The Latta Family

Alexa. Alexa. Alexa.  I tell you that girl is one independent thing.  At the beginning of the summer I was feeling quite frustrated with her because I hadn't figured out her "currency." I couldn't figure out how to get her to do what I wanted her to do!  I mean- I just give Andrew a look, throw a little guilt at him, and he's putty in my hands.  Alexa is a whole other ball of wax.  But I got her number now too.  I have to talk to her, explain my frustration or concern, ask how we can come to some sort of solution and then walk away.  And wait.  She almost always comes to me the following day or a few days later, and is willing to work out a solution- and usually has one.  I just have to be patient and appear  to let the whole thing be her idea.  For example I really needed her to stop sucking her fingers.  She's sucked them since she was a teeny baby.  When she was a baby I was so thankful for those fingers because sh...

I love to ride my bike.  I haven't ridden it in like 2 years.  Andrew and I used to ride our bikes around the neighborhood, at our old house.  Currently, we live in a small, two street, neighborhood. I do NOT want to leave my street and go ride on other nearby roads, as that feels like I'm just asking to get hit by a car.  Alas, I have not ridden much.  Plus, Andrew doesn't want to go ride bikes with his mom anymore.  He's too cool for that.  Alexa- up until 2 weeks ago- did not know how to ride a 2 wheeler.  GASP!!!!!  She hadn't really seemed all that interested in it, and if Alexa's not interested in something, it's not worth forcing it.  However- she decided she wanted a bike for her birthday.  I was kind of surprised, but if it was something she'd do outside, then sign her up!  The first lesson didn't go great.  It wasn't bad.  No trauma.  No falling.  But she didn't "get it" immediately, and wasn't su...

I realized that I don't drink anywhere near enough water.  Like- at all.  I feel accomplished if I drink 20 oz of water.  If I don't drink water, what do I drink?  Not much.  I allow myself 1 Diet Coke a day and one cup of coffee a day.  I don't drink tea, juice, or alcohol.  Occasionally, if I have been really working in the yard, like a crazy woman, I will drink a Gatorade- that's like 1 time a week. I'm just not a thirsty person.  Drinking any kind of liquid is not inherent to me. I have to remind myself, and make myself.  However, I have been struggling with gaining weight. I'm frustrated with this, because I don't feel like I eat all that much.  I don't snack.  I don't eat fast food.  I am not saying I eat great, but I don't eat enough to gain weight like I have been.  Plus- it's summer, so I exercise everyday and work in the yard.  What's going on?!  I decided I would drink 100 oz of water.  A few ...

I may have admitted before, but I have a bit  of an issue with my imagination.  Just a small issue.  Nothing debilitating.  The problem really seems to flare up when Doug is out of town.  Suddenly, there are  werewolves  in the vicinity, or   possessed black cats .  I have made more than one phone call to my parents when Doug is out of town and something scary has raised up my hackles.  Wait . . . I call my parents?  Yes.  I call my parents.  I revert to my childhood self, and I call my parents.  No.  They don't live nearby.  They aren't going to drive an hour and a half and come save me from my imagination.   Are you wondering why I don't call Doug?  Well . . . he's not exactly helpful in these situations.  He brushes off my  irrational fears .  My parents help me make fun of myself, see the humor and unlikely event of Boogeyman busting in the house.  Last night ....

I met up with a friend this morning.  We were talking about how accomplished we feel when we complete a task that would typically be a "husband" job in our house.  For example, she lives with 3 men/young men and she put the new grill together all by herself!  Whenever I use power tools I always feel like I am the bomb dot com.  I don't need Doug to show me how to use the miter saw.  I can use the drill, and even change the bits in and out.  I got this.  Last year, we came across an old wooden desk.  It's all wood.  I sanded it down.  Then when I got tired of that, I bought a safe chemical and chemically removed the stain and dirt.  Then we sanded some more and more and more and more.  Finally, this past week I put the finish on it.  Doug measured and it was going to fit exactly into the place near our tv.  I mean- not a smidge more or it wouldn't fit.  Doug is excellent at measuring.  He knows what all of ...

Yesterday/Monday was the first day of the summer that my kids were actually together. I viewed it as the first "real" day of summer.  We had no guests, nothing special planned, it was a regular summer day. Andrew infuriated Alexa approximately 12 billion times, and she stomped to her room and slammed the door every time. Doug received a text at 4pm that I needed time away from the kids and when he got home- I would be taking it. Day 1. Day 1 I was so fed up and frustrated with them.  They were bored.  I had taken technology away (they can have an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening).  I was determined to not be the cruise director all day.  I did a few things- and then . . . they had to figure out how to entertain themselves on their own.  It's not unreasonable. I'm not responsible for their entertainment 16 hours a day. At 5:00pm they had both been sent to their rooms indefinitely. I just couldn't deal with them anymore. I had told Dou...

Since Father's Day is tomorrow, this is a particularly relevant post about these two: I took this picture of them about 2 days ago.  They had spent several minutes watching someone attempt to devise a method to keep a door open.  They both watched the situation like it was the most fascinating movie.  You can't see their faces that clearly, so you can't see how similar they look.  But while they watched the person, I watched them.  And smiled.  They're so cute sometimes.   Later that day, Andrew and I were enjoying a treat at the local Snow-Ball Cabin (Alexa was at camp).  We were sitting at a picnic table and Andrew says, "Jeez.  Whoever built this table didn't know what they were doing!"  I had a hard time getting a good picture of this table- without Andrew knowing, so this isn't a good visual.  However- the 2nd board is lower than the 1st and 3rd board.  How many times have you sat at a picnic table a...