No Use Crying Over Spilt...Sand?

When we did the Family Day at the Park during Apple Blossom weekend, the kids got to make bottles of sand art. I thought it was odd that they were using glass bottles but whatever. The bottles got home safely and were sitting nicely on the window sill. For whatever reason, Daniel thought that it would be fun to bring everyone's bottles outside today to play with. I heard the crash but wasn't sure what it was. I saw Daniel standing in front of the front door, holding Jacob and Hannah's bottles and crying hysterically because his bottle broke (look down a few posts and you'll see a photo of Daniel and his beloved bottle of sand!). Of course, he's not wearing shoes or socks and there's broken glass everywhere. He bends down to try to put the pieces back together. I'm screaming for him to back away and I hear Hannah's little voice trying to comfort Daniel "it'll be 'kay Danyo" she kept saying over and over again. I just wanted to hug her! It was a pain to clean up but it did look kind of pretty spread out on the doorstep.

Cool Sites for GA Fans...

The only one that hasn't been updated today is the Writer's Blog...Joe the bartender's blog and Nurse Debbie's blog are a little insightful...mostly just funny.
Grey Matters (Writer's Blog)
Emerald City Bar (Joe's blog)
Debbie Does Seattle Grace (Nurse Debbie's blog)

A Very Grey's Couple of Days

Knowing me, you had to know that this was coming. The Grey's season finale was spread over two nights (and since the president decided to speak tonight, they ran about 40 minutes of last night's episode tonight) and tonight was the 2 hour finale. Please bear with me as there are no new episodes until September and you won't have to hear me rant about it again until then.

First...Mike's friend, Carmen Mormino, was on last night's episode. He had one line but it was so cool! Sue doesn't think that the X degrees of seperation works in this case but I do so, because I met Carmen at Mike's high school reunion a couple of years back, I'm a mere 2 degrees from Patrick Dempsey!!!!!! LOL! Okay, I may have lost it...

I'm posting specifics here, so if you haven't seen it and you want to, turn away from the computer now. MICHELLE - YOU HAVE TO POST ON THIS!!!!!!

Holy Crap! Izzy and Denny. What the heck was she thinking cutting that wire?!? Does she really want to be brought up on manslaughter charges? So, he gets the heart but come on...she's gone totally postal (sorry, Sue). Poor Denny...gets the heart and then has a stroke? I loved Denny...I'm sad to see him go. But Izzy quitting? She can't quit! No no no. Alex proved he really is a good guy tonight. H really stepped it up for Izzy. Good for him.

Burke gets shot?!? What the heck? Why was he coming in through the emergency entrance anyway? Shouldn't he have been coming in off the helipad? And what's up with Cristina? Knock it off and go take care of your man you freak! Okay...she does...but only after Denny kicks it!

I do have to say that I cried the hardest when Doc died. Mike's gotten used to finding the metaphors in this show and says to me, "does that mean that Meredith and Derek's relationship is over?" Silly me, I say, "yeah." Little did I know that at the prom (yes, I said prom...how funny was Bailey speaking "teenage girl?" The whole silver and black balloons make the dresses pop thing was hysterical!) Der would tackle Mer. I would have been happy with the little hand touch at McVet's office...it would have given me some hope about them for next season, but they gave us soooooo much more! Callie walking in on them...oh my. I have to give her a lot of credit for fixing Mer's dress, though. I'm beginning to like her now. And now, Mer has to pick between McDreamy and McVet? Of course, that's a hands down no brainer...PICK MCDREAMY!!!!! And Addison sooooo knows. So, how come Mer didn't pick Derek right away? A)It's the season finale...they had to have a cliffhanger B)Look at the day she just had...her best friend almost kills a patient, she gets called on to rat her out only to call the Chief out for breaking up her parents years ago, she's essentially put on probation and has to help coordinate the prom, her dog is put to sleep, George finally gives he a gut wrenching apology during their time out, her other best friend's boyfriend is shot and it's potentially career ending and, Denny ends up having a stroke and dies only an hour after Izzy told him that she'd marry him. C)Derek may be asking Mer to come with him but he's still married. Don't ya love TV?

I know there's a lot I'm forgetting, but those are my favorite moments...did I mention that Meredith and Derek hooked up!?! She's so going to choose him!

Daddy's Poem

Mike wanted me to post his poem too. Here's the poem that Mike got from Daniel's preschool this morning (this one made me cry too!)Again, not sure who to give the writing credits to...

Footprints

"Walk a little slower Daddy"
Said a child so small.
"I'm following in your footsteps,
And I don't want to fall."

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,
You're what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true;
So walk a little slower Daddy,
For I must follow you.

Daniel's Parent's Luncheon

As a special treat for Mother's Day, Daniel's preschool hosted a luncheon for parents. They did a little program beforehand...two songs and then they did a song with bells. Daniel's group did Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the bells. It was way too cute. Daniel sung his heart out during the songs. It's so different than with Jacob. Jacob won't sing a thing. It's hard to believe that he only has 2 more weeks of preschool.

They also gave us a cute poem. I know I've seen it before but I have to post it here again. I don't exactly know who gets the credit for writing this. I was crying my eyes out when I read it at the luncheon.

When God Created Mothers

When the good Lord was creating mothers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared and said, "you're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."

And the Lord said, "have you read the spec on this order? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic...have 180 moveable parts - all replaceable...run on black coffee and leftovers...have a lap that disappars when she stands up...a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair...and six pairs of hands."

The Angel shook her head slowly and said, "six paris of hands? No way."

"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord. "It's the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have."

"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel. The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, 'what are you kids doing in there?' when she already knows. Another in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know. And of course, the ones in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say 'I understand and I love you," without so much as uttering a word."

"Lord," said the angel touching his sleeve gently, "go to bed. Tomorrow is another..."

"I can't," said the Lord. "I'm so close now. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger and can get a nine-year old to stand under a shower."

The angel circled the model of the mother very slowly. "It's too soft," she sighed. "But tough!" said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure."

"Can it think?"

"Not only think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. "There's a leak," she pronounced.

"It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear.

"What's it for?"

"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride."

"You are a genius," said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there."

Family Fun Day at the Park (Apple Blossom Day 3)

Today is the last day of the Apple Blossom Festival. Finally. Not that it hasn't been fun but Mike and I are pooped. We wandered around the craft fair (I love craft fairs!)...Mike bought me a cute bracelet with each of the kids' names and birthstones on it for Mother's Day and I got a cute thing for the dining room. We ran into Beth (my CM upline) and her family, Wayne and Cheryl (neighbors) and Skylar's family (a little boy from Daniel's T-Ball team last year). Mike was good friends with Brian (Skylar's dad) and they were excited to catch up with each other. The kids loved this blow up thing that you run through and then go down the slide at the end...they must have done that about 5 times. They also got to ride a pony. Of course, there was more eating...more corn dogs, gyros, those yummy almonds, pizza, smoothies. We are more than tired.

Riding Ponies



Sand Art

Painting at the art station

Apple Blossom...Day 2

We went down to the walking mall for the midway games and to catch the beginning of the Grand Feature Parade. The kids really cleaned up with winning games. They enjoyed snow cones, ice cream, funnel cakes, corn dogs, and kettle corn. Jacob even lost a tooth! It was a lot of fun. Needless to say, we're pretty tired!

The kids and their winnings

George Hamilton was the Grand Marshall for the Grand Feature Parade

Daniel shows off his tatoo

Hannah and her ice cream

Jacob shows off where his tooth was

You May Have Noticed...

That I deleted my rant post. After mulling it over, I realized (actually, I knew it as I wrote it) that I was stooping to their level. It just felt good to write it and have it out there for people to see for a while and now I'm over it. (I did print it out and have a copy for myself, though!)

The Apple Blossom Festival Begins

The kids didn't have school today because of Apple Blossom...this whole town shuts down for it. The kids and I headed over to the school for the Antique Fire Truck Show. We ran into Jacob's friend, Nick and his mother, Cheryl, and sister and stopped to chat for a while. First question Cheryl asks me (insert a very strong Southern accent here), "how much are ya'll doin' for the Bloom?" I tell her that it's going to be a very blossom weekend and she seems satisfied. The kids and I head over to the mall for lunch and I was asked by the cashier at Quizno's, the lady at the Children's Place and the guy at the Daily Grind, "are you planning on enjoying a lot at Apple Blossom this weekend?" Driving to Martin's (yes, Sue, we wound up driving to the grocery store tonight...ended up with a nice salad, fruit salad, garlic bread and fettuccine alfredo) every single business with a sign had an Apple Blossom reference on it. "Enjoy the Bloom!" "Welcome to the 79th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival!" "Happy Apple Blossom!" Car dealerships were all decked out with pink and green balloons on the cars. Customers at stores were dressed in pink and green...blossom necklaces, blossom shoes (heck, the Apple Blossom Store has Apple Blossom thongs). We all went out for a walk after dinner and once again ran into Nick's family. They were driving to the fireworks. Cheryl leans out of the window and asks (again, insert big Southern accent here), "are ya'll walkin' to the fireworks?" Mike and I laugh and wave. We come home and our neighbor, Jim, pulls into his garage with his son, Ryan. Ryan runs outside with a new toy screaming towards Jacob, "I got an M-16!" Jacob and Daniel are in awe of Ryan's new toy gun. Jim comes out and asks a familiar question, "are ya'll plannin' on enjoyin' the festival this weekend? You know, Ryan and Kelsey did the Bloomin' Mile today." Once again, I feel the need to give a play-by-play of our weekend so that we don't look bad in front of the locals. He gives an approving nod and feels the need to explain why his wife and daughter will not be able to do any festival activities on Saturday (Kelsey has a national cheer tournament in Baltimore). You'd better have a good excuse if you're not participating in something every day! It's so funny how big this thing is. It really is hard to not get caught up in it!

Anyway, here are some pictures from the fire show (you can click on the pictures to enlarge them). Their favorite was the blue firetruck. (Yes, Hannah's wearing pink snowboots)

The kids and the fire chief's car

I just liked this one

Hoodwinked!

If you haven't seen Hoodwinked, you have to buy or rent it! It's so funny. Definately one of the best cartoons (and I hate cartoons) out there. I love the goat who has had a spell put on him so he has to sing everything. So funny!

The Phone Works Again!!!!!

It's about time! When I called again today (they were actually going to come out today) to make sure they didn't come out but stopped the call forwarding, she says "I see the problem was corrected on April 30th. There was a cable problem in your neighborhood." I said, "I know...we've had service since then but you have to stop forwarding my calls." She then says, "okay, hold on...okay, it's been stopped. Is there anything else I can do for you?" I say, "really? You've stopped forwarding my calls?" She then says, "yes." FOUR DAYS OF ERROR MESSAGES AND SHE STOPS IT WITH A COUPLE OF KEYSTROKES!!!!!! Why didn't I get this lady days ago?

100th Post...And It's A Good Day (but I'm still tired)

Hard to believe, but this is my 100th post to my blog. Wow.

Today is my 1 year Creative Memories anniversary. Beth (my upline) is taking me out for ice cream after the kids go down tonight. She's too funny. I also get a 1 year charm for my Shooting Star pin. I'm finally adding charms!


I pick up Daniel from school and we're driving home. Phil Collins comes on the radio and Daniel starts screaming for me to turn it up. He cracks me up singing in the backseat "One more night...one more night!" The DJ comes on and says something like "and right now, here's Bon Jovi." Again, Daniel's all excited. "It's Bon Jovi! It's Bon Jovi!" He then proceeds to sing along to "Have a Nice Day." I love it.

So Tired

Hannah was pretty crabby all day yesterday but I just figured that she was because she hadn't taken a nap. About 1:30am, I hear wimpering and a little voice saying "mom." Not yelling...just very softly. It took me a little bit to figure out which room it was coming from. I discovered it was Hannah and figured she was having a bad dream since she still appeared to be asleep. I rub her back a little and she seems okay. Around 3am, she's very upset. I go in and decide to bring her back to bed with me. She suddenly thinks it's time to be up. She's tossing and turning, whining and asking to watch TV. At some point, I heard Mike say, "come on, Hannah, we need to sleep." When Mike got up to shower and go to work, Hannah again thought it was time to get up. I must have yelled at her because she began crying. I snuggled up with her and fell back to sleep. I got up again at 7:30 to get Jacob ready for school and she was sound asleep. She slept until I woke her up at 9am. Now I feel badly because I think she's sick. I'm so used to Daniel coming in bed with us in the middle of the night that it didn't even occur to me that she may not be feeling well. Her disposition is fairly normal but she's running a fever. Poor baby. I feel like a big mean mommy.

I Hate My Phone Company

Good luck trying to call us for the forseeable future. I tried to log onto the computer last night (yes, we still have dial-up) and there was no dial tone. I checked our main line...no dial tone. I called Verizon (using a cell phone) and got all of their stupid automated junk. The computer told me how to test the outside line. Do that and call back (and go through all of their automated prompts...again). So, I grab a corded phone and a screwdriver and head outside to test the line. No dial tone. I call back and it wants me to do it again and tries to hang up on me. I start screaming "no! I need an operator!" and finally get through to a real person. She says that she can't get someone out to the house before Thursday. I explain to her that I have no dial tone...no phone...no internet. She says she's sorry but the best she can do is forward my calls to my cell. Well, she screwed that up because when you call, you get the error message saying you have to dial a 1 before the number. Nice. I gave her a huge piece of my mind (prefaced with a, "I know this is not your fault" disclaimer) and informed her that I'd probably be shopping around for a new phone company. Well, magically, we have dial tone again today but my calls are still being "forwarded" (no they're not!) to my cell and no matter what I do, I can't get another live person on the phone. "Call back M-F from 8am to 6pm." All I want is for them to stop forwarding our calls!

Doo Dah Day

Saturday was Doo Dah Day. It's a children's festival at the park. MOMS Club set up a nursing/changing tent complete with a lolipop tree and prizes. I worked the tent for the first hour and we were swamped. I've never been more happy to see reinforcements than when Colleen showed up to replace me at 11. I came home and picked up Mike and the kids, and we headed back to the park. We spent all afternoon there playing games and bouncing in the moon bounce things. The kids got to see a puppet show and a reptile show. Jacob loved seeing the boa constrictor. Of course, we all ate way too much...funnel cakes, smoothies, ribbon fries, hot dogs, even coffee. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

One of the games was to look through a bunch of hay to find a prize. They all loved this one.

The kids pose with a tiger at the photo op booth. Daniel kept asking if the tiger was real!

This is the MOMS Club booth we set up. Inside the tent were rocking chairs so that moms could nurse comfortably and changing tables so babies didn't have to be changed on the ground. It was very successful!

This is the poster that I made. I thought it turned out nice.

Daniel's Field Trip

Daniel and Hannah share an unusual moment of love for each other this morning!

Daniel heading up the stairs to the big slide

Playing in front while waiting to go inside

Hannah and Daniel inside the mouth of a shark

Daniel's class field trip to Dinosaur Land and Sherando Park was this morning. While I find Dinosaur Land incredibly boring, the kids love it. My question is, why is it always so cold when we go there? Brrr. It was chilly. Daniel's favorite was seeing King Kong. Hannah loved the slide at the park. We're all pretty tired now and I'm hoping that Hannah naps this afternoon!

Weekly Update

I've been meaning to post all week...we've been outside so much that I've barely gotten my e-mail checked. Oh well...it's good for the kids.

Let's see...Tuesday, we were outside all day. I started planting my impatients (8 flats to be exact!) and was feeling pretty good about the yard. A neighbor, Alicia, and her kids walked by and we stopped to talk. She began on her way again when I heard really loud music (I thought it was thunder). All of the sudden, a car comes screaming up the street. I look towards the top of the street and see Hannah and Daniel riding their bikes. All I could do was scream "slow down" (it was a really bizarre scream). He was going fast enough that had he hit the kids, he would have killed them. Honestly, I don't know how even one of them didn't get hit. So, some punk in the back leans his head out the window and starts screaming "f*&^ you!" At this point, Alicia is on the corner talking with another neighbor, Jackie. Jackie starts screaming at these kids too and they start screaming at her. They never stopped at the stop sign at the top of the street and took the corner at around 30 mph. I'm shaking and am almost in tears by this point. Jackie starts walking down the street towards me, on the phone. She got the license plate number and had called 911. An officer's on his way. Jackie's furious; I'm hystercal. She calms me down a bit and Mike arrives home. We let him know what happened and that we think it's a kid down the street. Mike says that he's going to talk to this kid's dad so he's not blindsided when a cop comes knocking at his door. The officer arrives and Jackie and I pounce on his car. I feel so badly for this poor officer...I don't think he realized what he was getting into with us. Jackie's screaming "I want the fear of God put in this kid!" and I'm screaming "that punk would have killed my kids!" He assures us he'll take care of it. At this point, Cheryl (the kid's mother) comes down the street, clearly concerned that Jackie and I are talking to a cop. She stops and asks what happened. We tell her and she furiously drives home. We all head home. About 20 minutes later, Cheryl's at my door. She said that she called her son to ask him who's blue neon he was in. He said that he was on a moped. Crap...I did see him go by on a moped. I didn't realize that there's another teenager (not belonging to Cheryl) on the street. Hmmmm...lots of apologies to Cheryl (I never could place her kid in the car but Jackie was sure he was there) and it seemed to be over for now. Jackie calls around 8 and tells me that the cop called her to tell her that they found the kid and the mom. The mother assured him that this kid would be severely disciplined.

Wednesday, there was a little more planting and more outside time. We had our Secret Sister reveal at Pargo's Wednesday night. It was nice to go out and chat with friends. Pargo's makes a good margarita! LOL

This morning, I took Jacob up to the bus stop and was walking back when I ran into Jonna and her kids. She told me that James was on a rampage...he had taken down 3 trees yesterday and mine was next on his list because he was tired of looking at it. I told her that was fine...it wouldn't upset me at all. She chuckled and I went back inside. A little after 9, I look outside and see James with a chainsaw in my backyard. He's already got half of the tree down. I walk out to ask him what his favorite cookie is (I'm planning on making him some cookies as a thank you) and he said that it's no problem. The tree is so dead that there's no sap left in it and that he could carry the whole tree with one arm. 5 minutes later, the tree was down and on it's way to the dump.

Daniel, Hannah and I met Barbra and her kids at the park this morning and then went out to lunch. Her second child, Lindsay, is so much like Daniel was at her age...no fear. She's such a peanut but follows right along with the bigger kids. I'm convinced that second children are a special breed.

The kids and Mike were outside for quite a while after dinner...it gave me lots of time to get the house back in order. I even got the floors mopped! So cool! We gave the kids a bath and started to read the bedtime story. I was laying on Hannah's floor and Mike was reading Jacob's library book about salmon. I guess he thought that I wasn't paying attention because he says something about the male fish mounting the female fish. I sat up and said "what? Does it really say that?" Mike starts laughing hysterically and says "I didn't think you were listening." He keeps reading but is having a hard time containing his laughter. By this point, Jacob's getting mad that Mike's not sticking to the actual words...he keeps inserting Daniel and Hannah's name in various places. Daniel thought it was really funny. Jacob did not. Needless to say, story time tonight was kind of a waste.

So, there's only one more day to go for TV turn off week. And, yes Michelle, I will get to watch Grey's on Sunday (it's finally a new one!). I have to say, it's been very nice to have the TV off in the morning and evenings when Jacob's getting ready for school and when we're eating dinner. We may have to keep that. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be!

It Could Be Worse

Mike's play was this past weekend. Saturday night, Rachel, the kids' favorite sitter, came to babysit so that I could go see the play. Mike had asked a co-worker and his family to come see it as well. I met this guy last summer but I was quite sure that I wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd. I sat waiting for the play to start when a family sat around me...why they didn't ask me to move over one seat so that they could sit together is beyond me. A good deal into the play, Mike makes his entrance. The guy on my left reaches over me and says to lady on my right, "that's him." She says, "that's the one you work with?" I was sitting next to Mike's friend without even knowing it! Mike thought that I had waited for him to arrive and sat with him. It was total coincidence. After the play, we all went out to dinner. It was so nice to enjoy a meal without the kids!

I took the kids to the play on Sunday. They were so excited to see Mike up on stage...Hannah kept asking where Mike went when he would go off stage. It was cute. He did a great job! The play was great and you could tell that they had all been working really hard on it.

I had today all planned out...I was going to take Daniel to school, go to Martin's and then come home and mow before going out to get Daniel. (sorry I ditched playgroup this morning, Michelle!) After lunch, I was going to tackle some laundry and some cleaning. Fat chance. I got Daniel to school and got to Martin's but while I was there, I ran into my friend, Barbra. We talked for a while and both decided that we need to finish our shopping but would probably get together at Jenny's Taste of Home launch party on Friday. Hannah had to go to the bathroom so I took her and when I came out, I saw Barbra talking to someone else. I jokingly yelled down the aisle, "now who are you talking to?" and Jenny turns her head. We had just been talking about her 5 minutes before. I walk down the aisle to say hello. So, here we are, the three of us and 3 kids totally blocking the aisle (Jenny and I both had one of those truck carts and Barbra had a big cart herself). It doesn't sound as funny written down here as it seemed this morning. Hmmmm.

Needless to say, because of my gabbing, I didn't get home with the groceries until 11:35. Not enough time to mow before I have to pick up Daniel. So, I grabbed the weed whacker and decided that I could at least get that done. I finished at the same time that I needed to leave the house to get Daniel. I did get the mowing done this afternoon...unfortunately, the house cleaning will have to wait until tomorrow.

Jacob has decided that he really wants to participate in TV Turn Off Week. We've made it through one day...I just hope it doesn't rain...we'll be just fine as long as we can stay outside. That sounds really bad, doesn't it? Although, if it rains, the likelyhood that the house will get cleaned greatly increases.

Friday Night Bunko

(or as Mike calls it...Bonko)
Be forwarned...I've been drinking...the following post may make no sense.

Just got in from Bunko...I've never played the Friday night bunko but I've played Wednesday bunko...dang it's hard to type when you've had too many margaritas. These girls are crazy. The Wednesday crowd is very tame compared to this bunch. It's 11:49 pm and I just got home...I'm usually home at 9:30 when I'm playing on Wednesdays. I'm on the sub list but have never been called before. There's a girl in my neighborhood who went to Illinois State. She's really cool...she also has an education degree but her degree is in early childhood and special ed. Says Virginia has reciprocity and it's really easy to get your VA license. I won $8 because I lost the most games. You've got to love a game where even the losers can win! Okay...I should really go to bed now...I've been asked to move my crop nights to a different Friday...I may have to since I was asked to potentially become a permanent member of this bunko group. Jackie was asking me over and over to move it. I guess I will.

Okay...I'm done drinking and blogging...night ya'll

Kids Quotes

Some funny things the kids have said/done this week:

I was making dinner so I had the kids playing on the deck so that I could watch Hannah. Daniel walks into the kitchen:
D: Can I go play in the backyard?
Me: No, you need to stay on the deck so that Hannah doesn't get all upset.
D: Please can I go in the backyard?
Me: I said no. You can after dinner.
D: That's okay. I'll just wait until you aren't paying attention and I'll sneak off when you aren't looking.
Me: Thanks for your honesty. If you do that, you'll be inside for the rest of the night.
D: Oh man.


Jacob was so excited to go back to school this week. He probably got up when Mike left and was just waiting until my alarm went off. At about 7:15, he comes into my bedroom and says:
J: Hey Mom?
Me: Yes, Jacob.
J: I have school today.
Me: I know, honey.
J: It's time for you to get up.
Me: (I'm thinking...but I have 15 more minutes!!!!!!)


I was getting the kids PJ's out this evening when Hannah walks up to me with a can of soda from the fridge. (I just thought it was cute)
H: Hi Mom!
Me: Hi Hannah!
H: I got soda
Me: Honey, you can't have a soda right now
H: Iss for you!
Me: It's for me?
H: Yeah. Iss soda
Me: Oh, thank you.
H: Drink it. Iss good! You thirsty?
Me: Not right now, but I'm sure I will be
H: But iss soda!

When we pulled up to the restaurant where we were meeting Michelle and Jonathan for lunch today, Daniel was all upset.
D: Is this where we're having lunch?
Me: Yep!
D: But this isn't the Japanese steakhouse!
Me: No, this is the Texas Steakhouse.
D: I don't want the Texas Steakhouse. I want the Japanese one.

Good Grief...Only Thursday

This seems to be the longest week ever. Jacob and Daniel finally went back to school earlier this week after over a week off and I don't feel like I've stopped going. Running here and there. Getting the newsletter done...only to have to do it again because the computer froze and I lost all of my work just as I was trying to save it. Getting it to the printer, folded and labeled...another 2 hours lost. My house looks like a tornado came through because I haven't been home...or we've been otside and haven't been cleaning. Allergies are acting up...my left eye is all blown up and red. Nasty. Lots of emotional ups and downs this week...I'll get to that in another post.

Today was pretty good, though. We went to my MOMS Club meeting this morning and disovered that construction season (I still don't know for sure around here but back in Illinois, there are two seasons: winter and construction) has begun. Hit two construction zones in the short distance to the church where we have our meetings. Not many attendees but I knew pretty much everyone there and there was a lot of joking around. Nominations for the board started today and Michelle and I were talking about who to nominate. Bette asks if I'm planning on running again. I said that if I'm nominated, I'll probably accept but I'm not nominating myself. Wendy says something like "so, you want to be on the board again." I said "I didn't exactly say that." she says, "but you were implying that you were wanting to run again." to that, I say, "People say that I imply a lot of things." She laughed and said, "yeah, I guess they do." After the meeting, Michelle asked me if I'd like to go to lunch with her and Jonathan. The only thing I had to do today was go to the grocery store (at some point, I have to clean the house) so I agreed to meet her.

Michelle lives in a neighborhood with a really interesting HOA (Home Owners Association)...Libertarian friends are going to love this. There are two (they're pretty much self-appointed, aren't they, Michelle?) guys who are serving on the board and they get to decide what the rules are. No homeowner vote...nothing. They actually want people with fences (they can only have "natural" wood fences) to have to pay the HOA to stain their fences each year! No one would be allowed to do it themselves. This is because they want people to do it every year and the only way they can guarantee that it gets done is by the HOA doing it themselves. Nice, huh? They even want people to submit, and get approval on, landscaping plans down to what kind of flowers they're going to plant. On the other hand, our HOA is beginning to relax a lot of rules...like the stupid one about having an above ground pool (they're currently not allowed because someone might drown. Isn't that great?!?) You just can't get away from HOA's out here. It's wierd.

Well, I really should at least vacuum sometime today. Mike's got play practice again tonight and I need to try to find a sitter for Saturday night. Only one more day until the weekend!

I Can't Believe I'm Wasting More Time On Ryan...

I was reading an article by John Kass in the Chicago Tribune online just now...he was always my favorite columnist in the Trib...he has an awesome piece on George Ryan. A few of my favorite quotes,

"I would not and never have condoned corruption!" Ryan said years ago. "I would not and never have condoned corruption. Why would I? Why would I be involved in such a scheme?"

And later, of the Willises, Ryan said he had nothing to apologize for.

"The Willises don't want an apology!" he thundered.

No? They didn't want an apology? Their kids were the victims of crooked politics. All they wanted was for Ryan to accept some responsibility. An ordinary person would have apologized. But on Monday, Ryan displayed the proper combine attitude, by blaming the jury."

If George Ryan had had a hand in the deaths of my children, you better bet I'd want an apology...no I'm sure I'd want his head!

As he walked out of the federal building to make his escape in a vehicle, an angry bicycle messenger with prison written on his face started taunting the former governor. The bike man was telling Ryan not to drop the soap in prison, telling him not to become beholden to other guys by smoking their cigarettes.

It was brutal. It was ugly. And Ryan couldn't help hearing.

"You better not take their smokes, you get your own, know what I'm sayin'!" he shouted, straddling his bike, laughing. "Know what I'm sayin'! Governor! Governor!"

Love it!

Things Could Always Be Worse!

This is the title of the play that Mike's in at Beth El. They had an article about it in the paper this morning. I didn't recognize anyone in the pictures they had...I guess I was hoping to see Mike at least in the background. :(

Last night, he came home from practice...they had run through the play twice. I guess Mike plays two roles. In the second half, he has to wear a beard. He's telling me about how this is the first time he's had to wear the beard. Mike walks over to me and says "feel my face." It's all sticky. He says that he tried the thinner and everything, but it wouldn't come off, do I have anything that he could use? We head upstairs and sort through my plethora of face cleansers and whatnot. I pull out a facial scrub and a loofah. Still sticky. Anything else we can try? I do have this Mary Kay microderm abrasion stuff. Mike hops into the shower and uses it. He gets out and the sticky is gone. I give him some lotion to put on after the "treatment" and I hear a groan. His temples are still full of sticky. He was finally able to get it off (I think...how was shaving this morning, honey?) Does anyone know a good way to get the sticky beard stuff off without having to give himself a microderm abrasion treatment everytime? I do have to say, though, that his face was nice and soft afterwards!

Holy Cow!

I just read that George Ryan, the former governor of Illinois, was convicted 22 counts of racketeering and fraud today (there were other things listed within the 22 counts as well). LOL! Whaddya know? He really is a crook!

A Funny Site

Okay...so I stole this from another blog...but it was just too funny not to share.

100 Greatest April Fools Day Hoaxes

Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! Here are some pictures of the kids after they colored Easter Eggs and finding the eggs the Easter Bunny left for them. They've already eaten so much candy...I wonder if they'll sleep at all tonight!

A New Favorite

HBO started this new show called Big Love. Bill Paxton plays a man with three wives in Utah. Since it's on at the same time as Grey's, I've been catching it later in the week (I love that about HBO...they run their shows several times a week). While I don't get the whole polygamy thing, the concept for a show is really interesting. Even Mike's into this one...he asked last night what's so captivating about this show? Maybe it's the originality factor? If you get HBO, check it out! They're running marathons of the season so far this week.

Passover Seder Stats

We had our Passover Seder tonight...
There were 6 adults and 7 children in attendance
4 copies of the Haggadah had to be shared
18 hard boiled eggs
Approximately 16 stinky fish balls (gefelte fish)
20 matzo balls
18 pieces of apple matzo kugel
7 pounds of brisket
9 baked potatoes
1 bottle of white horseradish
1 bottle of red horseradish
1 bottle of wine
3 cups of haroset
1 box of matzo (kosher for Passover)
1 large tossed salad (courtesy of Debora)
5 bottles of salad dressing
1 large bowl of glazed carrots (courtesy of Cindy)

At the end of the night...
66% of the adults in attendance were not Jewish
Everyone, except for Mike, could not pronounce the word "Pesah"
The "service" leading up to the meal lasted 45 minutes
Jacob had eaten 25% of the matzo balls and 22% of the hard boiled eggs
Hannah ate 75% of the bottle of ranch dressing...50% of it by the spoonful
3 bottles of salad dressing remained unopened
2 pounds of brisket remained
Only 3 baked potatoes were eaten
1 large bowl of glazed carrots went home with Cindy, mostly untouched
2 boards of matzo remained
1 tablespoon of white horseradish was left but 90% of the red remained
Only 3 pieces of kugel were left
Only 1 cup of haroset remained
1 hard boiled egg was smashed into the living room rug
5 pieces of broccoli were found among the toys in the family room
The whole bottle of wine was emptied
Mike had the kitchen back in order by 8:10pm
One wine glass shattered on the floor
But the biggest shocker of the night (for me) was that only 8 of the stinky fish balls made their way into the garbage disposal!

Stinky Little Fish Balls

I told Mike that this year, I'd give making Gefelte Fish a shot. I got the recipe from Mike's Mom and had intended making them last week. Time got away from me and they were never made. This week, Dad helped me hunt down the fish and they were made. I don't like fish much, so, the smell really got to me. Really, they were very easy to make if you can stand the smell. I was digging the fish out of under my nails for some time after! Yuck.

Dad was the first to try it and said that they were okay but bland. Mike had one with dinner and proclaimed them tasty. The things we do for love.

The Visit

Mom and Dad arrived on Sunday for their visit this week. We took them to Ichiban for dinner on Sunday...it's the kids' favorite restaurant. Because it was Mom's birthday, they gave a piece of cheesecake and took a picture.



On Tuesday, Mike took the day off and we all went into DC to look around. We visited the FDR Memorial (I didn't even know this existed!), the World War II Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial. We were able to see (but not up close) the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. Some of the cherry blossoms were still out but most were gone by now. It was a long day of walking!
The World War II Memorial

All of us at the Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool from the World War II Memorial

The Washington Monument

The Jefferson Memorial (this was as close as we got to this one!)

FDR and us!

Abraham Lincoln...above him, it says, "In This Temple As In The Hearts Of The People For Whom He Saved The Union The Memory Of Abraham Lincoln Is Enshrined Forever"

The Korean War Memorial

Much Ado About Tires

Last night, I got a phone call from the manager of Costco. He wanted to know if everything worked out okay with the tires...he had gotten a note from James saying that he thought all was good but he wanted to make sure. I told him that, yes, everything was fine. He then told me that he thinks that James learned a good lesson in customer service from me. Whatever...I'm just glad it's over and done with!

A Dash of Kid Conversation

The kids were really full of it tonight (in a good way). Two conversations in the car tonight...

Jacob - I'm Jewish, right?
Me - Yes
J - You're not Jewish, right?
Me - That's right
J - Hmmm...
Me - (I'm thinking that I wasn't expecting this conversation just yet)
J - You're a Christian?
Me - Yes
J - Oh. I like Sunday School
Me - You do? (big sigh of relief)
J - We get good snacks


About 5 minutes later...

Daniel - When you're an adult, you can be a rock star, right?
Me - Sure you can
D - I'm gonna be a rock star...you wanna be in my band?
Me - I'll be in your band...what should I play?
D - Ummm...drums! You can play the drums
Me - Okay, I'll play the drums in your band
D - Cool
J - Rock stars are singers...singers have to play the guitar...the electric guitar

So let's see...Daniel has told me that he also wants to be a race car driver and a teacher. I guess he'll be the first race car driving rock star teacher!

Got Tires?

I do! Okay...Mike does. I was told to call after 12:30 to make sure the tires had come in today. I waited until 3. I was told that yes, the tires are in. After dinner, I load the kids in the Kia (Mike had play practice) and we head to Costco. BTW, have you ever tried to put 3 kids and 2 boosters in the backseat of a Kia Spectra? They fit, but you have to have a shoe horn to get them out.

We go in and James, the guy from Saturday, greets me at the door. He tells me that he was getting nervous because the tires arrived only 10 minutes before I had called. They must have had a bunch of people ordering tires because there were a bunch of stacks of tires in there for people. He rings me up...apologizes again and again...tells me it'll be about an hour since there was one car ahead of me. Not a problem, I was expecting a wait.

The kids and I leisurely wander through Costco...the kids run around in the "cold" (the refridgerated veggie section - it's like a big race track for them) for a while..then check out. We had about 10 minutes to kill so I got the kids some ice cream (and a churro for me) and we hung out. James walks by and tels me the Kia is ready.

We head back over to the tire section and get the key. More and more apologies...I can't take it anymore. I just wave and walk out.

Now Mike has new tires. I'm going to have to get some for the van soon.

What the F***?!?

7 AM...Hannah's screaming for her "other one blanket." I go in and give it to her...go downstairs to walk the dog. I put on my shoes and open the door...THERE'S F****** SNOW ON THE GROUND! Seriously?!?

I'm confused

Monday Update

Yesterday, I went to Michelle's for our own little playgroup (driving out to Stephens City just did not sound appealing...sorry if I offended you, Sara!) and we had a nice discussion about everything that's been going on. Luckily, it's been resolved but it looks like a group of us are probably going to take the fall. Whatever.

After Jacob got home from school, we all went outside to play and enjoy the afternoon. I had gotten the kids a big new bucket of sidewalk chalk and we were having a good time. It's interesting the things you miss when you're inside. I was laughing at one neighbor who was trying desperately to get her Yukon XL in her garage. She usually parks in the driveway and has been talking about getting her garage cleaned out enough to park her cars in there. I guess it happened this weekend, but I think that Yukon is just too big for the garage. She couldn't get the garage door closed!

Then, I saw another neighbor drive furiously down the street and left again within a matter of minutes. She waved, but looked frustrated.

Storm clouds were starting to roll in (one of the things I miss about the midwest is the thunderstorms) so we started packing up our stuff to put into the garage. We headed into the backyard to get a better view of the clouds...and I thought I heard James mowing in the backyard. We walk around and we're greeted by Addy and Gavin. Addy immediately tells me they were locked out of the house and their mom had to come home from work to unlock the door. That's why Jonna looked so frustrated. At that point, James comes around the corner on his riding mower. Attached to the back is his spreader. He's trying to get the fertilizer down before the rain comes. At that moment, there's lightning and thunder. I look at the kids and tell them it's our cue to head inside.

We come in and watch the clouds from the back door. My neighbor, Donna, calls to ask if Luke and Jake are over. I tell her no...are they missing? She says they're probably in the back yard but she thought she'd try our house first. I hang up and see James pull his mower into his garage...almost at the same moment the sky opened up and you could hardly see across the backyard because of the rain. That guy had some good timing.

Luckily, no severe weather and the whole thing was over in about 7 minutes.

Daniel's going through this "I'm the boss of you" phase. It's killing me. He's constantly telling Hannah that he's the boss of her because he's bigger. He told me yesterday (and reminded me this morning) that when it's his birthday, he's the boss of me. I have to say that it is adorable to hear Hannah say "you not boss of me!"

Knitting

"...besides, knitting is good for surgical dexterity, so, I'm knitting a sweater."
-Meredith Grey on why she was knitting in a bar

Okay, so I may not be knitting a sweater but I am in the process making of what looks like a very large potholder. I think I have the knit stitch down. I'm not brave enough to try the purl stitch down yet...I want to get this knit thing down first. The book Erin recommended to me (Knitting for Dummies) seems very helpful. I'm way further teaching myself how to knit than I ever got trying to crochet. The repetitive nature of it is very relaxing.

For the record, I bought that book long before I knew that knitting was going to be big on Sunday's episode of Grey's. Seriously!

Me and My New Backbone

So, I go out to get Mike new tires this afternoon at Costco. I've got the boys with me...I figure that I can kill time by doing a little shopping and if we still have to kill some time, there's a pet store and coffee shop across the street we can go to. So, we go into the tire area and wait a little for someone to come help us. When he finally does come, I tell him that I need four tires for a Kia Spectra. He says "sorry, can't help you. We don't carry those." I asked if they could be special ordered. "Nope. Sorry." He didn't look in the computer or anything. He may as well have said, "don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!" Now, I know that these are available to Costco because I looked it up online. So I walk out and head to the Customer Service desk. They're pretty busy today so I have to wait a few minutes. I ask to speak to a manager/supervisor. The supervisor comes over and I tell her what happened. She calls a manager. The manager used to work in tires, so he'll really be able to help me. When he comes over, he asks again what happened and I tell him. I said, "if you don't carry the tire and can't get it, that's fine, but the attitude I got was uncalled for." He leaves to talk to the guy. In the meantime, the Customer Service girls have loaded the boys up with candy.

The manager comes back and apologizes again. He's pretty sure they can order the tires...can he take a look at the car to make sure of the kind I need? Sure. We walk out to the car and he writes down some stuff. We walk back into the tire area. The manager asks me my name and I tell him. He says, "Barbara, this is James. James, this is Barbara. Let's start this whole thing all over again." James can't stop apologizing at this point. It's been decided that if I still want the tires, they can get them in on Wednesday and all I have to pay for is the tires and tax. No installation charge, no disposal charge. DEAL! James gave me all of the info about the tire and special order number, etc and that he'll be in again after 12:30 on Wednesday. Since I heard him place the order (he did it on speakerphone), I know that they won't be in before then anyway, so that's fine. More apologies, and I'm out the door.

I think me and my new backbone are going to get along just fine!

Hannah's Birthday

I was going to post these yesterday, but I wasn't in the mood. On Tuesday, we took Hannah for a birthday dinner and we came home for cake and presents. She got an American Girl doll and Dora Candyland. She loved both. Enjoy the pictures!

Not a good day

Today sucks. I'm tired and things just don't seem to be going well. I made the decision to send out an e-mail to a group and now I feel like I'm drowning. Mike calls to tell me about his car and I pick a fight with him. Not cool on my part. It's not his fault I'm in a bad mood. I just feel like I'm going to be sick. It's my fault but I rarely put myself in a postion where I'm rocking the boat. And now that I have, I'm having a hard time dealing with it.

A Real Pain In The...

I thought that this cake was going to kill me. None of the outlines from the cake pan showed up on the cake so I had to make Strawberry Shortcake freehand. It didn't turn out too badly, though. Unfortunately, some of the frosting on her face shrank and you can see the cake underneath, but I really don't care. I think Hannah's cake turned out pretty cute.

Jacob's Report Card

Jacob brought home his report card yesterday. I was a little nervous because his midterm report was a little low. He managed to pull it together, though...an A in Reading, B in Math, A in Spelling. He also got an Outstanding in Art and Conduct and a Satisfactory in PE and Music. I'm happy for him since he had a C in Math and a B in Spelling at midterm. His average Accelerated Reading level is 2.6 (second grade, sixth month). Needless to say, we're pretty proud of him!

Too Funny

Last night, we were watching America's Funniest Home Videos. There was this dumb guy clipping a little lizard to various parts of his body. I had to laugh at the conversation:

Hannah: It's lizard! It's lizard!
Me: I know. It is a lizard.
Hannah: Lizards funny.
Jacob: Lizards are ectotherms.
Me: ?
Jacob: They are. They're ectotherms.
Me: Okay.
Jacob: It means they can't control their body heat. They're ectotherms.

Jacob's a freaking sponge.

Here's some conversation from when Hannah and I picked Daniel up from school this afternoon:

Me: Hey Daniel, tomorrow we're probably going to have to get you some new shoes and a haircut.
Daniel: No. I don't want a haircut.
Me: What? You were so upset about not getting one yesterday.
Daniel: NO, I don't want a haircut. It totally ruins my day.
(Hannah starts messing with Daniel)
Daniel: See? Hannah bugging me is why my day is ruined!

Gourmet Girlfriends

I did that Gourmet Girlfriends thing yesterday morning. It was so much fun! Gourmet Girlfriends is a program where you go and make up 6 or 12 meals all at one time. You take them home and put them in the freezer for use later. Since everything is raw, it's not like you are having leftovers because you are cooking everything for the first time...it's just already put together and ready for the oven. It's nice to know that these are in the freezer for when I'm having one of those days where I can't get my act together.

I get there and the lady asks for my name. I tell her and she says, "oh, we were talking about you!" I've never seen this lady in my life, so I say, "ooookkkkaaaayyy," a little wierded out. I guess I picked the hardest dinner list of everyone. Seeing myself as a pretty good cook, I say, "I'm always up for a challenge." I start going around, putting all of my meals together and the owner keeps asking me if I'm doing okay. I say yes. She asks if I've gotten any of the hard meals done yet. I ask which ones were the hard ones? She tells me and by this point I've done all but 2. She seems a little shocked. When I left at 12:05 (the time block was 10-12), there were still several girls with a couple of meals left to do. They had expected me to be there until 1 at least. Last night, we had the Crusted Beef Tenderloin and Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole. It was very yummy and there was a bunch left over. Tonight, we're having the Crispy Salmon Filets (I hate fish so this should be interesting) with the Carrot Coins.

I can't wait to go do this again!

Into You Like A Train

It's sad that I'm devoting another post to GA, but here it is. Tonight's episode is a rerun. I could be upset, but I won't be since the episode they're showing is Into You Like a Train. One of the best episodes of the season. There are so many wonderful things about this episode...Bonnie and Tom, the couple on the pole, only one can live...Merideth screaming "you can't just abandon her!"...McDreamy breaking down in the elevator because of the whole "if love were enough, I'd still be with you" speech. I'm going to be a wreck from 10-11 tonight.

On a semi-related note, Mike was flipping through channels yesterday and came across the movie Mobsters. I'm in the other room, so he yells, "hey Barb, your lover is in this movie." I said, "really? Patrick Dempsey is in this movie?" (I knew exactly who he was talking about) I had never even heard of it. When PD comes on the screen, Mike asks, "is he really that good looking?" I said, "well, not really in this movie, but now, oh yeah. He's hot." Mike just shakes his head. Cracks me up. I think Mike thinks I've lost my mind. He's very good at humoring me, though!

Hannah's Party

Some cute pictures from Hannah's Birthday Party...
Getting ready to play hot potato!

Hannah gives Havana her goody plate

Some of the kids gather for a photo

Hannah poses in front of her Happy Birthday sign

We had Hannah's third birthday party this afternoon. It was so cute. We had lots of kids there...14 including our 3. It was so nice to be able to walk away from all of the mess that was made. 1 1/2 hours and we were done. I do have to say that Hannah really made out with the presents. Let's just say that it was a very Dora birthday. Only a couple of gifts were not Dora related.

Another Friday

Jacob lost another tooth last night. No tears...no fits. He even said to me, "I'm not crying this time, Mom." I'm just thankful he's such a heavy sleeper and had no problem getting the tooth out from under his pillow.

I came downstairs this morning and couldn't figure out what the noise I heard was. I finally trace it to the fish tank...the filter had stopped working and was making this horrible noise. Poor fish. The water looked pretty nasty, too. So, after we dropped Daniel off at school, Hannah and I went over to Petsmart to get a new filter. It's such a treat for the kids to go to the petstore; they love to look at the fish and birds and small animals. Today, Hannah was fascinated by the chinchilla (sp?). It was too cute (both Hannah and the chinchilla).

After the petstore, we went over to Martin's (our grocery store) to pick up some stuff for dinner tonight. They've been changing things around and it's infuriating to not be able to find anything. I've been going over to the new WalMart (I know...but Barb, you said you hate WalMart! I do, but this one's new and it doesn't smell like feet plus, hardly anyone shops there so I can get right in and right out) But today, I was right there and decided to go ahead and hit Martin's. (for those of you in the area and don't know) They've put in three aisles of organic stuff, including a full line of Burt's Bees! Oh, I can't wait for the new one on Rt. 7 to open in May!

Daniel's been complaining the whole time he's been home from school. I'm not kidding. The whole time. It's killing me. He may have to nap today.

I'm doing that Gourmet Girlfriends tomorrow morning. My neighbor did it earlier this week and loved it. She said that she hasn't tried the food yet but it's pretty cool knowing that she's got stuff for dinner in her freezer. I'll let you know how it goes.

Oh What A Ride!

Sadly, the Braves lost tonight to Memphis. Not a real shocker but still disappointing. Who knew a little school from Peoria could get to the Sweet 16 anyway? Way to go, guys! I'm proud of you!

The Whole Grey's Anatomy Thing

I was on the Grey's message board (I know...I know...get a life, right?) and I was reading a trivia thread. As I'm reading, I'm thinking, these are easy!

Which character went to Dartmouth?
What was the missing ingredient in Izzy's cupcakes?
How many sisters does Derek (McDreamy) have?
What's Derek's favorite band?
Who first called Derek "McDreamy"?
What day of the week was Merideth and Derek's last "happy couple" kiss?
What's the first thing Burke says to Cristina during his rant at the end of the episode where he finds out Cristina didn't give up her apartment?
I could go on, but won't.

So, I say to Mike, "these are so easy, I think you could get these." And I start reading them. What's funny is the only one Mike got was the day of the week question...and I think he guessed. He then says to me, "I've never seen you this obsessed with a TV show before." I asked him, "how many times a day do you look at ESPN.com?" He says, "several, at least." I made the realization that this is my sports and it's not wierd. So there.

BTW, can anyone else answer these questions?

I Can Finally Post Again!

Hannah came down the stairs at playgroup on Monday all dressed up like Spiderman.

I tried to post yesterday (really, I did!) but it wouldn't let me. I guess Sue's blog problems transferred over to me!

Saturday night, Mike and I decided to take the kids to Ichiban...a Japanese Steakhouse. The kids love it because of the show and there's no worry about keeping them entertained. All day long, I knew that I was going to have to move Daniel's bike since it was kind of in the driveway. We get everyone loaded in the van and start backing out of the garage. Suddenly, we hear a thump. I immediately remembered the bike. Mike's yelling, "what was that!" It took me a minute to say "I hit Daniel's bike." Mike gets out to survey the damage. None to the van...bike's trashed. Bikes just don't seem to make it in this house. Mostly because the kids don't know how to put their stuff away! Arg.

Saturday is Hannah's birthday party...we're doing it at Scoops...the same place we had Daniel's last month. Should be interesting. 13 screaming 3 and 4 year olds, not including my own. Add my kids and you've got 16! Boy I'm glad we're not having it at home.

Saturday morning, I'm going to do this thing called Gourmet Girlfriends. What you do is go in for 2 hours and make 12 dinners to take home and freeze. They do all of the shopping and prep work, all I do is go in and put everything together. If nothing else, it'll get us out of the dinner rut we're in. I'm getting tired of stew, pork chops and chicken. Although I did make a good Italian Beef last night. Jacob ate a whole sandwich!

A Birthday at the Fire Station

Lindsay, Matthew, Samantha, Daniel, Hannah and Timothy hang out on the back of the fire truck

The party gang hanging out in front of a fire truck (I'm in the red shirt on the right side holding Hannah)

The kids were invited to a birthday party today for a friend at the firestation. Only Daniel and Hannah were able to go because of Sunday School but he was okay with that. The kids had a great time looking at the trucks. Hannah was scared, though.

SWEET 16 HERE WE COME!!!!!! (and FU Billy Packer)

Anyone else wanna doubt that we deserve to be at the tournament? Anyone? How about Wichita State? Do they deserve to be there? Both Bradley and Wichita took care of business in the second round. HOW YOU LIKE US NOW?!?

Hey Dad...

Dad...can you look and see if there's a Bradley basketball shirt from their NCAA trip at the bookstore? They don't have one online.

Thanks!

FU, BILLY PACKER, FU!!!!!!!!!

(That title's for Mike...sorry SIU lost)

My beloved BRADLEY BRAVES knocked off Kansas tonight!!!!! In your face to all those who said we didn't belong in the NCAA tournament! Missouri Valley's got TWO TEAMS moving on!

On to the second round!!!!!

I'm Beginning To Feel Old

I registered Daniel for kindergarten this morning. How sad is that? It really doesn't seem right that he's old enough to be starting kindergarten. Although when he actually starts, he'll be older than Jacob was when he started kindergarten. It's just that he's my baby boy and he's not ready to start school! Poor kid, he thought that as soon as he turned 5, he'd get to go to kindergarten. In fact, the day after his birthday, he was telling Jacob that he was going to school with him on the bus. He's so ready to go and is very much looking forward to riding the bus. He's tired of preschool...I don't think it's challenging enough for him. I'm going to go cry now...

Can't These Two Kids Just Get Along?

So I'm checking e-mail (okay, you caught me...I was on the Grey's message board) when AOL logs itself off. It happens occasionally, so I didn't think much of it. I go to log back on but can't. I try again. No go. Humm. After trying everything I know to do, I call AOL. I felt like that guy in the credit card commercial..."for a shinier credit card, say yes." It was frustrating because everytime the kids would talk, the computer lady would say, "I'm sorry, I didn't understand." AAAAAAAcccccccckkkkkkkkk! I just want a real person! I finally get one and she says that my problem is technical...please hold. Over 1 hour later, still no one. It's after 8 and, against my better judgement, I hang up the phone! Mike's at play practice and the kids need baths. Arg. Okay...the kids are in bed and I'm watching American Idol. Once that's over, I decide to try again. The computer lady's not so bad to deal with this time and she sends me to tech again. I wait for a little over 1/2 hour this time and finally get a person! I walk her through what's going on, and tell her that there's an error message that says "72-MCLL." She immediately asks if I have Norton. I say yes. She says they released an update around 4 this afternoon that sees AOL as a virus. That's why they were so busy. So many people calling about the same error message. I need to shut down the Norton and try to log on...if I can get on, then it's the Norton and I probably need to call them and try to figure something out. Of course, it works. I thank her and hang up (problem resolved in less than 5 minutes after waiting over 1 1/2 hours). I thought that maybe if I went ahead and turned the Norton back on it might be able to recognize AOL as friendly. Success! So far, so good. At least I know if it happens again what the problem is. I just don't understand why Norton and AOL hate each other so much!

I Spoke Too Soon

Okay...I'm a bad mom. I sent my kid to school sick. I didn't realize he was sick. I really expected the school to be calling me yesterday to pick him up...no call. I'm checking out some stuff on the computer this morning when I see Jonna walking up to my front door. I answer the door and she says, "Mike's trying to get in touch with you. Jacob's in the nurse's office with 103 fever." Crap. Of course I left my cell phone in the car and didn't get the school's message...luckily, there was only 20 minutes between the time they called and when he was picked up. The nurse was so resourceful (at least I thought she was until Mike told me he asked her to)! She found a note that I had given earlier this year saying Jacob could have Motrin for a toothache and gave him a dose. I wonder if he'll be able to go to school tomorrow.

Everyone's Feeling a Little Better

Jacob got up this morning and I think he was expecting to stay home again. I took his temperature, no fever. He said his stomach still hurt a little. Hmmm. He was really upset that I wouldn't let him go outside and play on a sick day - my thought is if you're sick, you don't need to be running around outside infecting your friends. He had said to me yesterday that he didn't want to miss today since he has PE (yes, we've come that far this year) today. I reminded him of this and he got dressed really quickly. I have a feeling that I'll be getting a phone call this morning from the school telling me to come pick him up.

Never a Good Sign

After dropping Daniel off at school this morning, we headed to Target to pick up Hannah's medicine and get some for Jacob. While pulling out of the school, I heard a lot of sirens but didn't see anything so I didn't think much of it. We turned down Kent Street in front of the courthouse and watched as all of the officers were heading inside the courthouse. Lots of courtdates today, I guess. We cross Boscowan Street and the car in front of me is completely stopped. I then see one officer run across the street. Then another. Then another. They run back across. I look to the left and see about 4 squad cars and 2 unmarked cars pulled over. Probably 8 officers running around. Here's the creepy part...they were running around with their guns ready to go. Fantastic. Now I'm stuck at a stop light and there are all of these officers ready for a possible gun fight. Luckily, the light changed and I was able to get the heck out of there but I was pretty freaked out!

Why Is Everyone Getting Sick?!?

When I got up this morning, I heard the TV. That means either Jacob or Daniel has already gotten up. Probably Jacob because I heard cartoons (Jacob knows how to use the remote). I came downstairs and Jacob was all bundled up with his flannel blanket spread out on the floor, his pillow and blanket over the top of him. I asked him what he would like for breakfast. He said nothing because his stomach hurt. I looked at him and saw that his face was bright red and his eyes were all glossy. Great. I felt his forehead...burning up. No school for him. Gave him some Motrin and waited for Daniel to come down and tell me that if Jacob wasn't going to school, neither was he. Thank goodness that never happened because he was excited about going on his field trip. Everyone got dressed so we could take Daniel to school and pick up Hannah's medicine (all the pharmacies in this town close at 5 on Sunday!!!!!). Poor kid. When it rains, it pours!

Purim

I'm not sure if today is the actual day for Purim, but the synagogue had it's annual Purim celebration this morning. The kids got dressed in their costumes and we headed down. This year, the high school kids added games and face painting to the float festivities (the teams had to make a float to help Esther run from Hayman). Each member of the team also had to be wearing a hat (which is why the kids have paper hats on). After the float contest, we grabbed some (I'm going to wreck the spelling of this) hamentaschen...cookies with filling and headed home. I think the kids just liked being able to go out in costumes!

The ER - Where Everyone Knows Our Name

Poor Hannah. Most of yesterday, she had been having a hard time with wheezing. I gave her Albuterol but it didn't seem to help (it also didn't help that she was running around like a maniac with her brothers. We had promised the kids on Friday that we would take them to see Curious George on Saturday. I thought that it might be nice for Hannah...that way she would have to be calm. I told Mike that if her breathing didn't improve by the evening, I was taking her to ER.

After the movie, we went into the mall (the theater is in the mall) to get the kids some Spring clothes. At The Children's Place, Hannah began saying her chest hurt and saying she couldn't breathe. Mike decided to carry her the rest of the way. It was decided that we would stop and got the kids some dinner and I would take Hannah to the ER.

We got to the ER and the receptionist was busy with someone else. There was a sign that told us to fill out a card and wait to be called. I began filling out the card when someone came up behind us. After I filled it out, I looked at the guy and asked him "where do we put these?" He said, "I don't know...I'm following your lead." About that time, the receptionist came, took my card and told us to have a seat by her.

They took Hannah's vitals and told us to have a seat, they'd be with us in a few minutes. All of the people in the reception area were so upset that they didn't take her right back. They'd gladly give up their spot ahead of her to let her get in first. I guess that wasn't necessary as they did take us back before any of them.

The nurse came in and told me that he thought that Hannah was fine and that he didn't think anything was wrong but the doctor would be in soon. The doctor then came in and said that she wanted Hannah to have a breathing treatment but she would also need a chest x-ray and RSV/flu scan. Just as a precaution. The guy from Radiology fell in love with Hannah. She was so good and when they were taking the x-rays, she'd smile and say "cheese!" They were so concerned about getting her stickers that I worried they wouldn't read the films. He walked us back to our room and told Hannah to "always stay as cute as you are now."

Another nurse came in looking for an oxygen tank. Apparently, we had one under the bed Hannah was laying on. He stopped and talked to Hannah for about 5 minutes and left. Every time he would pass the room after that, he would stop and wave at her.

The nurse came in with the breathing treatment. He said that the RSV/flu scans were clear. Thank God. He handed me the tube and said that someone from Respiratory would be down to show us how to use the spacer inhaler...if we needed anything, let him know. At the same time the treatment was over, the guy from Respiratory showed up. He showed me how to use the inhaler with the spacer (they thought she could handle it, and she sure can!) and said the doctor would be back shortly.

The doctor came back and said that the x-rays were clear and her breathing had really improved with the treatment and asked if I had any questions. Diagnosis: Bronchitis. She went over the inhaler with us again and said that after she completed some paperwork, we'd be on our way.

The nurse came in with the antibiotic (since we have no 24 hour pharmacies he wanted to make sure she could get her medicine last night and this morning with no problems) and had me sign some stuff and we were out the door.

Leaving the ER, Hannah was like a caged animal who'd just been set free. She was so excited to be leaving but she had to stop and say goodbye to everyone. All of the secretaries, nurses and doctors we waving and yelling "bye Hannah! Feel better!" all of the way down the hall. Even the security guard who let us out and the receptionist were eager to say goodbye to her. Both Hannah and Daniel have a way of making medical personnel fall in love with them. The last time Daniel was in, he had patients coming in to say goodbye to him!

She's feeling better today...breathing better (although still a little wheezy) and I think she'll make it!

Oh Snap! Soprano's in Da Hooouuussee

(That title is for you, Sue!)

Just another thing for me to become obsessed about...the new season of The Soprano's starts on Sunday (this was the only reason we got HBO in the first place)! I guess there's no more Desperate Housewives for me since they come on at the same time. What other show can go off of the air for 20+ months and still have such a huge following? Sunday's going to be an awesome TV night for the next few months!

I Can't Think of a Title

What an interesting week. I can't believe it's Thursday already. Time needs to slow down just a little bit. Here's a taste of what we've been up to this week:

Hannah and I went to playgroup. There are usually 4-5 of us there, (although there are technically 7 of us on the playgroup roster) and this week was no exception. It was funny because Bette and Erin talked knitting most of the time and Michelle and I talked Grey's Anatomy most of the time (3 days until the new episode!). I need to learn to knit. I bought a "I taught myself how to crochet" book but I don't get it. Oh well. Maybe I'll just stick to quilt making. Anyway, I was praised for the pictures I took at Jake's birthday party. I was told that you could "tell I was a scrapbooker." What does that mean? I hate taking pictures for other people...I'm always afraid that I'm going to disappoint them. I guess I didn't this time!

I had a Crop Club Monday night...it was fun to sit and gab with the girls. We usually get very little work done but it's nice to get out of the house and have some adult conversation.

Considering going back to school. I've looked at master's programs and I just don't know if I really want to be a teacher when I grow up. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching, but none of the masters programs in education interest me. I don't want to go into administration, special ed, I thought maybe reading specialist but I don't think I want to do that either. I started looking at the second bachelor's degrees offered at SU. I've been floating the nursing idea in my mind for years. I wrote the dean and asked what I would have to do to get a degree. I had a response within 15 minutes. Their program is 18 months in length (they highly recommend that you do not have a second job while doing this), so if I were to start in the fall, I would graduate in December 2007. (imagine that, me, graduating on time!?!?) They're sending me an application packet. Mike says that if this is what I want to do, we'll find a way to make it work. I guess it can't hurt to apply and see what happens.

I found out yesterday that Harry Browne died of Lou Gherig's disease. He was only 72. What a shame. For those of you who don't know, Harry ran for President on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1996 and 2000. He was a very dynamic man. I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions - the one that I remember the best is at the convention in Indianapolis (I can't believe I remember anything from that convention) walking with Mike, Harry and his wife to the convention floor. Mike said last night that he remembered Harry giving him a standing ovation when Mike won Libertarian of the Year at the LPI convention years ago. For some reason, I only vaguely remember that convention. He was a great man and he will be missed.

A Piece Of Advice

After over 8 hours of cleaning today, here's the biggest thing I learned...do not start cleaning walls unless you intend to clean every wall in your house because that one clean wall you clean will make the others look even dirtier than they actually are! I don't know how I'm even typing with my claw of a hand after cleaning all of the walls on my first floor with magic erasers (the greatest invention of all time - I went through 8 of them)!

SIU Sucks

Okay...so Bradley lost. Big whoop. Fingers crossed that they still get in the NCAA tournament!

Let The Cleaning Begin (and other observations)

Hannah went to Jake's birthday party yesterday and had a great time. She was eager to do every part of the party...balloon popping, pin the tail on the donkey, pinata...she was a mad woman with that pinata. All of the kids were so darn cute and since most of the girls there are in my playgroup, the conversation was easy.

We come home to find the house trashed. Not really any more trashed than normally occurs on the weekend, actually, it might have been a little better than normal, but I can't take it anymore. I went to Target and stocked up on cleaning supplies so that I can begin Spring Cleaning today. I even bought gloves that have aloe inside (the package says that the more you wear them, the better your hands feel) and a new broom. I stocked up on toilet cleanser, Magic Erasers, Pine Sol, Windex, a new bucket, Swiffer stuff and bathroom cleanser. (Thanks, Sue, for talking me through Target...yes, I was one of "those people" who putter through a store on the phone) Unfortunately, the cleaning bug I had yesterday seems to have passed today and I can't get off of my butt to start. I have my plan of action all drawn up and ready to go...I'm just not ready. Another cup of coffee, and I might be.

Reading the Sunday Post this morning I was shocked to see that there's a huge article about Bradley and the MVC on the front page of the sports section. Bradley and SIU are going to be playing for the MVC championship...should make life in this house very interesting. If only I could find the kids Bradley shirts! Ordinarily, I couldn't care less about basketball but when my team makes the Post, how exciting is that? Sorry, honey, but this is war and I don't really care if SIU needs this win...I'm rooting for Bradley. You know you'd do the same in my shoes.

GO BRAVES!!!!!!!!

Finally Friday

Wow. It's Friday. Where did the week go? I'm a little thrown since Mike took Wednesday off. He even came home early yesterday. He says it's because he has another big project coming up and he wants to come home at a "normal" time for a while. Sounds good to me.

Hannah is going to her first birthday party (the first party that only she is invited to...not the boys) tomorrow. She's so excited. Every time I mention it to Mike, he laughs. He thinks that their little worlds are so cute. Sometime today, I have to go buy a gift which means taking the kids to either WalMart or Target. My kids are such beggars...especially Daniel.

For the first time ever (I think) I was referred to as "skinny." Some neighbors and I were talking at the bus stop and two of them were talking about going tanning (one is very tall and thin herself) because "tan fat looks better than white fat" (I'm sure I just lost Debbie to a heart attack). I made a typical comment that sounded something like "yeah, I wish I were as fat as you." My other neighbor looked at me and said "what the heck are you talking about? You've gotten so skinny and I hate you for it." WHAT!?! Me? Really? Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now.

I am not alone in my Grey's Anatomy obsession! I found another friend (a real one, not one online) just as obsessed as I am! Finally! Someone who understands! LOL! In fact, I got at least three e-mails from her yesterday about GA. So, Sue, I guess you are off the hook. Even though there's no show this week (freaking Oscars) I've had my Patrick Dempsey fix in several different places this week...Oprah, Barbara Walters and they showed Sweet Home Alabama last night. This is getting very sad. Seriously. I need to get a life.

A Pretty Good Day

Yesterday was pretty good. Mike actually took yesterday off and I was able to go to Weight Watchers alone. To add to that, I lost 3 pounds, bringing my total at WW to 22.8 pounds. Only 7 more pounds to goal! Whoo hoo!

I went out last night to get coffee for me and Mike. When I got back, I heard Daniel at the top of the stairs saying, "MOOOOOOMMM! We got trouble up here!" I went up and the trouble was a little spider in his room. It was so funny. We got trouble. He always says things that make me just want to squeeze him! Lately, he's been really interested in babies. He keeps asking if he was in my tummy and things like that. He asked Hannah the other day when she is going to have her baby. I said to him, "not for at least 30 years!" When telling this story to my playgroup girls, they told me that in 25 years, I'll be asking her where my grandkids are!

A message from Daniel:

hjdanieljkjhl