Beat Drum!

Hey everybody!

Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there! I hope you're all enjoying the beautiful summer-like weather we're experiencing up here in Salem...I kid, pun intended. ;} Anyway, here's the latest skinny on our happenings. Shea is getting his last tooth (at least we think based on the quick glimpses into the back of his mouth that we get now and again - we don't dare reach into that bear trap), so he's been a bit fussy. It figures, as he goes for his 18-month check-up tomorrow, so of course he's not eating too well. He's pretty solid though, so we're confident he'll at least be on the growth chart, if not above the bottom.

The basement playroom is finally done!!! I'll be taking some pictures and posting them soon. It looks great, if I do say so myself. We had a test run last night when Gemma and Scotia came over to play. Shea actually jumped on his trampoline and sat on his rocking horse now that we moved them downstairs and he had an audience.

We've been working a lot outside. We planted this year's garden. Let's hope it's more productive than last year. Unfortunately, too much rain last year made the tomatoes split. That can't possibly happen again this year, could it??? Around the raised beds, we put down weed barrier with pea gravel on top, so we might not have to take 4 hours to weed the garden area next spring. We also found out that the tree out front is a Norway maple which has poisonous roots that suck nutrients and water out of the soil, killing all other plants around. So, we got some more plants, transplanted those from the front into other areas, and hope they all survive. I'll post pics of the garden soon.

This week, we replaced the knob-and-tube wiring in the house. We needed to do that to blow insulation into the attic. With the tax refund and a $2,000 rebate from the electric company, we couldn't pass it up! Hopefully, the electric and heating bills will be lower and we can have more $ for vacations and such.

My left shoulder is shot. Shea is all about being held lately. He's such a jiggler that my shoulder is all out of whack and my tendons are strained. I went to the chiropractor last Friday and, after 4 hours of pain, walked out of there hoping my shoulder will get better. I hope so, otherwise I might miss the sail to Halifax. That may not happen for other reasons, but I was hoping that I could participate if it ever did occur.

Ok, this post is getting long, so I'll wrap it up here. I've uploaded a bit of the video of one of Shea's most favorite activities. It seems like the musical talent inherent in our families skipped a generation or two, but is alive and well in Brooke as well as Shea. I hope you can all download it and enjoy!

Love,
Doug, Jess, and Shea