Neighbors

1. Ash, Mina and I spent the morning outside after we walked the big boys to school - Ash rode his bike. Today is trash day which apparently is also "Day that fat neighbor goes outside in only boxer shorts." Also in my neighborhood in the mornings our Asian neighbors play badminton. Like...more than one couple. That is weird. And I love it.
2. We found a baby rattlesnake in our backyard last night. Ash kept telling me there was a big lizard back there. Then Lucas went to check it out and said "That's a snake!" I assumed it was harmless so we were all checking it out. Then Bill came out and said Uhhh that's a rattlesnake. So he had to kill it. Which made him want to throw up. And it was sad. But we didn't want it to hurt the kids.
3. This may sound ridiculous but we told the boys they could have their own iPod touches if they would reach certain goals. So far not one has done it - things like nail biting and thumb sucking which are hard habits to break. I'm feeling like for my own sanity I want to buy them anyway maybe for Christmas. I'm sick of them stealing mine. But Holden wants an iPhone so he can have his own ringtone: mariachi, he says...What?
4. Another of Bill's aunts is here tonight. She surprised us and has to go back to AZ tomorrow but it's nice to see her even for a short time.
5. So I talked to Holden's teacher today about my concerns and I feel much better. She said a lot of the kids have a hard time transitioning from 3rd to 4th grade. And she will spend the next few weeks taking an extra few minutes at the end of the day to make sure he has all of his books and assignments in order before leaving school. I know that this extra attention will make a big difference with him. So I'm pleased that she recognizes it and was quick to reply and find a good solution for dealing with it.