So glad today is Friday! I've been looking forward to the weekend since uuuummm.... Monday! LOL. Tonight is MY night!! Dinner out and scrapping! Oh, and a little trip by the scrapbooking store to get some fun stuff I'm sure)... I can't wait!
**** As a disclaimer, I am not the type to rush out from the kids every chance I get, BUT, with Matt not getting home until almost 6 every night and then studying for the CFA all weekend and a couple of nights during the week, I'm exhausted. I love them dearly, but I am soooo looking forward to a night to do what I want. Maybe that's terrible, but that's where I am right now... And I can't wait until Matt takes the CFA. Here's to praying he passes!!
We went to playgroup this morning, and the kids had such fun playing! It was at Carolyn's house (Allison and Clare's mom) and we were there for about 3 hours. It was so nice that the kids were able to play outside for a while, and boy were they in heaven! I'm so glad that we're finally getting some warm weather! Katherine is ready to fill up the pool!!
After lunch I took them to the park for a while. Katherine rode her big girl bike, and Caleb rode in the stroller yelling "GO GO GO GO!" at me the whole time. He couldn't wait to get to the park. It's a great park for little kids -- there is so much to climb on and explore, and this is only phase 1 of 4. It's going to be wonderful! There were some bigger kids there (maybe 7 or 8 years old) and even though I was standing right there, Katherine was afraid that they'd hurt "my big brother". She is so protective of him, and he adores her in a way only a little brother could. They are developing this wonderfully close relationship, a relationship only found between siblings. They can just look each other and burst out laughing. They have their own inside jokes. They have their own language, which I'll never pretend I understand. I am so thankful that they have each other. And I am so thankful that I have them.
My cousin Crissy is on her way down for the weekend. Matt and the kids are going to spend a great night bonding together, and Crissy and I are going out for dinner and then planning on scrapping until super late. For me, that's somewhere between 2 and 3 am. Can't wait!!! I've been looking forward to this all week long! She's going to stop by PF Chang's on her way into town and put our name in, and as soon Matt walks in the door, I'm on my way out! I'm already looking forward to the lettuce wraps! Sooooo yummy!
Then I'm getting up early and heading to the 7:45 weight watchers meeting, and weather permitting, taking the kids to an Easter egg hunt at 9:30. Here's to hoping that the rain stays off until at least 10 am!! Katherine can't wait!! She had a blast last year, and is already planning out her strategy on how to get even more eggs this year. She was telling Caleb all about the Easter egg hunt this morning -- what he should do, how he should grab the eggs, how quickly he needed to run... She was a like a drill sergeant! But in the end of her list of directions, she looked at him, bent down to his eye level, grabbed his hand and said, "Don't worry Buddy, if you aren't fast enough to get a lot of eggs, I'll share mine with you. I just love you so much"... And then she kissed him on the forehead and got up. It's days like today that make me realize how incredibly blessed I am....
On a side note -- I was talking to Shani (one of the moms in Katherine's ballet class) and Carlene (the owner of the studio) last night about a flaw in the making of the dance recital costumes. The little girls are going to be flowers, and they have a headpiece that goes all the way around their face. The petals are attached to the headpiece, and because they aren't tacked back, they flop in their faces. Since I don't sew, a needle and thread aren't an option for me! LOL!! Shani also scrapbooks, and I suggested that we use glue dots (an adhesive in scrapbooking used to attach heavier embellishments such as ribbon, buttons, metal, etc). We all thought it'd work as the headpiece is a really light mesh fabric. Carlene seemed very interested that we scrabooked..... I was laughing about this girl I know who offered me $20/page to make a baby book for her. I mean REALLY..... that's insane!! A ton of money! Carlene asked if I'd bring in an album and show her my work. I happened to have about 30 pages out in the car because Shani also wanted to see part of Caleb's baby book. Carlene then went on to tell me that she'd been looking for someone to make a book for her daughter who is graduating next May and wondered if I'd to a book for her too. She also pay me $20/page!! How INSANE is that???? Since I'm behind on the kiddos books, I want to work on that, but what good money to feed my habit! LOL.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Disappointed...
Remember how I told you all that Matt and I wanted to buy the house in the back yard that is currently occupied by the Chinese family and that the dad/husband has been in California for the past year??? It had been for sale last year and they pulled it off the market so that their oldest son could graduate from high school. The house is directly next door to Andrea, and Matt and I told her that if she runs into Sharon (the owner of the house) to let her know that we are interested... Well, Andrea ran into her.... She's not sure if she's going to move to California after all. Her husband is staying out west, and her son who is graduating this year will be attending college out there... The problem???? She likes her job, she likes Iowa.... What kind of marriage is that??? And they still have another little boy in maybe 4th grade or so.... Don't they want to live together as a family???? UUUUUUGH! Andrea got the feeling that she might still sell the house and move out to California, but there was such a communication gap, that she wasn't sure what Sharon was trying to tell her... Sooooo frustrating!! I'm going to talk to Sharon myself!!
Superhero
Today I was a superhero in Katherine's eyes ... if only for a moment. I was the strongest, bravest, most caring woman she'd ever met. I helped to save a life -- an earthworm's life to be exact! LOL!! We were on our way out for the morning, and as I was putting Caleb in his car seat, Katherine was riding her big wheel around the garage. It had rained last night, and when we opened the garage door, the pavement was still wet in the door seal (where the garage door meets the pavement), and 6 or 7 earthworms were wiggling around underneath. These weren't just any worms, they were the HUGE kind, the big fat ones with the thick band around the middle. Let's just say that if I wanted to take up fishing, I'd use these suckers as bait. Thank God I scrapbook rather than fish!! HA-HA!! Soooo disgusting.
"Please watch out for them Momma. Don't run the car over them, promise me???" Of course, honey, I won't hurt them. I'll watch out for them, I assure her.... She then gets out a piece of sidewalk chalk and determines that they are right in the way of the car wheel.... WHAT??? Since when is she soooo concerned with the plight of the earthworm??? Today I guess.... "We have to help them Mommy... They can't do it without us...." This is definitely one of those things that falls under the "if it's important to her, it's important to me" category. Right, of course I'll help the slimy, wiggling worms find their home... I certainly wouldn't want them to be separated from their Mommy... Now the big question. How am I going to move them? With my fingers? I think NOT!! Matt has some tools hanging on the wall -- they wouldn't work... A broom?? Nope, that didn't work either... So I finally went into the house and pulled out one of my weeping willows off the hearth and flung them out in the yard. We did it! We saved their lives! Little Katherine threw her heavy arms around my neck and gave me the kiss of a lifetime. She was beaming. "We did it Mommy!! We saved the worms! You are the goodest woman in the whole wide world. You're just the greatest!" What a feeling -- what a wonderful and exhilarating feeling it is to be the absolute best in the eyes of your child if only for a moment. I'd move a ton of earthworms for that.
"Please watch out for them Momma. Don't run the car over them, promise me???" Of course, honey, I won't hurt them. I'll watch out for them, I assure her.... She then gets out a piece of sidewalk chalk and determines that they are right in the way of the car wheel.... WHAT??? Since when is she soooo concerned with the plight of the earthworm??? Today I guess.... "We have to help them Mommy... They can't do it without us...." This is definitely one of those things that falls under the "if it's important to her, it's important to me" category. Right, of course I'll help the slimy, wiggling worms find their home... I certainly wouldn't want them to be separated from their Mommy... Now the big question. How am I going to move them? With my fingers? I think NOT!! Matt has some tools hanging on the wall -- they wouldn't work... A broom?? Nope, that didn't work either... So I finally went into the house and pulled out one of my weeping willows off the hearth and flung them out in the yard. We did it! We saved their lives! Little Katherine threw her heavy arms around my neck and gave me the kiss of a lifetime. She was beaming. "We did it Mommy!! We saved the worms! You are the goodest woman in the whole wide world. You're just the greatest!" What a feeling -- what a wonderful and exhilarating feeling it is to be the absolute best in the eyes of your child if only for a moment. I'd move a ton of earthworms for that.
busy, busy, busy...
AAAAH... the last few days have been soooo busy. And, since it's late, you get the short version....
My brother decided to come home on Saturday, and since we already had plans that night, we spent most of Sunday with him. After church we all went out for lunch, and Katherine once again, got her fill of pancakes and bacon. Caleb hadn't seen my dad in a couple of days, and he was going through serious grandpa withdrawal. So, for the FIRST TIME at a restaurant, we let him out of the high chair, and he sat in the booth next to my dad. I didn't dream it'd actually work, but he actually sat there -- good as gold -- the whole time. I was shocked! After the kids took their naps, Isaac wanted to take Katherine to the movies. So Matt stayed home with Caleb for a little father/son bonding time, and Katherine and I went to the movies with my parents, brother, sister and Clyde and Morgan. Katherine had a wonderful time snacking on popcorn and drinking more Sprite than I thought humanly possible!
Since it was sooo nice out on Monday, we decided to take our first zoo trip of the summer. We invited one of Katherine's preschool friends and his mom. Thank goodness that the trip was more about being outside than seeing the animals. Why you might ask??? We did go to the zoo with the intention of seeing animals, but pretty much all we saw was empty cages!! LOL!! I am not kidding -- over half the animals were either "out for surgery" or just missing... HUH?? The zoo is open with almost NO animals in their cages... What in the world? The entire Africa exhibit was closed.... Giraffes and zebras must not like being outside if it's 80 degrees and sunny..... Oh, and the train -- not running. And the snack bars -- yep, you guessed it ... closed. Let's see, we saw two sea lions, some ground hogs, tigers, lions, monkeys and that might have been it.... Oh well, the kids had fun, so that's all that matters. If they're happy, I'm happy!
Monday night, we met up with a bunch of other kids from the neighborhood and went to the park that just opened by our house. As soon as Caleb saw the park, he started yelling "GO GO GO GO GO!!!" He so loves playing at parks!
Tonight after dinner, we went over to Michelle's house for a little while so that Matt could study. Caleb had a blast playing in the sandbox!! Another first for him!!! Katherine and Ben played like two little angels, sharing all the toys, making up games and running around the backyard. They were worn out!!
When we got home, it was bed time for the kids, and I went for a walk with Andrea and Danyel. They think we walked about 2.5 miles.... Here's to hoping that weight watchers goes well this week. I'll never catch up with Val, but as long as I'm going in the right direction, I'm happy!
My brother decided to come home on Saturday, and since we already had plans that night, we spent most of Sunday with him. After church we all went out for lunch, and Katherine once again, got her fill of pancakes and bacon. Caleb hadn't seen my dad in a couple of days, and he was going through serious grandpa withdrawal. So, for the FIRST TIME at a restaurant, we let him out of the high chair, and he sat in the booth next to my dad. I didn't dream it'd actually work, but he actually sat there -- good as gold -- the whole time. I was shocked! After the kids took their naps, Isaac wanted to take Katherine to the movies. So Matt stayed home with Caleb for a little father/son bonding time, and Katherine and I went to the movies with my parents, brother, sister and Clyde and Morgan. Katherine had a wonderful time snacking on popcorn and drinking more Sprite than I thought humanly possible!
Since it was sooo nice out on Monday, we decided to take our first zoo trip of the summer. We invited one of Katherine's preschool friends and his mom. Thank goodness that the trip was more about being outside than seeing the animals. Why you might ask??? We did go to the zoo with the intention of seeing animals, but pretty much all we saw was empty cages!! LOL!! I am not kidding -- over half the animals were either "out for surgery" or just missing... HUH?? The zoo is open with almost NO animals in their cages... What in the world? The entire Africa exhibit was closed.... Giraffes and zebras must not like being outside if it's 80 degrees and sunny..... Oh, and the train -- not running. And the snack bars -- yep, you guessed it ... closed. Let's see, we saw two sea lions, some ground hogs, tigers, lions, monkeys and that might have been it.... Oh well, the kids had fun, so that's all that matters. If they're happy, I'm happy!
Monday night, we met up with a bunch of other kids from the neighborhood and went to the park that just opened by our house. As soon as Caleb saw the park, he started yelling "GO GO GO GO GO!!!" He so loves playing at parks!
Tonight after dinner, we went over to Michelle's house for a little while so that Matt could study. Caleb had a blast playing in the sandbox!! Another first for him!!! Katherine and Ben played like two little angels, sharing all the toys, making up games and running around the backyard. They were worn out!!
When we got home, it was bed time for the kids, and I went for a walk with Andrea and Danyel. They think we walked about 2.5 miles.... Here's to hoping that weight watchers goes well this week. I'll never catch up with Val, but as long as I'm going in the right direction, I'm happy!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Stolen....
I stole this from Kim's blog -- you bold the items that you have accomplished...
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you” and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer and a 300 gig external!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Swam with a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream.
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you” and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer and a 300 gig external!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Swam with a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream.
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life
Saturday, March 24, 2007
It's official...
Summer has arrived! I'm sooo in heaven!
The kids got up from their nap shortly before 4, and I decided to take them to the new park in our neighborhood. I called Jodi (she lives across the street) to see if she and her daughter, Abby, wanted to join us. The kids rode their bikes and were so incredibly happy to be playing outside in the sunshine! Katherine was all decked out -- riding her new big girl Barbie bike with the Ariel helmet Todd and Caroline got her for her birthday. You could just tell she felt on top of the world! Right as we were taking the last turn into the park, she tipped over on the bike. She instantly started sobbing, and as tears were spilling down her cheeks, she said, "Oh Mommy, this has been such a BAAAAAD day"! What?!?!? You had playgroup at your house AND got to have lunch with Aunt Kelly AND now you're on the way to the park. For cryin' out loud girlfriend, it's been all good! LOL!!
Since the park was surrounded with the rubber chip-type things, I thought we wouldn't have a mud problem. Boy was I wrong!! When Caleb felt that he had sufficiently seen all of the play equipment, he decided that that it was time for a little run beyond the playground boarders. Let's just say that he was a mud magnet! His shoes and pants were covered up to the knee!! (Thank goodness that they weren't the squeaky shoes!!) Over the course of the 2 hours we were at the park, the mud kept creeping up his body. I'm not sure what happened to Katherine, but when I looked over at her, her face was covered in smeared mud! If being dirty was any measure of a child having a good time, then mine had the time of their lives! There were about 10 neighborhood kids there and then one girl from her preschool class showed up. What can be better than visiting a freshly opened park and knowing almost everyone there??? On the walk home, Caleb notice and yelled out two of his favorite things -- garbage cans (think Oscar) and basket ball hoops. Fun times.
When we got home, Matt was waiting for us. We chatted for a few minutes and got cleaned up before heading over to Andrea's. We were going to grill some shrimp for the adults and order pizza for the kids and I, but it didn't quite work out that way.... What started off as two sets of neighbors getting together for dinner turned into an impromptu neighborhood party. 4 families came out to join us in the backyard. (So there were 6 families total). Before we knew it, it was 7:30 and no one had eaten. So we called Casey's, and had everyone ate dinner on the deck. The highlight of evening for the kids was flashlight tag in the backyard. Even Caleb was running around with one, but the poor kid had no idea what to do with it. At first he was convinced that it was a microphone, and then he decided it was funny to shine it up his nose... LOL!! Oh -- and Katherine had a big first tonight.... There is a huge old tree right in the middle of the backyard. I saw two flashlights up there and realized that Katherine and Max had climbed the tree. If only I had my camera!
Tomorrow morning I'm going to weight watchers with Lisa and Kelly. Not looking forward to the guaranteed gain first thing in the morning! Let's just say it's been a bad week! Right after the meeting, Lisa and I are taking the kids to the zoo. Katherine adores her two step-sons-to-be, so she's really looking forward to it!
It's very late - the neighborhood get together lasted waaaay past my bedtime, and I can't stay awake any longer.
The kids got up from their nap shortly before 4, and I decided to take them to the new park in our neighborhood. I called Jodi (she lives across the street) to see if she and her daughter, Abby, wanted to join us. The kids rode their bikes and were so incredibly happy to be playing outside in the sunshine! Katherine was all decked out -- riding her new big girl Barbie bike with the Ariel helmet Todd and Caroline got her for her birthday. You could just tell she felt on top of the world! Right as we were taking the last turn into the park, she tipped over on the bike. She instantly started sobbing, and as tears were spilling down her cheeks, she said, "Oh Mommy, this has been such a BAAAAAD day"! What?!?!? You had playgroup at your house AND got to have lunch with Aunt Kelly AND now you're on the way to the park. For cryin' out loud girlfriend, it's been all good! LOL!!
Since the park was surrounded with the rubber chip-type things, I thought we wouldn't have a mud problem. Boy was I wrong!! When Caleb felt that he had sufficiently seen all of the play equipment, he decided that that it was time for a little run beyond the playground boarders. Let's just say that he was a mud magnet! His shoes and pants were covered up to the knee!! (Thank goodness that they weren't the squeaky shoes!!) Over the course of the 2 hours we were at the park, the mud kept creeping up his body. I'm not sure what happened to Katherine, but when I looked over at her, her face was covered in smeared mud! If being dirty was any measure of a child having a good time, then mine had the time of their lives! There were about 10 neighborhood kids there and then one girl from her preschool class showed up. What can be better than visiting a freshly opened park and knowing almost everyone there??? On the walk home, Caleb notice and yelled out two of his favorite things -- garbage cans (think Oscar) and basket ball hoops. Fun times.
When we got home, Matt was waiting for us. We chatted for a few minutes and got cleaned up before heading over to Andrea's. We were going to grill some shrimp for the adults and order pizza for the kids and I, but it didn't quite work out that way.... What started off as two sets of neighbors getting together for dinner turned into an impromptu neighborhood party. 4 families came out to join us in the backyard. (So there were 6 families total). Before we knew it, it was 7:30 and no one had eaten. So we called Casey's, and had everyone ate dinner on the deck. The highlight of evening for the kids was flashlight tag in the backyard. Even Caleb was running around with one, but the poor kid had no idea what to do with it. At first he was convinced that it was a microphone, and then he decided it was funny to shine it up his nose... LOL!! Oh -- and Katherine had a big first tonight.... There is a huge old tree right in the middle of the backyard. I saw two flashlights up there and realized that Katherine and Max had climbed the tree. If only I had my camera!
Tomorrow morning I'm going to weight watchers with Lisa and Kelly. Not looking forward to the guaranteed gain first thing in the morning! Let's just say it's been a bad week! Right after the meeting, Lisa and I are taking the kids to the zoo. Katherine adores her two step-sons-to-be, so she's really looking forward to it!
It's very late - the neighborhood get together lasted waaaay past my bedtime, and I can't stay awake any longer.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Play group
Was a huge success!! The kids had a blast -- all 33 of them. Everyone got along so well -- they played in the basement and tented everything (swing set, treadmill, Barbie house etc) with blankets and played hide & seek and house for over three hours. There were scooters, bikes and toddler ride-on-toys racing around the kitchen island. There were little girls stripping down to their undies in the middle of the living room so that they could play dress up and have tea. There were cartwheel contests. There was a parade with WAY too many whistles. Poor Max (Andrea's oldest son) was covering his ears due to the noise. It was REALLY LOUD! Thankfully I had just gone to Costco, so we had enough juice boxes to go around! They had snacks, and only two levels of the house needs a touch up... They weren't nearly as messy as I had feared, and thankfully they followed the one rule -- stay out of Matt's study room... All I can say is... holy cow, that many kids running around makes for complete chaos! LOL. But, I wouldn't have it any other way... Which reminds me, we need a bigger house to accommodate that many friends.....
For those of you who don't know... Matt and I are thinking of moving. We've been toying with the idea for a while now, but I was really resisting moving out of the neighborhood. I know I've said it a million times, but we really do have the best neighborhood, and you just can't put a price on that... Anyway... there is a house in the backyard coming for sale. It's directly behind us, and one to the right as you look out on our deck. (It's directly next door to Andrea's house). The couple is Chinese (the only reason I mention this is because their English is really poor and they are incredibly difficult to understand), and the husband (I have no idea what his name is) originally did research for Texas A&M. He decided to transfer to Iowa State, which is why they moved to Des Moines. For what ever reason, he really didn't like it, so now is working in California -- UCLA, I think... They tried to sell their house last year, but weren't successful, so since their son was going to be a senior, they pulled it off the market so that he could graduate here. It's going back on the market any day now, and we're considering selling our house and buying that one. No one in the neighborhood has been in the house, but Andrea told me that it's the same builder as her house, slightly bigger -- and thus more expensive, but generally similar floor plans. If that's the case, I'm all for it. And how easy... we wouldn't even need movers this time! All of the neighbors have already offered to pitch in! Yes, this is a GREAT neighborhood.
Tonight we are going over to Troy and Andrea's for a little BBQ. They are grilling shrimp (it's lent), but since I don't eat anything that swims, the kids and I are having pizza! LOL!! It's also sooo nice here that tonight we'll probably get to play outside. Oh, how Caleb loves to run free! Hopefully it's dry enough to play in the backyard, because when we're out front, he makes a bee line for the street....
Today after playgroup, we went downtown to have lunch with Kelly -- a good friend of mine that I met while working at Principal. Katherine absolutely adores her, and calls her "Aunt Kelly". Every year, we go trick-or-treating at Kelly's the day before Beggar's night. (They don't let kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween in Des Moines, so they made up Beggar's night...). The kids get all dressed up, and Aunt Kelly showers them with little toys and tons of candy. She lives in an old part of Des Moines filled with tree lined streets. Katherine was sooo amazed with the sights, that she's convinced that Kelly lives in a forest! LOL!! All she could talk about the whole way home today is going to visit Kelly in her forest again soon! This whole "forest" concept is so foreign to her -- sooo not her reality living in a new development. So this fall, we'll have to make many visits over to Aunt Kelly's house so the kids can jump in the leaves!
For those of you who don't know... Matt and I are thinking of moving. We've been toying with the idea for a while now, but I was really resisting moving out of the neighborhood. I know I've said it a million times, but we really do have the best neighborhood, and you just can't put a price on that... Anyway... there is a house in the backyard coming for sale. It's directly behind us, and one to the right as you look out on our deck. (It's directly next door to Andrea's house). The couple is Chinese (the only reason I mention this is because their English is really poor and they are incredibly difficult to understand), and the husband (I have no idea what his name is) originally did research for Texas A&M. He decided to transfer to Iowa State, which is why they moved to Des Moines. For what ever reason, he really didn't like it, so now is working in California -- UCLA, I think... They tried to sell their house last year, but weren't successful, so since their son was going to be a senior, they pulled it off the market so that he could graduate here. It's going back on the market any day now, and we're considering selling our house and buying that one. No one in the neighborhood has been in the house, but Andrea told me that it's the same builder as her house, slightly bigger -- and thus more expensive, but generally similar floor plans. If that's the case, I'm all for it. And how easy... we wouldn't even need movers this time! All of the neighbors have already offered to pitch in! Yes, this is a GREAT neighborhood.
Tonight we are going over to Troy and Andrea's for a little BBQ. They are grilling shrimp (it's lent), but since I don't eat anything that swims, the kids and I are having pizza! LOL!! It's also sooo nice here that tonight we'll probably get to play outside. Oh, how Caleb loves to run free! Hopefully it's dry enough to play in the backyard, because when we're out front, he makes a bee line for the street....
Today after playgroup, we went downtown to have lunch with Kelly -- a good friend of mine that I met while working at Principal. Katherine absolutely adores her, and calls her "Aunt Kelly". Every year, we go trick-or-treating at Kelly's the day before Beggar's night. (They don't let kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween in Des Moines, so they made up Beggar's night...). The kids get all dressed up, and Aunt Kelly showers them with little toys and tons of candy. She lives in an old part of Des Moines filled with tree lined streets. Katherine was sooo amazed with the sights, that she's convinced that Kelly lives in a forest! LOL!! All she could talk about the whole way home today is going to visit Kelly in her forest again soon! This whole "forest" concept is so foreign to her -- sooo not her reality living in a new development. So this fall, we'll have to make many visits over to Aunt Kelly's house so the kids can jump in the leaves!
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