A new form of seaters- Tim and Mark would be proud!

I don’t know if you grew up with a trampoline, or if you had LOTS of uncles who were a little older than you, or if your uncles were as crazy and fun as mine are. My mom has 11 brother’s and 2 sisters. She is 3^rd in line, the baby of the family (Mark) is only 5 years older than me. My parents got a trampoline when I was younger. I LOVED my trampoline! We didn’t have a fenced in yard and all the neighbor kids would jump when we were not home. My dad did not like this, he was worried someone would get hurt. So the trampoline was packed up and sent 10 miles away to my grama and grampa’s house. There we spent hours with my uncles, cousins, and friends. My uncles had amazing imaginations, they would make up all kinds of different jumps and give them names. We would play games where we had to imitate the jumper or they would just put the younger kids in the middle and form a circle and see how high they could “jump us”. There was no protective cage or much safety at all. I remember getting my fingers pinched in the springs and falling off (or should I say, being “jumped” off) the trampoline more than once. I remember some of my uncles landing on the springs (which I am certain did not feel good), and I remember the trampoline coming very close to hitting the ground.

The boys now have a trampoline, thanks to my parents. I love it as much as they do. Before I got pregnant, I would go out and jump after they went to bed. We do have the cage and the foam around all the poles. The boys know they have to zip the cage shut before they jump, and no shoes or hard toys on the trampoline. Nathan, Doug, Lisa and I have taught them all the “trampoline lingo” we know. Everest knows what a seater (start by standing and jumping then drop on your seat and try to bounce back to land on your feet) is and what it means to jump someone. After we had dinner with Doug and Lisa, Everyone wanted to jump for a while. I even got in for a little bit when everyone was sitting. We were rolling the balls around the trampoline and the boys had to chase them. (I miss jumping- hopefully I will get some good jumping in this fall). Everest and Nathan came up with a new version of a seater.

First you climb onto daddy’s legs, sit down, and try to balance.

 But daddy is trying to knock you off…..when you land, you do a seater

 Leaf does more of an airplane than a seater, but he is young and still learning…

 Soon he will be schooled in the art of jumping. Until then, he has fun doing what he can. He did not like the trampoline until he was about 16 months old. He hated being on it, even when you were holding him. You would never know it now.

Everest decided to play “leap frog” with Doug. Poor Doug, he was a very good sport about it.

Doug and Lisa

A few weeks ago, our neighbors, Doug and Lisa moved. We have enjoyed having them as neighbors. Not only have we become good friends with them, but our kids adore them as much as they adore our kids. They are young so they still have enough energy to jump on the trampoline for an hour or more with the kids. They are the reason Everest loves Purdue so much. Over the past year, they have taken the time to really get to know us and our kids. When they went on their delayed honeymoon in Europe, they brought the kids back perfect gifts. When I had morning sickness to the point I could barely get out of bed, they would come over and get the kids and they cooked dinner for us on Friday evening.

We are happy for them and the new adventures they will be embarking on, but we will miss them very much. Luckily, for now, they are only in Indianapolis (about an hour away). They came up a week after they moved and we went to dinner at a great sushi/hibachi grill restaurant. We have plans to visit in the next week or so and on throughout the summer. There is plenty for us to do in Indy.

A few days before Doug and Lisa moved, it rained for a week or more. The grass kept growing. Doug had given away their mower so he was borrowing ours. He had cut the grass a few days earlier, but it needed cut again. Nathan was cutting our grass and decided to leave Doug a message. He wrote MOW in his front yard. Nathan giggled the whole time he did it, while Leaf rode in the backpack. Silly boys.

 

One of the days the home inspector or someone was at the house, Doug came over to hang out with us. Leaf was wearing his apron and naturally wanted Doug to wear one too. He picked out one of Everest’s aprons for Doug. What do you think? Doug is always a good sport.

Moving Day. Everest helped push boxes from the front of the truck to the back and down the ramp. Nathan said he was amazed at how well he pushed the boxes because many were very heavy. Everest had a great time, although Nathan said he was on the border line of being annoying. He would push the boxes down the ramp and then say “Excuse me, could someone please get this.” Nathan said it was cute at first, but he continued to do this the whole time they unloaded. They went out for pizza and beers after. That night Everest crashed and slept really well. We are thinking of getting him a summer job moving boxes! 

On the bright and weird coincidence side of things…..the family that bought Doug and Lisa’s house happens to be one of the very few families we already know. Nathan works with Brad, he met him at orientation and they get along very well. We went to a Halloween party at their house and I really like Jeaneen also. They have 3 kids (6,5, and 3- I think). They worked on the house for a week and a half before they moved in, it was weird knowing no one was living there. But they are moved in now and the kids play together very well. It is nice to have neighbors we get along well with.

Today

Today the boys and I had a good morning. We had breakfast together, played a little. The boys took a bath, Leaf got out early to take a nap (he has been sick and napping twice a day). Everest and I played cars while he finished his bath. After wards, Everest and I worked on our mothers day gift for Nonnie and Grami. All was well, until 11 :15. Everest asked if he could play outside. I told him a few minutes, because he needed to eat lunch before school. He asked if he could say hi to Doug while I made lunch. He often goes over to say hi, no big deal....until he didn't come back. I called Doug to have him send Everest back. Leaf woke up and I had to change him. When I finished it was 11 :45, no Everest. Leaf and I walked over to Doug's and knocked on the door. Everest answered the door, when I asked where Doug was, he said he didn't know. With a little questioning, I found out Doug was not home, Everest let himself in the back door, roamed the house looking for Doug, couldn't find him. He decided to turn on the tv and watch tv for a while. I had to get him to school, so he ate a few bites of lunch and we talked about what would happen after school (quiet time in his room and he needed to apologize to Doug and Lisa).
Needless to say, when he got home from school he went to his room, where he fell asleep within 3 minutes and is still napping...3 hours later. Guess he was a little tired. Hopefully we have a better evening, once he wakes up.

Playtime with Doug and Lisa

The other day Lisa suggested we all go to the park together. We were all thinking the neighborhood park that is a few blocks away. Everest obviously had other ideas. He asked if he could go tell Doug and Lisa we were ready. He came back over with Doug a few minutes later. Doug said "Everest really wants to go to Happy Hollow playground". (He knows how to get his way). So the boys and I packed some snacks, got on our train bike and headed to Happy Hollow. Lisa and Doug met us there, and Nathan met us about 45 minutes later. (For those who do not live or know West Lafayette- Happy Hollow is down a steep hill-one of the few hills Indiana actually has. Being 6 months pregnant, I can not tow the kids back up the hill. It is amazing how much Everest helps, but it is hard for me to get myself back up so Nathan meets us on the days we go to that park.)

Everest and daddy swinging together. 

Leaf looks like he is going really fast down the slide. They were actually stopped, but there was so much static his hair was standing up. 

There was another 18 month old boy at the playground, dressed in orange and had the exact same hair as Leaf. At some point, we all thought it was Leaf. (Nathan started to walk over to him when he came, that is how much they looked alike). The little boy had blond hair, and it was a little thicker, but even his face resembled Leaf. 

Doug and Everest raced down the slide. Everest made Doug wait at the top until he started going, not really a fair race. 

 This can be dangerous. Nathan did the same thing to me the first time I got on it. Lisa went flying int he air. Doug and Nathan thought it was funny.

There are bench swings at a lot of the playgrounds in West Lafayette. They are really cool, until you try to get off. You end up banging your alkalies on the bottom part. Leaf had a good time on the swing.

Everest wanted to get in on the action. He and Lisa tried to bounce Doug.

We all had a great time. Thanks, Lisa and Doug, for hanging out at the park with us.

Painting with Doug and Lisa

Our wonderful neighbors (Lisa and Doug) are moving!!!!!! We have known this since we moved here, but it doesn't make it any easier. We are going to miss them a lot. Not only have they been great neighbors, but they have also become our good friends. They love our kids and play with them often. During my really bad times with morning sickness, they invited us over Friday nights during lent for a vegetarian dinner. It was so nice, not only, not to have to cook or think about food, but Doug is a great cook and gave me some good ideas for when I feel better and get back into cooking.

So the time has come for them to get ready to put their house on the market. (For all you West Lafayetters, it is a big house with a nice fenced in yard, hardwood floors in the downstairs, basement and newly painted outside, plus it comes with the best neighbors you can find!). My parents bought us a paint sprayer to use on our house in Logan. On Saturday, we broke it out and helped Doug and Lisa paint their house. They had to rent a ladder because the house is tall.

Lisa giving the shutters a fresh new look!

Nathan and Doug working together to paint the porch. Doug held a thick piece of cardboard while Nathan sprayed. The house looks great. The whole thing was prepped, taped and painted in one day.

Now, if we can just figure out a way for them to stay in that nice, newly painted house.