Smiles A Lot

Daddy/Daughters Date Night

2010-03-15T19:29:00.001-07:00

C and the girls had another great date night at the Livin' Lovin' Luau, a yearly event by the Parent Connection. Such a wonderful organization! I LOVE how they have programs to support and encourage families, especially programs that really encourage the relationship between fathers and their children. So important for kids, especially daughters!

The girls just love going! And it is especially special because they get to spend time with Daddy-o! I didn't tell them until after naps today that they were going *C registered them for the event) but once I mentioned the place, they were all excited to go.

What a great time they had tonight! C says the night flies by. They start the date with dinner out. Then they get to the Y, sign in and the fun begins! The big hits are the inflatables and shaving Daddy (shaving cream and Popsicle sticks.)

There are a lot of other activities but these have been their highlights. They also get a really nice goodie bag that includes a new book and passes or discounts like a free bowling game or discount to an inflatable play place.

C's favorite part is surprising the girls with a stop for ice cream after the event. (I even got a treat too! I am enjoying a yummy turtle sundae.)

So again, a great time for them! I am so glad they went. I am so glad they are building these memories and bonds.

Ice Skating Queens

2010-03-04T20:14:00.000-08:00

S finished her ice skating "lessons" tonight.

We started about a month and a half ago when a friend, who was a former skater and instructor, invited us to a local rink for lessons.

S was so excited to take lessons. This was something she really wanted to do. Well, she's enjoyed ice skating so much that she usually wants to stay out as long as she can, which was about an hour. In this time, she's become confident on the ice. She can go around the rink pretty good and is gliding more and she was starting swizzles. I am so proud of what she has accomplished.

All this time, I have been on the ice as well, mostly to provide encouragement and because it's fun. I tried to get M out the first time, which was not successful. In fact, it was stressful because I hadn't been on the ice since high school, maybe, so there I was trying to get my legs under me and remember how to ice skate and then try to hold up this little 3-year-old who was pretty skittish about the ice. So eventually M had had enough and sat with Daddy.

Tonight was the last night (the arena will be getting rid of the ice for home shows and the like during the summer) so Miss L decided to have a little party for her students (about 4-6 girls.)

I asked M if she wanted to go and initially she wanted to stay home with Daddy but then decided she wanted to go to the party AND try to skate.

I was a little nervous about that, given the first experience, but figured we'd give it a try and if it didn't work out, so be it.

C took her out on the ice, held her hand for a short time until Miss L came up and said to M "Why don't you let go of Daddy's hand?" M did and she fell but Miss L showed her how to get back up. After that M was pretty much on the go! She had so much fun! She just took to the ice right away. It was so cute to see her and S skating together.

M fell quite a bit so she'll likely be sore tomorrow. Sometimes she fell on purpose, either because of goofing or as a way to deal with a little wobbling. But she got stronger and stronger each time she got up. She did take a couple big bumps on the bum but again, she got up and kept skating.

I am proud of the girls and I can see this being an activity for them for years to come. S talks about being a professional skater (among her many other interests) so we'll see.

If she is truly dedicated, then we'll consider formal lessons. For now, we will enjoy what has become a fun family activity. Even C was on the ice a couple times!

And I think we'll try to hit the skating rink this summer! That should be a lot of fun.

Still here!

2010-02-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hey folks!
I am still here. January was my last post but it seems like much longer. I know I have been slacking on the blogs. I think it might have to do with the fact that I don't have a laptop anymore (it died shortly after Christmas). But I still use this computer a lot, mostly for freelance work but the culprit could also be Facebook. Not that I do crazy games and stuff but I do jump on and read statuses and the like. I also find myself doing a few Swagbucks searches during the day. So lots of computer use spread all over! And then sharing the computer so C so he can do Internet searches, billing and more.
Time so share some of the love with my blog.
Family Update:
We are all doing fine. S now has a cold but nothing too bad. M had a similar cold last week and it was very short-lived and so far C and I have been OK.
C has been really busy on a work project. He goes into work early and stays until 6 and even works evenings after the girls go to bed. It's been a long haul and the end is not in site yet. But I am so proud of him and all that he does for us.
M is finally getting her own room....in that we are making changes so that it is her room and not the move in ready room it has been for the last 2 years. C put up new mini-blinds and a ceiling light/fan last weekend and I found the purple curtains we used in S's Greenville room. We are going to paint the room (green walls with purple butterflies) in the spring and put up a wallpaper boarder that was also supposed to go in S's old room. And we plan to convert the toddler bed into the full bed but we need to get a mattress.
Huge news is that my total cholesterol is below 200! Last fall is was at 237 and now it is at 192. My HDL is still the same (32) and my LDL, while improved is still lousy. But the doctor says diet and exercise should continue to improve those numbers.
Since last summer/fall, we have made a lot of dietary changes here. (Skim or soy milk, reduced fat cheeses, healthier oils, whole grains, meat alternatives like Bocca and Morning Star, lean meats and fish, more beans and trying to add more fruits and veggies). I have tried to cut back on snacking (not an easy task). Through all that, I've lost about 8 pounds. I FINALLY started exercising again. I was making too many excuses and said enough is enough! I started about three weeks ago and it' s been really good. I exercise in the mornings, which is pretty much the only time to do it as afternoons while the girls nap are really a busy computer usage time (mostly freelance work, really!) I do the Leslie Sansone tapes and a exercise ball program. I really enjoy both.
I have been to the doctor recently because of chest like issues. I've had them off and on for a few weeks now. So I went in and everything seems OK. My EKG was completely normal and the chest X-ray didn't show anything unusual around my heart, etc.
I do worry that I may be getting carpal tunnel as I've had some random swelling in my left thumb area. I'll have to monitor it some more before getting it looked at.
Life has been busy. Lots of little things that pile up into one big thing. :)
Looking forward to the spring and warmer weather and getting outside, biking, walking and trying my hand at some gardening again. So anyone with container garden tips, please contact me.
Well, freelance work beckons again. I'll try to keep more up-to-date and get some pictures out.
Adios!

Haiti

2010-01-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

Like many, Haiti has been on my mind. I hear about it everywhere. The events, as they unfold, slice through me. I can’t completely wrap my mind about what has happened. It is almost like after 9/11. And I want to help but the only way I know how is to pray and pray and pray.
My heart bleeds for a country I honestly know little about. I remember learning about Haiti in school. My thought was it was always a poor place. That was confirmed last year when our church did a Reaching Farther emphasis, with a focus on the countries like Haiti. Our church has many out-reach efforts there and we helped raise money for a storage container full or dried beans and rice. It was an impactful time. The church has more missions planned, including one next month. And just last Sunday, a couple days before this deadly earthquake, we heard from a local doctor who has been to the country on medical missions time and time again.
Through all these stories in the last few days, I find I am just in awe and inspired and amazed by those who leave their homes and lives to go to Haiti, to reach out with love and compassion for the people there. It is truly amazing! I praise God for those loving people and their courage and bravery and love and desire to go time and time again.
We have members, a family, from our church there right now. They are spending three-months in Haiti, where their adopted son is from. They are about four hours away from Port-Au-Prince but they will likely feel the affects and will have more need to minister to a people suffering.
I can imagine too that those who have been to Haiti, who have seen first-hand the poverty and suffering that was there before this disaster, are chomping at the bit and making any and all efforts to get there. I am sure they feel helpless here in the states while people, families, children they know are suffering or worse.
So many people have connections to Haiti….the stories continue to amaze me.
I pray for the missionaries and aid people already there. I pray for their safety as they minister and serve while they are likely hurting as well.
I pray for those trying to get to the country and for their safety as they get in the midst of it all.
I pray for those here in the states. Maybe, like me, they feel a little helpless and wonder how to help. We are witnessing a world, broken and on its knees. We need to help them stand again.

2010 here we come!

2010-01-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

The holiday hustle and bustle is over! I think I am recovered. We will see as we enter a new week. C will return to work and we will return to our routine, as it is.
We enjoyed the holidays. We spent Christmas Eve and part of Day here at home. It was so nice to wake up in our own beds and delight over the gifts. I will eventually get pictures out. They are still on the camera. :)
The girls got toys that will encourage their imaginative play: dress up dolls, play food, Play Dough and a super cool puppet theater that C built.
S is in her glory with the play food. She has really been into playing a chef and operating a restaurant. Tia got her a super cute apron with hat and oven mitt and pad. So cute! And Tia got S a Melissa and Doug sushi set. Again, super cute and S is in her glory!
M loves to play with ALL the toys. She got Elefun and Play Dough so that has been huge. She also got a Mega Blocks Kai Lan Dragon Boat set and has enjoyed putting that together.
I received some much needed Creative Memories scrapbook pages and page protectors. It might sound boring to some but I need those because they are being discontinued and I already have the albums for them. So it was buy them or be stuck with books that I can't fill with the new size pages. I also got some yummy chocolates, super comfy socks and PJ's.
I took advantage of several photo book offers and gave C and the girls each a book with various memories. For C, the RV trip we took to NC shortly after we married. For S, our Chicago trip and for M, our MOA trip.
C was very surprised about his gift from the girls and I: A GPS! He has had a lot of fun using it. No, we have not named it. Although he did have it set to an Australian man's voice so I think of Connor from Ugly Betty or Hugh Jackman from X-Men. C thinks Paul Hogan from the Crocodile Dundee fame. :) C also received a couple neat toys: an Open It tool, which has come in handy many times already; and a cordless screwdriver.
We spent the rest of Christmas Day and that weekend visiting family in the southeastern part of the state. It was a nice time. We came home for a day (which we spent in out jammies) and then headed off to the Western part of the state to spend a couple days with the family. We returned New Year's Eve and basically chilled out over the weekend. No super late parties for us! :)
Now, I guess, is the return to normalcy. C goes back to work. :( And we will once again see a schedule with various activities like ballet, story times, play groups, the return of my church mother's group and so forth. The girls will participate in a couple parks and recreation programs next month. I plan to resume homeschooling with S and, maybe try some things with M. (Suggestions anyone??) Reading is one of the things we plan to begin with S. And we will be enrolling her in kindergarten this month, I believe! She is very excited for school to begin. She even created a picture with her name surrounded by hearts in the middle and, in each corner, a picture to represent the seasons. She "checked off" winter (depicted by little circles to represent snowflakes) and knows when we get to fall it will be the start of school.
With any luck, this winter will pass by and we can look forward to warm spring days! :)

December pictures

2009-12-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

I realized I am behind on some pictures from this month, like pictures of the girl's birthday party with friends, the blizzard, a visit with Santa and the girls in their Christmas outfits that they wore at church for their big performance on the big stage.

M's first dental visit

2009-12-22T19:59:00.001-08:00

M had her first official dental visit on Monday and was a pro! The visit went so well! She has been to the dentist before when S had her cleanings. Also, we had the dentist look at a front tooth that seems to be two teeth joined together.

I think it also helped for this visit to have M watch S get her cleaning done first. But once S was done, M was anxious to get into the dentist chair!

She was so sweet! She opened her mouth wide when directed. She would wave to me as her teeth were getting cleaned. She laughed when the water squirter would rinse her teeth. She said her teeth were crunchy (because of the tooth polish). She did such a good job! I am so proud of her!

Where are the Jingles??

2009-12-19T19:19:00.000-08:00

One of my childhood Christmas memories is of snacking on Keebler Holiday Jingles and Almond Crescents. It's been a couple years, maybe, since I've had them. But a couple weeks ago, I thought about them and sought them in our local grocery store. None. I almost thought they weren't made anymore but was given some encouragement when I saw a Kebbler ad with a box of Jingles in the picture.
I've been looking every time I go shopping and have even kept my eyes open at other stores (like a local mega superstore) but I have not seen them. I know they are a seasonal item so either I am completely missing them or they are just that popular! (And, no, I have not asked management where they are, figuring that maybe my figure and cholesterol don't need those cookies.)
Well, today the desire was real strong for Jingles so I was on a mission to find the cookies at my store. I scanned the aisles and pounced on any holiday display I could find at my local grocery store and still NO Jingles!
BUT I did come across Salerno Santa's Favorites Anise Flavored Cookies (which look and taste like Jingles). And the company also has Almond Crescents. I decided to give them a try.
The Anise Flavored ones were OK. They did remind me of Jingles. But the cookie seems smaller than Jingles. I'll still eat them though.
The Almond Crescents were good although I wished they had a touch more powered sugar on them.
The good thing is they have 0g trans fat and no cholesterol. So I don't feel totally guilty. :)
I still miss the Jingles.
But then again, maybe I am not missing anything at all. I just found this blog posted in 2007 about the writers own lament over missing the beloved Holiday Jingles. (I did not realize there was so much history between Salerno and Keebler and the whole story behind the Jingles.) The writer found both the Keebler and Salerno brands at a store, decided to taste test both and concluded that the Keebler Brand was nothing like they remembered.
I found another blog with the same kind of frustration over the Keebler brand recipe and how the Salerno brand is THE original. WOW! So much history that I was totally unaware of. So did I eat Keebler or Salerno brand as a kid?? I am pretty sure it was Keebler but maybe not.
Sounds like I need to do a taste test as well!

Christmas Letter 2009

2009-12-18T20:34:00.001-08:00

I sent out Christmas cards this year (thanks to all the free or nearly free photo offers out there!) I didn't send out a Christmas letter because I didn't have time to write then. Well, I've got a few moments tonight so here is a short (only because my memory might not be working properly) update:

C: wrapped up with one project late summer and is on to another project. He recently wrapped up with his men's church group. He continues to input sermon notes for church. Through diet and exercise, he has shed quite a few pounds. He remains on blood thinner medications until next month, we hope.

L: A friend and I co-lead the mom's group at church. We have a great group of small group leaders and wonderful participants. I continue to team lead in the three year old class on Sunday mornings. I continue to freelance for local publications. Over the spring I was asked to write a weekly piece on local people doing good things. I really enjoy it. Homeschooling took a break this fall. Not sure why we were so busy but it just never fit and then I just decided to take a break. I hope to resume in January and may even start some things with M. I have a lot of great resources a friend has recommended so that will also be exciting to add to our plans.

S: turned 5 this year. We took a trip to Chicago over the summer and she is all a buzz about one day buying a car, moving to Chicago and being an artist and working with beluga whales at the Shedd Aquarium. She has also enjoyed pretend play as a chef so that has also been an interest. And she really has taken to anything to do with space travel so she hopes to one day go to space and stay on the International Space Station (which we've seen in the night sky a couple times. VERY cool!) She has her life pretty much planned out already.

M: turned 3 this year. She continues to be on the go, go, go! Honestly she is something. So uniquely designed. Sweet one time and sour the other. She is so independent, stubborn and determined when she gets her mind set to it. But then she can disarm you with her smile or laugh. She will be "I Do It!" one moment and then "Mama, I want a hug," the next. This fall she and S attended Patriot Preschool and she loved it! They both graduated from PPS today. I look forward to the spring program, which will be a little longer. And I plan to enroll S as well. I know she really enjoys it.

This year the girls were both in the children's church Christmas program. This was M's first time on the big stage and she did a really good job! We are so proud of the girls! They love singing and this was the best time for them! M wants to go on the big stage again but hopefully Miss Impatience can be patient enough to wait until next year!

We are looking forward to Christmas Day at home. And we get to go to our church on Christmas Day! After that, we will be making various travels to visit family. I am praying for good weather, unlike last year.

We pray everyone is doing well! Please keep in touch or send us updates, addresses and the like!

Many Christmas blessings to you! As you open your gifts, remember the greatest gift of all is not in a box but the one sent from heaven above!

Bitter cold!

2009-12-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

Blizzard Allison has long past but now bitter cold is entering the area. So maybe we'll be home again tomorrow. We'll see. I am scheduled to take a meal to a new mom. But maybe that can wait.
I wouldn't mind another day at home, especially if it means staying out of the bitter cold.
We did get outside for a little bit today. It had stopped snowing at one point in the morning but it was windy. M's cheeks each had a big red welt/spot but they went away. She may need a ski mask for outside play this winter. That and longer mittens. Why don't they make longer mittens for kids? Or if anyone knows where to find some, let me know ASAP! M's issue (and S had the same issue a couple years ago) was that her mittens didn't stay in the coat sleeves so when she played in the snow, it would get on her wrists, making those red as well. (Her wrists had evidence of welts, just not red, more like an outline.)
C stayed home today. He spent a lot of time outside clearing our driveway and helping neighbors. The driveway was pretty clear of snow by dinnertime. I hear the wind though so I imagine there is a nice drift in the driveway.
We didn't get to the sugar cookie cut-outs. Maybe tomorrow or this weekend. But I was in the kitchen a lot today. I made pancakes for breakfast; put together a chicken chili for dinner; made fudge and toffee bars; made grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for lunch; and made an Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie for my new mom friend.
The girls played nicely inside. I made their tutu's and we watched a couple holiday movies.
It was a busy day. I am ready for bed!

Blizzard!!

2009-12-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

The blizzard warning is out! We may get 8 to 14 inches tomorrow! WOW! I think a lot of long time WI residents are trying to remember the last time there was a blizzard warning.
I am glad I was able to get out and about today (although it felt like EVERYONE was out!) and yesterday so I could get essentials we will need for a couple days at home.
Tomorrow would be a perfect jammie/laid back day. I bought some sugar cookie dough so maybe we can get to those cookie cut-outs. Also, the girls got a make-you-own-tutu kit so that will be a project as well. And I've DVR'd several holiday movies so maybe we'll snuggle on the couch with popcorn and hot cocoa and watch some flicks. Sounds perfect! And hopefully by Thursday the winds will have died down some so we can play in the snow.
If you're in WI, take it easy! Stay home! If you need to venture out, BE SAFE!!!

Snuggie

2009-12-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

OK. I see the commercials for those Snuggie blanket things and laugh. But here I sit, swaddled in a blanket because it's freezing cold in the house, wrapped in the same fashion as the Snuggie.
Maybe they are on to something......
But, seriously, would you wear one at a tail gate party or sporting event? Maybe I shouldn't laugh over that either!

Christmas trees

2009-12-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

We put our trees up last weekend, along with the outdoor decorations.

I love our trees. They are so pretty.

The one in the family room is our newest tree. We got it at the end of the season last year. It's about 7 ft. and C put lights in it. M got to put the star on the top. S says it is full of ornaments. I say it is full of memories.

I love ornaments, especially the ones that represent memories. I always pick out an ornament for each family member. On the tree this year is an angel of peace and two Star Trek ornaments (a communicator and Captain Kirk surrounded by tribbles.)

Also for this new tree, I bought traditional glass balls: red, gold, frosted white and red and gold. They look beautiful in the tree!

Our old tree, the one we've had since S was little, went into the playroom for the girl's ornaments, like Sesame Street characters, ballet shoes, a ballerina and more. Today for an Advent activity, the girls got to add candy canes to their tree.

The tree is a pre-lit one. Unfortunately over the summer the box must have fallen, destroying the tree base which held the fiber optic feature of the tree. But C created a new base, which fits the tree perfectly! And the regular lights still work.

Also for our holiday decorations are several Nativity scenes. The girls have a Veggie Tales Nativity scene in the play room. The first Nativity set is under the tree in the family room. The set came with Mary, Joseph, a cow and a sheep; all dolls so children can play with it. Mary and Joseph are not in the stable now because they are still making the journey. They were in the girl's bathroom this morning. :)

The other Nativity scene is a Willow Tree set, which is on the fireplace mantle. The stable we use was a find at a local resale shop. One day I hope to get the Wise Men to complete the set.

I love looking at the Nativity sets. I think about Mary and Joseph and wonder what they were thinking when the events started to unfold before them. What a wonder to think that you are going to carry and raise God's child! He loves us so much! It amazes me to think about how Jesus came into this world like every other earthly child. And then to be the parents to hold that precious bundle in your arms......! Living, breathing, flesh of God! What a reason to celebrate!

Holiday tunes

2009-12-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas music! Check out my play list (you'll have to go to my blog if you are getting an e-mail notification).

I start the list off with the Relient K song "I Celebrate the Day." The song continues to move me.

I've added Paul McCartney and Brian Setzer to the mix.

Barlow Girl has an awesome "Carol of the Bells." Casting Crowns also has some great traditional songs, like "I Heard the Bells."

And check out the Sara Groves song, "Toy Packaging," which is sure to bring a smile to parents everywhere. :)

I love, love, love Christmas music. I remember singing carols in choir and at church. They are so joyful and fun.

So relax and let the music fill your holiday spirit.

Happy birthday, peanut!

2009-11-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

Today you are 3. M, you are growing so fast, it is hard to keep up at times!
You amaze us with your intelligence. You seem to take everything in.
We love to see your creative side come out through your playtime and the drawings that are starting to form.
You also amaze us with your energy and determination! You have been on the go since the day you were born (look at that delivery time!) and you really don't show signs of slowing down!
You also have wit and humor. You can be so goofy and quite the entertainer.
You clearly idolize your bigger sister. You also try to act bigger than you are and do not like to be held back!
You are always thinking 10 steps ahead of us! Slow down, sweetie! First things first, remember? Be patient.
We do get frustrated with you many times over (comes from the stubbornness trait at this age) but we do love you all the same. And you have a knack of making those pickle times into sweet times with a smile or a goofy act or with a sweetness that does run through you.
You act all independent and confident and fearless but inside there is still that baby who (finally!) wants snuggles from Mama and Daddy-o.
We love you, peanut. God has truly blessed us with you! We look forward to the many years to come to see you grow and blossom!

Cookie making

2009-11-21T19:32:00.000-08:00

Today we got into the holiday mood some as we baked cookies for a cookie exchange I'm doing with our church's mom's group on Tuesday.
My holiday favorite are peanut butter blossoms. Might not sound like a holiday cookie to some but I love them! I am a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate! YUM-O!!
I made over 10 dozen cookies. It sounds like a lot but I was surprised at how fast it went. The girls helped a little. M did not like rolling the cookie balls in the sugar. S helped with the first double batch. I was solo on the second double batch, but again, it went very fast.
All these tasty cookies! I can't wait to see what we get at the exchange on Tuesday! Now to figure out how to store them until Christmas!!

Photo gifts

2009-11-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

I am so amazed! The 50 free SeeHere photo cards I ordered (and blogged about) on Wednesday showed up today!!
Also, one of two free calendars from VistaPrint arrived yesterday. (And I see they have more freebies and deals I might have to consider!)
Lastly, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of two free photo books I created through Winn-Dixie. (See Freebies4Mom for details about this. It was posted on Nov. 6, I believe.)
Lots of great photo gifts to give this holiday season!
Maybe this week I might get a start on those Christmas cards!

Bell ringing

2009-11-19T06:44:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week the girls and I (along with a friend and her three kids) rang bells for the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign.
It was a fun time, especially when the boys came up with a bell dance to entertain the shoppers. We certainly got more donations with that dancing!
I enjoy this service. It is typically a lot of fun (although two hours can be long for the girls and they tend to lose interest toward the end). It is also a great life lesson for the girls. We talk about people who are in need, how the money we collect will be used and how we are helping just by giving a couple hours of our time.
That's it. A couple hours of time make a world of difference for someone in need. So if you haven't signed up yet or haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to. Call your local Salvation Army office now.

Amazing deal on FREE photo cards!

2009-11-18T20:37:00.000-08:00

Visit Freebies 4 Mom, one of my favorite blogs, to get the skinny on getting 50 free 4x8 photo cards. Absolutely, completely FREE!!
This offer has been in the blogsphere for a while but I'm just now getting to it.
I ordered mine tonight with no problems at all. I kept the card pretty simple but I think it's beautiful. Once I was done, I entered my information and waited to enter my payment info, for shipping at least, right? But, nope, I did not pay a penny!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Freebies 4 Mom and SeeHere by Fujifilm for such a wonderful gift!!!
(Update: I deleted the info I posted earlier about a free photo ornaments. Apparently that was not an accurate deal. See the comment below.)
I have a confession: I tend to be somewhat a slacker when it comes to sending out Christmas cards. I have the best intentions (you should see the bag of Christmas cards I still have from previous years!) One year I wanted to send one of those photo cards where you slip your picture in. Another year, I was just going to do regular Christmas cards. But, more often that I should admit, not all the cards make it in the mail. I don't know what the hang-up is. Maybe it's addressing the envelopes, which seems daunting.
But this year, I vow that everyone on our list should be getting a card! (And if I don't get one to you, I apologize in advance!)
Again, check out this fabulous freebie! And if you are new to SeeHere, you can get 100 free prints!
Also, before you get started on your photo cards, read up on Freebies 4 Mom for some tips to make the process go smoother. (There were some technical issues, I guess, but it should all be cleared up.)
You have until Nov. 30 to get in on this freebie.
Enjoy!!

Me time!

2009-11-16T13:37:00.000-08:00

I am so excited! For the next four weeks, not counting next week, I get 50 minutes of me time! The girls start PPS tomorrow! Three days a week for four weeks!
I am excited for them. S is participating for the third time while M will give it a go for the first time. I know they will have a lot of fun with their buddies, make new friends, and, of course, learn a lot. There are some exciting themes in store!
I am excited for me because this means time just for me! Whatever will I do? I could go shopping without the girls but I think I will be more inclined to enjoy the time at a local coffee shop and read. :) I cannot wait. I know the time will fly but I will treasure every minute. It will be just the refresher I need.

Unstock your shelves

2009-11-08T12:59:00.000-08:00

This season finds many families in need. Food pantries, among many other charitable organizations, are noting record numbers of families and individuals seeking their help. So here is a call to unstock your shelves and restock those in need.
It's easy to do. Next time you are at the grocery store, grab an extra can of vegetables or box of pasta. Pick up an extra tube of toothpaste or shampoo. Lots of organizations can take your extras and get them to those in need. Homeless shelters can use personal care items; food pantries can use canned and boxed non-perishables. Organizations that care for domestic abuse victims (a number that is also growing due to this poor economy) and expectant mothers and their babies can use all sorts of baby and personal care items.
Couponing seems to be popular these days so next time you head to the store for double coupon days, keep these organizations in mind. Instead of stocking your shelves, think of how you can help families in need.
Yes, this time of year encourages a season of giving, but perhaps you can start a trend in your home that can be year-round. This need is not going away once the Christmas wrapping has been tossed away.

PJ's

2009-11-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

If you come to our house some night, don't be surprised to see one, a couple or all of us in our pj's.
Pj's are warm and comfy. And they seem to be perfect for this time of year. More often than not, the girls are still in their jammies. They nap (or have quiet time) until about 4, by which time, it's getting dark. I'm usually busy with house stuff or making dinner or both so there's no harm in letting them stay in their jammies. By 5 it's pitch black, so again, what harm in letting them stay in their jammies.
Then C and I often join the party. PJ's are comfortable and a giant stress reliever, in my humble opinion. I feel so cozy in them. And they are warm and comfy on these cold, dark nights.
So, feel free to come on over, play a game with us, join the jammie party.

Nearly done!

2009-11-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

My Christmas shopping for the girls is nearly done! Generally I am not an early shopper but I've just happened to find some things that were on sale (great deals!) that I didn't want to pass up.
For Christmas we give the girls three gifts each (representing the number of gifts Jesus Christ received from the Three Kings) and then a couple small stocking stuffers.
So for S, I think I am done. I think I need one more gift for M. (And, on top of that, I had also picked up a couple birthday gifts for her.)
Now to keep an eye out for gifts for C. Or maybe we'll just get one big gift for the both of us. :)

What is this world coming to??

2009-11-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

I heard Christmas music on a local station over the weekend! Christmas music! Actually, I think it was even before the weekend!!! BEFORE Halloween! What is this world coming to?? Seriously! I know the economy is in the tank and the stores want to drum up as much business as possible but they need to let up. It's too much to have to have the stress of Christmas so early. Let us enjoy one holiday at a time for goodness sake!

Happy Birthday, Pumpkin Pie!

2009-10-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

S turned 5 today! She is such a little lady. But we still miss the little girl. We have been so blessed to have her. She is a joy and amazing. She is loving and kind. She is funny and so full of joy. It is so cool to see her get things. She is eager to learn. Five years ago she came into this world. She was S, no longer Maynard, the name we called the child I carried. She was ours. But above all she is His. God has blessed us with her. We treasure her and we long for her to know and love Him. And she does. She loves to talk about God. She loves to sing to him, talk to him. The other day, she drew a picture of her and God. It was so cool. She gets it. We are eager to see that relationship blossom. We are eager to see what He has in store for her.

Her birthday was filled with a lot of fun and laughter. It was also a mix of birthday related stuff and Halloween. For her birthday I made a breakfast pan-cake. She got presents from us. (We are planning a combined birthday party for her and M for later in this year.)

Later we went to Wild Air with a family we know. What a great time for S....and M. Before that we tossed in some trick-or-treating at a local grocery store. We ended the day with a little trick-or-treating to a few homes on our block. And, we were blessed with a wonderful neighbor who made a chocolate chip cookie cake in the shape of a number 5. It was decorated and everything! How awesome! What a treat for us!

It was a full and fun day. Now M is talking about her birthday coming up!

MOA

2009-10-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in MN at the Mall of America. The girls had a blast at the Nickelodeon Universe, the indoor amusement park.

S was brave and did not hesitate to try a couple roller coaster rides. One was a regular roller coaster. Another was one of those rides that takes you straight up and then drops you! S said her bottom kept coming up! Thank goodness for safety restraints!

M wanted to go on all the rides as well and did not take lightly to being told she could not because she was small. Thankfully there were similar versions of some of those big rides just for the little ones. Those appeased her for a little bit. She giggled the whole time on the Wonder Pets themed ride, which took riders straight up and dropped them several times.

Our families were also with us so we took the opportunity to have a small birthday party for the girls in the hotel we stayed at. It was a pool and pizza party of sorts.

Again, M showed us a new skill: she thinks she can swim! C says she started kicking her legs and moving her arms once she got into the water. She even wanted him to let go. Eventually she was in a swim ring, which helped her greatly. The next morning we hit the pool again and she spent the whole time in the swim ring, moving around on her own (we were within arms reach). S, on the hand, was a little skittish about being in the water. Probably did not help that she was cold and that the pool was kind of small and there was a lot of splashing, which bothered her. In any case, this is a clear sign that the girls need lessons!

Again, it was a good time and the girls are talking about going again. S also wants to go to the aquarium also in the MOA. We didn't go this time because we had visited it over the summer.

Pumpkins!

2009-10-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

When I got back from an awesome church event tonight, I was greeted by two wonderfully carved pumpkins!

They are amazing! C and the girls did a great job! C said S put her hands in to get the guts out, but mostly because he told her it was part of the carving process.

She created the design of the pumpkin with the shocked expression. (Side note, a while ago, she drew a picture of what she wanted her pumpkin to look like. It's pretty close.)

He said she helped to carve out some of the areas and he did some of the detail and clean up work.

M did not want anything to do with scooping out the guts but did help to sort out the seeds, which are soaking right now to be toasted tomorrow! Yum!

M also did not do much of the carving, instead opting to give the pumpkin with a silly expression a few good pokes for character. :)

I was nearly in tears at how beautiful they are. C put votive candles inside them so they were glowing in the dark kitchen when I walked in. Awesome job!!

Family Update October 09

2009-10-20T15:51:00.000-07:00

I didn't check when I last did a family update. But to date, we've celebrated a wedding anniversary and a birthday (mine). S's is coming up and M will follow in a month.
Everyone is doing well. We've dealt with some illnesses. I think the girls may have even had a touch of H1N1. Who knows because I still can't tell the two apart. They are the same to me.
Summer flew by. C brought in the summer stuff over the weekend while the weather was decent.
We haven't done a lot as far as homeschooling goes. Nothing structured that is. S does some workbook pages here and there but I have not pulled out last years curriculum. Maybe in January. :) I might just focus on reading with S because she is showing signs.
I might also start some basic things with M, although she continues to amaze us with what she knows! And she is super at Memory! WOW! She and S will be doing a preschool program at a local high school. S has done it before and she loves it! M is very excited. I just hope she will be a good listener. She continues to try is in that area. Well, not so much in the listening department because I am sure she hears us over and over again. But she doesn't always DO!
We've been apple picking and to a pumpkin farm. The girls and daddy are going to attempt carving the pumpkins tonight.
The leaves have fallen off one tree on our property. Soon the one in back will be bare. The air is crisp. I love fall!

Stellar meal!

2009-10-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

We just finished breakfast for dinner. I LOVE breakfast. I could eat it at any time. I especially love it a dinner-time. I think because it is so comforting. After a long day with the kids (don't laugh! you try it sometime), it is nice to make something comforting and warm and just so delish!
Plus it is super simple to make in a pinch! Pancakes, eggs and bacon....so easy and what could be better?
Breakfast also evokes images of crisp, cold mornings, comfy pj's, tousled bed head, sleep eyes and the smiles that come with pancakes off the griddle or buttery toast and eggs.
The ultimate comfort food!
Now S says we need to try a dinner meal at breakfast. Hmmmmm.....not as appealing but I am game. Now what to make?

Jon and Kate saga

2009-10-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

I don't watch Jon and Kate but I have been drawn into their whole situation. It's so horribly, horribly, tragically sad.
Even more sad is that, despite the divorce proceedings underway, the show was still being taped and aired!
Seriously, leave the family be! No, the family needs to grow up; the parents need to act like adults and think about saving their marriage and their children.
So I was happy to read that someone is finally stepping up and doing something to stop the show. Jon, the husband, has put a cease and desist on taping and no trespassing for the TLC crew.
It's about time someone put an end to it all! Why would they even want to consider continuing? Oh, right, for the money and because they are accustomed to that lifestyle. But seriously they should have pulled the plug a whole lot sooner.....for their marriage and for the kids!

I made applesauce!

2009-10-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I finally made applesauce!
We picked apples a couple weeks ago... yummy Macs and Corts. I had made plans to make apple pie, applesauce and other goodies but hadn't had time (in part due to to preparing for the garage sale) until now.
My friend sent this super simple crock pot recipe. Perfect for me! Peel, core and slice the apples, throw them in the crock pot with brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon and there you go!
I was amazed too because an hour into the cooking I saw the apples still in slice form and figured I might have to put the batch through a blender or something. But in the end, it was applesauce! Amazing! (I get giddy over simple things in life. :) )
So now we have two of four bags of apples left. I plan to use some tomorrow to make a pork tenderloin with apples and an apple pie crumble, which is another recipe submitted by a friend. Sounds like a perfect meal for a fall day. Yum-o!!

Stuff and more stuff

2009-09-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

I am into the last day of my first garage sale. It is MUCH quieter today. Yesterday morning there was a steady stream of people until about 11:30. This morning there has been a slow trickle of people. But maybe as the sky clears up and it gets warmer, more people will come out.
The first thing that sold this morning was our Little Tykes Swing and Slide combo, which we sold at our asking price.
A lot of small stuff has sold, even some of the cassette and VHS tapes I pulled out late yesterday afternoon. I figured people going up to their cabin up north might get some use out of VHS tapes. One gentleman commented that the TV selection up north isn't great and he's not going to pay for a dish.
A lot more baby clothing has sold, although some outfits that I think are super cute are still around.
We still have the Carter's John Lennon collection stuff. I had an older gentleman come in looking for the John Lennon collection but he meant music. He was surprised to see our collection was baby stuff. And even more surprised when I explained the characters used in the collection were drawn by John Lennon.
The bigger baby items, like the swing, bouncy seat and walker, are also still around. And we put out an old entertainment center, which I hope will sell because I don't want to bring it back in the house. I guess it could get stored in the basement.
Last night I decided to add a few more things, like women's clothing and winter gear. Some of the clothing has sold. Still have a lot of the maternity clothing. I was told that is sometimes harder to sell so perhaps I'll just donate it to a local organization.
C asked if I'd do a sale again and I think I would. It really hasn't been bad. The pricing part was a little tedious but I got some sound advice from garage sale loving friends. And it helps to have someone else watch the girls. My friend A was a super help yesterday. And my folks are visiting for the weekend so the girls are having loads of fun. My mom even took the girls for a walk to check out all the other sales in the neighborhood. She says our sale is, by far, the biggest one. Probably because it's our first and we have a lot of baby stuff to get rid of.
The pricing part of a garage sale is not fun but, as I clean out closets and drawers each season, I can see trying to get into the habit of putting them into totes specifically marked for the garage sale. Maybe even pricing them before storing them away. It's all in my head but it would be nice that should another time come, I can pull them out and go.
I plan to even pack up the stuff from today, even still priced, to make the next time a little easier.

One man's treasure....

2009-09-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst the first day of our first garage sale. There is a little lull now, which is a relief because my legs and back are aching!
It's been a busy morning. We had people in our garage almost as soon as we opened the doors, over half hour before the scheduled start time. Yes, there early birds do truly exist.
It's been busy. I have been surprised by what has sold, what hasn't. Some stuff I put out just to get rid of: we don't use or don't want.
I'd say we have some really nice stuff, clothes especially.
I look around the garage now and we still have a lot of stuff but we've sold a bit too.
Not a piece of the John Lennon Collection baby stuff (bed sets, lamps, mobile, walker, swing, etc.) has sold. :(
We still have a lot of toys left too. And I've dealt with two or three people who are looking for a lower price on the Little Tykes Swing and Slide combo.
This has been an interesting experience. I am tired but we've got a couple hours before we can call it a day and re-evaluate things.

Apple time!

2009-09-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

The girls and I joined some friends this morning to pick apples. Yum! We had a great time and got a lot of apples in no time at all. The trees were bursting with big apples. Macintosh and Cortland apples were available for picking. Yummy!
I also picked up some Honey Crisp apples as well as apple cider, a couple caramel apples and caramel apple dip.
For lunch we enjoyed grilled cheese apple slice sandwiches, apple slices with caramel dip and apple cider. The girls loved their apple themed lunch.
In the next few days I plan to make apple pie and homemade applesauce. I might even try baked apples but I'll save that for another time. We've got plenty of apples! :)

Clean sweep!!

2009-09-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend we will be participating in our first neighborhood-wide garage sale!! Our neighborhood holds a garage sale twice a year.
So we decided it's time to clean out the basement, which means all of the baby items. Yes, no more baby stuff.
I've been going through totes and totes of stuff and it's been an interesting time. I see the clothes the girls once wore and I get a little nostalgic. I even went through all my maternity stuff and, man, I loved being pregnant! And I had some cute stuff. I found some shirts I loved to wear and part of me thought, I could get away with wearing that now. Tunic tops are in style, after all! But, no worries, Stacy and Clinton, I did not keep one maternity outfit!
I am nearly finished with pricing the clothes. I just sorted through two more totes tonight but I am going to call it a night and price it all tomorrow. Then I have a couple tables in the basement with stuff piled on them. I'll tackle that tomorrow as well. My goal is to finish the pricing tomorrow and then start setting up Wednesday.
I am excited to be doing this garage sale although I will be solo. My friend A is coming over with her kids to watch the girls so that is one less thing to worry about. And the weather looks great, which is a super plus!
I'll try to post something after the sale and include pictures. Wish me luck!

S's first accident

2009-09-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

S has been doing so well on her bike. But Sunday afternoon she had her first accident. Sadly, we didn't see it happen but we sure heard her halfway down the block!

She ended up with a swollen right corner of her lip, a small scrap on her chin, some road rash on her elbow and a little scrape on her front tooth.

Thankfully she was wearing her helmet because it got crunched up a little in the front too.

I am just thankful angels were watching over her. Chris was in our garage and I was talking to our neighbors. S likes to ride her bike up and down our street, which has little traffic so it's pretty safe.

We assume she was just peddling too fast and maybe got distracted by something and lost her balance and fell over. She was standing by the time we ran to her.

Again, thankful for the angels and helmet. I told her that when I was a kid, we weren't told to wear helmets. I showed her some of my scars from numerous bike accidents.

She jumped on the bike again Monday night without any fears or concerns. What a champ!

Ugh! Allergies

2009-09-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

It appears there is something in the air that is affecting my allergies. Sadly, they hit me first thing in the morning, even when I start stirring at 4 a.m., even earlier! UGH!
Praying this allergy season ends very quickly!

Wait for me, guys!

2009-08-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Now that S is riding big time, M is eager to quickly follow in her foot-steps. We decided the other day that she is ready to move up from the red tricycle. We briefly considered getting S a new bike but that will probably wait until next spring.

In the meantime, we decided to fix up a garage sale find from last year for M. It needed some TLC and new tire and inner tubes.

She jumped on that thing and was a pro! Riding and riding and riding. She had a good time.

I imagine next spring she'll want the training wheels off. I hope not!!

In other news: M is very nearly potty trained. We've been venturing out of the house with her wearing big girl undies and she has stayed dry! We still use Pull-ups at nap and bed times. But that will happen in due time.

And she's off!

2009-08-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

On Saturday S rode down our whole street by herself! It was amazing! Incredible! Huge kudos to Daddy-O for all his hard work in teaching her! Those motorcycle lessons came in hand.

She was amazing. Smiled the whole time.

C said he was amazed she went so far. But he saw the determination on her face once she passed our driveway.

Now she is ready to ride anytime she gets a chance. We should try to keep it up so that she's not too rusty next spring.

One giant step for S

2009-08-16T19:40:00.001-07:00

A couple days ago S told us she was ready to have her training wheels taken off!! AAAAAAhhhhh! Gulp!!!!

So OK. We did. We really didn't have much of a clue how to teach her to ride without training wheels but we gave it a shot. C did all the work on this first try while I tried to keep M on one side of the driveway. He tried to help S maintain her balance and encourage her to keep pedaling. He tried to get her to ride from one end of the driveway to the other, grass to grass side, so that is she fell when he let go, she had a soft cushion. Later, they tried going down the street. I was not there to witness that because by that time it was hard to keep M out of the way.

Tonight S tried some more riding. She seemed a little more comfortable but still was inclined to leaning on one side. But there was one point where she managed to ride a little solo, without realizing it.

Practice, practice, practice, I keep telling her. Soon enough she'll be riding like a pro!

So blessed!

2009-08-16T19:30:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed with our girls. They fill our hearts with joy and laughter. We also have typical parental struggles.

Recently we had their pictures taken and what a photo session! I was so impressed with M, who smiled and posed like a pro! A huge turn around to her 2 year old photo shoot, where she was a total stinker and refused to look at the camera, even get on the backdrop!

But the girls were so cute and loving and just ate the camera up! So of course it was so hard for me to pick just one pose for a free package coupon I had! I even took up an in-store offer to get a framed and matted portrait package for a steal!

Bay Beach

2009-08-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures from our first Bay Beach for the summer. We've been there a couple times now, mostly because of birthday parties held at Bay Beach.

It is a cool little place. We've been there over the last couple years for company gatherings but this was the first time both girls got a chance to enjoy the rides together.

Bay Beach is just a place that has a wonderful old time feel. It's right on the lake and there are places for families to picnic and play.

There are carnival type rides, from the Tilt-o-Whirl and Scrambler to kiddie rides that just go round and round but the little ones have such a blast.

Bay Beach also has a Ferris Wheel (we went on it while there were storm clouds above!!), merry-go-round, little train and a giant slide.

It was so fun to see the girls on the rides. M even loved the Ferris Wheel. They literally bounced from one kiddie ride to another!

It is such a cool place! Perfect for families. I look forward to making Bay Beach part of our summer memories.

Finally downloaded photos!

2009-08-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

I've been holding off serious blogging because we've had pictures on the camera to download...just not time to download.
So I'll have some posts out yet this weekend.
In the meantime, we are doing well. It is finally starting to feel like summer around here. My tomatoes are still showing signs of blossom rot bottom, or whatever it is called. I did spy a few that seem to be OK so maybe there is hope yet in a future crop.
C has been on blood thinners for a month now. We continue to pray that the medicine works. He has been busy at work with two projects.
I continue to freelance and am gearing up for co-leading our church's mom's ministry. I am very excited about that!
S wrapped up VBS this week. She really enjoyed it and learned a lot, made some great crafts and even made a couple friends.
Next week both girls will start ballet. S will move up to the next level class, which is an hour long class. The unfortunate thing is that the class is at 4:25, which means I will have to adjust nap time those days so the girls are up by 3, at least, so we can get out the door in time.
M will be taking Fairytale Ballet, which she sampled this summer. I really hope she will enjoy it. I plan to enroll her in a tumbling class (she has a knack with somersaults) but possibly in the spring.
We resumed homeschooling this week. Mostly we've been doing workbooks (alphabet, numbers and some kindergarten skills) and we have been going through some sight word books. I'll be pulling out last year's curriculum and upping it some with K-level things, as well as focusing on the skills S needs to know for K next fall.
I'll probably also start working some more with M, which I hope will gear her up for Patriot Preschool in the fall.
Summer is wrapping up quickly but that is OK. Autumn is my all time favorite season and S is already talking about apple picking!

Poor tomatoes

2009-08-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Our tomatoes have rot bottom. What a total bummer!
I don't know how it happened. Earlier in the process I read up a few articles and one suggested to prevent rot bottom, to add some egg shells in the bottom of the soil. So I did. But they still got rot bottom. We picked up something at the local home improvement store to boost the acidity in the soil but I don't think that helped.
I guess there are a few tomatoes that are OK. I just hope so! Some of the tomatoes are starting to ripen...going from green to orange to reddish.
I was so hoping to enjoy fresh veggies. Truth be told I have a horrible green thumb. The oregano or lettuce wasn't picked before flowering so I probably can't use them. And now the rot bottom on the tomatoes.
I'll give it a better try next year.

Kindergarten visit

2009-07-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Today we had a visit from a local kindergarten teacher with materials to prepare us for when S goes to school next fall. Registration is in January! WOW!
The teacher played some games with S like finding letters, reading a book with Sight Words, looking at the alphabet, talking about how to write (from the top) and some counting. She says S is very ready and can see her being a big helper in the classroom.
S was very excited. I know she is ready and part of me wishes she could go to school now. I know she would love it! But I know we are doing the right thing to wait until it is time. Besides, I want to keep her home a little longer. :)
So, in the meantime, we will continue homeschooling, mostly re-using the curriculum we used last year with the addition of some more K level workbooks and focus on some of the skills she needs for kindergarten. We will also focus on reading, fine motor skills, tying her shoes, math and Spanish.

Take care of your library materials!

2009-07-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

I love libraries! There are so many books to choose from. I still wish ours would offer a type of scanner that allows you to scan titles to be saved into a wish list on your library account.
A few years ago, I discovered that libraries have DVDs you can check out. How exciting to get DVDs for free and many newer releases!
I've enjoyed many DVDs from the library but it is so frustrating when you come across a DVD that is scratched to the point you can't watch the movie. Case in point when we tried to watch a family movie Saturday night. Grrrr!!!
Smudges, scratches and more! I really wish people would take better care of items that do not belong to them. Libraries have limited budgets so it's not like they can easily replace DVDs. And if people aren't more careful, that service might not be available any more.

It's good to be home!

2009-07-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

We returned yesterday from a five-day trip. It is good to be home! It feels like we've been gone a long time.
We left last Wednesday. The main reason for heading up Norte is that C had a business meeting in the Twin Cities. We decided to make that into a family trip. We would visit my sister and then head over for an already planned weekend visit to C's family.
The drive up to MN was fine. Long and late by the time we got to my sister's place. C had his meeting on Thursday so the girls, my sister and I went to the Minneapolis Zoo, which was pretty neat. They had cheeky monkeys, a cool water fountain, dolphins, a monorail and lots of cool animals. S got to touch a shark and tried to touch a sting ray. Even though it was a little windy and cool, I let the girls run around the water fountain when we finished with the exhibits. Good thing it was the last thing to do before leaving because while they were playing, the sprinkler part went off, leaving just these water jets shooting up from the ground. Needless to say, the girls got soaked!!
On Friday we ventured to the Mall of America. Mostly I wanted to take the girls to the Underwater Adventure. It was cool. A little pricey but cool. They had one of those underwater tunnels so we saw all sorts of fish, turtles, sting rays, sharks and more. S was excited about the sea horse exhibit. The girls got to touch crabs and star fish.
I am sure we will be making another trip or two to MN this year yet. C for sure with his business meetings. But also because the girls were ga-ga over the Nickelodeon Universe in the MOA. We walked through there before the Underwater Adventure. Needless to say, the girls were really excited and wanted to go on the rides. They were pretty understandable about the fact that we were not going to play in there, instead going to the Underwater Adventure. (We'd already purchased those tickets so there was no way we had the time or money to do both.) But I could see taking the girls there in the near future so we can do Nick Universe specifically.
We left Friday night to head over for our family visit. The girls had a blast playing with the cousins. Lots of fun for them running around, playing in the bouncy house, checking out all the farm animals and more. It was a little relaxing for C and I too.
Now we are home and trying to get back into the swing of things.

Summertime pictures

2009-07-13T20:54:00.001-07:00

Going through some files and came across a few cute summer moments. Enjoy!
M is walking around in the kiddie pool. In another picture, she is enjoying her first corn on the cob. Ate like a pro!
S is all wet from her adventures in the sprinkler. She had a ball playing in that.
There are two shots from Chicago's Millennium Park: one the Cloud Gate, which is really cool, and then the fountain that displays pictures of people's faces and then eventually water "spits" out of their mouths! S nearly got hit with the water!

I'm a mommy!!

2009-07-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Check out these little babies! My tomatoes are producing fruit! I am so happy!! It is truly amazing to see these little plants grow! I don't know how many are there but I am excited to see them grow. And then get to taste the little guys!

I water them every day. We even got some aqua globes type things to help with the watering, like for when we are out of town. I haven't noticed bugs or anything but I'll be keeping an eye out.

With life being so busy lately, it's been hard to maintain the back garden. But I finally tackled it this Sunday! WOW! There were a lot of weeds! But I got it done and should be good for a while yet.

We've had a couple bunny guests. They've been eating at our new grass in the back corner. My lettuce seems safe as well as the tomatoes. I have seen the bunnies in the back garden, eating at the weeds. Maybe I should cage them in and they can get all the weeds. :)

Saturday in the park

2009-07-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

We had a great time visiting family in Kenosha for the Fourth of July weekend. (I know this is a late post but life has been busy.)
The downtown marina was a perfect location for a holiday. We started the morning at the Farmer's Market. There were so many vendors and a lot of yummy stuff.
I wish the weather had been warmer. The marina has a beach area as well as a splash area for kids, which I had hoped to let the girls play in. But it was overcast and a little cool. Still, the girls had fun walking around and playing at one of the parks.
I am amazed at how much the marina has changed! Downtown Kenosha has spread out so much. What used to be a huge vacant field, the sight of a former car maker, I believe, is now thriving with apartments and new shops and restaurants. And there are wonderful open space areas, perfect for walking, gathering, and just enjoying.

From the look of the parking lot at the marina, lots of people from IL come to dock their boats. It was amazing to see all the IL license plates in the lot. Probably 90 percent were from IL.
While it was great to see all the new developments in the marina area, it was sad to see that parts of downtown are in such neglected condition. Such a shame because there are some buildings that have so much potential. Once department stores, then turned into antique stores, are not vacant. One time I drove through downtown to see a homeless person sleeping in the doorway of one of these former beauties. So sad to see. If those buildings were brought back to life, then downtown would be something to see!
Many families came out to the marina for the holiday, many camping out for the day. Seriously. There were quite the set-ups with tents and picnic tables and grills and more. Again, what a perfect place to spend the holiday
We staked out a place to watch the fireworks but did not spend the whole day there. After the farmer's market and walking around, we had lunch from the farmer's market and then went to the museum, where we saw the replica of a woolly mammoth, one of two found in Kenosha County in the early 90's.
After that we went back to my parents house for naps. Then we had dinner at my grandmother's apartment, which is right by the marina. Then we went to our spot and hung out waiting for the fireworks. There was still plenty of places for people to camp out. And indeed, many people came in closer to the fireworks time. It was neat to see all the people and feel the holiday atmosphere. M and I enjoyed some tunes by a local band. There were kites in the air. People were playing catch, volleyball and other games. It was so fun.
The fireworks were great too. One even looked like a fighter jet. Seriously. And there were a couple smiley faces too. The girls had a good time, although they were pretty wiped out in the end. They didn't get to bed until 11. But woke up at their regular time the next day. Ugh!
All in all, it was a fun weekend.

Toy Boxes

2009-07-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

The girls got these hand-made toy boxes from Great-Grandpa B last month. Eventually we'll paint them up and add foam padding on the tops to make great window seats. S got the right idea, using it as a place to read her books. M's is being used for storage like blankets and Pull-ups.

Swinging good time!

2009-07-13T20:32:00.001-07:00

Over the 4th of July weekend we visited Great-Grandma and Grandpa B, where the girls got to play on a tire swing. They had a blast! It was the perfect summer setting! Family, flowers, the sun and warm weather and then this big tree with a tire swing! How fun! The girls could not get enough of it. It was way too much fun!

Catching up

2009-07-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since my last post. Life has been busy. Last week I meant to post....I even have the drafts saved....but was not able to get to it due to freelance deadlines and then a health issue involving C. He has a blood clot in a superficial vein in his right leg. He is currently on blood thinners. We are praying the medicine does its job. He will be on it for the next six months. Please keep him in your prayers.
In the meantime, I've been trying to keep up with everything else. I have a couple more deadlines yet in the next couple days. But I hope to post stuff about our 4th of July holiday weekend and other fun things later. We have a mini-trip coming up soon too so it would be nice to post my blogs before that.
Stay tuned!

Baby, it's cold outside

2009-07-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe the weather we are having. I shouldn't complain, really, but it is quite a shock. Last week we were sweltering but this week we've been lucky to reach the mid-60s. Burr!
And the forecasts keep saying rain but we've barely had a drop. We need the rain. The grass is looking a little brown in some spots.
Maybe there is a reason for this weather change. C sent this tidbit today: According to my FleetFarm calendar, July 3rd is Aphelion (when Earth’s orbit takes it farthest away from the sun).
Perhaps that is why? We are just getting farther away from the sun?
Well, it will warm up soon enough. In no time we will be wishing for those cooler days again.

Bowling

2009-06-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went as a family to a bowling lane. It was a blast. S has bowled a few times, like with friends or for a birthday party. She really loves it. She is even interested in joining a bowling league.
M, on the other hand, originally did not want anything to do with bowling. Maybe it was too loud for her.
Recently we picked up summer bowling passes for the girls, as part of the alley's Say No to Drugs campaign. They each get free shoes and two free games all summer long! Sweet!
Last week we joined some friends for bowling. S was super excited. M said she was but when we got there she was insistent on not bowling. Then she saw her friend M bowling and decided she could do it too. She has been hooked since!
Well, now that we are all bowling, we decided to make it a family event. We went to a bowling alley on Saturday and had a blast! C even pulled out his old bowling shoes from his brief league days. We each scored pretty good. It was a lot of fun for the family and I look forward to more family bowling adventures. That and taking the girls bowling, maybe on a weekly basis.

Summertime fun!

2009-06-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

We have really enjoyed these summer days. The girls love to be outside, especially playing with the sand and water table! What fun! They love it!
Their legs tell how much they love to be outside. M and S both sport bruises and scrapes all up and down their legs.
M loves to run. She runs everywhere and any time. It's hard to get her to use her walking feet. When she is outside, she seems to want to run faster than her feet can carry her, so she has had a few spills. She has also become very adventurous on our Wave Climber. Today she learned how to slip out of one of the circle windows at the top. And climb up through it. Plus she insists on climbing up the slide and hanging out on the top, not quite ducking under to stand on the platform. And she finds unique ways so slide down. Today it was backward and then sideways.
S has a talent for tee ball. We really need to get her a tee. She also loves to play with chalk and draw wonderful, detailed pictures. Last weekend we pulled out the sprinkler to water out grass patch stuff. We decided to let the kids play in it. S was hesitant at first and insisted C run with her. By the second time though she went through it on her own and had a blast.
Riding bikes is still a hit. I am amazed at how well M has done with riding her trike, with little help from us! She really picked up on riding all on her own.
The girls also like to go for walks. Most nights M asks to go for a little walk.
It is so fun to see them outdoors.

Office window

2009-06-24T19:50:00.001-07:00

I love the view out of my "office window!"
I was in our family room, looking out the window and realized that this is my office window.
What a view! The garden with the pond and the birds and chipmunks hopping about.
I love being a SAHM. I am so blessed! I get to be with our girls and I get to do freelance work at home. So looking out my office window, seeing nature, enjoying the peace in the house (the girls were eating breakfast), just brought a sense of calm over me. I thank God for all his blessings. He has given me a wonderful opportunity.

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

2009-06-22T18:57:00.000-07:00

I am loving that we are into summer but hating that it feels like the season will vanish into thin air!
The temps are hot and humid, which is hard to believe given that what, two weeks ago or so, it was only in the 50's!
The flowers are still blooming. I even saw one of our purple cone flowers! And the clematis by the kitchen window finally exploded!
And I think I am getting some lettuce from that lettuce seed paper from Kraft! And the oregano and tomato plants! WOW! They have exploded! I see yellow blossoms on the tomato plants even!! Do those become the tomato??
We have been enjoying the outdoors, especially this past weekend.The weekend before, C had "tilled" up the corner bed (which had shrubs and rocks and such for landscaping.) All that was taken out and he filled in the area with top soil and grass patch stuff. There is already some grass growing!
This weekend he removed the poor looking mungo bushes that were in the back, right by the house. Not sure what to do with that dirt patch now. I have a packet with wildflowers so I suppose I could plant those for now. Maybe in the future I'll get some other flowering bushes or make into a flower bed. S has been wanting to have a flower garden.
The weather was just right for Father's Day and First Day of Summer.
We mostly celebrated Father's Day on Saturday morning. We like to do breakfast in bed for Daddy. The girls and I "sneak" out of the house to pick up McDonald's. It was so nice Saturday morning that we decided to eat outside on the patio instead. C got a picture album of pictures of him and us and the girls and cats and more; a coloring book from M; a travel mug from S; quite a few homemade cards and pictures and a Weber charcoal grill.
Our old grill was nice, small and did the job. We'd gotten it back in 2003, when we were in the duplex, our first home when we returned to the state. The people in the unit next to us were moving or something and asked if we wanted it. It looked pretty old and beat up but we took it. C found some replacement parts at a hardware store and it was just fine. We tried a larger model once a couple years ago but it was too big, C said. Then he'd been eyeing up this other model a lot so I thought it would make a nice present.
The new grill got right to work. On Saturday we grilled corn and brats and hot dogs. On Sunday it was steak, potatoes and a foil packet with mushrooms, onions, garlic and seasonings. Yum!!
What a wonderful summer weekend, let me tell you!
The girls also enjoyed it with playing in sand and water table to playing in the sprinkler. Lots of fun in the sun!
We also took time to relax too. On Sunday, after a yummy meal at Famous Dave's, C decided to stop at a local home improvement store and we found a porch swing for super cheap! We are actually using it on the swing frame that was left here at the house. So we have this beautiful swing to enjoy while the girls play. Ah! Summer, summer, summertime, indeed!

Tomatoes

2009-06-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

The tomato plants are still alive!

Last week I gave them some Miracle Grow plant food. Last week I also added cages.

They've been pretty low maintenance so far. We had a couple raining days this week.

The oregano is also thriving.

There hasn't been much activity from the lettuce and herb seed paper. Patience, I know.

our new pond!

2009-06-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

My wonderful hubby has added beauty and serenity to our back garden! Last weekend he cleaned out the pond (all the leaves and ick from fall/winter: not pretty at all and there were some surprises in there!)

Then he pulled out the water pump and fountain stuff from our old house (and some passed on from friends).

And he picked up this cute little stone-looking turtle that spits out water!

It was a lot of work but it is awesome! Thank you, C!!

It is so beautiful back there! I love to hear the water rippling. And it looks so peaceful. I just love it!

Big changes

2009-06-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

OK. Call us crazy but we’ve embarked on a couple big changes for M.
We started potty training over the weekend. She is 30 months old, so I am sure a lot of people will say it is about time. Honestly, I’ve been the one waiting! I guess it is such a big project that I have dreaded it. She has shown some signs of being ready, like telling us when she is going potty. And she has shown some interest in the potty.
But the timing was off with our schedules to devote fully to potty training. By summer, I said, when it is warmer for her to run around with just training pants and a T-shirt.
So with visits to family and our family vacation to Chicago out of the way, there was no need to delay. And we went shopping on Saturday and picked up a huge box of training pants, so that got the ball rolling for us.
Our primary means of potty training is cotton training pants but we will use Pull-ups when we go out and about. A couple days ago it was rainy and cold but today we got to enjoy temps in the 60's so M got to run around bare-bottomed in the backyard and in the house, confined to the kitchen area!
Training has been pretty good so far. Typical ups and downs. I think she is finally getting to the point where she realizes when she is going and tries to make it to the potty chair.
On top of all of this, we also converted her crib into a toddler bed over the weekend. I know. Crazy. But we don’t have much of a choice with the potty training and all. With S she was already in her full bed because M was on the way. So during potty training, she had the ease of getting out of bed.
Well, if we are to stay consistent in M’s training, she needs that ease too. We made it a fun experience for her. She got to help convert the crib and I put on her new bedding set. It is so cute! Which means that I need to finally paint and decorate her room!
Anyway, C thought that doing both at the same time should not have any affect on her. And so far she's taken it all in stride.

ChiCOWgo!

2009-06-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our family vacation was also Cow’s great adventures in the big city.

Back in April, we bought S a stuffed cow from Chicago O’Hare Airport. It's a typical black and white Holstein cow with the words "Chicago" written on its chest. It has since become S’s nearly constant companion, especially at bedtime.
We had explained where the stuffed cow came from and I think at one point we may have said that we could take cow to visit the city he came from. Thus, came the idea of Cow’s Adventures in the Big City. Actually, C came up with cow's new name: ChiCOWgo!
Here are some pictures of cow’s adventures.

Pictures (l-to-r):S and Cow on the CTA train. Cow trying a Chicago style hot dog!

Cow at the top of the Sears Tower.

Cow ready to be the cow that jumped over the moon!

I heart Chicago!!

2009-06-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to Chicago!"
That was the greeting we received outside the Sears Tower on Wednesday, our second day in the city.
I had to laugh. Did we look so touristy? Maybe, with a stroller, two kids and a backpack on both C and I? Although I imagine any city dweller would be carrying the same, especially with kids in tow! But somehow the man knew. Oh well. Yes, we were tourists for two fun-filled days for our first family vacation! And we look forward to future visits to a wonderfully awesome city!
First off I have to say the trip went smoothly, thanks to my loving hubby who researched the places we wanted to see, where we could get tickets, even buying them on-line, looking up and booking a hotel, and, very importantly, researching the Chicago Transit Authority system, which was our mode of transportation during the visit.
We opted for the CTA because we did not want to have to deal with traffic, headaches and nightmares associated with traffic, maps, finding parking and parking fees, etc. It was so nice to jump on the train and bus and just go and get to where we wanted to be. Yes, it took us an hour from our hotel to get into the city but honestly, that was the same amount of time we would have spent on the road and with the headaches of traffic and parking! I highly recommend CTA! It was so cool too! It was a great way to travel and it was a lot of fun! If I were a city dweller, I would definitely take CTA to get around!!
C was so wonderful in planning out the trip. He found a hotel in the Chicago O’Hare area that was a block walking distance from a CTA station! What a perk! And he read all the guides and schedules and maps for CTA so that we knew where we needed to be, the stops we needed to take, etc. We all became pros at the system by the end of the trip! And we will definitely go that route for future trips! Thanks, sweetie!!
Secondly, the girls were great! They really enjoyed the trip and were well-behaved. We had a couple issues with M but overall she was pretty good, held our hands and listened. I don’t know how much of the trip really stuck with them but I am sure we’ll hear details out of the blue. S already figures she and M will live in an apartment in the city.
As I mentioned earlier, our hotel was in the Chicago O’Hare Airport area. I expected to see and hear airplane traffic but you should have seen my jaw drop and my eyes grow big and round at the sight of a HUGE jet flying right over our hotel to land at the airport! OMG!!! S was quick to point out that it was a good thing the plane didn’t hit the hotel. Seriously!
But once inside (and there for our extended stay) any concerns about airplanes overhead went away. The hotel was very nice and clean. The rooms were big and comfortable, with enough room for a pack-n-play as well as the two beds. And it was quiet inside. Whew! There might have been little airplane noises but the air traffic patterns changed all the time so we did not have planes over us all the time. In many cases, they were far in the distance. And once in a while they took off over us. But the girls, M especially, never tired of looking at the planes.
We had such a great time at the sites. On Tuesday we went to the Shedd Aquarium, my all-time favorite place!! We saw lots of fish, coral reefs and, the best part, Beluga whales and dolphins!! The newly renovated Ocenarium is cool. It was rainy and windy on Tuesday (I was extremely glad I packed long sleeved shirts and jackets!), so we scrapped the plans to go to Millennium Park. But that was OK because we spent all morning and most of the afternoon at the aquarium. The girls missed naps, which we figured would happen, so M fell asleep on the bus from the Museum Campus and through the whole trip back to the hotel, which was about an hour on the train. S only got a half hour of sleep on the train but that was OK.
Wednesday was a beautiful, sunshiny day; perfect for a trip to the Sears Tower and then to Millennium Park. After lunch (Chicago hot dogs!) at the park, we got on the bus back to the Museum Campus, where we went to the Adler Planetarium. It was probably a little over the girls’ heads in some parts, M especially, but there were some cool hands-on things and then we saw a kids-specific star show with some characters from Sesame Street. It was neat!
We had such a great time together! There is so much of the city I would have loved to take the girls to but this was a good taste for them. I look forward to future trips, maybe even next year!

Garden update

2009-05-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

The garden is pretty much on its own right now. We've gotten a bit of rain the past couple days so I'll be interested to see how the tomato, lettuce and herb plants do.
Last week we got a little rain and the weeds exploded in the flower bed. It took me nearly two hours to pull all the little buggers out!!
When we moved rocks from the back flower bed to the bed by the pond, we accidentally put one over a hosta. We didn't realize it until we saw the leafy green poking from under the rock! So we moved the rock and the hosta was pretty flat. But those things are pretty strong! When we got back from our Memorial weekend away, the hosta looked normal.
C picked up some wood from the farm this weekend, with the idea that he'll build a frame around six of the containers. (I think mostly to hide the green containers. It is a bit of a bright green.) S is excited about having a frame so she can paint on it. Although she really wants to paint the Subway logo on it for some reason. :)

Old School

2009-05-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago we acquired an old school hot air popcorn popper. It is so cool! Way cooler than microwave popcorn!

My folks had it out when we visited. So of course I was all excited and thought that the girls would get a kick out of it. We fired it up and the girls loved it!

When I was growing up, we used mostly an electric wok to make popcorn. I don't know where this hot air popper was. Probably packed away all these years and rediscovered when my folks finished their kitchen remodel.

I hinted to my folks that it would be a good gift idea for us. But then my mom said we could have it because they don't use it as often. Sweet!

We've used it a couple times since we got it. What is cool is that a huge bag of popcorn kernels is so inexpensive! It's an economical choice and fun to watch and hear. The girls love to get a freshly popped kernel once it hits the bowl. Add some melted butter and yum-o! And I discovered a variety of seasonings so you could kick it up a notch, with stuff like ranch, garlic Parmesan. Yummy!

Zoo pictures

2009-05-28T19:57:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from our recent trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It was a pretty good time, although we did have listening and obeying issues with M.

My favorite picture is of M trying to pet the lion through the glass as he walked right in front of her!

Sadly I realized I did not take a lot of pictures of S.

But we have a family zoo pass, good to 130 zoos in the nation, including the zoo in Green Bay! So I would hope we'll be hitting that zoo more often. If anything, the trips wear the girls out. As seen in the pictures here, the girls were out cold by the time we hit the freeway!

Graduation

2009-05-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

S graduated from preschool (again) last week. This is her second time through the four-week program at the local high school. She absolutely loves it! The high school buddies are super to the kids. And the kids learn a lot of fun things.

So last week they had a graduation ceremony and slide show. It was neat to see the pictures of the kids doing crafts, listening to stories, playing and such.

After the ceremony the kids got to eat sugary frosted cupcakes. Thankfully we decided to go to a park afterwards to burn that sugar off!

Next fall/winter, both girls will be participating in the preschool program. M will be a week or two shy of turning 3 (3!!!) but that shouldn't be an issue. And hopefully, with her going through ballet this summer, she will be more likely to sit still and participate and learn.

S will go through the program for sure in the fall/winter since she won't be in K yet. We'll see if she can do the following spring but if not (because of her age or whatnot) that's OK. I plan to continue homeschooling, which will include reading and Spanish and math.

Chicago! Chicago! Chicago!

2009-05-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

We are gearing up for our Chicago trip. I am excited to see how the girls will react to the city. I love Chicago. I have fond memories from childhood of going to the city and exploring the museums and walking down Michigan Ave and eating pizza and Chicago hot dogs. Our mom would call us in sick for a "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" Day. She felt our trips to the museums and whatnot were educational. As an adult, I would ride the train in. That was pretty cool! In college, a group of us went to Chicago for a day trip. It was fun but our driver, a friend, was not familiar with the area and we ended up in a very bad section of town. I told him we needed to book it quick! It was pretty intense for my friends.
For our family vacation (our first official family vacation), we've got plans to take the girls to the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, Sears Tower and Millennium Park.
We've talked some about Chicago (that we are going to a big city, checking out some cool places and riding the trains and buses to get around). The girls are super excited. They like to jump up and down and chant "Chicago! Chicago! Chicago!" It is so cute!
I got some books from the library about the ocean, Beluga whales and sea creatures. S loves them! I can only imagine how she will react when she sees sea creatures in person!
Yesterday I reserved some books about Chicago itself, just to give S a taste of what is to come.
I am excited to share a city I love with the girls. Our trip will be here soon enough but please pray for us: safety and protection, patience, stress-free, health, having a good trip all around.

Gardening Part 2

2009-05-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today I finished the last of my planting. I bought some more potting soil so I could plant the lettuce seed paper I got recently from Kraft Food and Family magazine and the herb seed paper I'd gotten from Kashi.
The lettuce went into another cat litter container. I did not read up on planting lettuce but I figured this would be an OK container.
The Kashi seed paper went into a hanging planter by the patio door.
So now I wait. And wonder. Will anything take? Will this be a flop? What will I do with so many tomatoes! Do I need tomato food for the tomatoes And herbs? Will the herbs produce some nice flowers, like the chives I have? I'd asked a friend for chives last year because they produced these beautiful purple flowers. The suckers came back this year, which is super! I see the flower buds now so I am excited to see them bloom. And, now that I will potentially have thyme, oregano and basil, well, I can use chives for recipes. :)
Next step in my gardening efforts will be to finish pulling weeds in the back bed. But that may have to wait until next week.

They're in!

2009-05-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

The tomato plants are in their containers!!
We are using empty cat litter containers for the pots. Nothing fancy but I look at it as a way to RRR. And it's economical too because we have a ton of them in the basement, thanks to three cats!
They are not 5-gallon containers, as many Web sites recommended, but I am hoping 4-gallon will suffice. Again, I was thinking RRR. I still need to get some stakes or other kind of support for when the plants grow bigger.
The containers contain: a small piece of landscape fabric , mostly so that the patio is not covered with dirt when water seeps out of the holes C drilled into the bottom of the containers; egg shells, which someone recommended to help provide the soil with the calcium needed to prevent some rot bottom something on the ends of the tomatoes (we'll see if it works); top soil, which I filled in nearly halfway; Miracle Grow potting soil; the tomato plant; and then a sprinkling of another kind of potting soil, mostly to add more dirt to the containers because I honestly didn't know how much dirt to put in the containers!
So we'll see what happens! I watered them down and the containers are sitting on the back patio to get the full sun.
As for the oregano plant, that went into a hanging planter that I found in the garage (left by our previous green thumb homeowner). I've hung it in back among one of the beds. That planter includes potting soil and the plant. I have to get more Miracle Grow potting soil, which I will add to the planter.
Also today, I received with my Kraft Food and Family magazine a seed paper that, when planted and cared for, will yield a head of lettuce! Bonus! Now maybe I will have a home-grown salad to enjoy! Yummy!
In case you don't know what seed paper is: it is special paper with seeds embedded. So you just rip the baby up a little, put it in a thin layer of soil and you should have a plant. Pretty cool because the paper is biodegradable so there is no need for fancy packaging.
What is even cooler was on Earth Day we planted some flower seeds in an egg carton. We didn't plant them in time but ultimately we could have planted the seedlings, paper egg carton and all, into the ground!
I also found my seed paper from Kashi, which when planted and cared for will yield basil and thyme. I actually got that a year or two ago but, what the heck, I'll throw it in some dirt and see what happens. Maybe something will come up and I will be on my way to making a super easy and yummy bruschetta as well! My mouth is watering at the thought of it!
So probably needless to say, I am sore from all my gardening work. Back, fingers, toes, knees and probably other parts that I will discover come morning. Because, in addition to planing the tomatoes and oregano (I have to plant the seed paper later because I ran out of Miracle Grow potting soil), I decided to do some much needed weeding.
I don't know if I've said it already but I am not a green thumb, so it is with much bravery that I decided to tackle tomatoes and herbs. But when it comes to weeding, I honestly don't know what is a weed and what isn't. I do know dandelions and prickers but other than that, what is it?? So I think 80 percent of what I pulled today was a weed. Maybe it's more than that but I don't have much confidence in myself.
I still have much more weeding to do: a small corner in the bed by the walkway and most of the bed in the back with the pond. Maybe we'll get some rain tonight and then it will be a little easier to pull stuff out in the next day or two.

Zoo trip

2009-05-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Our family went to the Milwaukee County Zoo. It was a breezy day so I was glad the girls had coats on but at times wished we had warmer hats, even mittens.
The zoo was a different experience for M, who was excited to see the animals. The one animal she wanted to see was the elephants. Unfortunately, they were located on the opposite end of the zoo! So we journey on through the zoo to get to them.
We saw: a baby orangutan. Aw! And a couple other baby monkey that were so cute and funny. The aquarium was a big hit! No penguins on the trip. Bummer! Bears asleep. Polar bears were out but not in the water.
When we got to the elephants, it was a huge relief! By that time, M been well over wanting to be in the stroller, which was OK but it was hard to keep her with us because she wanted to run off or breeze through the exhibits. Sigh. Makes us wonder if Chicago will be like this! I truly hope not! At one point, she got a time out in the stroller and had to sit there for a while. But we made it to the elephants, who were eating hay. It was cool to watch! We saw the giraffe's as well, including a younger one. Then we went to the lion, which turned out real cool! He was sitting down when we got there, in this large glass enclosure. After a couple minutes, we decided to move on. As we started to walk away, the lion got up and started pacing in front of the window. So we went back so the girls could stand right by the window. M, fearless and brave, would stick her hand against the glass whenever the lion walked by, like she wanted to pet him. :)
The last cool thing was the hippos, all black and shiny, they waddled from their indoor enclosure to the outside pool. One drank from the water while another went into the water. I'd never seen one in water so this was a cool sight. It would go down and then surface, blowing water, and then go back in. It was neat.
It was a nice trip to the zoo. And now we have a family membership pass (thanks A&E!), which we discovered we can use at our local zoo! Now to figure out what to do with M to keep her close to us, especially when we are in such busy public places. C was saying he didn't think much about those kid leashes but the idea of one seemed appealing after the zoo trip!

Tornadoes

2009-05-14T07:33:00.001-07:00

There have been some strong storms in the nation recently that have produced tornadoes, which brings to mind that I need to check on our emergency supplies in the basement.
Maybe it comes from the time we spent in North Carolina but I like to have supplies on hand in case we need them.
Yes, a tornado is different from a hurricane. For one thing, you can plan in advance for a hurricane, even leave the area. Tornadoes can pop out with little to no notice. So with that in mind, I don't want to be scrambling for supplies should a tornado hit and we need to seek shelter.
Our shelter would be in the basement, which we use for storage and laundry.
The previous owner used one corner of the basement for a craft area complete with shelves and storage options. I'm using one craft cabinet as a place to store our emergency supplies: blanket, some food and snacks, can opener, extra clothes, toys and activities for the girls, first aid kit, diapers and wipes. That corner of the basement also has a television and radio and a flashlight with extra batteries.
Again, the supplies we'd need so that should we need to seek shelter, we can be comfortable. On the plus side, we've got a mini-pantry in the basement so we could raid that, if needed. :)

American Idol

2009-05-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

OK. I watched my first American Idol show tonight. Wait, maybe this is my second because I think I watched one when Clay Aiken was a contestant.
Anyway, I watched one to see how Milwaukee native Danny Gokey would do.
Well, he was cut, which was sad. He sounds amazing. Hopefully he'll go far after this experience.

Here they are!

2009-05-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

I picked up a La Roma tomato plant at the garden center yesterday.

I haven't planted them yet because we are going to get strong thunderstorms today and tonight and I haven't put them in containers yet.

I also picked up an oregano plant. I saw the herb plants and I felt compelled to pick one up. Plus the price was just right for both plants!

La Roma, I felt, would be suitable for a container. Those are relatively small and I prefer them. And oregano was the best option out of the bunch. I can't even remember what the other herbs were but nothing that appealing or useful to me. I would have liked spearmint, just for the smell, but I recall from an interview I did of an herbalist that mints tend to take over everything. Plus, what does one do with spearmint?

Tomato and oregano go hand in hand for Italian and Mexican dishes.

So, now it's time to get these babies into containers. We've got some cat litter containers that I might use, although I just saw that they hold four gallons and some of the Web sites I visited recommended 5 gallon. And I'll need C to drill some holes into them first. Later I might get some spray paint so the girls and I can decorate the containers.

Family Portrait

2009-05-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Who needs Sears Portrait Studio or Picture People when you have an artist in residence who can create a masterpiece of your family?

S did this photo in her Patriot Preschool class today because they were talking about family and friends.

I am so proud of her! She is amazing and this picture definitely deserves a place on the wall. And it comes beautifully framed! Check out the Popsicle stick frame! You can't find that at Hobby Lobby!

So I say again, artist or astronaut?

Artist or Astronaut?

2009-05-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

S had shown an interest in outer space recently. We covered the universe in our homeschooling and I found a book about space recently at a garage sale. She also loved watching a re-cap of the shuttle Atlantis taking off this week for its mission to repair the Hubble telescope.
So now she talks about being an astronaut. And the other day she had a dream about travelling in space with the astronauts. Apparently, they had a middle seat for her to sit in and they took her to all the planets and she got to look out the window to see everything. She wants to walk on the moon one day.
The other day she blended her artistic ability with her interest in outer space by drawing a picture of an astronaut in space.
We are taking a trip to Chicago soon and she picked the Adler Planetarium over the Field Museum.
Space Camp here she comes!

Orange you glad....

2009-05-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to get a little creative with lunch. Usually our lunch consists of stuff like PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, Spaghetti-O's, and slurping noodles, a.k.a. Ramen noodles.
But this week I decided to make an orange-themed lunch. Mac and cheese, mandarin oranges, cheesy puffs and Sunny-D. Yum! The girls got a kick out of it! And it was fun to do.
I can't take credit for the idea, though. I got the idea from a scrapbooking catalogue. There was an example of a page in which the family was stuck indoors because of a snow day and the parent decided to make a fun lunch.
What a great idea! I can see trying to do other color themed lunches or doing a rainbow colored lunch (a little of something to represent each color.) Great idea for homeschooling too, I think!

Reading programs

2009-05-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

Summer also means summer reading! Being the nerd I was in my youth, I could often be found with a nose in a book. I loved to read! And still do, when I can get the time.
I love that the girls love to read as well. We have pictures of the girls sitting in their rocker, surrounded by a pile of books. The girls would also come to us with a stack of books to read. :)
So we get involved in the summer reading programs at the library. Yes, they have a program for kids as young as 3. And yes, that means parents have to read to their kids, but, seriously, what a way to bond with them and share or discover favorite stories!
Our local library is starting it's summer reading program in June. The program has weekly prizes for reading. And library is also offering a 40 Books Challenge, where your child reads 40 books and they receive a certificate of appreciation. Maybe that is more for school-aged kids...
Anyway, summer reading programs are fun!! I believe places like Barnes and Noble and Half-Priced Books offer reading programs as well so check them out!
I was super psyched, too, to see that local libraries in our area are participating in the Passport to Nature--No Child Left Inside! What an awesome program! Kudos to the programs that support such a program. These days kids stay indoors in front of the computer or television or glued to some gaming system. But this program encourages kids, and families, to get outside and explore local nature centers! We did it last year and the girls loved checking out the nature centers and parks. However, there was one forest we ventured through and nearly got carried away by mosquitoes! It was bad! My advice for the nature centers: lather up on sunscreen and bug repellent! And bring along some water, snacks, wipes and Band-aids.
I also tried to make our nature center and park visits educational. For instance, we explored the different educational aspects at the nature centers and tried to explore the parks in other ways, like we did a five senses walk through the forest. It was fun.
If your library does not have such a program, I would highly encourage you take the summer to check out your local nature centers or parks. It's fun and educational. And bring along a picnic! Summer and picnics go hand in hand! And don't forget to bring along your child's library book!

Road trip

2009-05-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and road trips loom for many families.

We have three coming up in the next four weeks or so. Two are to family, who each live two and a half hours away. And one trip is to Chicago, so about four hours away.

So with that in mind, I thought I'd ask my readers and followers to share their road trip tips for kids.

For instance, for us, each girl gets their own road trip bag filled with toys, books and sometimes a special road trip item. I highly recommend travel Magna-doodles and Aqua-Doodles. We also have a Water WOW Doodle Book. It was something I saw at an airport last month and immediately thought of the girls. It's like an Aqua-Doodle but it makes colorful pictures appear. The plus is that it dries and then you can play with it again. I didn't pick them up at the airports but I was thrilled to find them at a local store. So the girls got them in their Easter baskets. And they love them! They are cool too because the water really makes the pictures come to life. And there are little search and find games for the kids to do with each picture.

We are also huge fans of books on CD. S loves to listen to the stories and is really good about following the page turn signals. M, at 2, also wants to "read" with the book on CD.

I also learned from our local library that they have a new kind of book on tape. I can't remember what it is called, Playmedia or something like that, but it's this small, hand-held-type of MP3-type player that has the story on it. So each kid could rent their own stories and listen to them using ear buds or ear phones. I think that is an awesome idea! Then we adults can listen to our own music and stuff. I was told there was also quite a selection in the adult section. Our library does not have a lot of these type of books for preschool aged kids but there are probably some chapter books they could listen to. I think we may give them a try sometime this summer.

We don't have a DVD player in our van and I've avoided going that route, especially since our trips really aren't that long. If we were travelling for more than four hours, sure, I might look into something.

But we also plan our trips around nap-times. That helps to pass the time quickly. :) Except for the time M decided not to nap at all while on a road trip last year to Minneapolis. Oi! :)

So what road trip tips do you have? Games? Activities? Snacks? Rest stops? Map programs? Hotels? Share it all!

Scrapbooking

2009-05-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I spent 8 hours scrapbooking. Well, mostly I worked on getting stickers and journaling on the pages. I had a lot of catching up to do!
See, when I scrapbook at crop events, my main goal is to get the pictures on the page. Sometimes I'll look at a stack of pictures for a page and automatically see the theme. In which case I'll find the corresponding paper and stickers to go with the pictures on the page.
But often at a crop event, I want to get the pictures down first. My hope is later I will work on the finishing touches, like the stickers, titles, journaling and other embellishments.
Well, on Saturday I was able to complete two of S's books (2-3 year and 3-4 year). I have two more to do: S's current year and M's 1-2 year book. Then I need to get caught up, picture-wise, on S's current year and start on M's current year.
It's a lot to do but I look forward to the crop events. And, if I can manage my time wisely, I could try to do some of the work at home. I do, after all, have an area in the basement for scrapbooking. :)

Farmer D

2009-05-11T19:29:00.001-07:00

I've decided this summer to try my hand at a tomato plant. I have not purchased the little buggar yet but saw that a local garden place has some on sale.
I don't know for sure why I am tackling this project. I think mostly because S has expressed a desire to have a vegetable garden. So I thought to go with the easiest one I could think of: tomatoes. (Are they really easy? I don't know for sure but will find out!)
Also, I like the idea of having something home-grown. Just walk outside and pick a tomato right off the vine. Yum!
I'm the only one in the family who really likes tomatoes but I can use them for salsa and I have a super easy bruschetta recipe that I would love to serve at a party.Homemade spaghetti sauce maybe? Something that would also be first for me. I also read briefly that tomatoes can be frozen and then thawed in the microwave halfway and then tossed into a stew. Yummy!
I don't even want to think about canning. Yet. Maybe I'll try it but honestly, I'd rather give them away first! :) (So let me know if you'd want any from my harvest, should there be one.)
One concern I had about doing a garden was rabbits. I don't know that they are fans of tomatoes but I don't want to take chances given that we do have them in the neighborhood (You should have seen the lawn after the snow melted!)
I've decided to try a container garden. It won't be the super cool enclosed, raised garden hutch we saw at Sam's, though. From what I've read I basically need a 5 gallon container with drainage holes, put the soil and other things in, add the plant and keep it well watered.
Sounds easy. I will see. I hope S will enjoy the experience with me. I don't really have a green thumb but I do appreciate flowers and vegetables and lovely things so I hope this project will work.
It makes me also think I should get a cucumber plant and maybe some herbs.
OK. I know. One step at a time.
I'll be sure to journal my efforts and include pictures.
Anyone with advice on container gardens, please feel free to contact me!

He said it!

2009-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

The other day C and I were watching an episode of Ace of Cakes, in which the crew went to Hawaii to make a cake celebrating the 100th episode of LOST (and a Blackhawk helicopter cake for a military family appreciation day.)
During the episode, C said he would go to Hawaii before he goes to New York, a place I've said we should visit one day.
Well, heck, I'll take Hawaii any day! When are we going, sweetie?? Maybe that will be our 10th wedding anniversary trip. Or 15th.
First we have to get through our upcoming trip to Chicago! We are going to spend at least a couple days there, checking out some of the attractions.
So Hawaii can come next. After that Walt Disney World? Or maybe New York?

Just for Moms

2009-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

Check out THIS blog from last fall, where I linked an acoustic version of Steven Curtis Chapman's "One Heartbeat at a Time."
Listen to it. Have a hanky on hand. Listen to it again and let the words flow through and encourage you. It is a perfect song for Mother's Day.
Remember, Moms, we do a lot but often feel like we don't accomplish much or get appreciation. But years from now, we will see we have made a difference and impacted our families.
As a verse in the song goes: "You are changing the world, one little heartbeat at a time. Making history with every touch and every smile. Oh you, you may not see it now but I believe that time will tell how you, you are changing the world one little heartbeat at a time."
So don't give up! You are doing the best job EVER! Hang in there! And find a support network of other moms so you don't go crazy!
Happy Mother's Day!

Wonderful freebies!

2009-05-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

I had to smile when I opened a small box I got in the mail yesterday.
"It's not every day something cute and great smelling shows up at your door," read a card that cane with my free sample of Dove's cucumber and green tea anti-perspirant/deodorant.
I also got another surprise: an Escape from Winter Gift Pack, which included a Glade PlugIn Scented Oil Warmer and a vial of Hawaiian Breeze Scented Oil. It also had a couple great coupons and a packet of Forget-Me-Not seeds, which I hope to put in a container for the back patio.
Speaking of containers, I am hoping to do a little bit of a container garden this year. Looks like I won't be getting the cool enclosed garden hutch thing from Sam's....:) But I would like to try my hand at growing some basic veggies like tomatoes and some herbs. I think a container garden might help to deter the bunnies. If anyone has any tips and advice on container gardens, please let me know!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-05T14:12:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day came early to our house this year given that on Sunday I will be at church first thing in the morning, which would conflict with my traditional Mother's Day breakfast in bed. :)
On Sunday, C woke up early and he and the girls (who were already up) went to McD's to pick up hot cakes. Yum! Then they "surprised" me with breakfast in bed. It is so sweet. I got to get a half hour of peaceful sleep before they got back home. The meal was served up on a tray and I was surrounded by my sweet girls and loving hubby as we ate breakfast.
The girls each made me a beautiful card. S gave me a butterfly garden decoration and M gave me a book by Max Lucado.
C's gift to me is the promise that we will take a family vacation to Chicago!! I can't wait! He already got approval from his boss to take the time off and we've been searching on-line for hotels and info on various attractions like the Shedd Aquarium, Millennium Park, Lincoln Park Zoo and more. We'll probably spend a couple days, at least, there. I can't wait.
I love Chicago!!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2009-05-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was inspired today to cook semi/home-made food for Cinco de Mayo. Maybe inspired is the wrong word. I was looking at the Ortega taco kit and can of refried beans and thought I needed something else. So Spanish rice popped into my mind. Usually I make something boxed. But, since I didn't have anything in the pantry, I decided to make it.
My good, Old Betty Crocker cookbook came in handy once again with a Spanish rice recipe. But then I found a recipe at http://www.recipezaar.com/Easy-Spanish-Rice-354641. It's not the same as my mom's but it looks, smells and tastes good.
The ball got rolling after making the Spanish rice. I used a Betty Crocker recipe for pinto beans, which I haven't decided if I am going to mash into refried beans.
And, once the girls get up, we will make flour tortillas.
I'll make up some taco seasoned ground beef and we should have a tasty Mexican meal. I have to say the house smells great!!

In memory of Junior

2009-05-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my mother and step-father had to make the tough decision to put our family cat, Junior, down.
Apparently there was a blood clot in his artery, which was causing him severe pain and the inability to walk or function properly. According to my step-father, who was home at the time, it all happened suddenly. One moment he was fine, happy to be petted. The next, he was yowling as if in pain and struggled to get up and walk.
My step-father rushed him to an animal hospital and was given the news. He called my mother, who was on her way to Ohio to run a marathon, with the news and they made the decision.
They are both hurting over the loss. Junior was about 18 years old.
Technically, Junior was my cat. But, since I've been gone for a long time, only seeing him on weekend visits, he has been the family cat.
I remember when we got him. A friend brought over a bunch of kittens and we selected a couple to add to the two we already had, Whiskers and Midnight.
We selected a gray one, who was Smokey, and an orange one, who we named Junior.
Eventually, we had to give away Smokey because we were told by the city that we had too many cats for an in-town home. Whiskers later had some medical complications and had to be put down. Midnight passed away suddenly.
Junior was all that was left. By that time, I was out of the house. My brother and sister were soon to follow for college and then careers.
As I said, he became the family cat. By that time, he was an indoor and outdoor cat. He loved to be outside, often hanging out under the back porch. Often, it was hard to coax him back indoors. Neighborhood cats would come to visit or fight. But Junior toughened up and learned to hold his ground, if needed.
He was a sweet cat with a sweet meow, who loved to be petted. Above all he wanted to be petted or to sit by your feet.
I am sad to know he is gone but he had a long life and I am glad he was not alone.

Growing With Jesus

2009-04-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a new devotional for S. We've been through Our Together-Time Bible by Gwen Ellis a couple times now so it was time for something new.
I found at Family Christian Store Growing With Jesus, 100 Daily Devotionals, written and illustrated by Andy Holmes.
I LOVE IT!!!
It is so cool. Each page has a Bible verse, a devotion and then some cool, quirky, amazing fact.
Here is the product description:
God loves to see us grow! But more than anything, He wants us to grow closer to Jesus. Just as we mature physically, we can also grow on the inside. How? By spending time each day with Jesus.
Growing with Jesus: 100 Daily Devotionals contains 100 quick readings to help the reader grow stronger in his or her faith. Each devotion provides a Scripture verse, a fun thought to grow on, and a fascinating 'factoid' about our amazing, ever-growing body and the world around us! From the uniqueness of our fingerprints to a shark that goes through 24,000 teeth to how our body grows at night and then shrinks back during the day.
Growing with Jesus is the one book that will help kids grow as much on the inside as they're growing on the outside!
I love how this has real life application stories. And the facts are pretty cool too! I think S, and us, will all grow with Jesus.

Landscaping

2009-04-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

With the warmer weather comes yard work!

Last weekend, C started tackling the last corner bed in the back yard. Last year, we cleared out two of three landscaped beds in the back yard, mostly because we wanted to open the back up more but also because that's a lot of landscaping to maintain and C and I do not have green thumbs. (I like to think one day I could do a vegetable or herb garden but maybe that is more work right now. However, maybe if I started something, I am sure S would love to help out!)

Anyway, we started on the third bed last year and, by fall, all that was left was landscaping rocks, a bird house, two shrubs and a couple big boulders.

Last weekend, C and a neighbor managed to get the big boulder out of the ground. And then, in the drizzle last Sunday, C and I managed to roll the biggest boulder across the backyard to the flower bed by the pond.

It was a beast to move but we got it done! Now the big rock. a couple middle size rocks and the birdhouse have been relocated to the flower bed by the pond.

C also removed the landscaping rocks from the back bed, which he then piled this past Friday at the end of the driveway with a Free sign. The rocks were scooped up in less than two hours!

Now two bushes remain in the back bed. One is a lilac bush, which will probably get relocated to the pond flower bed. The second bush is unknown so we are waiting for it to flower so we can take a picture and ask around.

In other yard work plans, we will remove a mungo pine bush in the front, in the bed next to the front walk way. Last year it was infested with saw fly larvae and, from what our new lawn care guy said, it looks like the larvae managed to get some eggs planted in the needles.

His recommendation was to get rid of the bush, which I agree. It is a pretty sad looking thing to begin with plus it blocks our view of the street from the front porch. Maybe while the ground is still wet, we can get that pine bush up. Also I'd like to get rid of the strange pine type bush/ground cover in the bed under the front windows.

I am curious to see what flowers return this year! The previous owner did plant some nice things. I'll have to think about the vegetable/herb garden idea. My concern is rabbits. BUT, if I got that garden hutch that we saw at Sam's Club.....that would make a cool garden! (Now THAT would be a Mother's Day gift, C!)

April Showers

2009-04-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that a couple days ago it was sunny and warm. The girls were in T-shirts and sandals. We pulled out the bike trailer and used it as a jogging stroller for our walks outside.

And now, it's cold, damp, cloudy and icky. Spring in Wisconsin!

Friday, as I said, was gorgeous! Our neighborhood was hopping because of the multi-family garage sales.

The girls and I enjoyed a picnic in the backyard at lunchtime. After nap time, they played outside: riding bikes and the like before we took a walk around the neighborhood. Then they played in back at the sand and water table, which was a huge hit last summer. Despite the very windy conditions, C also grilled up some brats. Yummy!

Later that night, C and I sat out on the porch to enjoy the evening. We were surprised to see a hawk or owl on our mailbox! It flew away before we could take a closer look. Earlier that day, there was an eagle flying in our neighborhood.

For the weekend, we have been indoors. We have had a lot of rain, which I know is good for the flowers.

I am hopeful that it will dry and warm up soon! S starts Patriot Preschool this week so I'd like to take M to the parks instead of Target while sister is in school. :) Oh well. If the weather remains cool this week, I suppose we could visit Target and get over to Kohl's for some summer shopping.

Homeschooling update

2009-04-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

We finish our Letter of the Week curriculum this week.
It's been a lot of fun this year and I am excited to continue homeschooling through the summer....at a much more relaxed pace though.
I think we will continue working in the workbooks. We also have the "preschool box of fun" and library file folder games that will keep us busy.
I think we will also address skills like tying shoes, writing with upper and lower case letters, math and intro to Spanish.
I might tackle reading but I need to read up on it myself as far as how to do it. In the meantime, we will very likely be involved in a summer reading program.
I think we will also focus more on arts and crafts. S loves to draw and color but I know she would enjoy more with clay and play dough and painting.
And my ultimate goal, above all else, is to enroll both girls in swimming lessons. I love to swim so you'd think they would have already taken lessons. But, sadly, no. I hope to get them in a class this spring/early summer yet.

Family Update

2009-04-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hello folks!
Sorry I have been slack on the blogs. It's been busy here with a lot of this and that. Plus, the weather has been nice-ish, this past weekend especially. And, yet again, C and I are battling a cold. S had it last week. M, thankfully, has not been affected.
But I thought I'd better get something out finally so here is a family update. My freelance work has slowed down considerably, given the state of the economy. One of the publications I write for has been put on hold indefinitely. Chances are the company will review the magazine in the fall.
But this is actually a blessing, given that I can focus on homeschooling and the promise of spring means getting outside more.
Last month I stepped up to take over as leader of the mom's group at our church. I am pretty excited, and nervous, about it but am looking forward to working with a great group of women and helping mothers be the mother's God made them to be. We have our last meeting for the semester next week. Then I will have a planning meeting in May so that we can get some fresh ideas for the fall semester.
C is still busy with his project. Working with a company out West means some late-ish nights so that he can communicate and work on things as the folks out West hit them.
The spring weather also means bike season! C pulled out the bikes this past weekend and lubed them up. He is ready to hit the trails! He plans to ride his bike to work again during the warm months.
S, as I mentioned earlier, had a cold late last week. But it was short-lived, thankfully! We were able to enjoy the outdoors Saturday, which was a truly beautiful day. She helped Daddy get some of the outdoor stuff out. We also played outside and visited our favorite park and the adjoining Trestle Trail Bridge. She rode her bike the whole length and back of the trail.
Also, she braved the park's super slide....a long metal slide that goes down the side of a huge hill. Last year, she and Daddy rode down it together. But this year, she decided she wanted to do it on her own. I, of course, was totally nervous but the two times she did it, she was like a pro. The third time, I think, shook her up a little because she landed on her bottom. The slide, by that time from the number of uses and so forth, caused the slide to get a little slippier.
S has also become very independent in dressing herself. She comes up with some creative outfits. Some are pretty decent but then there are some that are rather interesting. Saturday, for instance, she wore a light purple velour-type leotard with a turtleneck underneath and wild striped tights. She has also been helpful with getting M's outfits.
M recently learned how to open the door knobs in the house. So we pulled out the child safety knob covers for the master bathroom, the master bedroom and the basement door. She has also been huge on "I do it," so she tries to do everything, from buckling herself into the booster seat and her car seat to getting a stool to reach the bathroom sink and turn on the water. It is amazing to see her accomplishments but also can be frustrating. :)
Anyway, we are excited about the warmer weather, even though it continues to tease us. Monday morning we woke up to snow but by Friday it will be 80!! Go figure!

It's a beautiful day!

2009-04-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how gorgeous it has been these past couple days! Spring is here! I am so relieved!
It was good to get out and enjoy the weather. Yesterday we hit our neighborhood park. The girls had a blast!
Tomorrow promises to be a fabulous day as well! But we may be indoors because S came down with a cold. We'll see. It would be nice to soak up as many rays as we can before Sunday, when we get a reminder of winter....cold and rain....ICK!!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2009-04-05T19:07:00.000-07:00

C and I just returned from a four-day trip to CT. We were there to support his sister J, who had surgery to remove her thymus and a tumor that was in her chest. Everything went well and we continue to pray for her recovery. She may require some chemotherapy but we will pray for whatever is ahead for her.
The last time C and I were away from the girls was when we went to our college reunion/homecoming in October. It was for a weekend and in the state so this trip was a little more involved, mostly in that it was longer. My folks were super in stepping up to care for the girls, even sticking to things like ballet class and other everyday things.
Of course, I had the handy dandy "Tactical Manual" to guide them along so I knew the girls were in good hands. :)
Our trip was pretty detailed, as far as travel went. We left super early for Chicago's O'Hare Airport because we didn't want to get stuck in morning rush hour traffic. While our 3 a.m. departure for the airport was super early, we did avoid heavy traffic and made it to the airport by 6 a.m.
Then we had to jump on a bus from the farthest parking lot. After that, we took a train to the airport terminal. It was a neat short trip and we got to see my all-time favorite sky-line: Chicago!!!
Check-in and security were a breeze. It helped that C has traveled a few times recently, so he was familiar with all the rules. I, on the other hand, have not flown in an airplane since 2004. So I was met with a whole new travel world! Any liquids and the like have to be in a plastic zip top bag! No liquids, even drinks, through security! The charge just to check luggage! And, the total shock: having to take off my shoes to get through security. C had told me about that but it was weird to see all these shoeless people walking around security.
We had a ton of time to kill since our flight was not until 11 something. So we got to check out the airport features. WOW! It takes a lot of people to run the airport. I was amazed by everything I saw. I used to travel from O'Hare a lot but, like I said, it's been a long time, especially traveling through O'Hare.
We saw Internet kiosks, a place for children to play, people standing by empty telephone banks to talk on their cell phone, lots of Starbucks stands and laptop areas.
Then we took a walk down through the United tunnel, which, I can say, has not changed one bit. If you've never been down there, it is something to see! There are moving walkways, mirrored ceilings, weird lighted walls, and, of course, the cool neon lights that "move" across the ceiling, almost in time to the tinkling, futuristic music of the United theme, which is some classical piece I cannot name. You'd know it once you hear it. But I was amazed the tunnel had not changed. It was cool.
Eventually we made it to our gate and then onto our plane. Well, right before take-off we ended up in a holding area right by the runway and were told there was a mechanical problem and they were going to try to fix it there. Then we were told we were going back to the gate for technicians to fix the problem. In the end, what would have been our air time was spent on the ground at the gate while the techs tried to address the problem, which we never learned what it was. We were allowed to get off the plane but we decided to stay put, given that we could take off any minute.
Well, not so. We wound up getting transferred to another plane, which successfully took off! Whew!!!!
We made it to Hartford, where Mom and Dad and other sister-in-law D were waiting.
J's surgery was the next day. We spent the day at the hospital waiting room, which was conducted by a charming lady who once lived in England. She was a gem and entertaining. We were on Yale University campus, or in the area of it, so it would have been neat to check the area out (for instance, there were a ton of food carts on a street right by the hospital, pretty cool!) but another time, another visit...
I called home at least a couple times each day, mostly to give updates on J's progress but also to hear how the girls were doing. At night we'd call to say good-night, which usually included saying good-night to every farm animal and a lot of silliness. "Bye, monkey. Bye, piggie. Bye, farm," was mostly led by M.
It was weird to be back on East Coast time because it felt right. CT was a beautiful area with lots of trees, rock formations, streams, wonderful old homes and more. J's house was not too far from the ocean. In fact, it was located by an inlet so the large grassy area behind her home would fill with water when the tide came in.
The trip home was uneventful. One cool aspect was that we saw at the Hartford airport a display for the former Hartford Whalers, an NHL team who later became the Carolina Hurricanes!!! We even saw a couple older pictures of Ron Francis. It was a cool display.
We made it to O'Hare and, after a stop at Milwaukee Mitchell to pick up D, we got home right before bedtimes for the girls.
Oh! It was so good to hold them and hug them and kiss them and smell them and hear them!
It was a tiring trip but I am glad we went. I hope one day to take the girls out there, not just to CT but perhaps to visit NC again and then make our way along the East Coast.

Earth Hour this Saturday

2009-03-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine has an idea that during the summertime her family would do without electricity for a short period of time.
That inspired some conversation at our dinner table tonight, among things how we would cook, like maybe just eating from the pantry and cooking out where we could.
This would be done mostly so we can understand what it is like for those who live without energy for things like lights or the creature comforts of television and the like.
Anyway, we happened to come across an article tonight in which everyone in the world can make a statement about energy conservation by turning off their lights for an hour at 8:30 p.m. this Saturday.
Read more at the following link: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/greenpicks/236/flick-your-switch-off-for-earth-hour.html
I think we might even flick the switch off earlier so that the girls can participate in the experience it as well.

On the road again....

2009-03-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

....To recovery that is.
Yes, we are getting over another sickness. This time the flu bit us. But thankfully just C and I. Praise God, the girls have not been hit. I continue to pray they remain in good health, especially in the next couple weeks!
It all started with my cold, which cropped up last Friday. It started as sneezing and the like, I even felt a little unsettled in my stomach, but it was all relatively mild.
Saturday I felt more congested and worn out.
Sunday, very early morning, C woke up sick as a dog. Up until that point, he was totally fine, no signs of sickness.
We didn't get much sleep that morning...him with his trips to the bathroom and me because of my congestion.
He was cold, shivering and miserable, no matter how many layers he had on. By the afternoon I was feeling the same: cold, shivering, body aches. It was horrible.
On top of all of this, my friend J was visiting for the weekend. She had taken some vacation time to see us. What a vacation!
We were able to go scrapbooking Friday night and to the midnight release of Twilight. She also got to make her Barnes and Noble trip. But sadly, I was not much company much of Saturday.
With Sunday looking like a day to be in bed, J decided to cut her trip a day short and went home. She admitted she also was feeling a touch of something and figured if she was going to be sick, she wanted to be home.
Once again, the girls had to deal with a mom and dad who just did not have the strength or energy. Mostly, our wish was that we had someone who could take them for a couple days so we could focus on getting well.
But they were good. They watched a bit of TV so C and I could catch up on some rest. They played by themselves and together, too, which really made it easy for us to try to recover.
I was feeling pretty good by Monday. The worst was Sunday, when, by evening I had a low temp.
But Monday was good. C stayed home Monday and Tuesday, recovering from some aspects of the flu. He seems to be doing much better, even made it in to work today.
I've got a little sinus congestion yet but I am feeling fine otherwise.
I pray this is our last bout with illness. It has to be! This has been a long winter and I don't relish spring and summer colds. Those are by far the worst!

Rain, Rain

2009-03-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our area was covered in a good, steady rainfall. So the back corner of our property is flooded. Thankfully nothing went into our basement, which is a relief, given that is was also very windy. The sump pump is getting quite a workout!
Today was much drier but felt very dreary.
I know the rain is good for the spring plants and all but I really long for the sun and warmer temperatures!
As Dora and Boots said to a storm cloud in a recent episode, "Rain, rain go away!"

Taste of Spring!

2009-03-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

The girls and I enjoyed the outdoors the past couple days. What gorgeous weather!

S loved being on her bike, zipping around the driveway and going super fast so she could get into the garage.

M's favorite game was to jump off the front porch step and into the puddle below, which was considerably bigger today, after two day of warm weather. S enjoyed that game as well today.

We also made a game that has been an opportunity for a lot of running and ballet practice. Using sidewalk chalk, I drew four pictures (star, smiley face, rocket ship, planet) in four corners of an imaginary box on the driveway. (The first time I did this I used a space theme so it's kind of stuck.) In the middle of the "box" I drew a comet.

Then I tell the girls to run, skip, march, jump, pretend to be a jet, etc. to each picture. It becomes ballet practice when I tell them to Princess Walk, Shashay, Kick, Back kick, walk backward and so forth; all things S does in ballet class. In the middle, at the comet, they always get to spin around.

Today I added another feature, 5...4...3...2...1! I had them walk on each number slowly and when they got to 1 they were to Blast Off!; running to each corner.

It's a lot of fun and a game we will enjoy whenever we are outdoors.

Date with Daddy

2009-03-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

The girls had a special date with Daddy tonight at the Livin' Lovin' Luau.

This was S's third time attending and M's first.

Eventually M had a good time. She cried before they walked in the YMCA and really cried when they got into the gymnasium.

But after watching S for a bit in the bouncy obstacle course, she got into it and they enjoyed the rest of the evening together. They got to play basketball and touch a snake and enjoy a snack. They also got some special gifts to take home. And had ice cream afterward with daddy.

We have this great photo keepsake of their time together. I am sure the girls will have wonderful memories of this night and look forward to more nights to come.

Pick 'N Save peek

2009-03-13T18:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it to Double Coupon Day at Pick 'N save this week but mostly because I didn't have anything pressing on my list.
Next week looks promising though! A few sales on my list:
* 80 percent Fresh Certified Ground Chuck (in 3 lbs. or more): $1.89 lb.! So it's time to restock the freezer!
* Buy any 15 participating Box Tops for Education products and get 50 Bonus Box Tops! Great so I can 1) use up some of the many coupons I have (Double Coupon Day here I come!) and 2) I can get more Box Tops points to give to our local school! I've got a bag of them waiting to take over to the school so I guess I can wait a few more days!)
* Lipton Side Dishes 10/10. Also buy 10 and receive a Rotisserie Chicken FREE from the deli (see In-Store Flyer for Coupon.)
* Tree Top Apple Juice and Ken's Dressing are on sale, which means I can use my coupons on double coupon days!
* Buy 6 General Mills Cereal and get $10 off total grocery purchase and get a coupon for one free gallon of milk! (This is actually last on my list, which I know sounds crazy but I felt burned the last time there was a cereal sale (no milk or money off that time) because the variety was SOOOO limited that I could barely find enough coupons to match the cereal available.) Maybe this time will be better!