Life's Lessons

Corn kernels.......

2010-09-27T20:39:00.002-05:00

Today was supposed to be the perfect day.... Katherine and Caleb had the day off school so I organized a neighborhood outing to the Center Grove Apple Orchard. I had packed a picnic lunch, the sun shining, and we were going to be playing outside all day with friends. Sokolowski's were riding with us so we had a packed car... 6 kids in total -- tons of laughter planning all they'd do that day.

Unfortunately, things didn't go exactly as planned.... As soon as we arrived, the kids immediately wanted to go into the "corn pool" which is a huge pit filled with corn and surrounded by slides and bales of hay. We walked in and I took out my camera, but couldn't get it to work. I fiddled around with the settings and made sure it was turned on, but still no luck. All of a sudden it dawned on me -- I had forgotten my my battery. Really??? I couldn't believe it. As luck would have it, Julie also shoots with a Cannon, so I was going to snag her battery, but it wasn't compatible. Strange, but true. So we decided that I'd just shoot with her camera, but I wanted to put my lens on it.

All of a sudden, Caleb starts screaming. The look on his face told me that something was SERIOUSLY wrong. He looked totally panic stricken. It wasn't a "I'm in pain" cry. There was pure panic and fear on his face. He wasn't OK.

I ran over and dropped next to him in the corn. He was beside himself. He was terrified and couldn't talk right away. It pained me to see him like this.

Finally I got out of him that he was making "corn angels" (similar to snow angels but in corn LOL) and a kernel went into his ear. I got him out, looked in the light and didn't see anything. Julie (who is a pharmacist) also thought it looked fine. Caleb INSISTED that something was in his ear.

I took him outside, pulled his ear lobe back to get a deep look in the canal. I saw what I thought was earwax. Before today, I had never thought of it, but dried corn and earwax are pretty much the same color! LOL!!

*** The worst thing about this whole ordeal was that the kernel was in his bad ear. If you ever noticed in pictures, Caleb has two different ears. They don't match at all, and the one causes him a tremendous amount of grief. Normally, it is much fatter and sticks out from his head much further than the other ear. When he's sick it sticks out even further, gets fiery red and runs a fever. This ear is the reason that you've never seen a picture of him without a collared shirt on. It's too painful for him to wear a regular t-shirt.... pulling it over his head brings tears to his eyes. So polo shirts it is for my handsome little guy!

Anyway, Julie and I finally could see the kernel so I ran to find a tweezers. Neither Julie or I could get it out. We could feel it, but couldn't get close to grabbing it. I called Dr. Jon's office in a panic. The office girls told me he was totally full, and I should take Caleb to the walk in clinic. That wasn't happening!! I told them to go talk to Jon and assured the office girl he'd see Caleb. Around this point, my phone loses signal. I call back, and explain the situation again and then hang up. I have no clue what on earth I was thinking. I was about in a panic! All of a sudden, I break down, tears in my eyes, thinking about going to some hack in the walk-in clinic, and my poor little guy enduring a broken ear drum. I call back a third time, and the office girl told me that Jon was with a patient, and his nurse was going to talk to him. 15 minutes later, he gets on the phone with me, and tells me that he won't be able to get it out either. I need to take Caleb to an ENT as they have special tools and a vacuum to get it out.

OK, at least Jon was honest.... he couldn't do it, but of course, the walk-in clinic wasn't an option either.

The rest of the day was a blur. We decided to stay and let the rest of the kids play, since going home wouldn't do anything for Caleb's ear. The kids played in the hay maze, enjoyed the picnic and jumped on this huge pillow thing. It's like a trampoline but about 40 yards long and doesn't drop off on the side like a trampoline would. Katherine put on quite a show. Kids stared at her in awe as she did back handsprings down the entire length of it -- maybe 9 or 10 in a row. Julie got it on video, and the funniest part is watching all the kids standing and staring at her! LOL.

Right before we left, we went out to the orchard and picked apples. The kids climbed the trees and Andrew ran up and down the rows of trees screaming in delight. Thankfully, Julie took tons of pictures, and as soon as she sends them I'll post pictures!

In order for me to get Caleb to the doctor, we had to do quite a bit of shuffling. His appointment was at 4, so Matt came home from work while Andrew napped and a friend took Katherine to gymnastics, which started at 4:30.

First of all, the ENT was great. He had a fabulous bedside manner and related to kids wonderfully. I think they immediately assume that kids shove things into their ears and up their nose when something is lodged. However, after talking to Caleb for a few minutes, it was clear that this wasn't the case. This was a one in a million shot and that kernel landed just right. He took a quick look and said that it was lodged in his canal really far, and that it was possible that he might have to be put under and have it surgically removed. Oh. My. Goodness. Really???? He said he know if he could grab it or not right away......

He put a little device into Caleb's ear that widened the opening as much as possible and took out a LONG (maybe 12 inches or so) and super thin rod. He told Caleb to hold as still as possible and pulled it right out. He then showed me the device he used. It had a tiny claw on the end that he used to grab the tip of the kernel. *SIGH* What a relief! He told me that if the kernel had gone into his ear any other way, he probably could not have grabbed it.

We then went on to talk about that ear. He noticed the difference right away, and without me saying anything. DUH, that's his job! LOL! I told him how much trouble he had with it, how it hurt him, how he only wears polo shirts, how it runs a fever when he's sick, etc..... and the ENT mentioned that if Caleb was his child, he'd have plastic surgery done to fix it. It was an easy fix, especially given the fact that he'll be in sports, wear helmets, and socially, it'd be nice to have it fixed. I've thought about having it fixed many times in the past, but today, hearing an ENT tell me that I should have it done, is really making me think. He gave me name and number of a plastic surgeon here in Des Moines that just does surgery from the neck up. UUUUUGH.

Hub of Activity

2010-09-10T13:09:00.002-05:00

Preparations for Caleb's big bash are under way! While I'm trying to decorate, fill goodie bags, cook and wrap presents, Caleb is in his element. He helped me for a while this morning, but then knocks kept coming to the door. First Chase, his little buddy down the street, to show off his new Spiderman Halloween costume. Then Collin to have lunch with Caleb and play for a while... Finally, Chase came back over and the three boys are livin' it up. They're playing basketball and air hockey in the basement. They've had their fill of "treats" from the pantry, and now all I hear is random hoop-la and laughing.

I love that our house is the hub of activity. I love it that Caleb's friends want to come and play here. I love it that I know his friends and they all know me, and that they feel comfortable here. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

Now ... if only Andrew would nap!

It's almost here!

2010-09-08T22:33:00.002-05:00

My little Caleb will turn 5 on September 14, and he's been counting down the days since Christmas. Oh, how I wish I was kidding! LOL!! Seriously, the countdown has been on for months and he is so excited that he can hardly stand it! Thankfully, we are finally down to counting the hours rather the weeks and days.

Friday night we are having a bash for him. He has chosen a soccer theme, since that's his new favorite sport, and we found the most adorable cake for him. He's super excited about it! He also wanted a pinata, but not a soccer ball one..... he wanted either Batman or Superman. He told me to pick out what I liked the best -- after all, if I liked it, he would love it! I ended up finding a huge Batman pinata, and he and I spent the afternoon filling it with all sorts of goodies -- candy, gum, play-doh and random prizes. He originally thought it would be a good idea to put money in as well, but thankfully I was able to talk him out of that!

Tomorrow after he's done with school, we are going to assemble the treat bags, and get ready to party! I'm so excited for him! He's been waiting for this weekend for months and I'm finally glad it's here!

Oh, and I had to share this.... I ended up buying him a plasma car. I hope he loves it! It's one of those things that no one else in the neighborhood has, so I hope it'll be something new and exciting for the kids to play with! Can't wait to see him give it a try!!

Oh and one little funny that is soooo Caleb.....

He loves fruit. Absolutely LOVES it! If he could eat nothing else, he'd be one happy camper. One of his favorite outings is a trip to Costco to pick out a cart full of juicy treats. (Yea, he's a quirky one!!) So, last time we were there, he chose, among lots of other things, a huge crate of plums.

As soon as we got home, he asked to have one ... or two ... or three.... I finally had to tell him that he had to stop or he'd be sick. He looks at me, gives me a non-convincing look and says, "AAAWWWW, come on Mom. It's like your grounding me from plums!"

Preschool begins!

2010-09-07T21:23:00.004-05:00

This year I agonized a million times over the right place to send Caleb for preschool. Should he go to Tiny Treasures, the Lutheran preschool that Katherine attended for three years? The school he went for the last two years? The school I loved and was very involved in, including sitting on the board that ran it? The school where we met so many wonderful people and made life long friends? OR ... should I send him to the Johnston public preschool -- a totally new place (to us) where all my neighbors were going and so many kids from here in town go? He'd go into kindergarten knowing so many more people..... The curriculum at the public preschool feeds right into into the kindergarten curriculum, which I liked. Oh, and he'd have Friday off, which means a "Mommy and Caleb" day -- also a plus since he'll go to school for the rest of his life.

I was so conflicted. I made lists detailing the pros and cons of each school. I asked the opinion of so many people, listening to what they said and filing it away, but always knowing I'd send him exactly where I wanted to... regardless of what anyone else thought. Everyone kept asking me about it ... Where was I going to send him? Which way was I leaning? When would I decide? I had no answers. Seriously, when August 10th rolled around, I was no closer to making a decision than I was May. This was one of those decisions that made my stomach hurt. UUUUUGH! I was so afraid of making the wrong decision.

Miss Jessica, from Johnston, called and wanted to do a home visit. When she arrived at the house, she was pleasant enough, and we got along well. However, I didn't instantly love her, and I should, right??? She just finished her masters degree (in education no less), and gave me tons of detail on the curriculum and the kid's daily schedule. She talked directly to Caleb, and she clearly loves kids, but I was still hesitant. Caleb was not. He liked her -- which was HUGE in my decision.

Ironically enough, not more than 30 minutes after she walked out the door, his would-be teacher from Tiny Treasures called, wanting to set up a home visit. I nearly puked. Seriously. Decision day was on my door step and I still didn't know what to do. Matt was no help. His frequent advise was "it's just preschool. Make a decision and go with it". Thanks a lot....

Finally, I decided to send him to Johnston. It started a week earlier than Tiny Treasures, and I figured if he didn't like it, I'd switch. After all, I had a spot in both schools.

On the first day, he had a blast. He met so many new friends and has three of his neighbor friends in his class. He loves his teacher, and although I still had reservations, we decided to stay. At this point in his "education career" the only thing that really matters is that he likes school, and that he does!

So -- here he is on his first day, August 30th.

With Collin, one of his best friends, and our backyard neighbor.

Check out the snazzy Spiderman backpack. Each year, my mom buys the kids backpacks from Potterybarn as a "back to school" gift and Caleb absolutely loves his!!

Look at those smiles. He can't wait to get to school!

The first week went well. He loves school, loves learning, and loves his teachers. Oh, and going to school with three kids that he knows so well, isn't bad either.

So a week later, I'm relieved to say that I honestly believe that I made the right decision. It's a great school, and he is SO happy there. It's the perfect fit for him -- thank God!! So here's to a great year!!

Back to school!

2010-08-23T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today was Katherine's first day of school .... my baby girl is now a second grader ..... aaahhhh, it seems like every year at this time, I sit wondering where the time has gone.... How quickly the days, months and years are flying by. I really try to cherish each moment with her ... enjoying every moment of her smallness -- her sweet innocence -- her zest for life. She's turning into this amazing girl that I am SO proud of.

Every year, I make her favorite "reverse" chocolate chip cookies on the first day of school. It's a chocolate cookie with white chips and she'd eat a dozen if I didn't stop her! So while she was working hard this afternoon in school, Caleb and I whipped up a batch.

Here she is eating her absolute favorite cookie and enjoying a gorgeous afternoon with friends. (For some reason all the pictures uploaded backwards...)

Caleb with one of his best friends, Collin. It's funny -- today I went to the zoo with some neighbors (Andrea, Carolyn and Kristin), and as we were at the playground a lady stopped the boys and and asked them if they were brothers. Caleb just laughed and said "NO"!, she then asked if they were cousins, and again he laughed and said, "NO WAY! He's not my family, just my best friend"!

They boys in our backyard right after eating the cookies Caleb made!

My little Katherine.... a newly turned second grader.

Katherine with her best friend Olivia.

Just off the bus!!

This is one of the main reasons I love our neighborhood. These are the kids who get off at her stop, and there are several more stops in our neighborhood..... These are her friends. These are the kids she's grown up with since birth. These are my friend's children. When she remembers her childhood, it will be filled with many memories of each person in the picture. I can't express in words how special this neighborhood is ... how much laughter fills the air, how many great friends she has here, how much warmth and love exists here. We laugh about it, but it's true... this neighborhood is like 1950's America.

Getting off the bus!!

Caleb getting ready to grab Katherine off the bus. He couldn't wait to see his big sister!

I drove Katherine to school today -- I just had to get some "school" pics!!

This is Katherine in her classroom. She is super excited to finally get a desk this year! This girl is ready and eager to learn!!

This is her teacher, Mrs. South.

Putting things away in her locker.... Notice the lunch bag in the top shelf ... she won't even eat a hot lunch on the first day! LOL!!

See the heart pillow on the floor??? Her teacher asked each child to bring a small pillow that they could sit or lay on while they read. We found this little gem at Target and it's been quite the hit!!

Walking into school --

Heading to school! She was so excited about going to school this year!

Harsh...

2010-08-09T21:43:00.003-05:00

This afternoon, before Katherine's regular gymnastics class, we had to run down to the gym to pick up the official invitation package for pre-team. This class is the bridge between the recreational classes and the competitive team. Katherine has always been in an "invite-only" class, but with this pre-team invitation, it's the first time she's been officially considered on the competitive side of the gym. She could not be happier!

When we opened the invitation package and I started reading, I almost couldn't believe the contract we have to sign. Oh baby ... it's harsh. No doubt about it -- they mean business. All of the fun and games are over.

The letter started by congratulating Katherine on all of her achievements thus far, and told her that they see great potential in her future. She has what they are looking for -- strength, flexibility and attitude. It went on to say that they have chosen her and want to work with her. In turn, she has to choose them. It is a great commitment on the part of her, us as parents, and them as coaches. We all need to be on the same page going forward.

Speaking of going forward... the letter then went on to say that this was an invite only class and that at the end of each trimester she would be tested. They expected to see progress in her gymnastics -- both strength and skills, and that at the end of each trimester they would re-evaluate her, and she would either be asked back, or wouldn't be.... Just this year, one girl only made it one trimester. UUUUUGH!

So we have to sign the letter, including a sheet of rules and regulations, and return it back to the gym if we could live with all of the stipulations. Katherine was ready to sign on the dotted line immediately, but I really wanted to sit down and explain to her *exactly* what this letter said. I told her what they expected of her and that any time she could be moved out of the class. Oh, and the conditioning -- it's a totally different animal now... 5 minute handstands against the wall, 5 laps around the floor of squat jumps, oodles of sit-ups, v-ups, push ups, wheel-barrows, pull ups, etc.... I didn't want want to sugar-coat any of it. I really wanted her to go in with her eyes wide open. She looked me right in the eye, and said, "Mommy, how would I get any better if I didn't get stronger"?

I went on to tell her that I always wanted her to have fun in the gym and that when the day came that she wasn't having fun anymore, we could explore other activities. At this point, she laughs at me and says, "Mommy, it is FUN when you get better, and to get better, I need to work really hard and get stronger. I'm not afraid of anything in that gym". Needless to say, when Matt got home, he sat her down and had a similar conversation with her to make sure that this was REALLY what she wanted.... and of course, it is! She just looked at him and laughed in delight most of the time!

That's my girl. She loves gymnastics and is willing to practice harder and longer most other girls her age... which is why she's landed in the spot she has, at one of the best gyms in the nation. She has more heart and soul than anyone I know. She is determined to succeed, and truly grasps what sacrifices she'll have to make to reach her goals. Regardless of where this crazy gymnastics dream takes her, she's learning valuable lessons about life. Hard work, determination and finding a goal worth sacrificing for will get you anywhere in life. She's mature beyond her 7 years. She "gets" what many adults still don't. AAAHHH, I'm proud of her!

Congratulations to Katherine!

2010-08-08T21:54:00.002-05:00

Shortly after we arrived at church today, I got an email with "Congratulations to Katherine" in the subject line. It was in all bold and from from Chows. Li (Chow's wife) was writing to officially extend an offer to Katherine to join pre-team. I didn't say anything, just handed my blackberry to Katherine and let her read it. Her eyes got as huge as saucers and she started jumping up and down. She has worked so hard for this, and I could not be more proud of her.

It's a well known fact that any of the girls in her current class could go to any other gym in town and make team. She could compete this year. In fact, every girl that got "cut" from her class is going to be competing this fall for other local gyms. However, Chow doesn't believe in level 4 gymnasts competing. It's not worth the time or effort on his part and he doesn't want to burn the girls out early. He takes them along VERY slowly, and drills form into them. As a result, Katherine is very strong for her age and size, and what she does, she does it well. On pre-team she'll be perfecting her level 5 skills and then competing either next fall or the following year. It just depends on how quickly she perfects her skills.

She has worked so hard for this. It's something she's done all on her own, and I am so proud of her dedication and persistence. There's been so many days when most kids would have quit, but not Katherine. She truly loves gymnastics and is willing to do what it takes to make her dream come true. I love that about her. I really do.

Oh, and in other news..... Friday night I got a call. An older girl on team had a bar (the gymnastics variety -- sorry Danyel!) and was looking to sell it. She called to see if I was interested.... One thing led to another and we currently have a gymnastics bar in the basement. Oh man ... she LOVES it. Most girls her age dream of dolls. Katherine dreams of gymnastics equipment. LOL!!

LCB

2010-08-07T21:09:00.002-05:00

What is LCB you might ask??? Oh, it'd be Caleb's new nickname -- courtesy of Matt, and a VERY poor choice on Caleb's part....

Caleb isn't a kid who makes snap decisions. He thinks things through, analyzes all options and considers all possibilities before rushing to judgement. He's a kid who totally grasps "delayed gratification" and doesn't follow the crowd. Which is why I was totally shocked at his decision tonight. UUUUGH. Part of me wanted to scream at him, and the other part of me had to conceal my laughter...

Matt and I decided to take the kids out for ice cream. On the way home, Caleb asked me if I'd like some lip chap. I said "no thanks" and took some out of my purse and put it on. He was all the way in the third row seat of the Sequoia, and it was too far to throw a tube of lip balm back and forth... Several minutes later Matt made a comment about being able to smell lip chap. I told him it must have been mine. How wrong I was!

When we got home, I opened the door to let Katherine and Caleb out of the back seat. One look at Caleb, and I was immediately horrified. He used the ENTIRE tube of lip chap and rubbed it all over his face (including, but not limited to, his cheeks, nose, forehead, chin and ears), arms, hands, legs, feet and neck. He was so greased up that he couldn't even hold his cup without it slipping out of his hands! And his face ... it looked like he stuck his head in a bowl of whipped cream. Oh my heavens... I about blew my top. I couldn't let him walk into the house by himself, because he decided that the bottom of his feet needed a little "lip chap pedicure" as well. I was furious! I carried him upstairs to my bathroom and lectured him the entire way. It was straight into the shower for him!! But of course he needed to use the bathroom first. When he got off the toilet, I threw him in the shower only to realize that the toilet lid and seat were totally greasy! UUUUUGH! So there I am, fuming about Caleb's wonderful decision to lube himself up with lip chap and scrubbing a toilet. It wasn't pretty, I assure you!

While I'm scrubbing him down in the shower, Katherine and Matt gather to watch the little show. I asked him what on earth he was thinking and why he'd do such a thing, and he answered me in this sweet little voice, "Mommy I didn't want my forehead or legs to get chapped". At this point, I had to walk away. Part of me wanted to snap back, "if you do this again, you better save some for your rear because I assure you that WILL be chapped"! and part of me had to bite my tongue to stop from laughing. As much as I tried to keep my game face on, my anger quickly turned to laughter. But I couldn't let him see me losing it. Katherine caught me and immediately joined in. In no time, we were all laughing. He was so innocent. He thought that if it worked on lips, it should work everywhere, and while I'm sure it would, I can assure you, he won't be given another opportunity to find out!

So what is LCB??? Lip Chap Boy. That's my Caleb.

My heart melts....

2010-07-29T21:50:00.003-05:00

It's been a whirlwind last couple of days....

Each summer, Andrea, Julie and I get *dozens* of ears of corn.... shuck them, cook them, cut the kernels off the cobs, and then freeze them to eat during the long Iowa winters when these lazy carefree days of summer have long passed. It's such a treat, and the kids .... well ... they love it. So yesterday, we spent several hours working on the corn and chatting while the kids played and swam in the backyard. They had a blast, and truthfully so did we!

Now -- one thing about the corn that truly deserves mentioning. (Especially for my friends who don't live in Iowa)... When you live in Iowa you NEVER buy sweet corn in the grocery store. No... you buy it either at a gas station or bank parking lot, from a guy in a pick-up truck, who picked it fresh that morning. And you NEVER buy it a day ahead because that same guy will be there tomorrow with fresh corn. It's soooo much better than anything in the grocery store. Totally yummy!

So while we were working on the corn project, Katherine and Jenna decided that they wanted to have a slumber party later that night. So after we got home from gymnastics, Jenna came down, and within minutes the house was filled with Barbie dolls, dance music and laughter... oh the laughter. How I love it! Proof positive that they were having a wonderful time together.

They finally went to sleep after watching a movie and eating popcorn in the basement. I assumed that they'd (actually Jenna) would sleep in after a full day of swimming, playing with friends and an exciting sleep over. No such luck! When Andrew woke up at 6:15, Jenna was already up and playing Barbies. Katherine was still sound asleep in bed. In Katherine's world, 6:15 am might as well be sometime in the middle of the night. It's WAY to early to be awake and among the living. She'd much rather sleep in! (Yet another reason why she is sooo my daughter! LOL!!). In any event, we were all awake by 6:45 am, and I was showered and ready for the day! Typically, my kiddos don't wake up until sometime after 8, and it could be as late as 8:45!

I made them pancakes for breakfast, and then it was off to spend the day at Adventureland with Matt, Jenna, Nate and the Launderville's. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The kids went on tons of rides, checked out the new addition to the water park, saw lots of their other friends both from school and Chow's and cooled off by eating ice cream at the end of the day. Andrew got to ride on his beloved train, and he was screaming "CHOO --CHOO"! the whole time we were on it! He LOVES trains, and was in Heaven the whole time!

When we got home, I laid Andrew down for his nap and Katherine and Caleb wanted to chill out and watch a movie. A few minutes later, Katherine came upstairs and we read together. After a while I told her that I was going to check on Caleb. She immediately told me that he was sleeping. I still wanted to make sure he was OK..... I found him curled up in his favorite chair sound asleep just as Katherine said. But what I saw absolutely melted my heart. Katherine had put a pillow under his head, covered him with a blanket and tucked him in. It almost brought tears to my eyes. She was so thoughtful, so caring, such a wonderful big sister .... all without being asked. She did it because she loves him with all heart and wants to make sure he's taken care of. It's in these small moments that I realize I've done something right as a parent. And in ordinary moments like this I realize she's an extraordinary girl.

Tomorrow morning, we're off to book club. The moms sit around and discuss the book (and lots of other things) and the kids swim in the backyard. Then, Matt and the kiddos are heading to LeMars and I'm staying here. It's going to be a quiet weekend for me -- scrapbooking, spending time with good friends, and relaxing. I'm looking forward to it!!

Slumber party!!

2010-07-23T21:37:00.003-05:00

Today hardly seems like a Friday. I don't dare say it... but it really feels more like a Saturday (which thankfully it is not)!!

Matt had a work dinner last night, and when he's gone on these type of work outings, he usually doesn't get home until 10 or after. Last night he pulled into the driveway at 7:15. He looked horrible, was running a fever and super achy. Needless to say, he went right down to the basement and stayed as far away from the kids and I as possible. The rest of us don't need to get sick! I brought him down some Advil, water, and saltines, but other than that, the kids and I kept our distance.

All day today he's been feeling horrible. Fever, achy, chilled ... the works. If he doesn't feel better by tomorrow, it's off to the doctor!

So anyway... Libby came to clean today. Oh man... it was perfect timing! She cleaned our room first, and then Matt went up there while she cleaned the rest of the house. That way the "germs" can be contained, and the rest of the house can be sterilized.

Since Matt and Andrew would both be napping at the same time, I took Katherine and Caleb to Despicable Me in 3D. We stopped and picked out yummy treats and enjoyed the show. They loved the movie. I'm not sure if it was the actual movie that they liked so much or just going. In any event, it was a huge success!

Olivia, Katherine's best friend, had planned to spend the night tonight, so as soon as we got home I called over to her house and she came running! The girls have had a blast! We ordered pizza, they played American Girl Dolls, we went to the park and there were tons of girly giggling and outright laughter. Love it!!

Oh man... it was so hot and humid out tonight that as soon as we go to the park they were ready to go. They wanted to keep riding their scooters to keep cool. So away we went! (I had Caleb and Andrew along since Matt was sick). They rode and rode... The sky kept getting darker and darker. Finally, I insisted that we head home and as we were pulling in the driveway, I could feel a few drops. I walked in though the garage door, looked out in the backyard and it was down pouring. Literally, it was coming down sideways! Caleb has been laughing all night that we made it home just in the "nick of time"!

The girls are finally in bed ... chatting away, giggling up a storm and making plans for tomorrow. I love that! It's so great to see Katherine developing friendships and really growing into a wonderful girl. I fondly remember those days, and I'm so glad that she's enjoying every minute!

Oh, great news!! I was called for jury duty starting next week, and as much as I want to fulfill my civic duty and understand the importance of it (after all, I was a breath away from going to law school when fate took my life another direction), I wasn't overly thrilled at giving up a week of summer vacation to do it. I am juror number 480. In Polk County, you are instructed to call in Friday after 5 and they will tell you if you have to report. They only got to 285, so for now, I'm safe. I need to call back in on Tuesday night (to possibly report on Wednesday), but my neighbor who is one of the district attorneys, says that several trials, including his, for this week were moved. So maybe, just maybe, I won't be called!

Oh, and as I type this... I still hear chattering and giggles! Katherine and Olivia are having a wonderful time!! I'm just hoping they get a little sleep!

Going .... going .... gone!

2010-07-18T22:03:00.001-05:00

Last night, an unexpected, and huge thunderstorm rolled in and rocked our little corner of the world. The winds were howling and it was it was raining ....errr... down pouring. It was blowing so hard, I could hear it howling around the house and when I looked out the window the rain was coming down sideways. UUUUUGH....

When I woke up in the morning, the news channel was reporting 70 mph winds and 1.5 inches of rain. Holy cow! I walked downstairs and Matt shot me a look. "Look out in the back yard" he tells me.

There I see Katherine's most beloved trampoline. It has been transformed into a heap of mangled metal bars. The protective netting has been ripped away and the rods holding it up are now bent beyond repair and touching the ground. Oh... it wasn't a pretty sight!

Immediately, and without discussion, we decided to buy a new one. After all, Katherine is on that thing every day ... literally, and practicing her gymnastics. I feel so badly for her. When she walked downstairs this morning, she came and cuddled on my lap. I told her to look out in the back yard. The poor girl ... immediate tears. We assured her we'd buy a new one, but it just broke her heart...

We (read Matt) spent the better part of the day taking it down and trying to decide how to dispose of it. Oh, but get this.... Matt had it anchored into the ground with huge steaks and a metal chains around the legs. The clasps on the chain held, but the winds were so strong that it literally pulled the links apart. Holy winds!!

So now we are on the lookout for a new trampoline. Matt found one he liked on the Internet, and he's going to get a new system to secure it into the ground. Hopefully this one lasts a little while longer than a couple of months!!

In other storm news... Our neighbors in the back lost a huge tree. It came crashing down right through our next door neighbor's fence and took over a good chunk of their back yard. Two other huge trees also came down on the street causing quite a bit of damage. It was crazy around here this morning!!

Andrew has been under the weather lately. He's had a stuffy nose, breathing problems and a low grade fever, so Matt took Katherine and Caleb to church while I stayed home with him. It was a perfect excuse to spend a little time snuggling with just him and them we took off to survey the damage. Let's just say, that given the damage I saw around here, we got lucky!

The Slide arrived...

2010-07-13T22:33:00.002-05:00

One of the kids' favorite things of summer is their big Banzai water slide. I decided to buy it for them last summer when Andrew was a baby because I didn't feel comfortable taking a 9 month old baby and Caleb who was 3.5 at the time to a public pool by myself. There was too much risk for something to go wrong.... Anyway, welcome water slide! My kids LOVE you! Actually the neighborhood loves you! LOL.

If you've been reading the blog for very long you know we have a neighborhood FULL of little kids. Literally, somewhere over 50 of them, and let's just say.... when the water slide is out, our backyard is the "hot" spot for sure.

Last night I took Katherine to try on dresses for my sister's wedding. We found some really cute dresses that will work perfectly for both Morgan and Katherine as the dresses come in several different sizes, but still cut the same. So the girls are super excited about that! There's nothing better than getting a brand new super fancy dress! Katherine was equally excited about the shoes. She's "hoping" for something with a little heel!

Anyway, while we were gone, Matt put up the water slide for a party Katherine organized. She invited all the little girls from her gymnastics class over, and had planned activities, treats and trampoline time. However, when the neighborhood kids saw it come up they instantly asked if they could come over too. Katherine wasn't "thrilled" with the idea, since she wanted it to be just her gymnastics friends (and one little boy she invited for Caleb to play with -- how great is she??? I mean really? The thought of not including him didn't even cross her mind. She wanted him there, wanted him to have fun and made an effort to make sure that happened. Love that girl. Love her big heart. Love how thoughtful she is).

Everyone arrives at 1 and the slide goes up. Water is everywhere. Little girl laughter and screaming literally fills the backyard. The show they are putting on in the trampoline resembles circus monkeys! 7 girls arrive, plus Jenna and Olivia her friends from the neighborhood, plus the two older sisters of the friend she invited for Caleb and she has a rockin' party in no time -- music and all!

At this point, several of our neighbors start coming over and before you know it, we've got 23 kids in the backyard. Julie, my friend from gymnastics, couldn't believe it. They live on an acreage and don't have any neighbors. When kids come to their house they have to go and pick them up. No one just shows up. Her kids don't have instant play dates, and her house isn't filled with commotion.... I love it. I love knowing what my kids are doing and who their friends are. I don't mind feeding an army or having my backyard flooded. I know the kids my kids call their friends, their friends know me, they are comfortable at our house and want to hang out here. I love that now and in 10 years it will be invaluable.

duck attack

2010-07-10T22:14:00.006-05:00

This has been a really great and super busy weekend! Last night we had Todd, Caroline and the boys over for a little Cool Basil take-out and we broke out the giant water slide for the first time. It has been far too rainy this summer to purposefully drench the yard, so this was a big treat for the kids. They played on the slide for no less than 3 hours, ate outside and then got cleaned up and went to the fireworks in West Des Moines. It was a late, exhausting night with lots of laughter and great memories.

This morning we got up early and went to gymnastics. When class was over, we headed straight home, changed Katherine's clothes and took off for my nephew Leo's birthday party. His party got over at three and Katherine had another birthday party tonight at 4. The second party is a sleep over at Jenna's house.... Her first sleep over birthday party to be exact. 8 other little girls were invited, and I have to say this.... there is NO WAY I'd let her go if Jenna's mom was not one of my good friends, and I didn't know the ENTIRE family VERY WELL. Oh my goodness... it's all I can do to stop my fingers from dialing the phone right now and telling her good night! It's so strange not having her here!

So while she was gone, Matt and I took the boys out for dinner and then we went to feed the ducks -- which was Caleb's pick of activities. They had so much fun!

The highlight from the duck adventure was Andrew's little run in with a Canadian goose. He was perfectly content to watch the geese and eat the bread himself. Clearly the pizza at dinner didn't fill him up! LOL. Anyway, one of these aggressive geese ran up to him and snatched the bread out of his hand. Oh my goodness! I wish I had it on video! He squealed with laughter and couldn't stop throwing bread at them from that point on. He loved it!

Here's a few pictures -

chaos at the zoo...

2010-06-30T17:19:00.002-05:00

Today was a zoo day! The weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining brightly (for a change) and the humidity was non-existent (also for a change). Perfect for spending the day outside with a ton of kiddos! I talked to Andrea and Julie last night and they decided to join us. So, between the three of us adults, we had 9 kids -- Julie's two, Andrea's three, and my three plus one friend Katherine wanted to bring with us. They were so excited!!

When we arrived, there were several buses and "child care" type vans. There was a line to get in the front door. It was BUSY! Evidently several people had the same idea that we did!

When we all got through the front door and organized to start on our trip, Andrea looks and Collin (who is 4), and says in her most serious voice, "COLLIN, you see Caleb? Stay right beside him all day. If you see him go somewhere, you follow him"!!

To say that I was dumbfounded by her comment would be quite the understatement. I immediately whipped my head around and shot her a look - all with my mouth hanging wiiiide open. I then said something like, "Are you KIDDING me? You want my 4 year old to watch yours"? They are a couple of little boys and if there is trouble to be found, they usually run right into it!

She then told me that Collin has a tendency to run off (no kidding! LOL) and that if he was allowed to follow Caleb around, he wouldn't wander off on his own.

OK, right.... I can't wait to see how successful this tactic is!

It was a great day. The kids had so much fun riding the train, playing on the playground, feeding the goats and fish and having lunch. On our trip to the African exhibit the kids got to get "up close and personal" with a giraffe and then found a nest of baby birds. I have to tell you... The baby birds was probably the highlight of the day!!

All of a sudden, Collin is missing. As in no where.... Andrea looks at me and says "do you see Caleb? Of course you do, because he's with all the other kids. He doesn't take off like Collin!" We spent the next several minutes looking for her little guy only to find him about 3 blocks away looking at some "skin and skull" exhibit. UUUUUGH! I then had to endure the "I told you so" baloney for the next hour!

Andrea had to leave the zoo a little early, so I took Katherine, Caleb, Andrew and Emma (her little friend) over for ice cream and a little more play time.

Oh, I almost forgot! At lunch, Emma had a loose tooth. I'm not sure what it is about loose teeth, but they just give me the willeys. UUUUGH. They creep me out! Katherine was telling Emma to just pull it out. So she did. Blood everywhere. I wrapped up the tooth, put it in my purse, and told her I'd give it to her when we got home.

We got home, I gave it to her and wouldn't you know... she lost it on the way home. The poor girl was in hysterics. Her eyes were swollen, she was sobbing, unable to breathe. She was SURE where she lost it, but couldn't find it. I sent Katherine to her house to get her dad and we all looked and looked and looked. Finally, her dad found it, slipped it in his pocket and didn't tell the girls. The tooth fairy has a BIG surprise coming!!

Quiet... too quiet....

2010-06-28T21:19:00.002-05:00

The house is quiet.... too quiet really. I'm not used to a quiet house. I'm used to a house full of commotion, full of laughter, full of life. Tonight, I have none of that.... Matt is on a work dinner. Katherine and Caleb are spending the night with my parents, and Andrew is sleeping (finally).

We had an amazing day. We woke up early and spent the morning swimming. Andrew had a blast. At first he was a little timid of the water, but once he saw Katherine and Caleb and all the fun they were having, he jumped right in. Literally! He had soooo much fun. He played his little heart out all morning.

We left the pool, ran home to grab Katherine's leotard, and took off for my parent's house. Today was a big day for little miss Katherine. Today was the day that we scheduled the movers so that we could inherit my parent's piano, and let me tell you.... she can't wait to start lessons. The movers were supposed to call me at 1:30 and arrive at 2. When 2:00 rolled around, I still hadn't heard from them ..... So I quickly called another mom whose daughter is in Katherine's class, and sent her to Chow's with them. (Class started at 3). FINALLY, at 3:15 the movers arrive . I understand that moving pianos for a living can be unpredictable, and they were super nice, so all was quickly forgiven. LOL. Since her class got done at 4:30, my dad went to pick her up and I went on with the business of moving the piano. After she got home we were all starving so I ordered pizza and Katherine and Caleb went home with Grammy and Pop-pops. They wanted to spend the night. I'm sure it'll be an early night for all. They've got to be exhausted!

Piano lessons start Monday, July 5th, and I really hope she loves them. I soooo hope she learns to play the piano. I just might start learning right along with her!

In other news.....

It's been a super busy summer so far. The kids have had swimming lessons the last two weeks. We've made trips to the Science Center, The Playground for Kids, the zoo, Adventureland, gone on lots of play dates, and took a little trip to LeMars for several days. Oh yea... and gymnastics three times a week. This past weekend was the annual Hodapp BBQ and it was a blast. I think the total was around 75 people.... Everyone had a great time, and it's become one of our favorite summer traditions. I've taken a million pictures so far this summer, but haven't had time to download and edit them yet.

Oh, one more thing....

I just registered Caleb for soccer this fall. He's in a 4/5 league, which is the youngest they start here in Johnston. Unfortunately, the way his birthday falls, I couldn't register him last year. So this is his first "organized" sporting experience. He can't wait. He's so excited about getting soccer shoes and his uniform. Several hours later, we have this conversation (out of the blue):

Caleb: Mommy, I wish Katherine was 5.

Me: Really? Why buddy?

Caleb: Because I'm 4 and a half, you know!

Me: I know you are. Your birthday is right around the corner though, and soon you'll be 5.

Caleb: Well, I don't want to turn 5. I wanna stay 4 and a half and I want Katherine to be 5.

Me: I just laughed...... Why???

Caleb: I want her to be on my soccer team, Mommy. She's my best friend and it would be so much fun with her there.

Aaaawwww.... he's so sweet. He's so blessed to have such a great big sister. She's so blessed to have an amazing little brother. They're so blessed to have each other. And, I'm so blessed to watch their relationship develop and grow. I hope they always stay close and make their relationship a priority.

Flooded!!

2010-06-17T21:56:00.003-05:00

It's been a day... a rainy, hot, humid day....

When I got out of the shower this morning, I looked outside. It was 6:45 and looked like the Heavens could open up and downpour. I wondered for a brief moment if swimming lessons would be cancelled, but then decided I better get a move on and start the day. Swimming lessons started at 8, and I didn't want to waste time by checking the weather.

At 7:15 the sky turned pitch dark, and the rain started. And oh did it rain! It rained and rained and rained. Seriously it was down pouring like I haven't seen in ages. Swimming lessons were cancelled, and rescheduled for 9:30. The kids looked out the window and called me over -- by the sounds of their voice, there was some kind of emergency. I looked outside and saw a 10 - 15 foot wide river running through our backyard. It finally pooled in Rick and Danyel's old yard and covered almost the entire backyard. The craziest thing is how fast this newly formed river was moving. "Gushing" would be a better word. Seriously it was moving! The amount of water was shocking! I wish I had taken a picture.... This is one of those "you'd have to see it to believe it" type things. The sheer magnitude of water rushing though our backyard was insane.

This went on for about 30 minutes when all of a sudden we lost power. Everything went dark. The rain stopped after about 35 or 40 minutes, but we were still without power. We got ready for swimming lessons and realized ... without power, we are stuck in the house. So I called my dad and he came over and "disengaged" the garage door so we could make it to swimming lessons. Funny thing is .... on the way home Andrea calls me and tells me that she figures out I don't know how to disengage the garage door, so she's on her way over to do it for me. She knows me well! LOL. She then tells me that we got over 2 inches of rain in slightly less than 45 minutes, and we won't have power for a few hours. 4700 homes were without power, and it would be a while before we got it back.

I get home to a sweltering house. It's now 90 degrees and HUMID. The house is unbearable. I tell Matt what's going on, and he's not the least bit concerned about the temperature in the house. He's worried about the sump pump. Oh my goodness. It never crossed my mind! Imagine that! LOL.

I go downstairs with a flashlight and look down in the sump pump. I can see water -- it's about 8 or 12 inches from the top.... I think. At this point, Andrea calls to tell me that she has water all over the perimeter of the basement. Matt is even more concerned when he hears that we'll be without power for several more hours.

Finally after 4 + hours the power comes on and all is well. I walk the basement looking for water and find none. Thank Heavens!

During this little power outage, the kids went down to the basement to play ... it was the coolest part of the house and also had good light. Morgan was over today too. I'm watching her some days this summer while Laurie is in school.... Anyway, all of a sudden I hear the most chilling frantic screaming/crying fit I've ever heard out of my kids. From the sounds of it, I was sure a limb was amputated. It was so loud and so out of the ordinary, I honestly didn't know who it was.

As I'm rushing to the basement door, I hear Morgan yell, "I'm gonna go and tell your mom"!! OK, so it's either Katherine or Caleb, and from the sounds of it, they're in serious trouble. I race downstairs to find Caleb absolutely beside himself. He's screaming and crying and shaking. He's jumping around, kicking his little legs around in a dance and shaking his hands at warp speed. Tears are streaming down his face and he can't breathe. I scoop him up and try to talk to him, but seriously he can't answer. He is in a different world!

I finally figure out that he's not hurt.... he's scared .... and sorry. Evidently he kicked the ball and it hit the light fixture in the playroom and it came crashing down, shattering on the carpet. I've never been so relieved in my whole life! LOL.

We then had a long talk about the fact that I'd never be mad at him for an accident. He was playing and having fun and that's what he's supposed to do in the playroom. He was so sorry! I kept telling him that it wasn't a big deal, and that he did the right thing by telling me the truth. I felt so badly for him. He just felt horrible! And seriously in the grand scheme of life, this was no big deal! I didn't yell, didn't raise my voice, didn't do anything but smile at him, but he still felt AWFUL!

It was at this point that I decided that Caleb needed to clear his little head, so I packed up the kids, and we went down to the Science Center for a few hours. Seeing him that upset just broke my heart.

*************************

Tonight I went out for dinner for one of my friend's birthday. As I was leaving our development I saw 4 service vans at different neighbor's houses ..... two Servicemaster, and two random. Carpet pad was lying all over their driveways. On the way home from dinner I saw several more. Literally, maybe 8 or 10 trucks total. It seems that everyone I've talked to has water in their basement. I'm not sure how we were able to escape, but thankfully we didn't get water in the basement. I will say this..... as soon as Matt gets home from Canada, we are buying a battery backup for the sump pump.

AAAAAAHHHHHH.... it's been a day!

what a day!!

2010-06-16T21:53:00.003-05:00

This is the first time all day that I've a chance to sit down for more than 2 minutes. It's been one of those crazy, jam packed, fun filled summer days that absolutely wear me out!

Katherine and Caleb are in swimming lessons this week, and LOVE them! If they could go every day of the summer, they'd be all for it! I have them signed for "private" swimming lessons at a house a few miles from home. The lessons and teachers are good, but the house.... not so much. They have 5 big dogs and let's just say that with the heat and humidity we've been having, the smell can get pretty overwhelming. Totally gross. Oh, and I'm sure the dogs are in the pool every chance they get. Disgusting.

This will be the last year for this type of set up. We've been thinking of joining a local country club for a while now, and decided against it this year because Andrew is a little fire-cracker. He's full of energy, trying to keep up with Katherine and Caleb, and most days a total gong-show. It's just not a good scenario. The country club can wait. We'll join in time for next summer when Andrew is a year older, and Katherine and Caleb are a little more self-sufficient. Until then, we're swimming with the dogs! LOL.

After swimming lessons, we rushed home, changed clothes and headed downtown. Katherine had an art class at 10:30, so while she was there, I took the boys to a rose garden by the art center (it's the same place I took the pictures for our Christmas card). The boys had a blast. We walked around for almost two hours, enjoying the morning. All the while, Andrew walked at my side and held my hand. Several times, I looked over to find Caleb holding his other hand. So sweet! It was definitely one of those moments that I wish time could stand still... They boys threw rocks into the water, chased butterflies, picked me some "beautiful flowers" aka - dandelions, and discovered a super exciting pile of poop.... which Caleb insisted was much too big for a deer. It had to belong to something much larger like a buffalo or bear! LOL.

After we picked Katherine up from her art class, we stopped by my parent's house and had Morgan come over for a play date. On the way home, we picked up lunch and they had a little picnic on the deck.

From 3 - 4:30 Katherine had gymnastics. She's doing so well. She's getting stronger, more confident, and her form is improving each day. On Monday, she was ridiculously close to getting her kip which is a HUGE deal, but just didn't quite get over the bar. But wow.... she's close. One quick note... at most gyms around the country, (including the site I attached for those of you who don't know what a kip is), they use various training aides to help the kids "feel" the motion and help them get over the bar. At Chow's... that just doesn't happen. They don't use gimmicky aides to help the kids. The theory is that if the gymnast isn't strong enough, she shouldn't be attempting the skill. Therefore, no aides of any kind are necessary. And down the line it makes perfect sense. Our girls don't show up at meets with bandages all over their arms, hands, legs and feet. No - they've endured more conditioning than you'd ever believe, and as a result don't suffer injuries like other gymnasts. So, when she finally gets over the bar with straight arms, I'll be the first to report it. Until then, she'll keep trying to muscle herself over that bar!

So.... on the way home from gymnastics, Andrew fell asleep. I carried him in the house, and put him in bed. He slept until 7:30 and then woke up super crabby. The poor kid was starving. I fed him and he downed the grill cheese like he'd never seen food before. Katherine had a birthday party at 6 at a neighbor's house, and Caleb and I just played together. It was so nice to spend some good one-on-one time with him. I bought the kids a super cool magnetic ball set that we played with for well over an hour. We built all sorts of structures and conducted experiments with magnets.

It was a great day with the kids. All we did was play and spend time together. This is what life is all about. Oh, and if you're wondering where Matt was in all this... he's in Canada on a business trip! We miss him, but will see him on Friday when he returns home for the weekend! Woo-hoo!

Summer!!

2010-06-14T22:36:00.003-05:00

Monday June 7th was Katherine's final day of school, and it was the day we officially started summer. Matt had taken the week off work and we were ready to spend a lazy week in the sun just enjoying our new found freedom. Woo-Hoo!!

Each May, the school holds an end of the year picnic for the families as a thank you for a great year. It's usually the Friday before school lets out. We eat outside in the lawn, chat with other kids and parents and take a ton of pictures.

Here is Katherine with Parker, and her best friend, Olivia.

Katherine and Olivia.

Katherine with her teacher, Mrs. Snow. Mrs. Snow has been the most fabulous first grade teacher! Seriously, she is amazing and I pray that the boys will get her. She is passionate about teaching (almost to a fault), demands excellence of both herself and the kids, and strives to make her classroom a positive experience for everyone. That she did. Katherine learned more this year that I ever imagined possible. She has left first grade so much better than when she arrived. I am so thankful for this year and the experience that she had.

After the final day of school on Monday, we went over to Sokolowski's house for a little celebration. So many of the kids were there -- maybe 35 or 40, and they played in the backyard and snacked on celebratory ice cream treats, while the moms chatted and started to plan summer activities. Good times!! I'll upload pictures from that little get together soon. They are still in my camera just begging to get out! LOL.

Tuesday morning we took off for LeMars. A friend of Matt's from high school passed away, so we went up for the funeral and to spend a few days with his parents. It was so nice to get back -- it had been way too long. I also have tons of pics from the week, which I promise to upload soon. Hopefully in the next day or so. Stay tuned!!

Caleb's picnic

2010-06-14T21:24:00.007-05:00

What day is it anyway? Seriously, the past two weeks have flown by and there have been several times that I seriously had absolutely no idea what day of the week it was.... and that's fine. After all, isn't that what summer is all about?

Caleb had his big end of the year picnic at school on June 1st. He was really looking forward to having Matt, Andrew and I have lunch at his school, play games, meet his friends (as if we hadn't meet them a million times before LOL!), talk to his teachers and say a final goodbye to school and HELLO to summer! We were ready!

As you may (or may not) know, Caleb is famous for his picture talking ability. I mean... this kid has some mad love for the camera, and smiles .... um well... not at all. Truth be told, he hates the camera, and refuses to smile when the camera is out.... much less, he actually refuses to look at the thing. It so frustrating!

This picture is *typical* of a good shot of him. He may not be smiling, but hey... at least he's looking in the general direction of the camera!

After lunch the school gave ice cream bars to everyone. It was the perfect end-of-the-year treat for the kiddos. It was a really hot and humid day so they had to eat them quick!

Andrew was in heaven! He absolutely loved the ice cream and I'm pretty sure he was in disbelief that he actually got a whole one to himself!

Our little picnic spot and poor Matt was stuck in a suit and tie!

Look at that face! YUMMY!

Caleb claimed that "the sun was in my eyes". This is the best shot I got of him and Mrs. Anderson. That's right.... sadly, this was the best picture out of the 10 or so that I took. Can you sense the frustration??? LOL!

Caleb and Mrs. Hoffman, his assistant teacher. She is wonderful!

Playing in the bubble station before lunch....

yes.... he knows I'm standing 3 feet away from him with the camera, but flat out refuses to look at the thing. Seriously???

Love that little face!

Caleb and his buddy, Fred.

Finally a smile! Isn't he handsome???

Neighborhood Garage Sale

2010-06-03T22:18:00.002-05:00

This is the weekend of our neighborhood garage sale. Pretty much every family in the neighborhood cleaned out their home and is peddling their junk in the front yard. Kids have little stands set up selling cookies and lemonade. All of the kids love it!

I've never had a garage sale.... I'm sure I'll have one someday, but for now, I'm not getting rid of my baby stuff and just don't want to go through the hassle. So everything I have goes to Goodwill! LOL!!

Anyway, tonight after dinner, Katherine and Caleb took off to play with their friends, and the whole group of them decided to run around to each other's houses and check out all of the goods for sale. About 30 minutes later, Katherine burst through the door beaming with pride..... Her arms were full of great finds (aka junk LOL!!!) she found in the free bins at our neighbor's houses... such gems include -- 2 unused swim diapers, a baby rattle, a stuffed donkey that's missing an ear and a finger puppet. She was just thrilled with herself. She was shopping for Andrew and got tons of GRRREEEEAT stuff!

I then gave her a few dollars and she returned with a clipboard (perfect for playing school), a bead crafty thing, and a wonderful little machine that you can make stuffed animals with. Her and Caleb entertained themselves for almost an hour before bed filling used toilet paper rolls with stuffing from this little machine. Oh, the joys of garage sales!!

Foxed up!

2010-05-27T13:23:00.002-05:00

On the way home from preschool Caleb and I always talk about his day -- usually the "really" important stuff, like if he had a special job (line leader, door holder, light helper), who brought snacks, what the show and tell item was, what special things they did, songs they sang, etc....

Well, today on the way home, Caleb told me that one certain little boy really got into big trouble today. The conversation went something like this....

Caleb: "Mommy, R really got into trouble today -- big time".

Me: What happened?

Caleb: He told the teacher that she was really foxed up! She got really mad, so I went up to her and said that we could say FOX in our house all the time. My Mommy doesn't think it's a bad word. We can say the name of any animal whenever we want!

Oh my heavens! How sweet and innocent is that???

As ironic is this is... some of the parents got pulled aside and told that their kids may have heard the "F" word.... I didn't get pulled aside, but clearly Caleb heard it!

Update....

2010-05-19T19:37:00.002-05:00

Since I'm on my way out the door for a girl scout meeting, I need to make this short, but still wanted to update the ongoing saga with By Design.... the $1400 bench that took 6 months to arrive and felt apart in 20 days.

Let me first start by staying this.... Since I didn't go into cardiac arrest yesterday, I'm pretty sure my heart is good for many more years. I have to tell ya... I haven't been as mad as I was yesterday in AGES. Oh. my. word. I was ticked. That's putting it nicely.

For those of you that don't me know well... a little quick background... I went to college on a full ride debate scholarship. I'm not afraid of conflict, and don't buckle under pressure. People don 't intimidate me, and I have no problem speaking my mind and standing up for what I know to be right.

Anyway....

Since I hadn't heard from the owner all day -- and she promised to call me before the end of the day, I finally called her at 3 and was told, "Oh, I was just thinking of you and going to give you a call". Yea, right!

In a nutshell, we agreed on the money ($1400) and the time frame (6 months to arrive and falling apart in 20 days). After all, they did me a favor and put a note in the computer, so that when they printed off the invoice, it automatically showed up. Their own paperwork details the problems with the bench. Priceless.

Since we were in agreement on the fundamentals, I thought the conversation should go well. Definitely not much to chat about, right? Wrong!

In a nutshell, she was not going to give me my money back. She admitted that the fabric wasn't a good choice for the bench, but wanted to replace it with another piece, or re upholster the current bench. NO WAY. Not a chance am I taking a refurbished bench when I paid so much for it. She told me what great quality it was and how she's shocked this happened, and wants to make it right. I told her countless times that the way to make it right was to refund my money. She kept going on about the great quality of the bench and I told her that if that's what she considered quality, her and I had very differing viewpoints of quality. I then told her that if I bought furniture at Target and this happened they'd refund my money no questions asked .... and clearly they were a much classier operation than Target.

We went round and round for over 30 minutes. She kept telling me that her husband said that the two choices were (i) in store credit or (ii) fixed bench. Neither one was acceptable to me. After all, she's had the bench in her possession since February 23, and it's now mid-May, and she didn't take it back because I didn't like the color. IT WAS FALLING APART - by their own admission. I asked to talk to her husband. She wouldn't let me.

We ended the conversation with the understanding that she'd call me back today. At my insistence, she was going to call the company and request her money back. I went on to tell her, that regardless if they gave her a refund, I still expected one, and would take it to small claims court if I had to. Oh, it wasn't pretty. I was hot. At this point, it wasn't about the money... it was the principle of the matter, and I wasn't going anywhere....

She did call me back this afternoon. She didn't want to chat long -- that's for sure. I would have eaten her alive. She told me that after thinking about it last night, she'd refund my money. She knew I wasn't going to back down and quite frankly didn't want to deal with me anymore. She honestly believed that I'd take her to court and didn't want the hassle. AAAAHHHHH.... It's finally over. Now I just need to check my card and make sure the refund is on there.

For all my friends who have had to listen to the story, in great detail, over the past 48 hours -- THANK YOU. YOU ARE SAINTS, YOU ARE WORTH YOUR WAIT IN GOLD, AND I THANK GOD FOR BRINGING YOU INTO MY LIFE. YOU ARE THE BEST.

Still waiting....

2010-05-18T13:53:00.002-05:00

Shockingly enough the store hasn't called back yet.... I'm going to give them another hour and then I'll be calling again .... and it's not going to be pretty. I'm getting madder by the second! UUUUUUUGH! It shouldn't be this hard. When I spend almost $1400 on a piece of furniture and it falls apart in 20 days it should be a no brainer!! Give me my money back~!

Fuming....

2010-05-17T20:38:00.003-05:00

I'll admit it... I'm not always a super cool, even tempered gal. In fact, I've been known to totally fly off the handle from time to time. *Always* justified, of course! LOL. Seriously though, right now I'm totally hot, and feel I've been taken advantage of, and that makes me down right furious.

Here's the deal.... and seriously, I'm opening this up for public critique, so if you disagree with me, please feel free to tell me I'm ridiculous. I can handle it! LOL

Matt and I had been looking for new furniture for a while, but hadn't found anything we really liked. Around this time, our niece was moving to town, and into an apartment by herself. She need furniture, so Matt offered up ours. It was the perfect catalyst to get us into gear. After all, I wasn't going to look at an empty living room and sit on the floor for very long. So we made another trip to all the local stores and then went into Pottery Barn and were close to special ordering some things, but I just couldn't pull the plug. I wasn't 100% sure about the fabric, I wasn't sure how the couch would look in our room, and thought that it would be too "deep" to fit us comfortably -- both Matt and I are short people. So, once again, we left without making a purchase.

Around this time, Matt found two Thomasville leather chairs which he immediately bought and told me about when he got home. I wasn't thrilled at the time, but have since come to love them. They couldn't be more perfect! In addition to finding a couch we liked, it also had to match these chairs, stylistically. We just couldn't find the "right" furniture to go in the room....

Finally, we decided to use an interior decorator. On August 2, we bought a couch, side chair, rug, two pieces of art work and a bench/ottoman thing that would double as a foot rest/coffee table and additional storage. We were thrilled. We found exactly what we were looking for and couldn't wait for it to arrive.

The bench thing took AGES to arrive. Literally, it came February 3. Since the fabric and the frame were from different companies it took that long to have it made. For those of you that are doing the math -- that's a FULL 6 MONTHS that we waited for it to arrive. (I paid for it in August since it was a special order).

Several days after it showed up in the house I sat down on it and noticed that 6 of the 8 buttons on top were coming off. They were literally coming unsewn. After a closer look, I realized that the fabric that was leading up to the point were the buttons were located was also coming undone. The whole thing was coming un-upholstered. How could this possible be?

I called the store and told them about the problem. Our designer told me that they had problems with this company in the past and not to worry, they'd take care of it. That was February 23. TWENTY DAYS after it arrived, and also noted as such in our file, which I later found out about. Not exactly the quality I expected.....

They picked up the bench at the end of February, and by mid-April I still didn't have it back. At this point, I'm hot. Seriously ticked. Why in the world should I pay XXX (the amount is down below) for a piece of re-furbished furniture? The simple answer is that I shouldn't .... and I won't.

Now... here's the "personal" part (aka money talk).

Last Thursday the owner calls me and we have a rather unpleasant conversation. She tells me that she'll give me a credit for the bench, and send it in the mail. By "credit" for the bench, I assumed *cash back*. Remember, I paid for this thing in August and it didn't arrive for 6 months and was only in my house for 20 days.

AAAAHHHHH, no.... that's not what happened. She gave me an * in store* credit for $984. Which was for the frame of bench -- not the fabric, tax, fabric warranty, etc.... She actually owes me $1386. I know... shameful. I can't believe I ever spent that much on a footstool, but I did. Furthermore, I can't believe that she tried to "hide" $400 in the fuzzy math. That irritated me too!

So, I call her back Friday, but she was out of the office until today. I left a message for her to call me back today, but I had to call her this afternoon... Great customer service, huh??? We go over the money part, and agree on the number. She'll give me my money back in the form of an in-store credit but doesn't want to give me the cash back. UUUUUUGH. I. am. so. ticked. Seriously. ticked.

I explain to her that if I had bought a piece of furniture at Target and it fell apart in 20 days they'd give me cash back, and they were definitely a classier operation than Target. Oh, and I wasn't returning the piece because I didn't like it. No, I was returning it because her and I both agreed it was faulty (aka junk).

She told me that she'd have to think about it -- whether or not she was going to give me my money back -- and she'd call me back. I asked her to call me back today, but she was "just too busy" so I told her I expected a call tomorrow. If she doesn't call my by three, I'll be phoning the store - again.

The real kicker of all of this is.... when I tell people about the problem, I've had so many people tell me that they've had a similar experience with this store. No one has said to me, "Wow... I'm shocked. I absolutely love what I got it. It's great quality". In addition to this, we have had issues with both the rug and the side chair. Trust me when I say... for what I spent in this store, it should be perfect. I should have ABSOLUTELY NO issues!!

No my friends, I've been totally had and it makes me furious.

So -- do you think I'm over-reacting, or do you think my anger is justified???

Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow! We'll definitely have another "unpleasant" conversation! UUUUUGH. Really, do you think I'm out of line???

Third grade????

2010-05-12T21:55:00.003-05:00

Katherine came home from school today with the news that a little boy in her class is skipping second grade and moving right into third grade. Now.... this little boy is brilliant. He's doing math at a 5th grade or higher level and reads around the same level. He spends most of his days in "special" classes because he's totally bored in regular first grade classes.

When Katherine found this out, it completely stressed her out. I mean COMPLETELY. STRESSED. HER. OUT. After all, why wasn't she getting moved up? She was smart. She was good in math and reading...... I explained (as vaguely as possible knowing it could be repeated in school) that skipping a grade wasn't necessarily a good thing. She wasn't satisfied with my answer, and went into the scrapbook room where her wipe board and school/craft supplies are and went to work. After about 45 minutes of doing math, she came out, ready to prove to me that she too, should be moved right up to third grade. AAAAAHHHHHH, I mean really, could she be any more competitive? LOL!

Once again, I explained to her that I wouldn't want her to skip second grade. She'd have to make all new friends. Her peers would be all older than her. She'd have to leave for college a year earlier. I tried to reason with her, I really did....

Finally, out of sheer frustration, she looks at me, totally exasperated and says, "I'm totally ready to move up to third grade. I EVEN KNOW WHAT 90 DIVIDED BY 2 IS. 45"!!! LOL!!

Man, I love that kid. Love her determination. Love her self confidence. Love her competitive spirit. With that attitude she'll go far. I just need to make sure she's pointed in the right direction!

Just because.....

2010-05-11T21:36:00.003-05:00

I've had these pictures on the computer since Katherine's birthday, and just had to share them.

Katherine turned 7 on March 10th and we celebrated tons and tons and TONS! Literally, we had 10 or 11 different parties and it was a wonderful time for my little princess! Then after her birthday we took her up to the Mall of America and had a great little lunch at the American Girl Store with my mom, sister and niece Morgan. She used some of her birthday money to buy Rebecca, her newest doll. Since then, Rebecca and Kit (the doll she has in these pictures) have become best friends!

The girls -- Katherine, me and Grammy.

Katherine and her cousin, Morgan.

The birthday girl!

Doing a little shopping before having lunch at the Bistro. Soooo fun, watching her pick out a new doll! Love it!

Grammy, Morgan and Katherine.

We stayed at a hotel right by the Mall of America and took the kids to this wonderful water park. Oh my goodness... they had a blast! Seriously, they can't wait to go back! So maybe sometime this summer we'll make a return trip.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T21:38:00.003-05:00

Today is one of my favorite days. I love Mother's Day. I love everything about it .... The kids woke me up thrilled to give me the handmade treasures they'd made, and smother me with hugs and kisses. Their faces were filled with joy and anticipation. They had such an innocence and pure love about them. Honestly, there is nothing better. NOTHING.

I had so many people ask me if I was "pampered" today. If I got some time just for myself. The answer isn't exactly simple. Was I pampered? Absolutely. Time to myself? On Mother's Day? Absolutely not. To me, this isn't what today is about. Today is about celebrating motherhood. It's about spending the day with the little people who gave me a reason to celebrate this day in the first place. It's loving them with all my heart and realizing how blessed I am to have them in my life. They are amazing, and I'm so glad that I have them in my life.

Being a Mommy is the one job I've always wanted. It's the most humbling, rewarding experience of my life and having these three little ones in my world makes the ride worthwhile. I am blessed beyond words.

AAAHHHHH.....

Confidence....

2010-05-06T21:56:00.002-05:00

One thing that Matt and I try to instill in our kids is self-confidence. I hope that as they grow they are confident in who they are and the decisions they've made. I pray that they don't give in to peer pressure, or allow others to put them down. Raising a daughter makes me very aware of how important self confidence is. Girls can be harsh and catty... It makes me cringe knowing that inevitably Katherine will someday end up on the wrong end of a hurtful comment.

In any event... one of her good friends is a second grade boy. He's a kid she's known since she was two years old, and they play together several times a week. Without going into all the details right now, we bought Katherine a trampoline for her birthday and these little neighbor boys aren't allowed to go on it ... a decision their parents made. Katherine uses the trampoline daily for her gymnastics. She's always working on her round-off back hand springs and is trying to get her back tuck. The back tuck isn't pretty. She either puts her hands down on the trampoline, ever so slightly, or lands on her knees. But Katherine isn't discouraged. Oh no... she keeps trying, and trying, and trying....

This little neighbor boy comes over and watches her try and try and try some more. Each time, she gets back up and gives it another go. All of a sudden, he says to her, "Katherine, you need to lose some weight. You're too fat to do that back tuck thing. If you were skinny you'd land on your feet". At this very moment, her hands fly up to her hips and she walks toward the opening of the trampoline where he was standing, looks him straight in the eyes, and says, "Max, you don't have a clue what you're talking about. I am skinny.... and short... and good in gymnastics. This is a hard skill and if you had ANY clue what you were talking about you wouldn't say such a ridiculous thing to me. I have the perfect body for gymnastics... I'm short and thin and strong. In fact, I'm stronger than YOU, and you're just jealous your mom and dad won't let you on this trampoline"!!

Part of me was beaming with pride watching her stand up for herself, and part of me was so relieved that she knew her own strength, and wouldn't let such a hurtful comment, by an older boy, rattle her. I was proud of her strength and conviction. I was proud of her determination. I was proud that she didn't let some silly comment discourage her. I was proud of her.

She'll get the back tuck. It just may take her a couple of weeks.... but she's strong enough and definitely determined enough.

self correction

2010-03-11T22:32:00.002-06:00

Tonight was a rough night at gymnastics. Katherine had just vaulted and was walking back down the "run way" to give it another try. She got distracted, watching the older girls, and tripped over this metal double bar set thing... I'm not sure how to describe it, but just trust me... she totally smacked into a metal bar that was about shin height. Not pretty! She was in tears and had to ice it for about 10 minutes. It's still hurting her now.....

In any event, on the way home we were talking about what had happened in class and then went on to discuss her day at school. Out of the blue, she tells me that her PE teacher keeps having to "self correct" herself. Self correction is the educational term for "whoops, I totally messed that one up, let me give it another try". When I asked her why her PE teacher had to self correct, she told me that her teacher keeps calling her KATIE. Heaven help her! Katherine is definitely NOT a Katie, and NO ONE calls her that. Ever. UUUUUGH! Evidently the kids in her class also have to tell this teacher that her name is Katherine. I think I'll be calling the school or sending a "friendly" reminder to the gym teacher reminding her of my daughter's name. As we discussed it further, Katherine began to wonder aloud if the teacher didn't like her name because she rarely addressed her by name. Great. She shouldn't even think such thoughts -- especially in first grade. Thankfully, she's proud of her name, self confident and unaffected by the perception of other people. With that said, it still annoys me. I don't want her to lose "Katherine" because some gym teacher would rather call her Katie. UUUUUGH!

In Caleb news, he had a Pop-pops day today. My dad called and asked if he could pick Caleb up from school and spend the day with day with him. Caleb was thrilled. He absolutely couldn't wait. My dad took him out for lunch, and then they went to North High School and Caleb engraved his name into a couple of pencils and insisted on doing some for Katherine as well. How sweet is that? My dad had a few errands to run, so Caleb went with him. They had a blast together. I finally picked up a worn out little boy after gymnastics tonight. I love that my dad honestly loves spending time with the kids and makes such an effort to develop a relationship with them. It warms my heart to see them growing so close, knowing that this relationship is one that Caleb will carry with him for the rest of his life.

We are in full birthday mode around here right now. Matt's parents are coming tomorrow for Katherine's party on Saturday and then Sunday after church we are leaving for Minneapolis for a few days. I have lunch reservations at the American Girl store on Wednesday, which I can't wait for, we are going to do plenty of shopping, go on rides at the mall, and hit the water park. It's going to be a great couple of days away!

7 years

2010-03-10T22:44:00.002-06:00

Seven years ago today I became a Mommy. For the first time, I held the baby girl I prayed my whole life for. She is such a blessing, and my life is richer, more fulfilling and over flowing with joy -- all because of her. She has changed my life ... all for the better and I can't imagine a world without her in it.

We spent the whole day celebrating today. Last night, I blew up balloons and covered her floor with them. When she woke up this morning, she was dancing around, laughing, and so appreciative that we took the time to make her day super special. She then gave me a great big hug and said, "Thank you Mommy. You always take the time to do extra special things for me. I love you so much. You're the coolest Mom I know"! She melts my heart! Needless to say, covering the kids' floor with balloons on the morning of their birthday is our newest tradition!

For lunch, she wanted to go to Ruby Tuesdays so we picked her up and met my parents for a little mid-day celebration. I brought cupcakes into school so that she could share them with her class, and celebrate there as well.

After she got home from school, she sat on my lap and just cuddled for about 45 minutes. Andrew was still napping, Caleb wanted to work on his "homework" and her and I just sat in the chair and talked about her day.

She picked Texas Roadhouse for dinner and we had the whole crew join us -- my parents, Isaac and Elizabeth, Sonja, and Laurie, Morgan and Steve. She got her fill of steak and got to ride on the on the saddle so it was all good! We then went home for more cake and presents.

Oh, the funny thing about her present..... She wanted a trampoline, but some of our neighbors weren't super excited about the liability and the eye sore it would become. However -- at the end of day, anyone who knows me, knows that my kiddos will always "win" over friends/neighbors as long as I think it's reasonable...... and I think that a trampoline is reasonable. ;-)

Well -- Since the ground is still covered with snow and we don't have room in the garage for a 15+ foot box, I made her a card and said that it was good for one trampoline. We'll get it in a month or so when we can set it up right away. I put the card in an envelope, wrapped it in a small box, which was wrapped inside a bigger box, which was inside a gift bag. When Katherine got home, she ripped the gift bag off the counter and burst into tears. It clearly wasn't the trampoline she has been begging for for months now. I had to laugh! So, to sweeten the pot, I offered her $200 for the bag. The deal being that I'd give her $200 and she would give me the bag. If she chose the money, she had to keep it .... meaning that after she saw what was in the bag she couldn't change her mind. You know what she chose????

The bag of course. And now the count down is on for the snow to leave so that we can get the "eye sore" some of my neighbors will undoubtedly hate. Can't wait! Let the fun begin! My little girl is a happy camper! Love it!

Happy birthday Katherine!

The sweetest thing....

2010-03-08T21:30:00.002-06:00

When the kids returned from Christmas break, Katherine had a new little girl in her class. She moved from out of state and her family didn't know anyone in town. In preparing for Katherine's party this weekend, I called up her mom (as I didn't have their address yet) and invited her to the party. We had a wonderful conversation and discovered tons of things that our girls have common, and even though they will be out of town and can't come to her party, we have plans in the works for a few play dates.

Anyway, as the conversation was winding down, she told me that she was so glad I called her. Her daughter, Jenna, was having a hard time adjusting to school. Evidently, there is a huge jump in the educational standards between Johnston and the school they came from, and she is having a very time academically. In addition to that, Jenna hasn't met very many new kids outside of school -- partially because of the weather and no one is outside, and partially because her only "outside school activity" is in Ankeny. She went on to tell me that they met with Mrs. Snow (Katherine and Jenna's homeroom teacher) to discuss some of these issues.

As any parent would, they want Jenna to meet some nice kids and develop friendships. When they discussed this desire with Mrs. Snow you know what she told them??? (She has a daughter in first grade as well). She said that if her daughter went to Beaver Creek, she would want her to be friends with Katherine. She told them that Katherine was one the nicest, most genuine girls she has EVER had in class, and that she definitely wasn't "diva'ish" or exclusive. She told them that Katherine would be a great girl for Jenna to hang out with, and was an all around wonderful kid.

Wow! I know she's an amazing girl, but for her teacher to single her out and tell a new family that she'd be the perfect friend for their daughter - wow. Just wow.... And the best part -- it wasn't for my ears. The comment wasn't intended for me to ever hear. Someone else thinks my little girl is as amazing as I do -- well almost... LOL!!

In other news - right after I dropped Katherine off at school this morning, I took the boys to the doctor. Andew has full blown strep throat, and Caleb's throat is red and raw. Dr. Jon didn't swab Caleb but he has every reason to believe it will turn into strep... (Evidently strep takes a while to fully "show itself" which is why the rapid test can come back negative, but you can still have strep.. In other words, if you catch it early enough, the rapid test will come back negative but after the cultures grow for 48 hours it will turn positive). Given the fact that Katherine's birthday is on Wednesday, we have her party on Saturday, and are going to Minneapolis on Sunday, we're treating all three kids with antibiotics. This is the worst timing for something like this and the real kicker is that it was totally preventable. I'm not happy........ Oh, and on top of that -- Matt comes home work from today and mentions that he thinks he's getting it. Great. Really *bleeping* great. Did I mention that I'm not happy? UUUUGH. This is the worst week for something like strep to invade our house.

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this either, but....

My brother got engaged in December. Katherine is going to be a flower girl and is super excited about it. She's become obsessed with weddings and wants to learn everything she possibly can about the big day. Literally, she's watched the video of our wedding no less that 20 times. Anyway, I had a preschool meeting tonight, and when I got home, I found her sitting in our bed, guled to the TV watching The Bachelor Wedding special on TV. I had to laugh. She's so serious about this wedding thing! I love it!

Hi!

2010-02-28T22:24:00.002-06:00

Remember me? I'm Ann and I used to blog here quite frequently, but as of late I've done everything BUT blog..... But I'm back! So much has happened, in the last couple of months that if I tried to do a recap, it'd take me hours... So with that said, here's a few little things to get you caught up date, and get me back in the habit of blogging!

We recently joined a new church, HOPE, and I must say, I LOVE it, the kids LOVE it, Matt LOVES. It's the perfect fit for us, and for the life of me, I don't know why we didn't start going there sooner. Changing churches is always hard, and we knew we were going to do it for a while, but actually pulling the plug, and doing it was much harder for us than we thought. We recently enrolled the kids in Sunday School and Katherine and Caleb LOVE it. Seriously. Andrew -- not so much. He would much rather hang out with Mommy and Daddy, but that's NOT happening!

After church today, Katherine went to a friends house, Andrew napped and Caleb came to Target with me. We were chatting away about Sunday school and the lesson and he said to me, "You know what Mommy?? Jesus is perfect. You know who else is perfect"? When I asked him who, he looked at me with these huge, wide, serious eyes and says, "Elephants. Elephants are perfect Mommy... 'cause an elephant never forgets"! Oh, good heavens, I had to bit the inside of my cheek not to bust out laughing at his sweet innocence. Too funny!

Oh, and last night we had 'family night' at the mall. Matt took Katherine and Caleb to this glow in the dark mini-golf place while Andrew and I strolled the mall. His stroller is way to big for the mini-golf place and letting him out is OUT. OF. THE. QUESTION. After they were done golfing and I got in a little retail therapy, we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with my parents and then went shopping some more. Matt and Katherine needed shoes.... So we headed to Dillards and made our way to the men's department. It was pretty cleared out at this point, but one other couple was also there shopping. They had to be in their early 60's and by the looks of it, were going to buy some shoes -- ie not just browsing. Anyway, this older gentleman picks up a pair of shoes, and Caleb immediately pipes up with laughter, and says, "HA! Those are high school shoes!" The lady looks at me, and of course I'm standing there speechless, but inside thinking.... well if a 4 year old thinks the shoes are a little much for ya buddy, they probably are! LOL

Andrew is getting to be quite a handful lately. He certainly keeps me on my toes, and it's exhausting! Thursday morning (which is the day I volunteer in Katherine's classroom, Caleb goes to school, and one of my neighbors watches Andrew) I turned my back on him long enough to get Caleb dressed. Literally 90 seconds. In that time, Andrew ran into the kids' bathroom, climbed on the toilet, pulled himself onto the countertop, turned on the water and was splashing away. UUUUUGH! He was dressed and ready to go. Then on Friday, he figured out that if he pulled the chairs out from our dining room table he could climb on top of the table. GRRREAT! Yesterday was the kicker though.... He know pulls out our bar stools, and can climb on top of them and get on the island all by himself, in 5 seconds flat. I can't leave him alone for 30 seconds to go to the bathroom. Thank God for squeaky shoes!

Katherine is doing wonderful. She's blossoming into this pre-teen who loves shopping, shoes and hair. She's turning 7 in less than two weeks and I continually find myself wondering where the time has gone. The one thing she wants for her birthday this year is a trampoline, and much to my neighbor's dismay, I'm pretty sure I'm going to break down and buy one. After all, what gymnast doesn't need one in her backyard?

Speaking of gymnastics, things are going pretty well there too. She has her next meet on April 18th, so we're looking forward to watching her in action. This time, Andrew won't be coming! Her class is getting much more competitive, and 2 of the 7 girls have been given notice that they won't be continuing at this level when the year ends. After May, they have to go down to the rec side. Pretty harsh for 1st graders. Since she started in this class last July, three others have either quit or been moved out. Only three have made it to the next level. I'm just holding my breath and praying that she won't face that same heartbreak at such a young age.

OK -- that's it for tonight. I promise to blog again on a regular basis again. I miss you all! Ann

Miracles do happen!

2009-12-16T21:20:00.012-06:00

At long last....

I have so much to blog about, but just wanted to post some Christmas pics.

Enjoy!

2009-11-13T08:18:00.002-06:00

You know.... before I was a mother, the thought of changing a diaper concerned me. I'd never done it before, and couldn't imagine it... Just now, I held puke in my hands without hesitation... Life just keeps getting more an more rewarding! LOL!

But... my baby girl isn't feeling well. She just threw up and isn't going to school today. I'm hoping it's a once and done kind of thing!!

It never fails...

2009-11-13T07:44:00.003-06:00

Just when I thought the boys and I were going to have a nice relaxing day, Katherine comes into the bathroom, 30 minutes before normal, with tears in her eyes and asking for a bucket. UUUUUGH! She's not going to school today, and I just hope this isn't the start of the flu. YUCK! Poor little thing. There's nothing worse that throwing up.

Odds and Ends..

2009-11-12T20:51:00.002-06:00

Do you ever have those days in which you felt like you've lived an entire week and then you look at the clock and realize that it's only 10 am??? Fortunately (or unfortunately) I've had one too many days like that this week. Today was one of those days!!

My Thursday mornings are always a rat race. I'm up around 6 to get everyone dressed, fed, and ready for school. I know it doesn't sound that hard, but once I leave the house, I'm gone pretty much all day, and today was no exception. (It's a little tough with Andrew -- he likes to relax in the morning and have a leisurely breakfast, and Thursday mornings it just isn't possible).

So today, I took Katherine to school, took Caleb to school, dropped off Andrew with a neighbor, went to Katherine's class for my weekly volunteering for 1.5 hours, raced back to grab Andrew and then right back to Caleb's school to pick him up. I didn't have a 5 minute breather... Then it was right back home to feed the boys, and get Caleb ready for his little play date.

Every Thursday my dad calls to see if Caleb can go with him for a play date. They both love the time together. They run errands, tinker around in the trailer, or do a project. Today they went out for ice cream sundaes. Needless to day, when I saw Caleb, he still had a little chocolate stuck to his lips! Love that!! Seriously though.... My dad and Caleb have the best relationship. I'm so grateful that my dad makes time to spend with just him.... doing things with him, teaching him stuff only a grandpa can... making memories that will last a lifetime... There is nothing better than watching your father love your son so completely. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Caleb is so blessed to have my dad. We all are....

In other news ... remember ages ago when we had the interior decorator come to our house and we ordered some new furniture? FINALLY the chair has arrived!! Woo-hoo!! I'm so glad to get it, but honestly, I hardly remember what it looks like! LOL!! We're still waiting on the bench. It should be here soon, but since it came from a different manufacturer, who knows when it'll arrive.

Tonight Katherine had gymnastics class at Chow's. She's doing really well. It seems that with each passing week, she is getting visibly stronger, she is gaining new skills and her form is getting better and better. Tonight, as they were working on their back handsprings, she looked like a new girl! Her coach didn't even attempt to spot her, she just let her go, and wouldn't you know... she landed them all! Was her form perfect? No.... Her legs weren't glued together and her knees were slightly bent, but she didn't look like a circus monkey either! She was so thrilled with her progress.... and you know what??? When she's happy, I'm happy!

Since Caleb was at Mom and Dad's house while we went to Chow's, we all met there for dinner. Matt went there after work, and Katherine and I stopped by on our way home from the gym. My mom made one of Katherine's favorite meals -- roast -- and then we all sat down in the living room to watch her meet! She was proud!! Oh and the best part -- no matter how many times you watch it, she won't fall off the bars or beam! BONUS!! LOL!

Tomorrow is going to be a relaxing day -- I have to drive Katherine to school and then the chair is scheduled to be delivered around 9, and then the boys and I are off to story time. Should be fun!!! When we get home, it's over to the Hodapp's house for a play date! Can't wait!

blue or red??

2009-11-09T22:43:00.002-06:00

This was a big weekend for Katherine. On Sunday, she had a gymnastics meet at Chow's and Matt's parents came down to watch her. She was so excited to have them come down and spend a few days with us. Just today, she told me that she was happy that they wanted to watch her -- that they knew how important it was to her. She appreciated that everyone knew how how hard she had been working! Oh, and trust me, she's been working very hard these past few months!!

In July, Katherine was invited to join the TOPS class and it was a huge adjustment for her. The strength and conditioning that she has to do in this class is intense. Gone are the days of fun and games... no, that's for another class, a different set of kids .... she wants more, she wants to be better, she wants to learn the tough skills and perform them flawlessly. She wants all of this! Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and roses. The skills are difficult and they don't come without practice and discipline. There's been many days that one of the girls has broken down in tears, and I'm sure several of them have wanted to just walk out of the gym at one time or another.

When she started the class she was smaller, weaker and younger than all the other girls. She was the newbie. She was the one who had to "earn it".... and earn it she did! Over the past 4 months, she's gotten much stronger, her form has improved immensely, and she's learned so many new skills. Her confidence has grown with each passing week, and she truly has a "can do" attitude ... which brings us to the meet this weekend....

Each of the girls had the choice between the easy or hard bars and beam routine. The "hard" bars routine included a front hip circle, which Katherine just landed for the first time two weeks ago. The "hard" beam routine included a cartwheel, which is tough for a little girl as your form has to be perfect or you won't land squarely on a 4 inch wide piece of wood.... In true Katherine style, she chose to do *both* the hard beam and bars routine. When we were talking about it, she looked at me and said, "Why wouldn't I do the hard routines, Mommy? I can do all those skills! I'm better than the easy routines...." Great, I told her, but that regardless of what she decided to do when the time came, I'd be proud of her. It didn't matter to me, and truly it didn't. But... that's my little girl! Seriously, she has no fear. She doesn't take the easy way out. She believes that she's the best and that she can do anything. She has big dreams and an even bigger heart. I love that about her! She said that she'd rather fall on the hard routines and get a red ribbon, than breeze through the easy routines and get a blue. To her, it wouldn't have meant as much... And for those of you that know her, you know how true that is!

So the meet ..... Katherine and I got down to the gym about 30 minutes before it was to start so that she could warm up, and Matt, the boys and his parents came down separately. After she got checked in and stretched out, she wanted to go over to the beam and practice her routine. She hopped right up and started practicing the hard routine. When it came time for the cartwheel, she missed and fell off sideways with one leg still on the other side of the beam. OUCH! Her little leg jerked and her whole body slammed into the mat. I just cringed. It's in those moments, that being a mother is the hardest. I wanted to rush over, pick her up, and give her a great big hug. I didn't. Instead, she picked herself up, got right back on the beam and attempted another cartwheel. For the first time in her life, she missed so badly that she landed, straddling the beam. DOUBLE OUCH. All I could do was watch as my baby girl closed her eyes in pain, and got off the beam. At this point I was sure, she'd do the easy routine, and really, who could have blamed her? Certainly not me. I was in pain just watching her. I wanted to cry for her. It was horrible.

After beam, she went over to bars and warmed up. She didn't practice her routine -- just her front hip circle, which was her newest skill in the routine. She landed it 5 or 6 times and got off. She looked really good, but her trademark smile wasn't back yet.

Her first rotation of the meet was vault. Danyel -- she's doing the handstand to flat back. (I'm not sure the correct name). Is that the Level 4 vault???? In any event, her handstand didn't stop perfectly perpendicular to the mat and she had a slight curve to her back. Katherine isn't known for her vaulting skills so I didn't think much of it. LOL!!

Next up was bars. Not only did she do the hard routine, but she nailed the front hip circle and the rest of her routine was flawless. Literally, textbook. I was so happy for her! I heard the judge say "blue plus" which meant that she did the hard routine and it was perfect. Her smile was instantly back. Oh, and not only that, but she was the ONLY one in the class to hit the hard routine!

On to beam. I wondered if she'd attempt the cartwheel. Since I didn't have the opportunity to talk to her, I had no idea what was going in her head. There were 4 girls in her TOPS class competing at the meet and the first two chose to do the easy routine. Then it was Katherine's turn. A few seconds into her routine, I realized that she was doing the hard routine. She stood up there, got in perfect form and landed a cartwheel as good as any I've ever seen her do. She landed squarely on the beam, didn't wobble in the slightest, and had the biggest smile on her face. I was fighting back tears. I was so proud of her.... not because she did the cartwheel, but because she didn't let warm-ups scare her. She had the ability to put the falls out of her mind, forget the past and focus on the here and now. She never fails to amaze me! I am so happy for her!!

Floor was last. I remember sitting directly across the gym from her. She was smiling and waving at her brothers and Leo, chatting with her friends, and relaxed. She was happy and confident. Her floor routine was easy for her. She could hit all the skills in her sleep. It was fun to watch her knowing what she had mentally overcome earlier in the day.

She had a great meet. She got 3 blue ribbons and 1 red ribbon (vault). She chose to do the hard routines, when she had every reason to do the easy ones, and didn't let a little stumble ruin her day. At Chow's, she was a champion on Sunday. To me, she's a champion everyday!

The tale of two quarters....

2009-11-03T22:09:00.002-06:00

This morning while Caleb was at preschool, I took Andrew in for his 12 month shots. He was such a little trooper and did fairly well, but as the day wore on, he became cranky and was tired much earlier than usual. I laid him down for an early nap, and took the opportunity to spend some good one on one time with Caleb. We had a blast, and just hung out together ... we played soccer, Trouble, and race cars and then went into the kitchen so that I could grab him a quick snack.

As I pulled out his snack, he climbed up to his usual place on the island, and saw two quarters on one of the other countertops. (I'm sure these came out of Daddy's pockets!) He asked me what they were there for, and asked if he could have them. I told him that yes, he could have them and asked him if he wanted to go upstairs and put them in his bank. Nope, he wanted to put them in his pocket and save them there.... Since I knew they'd get lost, and most likely end up in Andrew's mouth, I told him that if he wanted to keep them he needed to put them up in his room.

He gave me a disappointed look and we had this conversations:

Caleb: I can't Mommy. I'm gonna spend them soon.

Me: Oh, REEEEAAAALLLLY.... What exactly are you going to buy??

Caleb: It's a surprise!

Me: OK, will you let me know when you want to spend them?

Caleb: I sure will! You'll have to take me there. I'm going to buy you a Mocha (from Starbucks) with them.

AAAAHHH, how sweet is he? Definitely a keeper! Just when I think he's going to ask for a matchbox car or candy, he pulls something like this and totally melts my heart.

Happy fall!

2009-11-02T23:50:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, Matt and I took the kids to this amazing park I found a while back to have a little fun in the leaves. Since we live in a new neighborhood without huge, full grown trees this is quite a treat for Katherine and Caleb. Here's a few of the pictures I got that day....

For those of you on our Christmas card list, I'm intentionally withholding the best pictures. I'm tossing around the idea of making my own Christmas cards this year and don't want to spoil the surprise! LOL! If you're not on our list, let me know!

falling leaves...

2009-11-01T22:09:00.006-06:00

Today was a gorgeous day... bright, sunny and warm. It was an absolutely perfect day for raking up a huge pile of leaves and watching the kids have the time of their lives. It's amazing... the littlest things bring about the biggest joys...

What started out as some family time in the backyard quickly expanded to include 5 families and 13 kids. All of these pictures were taken before the entire neighborhood realized that we were outside, and convened in our yard, but trust me... it didn't take long before they arrived! The kids played outside for almost 5 hours today!

The big hit of the afternoon was the pile of leaves at the end of the slide. Oh man ... the stunts those kiddos can come up with!! LOVE IT!

My little Andrew ... taking a break from the chaos and hanging out in his swing. He was still the center of attention though!!

My little poser!

Isn't this little monkey "body" coat thing adorable??

Caleb is still in his "I don't know how to/don't want to/can't remember how" to smile for the camera. Man ... this is getting old!

My little monkey.

This is Caleb's "best effort" smiling for the camera. See how he can't even look at the thing??? What's a mommy to do???

Here is his "I'm going to hide behind the pile of leaves so that Mommy won't notice me and try to take my picture" trick. Works well, don't ya think?? LOL!

It was a great fall day -- the kids playing in the leaves with their friends, eating tons of Halloween candy and enjoying a relaxing afternoon. Why can't every day be like today??

I'm back.....

2009-11-01T14:03:00.003-06:00

Yes, I blog. I haven't in ages, and I don't really have a good excuse for not blogging other than, life has gotten in the way. So much has gone on in the last month, that I'll never get caught up, so I probably won't even try. After not sitting down and making time to blog, it got easier not to keep it up. As I write this, I'm downloading several hundred pictures, which I will edit and upload soon.... Hopefully in the next couple of days....

A couple of things.... Since November is National Blogging Month, I promise to update at least daily! I'm sure you'll get bored to death of me, but hey... since I haven't blogged in over a month, it's all good! ;-)

One little Katherine story that she'll always remember and I never want to forget....

Chow's has a different theory of coaching gymnastics than every other gym that I know of. Instead of teaching only skills, the strength and conditioning that the girls are required to do is mind blowing. Seriously Katherine has arms and abs that most people would pay big bucks for. Seriously, she has little muscular arms and 4 pack abs that would blow you away. There isn't an ounce of fat on her, yet she's not scrawny ... the girl is super strong!

In her new class, the girls have been learning how to do a front hip circle, but most of them had been having a lot of trouble. From what I understand, it takes quite a bit of strength and a "feel" for the skill. At Chow's the girls don't practice this, or any other skill, for hours. Rather, they do a mix of skills and conditioning. The theory is that when they are strong enough, the skills will come..... and if they are strong they won't get hurt.... The focus at Chow's is definitely strength and flexibility -- not "landing a trick".

Last Thursday, October 22 was a big day for my little princess. She's been trying to do a front hip circle for a month or so, and getting very close, but just not quite "there" yet. Her coach put her on the bar and spotted her 3 or 4 times and then sent her off to practice it on her own. About this time, Chow comes walking over, stops, and watches Katherine. (In case you're wondering, NO... Chow does not coach the little girls. He only coaches level 7 and above which Katherine is A LONG way from). It's a huge deal when Chow notices you. Seriously, HUGE. It's like being anointed by the master of all gymnastics.

So at this point, Katherine is on the bar and misses her front hip circle. She can get around to about her chest, but just not all the way back around the bar. I was sitting next to my friend Danielle (who also has a daughter in the same class) and said, "UUUUGH, if Katherine could just land it once on her own and got the feel, I know she'd never miss". She was soooo close, but just not landing it....

So anyway, Chow comes walking over and stands off to the side of the bars and watches Katherine, and Katherine only.... For some reason, she chose this moment to dig deep and do what she'd never done before.... she landed her front hip circle and it was *beautiful*.... legs glued together, toes pointed, arms strong and straight. I think there was a small part of her that was shocked too! She immediately yelled at her coach, "Karen!! I did it!! I landed my front hip circle"!!

Through all this, there was Chow -- screaming, cheering, jumping, clapping, and beaming with pride. Katherine said he yelled something, but she couldn't understand him LOL!! But it was a moment. It was her moment. It was her moment to shine with her coach cheering, all her team mates clapping, and Chow watching. It was one of those fairytale moments in her gymnastics career that she'll always remember. It was sweet!!

To celebrate her accomplishment, we had a girls day -- lunch, shopping and a manicure. It was so wonderful to just spend the day with her -- no dad, no brothers. We had a great conversation and loved hanging out together. It was in those hours that I truly realized what having a daughter is ... and how my life would not be complete without her. She is amazing and I'm so blessed that she's mine.

On the way home, she asked if we could do the same thing when she landed her kip -- another really hard bars skill, and of course, I told her yes. Heck, if she'd only ask, I'd take her for landing her cartwheel! LOL. (Oh, she landed 8 cartwheels in a row on the high beam yesterday)! Woot-Woot!!

Construction site

2009-09-24T21:23:00.003-05:00

Our house is an absolute disaster! Seriously, I'm living in a war zone, and it's going to be this way for a couple of weeks. UUUUUGH!

Remember when our bathroom mirror fell off the wall and shattered all over our bathroom and bedroom??? I thought it would be a quick, easy fix, but sadly, it isn't.... We picked out tile and it was scheduled to be installed sometime the first week of October. Well, Monday morning I was at Dr. Jon's office (more on that later) and my phone rings. Since it was a number I didn't recognize, I answered, much to my *complete shock* the installer was at the house and ready to start working. My first thought, was are you kidding me??? Even if I was at home I wouldn't have let him start.... after all, shouldn't he start with a freshly scrubbed floor??? After we chat for a minute, we decide that he can start the following day. However, I'm still dumbfounded that they didn't call prior to showing up, but really... nothing surprises me anymore...

He arrives on Tuesday and starts the demolition work and what a disaster it turned out to be. Matt and I decided that we'd also put new tile in the kids' bathroom so that it would match ours, so both upstairs bathrooms are out of order and literally torn apart.

After the dust storm (from cutting and installing the tile) that invaded my house on Tuesday settled, I found out that at least one box of tile was broken in shipping. Great! Since the tile we picked out was a special order, the replacement wouldn't arrive for 10 - 14 days. I was promised that they'd put a "rush" on it. Oh, and on top of that, we have to wait for the whirlpool tile, since they didn't order the right size tiles.....

So, as of today, our floor is down and will be ready to be walked on tomorrow, but the kids' bathroom has no floor, and their toilet is literally sitting in the bathtub. Needless to say, that bathroom won't be used for a couple of weeks... Oh, and our whirlpool is out of order, and ready to be demolished....

This is all such great timing as we'll be celebrating Andrew's first birthday next Saturday night. Perfect timing, huh??

You know.... living in this type of mess for a couple of days is bad enough, but 2 plus weeks, will drive me insane!!

*******

So, now back to the Dr. Jon stuff..... Andrew has had a million ear infections over the past 6 months, so Jon sent me to an ENT to discuss tubes. The ENT told me that he'd like to give it a little while before he put in the tubes since Andrew's ears were perfectly clear. He wanted to see how long it was between ear infections. They did hearing tests and the ear infections are not affecting his hearing at all, and he thought that if we could avoid surgery, it'd be best. We agreed with the understanding that I'd call as soon as his ears were infected again. 9 days later, I was back in Jon's office with a screaming baby who was literally pulling out his hair and scratching his face until it was bloody .... yep, the poor little guy had another ear infection. We're heading back to the ENT Tuesday morning, and I'm sure tubes will be in our near future.

I am so ready to put all these ear infections behind us!

*****

On the way home from preschool today, I called Andrea and invited them over for lunch. I picked up Jimmy John's and Caleb and Colin played their little hearts out. I tried to get Andrew to sleep, but it just wasn't working with the chaos going on with the tile guys. They were SO LOUD!!! So, I took Andrew over to Andrea's house and put him down for his nap over there and then Caleb and I went home and spent some good time alone together.

He was starting to get really silly and wanted to play football -- tackle football -- in the house. He was bragging about how good he was, how fast he was, how strong he was, and how he knew he could beat me. Not to leave a challenge like that on the table, we played tackle football in the house. It was nothing short of absolute chaos, and he was screaming so loudly that Andrea (who lives directly behind us) heard the ruckus and called to see what we were doing. He's a quick little squirt, that's for sure!! We had a great time!!

I'm off to bed. It's been an exhausting few days, and I can barely keep my eyes open!

What was I thinking???

2009-09-17T23:09:00.002-05:00

I know, it's the million dollar question, and usually there is no answer. But really -- I'm wondering if I've stretched myself too thin this time...

So here's the thing .... I made the decision a long time ago that I would be as involved in my kids' lives as humanly possible. If I can make their school, classes, extracurricular activities and lives better or more fulfilling, there's nothing I wouldn't do.... for as long as they'll let me.

Shortly after Katherine started preschool at Tiny Treasures, I was asked to be on the advisory board that runs the program. Great. sign me up! I've been on that board for the past several years including last year when we didn't even have a child enrolled. I knew Caleb would eventually attend, so I thought, why not???

Now that Caleb is enrolled, I'm also the homeroom mom/parent contact for his class. On top of that I'm the homeroom mom for Katherine's class. Both of these will involve party planning (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, end of the year, etc...) buying gifts for the teachers (Christmas, birthday, teacher appreciation, and end of the year), and organizing all sorts of miscellaneous stuff.

Oh, and PTO work.... yea, I'm all over that too!

In addition to that stuff, I also go into Katherine's class every Thursday morning, while Caleb is in school, and volunteer. She loves having me there, and it gives me a unique perspective into her daily schedule. I love it!!

Well, Katherine decided that this year she wanted to be in girl scouts. Wonderful! I make a few calls and suddenly realize that I know the leader of Morgan's (my niece) troop. Her daughter has been in Katherine's homeroom class for the past two years... One thing lead to another, and all of a sudden I became a girl scout leader. What??? The only thing I know about girl scouts is that they make some super yummy cookies! So now, I'm going to dive into girl scouts with Katherine. I'm so glad that we get to go on this journey together, but really, do I have the time for one more commitment? I'm not so sure.....

Happy birthday!!

2009-09-14T21:17:00.005-05:00

Happy birthday to my little man! We spent the weekend with family and friends celebrating Caleb's birthday, and what a party is was!! In true Hanson style, his party was big, loud and chaotic! We wouldn't have it any other way!

Matt's parents came down on Friday night and spent the weekend with us. Since Caleb's birthday falls on the Iowa/Iowa State football weekend, we always have his party on Sunday afternoon to accommodate the football fans in the family (that'd be Daddy, the grandpas, and uncles).

His party started at noon, and everyone had lunch at our place, and then his neighborhood friends came over to break the pinata, and eat cake and ice cream. He had a blast!!

Here's the important part -- the pictures!!

Licking the frosting off the plate that held the car on the cake. YUM!

Singing and blowing out candles -- with a "little" help. LOL!!

The pinata madness.

Caleb really wanted a pinata, so he picked out this cool race car and got tons of candy to fill it with. Good idea in theory, but horrible in practice. Let's just say, that this "little gem" couldn't hold the weight of all the candy I filled it with, and the top (the part that holds on the string so you can hang it up) broke off. WONDERFUL! Then, we quickly realized that it was impossible to break it open with baseball bats as it was made of some super human indestructible material, so I had to pull the string myself and throw the candy all over the lawn. It didn't exactly go as planned, but all the kids got a nice bag of candy, so that's all the really matters. Right?!?!?!? LOL!

Caleb and my dad. These two are made for eachother. They have a relationship like no other... I feel so blessed to be able to watch my dad love my son so unconditionally, so completely. They are buds, and genuinely love spending time together. I love that.

The birthday boy with his cake, sitting on his favorite spot in the house -- the kitchen island.

Caleb and his big cousin Leo playing in the grass while they waited their turn to hit the baseball. These two are quite the little sluggers!

Andrew and Pop-pops

Caleb and Leo STILL waiting for their turn to bat!

Opening gifts in the house.

Grandma and Grandpa got Caleb this shiny new bike and he LOVES it! He rode it around the kitchen as fast as his little legs would allow. Thankfully this little number has a great turning radius and my cupboards didn't take too much of a beating! LOL!!

Grandpa showing him how to work it.

Still learning....

Caleb had a great birthday, a wonderful weekend, and loads of laughs. He was filled with happiness, and loving every second he was the center of attention. AAAHHHH, there's nothing better than that ..... Watching your child being truly happy, beaming with joy, and enjoying every moment of their big day!

Today we went to the zoo with the Hodapp's and then Caleb went over and had a play date with my dad. They tinkered around the house this afternoon, and then got the fishing poles ready for their big debut ... that's right, tonight after dinner Matt and my dad took Caleb fishing -- Oh and Caleb actually caught two fish! Woo-Hoo!! He's walking a little taller and smiling a little brighter tonight!

Tomorrow he's celebrating his birthday at preschool, so I got some cupcakes and apple juice for him to share with the class. He can't wait!!

Overheard...

2009-09-11T14:15:00.002-05:00

Last night the kids were cuddled up in our bed eating their night time snack and watching a little tv before brushing their teeth and heading off to their rooms for stories, songs and a talk about the day.

Caleb got to pick the show and the this conversation followed --

Katherine: AAAHHH, darn it! He got to pick the show last night! It's my turn!

Me: Katherine, we don't say "darn it" in this house. It sounds horrible and it's not acceptable.

Katherine pops a handful of Cheerios into her mouth, continues to stare at the tv, and says very matter of factly, "Well yea Mom, but you say 'shit' sometimes".

Good grief. Really?!?!?!?!? Matt looks at me and we both burst out laughing. How horrible is that??

The call....

2009-09-09T11:41:00.003-05:00

This morning I got "the call". It's the call we all hope and pray we never get, and today, unfortunately, I got it...

A lady from the local granite/marble dealer was here to measure our bathroom counter tops so that we could get the ball rolling on new sinks. While she was here, my phone rang three times. Assuming it was my mom (if you know her you get this!) I never looked at it, and just sent it to voice mail. After we were done measuring, I walked the girl out and got another phone call. It was Matt so I took it. He was wondering if Beaver Creek Elementary school got ahold me. Nope, they hadn't.... I let all the calls go to voice mail. He told me that Katherine puked at school, and they were trying to get in touch with me so I could come and pick her up. UUUUUGH!

I threw the kids in the car and called my mom. I ran over to pick her up so she could wait out in the car with the boys. When I arrived, poor Katherine was sitting on the nurses bench, in borrowed clothes, and looked dazed and confused. As soon as she saw me, she burst into tears. I guess there's just something about your mommy! Evidently the poor thing puked in her classroom, all over her desk and herself. I can't even imagine! I'm sure she'll never forget today....

So now, instead of taking the boys to the zoo today, Katherine is in the basement watching a movie and sipping Gingerale with a bucket beside her head, and I'm trying to keep Caleb and Andrew as far away from her as humanly possible. It's going to be a day!

Preschool begins!

2009-09-08T21:23:00.003-05:00

Today was Caleb's first day of preschool and he was so excited to start! He's been counting down the days ever since Katherine began last month. Finally, today was the day! He was so ready to start big boy school!!

We had a slight "problem" with the pictures today. For some reason, he's decided that he hates getting his picture taken, so getting him to smile and look at the camera is nearly impossible. Seriously, you should see the outtakes. Maybe I'll post them tomorrow (unedited of course) for your comic relief.

Here is in his classroom, sitting on the rug right as I was leaving.

Caleb at his table playing with some colored shapes as the other kids arrived.

Walking into the front door.

Outside our house...

Caleb and Katherine right before she got on the bus.

He was all smiles when I picked up up today. When I arrived at his door and it was his turn to go, he ran from his chair and gave me the biggest hug and kiss! He said, "I had a great day Mommy"! Oh, how I love to hear that!! It's so much easier to send him to school when he's ready and wants to be there. He's going to have a great year!

Oh, and one other funny...

Michelle (Ben and Tessa's mom) stopped me on the way out the door. Tessa is in his class and was a little reluctant to be left alone at school. She told Michelle that "Caleb took care of her". After they hugged goodbye, he turned to me said, "Yea, Mommy. I had to babysit her. She needed some extra love so I took care of her and babysat her". Love that! Love that my little man is so mature and thinks of what other kids need. I'm so glad that he's aware that life is bigger than his world and his needs. Definitely a great way to start of the year!

My poor baby...

2009-08-26T22:01:00.002-05:00

First of all, let's clear the air about one thing.... I have not slept through the night ONE SINGLE TIME since the day I got pregnant with Andrew. That's right folks, I have not slept for 6 straight hours since January 2008. That's a long, long, LOOOONG time to be sleep deprived.... With that being said, Andrew is typically up twice a night. He wants to eat and cuddle and then it's back off to dreamland for the both of us.

Well... whenever he doesn't sleep well (as in he's up 5+ times a night) it always leads to one thing -- a trip to Dr. Jon, and that's exactly where we went today.

We had a 9:45 appointment, and Jon came in and wanted to chat and chat and chat. I swear we talked for 15 minutes before he even looked at Andrew. Usually I love that he takes his time and doesn't rush in and out, but today, I just wanted to find out what was wrong and get home. Andrew's throat was super red, so Jon did a strep test. Since he had symptoms for 30+ hours, if he had strep, it should show "positive" immediately. Of course it came back "negative" so the poor little guy got a finger poke to find out if he had a bacterial or viral infection. Wouldn't you know -- viral.... Which means there's NOTHING he can do. It just has to run it's course, and in the meantime, my poor little guy isn't eating well, not sleeping and reeaaallly clingy. UUUUUGH! Needless to say, I'm off to bed!!

back to school!

2009-08-24T22:02:00.005-05:00

Today was the big day... my little girl started first grade. I can't believe she's already in first grade. I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone. I can't believe that once again she'll be spending more time with her teacher than with me. Yes... today I cried. She didn't see me tear up, but as soon as I left her room, the tears started flowing. UUUUUGH. I hate that!

Matt took the day off, so we took Katherine to school together, and then spent the remainder of the of morning trying to figure out what on earth to do with the bathroom. We went to a flooring place and picked out tile, and got ideas for a counter top, but I really wasn't into it. As long as it's something that will "show" well when we go to sell this house, I really didn't care. Truly, I could have cared less. They could have talked me into just about anything!

After we took the boys out for lunch, we picked up some paint samples and went home. Caleb and I made Katherine a little after school treat -- her all time fave.... reverse chocolate chip cookies. It was a great afternoon. She got off the bus, full of smiles, with her friends from the neighborhood and then invited them over for warm cookies. We all had a little party on the patio around the fire pit, and it couldn't have been a more perfect afternoon! We talked about her day, her teacher, new friends, and what she all did. Oh how I missed that little one today!

So.... now to the important part.... PICTURES!!

Eating cookies after school....

Getting off the bus with the neighborhood crew....

Out in front of her school....

At home....

Isn't this picture hilarious??? Caleb REFUSES to get his picture taken, and he's trying to duck out the shot....

So there you have it... her first day. It was a great first day, full of wonderful and funny memories for her (a kid got kicked out of class and sent to the hallway in "time out" for the whole "reading and project time" -- how ever long that is... BUT IT WAS ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE!! LOL!! She lost her earring on the playground, she met many new friends, got to share a few things about herself in front of the class -- she told them that she loved gymnastics and was working on handsprings, and rode home on the bus, sat next to her BFF Olivia and invited her friends over for warm, homemade cookies. Here's to a great year!

Weekend recap....

2009-08-23T21:01:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday, Matt's parents came into town to stay for a few days. They had been on a little vacation, and finished it off with a weekend in Des Moines. The kiddos always LOVE having them here!

On Friday, Matt took his dad and the kids to the state fair. Thankfully, Fran wasn't insisting that we go as well, so we had a fun girls day out. We went to lunch and spent the afternoon shopping. So fun!! Oh, and I totally scored!! I've been on the lookout for new stuff for the main level and our master bathroom (after the mirror debacle last week). I found 4 pictures for our bathroom (one of which may go into our bedroom) and some super cool stuff for our bookshelves in the living room! It was a productive day!!

Later that day, we had "meet the teacher" at school, and were able to tour Katherine's classroom and get her settled and comfortable in her new surroundings. Her classroom is really well set up, her teacher seems very energetic and engaged, and thankfully she already knows some of the kids in her class. However, after about 15 minutes in her classroom, she wanted to bolt... she couldn't wait to get back to her old room and see Mrs. Seybert. Oh, how she'll miss her. When she saw Katherine, she knelt down and gave her a big hug. There's just something about her.... She's so warm and nurturing. She genuinely loves the kids. She is passionate about education, and connects with the kids in a way that brings me to tears. Mrs. Seybert was the best Kindergarten teacher ever. She was everything I'd hoped Katherine's Kindergarten teacher would be -- and more. She was amazing! Somehow, I'm just not sure that her teacher this year will measure up, but after the experience last year, I'm not sure anyone could..... With that said, I have high hopes and even higher expectations.... Stay tuned!!

So tomorrow is the big day ... her first day of first grade. As always I have mixed emotions. I'm excited for all that she'll learn, the independence she'll gain, and the friends she'll make. With that said, I'm said that school is starting already. I wish I could keep her with me for a little longer. I want to be selfish. I want to keep my baby girl with me. There's so many things I still want to do, and I'm not ready to share her quite yet. Unfortunately, I can't make time stand still, and tomorrow her teacher will get to spend more time with her each day than I do..... UUUUUUGH. If I think about it too much, I'll go insane!

Tomorrow, I'll be taking tons of pictures and posting them later in the day. My baby girl is growing up and I'm NOT ready.....

stressed out!

2009-08-13T21:57:00.004-05:00

AAAAHHHHH.... it's been a hectic, chaotic, crazy last few days. I'm beyond exhausted and my stress level is through the roof. My life has been completely consumed with the bathroom mirror debacle the past 48 hours!!

So Tuesday the mirror shattered all over the place. Matt called the insurance company and filed a claim that night. An adjuster was out first thing in the morning to survey the damage. He was shocked. It was way more damaging and way more of a mess than he ever imagined. GREAT.

He was here for about an hour -- taking pictures, measuring the bathroom, the bedrooms, etc.... While he was here, Libby (the girl who cleans our house) came over to talk to him and help me out. The adjuster said that since glass broke all over the carpet, they would replace it .... Since our bedroom, the hallway, the kids' rooms and the steps are all one continuous piece of carpet, they replace it all.

They both left and I spent the next hour getting ready for Katherine's pool party. Oh man... she had a blast. It was so much fun. All the little girls from her class came over and went down the slide for hours! We ordered pizza, they ate Popsicles and lounged in the sun. There were lots of smiles and giggles all afternoon.

Well, while the pool party was in full swing, the interior designer I've been working with called and we decided that the couch, rug and art work could be delivered in the afternoon. OK ... uuummmmmm, that's quick, but hey... what the heck! It's not like I didn't have a lot on my plate already! LOL!! So they arrived at 3:30, which was the time Katherine's pool party was getting over. So I had little girls (and their moms) in the house, drying off/getting dressed, and getting ready to go at the same time the furniture arrived. Oh yea... and Libby showed up with her 4 girls. The girls were going to swim while she cleaned up the glass. C-O-N-F-U-S-I-N-G!!

On top of all that... I had told the neighborhood crew that Katherine was having a back-to-school party with her friends, so if they could just wait to come over until her party was over, I'd appreciate it ... just this once. Well... they were watching the fun all afternoon long and couldn't help themselves any longer -- the SECOND her party was over, they were in the backyard playing. Literally, I doubt my backyard was empty for two minutes. They played until 6, we all broke up for a quick dinner and the backyard was flooded again until 9. Oh yea.... I was tired!!

Then this morning at 8 am, Victoria (interior designer) and her carpenter/general contractor came over to look at the bathroom and discuss what needed to be done. They left me with a list of things to do and start thinking about -- what kind of carpet I want, bathroom flooring, new mirror, counter top etc... It was overwhelming, and quite honestly I was tired of thinking about it, so I called Michelle and we took the kids to the Science Center. It was a much needed break from the war zone I'm living in!

Tomorrow, the slide is coming back out! So it's party at the Hanson house again!! Love it! After all, isn't this what summer is all about?? I must say -- I don't mind hosting. In fact, I love it. I know all the kids, they all know me, Katherine and Caleb love having their friends over and hopefully it stays that way forever!!

Mirror Mirror on the wall ....

2009-08-11T22:42:00.002-05:00

So tonight after Andrew woke up from his nap, I grabbed him while Katherine and Caleb finished cleaning her room (i.e. put away all her kitchen and dress up stuff from when they were playing house). We met downstairs and just like every other night, I put Andrew in his high chair and Katherine and Caleb sat on the island and we all cooked dinner together.

About half way through the cooking process, I heard the loudest crash EVER. Literally. It was deafening. It was so loud it frightened all of us, and in that split second there was NOTHING I could think of that could have fallen to cause that kind of noise. NOTHING! I screamed, yelled "HOLY SHIT" at the top of my lungs, and snatched up Andrew from the high chair. Katherine and Caleb were right on my heels as I ran up the stairs. Katherine was convinced that her toy kitchen fell over. Caleb yelled, "Mommy, I think our house is thundering!!". The only possibility I could think of was that the military people from Camp Dodge were having some kind of drill and accidentally shot out a bedroom window. That's how loud it was.

We ran into Katherine's room first and found nothing. Caleb's room was undisturbed as well. I looked into their bathroom and found everything in order. Out of desperation and confusion I went into my room. I was *SURE* the noise couldn't have come from my room because I had just come from there a few minutes earlier, and I was the last one out. Everything looked fine until I rounded the corner into the bathroom. To my SHOCK, HORROR & DISBELIEF, I found the mirror, which spans the entire length of the double vanity shattered all over the floor. Evidently it had pulled away from the wall and broken into a million pieces. It was horrible!

So ... long story short, Matt came home and tried to start cleaning up the mess, but it was just too much. The glass hit so hard that it broke chips out of our counter top, ruined the floor and took gashes out of the door. It's a total mess. A few minutes into the process he threw his hands up in the air and filed an insurance claim. So tomorrow, hopefully the adjuster and cleaning crew can get here first thing. My carpet is a mess -- shards of glass are everywhere, I can't even imagine putting that make-up on my face again... so tomorrow I'll be going for the "natural" look! UUUUUUGH. It's such a mess. I can't even describe it. You know how when some glass breaks, it's in huge chunks? Not this mirror. Imagine a several foot long mirror shattered into hair like strands all over the place. Just the thought of it makes me shudder!

In other news....

Tomorrow Katherine is hosting a back to school pool party at our house. She invited 8 of her little girlfriends from school and we're going to swim all afternoon!! We set up the water slide tonight, got snacks, juice boxes, the works! It should be fun for her! I'm sure the neighborhood crew will make their way to our backyard, so it should be one rockin' party!! I'll post pictures tomorrow!

Oh, and tonight before Matt started the glass cleaning project in the bathroom, we met with the interior designer. We settled on a couch, chair, bench/ottoman, rug, art work and paint color. I'm so thrilled with the outcome and can't wait to get it all! We just need to work on finishing off the bookshelves and find some new lamps and we should be good to go! I'll post pictures as soon as it arrives -- but don't hold your breath -- the furniture will take 10 weeks!

I should have known....

2009-08-10T15:39:00.002-05:00

....that when my normally happy baby boy is cranky, up all night long, and wanting to be constantly held something is drastically wrong with him. All weekend long we waited it out. Andrew didn't have a fever, he was just CRANKY.

So this morning I took him to Dr. Jon. Wouldn't you know.... an ear infection. Jon said that on a scale of 1 - 10, his ear infection was an 8. Poor baby boy. I should have taken him in sooner!

Hanson Cousins.....

2009-08-09T22:29:00.004-05:00

I finally had a little time to edit some of the pictures from Fran's family reunion that we went to in July.

Here's a few shots of the kiddos and their cousins. (Fran/Wendell -- if you want, double click on the photo to see it larger).

Zachary --

Gus --

Andrew --

Madison --

Stephanie --

Katherine --

Leo --

Caleb --

Matt with his parents and three brothers. I took a similar picture of their family right after Leo was born, so it's been a while .... too long really. It's fun to see how everyone changes over the years!

Matt's birthday weekend...

2009-08-08T22:53:00.003-05:00

Tonight, Matt and I went out to dinner to celebrate his birthday. We had Mary Claire lined up to babysit, and were looking forward to a quiet evening alone (basically we were looking forward to having a conversation that could last more that 30 seconds without an interruption)!! LOL!

When Katherine and Caleb caught wind of this plan they were devastated. Completely devastated. After all, how could we celebrate their Daddy's birthday without them??? OK, I totally get that. I really do. It was pretty insensitive of us.... So we did what we should have done all along (and were planning to do on Monday) -- celebrated together. So last night I called Shawn and Carolyn and we all went out to dinner together (at Texas Roadhouse, one of Miss Katherine's fave restaurants) and then went over to their house to play -- aka -- have a dress up and pj party! It was super fun. The kids stayed up WAY late, ate their fill of ice cream and celebrated with their Daddy! It was perfect!

Oh... and Caleb has the same "gift secret keeping" ability as his mom ... NONE!! LOL!! The day before, the kids and I were out shopping and they found an Iowa Hawkeye shirt and wanted to buy it for Matt. So we bought it and hid it in my scrapbooking room. Well Friday night, before we left for dinner, Matt took a shower and put on shorts and a polo. Caleb took one look at him and said, "Daddy you shouldn't wear that shirt... you should wear the new Hawkeye shirt we bought you for your birthday. It has black and yellow on it"! UUUUGH, that's my boy. Can't keep a secret to save his life. So they gave him his new shirt which he wore to dinner. Oh, let me tell ya... they were proud!

Now... that's not to say that Matt and I didn't keep our plans tonight! We left all three kids with Mary Claire and went out to dinner and talked. Oh, how nice it was!!

A couple of little funnies for you...

I drove Mary Claire home tonight and Caleb rode with me. On the way home, I noticed that the moon was huge and orange, so I pointed it out to Caleb making a comment about how pretty the moon was. He immediately stops me and says, "That's not the moon Mommy. The moon is white. That's Jupiter". What??? You're three!?!? What do you know about Jupiter??? I start telling him that actually it was the moon and that sometimes it can appear orange, when he cuts me off again. "Nope Mommy" he says.... "That's Jupiter. I know all about Jupiter and all the other planets. I learned about it from you. You take me to the Science Center all the time, and we talk about Jupiter. Actually Mommy, I know about all the planets! I even know about Mars. I've been there before. Grandma Fran lives on (Le) Mars you know"! Oh, my Goodness! I about wet my pants I was laughing so hard. Matt and I both grew up in LeMars, and he's totally got that confused with Mars the planet, and is convinced that the orange moon is Jupiter. I was shocked that he absorbed so much of what he's been learning at the Science Center and applied it to real life. I was amazed that he even remembered the name "Jupiter", let alone remember that it was huge, orange and had "rings". Pretty good memory for 3.5!

****

Earlier today Katherine starts asking me some question about cows. It was so off the wall, that I had NO CLUE what she was talking about or even how to answer it. When I start to tell her that I didn't know or have a good answer for her, Caleb immediately says, "That's OK Kafrin.... We'll just ask Grandpa Wendell. He's our family EXXBERT on cows". (He's a cattle buyer). I just had to laugh. He sounds more like a 30 year old man that a little boy!

******

This afternoon Katherine had a birthday party. While she was there, Caleb and I ran some errands. During this time, he says to me, "Mommy, you know what I wannnabe when I grow up??? A truck driver. A truck driver that hauls jelly beans. I'm gonna haul those jelly beans straight to Pop-pop's house because we like to eat them together". AAAAWWW, how sweet is that?

Oh what else.....

Remember this when Matt bought two leather chairs on a whim one day without me??? Since then we've given Stephanie our old couch and love seat so we're left with these two chairs, a couple of end tables and toys. That's it. Oh yea... miles of style in the Hanson living room! We've been furniture shopping all over the place but haven't found anything yet. We did find one sofa at Pottery Barn, but it was just a picture. They didn't have the specific sofa or fabric in the store, and at the end of the day, I'm way to chicken to order something I can't see or sit on. Let's face it... I'd like to say I could decorate, but sadly I can't. I'm just not good at it. So I buy nothing. I'm too afraid to commit to something like a sofa out of fear I'll hate it. So this morning I called By Design and we met with an interior decorator. LOVE HER!! We looked at furniture together and she's going to put a plan together and come to the house Monday afternoon. I can't tell you what a relief this is! I'm just so happy to have someone helping me so that it looks good! WOOT-WOOT! I'll let you know what she comes up with on Monday, but as of now I'm hopeful that she's going to make our living room and beyond look great!

Getting nervous...

2009-08-05T14:48:00.002-05:00

OK everyone -- I NEED YOUR HELP!!

Matt's birthday is Monday (August 10) and I'm at a total loss on what to get to him. We're going out to dinner on Saturday night, so it has to be here by then. Any ideas???? Come on... help a girl out!!

Our anniversary.

2009-08-02T22:06:00.003-05:00

We had a great anniversary!

We spent the morning doing stuff around house with the kids and then Matt and Andrew took off while I showered and Katherine & Caleb played together. Katherine had a private gymnastics lesson at 1, and when Matt wasn't home at 12:15 I began to wonder where he was. I finally got a hold of him at 12:30 only to find out he was out in West Des Moines. Great..... Since there's no way he could be home in 5 minutes, so Katherine and I could get down to Chow's by 1, we decided to meet in the middle and head down there together.

Her lesson went well. She's learning a ton of new skills (on floor -- front and back handsprings, front flips, and front walkovers. On bars -- front hip circles and kips. On beam -- cartwheels, handstands and different dismounts) and perfecting the skills she's been working on. It amazes me... She doesn't mind the criticism. In fact, she thrives in the quest for perfection. She doesn't mind her coach moving her head ever so slightly, constantly making tiny adjustments to her fingers and toes and pushing her out of her comfort zone. I will say this... Little Katherine fears NOTHING. She's not afraid of falling. She's not afraid of getting hurt. She'll do crunches and squat jumps to the point that I fear that she'll puke. She loves every moment she's in the gym. As a parent, the conditioning and training process can be tough to watch at times. After all, this is my baby girl and as much as I want to coddle her -- they don't. They don't treat any of these girls with "kid gloves". I've seen many of the team or "team track" girls in tears over the past year. Some have quit, and I'm sure many more have wanted to over that time. So far, Katherine is in love with everything gymnastics. She watches the team girls in awe and will do anything they ask of her to make sure she makes it all the way. She tells everyone that Level 10 is not her goal -- she's going to be an elite gymnast someday.

Anyway....

I sat up on the balcony watching her with tears in my eyes. It doesn't seem like that long ago that she was taking gymnastics at Urbandale and Mr. Tarry was gushing over how good she'd become someday. At that time, she was a little girl full of energy and determination. She had big dreams and tons of confidence. She was constantly giddy.... literally jumping around the gym with a smile on her face. The smile, energy and determination are still there, but it's different now. She walks around the gym with her head held high, her back straight and her arms at her side. She knows she belongs there. She's earned it. Looking back, Mr. Tarry was more of a playmate who taught her cool stuff in the gym. At Chow's, she has a new found respect for her coaches. They are people who she listens to and respects.... and she'll do anything they ask of her. It really hit me yesterday when I saw her in the gym-- she looked more like a young woman than a little girl. AAAAAAHHHHH....

When the lesson was over, Nicole (the Level 5 coach who also coached her TAG class last school year) came up to me and gave me a handwritten sheet with strength and conditioning exercises they'd like her to be working on at home. WHAT???? She's 6 years old and the fact that she has"gymnastics homework" seems silly/crazy to me! LOL!! We got talking and she told me that Li (Chow's wife) told her that Katherine "was a VERY special little girl with tons of talent". Evidently they have decided that Katherine's future at Chow's will be a long one and they can take her as high as she wants to go. Nicole told me that Katherine was everything they were looking for -- right body shape/size, great attitude, she'll do anything they ask, takes criticism well, makes any body/form corrections they ask, and doesn't have the "I'm the next Shawn Johnson" attitude. She's humble but confident; energetic yet controlled. She then started talking about pre-team and told me that most girls are in TOPS (Katherine's new class) for two years, but she doesn't see Katherine there for anywhere near that amount of time. They have big plans for my little girl! Katherine just stood there beaming and taking in every word Nicole said. She wants this so badly.....

Later that night, Matt and I had our first dinner out without Andrew. I've never felt comfortable leaving him with a babysitter (because yes, I am a control freak!! LOL!!) but our anniversary dinner out with friends seemed just the occasion! So when Mary Claire arrived, Matt and I took off to pick up Troy and Andrea. On the way there, he surprised me with some gorgeous bling! He bought me a beautiful 3 stone right hand ring and I LOVE IT!! Oh, and remember when he was late for Katherine's gymnastics lesson??? He and Andrew went over to Anglo and bought it. How sweet is that? I was shocked!! We had a nice night out, and then came home, put the kids to bed, and sat around the fire pit with Troy and Andrea and chatted. It was a really great night!!

So now I'm on the quest for the perfect birthday present for Matt. Anyone have any ideas???

Annoyed....

2009-07-31T22:52:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is our anniversary. It's been 11 years! To celebrate we're going out to dinner with the Hodapp's who are also celebrating tomorrow. We've been looking forward to it all week!

I decided that I needed something new to wear, so Matt met me at the mall after work, we had dinner and then he took the kids home so I could shop in peace. Guess how much I bought??? NOT ONE SINGLE THING. ZERO. ZIP. NADA. UUUUUUGH! I couldn't find one thing I liked, so I came home empty handed. I won't even give you the list of stores I went into! So frustrating!

Anyway, about 45 minutes ago Andrea called. She was on her way to Dahl's and wondered if I needed anything. She then goes on to tell me that Colin had been running a fever (102 to be exact) since yesterday and she needed to pick him some more Tylenol. Then she happens to mention, as an afterthought, that my kids were outside playing with them all night while I was shopping. WHAT??? I love her to death, but come on... We're going out to dinner with THEM, and if my kiddos turn up sick and we can't go, I'll be *slightly* annoyed!

Lil' swimmer

2009-07-28T21:35:00.003-05:00

Today the kids and I went to Ashby Park with a bunch of friends and had a wonderful time! We packed a picnic lunch and the kids splashed around with their friends for several hours. It was so much fun, and such a beautiful day!!

It was also Andrew's first trip to a pool, and wow.... he had a blast! He was in awe of all the water, and squealed non-stop for the first hour! Much like Katherine, little Andrew has no fear. He was crawling all over the place, racing for toys and splashing like a crazy man. He was all smiles!

Since keeping up with Andrew occupied 100% of my time, I didn't get any good pictures of Katherine, Caleb or Morgan (my niece who was also with us). However, I was able to get some of Andrew. So -- on to the good stuff -- PICTURES!!

Here's my little man getting his first peek at the water!

Starting off slow --

All smiles and loving it!

At this point, the camera had to be put away. He was splashing so much and crawling all over the place, that there was NO WAY I could take care of him and not get the camera wet!

After a fun filled morning of swimming, we pulled out our picnic and ate lunch. After Andrew was finished eating, he started playing with the cooler.... pulling things out, trying to eat the ice packs and standing up beside it. All of a sudden, he falls -- FACE FIRST over the top and lands with his face on the cement. I was right there. However, in that split second, I couldn't grab him. Oh man did he have a good cry. He could hardly catch his breath at times. The poor little guy was left with a horrible rash all over the side of his face from the cement. UUUUUGH! I feel so badly for him!

**********************

Today it dawned on me -- Katherine starts school in three weeks. THREE WEEKS. Where did the summer go? UUUUUGH. It seems like school just go out, and now the kids are almost ready to go back. I hate it! So, we are making the most of every day, and trying to fit in everything we want to do before Aug. 24th....

Tomorrow -- Adventureland here we come!!

favorite

2009-07-27T15:10:00.004-05:00

I took a couple hundred photos at Matt's mom's family reunion over the weekend, and just finished uploading them.

Here's one I *love* of Matt's dad and Andrew. Definitely a keeper! More to come....

A little teaser...

2009-07-26T22:38:00.002-05:00

This Saturday we went to Mapleton for Matt's mom's family reunion. I took a million pictures and will post them soon. I still haven't downloaded them to the computer but hope to find time tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Sunday dinner

2009-07-26T21:57:00.003-05:00

Dinner tonight was .... aaahhhh, should we say eventful???

We decided to take the kids to our favorite Mexican restaurant for some of the yummiest chips and salsa on the planet -- literally, it just doesn't get any better than this place! It's the perfect place for kids -- immediate chips and salsa, not overly quiet, great service, and really quick. Oh yea... the food is incredible too!

What should have been a nice family dinner left one child (Caleb) almost removed from the dinner table, another one (Katherine) in tears, and the last one (Andrew) screaming in a high pitched squeal that I was certain would crack the glasses on the table. Matt and I could do nothing but laugh at each other!

So.... here's how it went down.....

Caleb was pill for some reason. That's right. TOTAL. PILL. First he broke his straw trying to shove the entire thing into the styrofoam cup. We asked for new straw and thought we had the situation resolved. Then he decides that the table would be a perfect drum and starts banging his silverware as loudly as possible. UUUUGH. At this point, Andrew starts squealing as loudly as possible. He opens his little mouth and starts yelling. Not crying. Not fussing. Not wanting to be held. Just screaming. His face was red. He had drool flying all over the table. He was quite the sight. I dropped his plug on the table and for some reason (we all know he couldn't have been thinking clearly) Matt dips this pacifier into his glass of orange soda and shoves it into Andrew's mouth. Evidently he was trying to clean it off... Oh man... did it work. Andrew sucked on that thing like it was pure heaven! A few minutes later, Caleb got bored again, and starts drawing on his styrofoam cup with the fork. UUUUUUUMMMM... hello.... he's about to poke a hole in the cup and spill soda all over the table. Great... Oh, and yea.... our food hasn't even arrived at this point.

All of a sudden, I look at Katherine and say to her, "I know exactly what you're thinking and totally agree, but leave it alone. We can't discuss it here". Matt's at loss, and asks for explanation. I tell her not to say anything and we'd tell dad when we got to the car. But, oh no.... Katherine can't let anything just be... Nope. Not my little princess. She has to point across the restaurant and say in a rather LOUD voice, "Look at that lady over there -- the one with fuzzy springing headband. SHE LOOKS RIDICULOUS". I just wanted to crawl under the table. Thankfully she didn't hear Katherine's comment, but man... she did look absolutely insane. Remember those headbands from back in the 80's that had glittery balls attached to springs that would bounce all over the place when you moved your head?? Well she had on one of those numbers along with a sun visor. Oh, and she was older than I was. I had to bite my tongue to stop laughing!

So, dinner comes and Caleb refuses to eat. Evidently his beans are too hot and he has to wait for them to cool down. Whatever. At this point, whether or not he eats his beans is of supreme indifference to me. I really don't care.....

Katherine downs her food and while she's waiting for us to finish, she grabs onto the the back of the booth and starts using it as a piece of gymnastics equipment. She is sitting normally, and reaches her hands up as high as she can and sits in a pike position with her butt off the seat. Don't ask. There are very few moments in life that aren't consumed with gymnastics in one way or another. In any event, the decorative wooden spindles attached to the top of the booth can't hold her weight *GASP* and break apart. That's right, she totally broke the top part of the booth. She's horrified, in tears, and holding two small wooden bars.

Oh, I'm ready to get home. Talk about a disaster. I could have just died.

So home we went -- to the comfort of our home, turned the sprinklers on, and invited two of our 'hood friends over to hang by the fire pit. So ... 8 kids, 6 parents, and a water fight later, we're all happy again and everything is right with the world! LOL.

Cops...

2009-07-21T16:51:00.002-05:00

UUUUUGH. I hate 'em. I really do. I won't bore you with my million reasons why right now, but I have smoke coming out of my ears. I am soooo ticked.

So -- guess what happened....

I got pulled over ON THE INTERSTATE, for not having a front license plate. That's right, on the interstate with three kids in the car. $74 dollars later, and I'm on my way. Bastards. Really.

Big news -- she's TOPS!!

2009-07-10T21:53:00.004-05:00

For those that don't know what TOPS stands for -- join the club, neither do I! However, this I DO know....

One year ago, Katherine was taking gymnastics at Urbandale Dance and Gymnastics, and had a coach she loved, but unfortunately the club wasn't able to give her all she wanted. She needed a program that could fully support her dream, would push her to her limits, and was really focused on competitive gymnastics. Her coaches at Urbandale told me to take her to Chow's, and between August and November, Katherine was in gymnastics classes three nights a week (two nights at Urbandale and one night at Chow's in their kindergarten class because they make you start on the recreational side). Remember this post where Li took Katherine into the gym and "tried her out" for TAG (Talented and Gifted)???

Since that night, we've pulled Katherine out of Urbandale, and she has continually gotten stronger and more confident and is finally at the point again where she's begging for more... By "more" I mean ... learning more skills and getting more gym time. She wants to move up. Her TAG class is nothing more than a stepping stone in her mind. She's not satisfied just making TAG; she'd be in that gym every night if it was possible.

So with that being said, I've been trying to get her into private lessons for the past 6 weeks. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as it was at Urbandale. At Chow's, only certain coaches are allowed to give private lessons to girls on TAG and higher, and most of them are either full, running the gymnastics camps, or simply not doing them this summer. Talk about FRUSTRATING!!

Well -- the waiting game is over! Late this afternoon I got a call from Chow's. Coach Nicole (who was her coach this fall) is going to take her Saturday at 2:00. WONDERFUL! Talk about music to my ears!! Katherine can't wait, and is soooo looking forward to getting some extra time in the gym working on new skills. After we got done talking about the private lessons, she went on to tell me that Li would like to invite Katherine to join TOPS! OMG! Talk about making a little girl's week!! She is elated!! This is a BIG DEAL and a tremendous honor!! At Chow's, before you make Level 5 and officially start competing against other clubs, you have to make it through TAG, TOPS and then finally pre-team. It's all pretty hush-hush. No one knows exactly what you have to do to be asked to move up or how long you "should" be at each level, it's more just Li's gut feeling. She decides when you're ready, and ultimately IF you're ever ready. From what I know, most kids are in TAG some where between 12 and 18 months. Katherine joined TAG in November. She starts TOPS on Monday night, and her new class is 1.5 hours twice a week. She's loving the fact that she'll be able to spend more time on each event.

When I got off the phone and went to tell Katherine, she broke into tears. She was so happy, so relieved to be moving up, so absolutely overwhelmed and giddy... She was on cloud 9 and didn't stop doing handstands for at least an hour.... literally. One full hour of handstands. Oh, and I got the honor of timing her -- 13 seconds was the longest of the night! LOL.

Matt showed up a few hours later from work with a little celebration of his own -- steaks which are her fave food and flowers. Oh man - if there's one thing this little girl loves it's flowers!! We're going to get her a new leotard as well, but will wait until the new Chow's ones are ordered. After all -- why get just a plain leotard when you can wear the Chow's one "loud and proud"?? LOL!!

AAAAHHHHH, I'm so proud of her..... so happy to watch her live her dream, so thrilled that her hard work is paying off, and so in awe of her relentless determination. She doesn't quit. She refuses to give up. She pursues her dreams with a single mindedness that most 6 year olds don't possess. I know I've said it before, but as a mom there is nothing better than watching your child live their dream. It gives me great satisfaction that she has found something she loves and is finding success along the way. Today -- she is absolutely glowing. She is radiant. She has a smile on her face that nothing can erase. AAAHHH....

Oh happy day!

2009-06-23T21:49:00.005-05:00

Eleven years ago this August Matt and I got married. We had watched our video a handful of times that first year and all of a sudden the video vanished. Literally. I pulled apart our home at the time, but couldn't find it. I didn't panic. I just figured that it'd show up when we moved. It didn't. Well if it wasn't at our house, then it had to be at my parent's house, right??? Nope. No such luck. They've also moved, and when they did, we went through everything with a fine tooth comb. The video never showed up. I've thought about it over the years, wishing I could see it one more time, but also realizing it was gone, and I was out of ideas where it could be.

As Katherine has gotten older she's asked me about my wedding -- wanting to see my dress, the pictures and the video. I had to explain to her that somehow the video got lost and I've looked everywhere, but it's gone. She was disappointed, but I told her that maybe some day it would show up.

As luck would have it, when we were in LeMars this past weekend, I ran into a guy who graduated a year after I did. It was his father who shot and edited the video, so I had to ask if there was ANY chance his dad might still have it in the archives. He told me that he didn't know for sure, but he thought his dad had almost all the videos he's shot over the years, and would guess mine would be there too. I was instantly giddy at the thought of getting my hands on the video, and being able to watch it with family and friends.

Anyway, I got a message on Facebook today (Oh how I love my Facebook!!) stating that my wedding video did exist, and his dad could put it on DVD for me. (It was originally on VHS tape back in the day -- wow, don't I feel old!! LOL!). I AM THRILLED! I can't wait to see it. I haven't seen that video in over 10 years, and it's about time I do!!

It's crazy -- I wish I could say my memories are perfectly clear of that day, but sadly they're not. One of the things I CLEARLY remember is standing at the alter, trying to say my vows, but couldn't get a word out. Literally. I. could. not. talk. At the time it seemed like I stood up there in silence forever, but I'm sure in reality I'm sure it was only a minute or so.... which is still A LONG time!! I'm pretty sure my mom started to panic! LOL. Anyway, I can't wait to see it! I can't wait to watch Katherine's face as she watches it. I can't wait to hear Matt's perspective of that day. I can't wait to see our family and friends. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Troy and Andrea share the same anniversary as we do, so I'm thinking of hosting a little viewing party in August, and inviting all our neighborhood friends. We can watch everyone's wedding video, drink a little wine and have some good laughs. AAAAHHH, doesn't that sound like fun????

Yes ... I'm alive!!

2009-06-22T23:24:00.004-05:00

Wow.... I know I've been neglecting the blog BIG TIME!! I've been called out on it by several people, so I figure it's time to do a quick update. It's not for lack of things to blog about, but we've been super busy, and with Katherine and Caleb not napping, my time to surf the net and blog is well ..... non-existent. However, with all that being said, I promise to do better!! So here's to regular blogging again! LOL.

** It's been crazy hot here the past few days. Since Andrew can't spend long periods of time outside and the other two love to swim, I bought this super cool water slide for the backyard. I ordered it around midnight last night, and it shipped out this morning. Oh man.... I can't wait to get this thing!! I think the kiddos are going to LOVE it. Here's to hoping it arrives before the pool party we're having for Rick and Danyel next Tuesday night!

** Andrew has been super close to crawling, but all of a sudden today, he took off. He's officially mobile, and it's so fun to watch him begin to explore his world. He's so adorable -- shuffling his little knees across the floor with his tongue sticking out and determination in his eyes. He's all about getting his hands on anything and everything in sight. Caleb had better watch out, because if Andrew can get anywhere near the train table, the tracks are his!!

** This past weekend we went back to LeMars and had a super fun time. My parents brought the kettle corn stuff up to Ice Cream Days and Isaac & Elizabeth also came and stayed and Matt's parents house with us. Isaac hasn't been back in 8 years (with the exception of 1 day) so it was quite the trip down memory lane. Isaac, Elizabeth and I drove around town and saw all the sights ..... I'm not sure if I told him, but that time was incredible. We spent a good amount of time driving around town, and reminiscing about old times -- some of which I had forgotten about. For example, I can't believe I had forgotten about the car accident in our front lawn!

** The parade in LeMars is unlike any we have in Des Moines. It seems like all the parades in Des Moines are nothing more than a ginormous rolling billboard -- insurance salesmen, cable companies, dance studios and politicians. The ice cream days parade was AMAZING!! Oh man... it had everything -- bands (there's a novel idea, huh??), unicyclists -- one of which was juggling, actual floats, even a man herding dressed-up geese. Don't ask. There are no words. Literally none. Elizabeth took a few pictures and as soon as she sends them to me, I'll post them. I couldn't believe it!!

** I have tons of pictures to upload and edit. Isaac graduated on 6/5 which was also Katherine's last day of school. I'll post them soon!!

I have so much more to blog about, but right now, I need to sleep! Katherine and Caleb are spending the night with Grammy and Pop-pops and I need to pick them up fairly early tomorrow -- it's off to the Science Center for a play date. We've gotta stay out of this heat!!

Only my husband....

2009-06-07T22:23:00.002-05:00

leaves the house with Andrew to go and pick up the burley that we bought last week and comes home with TWO THOMASVILLE LEATHER CHAIRS for the living room. That's right, he is on his way to pick up a bike carrier and comes home with new furniture... I would attach a link to the beauties he purchased, but I haven't seen them yet, and he can't find the exact chair on the website. So, like me.... you'll just have to wait and see what he bought! We'll be surprised together!! LOL!!

Here's how it went down -- I had to make a Costco run, so I put Andrew down for his nap and left Matt with Katherine and Caleb out in the backyard by the pool. On the way home, I got a call from Michelle and she mentioned that they wanted to go the home show. I told her to dress Nicholas and Caden in their swim trunks and bring them over to play. After all, it'd be more enjoyable for Brian and Michelle not to drag the boys in and out of houses, and it'd be fun the boys to play with Katherine and Caleb. When I returned home I found Olivia, Emma, Parker, Grant and Emma R also playing. A few minutes later Andrea comes over to grab the few items I picked up for her at Costco and asked if I'd watch her boys while they went to buy landscaping stuff. Fine. Really, at this point, what's a few more kids??? So, including my two (Matt took Andrew) I had 10 kids swimming, running around, playing soccer, and climbing on the swing set. Wow... I wish I had out my camera. They were pouring water down the slide and skidding across the lawn. Needless to say, our backyard is a mud hole, and the kids looked like they spent the afternoon mud wrestling. They were covered, head to toe, in mud and grass clippings, and the pool water was a chocolate color. Literally. It was disgusting!! But wow... did they have fun!! They should all sleep well tonight!!

So while I was hanging out with the kiddos, Matt decided to stop at Homemakers and spruce up the living room. I guess that's what took him so long!! Now, I need to find someone to take the love seat off our hands and pick out a new couch for the long wall in the living room. Since the chairs are leather, I'm thinking a cool fabric of some type... I'm also going to look for a long sofa table for the entry way. I can't wait to go shopping!!

When Brian and Michelle got done at the home show they came over to pick up the boys. One thing led to another and we decided to order pizza. It was a good excuse for Michelle and I to leave the house for a few minutes!! We got home, fed the kiddos, and then sat down to eat. All of a sudden, the tornado sirens went off. We made the mad dash to the basement with all the little ones, and man.... did that wind blow! Our landscaping took a pretty good beating, two of our neighbors lost trees -- one snapped in half, the other one was uprooted, some lost huge ceramic pots, and Andrea's grill was thrown off the deck and knocked her Adirondack chairs over. It was quite the storm! The kids were all playing in the basement and giggled with excitement when we lost power. It was the strangest storm -- it went from fine one minute, to pitch dark, pouring rain, and blowing like crazy the next!

As soon as the Launderville's left, we threw the kids in the tub and they went into our room to watch a show. I left the room for a few minutes and when I came back they were both passed out cold. We carried them into their receptive beds and never heard another peep out of them. Oh, I love summer! These wonderfully carefree days when they can play all day and have so much fun that they can't keep their little eyes open another second longer. This is what childhood is all about!!

kudos to Katherine!!

2009-06-01T23:38:00.005-05:00

Tonight was Katherine's first gymnastics practice of the summer, which means that she has a new coach and new kids in her class. Her coach tonight was Kelly, whom she absolutely adores. Kelly has a daughter on the team, and is a firm believer in tough love. She drills correct form into those girls and really fine tunes every move they do. She's always pulling on their arms, pointing their toes, and tapping their knees to make sure they don't give out. She's tough on them, but super fun and the kids respect her for it.

With all that being said, she stopped me on the way out of practice tonight and told me that, "Katherine is an amazing talent. She has tons of potential, and is THE leader on the team. She expects big things out of her and will do everything she can to make sure that she excels". She also told me that she was about to give Katherine a big dose of tough love this summer, and constantly challenge her because she could handle it. She looked down at Katherine, smiled and patted her on the head, and asked her if she was ready.... Oh. my. goodness!!!! She could hardly contain her excitement! She's ready for summer gymnastics!! She's ready and willing to do anything and everything Kelly wants her to do. She so badly wants this!

We've also decided to start up some private lessons again this summer. We haven't done any privates since Mr. Tarry, and now that Katherine is firmly entrenched at Chow's and wanting "more" again, it's time to give her the extra boost if that's what she wants. I've said it all along, but if she wants to do this, we'll support her 100% -- physically, emotionally and financially. I'm just so happy for her that she's in a good spot right now and overflowing with happiness.

I was editing pictures tonight and came across these from her meet at Chow's. They uploaded backwards for some silly reason, and quite honestly I'm too tired to try and fix it now.... So in reverse order -- here we go!

Katherine accepting her medal and ribbons. You can't really tell from this picture, but there are four ribbons attached to the sheet she's holding (one for bars, beam, floor and vault). She was the only girl in her class to get all four blues and was beaming with pride!

Katherine on bars --
Katherine with the girls on her TAG team, waiting to go on bars.

Katherine on floor. She's doing a back walkover in the first picture.

handstand forward roll.

The rest of these pictures are on beam. Since I uploaded them backward, here's her dismount! LOL!!

This girl has got some air!!

Waiting for the meet to start.

So there you have it --her first meet at Chow's. By all accounts, it was a success... she was happy with how she did, and surprisingly, wasn't one bit nervous. Considering all the people that were there, I was a little stunned, but so proud of her!

Caleb's last day

2009-05-29T10:25:00.002-05:00

Last Friday we had a picnic at Caleb's preschool to celebrate his last day of school for the year. It was such a fun morning! They had different "stations" set up for the kids to play at before we had lunch -- they could ride trikes, play with the giant parachute, go to the playground, play with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, etc.

The class that he's in only meets once a week, and it's designed to get kids ready for preschool. Basically it's just organized play with some educational aspects thrown in. They sing, dance, read stories, paint, craft, get into play-doh, and play outside. He really loves it and every time we drive by, he always points out "my school". I love that he's proud of it!!

Caleb is going through a stage where he refuses to let me take his picture, so these are the best I got. Doesn't he understand how important pictures are to me???? UUUUUUUGH! Clearly, he missed the memo the past couple of weeks!! LOL.

Caleb with Mrs. Turek.

Caleb with Mrs. Haas.

Andrew watching Caleb ride the trike around. How hilarious is this face?? He totally cracks me up!

Caleb on the trike. Man, he loved zipping around the big circle drive on this thing!!

Summer break -- here we come!! Now... if only Katherine was done with school!

Love note

2009-05-26T13:24:00.002-05:00

Because I never want to forget......

I got the sweetest love letter from Katherine last week. She drew a picture of her and I together holding hands and it read:

GRAJULASHINS MOMMY. YOR FANTASTIK!

How sweet is that??? AAAAHHHH, she's the best.... totally amazing, and I'm so thankful she's mine!

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T22:06:00.007-05:00

If there's one thing I LOVE, it's a nice long weekend! We had a blast over the past few days -- a trip to LeMars, my nephew's graduation party, a trip to the Katherine and Caleb's favorite park, and hanging out with family. It was great!!

So first a "few" pictures from the park. Caroline and I took the kids (Katherine, Caleb, Leo and Gus) to the park for a little pre-lunch outing.

Katherine and Leo.

Katherine, my little poser. I was pretty much done taking pictures at this point, but when she asked me to snap a few more, how could I say no??? Yea, I couldn't!

Leo. Katherine and Caleb always love playing with Leo! I'm so glad he let me take a picture or two of him!

Katherine.

All the kiddos. Caleb flat out refused to let me take a picture of him, so I was beyond elated when he'd sit for a group shot!

Katherine

How cute are they??? A pretty good looking bunch if I do say so myself!! LOL!!

Here's little Gus.... Isn't he just adorable?? He's so smiley and happy!! He's just perfect!!

Katherine's latest obsession is the monkey bars. She does them ALL THE TIME. Literally, every chance she gets, she's rockin' those bad boys!! Her poor little hands have callouses across the palms, yet it doesn't bother her at all. She can't get enough!

Jacob is as close to a celebrity as it comes to Katherine and Caleb. They love and adore him like crazy and whenever he comes around they go wild! There's tons laughing, rough-housing, and chaos. Nothing is better than that!!

Here's a few pictures from Zach's graduation. Caleb and Leo LOVED the cake!!

Cheers!!

Jay and Debbie have the coolest bright orange room in their house. Here are the kiddos looking out of the cut-out in the wall going up the steps.

A kiss (or two) for Katherine!

All smiles!!

Here's little Gus just chillin' out!! I love these shots of him against the orange wall.

Andrew didn't sleep very well Friday night, so at the party he did a lot of this.....

Caroline and Gus --

Jay and Andrew --

Matt wanted to get back to Des Moines a little early, so we left LeMars on Sunday afternoon and just hung out today. I wasn't super keen on leaving on Sunday, but I must admit, I was glad that we had a day to just rest and relax as a family. Today we went to the park, took the kids out for lunch, and got ready for a short week! Woo-hoo!!

Another day... another first...

2009-05-21T13:34:00.003-05:00

This morning Andrew and I were playing on the floor in the living room. He looked like he wanted to reach for knob on the train table drawer, so I pulled it out so that he could reach it.

He smiled, reached out his little hand, and grabbed on for dear life. Within 5 seconds, he was standing on his feet and trying to pull everything in sight off.... the buildings, the tracks, and the trains. It was so cute. He was all smiles and knew that he had done something pretty special!

I've gotta say... I wouldn't be shocked at all if he never crawled. The way he's going, it looks like he may skip that step and go straight to walking! Watch out world!!

It's official!

2009-05-20T22:28:00.002-05:00

We have a roller! At 7.5 months Andrew has finally figured out how to roll over. In the past he'd turn over pretty far, but never made it all the way over. His little shoulder would get stuck, and he'd just flop right back over on his back. However, tonight he and I were playing on the floor and all of a sudden he rolled right over. So our lives are about to get pretty interesting. I have a feeling he's going to be an active little guy! He has super strong legs, and absolutely NO interest in crawling, so I just have a haunch that he'll go right to walking!

So thankful...

2009-05-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

I am so thankful for great friends. Truly.

This morning we had to get my car down to the body shop so that they could take a look at the tire before we head to LeMars this weekend for my nephew's graduation. Since the dealership didn't open until 7:30, Andrea immediately offered, without being asked, to take me (and all the kids) down there so that Matt could get to work at his usual pre-dawn time.

About 2 hours later, there was a surprise knock on my door. Michelle stopped over to deliver my daily caffeine addiction -- a 2 liter bottle Diet Dr. Pepper and a bag of my fave candy (Swedish fish) because she knew I'd need it today. How thoughtful is that?

Busy weekend!

2009-05-17T16:21:00.003-05:00

We've had a super busy and incredibly fun weekend! Actually, this is the first 5 minutes to myself since ...... aaaahhh, I don't know.... Thursday???

Friday night, on the way home from work, Matt called me and asked if I wanted him to pick up Cool Basil. AAAAHHH, yea!! LOL! I called and called but couldn't get an answer. In the meantime, Andrea called. One thing led to another, and they decided to join us. So, Friday night the Hodapp clan was over for yummy take-out. While the grown-ups relaxed and enjoyed some wine, the kiddos headed to the basement for a little fun of their own. I felt bad for poor Katherine... She was the only girl with 4 boys to play with. Oh and those boys -- when you put them together they usually manage to find themselves in hot water. When I went downstairs to check on them, I Caleb and Colin climbing on Katherine's huge Barbie house and jumping off. I have no idea how they even climbed up there, but man... it just looked like a broken bone waiting to happen!

Saturday night was a different story though... Since Rick and Danyel are moving, we wanted to have a going away party for them. Since they already had plans last night, it didn't quite work out as we hoped, but it was fun anyway. The Hodapps, Allens, Miners, and Sokolowsis came over for a BBQ and since it was so cold out, we busted out the fire pit. The kiddos had a blast running around the backyard, having a picnic in the middle of the lawn and roasting marshmallows. When the sun went down, the kids retreated into the house while we stayed outside enjoying the fire. I have tons of pictures which I'll upload after tonight.

Tonight we invited the whole neighborhood over for a little going away party for Rick, Danyel, Walker and Ryan. It's our little way of saying goodbye to great friends. Hopefully it'll work out to throw a big bash when they come back to close on their house. So save a night for us guys!!

Anyway, I'm off to clean. My house is an absolute disaster after this weekend. We've had people here almost all weekend long, and my house is a pit!

update...

2009-05-15T21:32:00.005-05:00

Where do I even begin??? So much has happened in the past couple of weeks....

The obvious place.... Andrew's surgery. It went amazingly well. He was such a trooper through it all. You would never know the pain and discomfort the poor little guy had to feel judging by the constant smile on his little face. Through it all, he was happy and playful -- literally you'd never know anything was wrong with him...

Thankfully, Matt's parents came down the night before his surgery and helped us out more than words can say. They did it all -- took Katherine to school, helped out with laundry, played with Caleb.... everything. We couldn't have done it without them. His dad left Monday morning and then Matt took his mom back to LeMars the following Friday (as in -- she was here over a week). We had him dedicated in church that Sunday (Mother's Day) so they turned right around and came back down a day later. Thankful does not even begin to describe how I feel. I am incredibly blessed and overwhelmed to have in-laws who are more like parents to me that "outlaws"!

A few things I'll never forget --

* How horrible I felt handing my baby boy over to the doctor and watching them walk down the long hallway knowing what his next few minutes would be like and I wouldn't be with him. I stood there watching Andrew laugh at the doctor and grab his face, while I had tears streaming down my own. The pit in my stomach at that moment made me physically nauseous.

* The long wait while he was in surgery. Matt and I had breakfast, and then he went back to the hotel to check out while I paced the hallways. That time seemed to drag on for a lifetime........

* Being called back to the waiting room knowing that Andrew was out of surgery but we couldn't see him yet. All of a sudden an older woman ran into the room and asked me two questions -- if he had any allergies and if he was breastfed. When I told her yes to the later, she said, "Well that explains that" and ran out of the room. She was super odd, so I didn't give it much of a thought. About 5 minutes later a young girl came to bring me back to Andrew. Evidently only one of us could go back, so Matt waited in that recovery room while I went to get him. As soon as we rounded the corner, I head him crying ... eeerrr... screaming. The young girl told me that there was NO WAY it could be him as we were way too far away from the room that he was in. Sure enough, down a VERY long hallway and through two sets of double doors the screaming got louder and louder... It was Andrew, and he was inconsolable... In fact, he was so ticked off that he kicked the IV out of his foot and the nurse had to call the doctor to put it back in. She thought he was in a crazy amount of pain and needed something to take the edge off. I immediately grabbed him from the nurse and started cuddling with him and singing. By the time the doctor got there he was fast asleep.

* The quick pit stop we had to make in Williamsburg to buy ginormous onezies which he would live in for the next two weeks.

* The trouble we had getting him to take his medication -- all three bottles worth -- Tylenol with codeine, something for bladder spasms and an antibiotic. It was horrible. He would cough, gag and try to spit it back out.

* The horrendous diaper changes. I couldn't have done it without Fran. Two diapers, a catheter, ointment, the works... Changing his diaper was an event in itself. It was quite the production...

* His first bath -- watching the water turn red, trying to take off the bandage, and then seeing the flow of fresh blood. It looked HORRIBLE, and Fran and I were terrified. Neither one of us felt competent to care for this!

* Through it all, spending every day with a little boy who always had a smile on his face and couldn't wait to play with you and interact. He was soooo happy... You'd literally never know he just had surgery.

We went back to Iowa City on Tuesday and had his catheter taken out. His doctor said that everything was perfect, and most likely he'll never have a problem. We need to bring him back in the future just to make sure everything is OK, but it looks like we're in the clear!

Sooo... in other news....

I HAD A DAY YESTERDAY.....

Katherine's car seat was in Matt's car and since she had gymnastics, I ran downtown to pick it up from him. I loaded up the boys, picked up Jimmy John's for lunch, and went down to meet Matt. We sat in the car, had lunch together and just hung out for a little while. We said our goodbyes and I was on my way. On the way to the interstate, I got into a horrible car accident. It was my fault. My kids were in the car. I just cried and called 911 and Matt. I have no idea what I was thinking but I was reading the signs to get to the interstate and looking a block ahead of me and totally missed a red light. I went right though, and didn't even pause. I got T-boned right in the side door where Andrew was sitting. Oh man.... The other vehicle was a 1993 Olds car and I'm positive it'll be totalled. We hit hard enough that the impact swung my Sequoia around 90 degrees and Caleb's car seat was jarred sideways. Oh man.............. I'll never forget the sound of the impact ... the glass breaking, the metal denting, the other car being ripped apart. I can still hear it when I close my eyes. The other car looks horrible. Glass and metal were all over the intersection. Shockingly enough, if you looked at my car, you'd NEVER know it was in the kind of car accident that it was. The other car hit my tire and side running board thing. Other than that, there is very little body damage. The impact, however, was so hard that Matt was literally picking pieces of the other car out of my tire.

Thankfully, he arrived on the scene before the police and took care of everything. I'm so grateful for him.

I'm sure they'll be many more "accident" updates to come.....

Today the Launderville's came over and Caleb and Caden played all morning. They had a great time! After they left, the boys and I went to Katherine's school for her art show. It was so cute! A little background.....

On Wednesday I went with her class on a field trip to the Art Center. Mrs. Seybert taught them about 6 different artists and told the tour guides to specifically point out paintings by those artists. What I didn't know was that she had each of them create a piece of art in the same style as each of the artists they studied. Today, she had the class replicate the Art Center experience for the parents. They all made matching paper mache hats and each child had a job to do. Katherine was a tour guide -- she was supposed to tell parents 3 facts about each artist, and there were also security guards that made sure we didn't "cross the line" (LOL), greeters, restaurant staff (they handed out lemonade and cookies) etc... It was sooo incredibly cute.

The real kicker.... When we got to Van Gogh, Katherine immediately started crying. She couldn't remember her three facts about him and was WAY upset about it. All of a sudden, Caleb gives her a hug and says, "That's OK Katherine. I don't know anything about him either, so we're twins! Actually....". LOL!! How sweet is that!!

Oh, and one more thing before I call it quits on the blogging front tonight.... (Yea, I know how random and rambling this is.....)!

Matt got me a DQ cake for Mother's Day -- evidently weight watchers was forgotten that day! LOL. Anyway, after dinner we all had a piece. I looked at Katherine's plate and noticed that she had eaten all the vanilla and hadn't eaten any of the chocolate yet. So we have this conversation:

Me: Why are you eating your cake that way?

K: (Laughs).

Me: No, I'm serious. Really why haven't you eaten your chocolate yet?

K: (Laughing and nervous at this point). I will.

Me: No, Katherine. I'm not kidding. I HAVE TO KNOW. WHY HAVEN'T YOU EATEN YOUR CHOCOLATE YET????

K: (She's totally giving me this 'you are insane mom' look). Why???

Me: Matt, Look at this!! Look at the way she's eating her cake!!

K: What???

Matt: Laughing... OH. My. Goodness.

Me: Katherine, Seriously... I need to know. Why didn't you eat a bite of your chocolate ice cream yet? I really WANT to know.

K: (Laughing). Because I like it better than the vanilla so I save it for last.

Me: I knew it! I knew it!

K: What?

Me: That's exactly how I eat my cake! And for the same reason.

Can you believe it? Katherine and I are one and the same. We've got the same quirky idiosyncrasies, that just keep popping up. It cracks me up! AAAHHHH.....

Home again

2009-04-30T22:00:00.003-05:00

I have NEVER been more glad to be home that I am today... It seems like the last 24 hours have lasted a lifetime. We're all exhausted, and I'm so relieved that Andrew's surgery is behind us.

I'm too tired to fill you in on all the details tonight, but just wanted to let you know that we're home, Andrew is covering, and resting comfortably. Considering the amount of pain he has to be in, he's in a remarkably good mood -- smiling, wanting to play, and eating some. Thankfully the pain medication is making him sleepy and helping him to rest.

I have a feeling it's going to be a rough couple of days... Details to come, but tonight I'm off to bed.

The countdown begins...

2009-04-28T22:55:00.002-05:00

Andrew's surgery date is fast approaching, and I've got a million things to do before we head over to Iowa City... We've known all along that it would be on April 30th, but they won't confirm the exact time until the day before.

Anyway, I got a call from the University Hospital on Monday and found out that his surgery will most likely be first thing in the morning on Thursday, which means we'll need to arrive at the hospital at 5:30 am. We immediately decided that it would be best to get a hotel! So, Matt's parents are coming down tomorrow afternoon and spending the night with Katherine and Caleb.

Andrea is going to take Caleb for a couple of hours in the morning so that I can take Andrew to Flash and get his pictures taken. I got him the cutest little Gymbo outfit today, so he should look super dooper handsome!! Then we're all going to have lunch together (I'm picking up Jimmy John's on the way home) and Caleb and I are going home to get things in order. We made banana bread for breakfast and reverse chocolate chip cookies (chocolate cookies with white chips) for a treat. Tomorrow afternoon we're going to get a roast and all the fixins together so that all Fran has to do is plug in the crock pot Thursday morning. That way they'll have dinner taken care of, and little miss picky (aka Katherine) will have something acceptable to eat for dinner.

I'm so nervous about this surgery. He should be in surgery between 3 and 4 hours. Oh, and they've warned me about the recovery -- the bladder spasms, uncontrollable crying, a catheter for two weeks. Oh yea... these next two weeks are going to be a blast. My heart just breaks for the poor little guy... The list of things he can't do is much longer than the list of things he can... UUUUGH!

More to come.

All is well...

2009-04-22T22:08:00.002-05:00

As a little background, our bedroom is the hub of activity in the morning. It's where the kids and I cuddle before we start our day, they eat their breakfast (I feed them breakfast in bed every morning), they get dressed in here, brush their teeth, etc.... Really, all they do is wake up and stumble into our room in the morning. Everything they need is in there. They only leave when I have to force them out the door to take Katherine to school.

So back to this morning... By the time the sun rose, Caleb had abandoned the bed on the floor that Matt made him (mostly because he had puked so many times that there was nothing left of it) and crawled in bed with us. I got up as usual and carried Katherine into our room, put a show on for her, and went downstairs to make her pancakes. Caleb was still passed out in bed beside her. I came upstairs and we chatted and cuddled while she ate. I left the room to grab her clothes, and while I was gone, Caleb had woken up and downed her entire cup of water. I nearly had a heart attack. All night long, he had thrown up the tiniest amounts of water and now he chugs 8+ ounces.... Lord have mercy! In a few minutes we had to jump in the car... I just about had a panic attack! The thought of puke all over the car about sent me over the edge. I can handle a lot of things -- puke all over the car -- not so much!

So off we went to school and to bring Riley down to the groomer. Since we'd be gone for a while, I made him bring a bucket "just in case" and wouldn't let him eat. The poor kid was starving! We were gone for about 45 minutes, and thankfully nothing. When we got home he begged for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so I made him one, and then got some puzzles and we did them on the hardwood floor. After all, if the worse case scenario were to happen, vomit is much easier to clean on hardwood than carpet...

Anyway, Caleb is completely better. He's eaten like a horse all day, had tons of energy and even played outside tonight. I'm not sure what happened, but after all the chaos last night, he seems to have made a complete recovery sometime between 5 am and 8 am.

Thank goodness!! I'm so ready to enjoy the nice weather tomorrow!!

Still sleeping...

2009-04-22T07:56:00.002-05:00

Caleb looks terrible. He's pale and almost gray in color. His poor little eyes have bags under them, and he's passed out in my bed. He begged for milk all night long, but I just couldn't give it to him, as he threw up even the tiniest amounts of water.

I'm going to have to wake him up soon. I need to drive Katherine to school and then drop Riley off at the groomer. I'm just hoping that he doesn't get sick in the car. UUUUUGH. I can't even imagine!

Oh, and would you know.... as soon as the nice weather hits again, someone in this house is sick! UUUUGH... I'm going to lose my mind!

Please...

2009-04-22T02:24:00.002-05:00

.... trust me when I tell you that there is absolutely NOTHING in the world like needing to take a shower at 2 am because you just got puked on.

UUUUGH.... Caleb definitely has the flu. I called the doctor and he ruled out a concussion -- evidently the timing was coincidental.

So after yet another change of the sheets, and a shower on my part, we're ready to try this whole sleep thing again. But really.... I'm almost too tired to fall asleep, or afraid what'll happen if I do....

LOOOONG night....

2009-04-21T22:21:00.002-05:00

Tonight after gymnastics Katherine and I went to my mom's house to pick up Caleb (he always stays with her on Tuesday nights while we head down to Chow's) and Matt grabbed some take-out. We sat down to eat, and after we were done, Katherine and Matt went outside to play with the neighbor kids. Since Caleb hadn't eaten well all day, I made him stay inside with me and eat a few bites before he joined the other kids. Now... I am most definitely not a "clean plate" kind of mom. I don't shove food down their throats or make them eat certain things. However, tonight of ALL nights, I insisted Caleb eat before he went outside to play.

Wow.... do I feel horrible now.....

I'm not exactly sure when happened, but somehow, Caleb and Walker collided and both took pretty good blows to head. All of a sudden, Andrea comes running up the deck steps to get me. I hand her Andrew and find Matt holding Caleb. He's bawling, bloody and has thrown up twice.... once on Matt, once in the lawn. Fun times, I tell ya!!

We both immediately assume that he threw up because he was so upset, so Matt took him upstairs and put him in the bathtub. After he got cleaned up, teeth brushed, and jammies on, Matt settled him into our bed and put on a movie for him. Shortly thereafter, he threw up again, and this time it was a TON! UUUUGH.

So, we change the sheets and fix him a make shift bed on our floor. Since Andrew can't get anywhere near any type of illness this week (his surgery is next Thursday), I'm trying to keep them as "separate" as possible, while still keeping an eye on them both.

A few minutes ago, he threw up a fourth time. I feel so bad for him. He's tired, crying, begging for milk, and forced to get up so we can change the sheets AGAIN.

To top it all off, Matt is in some management seminar all day tomorrow, which means he's unreachable. UUUUUUGH. The next 24 hours could be really long. I just pray the rest of us escape this!

First meet at Chow's

2009-04-20T14:56:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a BIG day in Katherine's life. It was her first meet at Chow's and she couldn't wait to get in the gym and give it her all.

They had the kids broken down into 4 groups that rotated around the gym -- bars, beam, floor and vault. All of the girls in her TAG class were in her group as well as some much older girls on the recreational side that could do similar skills.

Now... the perfectionist in me would have preferred to have the girls all wear the same leotard, like they did at her previous gym. I like the unified look. Katherine liked how "special" it made her feel. However, that's just not the way Chow's does it. They can wear any leotard they want. It's much more relaxed, much more fun really.... It was set up like a real meet -- designed to give the girls a feel for what could lie ahead for them. Each of groups was led around the gym by the girls currently on the competitive team (level 5 - level 10), and then judged.

Now -- I will say this... I have NO idea how the girls were judged. I'm not sure if they were judged based on number of skills completed, how they executed those skills, etc... In any event, at the awards ceremony each girl was given a medal for competing and then a score sheet with the four events listed below. A ribbon was attached for each of the events indicating their place i.e. blue, red, etc, but it was possible for more than one girl to get a blue (or red) ribbon on each event. Any guesses on how our little Katherine did???

4 events, 4 blue ribbons. She was the ONLY one to get all blues. When she went up to the podium to collect her hardware, she was beaming and I didn't think she was ever going to put her hands back down to her side. I was so proud of her!! It was definitely one of those proud Mommy moments.

Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot this..... After the meet was over, the older girls did several tumbling passes to illustrate how the skills progressed. It was incredible to watch.... how the basic moves our girls are perfecting turn into the twisting, flipping, high passes you see in competition. Katherine's eyes were bugging out of her head. It was so great for her to see. Then..... there is a guy who used to train and coach at Chow's (his mother will be one of Katherine's coaches this summer) who is currently training at the men's "Olympic hopeful" gym (I'm not sure what it's called....) in Colorado. He did a demonstration on the rings and then showed off his tumbling passes. Oh. My. Goodness. Incredible. Who knows if he'll make it, but it'd be incredible if he did. Chow's could have kids going to the Olympics in back to back years.

I have a ton of pictures of the big day which I'll upload and edit soon. Matt also got each event on video, so if I figure out how to upload it, I'll post that as well.

My baby boy...

2009-04-18T15:54:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we played outside on the swing set all afternoon and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. As always, my little Andrew was all smiles..... just happy to be with us, in the middle of all the action!

Rhyme time

2009-04-16T21:58:00.002-05:00

Today on the way down to the zoo Caleb and I were chatting about tornado sirens (yea, I know.... how random is that???), and he asked me if I'd play the rhyme game with him. It's a little word game where I say the first word, and he says a word that rhymes with it. It doesn't technically have to be a "real" word -- just so long as it rhymes. For example, if I say "cat" he could say "bat", "mat", "glat" etc...

Anyway, as we were waiting to get on the interstate, a big truck pulls up beside us. He immediately gets excited and says, "Mommy, there's a truck!! What rhymes with truck?? I know, FUCK. HHHHHMMMMM..... FUCK, that's a silly word. I've never heard that before. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! Try saying it Mommy! It sounds so silly coming out of our mou-fes" (mouths in Caleb speak).

Oh my goodness, I'm telling ya it was all I could do to hold back the laughter. I was literally biting the inside of my cheek and had tears rolling down my face. I knew I couldn't look at him because I'd lose my game face, so I just said, "Caleb, we don't say that word. It's a super naughty word -- the naughtiest of them all, and if you say that at someone's house, their Mommy won't them play with you anymore. Please don't say that again". I then looked back at him to make sure he understood, and he said, "Oh Mommy!! It must be a super naughty word because it made you cry. I promise I'll never say fuck again!"

Good heavens! There are times I when it's all I can do to keep a straight face with that kid! I couldn't be mad at him because he was so innocent and really didn't know it was a naughty word, and all I wanted to do it sit and laugh at the whole situation.

Odds and ends....

2009-04-15T22:07:00.002-05:00

I just got back from weight watchers with the crew (my mom, Danyel and our newest addition, Kelly, who I used to work with back in the Principal days) and left with a smile on my face. I lost another 3 pounds, which I was elated with considering the mountain of Easter candy I've eaten over the past week. I'm just glad that the number on the scale is going in the right direction! Oh, and watch out... I just might get crazy and start exercising!

In Andrew news.... Over the past few days his sleep pattern has been horrible. He's been up 6 or 7 times a night ... sometimes needing to eat, but most of the time, just needing to be comforted. On top of that, his nose has been running, and he's been a total drool factory. Anyway, I was feeding him yesterday when he decided that it'd be a *great* idea to chomp down on me as hard as he could. Oh man, I'm tellin' ya..... I about hit the ceiling. Seriously, it brought tears to my eyes. My reaction shocked Little Man and he started to cry. Actually, WAILING would be more accurate. I felt horrible, and gave him a big hug. After that, I checked out his gums and guess what??? A tooth! His first one! It's barely there, but if you look VERY closely you can see a tiny white nub. Now -- here's the deal. Getting a tooth at 6 months is super dooper early in the Hanson household. Katherine got her first tooth the week before she turned 1 and Caleb was right around 11 months. However, the tooth explains a lot -- the runny nose, sleepless nights and wanting to be held. I'll take a picture of it as soon as you can actually see it, but for now, you'll just have to trust me that it actually exists!

Today was a gorgeous day. We spent the majority of it outside and enjoyed the sunshine. We went to the park with three other families in our neighborhood, and then resumed the play date in our backyard. When the little ones went down for their nap, Caleb had a friend over and they continued to play until the big kids got home from school. When that happened, the backyard was filled with kids running around. At one point there were 10 little ones running around! The kids had a great time!

Tomorrow is supposed to be another great day, so I'm thinking of taking the boys down to the zoo in the morning. Tomorrow night is Katherine's big music concert, so we'll be skipping gymnastics and heading over to school. If we can get a decent seat, I'll take pictures and post them tomorrow night!

Our weekend in pictures

2009-04-12T21:52:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend, jam packed with activities -- outdoor play dates, an Easter egg hunt, a birthday party, a trip to the park, a roaring fire in our fire pit, and most importantly, lots of time spent with family and friends. It was a wonderful few days!

So -- here's the pictures from this weekend. For some reason, they didn't upload in the order I intended, but that's fine I guess.....

My sweet Andrew. He absolutely loves hanging out in his little swing outside. He sat in here while the kids played outside and later watched the egg hunt from his perch.

Katherine and Caleb waiting to check out their loot after the hunt.

Katherine and Caleb with their cousins, Morgan (the one in the pink coat) and Hannah.

Just watchin' the hunt! I can't help but to wonder what he's thinking about ...

The kids in action!

Isn't this little outfit a hoot??? My mother in law made Andrew the most adorable blanket, and some of the material is this super soft, dimpled, light blue fabric. One day when my mom was out, she found this warm full body suit thing for him to wear with it. Isn't it perfect??? Those ears are irresistible! They just crack me up!!

These next pictures are from the park.

Here is my little Katherine -- climbing high!

Caleb LOVED the slide and went up and down it about 100 times -- head first, sideways, on his tummy, running up it -- pretty much every way imaginable. He had a blast!

Katherine practicing the monkey bars...

Katherine and Emma loved this spinning thing. It made me dizzy just watching them!

Happy Easter everyone! I hope your weekend was as wonderful as ours!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:33:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter!

We've been super busy the last few days. Friday night we hung out with the neighbors and played outside. Oh, how glad I am that the warmer weather is upon us! Yesterday we had a birthday party to go to for one of Katherine's friends (and coincidentally Matt used to work with her Dad at Principal, IMG and Aviva), and then last night we had the traditional Easter egg hunt at our place and ordered in some super yummy Cool Basil takeout for all the adults. So fun!!

Oh, Friday morning I had to take Andrew to Dr. Jon. He's been sick and I could feel wheezing in his lungs when I was holding him. Wouldn't you know.... bronchitis. UUUUUGH! If we're all healthy for a solid week it'll be a miracle. With his surgery coming up, I have NO INTENTION whatsoever to have him leave the house for the week leading up to it. If he's at all sick, they won't put him under and given the nature of the operation, I really think that the earlier we can get it done, the better. So NO PLAY DATES for us for an entire week.

Today after church we died eggs. I'm in the process of cooking and then we're heading up to mom and dad's house for dinner. The Easter bunny brought the kids some new kites, so they can't wait to fly them at Grammy and Poppops house!

I have a ton of pictures which I PROMISE to upload before I go to bed tonight. Katherine is spending the night with Grammy, so I should actually have a few minutes to actually edit them! So tonight -- PICTURES!!

Summer!

2009-04-09T22:09:00.002-05:00

OK, so I know summer isn't officially here. Actually, we're only a few days into spring, but that's just a technicality right??? One of my absolute favorite things about summer has begun, and it just brings a smile to my face!

Last night after school we didn't really have any plans. I was going to take Katherine and Caleb to the park to play for a while, but Andrew was still napping, so I sent them out to the backyard while I went upstairs to check on Andrew. In the two minutes it took me to check on him, Grant (one of our neighbor boys who is also in Kindergarten) joined the kids on the swing set. A few minutes later, Emma and Olivia were over, and then the Hodapp boys joined in. It was great! The kids were running around the backyard, laughing, and wearing off some of that energy that had been building up all winter long. After about an hour, all the kids ended up in my living room, and Katherine was teaching the boys tricks on the beam. If only I had my video camera. It was such a hoot!!

That's what I LOVE about this neighborhood... all the kids, all the parents who have become our dearest friends, and the sense of community our children are learning. It's so wonderful. And... I have to admit, I love that Katherine wants to invite her friends over to our house!! I love to see her in action -- how she plays with her friends, what games they make up, and what goes on in their developing minds!

I'm so ready for summer... so ready for the lazy, carefree days, so ready to abandon the rigid schedule of the school year, so ready to have kids running in and out of the house, so ready for the smell of sunscreen, so ready to have the constant noise and chaos fill the house. So ready. So very ready.

NKOTB...

2009-04-07T21:51:00.003-05:00

AAAHHH, last night was a GREAT night! It seriously rocked! In fact, I'm still giddy about it!

I went to the New Kids On The Block concert with Danyel and her sister, and I haven't had so much fun in ages! We literally sang and danced for two straight hours, and by the time we left, my ears were ringing to the point of numbness and my throat was killing me from yelling so loud. Oh, it was a BLAST!! (.... and I'm pretty sure I racked up at least a couple weight watchers activity points in the process! HA!!).

Back in the day, I was one of those crazed little girls who dreamed of marrying Jordan Knight. My walls were literally plastered with his posters. I knew the words to every song and the steps to every dance. Oh, I'm tellin' ya.... I had mad love for these boys! So you can understand why I was sooo excited to go to the concert. I was fulfilling a childhood dream! LOL.

Seriously though.... It's been probably 20 years since I listened to their CD's and shockingly enough, I still remember ALL the words to EVERY song. It was crazy! Oh, and then there's Danyel -- she actually had the nerve to ask if a couple of the songs were their old or new stuff. BLAH! Shame on you girl!! LOL.

The other thing about the concert ... the people watching was FABULOUS! Tons of people dressed up 80's style with all their NKOTB wear. So fun! Basically, it was a mom-fest.... Tons of girls my age, listening to retro music and havin' a rockin good time! AAAHHHHH.......

Feels great!

2009-04-01T19:58:00.003-06:00

Tonight I left weight watchers down exactly 5 pounds. It feels great! Such a wonderful start to a long journey, and I'm so glad that I'm on the way!

He's on his way....

2009-04-01T15:25:00.003-06:00

HOME! Matt has been gone on a business trip since Sunday afternoon, so it's been just the kids and I this week. Things have gone remarkably smoothly -- the kids have been angels, we've been busier than ever, and the kiddos have gotten in some good Grammy time (aka -- I've had tons of help!). I'll fill you in on all the details later tonight when I get a chance to sit down, but I was just checking in because I've realized it's been a lifetime since I've updated.

One *BIG* piece of news.... (PUN INTENDED)....

Danyel and I have decided to join weight watchers. It's time to shed the extra weight that's been building up for AGES and get in shape for summer. It's all about healthy clean living! So there you have it.... Essentially "The Biggest Loser" 'hood style! So the race is on... the first one to lost 20 pounds wins, and we're not stoppin' there! Watch out! This 'hood is going to have two more hot mommas in the upcoming months! Can't wait! I'm soooo ready for this! I can't thank Danyel enough for suggesting this! Anyway, tonight is our second weigh in -- our first to determine how much weight we've lost! My fingers are crossed!