The WEJ

Just another Wednesday

2011-04-02T19:29:00.005-05:00

So, it was just another Wednesday in our house and Emma had an itch to do a little spa treatment. She has been reading her "Daring Girl" book and found some recipes for do-it-yourself spa activities.

We opted for the avocado face mask and all of us girls participated. First, we made the goo. It consisted of avocado, honey and salt (I think). Regardless, it was a green gooey mess that we spread on each other's faces. We left it on for about 10 minutes and then very carefully, removed it over the kitchen sink. I really didn't want green chunks caught in the bathroom sinks! It left us with soft, glowing skin that the men were jealous of. OK. Maybe they weren't jealous, but our skin sure was soft and glowing!

Here are a few pics from our fun night:

New Year, New Projects and Goals

2011-01-21T17:51:00.003-05:00

It's 2011 and this is the first time that I have had a chance to blog since August of 2010. Shameful. But! It's a new year and I have resolved to get back to the organized and sane person that I used to be. It sounds good, doesn't it?!

This year started off pretty quiet. Allan had lots of time off at Christmas because of it falling on a weekend. That meant time to have fun AND be productive! We spent lots of time playing Wii with the kids and goofing off. Then, we got down to business and painted the boys' bedroom. It has been in the planning stages since before the basement was started. The basement took priority and then I was just sick of painting. Then, the issue was me making a firm decision on the paint color. I still wasn't sure even while buying the paint at Sherwin Williams! I decided to wing it and went with Network Grey. Allan and I took a day to dismantle the room and prep the walls for paint. Another day was spent painting. Then, Allan put up a shelves that ran the length of the room on each side. The shelves were painted and then Shana and I painted the adjoining bathroom in the lightest shade from the Network Grey color swatch. When all was dry, I filled the shelves with all of the important things that the boys have been stashing away since we moved in. I still need to make a shower curtain, but that will involve me picking out fabric (another time-consuming task for my indecisive self).

I am happy to say that I am THRILLED with the end result!!! It has motivated me to actually hang things on their walls for the first time since we moved in almost 4 years ago. Next project, Emma's room. Let's hope that won't take as long to plan and initiate! We are going to start by visiting Karen Gray to pick out fabric and color ideas. I can't wait!!!

Welcome, Shana!

2010-10-11T09:57:00.003-05:00

On August 18th, we were fortunate enough to welcome another member to our family. Shana comes to us from Belgium and will be staying here until June of 2011.

Her flight was delayed several times, so we had plenty of time to take pictures and hang out at the Greensboro airport.

Finally, her flight came in! Emma was the first to see her. There were lots of hugs and yes, I even had a few tears. It was very exciting, but also brought back lots of memories from past exchange students.

We drove home, talking the whole way. The kids were a little shy, but I really don't think it will take long before they are treating her like a real sister. God help her then!

It's a very exciting time for us and we can't wait to share our home and our country with Shana!

Jobs

2010-10-11T09:51:00.003-05:00

In an effort to prove that they are responsible and can take on new "jobs", the WEJ have been taking on some new responsibilities. Everyone has been known to dry the dishes for me, but the other day, I found Emma and Jack taking care of business on their own! Miss Emma was the washer, of course. Everything is more fun wearing pink rubber gloves! They're doing a good job of making their case for getting a new puppy. Keep it up guys!

Goodbye, Friends!

2010-10-11T09:41:00.003-05:00

We are all sad to say goodbye to dear friends. Kyle and his family are moving to Wisconsin.

Kyle and Will have been friends since Kindergarten. They have been in Cub Scouts since First Grade together. We got to know Kyle and his family really well through scouts as Kyle's dad was the den leader for awhile.

Kyle and Will were able to spend a couple days together before Kyle moved. They just hung out, explored the woods, played Wii, played on the computer and laughed - a lot!

No More Braces!

2010-10-11T09:33:00.002-05:00

Wahoo!!! I made it!!! On August 2, 2010, those nasty things were removed. Amen.

I can now go on vacation to Germany and have fun eating whatever my little heart desires. I can smile freely. I will still have to deal with the retainers, but I don't care. I can eat again!

The whole process of removing the braces was horrific. I have never endured such agony. I told the doctor that I would rather give childbirth again, than have braces removed. I was in so much agony that I had kicked my shoes off and the back of my shirt was soaking wet by the time they were done.

It's over. I can eat again!

Ohio Summer, Day 9

2010-10-11T08:57:00.003-05:00

Nick

Jack is tuckered out!

Can you say exhausted?! What a long, but fun, trip! Most of the cousins spent the night at Nana's after the fair. They had a ball, but definitely not much sleep. And that goes for me too! Lauren started out in bed with me and couldn't stop talking. It was fun catching up, but I just couldn't hang. Over a week of being away from home and countless miles of driving had finally caught up with me.

We spent the last day packing up, picking up goodies from Paul's Market and swimming in Uncle Brian and Aunt Mary's pool.

It was a fun week in Ohio. It was what summer should be. Family, friends and fun. Until next year.......

Ohio Summer, Day 8

2010-10-11T08:34:00.005-05:00

Brad with his pigs

Alec with his chicken

Awesome pizza!

Alec, Will and Emma try out some new shades

Up and at 'em early, we headed to the Seneca County Fair. Talk about a blast from the past! We checked out the milkshake stand where I used to make and sell milkshakes, the NR Nimble Thimble's booth, Brad's pigs, John and Alec's chickens, some rides, and of course, the food.

Luckily, we were there on a day when Brad showed his pigs. It was fun and interesting to see him move those pigs around the pen with a stick. While the kids enjoyed seeing Brad, I don't think they were impressed or moved enough to want a pig of their own to take to the fair - Thank God!

After having enough of the fair (I'm speaking for myself), I was ready to have some pizza from Napoli's. It was just as good as I remembered. And the guys still toss the crust in the air. Does it get any better?!

Ohio Summer, Day 7

2010-10-04T13:20:00.004-05:00

After spending the night with the Tyrrells, we headed out to a water park that was close to their home. There was a maze, splash pad, spider web to climb, playground equipment and an eco exhibit. The kids had a ball! On our way to the underwater viewing area of the pond, the bottom dropped out and the rain came down. It was crazy! But also very cool to see the rain coming down from an underwater view. Now we know how the fish feel in a rain storm!

We spent more time playing and then headed back to New Riegel. On our way, we just couldn't resist stopping at Mr. Freeze in Perrysburg. Their turtle sundaes are to die for! Emma thought it was cool to be in the town where she was born.

Ohio Summer Day 6

2010-10-04T10:35:00.006-05:00

On day six of our Ohio tour, we continued our stay with Aunt Debbie and took a spin around the neighborhood on a friend's golf cart. More time at the beach and more treasures found to take home.

In the afternoon, we headed north to Highland, Michigan. It really disturbed Will to know that we were willingly entering Michigan, but seeing our friends, the Tyrrells, made it worth it! Not being a fan of Michigan myself, I found that I dislike it even more after sharing the roads with their terrible drivers and traffic jams.

The drive was worth it though because waiting for us were the Tyrrells! Jen and I sat outside and enjoyed a great bottle of wine while the kids disappeared and played together. Believe it or not, we didn't even notice that we were in the company of six kids! They had an awesome time together and Jen and I had a great time catching up.

The fearless boys

The sweet girls

The whole crew took a ride in the back of Scott's truck. My city kids loved it!

Will and Debbie walking the beach

Out for a spin in the golfcart

Eating breakfast in the living room!!! Can you believe it?!

Ohio Summer, Day 5

2010-09-29T10:18:00.004-05:00

On day five of our Ohio adventure, we picked up Grandma and headed up to Lake Erie to visit with Aunt Debbie. There's always a good time to be had with Aunt Debbie, but especially in the summer!

Since Aunt Debbie lives just steps away from Lake Erie, the kids were able to swim in the lovely algae-filled water. Luckily, Matt was available and nice enough to get in the water with them. For some odd reason, I prefer that the water I swim in be free of green floaties. :) They had fun and didn't even care if the water was green. As always, they found lots of "treasures" at the beach to take home.

We were lucky enough to have both Matt and Brad spend some time with us. I think all three kids would have taken them home with us, but unfortunately, they have work and school to keep them in Ohio. We're still holding out hope that Brad will stay with us after he graduates so he can look for a job in NC.

Deb made her famous margaritas and we stayed up late watching "Avatar". I have been adamantly opposed to watching this movie and told Allan that he would have to watch it alone on a night when I was out with the girls. I am big enough to admit that I watched it upon Deb's recommendation and LOVED it. The kids did too, although that was no big shocker.

The WEJ with their cool cousins, Matt and Brad

Deb shows off her margarita ingredients

The kids have fun with Grandma at the beach

Ohio Summer, Day 4

2010-08-11T13:48:00.002-05:00

After returning to New Riegel, I got the call that Will was back from the man trip and ready to come to Nana's. I drove to Uncle Jeff's to pick him up and found three guys vegging on couches in a dark living room, watching a movie. Evidently, the heat had taken a toll on our guys and they were running on E. Not only that, but it looked as though Will hadn't showered or brushed his teeth in a week (I am sure this wasn't too far from the truth)!

We went straight to Nana's and got him all cleaned up, only to get smelly again by building a fire. Poor Will wanted nothing more than to build a bonfire and roast marshmallows. Unfortunately, Nana's wood was a bit wet and all he made was a lot of smoke. I did let them enjoy some of the giant marshmallows I found while grocery shopping. Any guesses on who could fit the whole giant marshmallow in their mouth at once?!

We had a great night with Uncle Steve and Aunt Sharon and almost all of their kids. It was fun seeing everyone together. And I even dined on New Riegel's famous BBQ chicken (sauce on my fries, too). If you're thinking I was eating my way around Ohio, you're about right! Thank goodness I still had my braces on or I would have weighed an extra 10 pounds by the time I headed back to NC!

Big marshmallow, little mouth

Makin' smoke!

Ohio Summer, Day 3

2010-08-11T08:00:00.005-05:00

On day three of our Northern adventure, I planned to meet up with two of my best high school buddies - Rhonda and Amy. They both live in the Columbus area, so I decided to head down their way for a girls' night out, no kids allowed. Before leaving, Nana had to get an acupuncture treatment from cousin, Lisa. Lisa happened to be at the annual Schalk camp out. Nana was going to go and get her treatment, then come back to her house to watch Emma and Jack so I could go to Delaware to meet Rhonda. When Aunt Pat heard that they were in town and with Nana for the day, she insisted that they come and join the Schalk family party. I hated to impose on them, but I'm so glad I did! Those kids had a ball at Fred and Mary's backyard resort. They played in the pond and on a giant slip n' slide until well after dinner. I would even go so far as to say that they were SPOILED! From what I understand, Emma introduced Sarah to George Washington hair and it was quite a hit. :) For pictures of the kids at the camp out, you'll have to go to one of the Schalk's Facebook pages.

After dropping them off, I took off for Rhonda's house where I was greeted with a yummy sangria. Well, there were actually a couple of them! After slurping those down, we took off to pick up Amy and go to a local bar/restaurant. One of Amy's neighbors was in a band, playing there. They were great. The food was great and the company was the BEST! I had so much fun catching up with those girls! I spent the night at Rhonda's and was treated to yummy bacon and pancakes in the morning. I was feeling a spoiled myself!

Rhonda, Amy and I

Jack with his BIG birthday present

A racetrack!

Jack and Uncle Steve

Ohio Summer, Day 2

2010-08-11T05:57:00.005-05:00

Emma and her mini cupcake

Danielle with her Emma-made name tag

Emma and Aunt Sharon

At the Horseshoe

Can't I please go in?!

Jack enjoys tea with the girls

Emma and Nana

On day two, we spend a leisurely morning at Nana's and then picked up Mary Jo for our "girl day" in Columbus. We drove to Upper Arlington to meet Aunt Sharon, Danielle, Alicia and Brittany for tea in honor of Nana's birthday, which was last month.

In honor of the event, Emma had spent all morning making name tags for everyone. They were cats or bunnies, drawn on construction paper, then cut out with each person's name on the back. She even made a special crown for Nana out of some pretty paper that Aunt Theresa had given her from the scrapbook shop. She was SO proud of the name tags!

At the tea house, we had High Tea which provided each of us with a pot of tea and various finger foods and scones. Everything was delicious and I think we all agreed that Alicia's tea choice (Paris) was the tastiest.

After tea, we took Emma and Jack to the horseshoe so they could see where the Buckeyes play. Jack was enthralled. He was so disappointed to find that the gate was locked and he couldn't actually go onto the field or even into the stands to see the whole thing. He did get excited when he got down low and saw the block O on the field. Emma was so excited, she about peed her pants! Actually, the tea started working on her and she decided she had to go right at the time that we were at the stadium doors. Seriously?! Her only option was to squeeze between the bushes and go right beside the stadium. Only Emma.

From there, we tried to find a Buckeye ball cap for me, but were unsuccessful. All of them were huge and looked like old farmer hats. Store clerks looked at me like I was from Mars when I asked for a "girl fit" ball cap. Really? Leave it to me to have an outrageous request like that! My quest for a perfect fitting OSU cap continues.

We stopped by the Oh So Awesome sewing shop, Sew To Speak. I follow their blog and look at their fabric and projects while drooling, so it was fun to actually be in their store. I am sure it comes as no surprise that I walked out with a huge bag of fabric and lots of ideas. Too bad they don't sell time too!

We kept venturing up High Street, until we hit a fun wine store that had wine on tap! Using a credit card, you could choose which wine you wanted to try and how much you wanted. What a great idea. It worked, because three of us tried a wine and bought it. Mmmmm.......

Next, we headed to Dublin to try the famous Jeni's Ice Cream. It lived up to it's reputation. The dark chocolate was to die for! I could have eaten my weight in it. And now that I have my braces off, I would love to go back and try some flavors with crunch! Wow, it was yummy ice cream.

Since it was getting late and I was tired, we headed back to NR instead of Danielle's. You might know though, but the time we are almost to NR, my tummy started talking. We decided to hit the Moose for some wing dings, which I haven't had since I was a cheerleader in High School! They were just as yummy as I remembered. The Moose hadn't changed. Well, people were a bit older and heavier, but that is about all. The kids thought it was cool to hang out where I used to when I was young.

Ohio Summer

2010-08-03T06:21:00.008-05:00

Emma and Jack with Uncle Larry and Aunt Theresa

Jack and the canon that Aunt Theresa helped him make

Emma shows of the ice cream cone that Aunt Theresa helped her make with the Cricut

My intent is to chronicle all of our activities while visiting Ohio this summer. Just try to keep up! We left NC on Wednesday, July 21st after lunch. Allan left work early and everything was ready for him to pack into the van. Given that he is a "master packer", I usually leave that job for him. :)

We had a pretty uneventful trip, thank goodness. Our only stops were for drive thru food and bathroom breaks for Jack. I think his big toe is bigger than his bladder! We made it to Grandma's house by 10:30 pm. Just in time for a couple cold beers and snacks for the kids. We stayed up until after midnight, munching and catching up.

The next morning, we were up early for a big breakfast and some walks around the farm. July in Ohio is so beautiful with all of the crops so green. It was pretty awesome to stand next to the corn, which was over 8 foot tall!

Uncle Dennis came to pick up Dad and Will to head south for the Man Trip. This year's destination was Chillicothe for canoeing. Excitement and testosterone were running rampant!

I packed up Emma and Jack and we headed to Nana's house. After getting settled in there, we headed to Bellevue to visit Grandma Grace. Of course, it was quite the expedition with me not knowing where Bellevue was, Nana's crazy directions and British Jill yelling at me through the Garmin! Throw in a couple detours and I was ready to scream! Thank goodness, we ran into an ice cream stand and I hooked up with a shredded chicken sandwich (only in found in NW Ohio) and turtle sundae #1 of the trip.

Our visit with Grandma Grace was nice. She lives in a very comfortable home with other women. After tiring Grandma out with a lot of talk, we headed to Fostoria to see Aunt Theresa and Uncle Larry. It was a fun, but also sad visit. Uncle Larry gave each of the kids something of his that he wanted them to have. Will got a pocket knife that had belonged to his dad, Emma got a doll from Germany that Aunt Theresa had been given as a gift by Catherine and Louie when she was a little girl and Jack got a Roy Rogers guitar. Uncle Larry wanted the kids to have these gifts while he was still doing well and could enjoy watching them play with the toys.

Aunt Theresa then took us out to show off her scrap booking shop. Emma was in hog heaven! Everything she touched or asked about, Aunt Tree C had to show her how it worked. There were drawers and drawers full of ribbon, brads, die cuts, embellishments, etc. You name it, she had it! Emma especially loved the Cricut and embossing machines. She told me that she could have spend weeks in that shop!

On the way back to NR, we stopped at Bubby's for pizza. Delicious as always. And it went down so well with a cold beer!

After dinner, we headed over to visit with Chris, Jill, Evan and Wyatt. What a hoot! Those boys are just precious. It made me miss the days when all of my kids were little and home all day. I really feel that I made the most of my time with them all home, all of the time, but I still miss their littleness. Is that a word? No matter, that is what I miss. I guess that is why we get such joy out of Jack. It is just different from the other two.

I'm straying from my point. It was great to catch up with Chris and Jill. It's always fun to be around people who are happy and enjoy life. Emma and Jack had a great time playing with someone else's toys. It was almost like Christmas!

Having fun in the corn field

It just isn't a visit to Grandma's without climbing the Tree of Heaven

Look how tall the corn is!

Having fun with Grandma

My handsome guys

Fourth of July and Webelo Camp

2010-07-15T07:31:00.003-05:00

Will ready for his first overnight alone

Sparkler fun

Notice Emma's festive blue eyeshadow!

We had a very different Fourth of July this year. Will's first Webelo camp started on the Fourth this year. As a result, both he and Allan left after lunch and our annual visitors decided to not come. That left me, Emma, Jack and Nana to celebrate our country's independence. Minus Will and Allan, I wasn't really in the celebrating mood.

So, I decided to be a slave driver instead! I put Nana to work and she and I painted (first coat) all eleven doors in the basement. There's a lot more to this story, but it is ugly and I really don't need to rehash it all. The bottom line is that the doors were painted and we didn't pay anyone to do it. I also need to add that I painted the second coat the next day after Nana returned to Ohio and then Allan put the knobs on after returning from Webelo camp. The basement is officially finished! (other than a few touch-ups that are needed).

OK, back to the story. After spending most of the day painting, we enjoyed a nice dinner on the deck and then headed to Tanglewood to watch the fireworks. We arrived just in time to watch the 20-minute show and then spent over an hour trying to get out of the park. I'm glad we went, but just like the rest of the day, it just wasn't right without Allan and Will.

A Celebration With Friends

2010-07-15T06:54:00.003-05:00

Decked out in Buckeye gear!

Giving Nana her late birthday gifts

Jack's alien cupcakes that he helped make

The day after Jack's birthday, Nana and Bandit came to visit. This brought on a whole new set of gifts. The best birthdays are the ones that never end!

Then, on Sunday, two of Jack's friends (Gavin and William) met us at the movie theater and we all saw Toy Story 3. The kids enjoyed the movie, but I have to say it was sad at the end (for a mom) and the baby doll was just creepy.

After the movie, we went to Kernel Kustard for ice cream and cake. It was so stinkin' hot that the frosting almost melted off the cupcakes! Thankfully, there was shade and a misting hose to keep us cool.

Jack had a great time and thought it was so cool having friends there to help him celebrate.

Jack's 5th Birthday

2010-07-15T06:15:00.004-05:00

The bed tent

Future rock star?

The Bat Cave!

Dive sticks for the new swimmer

Getting some Emma love

The day finally came. He had been asking for weeks and I had to keep giving him the "number of sleeps" until his birthday. Then, one night, before he went to bed, he announced to everyone (typical Jack fashion) that tomorrow when we all woke up it would be HIS birthday. Hooray! Of course, he was the first one up and crept into our bedroom. He woke Allan and I by saying "it's my birthday". How sweet is that? :)

Daddy had to leave early for work, so Jack had to look at his pile on the buffet ALL DAY! He was very patient though. My friend, Ms. Nicole came first thing in the morning and took pictures of Jack outside in our backyard. She got some great shots, but for some reason, Jack wasn't in the mood to smile. All of his pictures are very somber.

I made macaroni and cheese (shell kind) per his request for lunch and we played throughout the day. At one point, I wanted to go to Costco for some groceries but I got "the look" from Emma and she said, "seriously, on his BIRTHDAY?". That gave me a reality check and we got back to the business of doing-whatever-Jack-wanted-because-it-was-his-birthday.

Finally, Daddy came home and we opened presents, ate pizza and played more games. Jack got the guitar he had been wanting from Grandma. Now, he needs the lessons! Will gave him a cool Toy Story 3 Lego race car and dive sticks. Note: he can actually use the dive sticks because he just learned how to swim! Emma gave him a Toy Story 3 bed tent that is so cool she had to sleep with him under it the first night. It's a good thing those two get along so well and are small - he has a twin bed! Mom and Dad gave Jack a Bat Man cave that he had wanted since Christmas. That was a hit with all three kids. Who would have thought?!

All in all, it was a fun day and I still can't believe that my little Jack is FIVE! Time has flown. I guess that is what happens when you have fun. And Jack makes everything fun.

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Watch Your Children!

2010-06-22T12:26:00.004-05:00

This picture just cracks Allan up!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-22T07:53:00.004-05:00

View of the Linville Gorge

Our little birds fit in a tree!

Enjoying lunch

Linville Falls

Being naughty by climbing a tree

Father's Day started with lots of love for Daddy. Emma was first up and first to SAY "happy Father's Day". This is a big deal in our house.

After everyone was awake, we made Daddy and Will's favorite breakfast - breakfast samwiches! They were quick and filling to get us on our way to another hiking adventure. Because it was forecasted to be in the 90's, we chose Linville Falls, hoping to get wet in the falls and cool off. Not so!

Linville Falls is very remote and cannot be found on the GPS. We had to enter coordinates found in our hiking book and then drove about 2 hours to get there. We ended up at a little visitor's cabin and talked to a couple hill women about the best hikes. They told us about some "city hikers" who were there the day before. They made the mistake of telling us that these hikers had seen two snakes. Emma was a bit worried after that! They also mentioned the lights of Brown Mountain. Will then piped up and explained the folktale that explains the mysterious lights. It's a very interesting story that Will is happy to share if you are curious!

We drove about 4 miles up and down and around a dirt/gravel road to get to Wiseman's View. It was a stunning view of the Linville Gorge and Table Rock Mountain. While walking the short distance to the overlook, Emma fell and cut up her hand. Someone always has to fall......

From there we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway to another visitor center and trails going to Linville Falls. We ate a picnic lunch (on the ground) because all of the picnic tables were occupied. Then, we hiked to Erwin's View of the falls and two other trails that offered views of the falls. It was clearly stated that no one was allowed in the falls. So much for cooling off! We did have to cross a creek while on Duggers Creek Trail and Will really cooled off. He fell in and had to ride home in his underwear!

It was a great day of hiking and we ended it by eating out in Hickory. Happy Father's Day to the best dad ever!!!

xoxo

The WEJ

Looking out over Linville Gorge

Injury of the day

Love above the Gorge

My favorite people

Yet Another Creature.....

2010-05-18T08:45:00.004-05:00

While I was talking on the phone with Grandma, Jack was trying desperately to get my attention. Since this is my big pet peeve (kids interrupting while on the phone), I gave him all of the hand signals to be quiet, wait until I am off the phone and take care of it on your own. He finally got the hint and took care of the business himself. The next thing I know, he is marching up the deck steps with a bug carrier in hand. Inside the bug carrier, was a very large lizard! That child took it upon himself to find the bug carrier (actually a hermit crab cage) and catch the lizard.

This lizard was different from the others that we have around the house. Most are blue and very quick. This one was quick, but brown and its skin looked like tree bark. I just can't believe that he caught the thing! Of course, he insisted on keeping it. He wanted to show it to Will and Emma. Then, he had to keep it long enough to show it to Daddy. Then, he had to show it to his friends at school. Then, he had to keep it long enough to show Ms. Nancy (his teacher) and her children how it eats a live cricket. The live crickets were compliments of our neighbor, Michael. He has a nice mom who allows a lizard in the house.

This kept dragging on, until finally, after two days, I convinced him that it would never live in our house and would eventually die. True to Jack's nature, he had an answer for that - bury it in the backyard when it dies!

I did talk him into letting him loose right where he was found. Believe it or not, that lizard took his time moving up the tree and away from Jack, the wild animal catcher!

After a little research, I discovered that it is an Eastern Fence lizard! Love Google!

Best Mother's Day/Anniversary Ever!

2010-05-13T09:52:00.008-05:00

Will noticed this family of deer while driving through the park

On top of Stone Mountain

My awesome husband of 12 years!

On top of the world

The triumphant hikers!

My awesome family

View of Stone Mountain from the Homestead

I KNOW I was the happiest mommy on Mother's Day this year. I am so thankful to be a mommy. I have my days when I question my sanity and ability to raise three children, but May 9, 2010 was not one of those days. Not everyone is able to experience this gift.

Not only was May 9th, 2010 Mother's Day, but it was also our 12th wedding anniversary. Our wedding day was one of the happiest day of my life. Probably THE happiest, but remember, there are also 3 births to consider! Allan continues to amaze me and make me happier than I ever imagined. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bliss 24/7, but it is pretty close! I really do feel blessed to be married to such a handsome, smart, kind, generous and fun person.

My day started out with breakfast in bed, made and served by Will (with a little help from Emma and Jack). Normally, we would have gone to church, but we did that the night before. This allowed us the luxury of leisurely eating breakfast and getting ready for our hiking trip in the mountains. Since it was unseasonably chilly that day, we chose Stone Mountain, which was only about an hour away and no waterfalls (so we thought!). Our original choice was Linville Falls.

Once there, we talked to a Ranger who suggested going to the falls and then the homestead, both of which were short, easy hikes. The hike to the top of Stone Mountain was classified as "strenuous" and we didn't think Jack would be able to make it and neither Allan, nor I were in shape to be carrying a 4 year-old up a mountain!

The falls were beautiful and not far off the road. After lots of photo shoots, we headed for the Homestead where 4 generations of a NC family had lived. We ate our picnic lunch and checked out the interesting old buildings. We could see Stone Mountain from the Homestead. On our way back to the parking lot, Will explained that there was a short trail that went to the top of Stone Mountain, which he had hiked with the PE Club at school. I really don't know what we were thinking, but we just followed him. And kept following........until we had climbed so many steps that I thought my legs were going to fall off! Eventually, we made it to the "stone" part where there were metal cables to assist us in climbing. And then, we were at the top! It was absolutely beautiful! And no one had to carry Jack!

We finished off the day with ice cream, cutting down a tree in the backyard and pizza at 8:00 at night! Another fun tidbit: Allan and the kids surprised me with an ipod touch! No more paper calendars! My family is the best!

Our Zoo

2010-04-29T13:35:00.005-05:00

Allan trying to catch the squirrel

The squirrel hanging out before Allan chased it away

Peeking out at me

The pileated woodpecker

Everyone knows that I have three little birds. My birds, Will, Emma and Jack are enough to make me feel like I live in a zoo most days. Evidently, these are not the only strange animals in our midst. A couple of weeks ago, Allan decided he couldn't stand it any longer and HAD to cut down one of the dead trees in our backyard.

Will had made a birdhouse which was attached to this tree, so he decided to cut the tree off just above the house. Allan had mentioned that some bird had been trying to make the hole bigger, but no further investigation was conducted. When setting up the ladder and getting things ready to cut down the tree, Allan saw a big set of eyes looking back at him from the hole in the birdhouse. He thought they were really big eyes and asked me to take a peek. When I did, the big eyes started coming out of the hole toward me! I had my camera in hand and started snapping photos. It looked similar to a squirrel, but the eyes! They were huge! And it had a funny stripe down the side. It came all the way out and just stayed put on the tree. Allan decided he was going to CATCH it. It had other plans and was much too fast for Allan. The tree came down and we haven't seen the creature since. We did do some searching on Google and found out that it was a FLYING SQUIRREL. How exciting! Note: zoom in on the squirrel's booty. Interesting!

Not a week later, I stepped onto the deck to see a huge black bird with red on it fly out of the yard. Not being a bird expert, I guessed it to be a pheasant. Later, my mom and I kept hearing a very distinct and loud bird call. Neither of us had ever heard it before. Later, we found the bird pecking on the ground just beyond the deck. My mom was able to take a picture of it and we discovered it was a Pileated Woodpecker. For those of you who have never seen one, they are HUGE! It was about the size of a chicken. No kidding.

Amazing how many different creatures we have discovered in our own backyard. I guess it makes getting a dog not seem so wild after all!

Not To Be Mean, But......

2010-04-19T12:29:00.002-05:00

Last week, while sitting in the car, Jack piped up out of no where. "Mom, not to be mean, but, I can't wait until you die". Thank God I wasn't driving at the time. Why? I asked. "Well, then, when you come back to life, you can tell me what it is like after you die". Amazing how little minds work. I really never saw that one coming.

Another sewing project

2010-03-30T12:14:00.004-05:00

Recently, I made an apron for my friend, Amy and another dress for Miss Emma. I was very happy with both projects. I have to admit though, it was hard to part with the apron. I fell in love with the fabric and for some reason, I have a fondness for aprons (even though I don't usually wear one).

Emma was extremely excited to wear her new dress today, which also can be worn as a smock over capris or jeans. I love that it is so versatile!!! It will also grow with her because instead of buttons, I used knots.

Will's Gym

2010-03-29T12:13:00.007-05:00

The other day, I found Will and Emma giddy with excitement. This caused some concern because rarely are they both excited about the same thing. They have made it clear that they are individuals with individual interests - in other words, the boy vs. girl thing has been set into motion.

Will decided that he wanted to start a family "gym". This would encourage healthy living and more fit bodies for all family members. To encourage the use of his gym and exercise program, Emma offered to make a few signs to post throughout the house. Here are a few of their creations:

While at the sign-making business, Emma decided to make a few of her own. Like I said, she has made it clear that she is a LOT different than her brothers.

Jack's New Bike

2010-03-29T11:58:00.005-05:00

For the longest time, I didn't think Jack's legs were long enough to reach the pedals on a two-wheeled bike. The other day, after fussing about him wearing high water pants (he needs a size 3 for the waist, but a 4 for the length), I decided to see if he could ride the infamous Tigger bike. Lo and behold, that child could actually reach! We put the training wheels on it and away he went. He is Big Stuff now that he can ride a big kid bike. He has to ride it EVERYWHERE! It has actually been a great thing, because now I can go on a walk with him riding and actually move at a rate faster than a snail's pace! Life is good and it just keeps getting better.

Funny Dinnertime Moments

2010-02-16T17:34:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, there are family moments where EVERYONE just has to laugh. We've had several lately and I just had to share a couple of them.

The other night at the dinner table (where all great conversations occur), I was talking to the kids about how important they are to Allan and I and some other mushy stuff. I told them, "we created all of you....." and during my pause, Jack piped up just as serious as can be and said, "uh, that would be God. God actually created us."

Another night, Allan had a jar of olives that he was eating out of during dinner. On the jar was a picture of an Italian woman sitting on a stone wall, leaning back with her arm up high, reaching for an olive branch behind her. Great mental picture, huh?! Anyway, out of nowhere, Allan started asking each of us what we thought she was saying. Will- "I'm mad". Tanna - "Come and smell my armpits". Allan - "woo hoo these olives are good!". Next, was Emma's turn. She looked at it for some time and then without much emotion in her voice, says "raise the roof". We all just cracked up.

I'm sure reading about these moments don't really portray how funny the actual moment was, but I can say with certainty that we have fun at the dinner table. Dinner with my family, at home, is the highlight of my day. I hope that these moments, as insignificant as they may seem at the time, will instill the sense of family in our children. I am sure the day will come when we will be apart at dinnertime. But for now, these are the important and cherished moments of my days.

Parvuli Dei

2010-02-10T07:50:00.003-05:00

Father Michael, Will and Allan

Congratulations, Will! On Scout Sunday, February 7th, Will received his Parvuli Dei medal at church from Father Michael. This is an award received through Cub Scouts.

Will had several activities to complete with us (Allan and Tanna) at home. One of the activities was to make a banner which represents things for which he is thankful. Will drew a rough sketch of what he wanted his banner to look like. Things included on his banner were: his family, God, the Trinity, trees, the sun, ice cream and hamburgers. We printed a family picture on cloth and then Will sewed the cloth picture on his felt banner (using my sewing machine!). He cut the rest of the objects out of felt and glued them on. It turned out really nice!

After completing these activities, which were all faith-based, Will had an interview with our priest, Father Michael. He was then selected to read the intercessions at the Scout Sunday mass at Holy Family.

True to his nature, Will was not in the least nervous about reading in front of the congregation. Mom and Dad were nervous though! Just minutes before mass, Will was given the names of the people for whom the mass was offered - Tona Duarte and Giovanni Fontana! Lord knows it couldn't have been the Smith family! Nonetheless, he said them without hesitation or flaw. He and two other boys were then presented with their Parvuli Dei medals.

We are so proud of Will and this accomplishment!

Take Note:

2010-02-08T13:25:00.003-05:00

Four year-olds DO listen to EVERY word! On the way to preschool this morning, I was all excited about starting my new volunteer position at the Community Care Center. So, I started talking to Jack about it. I said "today, Mommy is going to work at a doctor's office while you are at school!". Evidently, all Jack heard was the word "work". In our house, Daddy is the only one who "works". God only knows what really went on his head, but the result was not pretty. He firmly stated that I could not "work" today and that he was not going to school. He wanted to be with me. I then collected my brain cells and explained that I was not really going to work, rather that I would just be helping at the doctor's office and would be back to pick him up just like always. No explanation in the world was going to satisfy him. Poor Ms. Donna had to PULL him out of the car. I had to pry his fingers off the headrest so she could carry him screaming into school.

I know I sound like the world's worst mommy (for so many different reasons), but I knew in my heart that he was in good hands and would be just fine when he got to his room. I called the preschool as soon as I got to CCC to check on him. Ms. Donna said that he was fine. His teacher had heard him screaming in the hallway and ran to get him. She said that he seemed more mad than anything and kept asking for Mommy. He also just wanted to be held for a few minutes. When he had calmed down, he jumped off of her lap and went to play with his friends.

Needless to say, I picked him up a little early and we had a long talk. A big lesson was learned today. This time, it was ME who learned the lesson. Don't use the phrase "going to work" lightly. For children who stay at home with their mommies, those are bad and scary words. I also learned that children listen to EVERYTHING! They may not acknowledge what is said, but they DO hear EVERYTHING.

Finally!

2010-02-05T19:06:00.004-05:00

After MONTHS of wiggling around a loose tooth, Emma finally used fishing line and pulled out her other front tooth. Seriously, that girl has been wiggling it since before Christmas. We thought she'd be singing the famous, "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" song. But no. I even scared her by telling her she might swallow it at night (this really did make her cry), or loose it while eating and then swallow it. Nothing could get that tooth out!

But, tonight was the night and it came out! Hooray for Emma! She even did it herself!

Go Bucks!

2010-02-05T08:13:00.005-05:00

Trying to do a little catching up while we are stuck inside with yet ANOTHER snow day (this is day 4)......

Back in January, we hosted a Rose Bowl party and invited a few of our neighbors. As luck would have it, one family is also from NW Ohio and Buckeye fans. We really got into the spirit and pulled out all of our Buckeye gear and had the monster-big OSU flag flying. Mary Jo had sent the kids OSU tats and eye thingies, so we pulled those out and decorated ourselves.

It was a great time and of course, our Buckeyes won!

Annual Daddy/Daughter Dance

2010-02-05T08:02:00.004-05:00

Allan and Emma attended the Third Annual Daddy/Daughter dance a couple of weekends ago. Emma's excitement could hardly be contained! It was a night full of soda (this is the only day of the year that she is allowed to drink the poison), dancing (both Daddy and Emma complained of sore feet from dancing all night) and total Daddy attention(what more can a girl ask for?).

Miss Emma was chattering a mile a minute when she got home. I'm sure it was in part because of the soda, but seriously, that girl LOVES to dance and time alone with Daddy is rare and cherished. They also made a few crafts and Emma won a bag of lip gloss. It just doesn't get any better!

More Snow Fun!

2010-01-31T18:06:00.003-05:00

Unfortunately, another snow storm hit NC this past weekend. We received about 6 inches Friday night while we slept and woke to another winter wonderland on Saturday morning. Saturday brought a little freezing rain and a little more snow.

Will was thrilled. The boy played outside by himself and with a friend for hours. For being a Mississippi boy, he sure does prefer the cold.

Emma was disgusted. She refused to go out and play even when her friend came to the door asking her to come out. The wasn't a total bust for her though because she ended up at the friend's house, pretending to survive a tornado and making caramel apples.

Jack was in the middle. He played outside with the other boys for about an hour (which is quite respectable considering it was 11 degrees). Otherwise, he spent the day getting his valentines ready for school.

I feel like I spent the day on the phone. Saturday was Allan's 41st birthday and I had planned a surprise dinner with neighbor friends. It was questionable whether the restaurant would be open because of the snow/ice and then one of our friends was sick and another couldn't get out of work. All's well that ends well though. Being the brave Northerners that we are, we hit the roads and had a fabulous dinner at a Japanese restaurant. We ended the night with my homemade cheesecake and lots of good laughs.

I am also happy to report that we even got up and made it to 9:15 mass. Our church was one of the only churches in the Triad area to actually be open. After mass and a movie, we hit the hills of a local (closed) church to do some sledding. It was a fun weekend! Happy Birthday Allan! We love you!!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-07T14:35:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

My Christmas cracker crown and prize

Nana and the birds

Our 3 little birds on Christmas Eve

Christmas this year was absolutely wonderful. We had snow and cold weather to put us in the mood and keep us all snuggly inside. We had Nana here. And we were all together - happy, healthy and having fun.

Will and Emma sang in the children's church choir on Christmas Eve. As always, it was a beautiful mass and as always, I just couldn't hold back the tears. I don't know what it is, but I get tears every year during the traditional Christmas songs. Christmas songs and "Party of Five". Tears every time.

After mass, we went to a party at the home of friends from church. This woman can cook, so it goes without say that everyone enjoyed themselves. Will even got a little extra attention from some girls at the party. Of course, he played it cool and acted as though he wasn't affected by the fact that girls were asking him into their room and leaving him notes. I have a whole other post for that subject!

As always, the kids left reindeer food out on the lawn and cookies and milk for Santa. Christmas morning came early, but later than usual (6:30-ish). Everyone was happy with Santa's choices: a bike for Will, camera for Emma and Hotwheels for Jack. The rest of the day was spent playing, lounging, playing, putting toys together, more playing and finally dinner. As has been our custom, we had English crackers to start the feast and all wore our crowns during the meal. We were so full from all of the food that we didn't even have Jesus' birthday cake until the next day! Even so, it was a yummy chocolate Italian creme cake and we all enjoyed it.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

NC Snow

2010-01-07T13:09:00.006-05:00

Allan and Wicked Wanda try to pull Emma in the snow

Our little snow bunny

We're covered in snow!

The kids' last day of school before Christmas was December 19th. That night we had several inches of snow. The actual amount is debatable, but I can say that the grass was more than covered. We woke up on Saturday morning to a winter wonderland! It was absolutely gorgeous and it was perfectly timed to get us in the Christmas spirit. The kids actually ate breakfast before begging for their snow gear. I had to scramble on that one! We haven't purchased winter coats or gear since we lived in Indiana! Lucky for Jack, we had a bibs, jacket, mittens and boots from when Will was 3. Emma got boots from a neighbor, bibs that Will outgrew and one of her old coats that wasn't super warm, but worked well enough. Will had me to thank. He wore an old pair of my bibs, a pair of my boots from Indiana-times, and a coat handed down by his cousin, Matthew. All in all, we managed pretty well!

The kids flew outside and marveled at the unfamiliar white stuff. Allan and I were close behind with grand plans of snow ball fights and a snow man. Unfortunately, we had some freezing rain after the snow, so it was difficult to make balls. The kids tried sledding down the road, jumping on the trampoline full of snow, made tracks everywhere, and threw ice chunks at each other. Allan got Wanda out and tried using her to pull the kids on their sleds, but the tires had no traction. Emma had a good time trying this though! We then decided to make a snowman, which turned out pretty good. The girls named "her" Arnetta and the boys named "him" Arnold. Everyone is full aware of gender in this household!

We ended the day with hot chocolate and working in the basement.

Happy Birthday To My Big Guy!

2009-12-02T15:30:00.004-05:00

Will back in the day!

Will's favorite gift from his loving brother.

Birthday pizza at Bubby's!

Blowing out the 9 candles on his chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, made by Nana.

Wow! Will turned 9 while we were in Ohio last week. I can't believe it has been 9 years since.....

Allan and I asked each other, "what do you want to do today?"
We slept in past 8:00
The house felt empty or was quiet
I packed on an additional 40 pounds
I worked at a paying, full-time job
We lived in MS
I laid eyes on the most beautiful baby ever
Our whole world changed for the better

Will gave the words "us" and "we" a whole new meaning. I am so thankful for Will. He is a one-of-a-kind, awesome person. Happy birthday, Will! I love you!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-19T19:13:00.006-05:00

One of our carved pumpkins

The soldier, the werewolf and the hippy chick.

Bella and Edward

Jack with his loot - notice the BIG smile

Halloween was a ton of fun this year! Jack's excitement was ridiculously contagious. We pulled out EVERY Halloween decoration that we could find and I even bought a few new ones (scarier ones, with Will's prompting). We had yellow crime scene tape around the tree house, skeleton heads hanging from posts and creepy rotting cloth hanging from doorways. I have to say, I was happy to take down the cloth because I had to duck to go through the doorway and I would sometimes forget at night when the lights were off! We also carved pumpkins and then toasted the seeds for the first time. It was a hit with everyone. And if I do say so myself, we had some pretty awesome looking pumpkins!

On Halloween night, we ordered pizza and then hit the streets of our neighborhood for trick-or-treating. Since we live in such a small neighborhood with only a couple of houses, we left candy on the doorstep and Allan and I dressed up to walk the kids around. What a hoot! It was a really warm night with mist in the air, so it was a perfectly creepy Halloween night. The kids hit the mother load. Neighbors gave them treat bags filled with every kind of candy imaginable. When we got to the last house, it started to pour down rain. Thankfully, it wasn't far from home, but we still got a bit wet. The minute the kids were in the door, bags were dumped and assessments were conducted. Jack was running through the house screaming, "I got a HERSHEY bar! Can you believe it?! I got a HERSHEY bar!" It was hysterical and we were all laughing. Clearly, my kids don't get much candy.

We raked in so much candy, that as of today (11.21.09), we still have three buckets sitting around and I think I have gained 10 pounds from eating it everyday.

Happy Veteran's Day!

2009-11-11T17:58:00.004-05:00

Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you so much to all of those who have made the sacrifice to protect our country. God bless the USA!

Jack's First Day of Fours

2009-10-22T10:05:00.003-05:00

OK. I realize this is late, but Jack started preschool after Labor Day. He was extremely excited for his first day with Ms. Nancy. Fortunately, his best friends from the threes are in his class again - Charlie and Parker! Although he can go 4 days a week like all of the other kids in his class, I have opted to only send him 3 days. That is a big step for me as it is. I love spending time with my little guy and I don't want to give up any more time than necessary. Soon enough, he will be going all day. Boo! So, for the time being, we are all comfortable with 3 days a week at Preschool. And thankfully, there were no tears this year. Just lots of smiles and excitement - for Jack anyway!

Thank you, Uncle Steve and Aunt Sharon!

2009-10-22T08:30:00.004-05:00

Last week, Aunt Sharon came for a visit to help celebrate Emma's birthday. While here, we went shopping (imagine that!). Jack found some pirate shoes at a store and actually fussed when I told him that I would not buy them for him. Aunt Sharon was in a spoiling mood and decided to buy them as a surprise. What a great surprise! They fit perfectly and Jack has worn them to school everyday this week. He LOVES them! I had to share some pictures of these cool new shoes. Thanks again, Uncle Steve and Aunt Sharon! Jack says he loves you!

Spiriti Week!

2009-10-22T08:24:00.004-05:00

This week was spirit week at Will and Emma's school. Being true to form, Emma has thrown herself into each day's activities with lots of spirit. Surprisingly, Will has even shown a little spirit. I had to share pictures from Tacky Day and Decade Day. They were cracking me up! Poor Will even had a field trip on Tacky Day. The Moravians probably didn't know what to think when they saw him coming!

The Last Hurrah Before School

2009-10-02T14:58:00.005-05:00

Days before school started, in August, we decided to spend our time visiting some new museums as well as a few favorites. We explored a new place that allowed the kids to make whatever they wanted, using different mediums such as clay, finger paint, yarn, markers, blocks and wallpaper. It was very cool and a perfect activity for a rainy day. On a nice day, we went to the zoo. We have an awesome zoo that has something new almost every time we visit. This time, they had a platform that we could be on to feed giraffes. Unfortunately, they weren't hungry when we were there, but it was still neat. Seeing the animals and visiting the zoo is something that never gets old. We have fun each and every time! The zoo also offers a great backdrop for taking pictures. Here are just a few.......zoom in and notice the screen on Will's camera and see what he was taking a picture of. Pretty cool!

Our Jack-O-Lantern

2009-09-29T16:09:00.007-05:00

A lot of fussing went on before she finally pulled the tooth out.

She did it once again! Emma's two front teeth were loose. And I knew it wouldn't be long until she wiggled them out. I asked her to wait until after school pictures though. They really weren't THAT loose! Well, while tousling with Jack (an almost everyday occurrence), she hit her mouth on his head and ta-da, one became very loose. It was so loose that it was driving her crazy and she was unable to eat comfortably. After fussing about it for a whole day, she let Dad tie fishing line around it and pulled it out herself! She wrote a full page letter to the Tooth Fairy that night and left her tooth in a glass of water. The next morning, she was up at 5:30 to find out if the TF had written her back. Thank goodness, she did! Emma discovered a big secret - the Tooth Fairy's best friend is the Dream Fairy! And she was wearing a blue/purple dress because it dyed the water that color.

Basement PROGRESS!

2009-09-29T15:44:00.005-05:00

With the recent rain activity, and lack of sporting events, Allan and I were able to get back down to the basement. In a matter of days, Allan hung 8 out of the 9 doors and put up baseboards in the "bedroom". What remains? Not much, in comparison to the whole project, but given our schedule for the next four weekends, it will probably be another couple of months before it is D-O-N-E! The good news is that what remains are mostly things that can be done in short bits of time. In other words, Allan can get some things done at night after the kids go to bed.

The Other Part of Labor Day

2009-09-26T17:54:00.006-05:00

Goofy Grandpa!

Will enjoyed every heavenly bit of his chocolate ice cream

Trying to get the hang of eating an ice cream cone

DQ fun!

Grandma Grace and I with the "wine"

The cousins

Emma and Evan - she just couldn't get enough of him!

I haven't even said everything there is to be said about Labor Day weekend! On Saturday night, Nana decided to have a sleepover with all of her grandchildren. This was not only spectacular because our children rarely get to spend time with their cousins, but there were NINE children there ALONE with NANA! Good God, what were we thinking?! Better yet, what was SHE thinking?

So, things weren't as bad as one would imagine. Jack was the youngest there, at four years old. Nana started the night with a bonfire and roasting hot dogs. Big hit with the kids. I left before the bonfire even started, so I don't really know what all went on. I do know that they all camped out in the living room together and were definitely not ready for me to arrive the next morning when I did. Given the cold reception that I got, I headed across the yard to visit with Mary Jo. It was so nice to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while chatting. A rare treat for me.

I then got the kids ready and we went to visit Grandma Grace. She was so happy to see us and just chatted away. I am not sure if the kids had more fun exploring her room or playing with her walker. Nonetheless, it was a great visit. Grandma even mentioned that she would like some wine. Teasing, I asked Will and Emma to go find her some wine. When they didn't come back, I sent Nana looking for them. Then, Nana didn't come back! Finally, they all three came back with a glass of what appeared to be wine. The kids had found some nurses and sent them on a wild search through the nursing home for "Grace's bottle of wine", only to discover that there was no bottle of wine that belonged to Grace! Nana set them straight and we all had a big laugh over this one. Grandma said that the "wine" was good, but would really enjoy a bottle of wine and some cheese the next time we visit. Who would have guessed?! I love that we were able to find something that would bring her joy! I think we also need to replace a few stuffed animals......

We left the nursing home and stopped at the Dairy Queen for a special treat. I really think my kids thought they were in heaven.

We ended the day by spending more time at Uncle Jeff's and then stopping at Nana's for a drink with MJ and Grandpa Allan, Uncle Steve, Danielle, Alicia, Brittany and Sonya.

It was a quick trip to Buckeyeland, but we sure had a great time.

"Labor" Day

2009-09-21T20:17:00.006-05:00

EVERY "working" picture of Debbie had this same expression. Let's think about that.

Godmothers shouldn't be a bad influence

Emma loves to pick on Aunt Janet

Chico, barking out the orders

Go Bucks!

Sharon would be ashamed. Dennis CAN'T work and talk at the same time.

Amy making the most delicious egg rolls ever. But where's the friiirice?

Some things took a bit more work. Notice Debbie's face?!

My hard-workin' man!

Ready for the siding!

Labor Day in Ohio this year gave a whole new meaning to the holiday's name. Some of us actually did some manual LABOR over Labor Day weekend. Allan took half a day off and we yanked Will and Emma out of school an hour early to hit the road for Ohio. We arrived at Mom S.'s house just in time for a cold beer before bed. Those are the best beers.

First thing Saturday morning, Allan hit the road for Chico's to start yanking off old siding and preparing for some new Certainteed fiber cement siding. Ahhhhh!!!!! I think I saw the house tremble with excitement at being covered with such a fine product. Mom, the kids and I arrived a little later - just in time to help make egg rolls and visit with Jill, Wyatt and Evan. Yeah!!!

I have to admit that it was a bit frustrating, sitting around watching the work being done and not being able to contribute. I'm pretty sure no one reading this has EVER seen me with a hammer in my hand, so I think you understand what I am saying. I can do my fair share of work, but construction is the one activity that you won't see me involved in. Nor do you want to!

Nonetheless, it was wonderful being to catch up with the girls. It was just good to be with family again after such a long time.

And it made me happy to see Allan with his brothers. They really love to work together. It was great to be able to give back after all that they have given to us.

The kids had a great time playing with Wyatt while he was there, playing on the skateboard ramp in the barn, peeing in the corn field (inside story) and picking tomatoes. A good time was had by all!

Just the Two of Us

2009-09-04T09:53:00.003-05:00

Jack and I have been having so much fun together since the big kids have gone back to school. If you talk to him, he will tell you that I work too much and don't play with him enough. Of course, there are always two sides to every story. I have been enjoying the one-on-one time with him and the ability to carry on a conversation without interruptions. It is seriously a battle in this house to be heard!

Yesterday, Jack and I mowed, planted flower bulbs, jumped on the trampoline and played in the tree house. It was such a beautiful day and I was so fortunate to be able to spend it with Jack. Here are some pictures of my big guy.

Another One Gone!

2009-09-04T09:19:00.003-05:00

As if the first day of school wasn't exciting enough, Emma had to make it even more so by losing a tooth as soon as she arrived home. We were standing around talking about their day and in the midst of one of Will's long stories, Emma simply pulled her tooth out! I really think she was shocked.

The tooth fairy was so impressed that she left 3 gold coins! Wow!

No Tears This Year!

2009-08-25T17:10:00.004-05:00

No nervous anxiety, no tears, no racing around (I'm referring to me, of course). That was this morning. Emma was up by 6:15 taking out her curlers and the boys were right behind her. Poor Will didn't even get to try out his alarm clock that was set the night before. I guess that means that everyone, including me, was ready for the first day of school.

We had the traditional green eggs and ham for breakfast, packed lunches (leftover spaghetti for Emma and clam chowder for Will) and took the traditional First Day of School pictures with signs in hand!

I have to say though, Jack was none to happy to find out that it wasn't HIS first day of school. To ease his pain, I explained that he would have lots of alone time with me. He got a big grin and said that he was going to "kiss Daddy's woman all day!" Seriously, how can I send him to Kindergarten NEXT year?! I just don't see it happening - ever.

Now that they are home, I am happy to announce that everyone (Jack and I included) had a great day!

In case anyone is wondering, Jack and I spent the morning playing Polly Pockets (his request), reading Willy Wonka and kissing. We then headed out to a new fabric store that carries Amy Butler AND Heather Bailey goodies. I was so excited I almost giggled. I picked up a few things to start sewing again. Yeah!!!!!

IOP 2009

2009-08-18T13:28:00.005-05:00

The girls

My men

My hottie

Having fun in the water fountain

Scott & Jen

Will finds a crab while ocean seining

Scott & Allan help out with the ocean seining

A visit to Ft. Sumpter

What an incredible vacation we had at Isle of Palms! We spent the week there in a huge house, just three doors down from the beach. Best of all, our longtime friends, Scott and Jen, and their three munchkins drove all the way down from MI to join us!

I wasn't sure we were actually going to have a place to vacation. Jen and I were burning the midnight oil trying to find a "last minute" deal to house our two families. Our criteria was simple. We just needed a place to sleep for a week, anywhere along the Atlantic coast. Funny thing, as the date grew nearer, our list of wants grew longer! Not really, but we really were holding out for the perfect house, in the perfect location at the perfect price. Patience paid off, because less than one week prior to our departure, we finally had a house booked. It was nerve wracking, but worth it!

To sum up the week, we hit the beach, Allan got burned, had a visit from the family that was down for PD's graduation from nuke school, hit the beach, Allan got burned, took a break from the sun to visit Charleston and Ft. Sumpter, hit the beach, Allan got burned, hit a pool, Allan got burned, hit the beach, Allan got burned......you can guess what comes next!

The highlight of the trip (for me, anyway) was the ocean seining. We signed the kids up for this at the resort and got the best entertainment EVER for $5. A marine biologist met us at the beach with a long net. He then drug the net through the ocean just a few feet out and brought it back up to the beach. There were all kinds of critters inside and he identified them, told us the part they play in the ocean life and other interesting facts. The kids were able to touch everything and then throw the creatures back in the sea. I just can't say enough how cool this was! No surprise, Will was completely geeked out about all of the information, Allan and Scott were able to help out with the net and all of the kids got to touch crabs and fish. Jack REALLY wanted to keep the fish and just couldn't understand why he had to throw it back in the ocean when they took the trouble to catch it in the first place!

Other than spending almost every waking moment on the beach, we were able to do LOTS of talking and catching up with Scott and Jen. The kids picked up right where they left off over a year ago. We did lots of drinking and good eating. The kids even got to watch lots of TV while we were cooking or getting things ready for the day. A HUGE treat for our kids!

I told Allan afterward that this was the first vacation we have taken where I was really able to relax. There were no bottles, no diapers, no strollers. What a huge difference all of that makes! And the kids got along so well, that we just didn't have to worry about what they were doing 24/7. They simply entertained themselves!

I can't end this post without at least mentioning the worst part of the trip. Jack got lost on the beach. I now understand the meaning of the words "every mother's worst nightmare". It was a nightmare. He was missing for so long that the police had to be involved. Thankfully, I found him a LOOOOOOOOONNNG way down the beach. He was playing in a pool of water and found a white crab. He wanted to show me and just started down the beach to find me. Of course, I was right there, but he didn't see me and kept walking. I seriously don't know how he got so far down the beach. That child has NEVER walked fast. In a matter of minutes he was out of sight though. I just thank God that he was on the beach and we found him.

Our beautiful children

I love this picture!

2009-08-11T13:03:00.002-05:00

Not to brag, but I am married to a hottie!

8.10.09 update

2009-08-10T14:49:00.004-05:00

So, as always, I have a ton of things to blog about from the past couple of months. We have basically been spending our time running back and forth to the pool for swim team practice and swim meets. In our spare moments, Allan and I have worked on the basement and have gotten a LOT done. I also have to add that we have had quite a few visitors this year. Basically, what I am saying is that I just haven't had time to update the blog like I want. I am going to do my best to work backward in the next week or so. If not for anything else, than for the WEJ. I found a cool site that publishes the blog in a book. But that is a whole other subject!

Recently, I broke yet another camera. If you are a friend of mine, or have talked to Allan lately, you will know that cameras and I simply don't get along. It dates back to Spain and the gypsies, but I don't have enough time to go into all of that. The point is that I broke another camera and needed a new one desperately for our upcoming Isle of Palms vacation. Since the broken camera had been purchased by AmEx, I received a credit to my account after telling them my sad story. I decided to use this money to upgrade a little. Just a little, because if you read carefully, you will remember that I tend to lose/break cameras frequently. So, I wanted more than a point and shoot, but wanted something to really zoom in on the kids without them knowing and get good shots of everyday activity. Is this TMI? Anyway, as luck would have it, I received my new camera just hours before heading south to IOP. I am so tickled with this camera, that I just had to post a few shots. Remember, I was NOT in everyone's face with the camera. These are just sneaky far away shots that I was lucky to capture. :) Enjoy!

What a weekend!

2009-07-12T18:28:00.006-05:00

I really don't think I could have squeezed one more thing in the weekend! It all started with Saturday morning and working on the basement project. I helped Allan with some odds and ends and then we started laying the laminate in the "bedroom". All was going well and then I had to stop for some M.E. time (Mom and Emma time). We packed up the van and stopped at the Wendy's drive thru. I really had hoped to have enough time for Mellow Mushroom, but I lost track of time while working with Allan (even with Emma asking if it was time leave, every hour, on the hour!). I gave Emma her choice of where to eat and she chose Wendy's. Not only that, but she requested that we eat in the car so we wouldn't be late for the baseball game (perhaps there's a little Allan in her?!). We had to be there early to meet the other Daisys in her troop and walk in a parade around the ballfield before the game. On the drive there, we noticed huge black clouds moving in our direction. As predicted, the rain fell on us as we were waiting to get our tickets. Luckily, it stopped before the game started and we made it through the whole game, including an exta inning, without any weather issues.

After the game, we went to our cars and got all of our camping gear. They gave the girls cookies, patches and a coupon for breakfast at McDonald's the next morning. We set up our tent with no issues, thanks to Allan's previous practice session with us! They showed "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" on the scoreboard, but it was not even close to being visible. Thankfully, nobody cared and we munched on cookies and played cards until it was time to turn out the lights (I am guessing this was around 1 am). Believe it or not, most of us had a hard time falling asleep. Just after we did, a large group of crows woke us up and it was time to pack up our gear and head home. Being the awesome camper that I am, I got everything packed back up and into Allan's backpack just like it was when we left home!

As a treat, we stopped at Krispy Kreme on the way home for some "hot now" breakfast. We took it home to share with the boys and everyone was happy!

As soon as the dishes were cleared, Allan cracked the whip and declared that all fun was over. Ha ha! Not really. I decided that we needed to take advantage of the full day ahead of us and work on the basement. We ended up laying the laminate in the bedroom and 5 tiles in the bathroom. We stopped at 5 tiles because the rest has to be cut and Allan is going to do that at work. By this time, I was ready to call it quits on working. We cleaned up, played a game a Canasta and had dinner.

It was an incredibly fun AND productive weekend! I loved spending M.E. time with Emma (something we rarely get to do) and really enjoyed working with Allan on the basement. I am fortunate to have a hubby who knows how to do everything AND kids who know how to play on their own for hours at a time!

Looking Back

2009-06-26T16:41:00.004-05:00

I can't believe that four years have passed already since Jack entered our lives. What an incredible addition he has been to our family. I thought it might be fun to look back at his previous birthdays as well as a "pre-Jack" moment.

Happy Birthday, Jack! We love you so!

Jack's Big Day

2009-06-26T15:35:00.003-05:00

The big day FINALLY came and Jack was able to celebrate his 4th birthday! Hooray! Jack woke up to find birthday banners and presents in the kitchen. Being the awesome 4 year-old that he is, he didn't fuss about having to wait to open the gifts until Daddy got home from work. He then started his day by baking triple berry muffins for breakfast. We even put his on a heart plate and lit a candle for him to blow out. While the muffins were baking, Jack decided to get in the robot mood and turn himself into one using bowls. ????? He always has been a little different. ;)

After breakfast, we all got suited up and headed for swim practice which starts at 10:00. We played in our pool until noon and then met our friends, Juliette, Giovanna and Nathan for lunch and more swimming at their pool. It was fun being with friends and checking out a different pool. By 3:30, we decided that we had enough sun and it was time to get home and decorate the ROBOT cake.

I still don't know what prompted the desire for a robot cake, but after asking for several months and still getting the same answer, a robot cake was what we made! We stopped at the drug store the day before and picked up all different kinds of candy to transform the cake into a robot. The cake flavor of choice was Devil's Food (hmmm......what's in a name?). I made the frosting, slathered it on and the kids put the candies in place. The cake was decorated just in time for Daddy's arrival home from work.

Jack chose a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, so all was good there. I was happy he chose something quick since we didn't have much time after the pool and cake decorating adventures. Jack opened gifts while dinner was cooking and was especially happy with his panda Webkins, Legos and flashlight. The skates from Mom and Dad were not a big hit with Jack - they were however, with Emma.

It was so nice outside that we ate on the deck and started making his Lego car that he just got. I think he had a very nice day. While I was going to the bathroom after dinner, Jack came in and announced "the birthday boy is sad". I asked, "why?!". He replied, "because it is nighttime and my birthday is going to be over".

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Will's Adventures, by Will

2009-06-19T16:44:00.011-05:00

ME!

I went camping and saw... Old man's cave,Devil's bathtub and a snake!

Luckily it did NOT bite us.

We went to rock cabin.

IT WAS FUN!!!!

Occasionally on the trails there was a KID EATING HOLE!!!

Spring Break 2009

2009-05-28T09:27:00.006-05:00

The WEJ with Deepo

Grumpy Jack

Will with the fish

Havin' fun watching Deepo

Fish tacos at the Cheesecake Factory - yum-o!

As a spur of the moment decision, Nana and Mary Jo traveled down to NC to see us and we took off for an overnight adventure in Atlanta. We visited the American Girl Place and the Georgia Aquarium. We had lots of fun and lots of laughs (especially in the hotel room after lights out). Our kids are so lucky to have such active and fun grandmas in their lives! We are so fortunate to have Mary Jo with us after surviving the Titanic. Thank you Nana and Mary Jo for a super-fun trip.

Easter 2009

2009-05-28T09:12:00.004-05:00

Trying to play catch up........

Easter was especially beautiful this year. I don't know why. Maybe it was because Will was making his First Communion and we were more "involved" in the preparations. Maybe it was because I was teaching Faith Formation and I was more involved in the the spiritual meaning. Maybe the mass was more meaningful this year. Whatever the reason, it was just a beautiful day in all aspects of the word.

Jack participated in an egg hunt at school, we decorated eggs for the bunny to hide and we were up at the crack of dawn thanks to Jack to find everything that the bunny had hid for us. Jack actually woke up around 5:30 or so to go to the bathroom. He came downstairs and woke up Allan for assistance. Allan told him to go right back up to bed. On his way up, he discovered that the bunny had left jellybeans on the steps leading up to their rooms. He brought one to Allan and asked him what it was. Allan explained that it was a jellybean left by the bunny. He instructed him to go back to bed and not to wake up his brother and sister. Jack said OK and quietly proceeded up the steps. When he reached the top, we could hear him yell "Will and Emma, the Easter Bunny came!". It was all over from that point on. Cameras ready! The hunt was on!

We spent the day eating candy, going to church, eating candy, visiting wonderful friends for an egg hunt and wine, eating more candy and then finally hitting the bed only to lie awake due to a sugar buzz. It was a beautiful day!

Spring Fishing

2009-05-28T08:59:00.005-05:00

Studly fisherman

Future fisherman

Emma finds joy in holding the minnows - bleck!

Will caught one!

As an elective for Cub Scouts, we spent the day fishing at a friend's cabin. It was a lovely day and the kids all had a ball. The fish were supposed to be biting because of the timing (early April), but they weren't. Evidently, there had been too much rain (yes, here in the land of drought!). Nonetheless, a few fish were caught, minnows were held and lots of snacks were eaten. We ended the day with a yummy BBQ and promises to do more fishing in the summertime.

Can you say RBI?

2009-04-30T17:23:00.003-05:00

If you look very close (or zoom in) you can see Will, #6 sliding into home plate!

The happy ball player

Will sure can! He actually got three at his last baseball game! We were so proud of him. And of course, I was the lunatic mom who was screaming her head off in excitement.

Something just clicked at his last game and he did an awesome job at the plate. And believe it or not, he didn't do any disco moves when he got to first base like he did last year. HA! Great job, Willster!

Soccer Boy

2009-04-30T17:07:00.004-05:00

For what seems like an eternity now, Jack has been begging to play soccer. Who knows why! No one else in the family plays soccer for him to watch and yearn to play. Something just snapped and he decided he was going to play soccer - and he wanted to play NOW (this was back in February). Well, the day finally came when he could play soccer. He is actually participating in a "clinic" at the local YMCA. The children are all 3-4 years old and cute as can be! I have to admit, the first day, all we could do was laugh. Imagine a 3 year-old with their short little legs, trying to put their foot on a ball and hands on their hips. Cracks me up!

The outfit cracks me up too! The socks are long enough to reach up to his underwear, the shoes are the smallest size I could find and the jersey is sooo long that if I tuck it in his shorts, you can't see the number on his back (which is bigger than his back).

All is going well so far. Jack's only complaint is that the other kids don't kick him the ball. Hmm....why would anyone at that age be willing to give the ball up if they are lucky enough to get it in the first place?! We have to talk through that one.

Enjoy the shots of Jack in his Kiddie Kicker Blue soccer uniform!

Twirl Skirt!

2009-04-29T10:20:00.004-05:00

The "twirl skirt" is finally done! It took a little longer than expected, but I made it and Emma loves it. Thank goodness! It turned out really cute and Emma loves spinning around with it on. I would definitely make it again, but would use more contrasting fabric colors. As always, Amy Butler rocks!

New Rooms!

2009-04-01T16:30:00.004-05:00

A kiss of thanks!

The guys

View from family room to garage

The family room

Entryway

Bedroom closet

Bedroom/sewing room

So here are some shots of the basement, with walls and a ceiling, after the guys were done on Saturday. They hung most of the drywall and put a first coat of mud on most of it. Yeah! Since they left, Allan finished the bathroom and hallway. Still working on two of the closets. Next comes mudding, and more mudding, and more mudding.......

Men at Work

2009-03-29T18:32:00.009-05:00

Keith at work

Allan and Chico

Allan and Eric mudding

Jack leaves his mark before the drywall goes up

Evidently, Dark Wing couldn't find a cigar

How many guys does it take?.........

Allan and Chico still at it!

After working all day (and into the night) Friday and Saturday, the guys hung up their tools belts to return to Ohio on Sunday morning. I can't speak for them, but given the amount of laughing, drinking and cigar smoking that went on, I think a fun time was had by all. Of course, Allan and I will be eternally grateful to these guys for coming and helping. Not only did they get a lot of work done, but it was great seeing everyone and being together.

Help arrives!

2009-03-28T15:47:00.002-05:00

Hallway looking into the bedroom

From the play room, looking into the bathroom

Taken inside the play room toward the back of the room at the storage closet

Wah hoo! Five big and burly men arrived late Thursday night to help us with the basement project. Allan's brothers, Dennis, Terry and Jeff and nephews, Eric (E-rock) and Keith (K man) got here at midnight. After enjoying a BIG bottle of "Old Bastard" beer that they made for Allan's birthday, they hit the beds for a short sleep before getting to work the next morning.

They split up into teams of two and worked off a punch list to get a few things done before starting to hang the drywall. They finished most of the ceiling on Friday before hanging up their drills. Everyone was back at it early Saturday morning! They finished hanging the ceiling just a couple of hours after the drywall lift was due back at Home Depot. Are they awesome or what?! Truth be told, they are blaming it on me, saying that I was cracking the whip to get it done by the return time. Does anyone REALLY think I have any influence over these guys?!

After lunch on Saturday, they really rocked and hung the drywall on all of the walls and mudded most of the walls. There are a couple of closets that still need drywall, but wow! I just can't say enough about these guys! They do tend to chatter a lot, but in the end, they get a LOT done and they do a great job. Since I am being a bit sappy, I have to add that it is really an incredible sight to see so many brothers (and their sons) working together and having a great time doing it. My appreciation and admiration cannot be put into words right now. Not only do I have an awesome husband, but he comes from a great family!

The above pictures are from BEFORE the weekend started. Next, check out the AFTER pictures.......

Nana Visit

2009-03-28T13:53:00.002-05:00

Last week, Nana decided to make a trip down with her new addition, Bandit! The kids were thrilled to see Nana and to finally meet the new puppy. Hands down, Emma was the most smitten with Bandit. Will came in a close second. Jack was less than thrilled and is still complaining about the bites that he got when Bandit was trying to play. I thought he was adorable, but was less than thrilled with the behavior that goes along with being a puppy. Thank goodness for hardwood floors! To our surprise, Bandit took a liking to the dirt in my plants. Not even the plastic wrap deterred him from digging and sending dirt across the floor. Along with dirt, Bandit also has a fondness for shoes. There was a benefit to this though as it caused the kids to put their shoes in the closet immediately! That lasted for, oh.....about 3 days after Bandit left.

As it rained nearly every day out of the 7 that Nana was here, we didn't do many fun things. We were able to get some sewing done. Nana made Jack a pair of Kermit sleep shorts, I made a floor pillow for Emma's teacher and I also started an adorable skirt for Emma using Amy Butler fabric. I can't wait to get it done! Unfortunately, the only thing I've done since Nana left was make bias tape. What an adventure that was! It turned out great though and I can't wait to post the final product.

In case you're wondering, Will took the goofy pictures of me and Nana. He told us what to do and we complied. The funny pictures are the end result!

Thanks, Nana for a great visit with lots of quality time! I'll let you know when Allan starts asking about your next trip down. :)

Jack is GROOVY!

2009-02-26T18:17:00.002-05:00

Well, his teeth are anyway. After a visit to the dentist earlier this week, we found out that Jack's molars are extremely "groovy". So what? you say. Well, this, combined with his regular intake of sticky prunes, has resulted in two cavities. I felt sick. I feel that I am somewhat of a Nazi-mom when it comes to brushing, food selection and regular dental visits. My kids are not allowed to eat those ever-so-popular fruit snacks. I rarely give them juice. Like chocolate milk, it is reserved for "special" occasions. I THOUGHT the prunes were a smart choice to combat his bowel issues. Looking back, I just wasn't thinking at all. Prunes are sticky, sugary (albeit good for the digestive system) cavity producers. Well, to be fair to the prunes, he does have those groovy teeth, but who knew?!

To conclude my ranting, I have to end on a positive note. Jack, the rock star, went marching into the dentist office, without me and had both cavities filled at the same time. Not a tear was shed and if you ask him, he will tell you that he was BRAVE at the dentist today. What a guy! He even scored an ice skate key chain. This was a rainbow ending to a previously cloudy day.

Emma's New Bag

2009-02-20T16:48:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday, we actually had a free day with no scheduled activities. Allan and I took the opportunity to file our taxes (wa hoo!) and during breaks, I made a new "girly girl" bag for Emma. I had a ball making it and it turned out quite cute. I used Amy Butler fabric which, in my opinion, makes ANYTHING look cute. Emma liked it so much that she carried it around the rest of the night and all day Sunday. It was so easy and fun to make that I am planning to make her a bigger one to carry things in when she visits friends.

Sign of the Times

2009-02-20T16:36:00.004-05:00

This is what I saw when I walked into my bedroom the other night. Do I really seem like the type of girl who would sleep with a light saber beside her bed?! Evidently, Will thought I needed it during the night, wanted to play with it while he was sleeping and couldn't or just left it there inadvertently. Any of these options are feasible, knowing Will.

Not only did this sight crack me up, but it also reminded me of how precious our children are. I know that the day will come (all too soon) when I will be wishing there were toys in our bedroom again. But for now, I will giggle at the sight and then fuss at all three of them for leaving their toys in our bedroom where they don't belong.

Happy Birthday MJ!

2009-02-01T12:00:00.003-05:00

Happy birthday to my friend, Mary Jo! Can't wait until we can have a birthday drink together. Enjoy your day!

Remember when.....

2009-01-30T13:57:00.004-05:00

Allan in the 2nd grade

Allan in 1981. 12 years old.

Allan on the Left and brother, Randy on the Right

Allan is on the Right, holding his hatchet

Stud wrester, 1987

Allan at 9 months

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2009-01-30T07:58:00.003-05:00

Since Allan had to leave for Terre Haute on Monday and will be staying in OH throughout his birthday weekend, we celebrated his birthday last weekend. We gave him a couple little gifts, made an awesome shrimp stir-fry and ate lots of pineapple upside-down cake. To avoid burning down the house with 40 candles, we opted for one candle, for each 10 years. :)

Blowing out the candles

The 40 year-old hottie and his older woman.

Getting lots of love from the 3 little birds.

A photo calendar for his office

Happy 4-0!

2009-01-29T21:22:00.002-05:00

To the love of my life. To my best friend. To Allan.

Allan is 40 today and I hope that this birthday makes up for all of the crappy ones that he has had in the past. Not that they have all been bad, but he sure doesn't have a great track record. Just to throw out an example, last year, I had high hopes for finally making it a "nice" birthday. I made lasagna (one of his favorites) and set the oven up for delay cook since the kids and I were going to be at Faith Formation until 6:15. The plan was to have it cooked and ready to eat the minute he arrived home. Then, follow up with cake and gifts. HA! On my way to church, I realized that I had set up the oven, but didn't put the lasagna in. I confidently called my neighbor, Danny, and asked him to take the lasagna out of the fridge and put it in the oven. No other action required. Simple, right?! Wrong! He put it in the microwave instead. Since lasagna cannot be cooked in 15 minutes, we had to order pizza from the Country Store at the last minute. What a letdown!

So, that being said, I have high hopes that all of my surprise plans will flow smoothly and this will be the best birthday EVER!!! I so wish I could be there with him to enjoy every minute of it, but this is honestly the best gift that I could give him. Stay tuned to find out what it was........

Enjoy some of the pictures from Allan's youth. I'll try to scan more later.

Holland, April 2000

T&A dating in 1997.

Back in the day. Junior prom, 1986.

Today. Crazy as ever.

Cookie Pops!

2009-01-22T13:44:00.003-05:00

Last Sunday, our Mom's group at church had a bake sale. Given that I LOVE to bake, it was a given that I would make something for it. What to bake? I have lots of tried and true recipes, but I wanted something that was different, something that would sell well and something that was FUN. After doing a quick online search, I found a recipe for cookie pops. Believe it or not, I had EVERYTHING that I needed to make them. Actually, I have about 564 popsicle sticks that have been in my drawer and have been driving me crazy. So, this was the perfect recipe.

It really was the perfect recipe and they turned out oh so cute! The kids had a ball helping me decorate them too.

I thought I would share the recipe because it is super easy, they taste good and would make a great treat for birthday parties, play dates, bake sales, school parties, etc.

Here is the recipe, compliments of Land O'Lakes.

Cookie Pops

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup honey

1 (18.25-ounce) pkg. yellow or chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

Decorator sugars and candies

wooden craft sticks

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients except decorations and wooden sticks in large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in decorator sugars. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Immediately insert wooden sticks half-way into side of each cookie. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Good Luck PD

2009-01-17T20:53:00.005-05:00

We were very fortunate to have Dennis and Paul stop by for a quick overnight on their way to move Paul into his new home in Charleston. I am terrible with details, but the long and short of it is that Paul will be living in Charleston during at least six months of his training in the Navy. Nuclear submarines, smart guy, Navy, training. Those are the facts that I can post with confidence.

Another fact that I can post with confidence is that Paul has a way with women. Young, old, middle-aged, they all love him! Emma is no exception. The little girl who is afraid to speak to all men other than her daddy was literally climbing on poor Paul! I even have a photo to prove it! OK, maybe I am being a little dramatic. The boys loved him too. But to see little Emma hanging on a man, other than Daddy, was beyond shocking (in a good way, since it was Paul).

Seriously though, we wish Paul all of the best in his new life adventure. And we are happy that it is taking place so close to our home.

Emma has holes.....

2009-01-17T20:34:00.004-05:00

Before piercing

After piercing

In her ears! Holy smokes, we were in the mall right after Christmas and saw the Claire's store. There was a little girl getting her ears pierced and I asked Emma if she wanted to get hers done. Emma emphatically said, "no!". I walked up to the other little girl and asked if it hurt. She told me that it didn't and Emma started to cave. The big obstacle in getting her ears pierced was the pain involved. After hearing that it wouldn't hurt so bad and that both ears could be done at the same time, Emma decided that she would have them pierced! I didn't question it for fear that she would change her mind. We quickly (within what seemed like 2 minutes) had her ears pierced with what seems like the most expensive earrings available. Not a peep came out of Emma. Her eyes about popped out of her head during the piercing, but that was it!

She picked out two sets of free earrings due to the current promotion. One set was a dangly pair of pink and white diamond-ish heart earrings. She is DYING to wear these. Her six weeks of wearing the studs is up just in time for Valentine's Day. Perfect for wearing the new HEART, dangly earrings!!! Can you hear her squeal?!

She looks absolutely adorable in her new pink flower earrings! Check her out!

Today, I'm Not a Dishrag!

2009-01-15T10:46:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, Jack's teacher, Ms. Liz told me that Jack has a new nickname at school. Ms. Donna, an assistant who helps children out of the cars, dubbed Jack as "dishrag". This was given to him because he still cries, fusses, kicks and pouts when he has to go into school. Ms. Donna has to literally grab him out of the car and carry him into school. When he isn't kicking, he goes limp like a dishrag to avoid being taken into the very loving and fun atmosphere that we call preschool.

I told Jack what he was being called and explained once again that he could go into school with a smile on his face. Today was pajama day and he was very excited about going. When we got to school, he put on a smile and told Ms. Donna as she was getting him out of the car "today, I am not a dishrag!". That put a smile on EVERYONE's faces!

Thoughtful Emma

2009-01-15T10:36:00.002-05:00

It is tradition that I buy Allan an SI swimsuit calendar each year after Christmas. I don't particularly care for looking at these hanging in our garage, but if that makes him feel like the garage is him domain and manly, then so be it. I will give him that joy.

Keeping with tradition, I bought one for him again this year. He quickly put it up along with a poster of someone in a little bikini. I guess after seeing them hang around day after day, year after year, I become blind to them and don't even notice them after awhile. Emma, however, notices everything. She was in the garage with Allan and the boys one night while they worked on Will's derby car. After looking at the calendar and posters for awhile, she asked Allan just why he liked these pictures of girls in bikinis so much. He told her that he thought they were cute. She thought for a moment and then asked him if he would like a picture of her in a bikini to hang up as well. Quickly thinking, he replied "no thank you". Amazingly, she left it end with that.

Don't you just love kids' thought processes?! Don't you just love kids?! They are the best - especially ours!

December 2008, part 2

2009-01-11T18:28:00.004-05:00

Jack got a Batman computer from Santa!

Allan digs into Christmas dinner

Jacki digs the rolls!

How many kids can jump on the tramp at the same time?

Santa listened and brought Will a Tribot!

One of Emma's favorite gifts was an i dog.

Will can even carry Jack in his new backpack!

The best gifts of all - Will, Emma and Jack

Nana gets some Gail Pittman plates

Celebrating Mom's birthday. You would think Emma was the one turning 40!

Me and my incredibly handsome hubby!

On to December 2008, part 2! I really have to get caught up so I can post some new things.......

After the bad Christmas cookie incident, we had a very nice visit with my mom and Mary Jo. We exchanged gifts and had a nice Christmas dinner. Also during their visit, they took the kids out for dinner and to see the lights at Tanglewood. This left Allan and I alone to have dinner with a couple of friends in honor of my birthday. It was a very thoughtful surprise.

Finally, the kids were out of school on break and the fun really started! We spent most of our days playing. Sad as it may be, the kids just don't have a lot of time to play once they are in school. There is either homework, sports, Faith Formation or some other activity that prevents long periods of plain old playing. So, we took advantage of their time off for Christmas and got down to the business of playing and having fun.

On Christmas Eve, we attended mass and Will and Emma participated in the pageant as a camel (Will) and an angel (Emma). It was a beautiful mass and very meaningful. By the time we got home, it was time for bed so Santa could stop by. As we were saying our prayers, John and Jacki arrived and everyone got excited all over again. The birds finally went to sleep and Jacki and I got down to the business of beating the guys at Euchre. HA! I just love it when John looses. We stayed up way too late, but had a great time playing cards and catching up with John and Jacki.

Emma was the first one up at 6:00ish. Thank goodness, we made the rule that the first one up could not wake the other siblings. Poor girl just couldn't stand it though. She kept going back and forth between our bedroom and the living room with updates as to what she saw. FINALLY, Will and Jack came down around 7, with John and Jacki following. Then, it was time for the fun to begin. Will got the Tribot that he desperately wanted. Emma got the Barbie house that she asked Santa for 100+ times. And Jack got the much wanted Batman computer that he wrote to Santa about. The only disappointment was no candy cane underwear for Jack. Evidently, the elves didn't have any small enough for him! Thankfully, Jack wasn't too phased by this.

We had a relaxing morning with breakfast casseroles and mimosas, then played in our jammies into the late afternoon. Finally, we decided to shower and get dressed so we could go out and enjoy the beautiful day. I believe it was nearly 70 degrees that day. Nice enough that we didn't need coats, took a walk through the neighborhood, jumped on the trampoline and had a bonfire with s'mores after dinner. Does it get any better than that?!

We had a beautiful Christmas and feel very blessed that we were able to share it with at least some of our family.

December 2008

2009-01-07T14:13:00.008-05:00

December started out with great promise. Christmas programs were scheduled, gifts were purchased and some already given out, Christmas cards had been printed since October, plans had been made for neighborhood gifts and our annual cookie baking get-together with my mom and MJ. What is it that they say? "The best laid plans....." I don't remember the rest of it and I guess that goes without say because I really thought I had our month planned out and we would once again enjoy a leisurely holiday full of meaning and togetherness. HA!

Things started out well with the tradition of going to the mountains to pick out the perfect tree. Will chose it this year. I think it took about 2.3 seconds to find t

hat tree. It really was a beautiful tree and for once, it wasn't humongous. As always, we also drank hot cocoa, talked to San

ta and rode horses while waiting for our special tree to make it's way down the mountain.

We even stopped for a Mexican lunch on the

way home. YUMMY!

Things went well putting it up this year. I believe this is the first year that Emma did not break an ornament. She has an irresistible urge to play with each and every most delicate ornament that we own. I can just hear her thoughts: "but they're all SO beautiful! I just have to touch it!" Having a special tree to put upstairs for the children with their own ornaments may have helped. It sure took a lot of time to run up and down those stairs with each ornament! Wink!

Jack was the first (and only one) to have a Christmas program. I arrived early enough to get a good spot for recording the event. Thank goodness! That boy was so stinkin' cute I couldn't stand it! He was the LAST one to make his way out to the stage. When he finally arrived, he stood about three spaces away from everyone else. Looking back, I think he did it so he could draw more attention to himself. As it that would be an issue! He danced and rang a jingle bell the whole time. He was in his own little world, just boogieing down to his own music. I giggle just thinking back on it! Being a rather shy little guy (where did THAT come from?!), I am quite proud of him and his performance. He never did spot me until the very end and I think that was a blessing.

Shortly after arriving home from his program, diarrhea set in. It happened so much that I lost count. To shorten this story, we ended up in the ER that night after seeing blood.

We stayed there until 3am at which point they told us there was nothing they could do and the tests from the sample I produced (I used a turkey baster to collect this) did not detect anything life threatening. We had to wait this one out. Luckily, on the 10th day, the blood and diarrhea ended and we didn't have to see a specialist. It was evidently just a very bad virus that has luck would have it, made it's way through the entire family. There is more to Jack's bowel story, but that will have to come later.

Around the middle of the month, my mom and MJ came down for our annual Christmas cookie baking extravaganza. To shed light on the amount of cookies that we bake, I bought a 25 pound bag of flour for this occasion. OK, we didn't use it all, but by golly, we sure did make a good dent in it! The good news is that we had a ball doing all of the baking, drinking, chatting, laughing, baking, munching,drinking......the bad news is that my cookies all turned out crappy. I am blaming it on the cheap butter that I bought because the problem with all of them was that they spread all over the cookie sheets. They tasted good, most of them, but they looked really sick. So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Maybe I'll have better turn out next year.

Stay tuned for December 2008, part 2..........

November 2008

2009-01-03T15:41:00.008-05:00

With November, came a few new milestones. Emma decided to grow her hair longer so she could do more with it as a flower girl in Danielle's wedding. During a trim, Muff (our beautician) french braided it! This was a first as we have always kept Emma's hair in a short bob.

One morning,Will decided it was time for him to make his own breakfast so that I wouldn't be so busy in the mornings (ha!). He made a hard fried egg and toast. And he did pretty darn good! I'm still not sure I want him using the stove unsupervised, but it was nice having him help out.

Will turned 8 during November. We actually spent his birthday driving to Ohio for Thanksgiving and Danielle's wedding. While it may not have been an exciting birthday,Will sure made the most of it and had a great day anyway! He even had his favorite meal of macaroni and cheese at Noodles in Columbus. He spent his birthday night with Nana and Jack while Mom, Dad and Emma went to rehearse for Danielle's wedding.

On the day of the wedding, Emma met up with the "big girls" and got her hair fixed at a salon in Tiffin. Later she was quoted as saying it was the best part of being a flower girl. She had a great time all day long and was a real trooper. She never got tired of dancing (could be from all the chocolate she ate at the reception), she smiled (for the most part) and never hesitated in leaving Mom and Dad to join in the wedding party fun.

Danielle and Tim's wedding was just beautiful - it just ended way too soon.

As is current tradition, we spent Thanksgiving with our Ohio families. It was wonderful seeing everyone and spending time (a little, anyway) catching up. No matter how long our trips up North are, we never seem to have enough time to see everyone. We did have a fortunate unexpected visit with Terry, Carla and Eric. We met up at Chico's and enjoyed pizza and beers for lunch, then just hung out talking the afternoon away! Later that evening, we joined my mom, MJ and Grandpa Allan, and Sharon and Steve for our annual "Tasting Party". What a hooch, I mean hoot! We tasted lots of interesting spirits and even played a game. I can't remember the name of it, but we had to read these phrases that weren't real words, but when said the correct way, sounded like real words. It was funny to say the least.

Busy, lazy, sick????

2008-12-17T13:26:00.006-05:00

Maybe a little of all of the above.Those would be the reasons for not blogging like I used to. I really have tried to simplify our life, but the results certainly don't show it! To elaborate on the busy part, I've decided to touch on some of the things that we have been doing here.

October 2008 - Emma celebrated her 6th birthday by taking 6 of her friends to see High School Musical 3 at the theater. Wow! What a hit that was. Everyone had a ball.

Will hit the camping mother lode! The whole family joined him on a Cub Scout camping weekend and then he and Dad went camping in the mountains with his friend, Andrew and Andrew's dad. It was a COLD weekend and Will learned that he can react quickly in an emergent situation, but a ton of fun was had by all!

Chris and Sonya (and their little guy, Max) came to visit just in time for Halloween. During their visit, we visited Pilot Mountain which is just north of Winston. It was a great day to go hiking and we all had a great time. One lesson learned was to double check picnic supplies before leaving.

Bottom Braces

2008-11-20T19:13:00.003-05:00

Are the PITS! OK. I have to admit, I wanted to type in some different words. However, being a family blog, I am refraining from using a potty mouth.

So here's the deal. I went to get my bottom braces today. My bottom teeth (the whole reason for getting braces) were so crooked that they couldn't even put brackets on two of my teeth. I now have a GIANT spring right in the front of my mouth, connecting the two sections of teeth that DO have brackets. Aside from feeling like I have dip in my mouth, my bite doesn't match up. To prevent biting off my brackets, I have rubber things on two of my bottom brackets. In lay people's language - it feels like I am biting down on a gummy bear all of the time. Another way to put it is - this just SUCKS. Sorry, I just had to say it! Yeah, and to top it all off, I can't even talk right. So, I look like a geek and I talk like one too!

Gosh, I just can't wait to turn 40 in a few weeks. That will just be the icing on the cake! Good thing I have a sense of humor and love life. :(I) That's a computer image of my brace-face smile!

I may post a photo later. And as promised, I will fill in on recent FUN activities happening at the WEJ home.

Bottom

2008-11-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

Halloween 2008

2008-11-03T13:39:00.003-05:00

Halloween was a blast this year! The kids had the day off of school, so we had lots of time to goof off and get ready for the big event, trick-or-treating!

As you can see, Will decided to be a vampire. This was by far the easiest costume I have ever made. It took basically one day to complete and he was thrilled with the outcome. I think he was really hoping to scare people. That didn't happen, but he still had fun waving his cape around.

Emma had to be Hannah Montana. This was decided back in the summer, I believe. She is infatuated with Hannah Montana and wants to be a singer herself when she grows up. I picked out the fabric for her costume, without Emma's consultation. I hit it right on, thank goodness. She couldn't wait to get the dress and wig on that night. In fact, she woke up Friday morning with a smile, announcing that it was finally Halloween! She played the part well, tossing her hair and dancing around. Maybe voice lessons are in her future.....

Jack decided to go as the Chicka-chicka boom-boom tree. If you have a toddler in your home, you certainly know what this is. If not, it is a book about the alphabet. In the book, all of the letters climb to the top of a coconut tree, only fall out. It was a huge hit at preschool, to say the least. And he was SO proud of his costume. Having "little" ones is great! You can be creative with their costumes and they love it.

Of course, Allan had to get in on the action of dressing up. He decided to go as Billy Ray Cyrus. For this special occasion, he had to grow a goatee. It was a rough couple of weeks dealing with the "splinters" as Jack called them. No one liked getting poked when being kissed and Allan just couldn't stop rubbing and scratching at it. In the end, he got LOTS of compliments from lady friends and has decided to keep it for a little while. He certainly looks different, but I am still up in the air about liking it or not.

After the kids were done hitting the neighborhood, we had a bonfire in the backyard for neighbors who wanted to enjoy a fire, cocktails, and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows with us. Chris, Sonya and Max came up from Ft. Bragg to join in the fun too! We had a ball. I believe it was midnight when we (including the three kids) finally hit the beds. Anyone who knows us, knows that that is WAY past bedtime. We just really enjoyed the great company and conversation.

More updates to come......

My New Hobby

2008-08-28T13:40:00.002-05:00

As if I don't have enough projects and things to do, I decided to learn how to do something new. OK, I have to be honest. I don't have anymore time now than I did five years ago, but I am not going to delve into that. The fact of the matter is that I have decided to make time to do things that I enjoy. And I enjoy creating. Creating three children was fun, but I am ready to try something else. :)

I found a fun little shop in Winston that has classes to learn how to smock. I have been wanting to learn how to do this since Emma was born, but never found a place that taught it.

I spent two nights in this shop learning to smock. I think it is cutest on dresses for little girls, but have seen lots of adorable smocking for little boys as well.

I wouldn't say that I am good at it, but I can say without a doubt that I LOVE doing it. The three hours each night of class just flew by. And the big bonus is that I can take this with me while I wait at the doctor's office, carpool line or wherever I find myself sitting.

The pictures are what I learned in class and the "pieces" can be placed in a dress or made into a pillow (I was thinking tooth fairy pillow for Emma?). Anyway, I need to go back to the shop to pick out my first project. I will keep everyone posted on my new hobby progress as it develops!

Emma + Kindergarten = Tears

2008-08-26T09:09:00.003-05:00

It came, and thank goodness it went. But not without a tear - or two, or three.....I have been dreading Emma's first day of Kindergarten for quite awhile now. I'm still not sure why. I am generally not an emotional person. I like to view the glass as half full. I enjoy seeing my children grow and learn and become independent. But, for some reason, Emma going to school yesterday just tugged at my heart.

She woke up early, before the boys, and came padding into our bathroom. The image will be with me forever. She was wearing her satin princess gown, her eyes were still puffy and sleepy-looking and the back of her hair looked like a lion's mane having a bad day. It's a sight that I see every morning. But this morning it hit me that in just a blink of an eye my little princess would be a moody teenager that no one would want to be around.

I want to soak up every bit of her littleness that I can, while I can. The reality of it though is that my time with her is now limited. I just hope and pray that everything that Allan and I have tried to instill upon her up to this point, will continue to stay with her.

And so began my day, with these thoughts and many more that I simply do not have time to type right now. I had to explain to Allan why I was being such a moody, nasty person. This of course, started the first of many tears. I dried them up and put on a happy face to start the first day of school. Emma and Will enjoyed our traditional First Day breakfast of Green Eggs and Ham. When we got upstairs to wake Jack and finish getting ready, I was welcomed with a "good morning, Mommy. I'm wet all over." Urghhhhhhhhhhh! This was not in my morning plans, but I put on a smile and took care of the mess and quickly bathed Jack so we could take our FDOS pictures. The pictures went well and we were off to the school. I decided I wouldn't walk Emma in. Thank goodness! I was crying (again) as I pulled away and watched Will holding Emma's hand, walking into that suddenly unfriendly looking school. Then, I saw Emma's best friend and her mom walking through the parking lot. I stopped to say hello and actually only managed a wave before more tears started flowing.

I called Allan as soon as I got home and cried again. Then, I called Nana, and cried again. What the heck?! I decided to get a grip and get down to business of stopping this blubbering. Jack and I ran to the fabric store to buy thread and ended up with more project supplies to keep me busy (like I really have a problem staying busy!). We got an oil change and then it was time to see Will and Emma get off the bus. FINALLY!

Both kids got off grinning from ear to ear, full of happy stories from their first day back. I felt a tear coming on, but I just smiled and told myself that everyone is going to be just fine. And we are.

Emma's New Dress

2008-08-08T12:32:00.003-05:00

While picking up fabric to make my new bag, I found this incredibly cute pink and brown fabric. As I already had several projects set aside for myself, I decided to make a dress for Emma out of it. I made it this morning while the kids were playing Webkins, if that tells you how easy it was! I think it is just too cute and best of all, Emma LOVES it. As she grows, I can let the hem out or she can wear leggings underneath. Now, we just have to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with it......

My Bag!

2008-07-30T11:31:00.004-05:00

Yeah for me! I finally finished another sewing project - and I did it in 1 (ONE) day! Another yeah for me because it turned out great and I love it!

My mom had the sewing machine out while she was here to make a dress for Emma. Rather than put it away, I just decided to get busy and work on my purse project that I had been wanting to work on since springtime. It really took less than a day because I also fit in games with the kids, cleaning and school time (among all of the other daily things that I do!)

I have to say that it was really easy and lots of fun to make. I just wish that I had enough of the lining material that I could have made the whole purse out of that instead of the flowers. Regardless, I still like the purse and I will certainly use it. Next, I plan to make an apron for myself. That should be REALLY easy. Stay tuned, because I might just be on a roll and get my other 3 projects completed that have been waiting for me inside my closet!

FYI - for those of you who haven't heard, I got braces the day before Will's tonsillectomy. You can see them in the recent pictures. I highly recommend them for anyone wanting to lose weight. I am hoping that they are also good for straightening teeth!

Girl Day

2008-07-29T18:54:00.007-05:00

After talking about it for what seems like an eternity, Emma and I finally got to have a "girl day". While spending time in Ohio, we shipped the boys off to Aunt Debbie's and caught a ride with Aunt Sharon and Nana to Columbus. The main mission of the day was to find a flower girl dress for Emma as she is going to be one in Danielle's wedding. The wedding is set for November 28th and so we really needed to get busy picking out a dress.

After having a yummy macaroni and cheese lunch at Noodles & Co., we headed off to David's Bridal. Emma wanted to try on EVERY dress available in her size. It didn't matter if she liked it or not. We catered to her whim and thus started the fashion show! She had so much fun trying them on and testing the "mushroom factor". This is whether or not the dress poufs up when she sits down. She tried on lots of cute dresses and we found one that suited both Danielle and Emma. Danielle even bought Emma's headpiece that she will be wearing. It is ADORABLE! We jotted down all of the information on the dress and headed off to another store to try on more!

The next store didn't have as many to try on, but we found one that we really liked. Emma didn't seem so fond of it because it was in lime green and fuchsia, but we tried to explain that HER dress would be in those colors. Hard concept for such a little girl! By the time those dresses were all tried on, Miss Emma was getting a little tired. So, we headed off to meet cousin, Sarah at Easton. Emma was so worn out that she fell asleep on the way there. I let her sleep in the car for awhile while everyone else did a little shopping.

When Emma woke up, Sarah was there and we were off to find a good place to eat dinner. On the way to the restaurant, we stopped at Libby Lu's and Emma had her picture taken with one of her favorite movie stars - Ashely Tisdale, aka Sharpay!

Dinner was great, but a little late for Miss Emma. All in all, I have to say that we had a fabulous girl day. It was wonderful seeing everyone that we so rarely get to see.

On a side note, I have to commend Danielle for her speedy hand-off and Sarah for her quick delivery. The details of this comment are too lengthy to post here!

No More Tonsils!

2008-07-25T13:27:00.002-05:00

Well, everyone, the tonsils are gone. And so are the adenoids! Will bravely went to the hospital first thing, Wednesday morning to have his tonsils removed. He was in great spirits the whole time. We waited for a short time before going to pre-op where they gave all of us id bracelets and asked lots of questions. All of the prep work took about an hour. He was finally visited by a couple of nurses from anesthesia. They asked Will if he had any questions. Of course, he did! He wanted to know if he could see his tonsils after they were out. The nurse said that she had never had this request, but would certainly show them to him before they were carried off to pathology. She then explained that they would be taking him to the operating room where there were all kinds of cool equipment, like a machine that squeezed his muscles. Without missing a beat, Will asked her if she had tickets. Needless to say, she was quite confused by this question. She just replied "no, to what?". Will said, "to the gun show!" and flexed his muscles for her. That created quite a bit of laughter from everyone. Leave it to Will to get everyone laughing before surgery!
After that, they wheeled him away and Allan and I went to get some coffee. We had no sooner sat back down in the waiting room and turned on the computer when we were paged to the consultation room. Will was done! Talk about quick! The doctor came and told us that he had taken out both the tonsils and the adenoids due to their size. Will was doing well and would be transported to a room shortly.
The rest was pretty uneventful. When Will got up to his room they had him drink a cup of apple juice and asked that he go to the bathroom. He was rather concerned with the IV in his wrist and kept asking when it could come out. He also was not fond of the oxygen monitor that they had clipped to his toe. :) It didn't take long and Will fell asleep. To pass the time, Allan and I watched "Seven Years in Tibet" on Netflix via the hospital's WiFi. Pretty nice!
For some reason, the nurse just didn't want Will to go home. Rather than staying for the recommended 90 minutes, she had us there for 5 hours after the surgery! We were getting a little restless and impatient at that point - not to mention hungry! She finally did release us and we went home to some very concerned siblings. To our dismay, Will never did ask for pain medication his first day home and even ate an egg for dinner.
Since Wednesday, he has not slept much, but has had some pain. We've had to give him some codeine, but he really hasn't complained much. I have to say, he really isn't Will yet. He isn't eating anything and he talks as little as possible. I didn't think there was ANYTHING that would stop Will from talking. I guess this is it!
We are now hopeful that Will's sleeping and breathing problems are over. So far, so good. We are SO proud of Will and his brave attitude. He is an incredible little guy.
Will chillin' out after the surgery
Will enjoying his first cup of ice cream after surgery. Notice, his friend, Bananas beside him.
Mom gives lots of love before the surgery. I had to wear Will's sweatshirt because it was so cold in the hospital!
Will gives his wink of braveness before the surgery. As always, he was calm and happy.

The Many Faces of Jack

2008-06-26T22:10:00.004-05:00

While in Florida on spring break, I was sitting across the pool from Jack. He was eating applesauce and I was playing with the camera's zoom feature. I took these pictures without him knowing that I was doing so. No one was near him and no one was talking to him. This is what I mean when I say that he has a million faces........

who knew that eating applesauce could evoke so many emotions?

Our little man is THREE!

2008-06-26T21:02:00.004-05:00

Sticking with tradition, we celebrated Jack's birthday twice. Once, when we were with family and secondly, on his actual birthday. Yeah for Jack!

We snuck in a little party at the Outerbanks while most of the family was together. Being that Jack loves pirates and wanted a pirate birthday, it was the perfect place to celebrate! Jack and his cousins sported pirate tattoos (or too toos as Jack calls them) that his cousin, Megan bought for him. Keith was the "special" big cousin who was chosen to wear the last tattoo in the pack.

The kids each got a special birthday cupcake because I was too lazy to make Jack's pirate hat cake while on vacation. There was lots of singing and dancing, balloons and even some presents - does it get any better?
For his REAL birthday this week, we went swimming in the morning and then came home and played games. I made the promised pirate hat cake and we had everyone's favorite dinner - spaghetti and meatballs!

Will and Emma really had fun preparing for the birthday. Will made Jack a comic and Emma made him a very loving card.

At Jack's well check, he weighed in at 31.4 pounds and measured up to 38.5 inches. The nurse told me that his height is in the 75th percentile, but I just don't believe her. I am sure she isn't intentionally lying to me, but I do believe math isn't her strong suit.

It is hard to believe that Jack is three already. It seems like just yesterday that I was trying to induce labor with a disgusting concoction of orange juice and cod liver oil! I am sure most parents say this, but I really can't imagine life without Jack. He frustrates me daily with his strong will and independence. On the flip side, I want to squeeze him all day long because I love him so. Those cheeks are oh so kissable and his many faces make me laugh every time. I truly believe that he is an old man in a little guy's body. Some of the things he says just aren't commonly found to be coming out of a three-year-old's mouth!
Happy Birthday, Jack! We love you so!

Goodbye Pampers!

2008-06-18T20:49:00.003-05:00

And hello more money in the pocket! For the first time in 7 1/2 years, we are no longer purchasing diapers. Well, there was a brief time before Jack was born, but it was so brief that it really didn't count.

I feel that I can safely announce to the entire world that Jack is potty trained! Wahoo!!!

It all happened on May 27th. There were issues that I won't go into and I simply told Jack that the only way to resolve the issue was to pee in the toilet. He had woken up dry that morning and I decided to keep putting him on the toilet whenever I thought about it. I really had no big expectations. In fact, we went to the outlet mall in Concord that morning, which is about 50 minutes away. That really wasn't the ideal situation to potty train, but then, I really wasn't planning to! He wore a diaper (from the previous day) and kept it dry into the evening. Logic told me that if he could stay dry for 12+ hours, this child was ready to wear underwear. So, the next day he wore his little boxers just like his big brother and the rest is history! I never put another diaper on him. I am guessing that he has had less than 5 pee accidents since then, but poo is another story. He did well at first and then changed his mind around the time that we were going on vacation. Thank goodness we had a washer and dryer at the vacation house! But, since returning home, he has decided that it much better to skip the middle man and just put it right in the toilet. Again, wahoo!!!!

We've been doing pull ups at night only, but he has only wet in them twice since May 27th. So, tonight is the big leap into wearing underwear at night. Stay tuned for that outcome!

I know it is easier said than done, but seriously, kids will potty train when they decide they are ready. I knew I was pushing Will, but I just couldn't stop myself. Let this be a lesson to all of you who have yet to potty train a child. Don't worry about when YOU think they should be trained. Let it up to them and it will be a stress-free, positive experience for everyone involved.

Hmm.....that line should be in a commercial.

Swimming, swimming...just keep swimming.....

2008-06-17T20:26:00.003-05:00

Yep. I have the Dory song running (or would it be swimming?) through my head. We've been doing pretty much nothing but swimming for the past week and a half. We left for vacation at the Outerbanks on June 8th and swam everyday for 7 days. Upon our return, we've been to the pool twice daily. Normally, we would only be there in the morning for swim team practice. However, Will is also going to Cub Scout camp this week and can't make the morning session. This forces us back to the pool in the evening so he can get practice in.

Today, we were at the pool in the morning for Emma's team practice and stayed longer so Jack could get in a swim lesson. As soon as we got home from picking up Will from camp in the afternoon, we packed up again and headed to our first swim meet. We were there from 5:15 - 8:00. Normally, we would have been there until after 9:00, but I requested that the kids swim early due to camp starting at 8:15 the next morning. Whew! Did you catch all of that?!

Thank goodness everyone LOVES to swim! The kids did GREAT at the meet tonight. All of the practice has paid off because neither Will nor Emma had to stop to make it to the other end of the pool. We weren't the fastest, but we weren't the slowest either!!!! HOORAY!!!! This may not seem like a big deal, but just last year at this time, Emma couldn't even swim!

Words cannot express how much pride I felt tonight. To give you a good idea, Emma told me after Will was done that I had hurt her ear from screaming too loud!

Now, I am going to make my dinner since I was too nervous at the meet to eat. I am going to dine on hot, out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. MMMMM......... I promise to post pictures and details of our Outerbanks trip soon.

Too Busy!

2008-05-31T20:56:00.004-05:00

I can't even believe that I haven't had time to blog everything that has been going on here in the past month. I knew we have been busy, but when I look back at the calendar, I realize just HOW busy! Since the last blog, we spent Spring Break in Orland with our awesome friends from Detroit, we got a surprise visit Allan's sister, Debbie and brother, Dennis, we were visited by Allan's nephew, Chris, his wife, Jill and their incredibly cute little guy, Wyatt, Nana made it down for Emma's preschool graduation, Allan and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary, I enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day with my awesome children, I painted the family room and half bath, Will has had two baseball games and one practice each week, Will and Emma joined the swim team at a nearby pool, we've had end-of-the-year parties for Emma and Jack, we traveled to Ft. Bragg to visit Chris and Sonya and had a ton of fun at the All American festivities.........hmmmm.....I am sure I missed something, but who knows what?!

I would love to write about all of these events and activities, but it would seriously take me over a month to catch up. So, I am going to post a few pictures with the intention of creating a space on the blog to view them all and maybe someday write more detail about everything that happened.

Talk Fest '08

2008-04-09T10:24:00.002-05:00

Trying to catch up on blogging, I am going to start back at the first weekend in April. My friend since grade school, who I never get to talk, was actually able to get away for a weekend to visit us! She and her daughter, Claire arrived on Friday afternoon. Believe it or not, we had a lot to catch up on, so we got down to the business of talking right away! It should also come as no surprise that Emma and Claire hit it off right away. They were in their own little girl world and we hardly knew they were here.
Saturday morning we woke up to the news that Skybus had folded and there would be no return flight for Amy and Claire. I think both Amy and I thought Allan was playing a seriously bad joke on us. Luckily, we got busy finding alternate ways to travel back to Ohio and they had a rental car booked that morning. I think we all were thanking God that we don't live any farther than 7 hours away!
We continued our "talk fest" as Allan termed it throughout the rest of the weekend. We also managed to fit in a little shopping at the outlets (girls only!). I'm not sure if it was due to our talking or what, but for some reason, we only made it into three stores at the mall before returning home to the guys.
Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and we weren't able to take in some of my outdoor ideas. Fortunately, we still had lots to talk about, so we drank a little wine, relaxed and talked!
Even though the flight situation was a huge bummer, we had a great weekend. It was so nice to catch up with an "old" friend who has been like a sister to me for an unmentionable number of years. We definitely need to do it more often.

Toothless!

2008-04-03T07:32:00.003-05:00

It finally happened! Will LOST his first tooth. He has had three teeth pulled prior to this, but he finally was able to lose one on his own. Hurray! It happened on Tuesday night after dinner. Dad was tired of this lose tooth "hanging around", so he suggested that Will tie fishing line around it and then pull.

I should also point out that Will's two top front teeth have no roots. They have been gone since his last dentist visit in February, according to the x-ray.

So, Will went along with the fishing line idea, but insisted that HE be the one to pull the tooth out. After gently pulling a few times, he decided that he was done with this idea and he would wait a little longer to remove the tooth. Dad said that he would take the fishing line off and, can you believe it? the tooth came off right with the fishing line! :) What a sneaky dad! It happened so fast, that Will didn't even know what had happened. We picked the tooth up off the kitchen floor and ran to the mirror to see our new Will. What a look! To make things worse, the other front tooth is still hanging on crooked and he REALLY looks goofy.

That night, Will put his tooth in a glass for the fairy. Can you believe the fairy was so busy that night that she didn't get to Will? (my nomination for Mother-of-the-Year was revoked because of this) Will patiently waited and thank goodness, she got to him last night. She left him two gold coins and her dress turned the water orange this time!

We Have a Tree House!

2008-03-25T11:57:00.003-05:00

After a ton of stressing, research, discussing and deliberating, we brought Sharon (Uncle Dennis' awesome girlfriend) into the process. There is a lot to this story, but I am sure no one wants to read about all of my doubts, questions and deliberations. So, to make a long story semi-short, I discussed everything with Sharon. Not only did she come up with a great idea and location to place the tree house, but she also pitched the idea to Allan and CONVINCED him to build it on Saturday. I will be forever grateful to Sharon for this, and so will our children.
We started on Saturday after breakfast. The guys, Allan, Dennis and John were heading out to the local Lowe's to purchase the supplies. We sent Will along to keep them on track and Sharon gave Dennis a firm speech about sticking to the task before they left. For those readers who have men in their lives, you know why we had to resort to those measures.
The day was perfect, with 70 degree weather, and the project went smoothly with only a few doubts. It is amazing what a group of hard workers and good ideas can get you!
We worked until almost dark and ended up with a fort in the trees, two sides of spindles and a slide. Since Sharon and I couldn't bear not letting the kids play on the fort until the rest of the spindles were done, who knows when, we finished them the next day, on Easter. And while the Knot Master (aka Dennis) was in our midst, we added a swing and rope for climbing/swinging.

I knew the whole thing was worth it when the kids had to be pried off to come inside to eat and the words "thank you" kept coming out of their mouths. It was truly priceless hearing little Jack say thank you over and over. They have played in the tree house everyday since it was built.

I can't begin to express enough thanks to everyone who worked on the tree house and especially to Sharon who initiated the whole project. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!
Once again, we had an awesome time completing a project with family. It almost isn't work when you have as much fun as we did! I think our muscles told us otherwise though. :)