Settling In

Well, we're slowly getting into the swing of things around here. The boys are getting more comfortable and learning that they have to work a little harder in school than they used to. Kevin finished last semester with straight A's and started this semester with, well, let's say NOT straight A's. Or even crooked or alternating A's. Pretty much no A's of any kind. After he realized what his grades looked like on his progress report he just about had a cow. Needless to say, since then he's been working harder and his grades are improving dramatically. I have no doubt he can bring every one up to an A.

Cameron is mostly having some issues with his behavior in class. It isn't really bad but he stands up and sometimes talk when he isn't supposed to or just doesn't pay attention like he should (surprise!). Apparently, New Mexico kids are much more rowdy and undisciplined than Alabama kids because no teacher has ever mentioned any problems with Cam until now. But we talked to him about it and he too has improved dramatically according to his teacher.

Dana and Cade continue to hold down the fort during the day and have their own routine set. Now that my wife is retired, I keep telling her she should be getting up and making my breakfast every morning and having a snack and my slippers waiting when I get home but she tells me she's a union organized housewife now and that doesn't fit in with her break times and payscale. I figure it's cheaper, quicker and just easier if I do it all myself.

I still don't know what I'm doing at work.

Enough chatter. Here are a few new pictures I've taken over the last couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks ago we all wandered through and around the wooded area behind our house. We ended up doing a loop around our part of the neighborhood. I thought this moment with Kevin and Cade made for a good photo opportunity.

The boys, especially Cameron, like to ride their bikes down a nearby dirt road to another wooded area. Cameron likes to go over there to watch the sunset. I thought Cade, Cameron and I were going out for a quick walk when I got home from work today but we ended up being gone for an hour because Cameron wanted to see the sunset through the trees. That much walking in my work clothes and shoes was not much fun. We pretty much missed the sunset too.

This is how much room Cade normally has to ride his "special bike". It's a far cry from our huge ol' honking - and empty - driveway in Las Cruces. He only gets this much space when I pull the Expedition out of the driveway and into the street. Poor little guy. Notice, our side of the street doesn't have any sidewalks either. Grrr!

Here's one of our normal evening activities. Playing dominos! This is how you play, right? Here, Cade is racing the line of dominos after me and my apparently fat, round head got them started. Someone please tell Dana to never, ever take a picture of me from this angle again.

Cade, unlike his father, looks cute from any angle.

Sometimes.

Cade had just pushed his bicycle off the curb and into the street when I took this. I just thought he looked cute. (There is no nothing on this street by the way. So no danger of him getting run over.)

One quick, soon to be funny fact: Yesterday, when the temperature was in the mid-sixties or so, Dana said she liked the feel of the humidity and thought it felt good. Remember that and compare it to what she says this summer.