In the past month we rearranged the kids' bunks. We ditched the flat full sized mattresses that came with the Hideout and bought two twin foam mattresses from IKEA. We also bought IKEA bins that fit between the mattress and the wall to better contain their toys and clothes. They both like the new organization and said it is easier to find things. They also have been spending more time in their spaces - which is the biggest proof that they like the changes we made. We've talked to Brother about whether he missed having his own room - it seems he misses some of the things that were in the room that we can't fit in the Hideout, not necessarily the room itself. I don't think Sister cares too much. 18 months of her four years have been spent in the Hideout - this is home for her.
Did I mention Brother broke his arm three weeks ago? He was playing outside and riding a scooter that is too small for him....he tripped, fell off of it, and caught himself with his right arm. He has a buckle fracture of both the radius and ulna. He is now halfway through his time in the cast (assuming he does not need a second cast).
He's had to learn to use his left had more. He had a bit of trouble climbing up to his top bunk at first, but has adapted. Bathing is a bit of an adventure....we've been focusing on school work that does not require handwriting. He's been reading a lot of fiction in place of video games as the controllers present challenges. Thankfully he is not in any pain. He has many well-wishes and signatures on the cast.
The last day of classes for fall semester is November 30. During the winter break I have a lot of work to do to get my classes ready for the spring semester, but I will mostly work from home. Husband switched to an online program so starting in the spring he will not need to commute to campus. We think that is going to work out better. Sister can now count to 100 by ones and tens! She also knows almost all of the sounds of the letters and can sound out two and three letter words. She's as bright as her brother. Brother is doing really well in fourth grade. He just finished a lesson on fractions and decimals and made us proud with his progress.
In September we had to have the motor in our air conditioner replaced. Thankfully it was under warranty. We didn't mess with the dealership - I doubt we will ever go there again - we just called a company that came to our lot and did the repairs on site. We had to pay for the service call but the parts were under warranty. This week we turned on the furnace for the first time. We are in that crazy time of year in AZ where the air conditioner is needed during the warmest part of the day and we have to turn on the furnace at night. I can't remember when we filled the propane last, but it was a long time ago....before Michigan...so June? We've been running on the same 30 gallon tank since then - but now, since we are using the furnace it will probably run out soon. We had a couple of high electric bills since we've been back the highest was $180 and the next one dropped to $130. Now that we are not running the air conditioner so much it will be low again.
Finally, we are planning on setting up service with a high-speed internet provider while we are stationary. We have been using our T-Mobile service/hotspot for the past 18 months and it's been ok, but we want something faster and more reliable. Century Link is the only provider in our area - I think we will set that up this month.
Well, those are the updates - we are busy when we are stationary! We are looking forward to a wonderful weekend in the mountains at Rancho Status Quo next weekend - though it will probably be cold and we will have to look through boxes to find our winter clothes!
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