If you have been following my wife's blog you are aware that we have been remodeling the house for the past few weeks.  The deadline was for our daughters birthday party which we just barely made.  My dad and I had been going almost strait for the past few weeks in an attempt to get everything done. 

Remove the support walls between the living room and kitchen, remove the support wall between the playroom and the school room, put Purgo laminate floor down on the entire first floor, Sheetrock, paint, and put up the moulding.  Of course in that there is electrical work, putting in a overhead light in the livingroom, playroom and school room, move the phone jack twice, and rebuild part of a wall, and take out some of the original floor because of water damage from poor original building.  Oh ya and lay down underlayment throughout the entire first floor.

I would like to say we finished with plenty of time.  I would like to say we finished everything.  The major things are done.  Touch-up on the paint, and the moulding are still in the works but the party is over so the pressure is off for now.  Until the wife starts giving me the harry eyeball.  Oh and I still need to change out all the off white outlets and switches for white outlets and switches. 

It does look nice.  Having the more open concept is great and my 3 year old M just loves being able to run in circles around the house.  There use to be a closet separating the Living room and the School room.  We took that out too.  C just turned one and is loving walking around with his push toy hippo.

On his birthday he started walking on his own.  My wife, P, had been worried about him not walking.  The girls, R and A, were walking well before their first birthday.  M as well.

C just stood up and started walking.  We use to have 'walking practice' with R but with C it just is not necessary.  Oddly enough it appears as though he has more balance when he is holding something while walking around the house.  If your wondering large pots and perminant markes seem to be best for blance. 

It appears as though I will be doing monthly entries as opposed to others who are able to do daily entries. I would have liked to be able to enter a update every day but I find myself unable or just unwilling to sit down and commit the time. 

Today is my older brothers thirty-third birthday.  For some reason this year I am feeling older than I have before.  Not physically but prospectively.  I realize that my children will always see me was being 'old'.  Most of the people I work with are over forty or almost forty.  A handful are still in their mid twenties.  I find myself not caring about what I drive, how I look to others (except my wife), and what people think about me personally.

I hope this lasts and I can avoid the mid-life crisis and don't have to waist money on a corvette or a boat.  Though if I could purchase a 1985, 2.2 liter, Plymouth Turismo, gold in color, I might just have to buy it.  That was my first vehicle.  License plate "WILD-FOX".  On reflection it is the plate that probably got me most of my speeding tickets. 

I see the mid-life crisis popping up all around me.  Even with the current gas prices some at my work are buying new full sized pick up trucks.  I try not to assume anything and give them the benefit of the doubt.  So I ask what they use the truck for.  Only one was able to tell me it was for actual regular towing / hauling of stuff.  The rest of them give me some (in my opinion) lame excuse of "maybe some day I will have to help someone move"  or the classic "Stuff."

The bottom line is I see myself getting older and I think I'm okay with it.  So if you happen to be reading later on and find out I just purchased a full sized truck, please, ask me why.

A song for all to enjoy.

Burger King

When M goes to bed we have to read him a story, regardless of how many we read just prior to going to his bedroom.  For the past few months we have been reading one of the four Harold and the Purple Crayon stories we have.

Today M recited "The Giant Garden" story to us all by himself.  He missed a few words but he knew what should be said on each specific page.  I prompted him twice when he got stuck but the story is fairly long.

He can do the same thing with "The Police Car", "The Tow Truck" and "The Fire Boat" board books.  Those are not long at all.

The little guy is like a sponge!  You would think he would emulate R or even A when it comes to behavior.

A while back we had a Major leave the force, and a new  Chief come in.  One of the Sergeants took the Major's position and one of the Corporals was promoted to the Sergeants opening.  This of course leaves the Corporal position open.

I put in the paperwork to start the promotional process along with 4 others. 

There will be a written test based on motor vehicle law, criminal law, US Supreme Court decisions, and Department Policy.  Next comes an oral board, performance based scoring and a interview with the Chief.

I'm still torn on weather I actually want it or not.  There will be an increase of pay, though I will be low man on the chain again and take the left over shifts the other Corporals didn't want.  Though it will allow me to progress in my career, I may have to give up being a Field Trainer.

There are pros and cons to the whole thing.  The wife is leaving it up to God and is happy with anything that happens.  I will be able to say in the Armory regardless of being promoted or not so that is a good thing.

Ill keep all informed as to how things are going.

Tomorrow marks the day of the first big snow storm.  This should be especially fun since it seems every year people forget how to drive in the snow. 

A few years back my shift handled 50 motor vehicle accidents in a 60 minute period of time.  We did have some help from the midnight shift but we day shifters don't talk about that.

Just a reminder to all, that bridges freeze first, "black ice" is real even though you can't see it, and four wheel drive does NOT help you stop.

You should note that I dislike the use of underlines and all word capitalization in my writing.  I used it during the four wheel drive sentence because it is that important.

Please stay safe out there and take your time, use main roads and stay off of curvy down hill slopes.

I was tagged by 2girlsand2boys

Here are the rules:

*Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.

*Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.

*Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.

*Let each person know that they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 Random And/Or Weird Facts About Me:

1.  I have arms like a monkey. 

2.  The only reality shows I like are COPS and Survivor.

3.  I can not stand CSI, Without A Trace, or Law And Order even though I work in the same field.

4.  My primary vehicle is a Mini-Van and I am proud of it.

5. I sleep in a full sized bed with my wife and my eight month old baby.

6.  Spiders, lizards, ants and various unidentifiable bugs don't bother me.  Put a garden snake with in 10 feet of me and you can hear me squeal like a girl.

7. Speling iz nut my fortea.

I don't have seven people on my list who I know havn't alredy been taged.  I'll tag:

lovemy4babies

When I was out walking around for Halloween I had the feeling we had just done this.  It seems like a cliche to say that but it really hit me.  Just the day before I could have sworn, under oath, that Halloween wasn't for at least another week.

Christmas feels the same way.  I keep finding my self saying "Didn't we just do this".  I'm not sure what aspect of my life makes it that way.  I don't think it's just getting older.  I think it has more to do with responsibilities, worries, or the repetitive nature of work.  Though my work day is hardly ever the same as the next, just the act of going to work and coming home is repetitive enough.  I have a hard enough time keeping track of what day of the week it is working four, ten hour days.  It makes it even worse when my days off rotate every four weeks.

 Of course Thanksgiving is before that.  Luckily there isn't a lot of preparation needed for that holiday.  Thanksgiving day is always busy but it's not an continuous buildup leading to it.

Christmas has a large buildup.  Though I loved it as a kid, the holiday has become too commercialized.  If you go to www.howstuffworks.com you will find out exactly how that happened.  If you look at the origins of some of the traditions it is rather ridiculous.  If we stick with what St. Nicholas did, the gifts should be able to fit in a sock and not crammed under a tree (or around it).  On Christmas day the kids excitement is well worth the stresses of shopping and attempting to hide the gifts.  I should note that P does the shopping and most of the wrapping.  I help where I can but mostly I stay out of her way.  It's safer that way .

Going to church is always nice for Christmas.  The songs and the themes are uplifting and relaxing.  P and I try to keep a good amount of 'holiday cheer' with us but it is hard some times. 

"Find some joy."  P heard some one say this to her kids and now it's used in our house when things are spinning out of control.  This year I will attempt to find some joy and have holiday cheer.

Then New Years will be here and everything starts over again.  Too bad Thanksgiving couldn't happen in the summer some time.  Though the crops wouldn't have been ready for harvest at that time.

"Steak, steak, dimme me steak!"

This was M's mantra tonight.  Not sure what had prompted it since he had grilled cheese and ketchup for dinner.  There was other food on his plate (greens and what not) but he didn't eat it.  When he realized he was being laughed at, and at the center of attention, he started saying "Gimme paw" and holding out his hand for a high five.  The girls believe this is if from Madagascar or the 'Leapster' game of the same name. 

Sometimes what M and A say are just so funny.  Baby C isn't talking, so not much comes from him except for the exact same dumbfounded look when his picture is taken.  R makes jokes or statements that are supposed to be funny all the time too.  When it's not men to be funny it makes it even more so.

My baby (7months) = C

Oldest boy (3yrs) = M

Yougest daughter (6yrs) = A

Oldest daughter (9yrs) = R

Wife (almost 30 yrs) = Wife / P