks for Logan,

 and bear for Amanda.

I think we finally opened the last present about 4:00 that afternoon.  

One of my gifts was a new tripod for my spotting scope.  Logan and I headed out to a local lake the following morning for some bird watching. 


 First bird he spotted was a bald eagle. 

 We also found this hawk eating a mallard duck out on the ice.

 We had a wonderful Mother / Son morning.

These past few days we've been hanging with family, playing games, and relaxing.   New Years Eve was a quiet affair, but this year the kids were determined to stay up... We watch the New York ball drop and did a Happy New Year celebration at 11:00.  Ten minutes later they were both asleep!

 Eric, my little night owl, even went to bed before midnight.  I was the only Monkey awake at 12:00 to enjoy the fireworks.