Toilets, Angry Birds room and Henry's unexpected swimming lesson

I am sitting here taking a "break" as the kids eat their lunch...I'm trying hard to not escape to the computer every time things get stressful. It's not easy, but I'm finding that I get more done when I force myself to deal with the task at hand.

Some good news is that FINALLY we have a date for the floor to be installed. I suppose I should be saying this with many exclamation points but I'm sure some of the excitement will come back once the date gets closer. It will be installed on the 24th and 25th (I think) which is about the time frame we were expecting with all the customers they have from flooding.

On the agenda for this week is to get the new toilet for downstairs. I don't even use that bathroom downstairs (too many spiders. Yes, I'm a wimp that way.) The toilet itself is also gross. We've cleaned it many times but it's full of rust stains. But the reason why it's getting replaced is that it apparently clogs up very easily. Whether it be too much toilet paper or *that other stuff*, it's basically useless. Turns out a good flushing toilet is very expensive though! Thankfully, we put some money aside which is going to things like this.

Also on the agenda is the boys room. It will be easy compared to the painting job in the living room. The boys agreed on an Angry Birds theme. I know they will outgrow it by next year, probably, but they will be stuck with a red and yellow room for a while. Max is very excited about getting rid of the "girl colors" of his room. There is a ripped border of flowers which he has very happily began to rip down once he heard we're painting the room tomorrow.

An old pic of the room before they got bunk beds.

 

 

 

 

The room still needs some prep work. There are a bunch of screws in the wall and the walls need to be washed down. It's full of dust, cobwebs and smashed bugs. Hmm, I just may have to have the boys do that job. Heh, heh, heh.

 

So that is our agenda for the week!

 

Last week I finished painting the hall. The outcome isn't that dramatic, but it will look better once we replace the chair railing that was pulled off, and once the floor comes in.

 

Before

After

Other than fixing up the house, we have been doing the normal summer stuff. Celebrating the 4th, going to the library, going for long walks and running through sprinklers.

 

 

 

We also went to Superior to celebrate our niece's 10th birthday. It was a fun day; Dennis's parents booked a hotel room for Gracie and we met them to go swimming at the hotel pool. The kids had lots of fun. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures because I left the camera in the hotel room. I kept thinking to myself that I should run and grab the camera real quick (the room was just across from the pool) except that I was watching Henry, who was running from the pool to the hot tub. I knew that if I left him for a moment, that he would fall in. I also knew that as good as Dennis is about watching Henry, that he wouldn't be following him right on his heels like I would and knowing how quick Henry is (and how quickly things can happen), I didn't feel comfortable enough to leave. Well guess what.

 

He fell in!

 

And yes, that was when I was right there with him! Like I said, things happen fast.

 

And now I must tell the story, even though I know some of you already have heard it and even witnessed it.

 

I had been following Henry around the pool, sitting with him since basically all he wanted to do was sit and dangle his feet in the water. That was fine with me since I didn't have a swimming suit on. But let me tell you, two hours of following Henry around in a humid pool setting can be tiresome. I had been talking to another mother who was there with her 3 year old and she was helping me watch Henry since she was already in the whirlpool. He was starting to get braver and braver as he was starting to now sit on the steps inside of the whirlpool. He was sitting on last step of the whirlpool, which meant that the water was now up to his chin. He had to have his head tilted upward in order to breathe, and I had my hand stretched out holding his hand the entire time (again, tiresome!) For the most part though, he just sat on the first or second step which was a little easier on both of us.

 

Then he got up and walked to the other side of the whirlpool. I was on my way getting up to follow him, but like I said, sitting cramped for two hours in a hot and humid place gets tiring and I wasn't as quick as I was in the beginning. I was also getting more relaxed as time went on since there had been no catastrophes yet. Then, Henry spotted a ball floating in the whirlpool. I knew already what he had in mind, but I wasn't quick enough. He reached over, his foot slipped from underneath him, and he fell in headfirst.

 

It all happened very quickly and I'm thankful it happened only in the whirlpool and not the big pool where it would have taken more time to get to him. But still, the whirl pool was about 3 (or 4, I can't remember) feet deep and way over Henry's head. I saw him sink down to the bottom and struggle in the water. He wasn't bobbing back up like I had thought and I was about to jump in when the lady who had been with me (but wasn't in the water at the time) jumped in first and grabbed him out. He was out in mere seconds and thankfully hadn't inhaled any water. He looked wide-eyed and scared but nothing like I had been feeling! Dennis took him to the sauna (just for a few minutes) to warm him up while I sat there shaking like a leaf.

 

I had just been telling Dennis's parents before all this happened how much Henry stresses me out because of all the kids, he is the most impulsive and has no fear.

 

And you would think that that dunk in the water would have put a little fear and wisdom into him, but he came back with a smile and plopped himself right back on the steps of the pool like nothing happened. At this point, I was just ready for bed.

 

And no, I have no pictures. Never did get that camera after that. Didn't even dare.

 

So that's it for our adventures for this week. Stay tuned for an Angry Birds room post!