COLD, COLD, COLD….we are still without power at our place and it’s freezing cold in our house. We have been staying at my parents place (thanks mom & dad) but it’s tough to keep the boys on any type of schedule and all. So, we’re a tad cranky and a lot tired. I know we shouldn’t complain since we do have a nice warm house to sleep in, and Puget Sound Energy’s advice was to “go to the shelter”.

Poor Abbie is home alone, though, and we go over a few times per day to let her out to run but I feel bad leaving her. Also hoping the power comes back on soon so we don’t lose all of our frozen foods. The fridge, we know, is already toast.

We did bring the hamster, Ozzy, over here so he wouldn’t freeze. We actually went to Petsmart yesterday and got him a fancy new cage so he wouldn’t throw shavings all over the place. He’s digging it for sure and it’ll be one the boys can see him better in. We met a total weirdo at the pet store, though, who talked about his hamster for 20 minutes. The weird part about it was, he was in his 50’s and had a wife but it sounded like his hamster was his true love.

Also yesterday we took the boys to the foster parent Christmas party and it was cool…Santa came in on a white Honda Goldwing motorcycle! Trey was SO not having anything to do with Santa this year, but he did like his Thomas the Train pull toy.

No pictures yet, I didn’t bring the camera’s USB cord so that’ll have to wait until we get power back. Hope others are enjoying their heat and lights, don’t take it for granted!

BIG NEWS! Just found out today that Levi’s biodad’s appeal has been denied. The’s a huge load off our back and the best Christmas present we could have gotten. There is still one more appeal to the Supreme Court that biodad can do (and I’m sure he will), but since his appeal has been denied three times in Superior Court it is highly unlikely that anything will happen with that.

Just wanted to pass along the great news! Thanks again for all the support and positive thoughts and prayers sent our way.

We are bracing ourselves for the BIG STORM…all I know for now is that it’s seriously wet outside and our lights are flickering a ton. Apparently the winds are supposed to get up to 60mph at midnight. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Our basement is flooded with about 3 inches of water and it’s pouring from the hill behind us and down our basement steps. Fun on laundry day for sure.

The kids are doing ok with the lights going out, we have plenty of candles going at this point and we actually have the living room lights turned out and are letting the boys play with their flashlights while we watch the Seahawks game.

As for the Carlos potty update…we had 3 accidents today but in his defense, they were all on the way to the potty. So, we go onto day #3 tommorrow. Amazingly, he stayed dry during the night. No turning back at this point!

Levi had his holiday party at school and I got to go. It was neat to see him interacting at school, although today he was really “off” and not tending to pay attention. So with our upcoming trip, he will have 3 weeks off of school. Should be interesting to see how he does with that. I think with the holidays and the trip, he’ll be fine. He’s all about routine, though, so this will certainly challenge him.

Carlos is a rock star! One accident this morning, underwear ALL day and he was dry. Gotta love an “I do it myself” kid. I’m amazed! Hoping it lasts….

surprised He’s really great on the potty and goes every time, but for the most part he’s good with being in diapers. Levi had the sensory issues so he was so into not being wet that training went quickly. We do a sticker reward sheet for Carlos and I counted up how many “successes” he’s had since we started this whole process and he’s up to 246. Maybe it’s just me, but I would think after that many times doing it….you’d get it!

Christmas is coming quickly, we’re almost done with the shopping part and the boys are getting seriously wound up with all the fun things to do. It’s all fun, and they really are being good…should be a fun year. Hoping to start a few new family traditions and am always interested in hearing what other families do each year.

Happy Birthday Alice! She turned 4 years old today…hard to imagine! What a sweet, sweet girl and she was so excited and said to the boys so many times today “arent’ you going to sing Happy Birthday to me now?” and they would sing and she was happy.

Off to wrap some presents…

Well, the backache is TOUGH when having to deal with 5 kids…oh, that along with the broken tooth. Going to get the tooth looked at today so that’ll be one thing better I hope.

We went to playgroup for a little while, Carolyn helped me get the kids in and out of the car so that was good. Came home, got everyone but Carlos to bed. I keep telling him how I can’t lie down with him today since mama’s back is hurt and he keeps saying back, “I got owie in my back. Can’t sleep” He’s a smart boy for sure but I’m hoping he at least takes a little nap.

Lost at volleyball last night, well, can’t say I really played…I was on the court but mostly worthless! So our team came in second of the “B” group. Holly was out with a cut hand, I was basically useless so that put alot on Peggy, Hailey and Martha. I don’t think we were too bummed about losing, we know if we were 5 strong we would have done it!

Ok, off to try to get Carlos to bed….arrgh!

and did what he was supposed to do. Trey was what our pastor called “the reluctant shepard” and I think the only shepard in history with a pacifier! He was all over the place, but it was great.

The boys had so much fun spending the night at Nana and Papa’s house on Saturday. It was great for Dee and I, too since we ran into Holly at San Carlos, got to go out to dinner, then to Mary’s 30th birthday party and then come home in search of the “rat” that is living in our attic space. All was great but the rat part…it’s gross for sure, but hopefully he will be tempted by the poison we put down for him and get himself caught in the sticky trap. Do we know how to have fun when the kids are gone? Hell yes!

Oh, and a tip for y’all…grown-ups shouldn’t eat gummy cola bottles even if they really love them. Had one tonight, cracked a piece off my back tooth. Hurts! Hopefully it’ll feel better in the morning…ya right!