Circus World

We had a busy Sunday! We decided to go to Circus World in Baraboo. It was a beautiful day, not too hot with a blue sky and sunshine. We got there around 10 and headed straight for the tiger show. It wasn't all that great and we left a bit early but thats ok because we wanted to get good seats for the circus show. That show was really neat. The main ring was small and I thought it would be another let down based on size but what do we all know about judging things by their size?? Good things come in small packages right? The show started off with these two guys who wore white pants and did all kinds of flippy things with one another. The little little guy flipped around by his butt on the other guys feet. It was pretty cool. After that they had some girl come out and do some bendy things on a table followed by another girl doing twirly things on a rope way up high. Then a clown came out and made us laugh for a bit. There was a girl and guy act and the girl probably weighed about 90 pounds soaking wet and the guy was probably 180. They did some bendy things and showed strength moves, it was impressive. The next act was a guy and two girls. The guy had all these stilts that he balanced on his forehead and shoulders and the girls would climb up and do more twirly things. One girl even went in fast circles by her hair way up high. They saved the best for last of course and we all were in amazement. They brought out 3 elephants with a trainer and a stunt girl who rode on one of them. They had these elephants sit, lay down, form that pyramid thing and one even balanced on a big ball which was so fun to watch and I couldn't believe how close we were to it all. The elephants were my favorite part. For a 45 minute show it was really awesome to watch. After the show we got some lunch and Alex wanted to play at the playground for a few minutes. So while he was playing I went to stand in line to meet Spongebob Squarepants. Yes he had left Bikini Bottom to visit us in Baraboo. So we had our pics with him and did a little more exploring before we went for the final show. Alex and Kato rode the carousel and I changed Jades diaper. The show was about to begin and we missed out on riding the elephants but thats ok cause just watching them perform was good enough for me. Once inside the main stage again we found our same spots as before and enjoyed a magic show. It was pretty good and we were in awe of the talents. We were pretty happy all in all with Circus World. After that we headed up to the airport for the airshow. We only stayed for about an hour as we are not the airshow enthusiasts as some people are. It was fun to watch some of the stunts but it was time to move on. We had to stop at Menards for a home project we are doing in Michaels room and then to the grocery store. We decided to grill some brats for dinner and get the pool cleaned out so that we can get in a movie tonight. Last night we watched Blindness, it was weird and it left alot of questions which I don't really get why but whatever it was a decent movie for the most part. I love weekends where we do stuff like this, I only wish Michael would have been there because it feels weird having family pictures without him. I hope he is having a good time in WA. Have a great week and thanks for reading. xoxo

Happy Birthday Brother

Michael left for Washington today. We got up early and drove him to Milwaukee to catch his flight. So far everything is going good. Its not until he comes home that we have to worry. Yesterday the kids and I went to the pool again. It went much smoother and I can only hope it continues in that direction from here on out. Of course I was down one child because she was ill and had to stay home but it shouldn't make that much difference because she is one of the older ones and lets face it the older ones can do more for themselves. Anyway, it was fun and our neighbors tagged alone. I really like all our neighbors, we all get alone and we all have kids, except for one but they don't seem to mind all the kids around. I think its because they are busy doing things and since they don't have kids themselves its kinda nice for them to sometimes hear our kids screaming and whining reminding them why they don't have any:) For some people kids just aren't for them. Today is my baby brothers birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!!! I called him today and left him a message I hope he gets it. I think he is at a wedding today so if you look at the bright side at least he should have free beer tonight. I am really excited for July, we have alot to look forward to. My mom and grandma are coming out for a visit, I have a week of vacation which we are planning a trip up to the cottage and a day at the waterparks. We are going to a ball game, camping at Lake Michigan, and of course the Fourth of July is always fun. Time sure does fly in summer. Today its hot and muggy. We are supposed to get some storms later and I really want to grill some burgers so we will see how it goes. Well now that I am super tired and hot I think I will go relax a bit. Hope all is well with you. thanks for reading XOXO

First Day At the Pool

Tuesday we decided to go to the pool. I had 2 babies under 10 months old, two 2 year olds, one 4 year old and one 5 year old. They took naps and then we got up and ready to go. Swim suits on, sunscreen on, towels, extra diapers, wipes, water bottles, snacks, pool toys, pool passes, and goggles piled into two bags and a stroller and away we go. Oh don't forget to go potty everyone before we leave which all the big kids did. I already ticked off one of the babies with the swim suit cause it had those built in floaty things and it was the first time wearing it so it was hard to get on and then he couldn't sit in it without falling over and forget about crawling. The sun was in their eyes so that didn't help and there wasn't much I could do plus it was about 900 degrees outside so the babies were strapped in and hot!! We get to the pool which took extra long cause some kids don't walk as fast as others and no one was there to check us in then people began to pile up and and finally someone showed up. Of course someone who already went potty before we left has to go potty again so we all waited. Finally at the pool I pondered on how I was going to do this and figured I will just have to make it up as I go along and hope for the best. Well both babies were upset it was taking so long and the kids were not listening cause they were so excited. I was dripping with sweat and instantly regretted my decision to go to the pool. Too late now must carry on. Get off the shoes, hang up the towels, get out the toys, goggles and kick boards, organize the bags and pick up and carry both babies into the water. Sitting in the water was so nice and refreshing and I didn't really care that there was about 100 little kids there who probably already peed in the pool and possibly spit up too or just spit for that matter it still felt good. Jade and Kale both really liked the pool but poor Kale couldn't sit up without falling over in his suit and Lyric had never been there before so he didn't really understand it was ok to play he just sat by me. Alex kept coming up and splashing the babies and Kale was really ticked off. So after about 30 minutes of that it was time to relocate out of the sun and give the babies a break but that didn't go over to well as one of them was not happy to have to get out of the water. I put them in the stroller, wheeled it close to the pool and decided to give each baby a turn in the water one at a time. Not a good idea because one would be out and the other was screaming to get out too. I gave the babies some water in sippy cups in hopes it would help which it did for a minute. Lyric decided he was ok to venture out on his own a bit and play but I was worried cause I didn't know if he would know what to do if he fell over. It turns out I was right cause he headed face first and I had to quick grab him cause he didn't know to just stand up. Its only 12 inches deep but when its your first time in the pool and you fall face first you can get a little confused. Anyway now I was out of range for Kale and he screamed bloody murder which made everyone look. I was trying my best to give fair turns to the babies but when one wants more then the other you just do whatever it takes to keep them from screaming. Jade was happy to just sit in front and watch us with her sippy cup so I played mostly with Kale. Then when it was time for his milk he was not happy to get out. I was losing. The milk helped and he was content for a bit. I took Jade out and she splashed and cooled off then I decided I wanted to play with the big kids for a bit, but someone didn't like that idea cause the screams started up again so I just sat next to the babies and thought to myself is it 5:00 yet. The kids kept coming up asking for a snack and the babies were getting fussy so at 4:45 we got out of the pool and began the transition to come home. OMG that darn suit with the floaties in it was a pain in my ass!! Sorry but I could not get it off for the life of me and the poor kid was once again screaming blood murder. Finally I figured it out but the damage was done. I got the babies into dry diapers gave them their sippy cups and we headed out of the pool. Since everyone was pretty much pissy we came straight back to my house for snack. Jade was hungry and wanted to nurse, Eli was buck naked and crying trying to get his wet swimmer off which was stuck around his ankles, Lyric was still in wet clothes sitting on the couch, Rylee was naked trying to help Eli with the door wide open for the neighbors to see, Kale was screaming cause he wanted to be in the kitchen, Alex was playing with his wet clothes instead of throwing them down the stairs and I was trying to get it all done at once while I too was still in wet clothes. It was a mad house!! Finally everything started to come together the kids were fed, changed, dry, and happy and just when I thought it was over, all the moms showed up, Kato walked through the door and Michael came home with 4 friends and the frenzy started up again. It was a heck of a day and so today we are staying here and Rylee is sharing her new pool with us today. It has a slide and water shooters and a basketball hoop and ring toss. The good news is while at the pool, no one drowned, got lost, threw up, pooped in their swimmer or had an injury. Am I going to go back to the pool?? You bet cause even with the craziness its still worth it to make the kids happy and have them enjoy the summer. They deserve to meet new kids, experience the pool, laugh and swim. They are all good kids just trying to do what I am trying to do...have fun!! thanks for reading xoxo

Happy Fathers Day

We had a great Fathers day. Sunday we woke up and took our time getting ready for the day. Since Saturday was so busy it was nice to just enjoy a cup of coffee and plan for the nights events. I ended up making breakfast which included Katos favorite corned beef hash, which I think looks and smells like dog food. We gave Kato his fathers day cards with some Mallard tickets and Noahs Ark tickets enclosed. We also got him some new ice packs. Not too personal but he was happy with it all. Jayne and Keith came over for dinner. I grilled out some ribs and chicken. We had some macaroni salad, potato salad, garden salad, corn on the cob and topped it off with brownies ala mode drizzled with a raspberry and blackberry sauce. It was so good. We got Keith a t-shirt and hat combo that says Grandpa Rocks. It was muggy and hot and it rained a bit but we ate outside on the porch so we were covered. I called my dad but only got the answering machine so I left two messages. It was sad for a few minutes while I sat on my bed thinking about my grandpa. I tried really hard not to cry but did anyway. I guess it helps every now and then. Its going to be a tough year and I deeply miss his Sunday phone calls. I wanted to talk to him so bad and just hear his voice and wished I had saved his phone messages. Anyway, the evening was great and everyone was full and happy. Alex got to show them how he can ride a two wheeler and Jade was showing off how she just rolls around and scoots and gets to where she wants to go. Michael graced us with his presence just to eat, visit for a bit and then disappeared again. Thats a 15 year old for ya. Monday rolled in and it was HOT HOT HOT!! Not much happened and when we tried to play outside for a bit it was so hot the babies were getting fussy so after about an hour and a half we headed inside. Michael has something growing on his feet so we had to get an appointment for the doctors office. I swear sometimes I need to get a tub full of bleach water and have him soak daily just to get the scuzz off! BOYS ARE SOOOOO GROSS!!! thanks for reading xoxo

Saturday June 20

It was a beautiful day today. The sun was out and it was super hot!!! Jade and I got up around 6:40am and after her morning snack we went for a walk. It was perfect temp but I could tell it was going to be warm today. Kato cut his hair and Alex slept in. After we were all up we had to drop the car off at the dealership for a break inspection. It was getting super hot outside. We decided to beat the heat and head for an indoor adventure. Since we got these free passes to about 30 Wisconsin Attractions we decided to use the one for The House On The Rock. It was about a 45 minute drive from our house and since we were all up early we got there around 10:30. Its a pretty cool place. There was this guy (and I will not go into details cause you can check out the website or come visit me and we can go again) who built a house in the rocks on a hill and lived there for a bit. He had a collection of things like toys, musical instruments, guns, doll houses, carousel things, anyway its a tour of this house which then turns into a museum of toys and crazy things to look at. With Kato, Alex, Jade and I it took us 3 hours to go through the entire thing with one 30 minute break for a snack and potty. Jade and I oooohhhhed and aaaaahhhhhed over the doll houses and it reminded me of the one my grandpa built for me. I wish I still had it. I wish I still had the wooden stove too, you know mom the black and white one?? Anyway, it got me thinking we should construct one for Jade so maybe we have a fall project in store. Just some words of advise for you moms who have crafty dads who build things for your daughters DONT EVER LET YOUR EVIL AUNT KAREN TAKE THEM!!!! Keep them safe forever cause your daughter will want to give it to her daughter when she is older. Back to the day, this place had room after room of really cool stuff like an armory of weapons from the old days with actual Armor that knights would wear. It had so much stuff I don't even know where to begin or end for that matter so just go look at the website. After the House On The Rock we went to Madison to get Alex some sandals. He picked Spiderman of course and hopefully they will hold up cause they are more like crocs then sandals. I also scored on a pair of pants for Jade. We hit the grocery store and then it was time for home. Alex wanted to ride his two wheeler while we put away the groceries and now we are going to hang out with a movie, Pride and Glory I think it is. I hope you all had a great weekend and are enjoying your family. If you ever visit Wisconsin, be sure to go see The House On the Rock. thanks for reading XOXO

these pictures were from last weekend when we went to robot world also using the free passes we got!

June 18 NO TRAINING WHEELS!!!

We have a little neighbor girl named Olivia and today she came home from school and said "Kara, Kara, Guess what I learned to do today?" I got excited cause I already knew what it was but love playing along and said "WHAT??" She said she learned to ride a two wheeler. I said no way show me. So she hopped on her bike and away she went. Next thing you know Alex said "oh yeah I can do that." I said put on your helmet and wait for me. I had to run in to get Jade and put her in the jumpy. He got on her bike and away he went. I couldn't believe it!! My lil nugget was riding a two wheeler!! So I asked if he wanted his training wheels off his bike and he said yes. I got to the tool bench, found the right thing that goes click click click when you turn it to remove the bolt thingy and TA DAAA the training wheels were off. He was so excited and I was so excited. It brought back memories of Michael riding his little red bike, training wheels also freshly removed, in his bomber jacket and helmet at GG and Papas old red house in their driveway. Its funny cause both boys were about the same age. Alex was so proud and the next cool thing was Kato just drove up and saw it too. Alex had only been riding maybe 5 minutes. So for the next hour that is all he did, ride ride ride in a circle but boy could he ride. Later after dinner I went back out and he was popping wheelies. It was a great Thursday!!! Way to go ALEX!!! thanks for reading xoxo

Wed June 17

What a great Wednesday!! The kids were good and we all got to play outside despite the weather guys calling for rain. Jade had her first moments touching and exploring the grass. I got a couple of cute pics as you can see!! Kato worked late so the boys and I had dinner together and then we went to Ace and picked up a thingy to hold up the peas in our garden cause they are getting really tall. The garden is growing and we hope to have some veggies soon. Not everything is doing well but I was expecting something like this to happen. It looks like we have carrots, peas, cucumber, some peppers, and something else that I can't remember what was planted there so I guess that will be a surprise!! After some gardening I decided to trim our big bushes in the front of our house cause they are super fluffy. They also have prickers on them and I was worried someone would walk along the sidewalk (like the mailman) and brush up against them and get hurt. I don't really like the bushes because of the prickers but they do look nice. Well thanks for reading XOXO

Sunday 6/14 thru Monday 6/15

Sunday morning I woke up feeling really sick to my stomach. I had a couple of beers the night before so I thought maybe I was just sick from that. I don't drink much so it was possible. I couldn't do anything all day and felt really bad because it was Alexs 54 month birthday. Now not everyone knows the significance of 54 in the Katers family and I am not going to tell you about it now but soon I will. Anyway, I was trying really hard not to throw up and every once in a while I would get that feeling and think this is it, but nothing happened. I took my temp at it was 102.7. I got some water to drink thinking I was dehydrated, but it only made me more sick to my stomach. I finally got off the couch around noon thinking a shower would help but it didn't and shortly after my shower the flood gates opened! Alex was throwing up. Kato ran upstairs to tell me. I was laying on the bed trying to not get sick myself but it didn't work I hurried to the bathroom and from then on was praying to the porcelain God. I must have had food sickness from the buffet and we figure since Alex was also sick it was something in the cake since it was the only thing Kato didn't eat that we ate. So I was out of order all day on Sunday and Monday wasn't much better. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYLEE June 15th is her actual birthday and she got to spend it with her dad instead of coming to my house. Anyway, I should have called in sick but figured I would feel better. It wasn't the case I took my temp around 2 and 103.1 is a bit high. I forced myself to eat some soup but could only handle about 1/2 cup. Thank goodness it stayed down. Later around 5:30 I started to get all hot and sweaty and wanted to lay down for a minute. After the last of the kids were picked up I did just that while waiting for Kato to get home. By then my shirt was soaked and I knew my fever was breaking. I started to get hungry around 7pm so I ate a bagel and it was so good. I finally was on the mend. Kato took the kids for a walk to the store and I relaxed in quiet for a bit. It was rough and I hate being sick in that way. I can't get anything done and stuff gets put on hold.

This is Rylee she is a big 5 now!! Hard to believe that I have known her since she was only 9 months old. I have been there for alot of her firsts, walking, talking, eating and such. She will start kindergarden this fall and it will be bittersweet. We made eggs at Easter this year and she is showing off her talents. thanks for reading xoxo

Saturday June 13

It was a busy day. We got up and got ready to go right away. We went to Rylee's 5th birthday party first and I helped cut the cheese, four pounds of it!! Rylee opened her gift from us and she seemed to like it. We couldn't stay long and so we left in the noon hour. We headed up to the Dells to meet some friends and go on a Duck ride. After the Ducks we went for a walk up the strip and stopped at Culvers for a quick snack before going to Ripleys Believe It or Not. After Ripleys we headed to Tommy Bartlett show. Everything was fun and wonderful until it was time to eat. Kato wanted an all you can eat buffet and the first place we went to was just an all you can eat. So we went to another place that had a huge blue sign saying COLOSSAL BUFFET. Kato went in to check it out cause the parking lot wasn't very busy and I wasn't sure if it would be good. He thought it was perfect so we went in. At first glance it was good but after I was sitting there holding Jade for a bit looking around I got worried but kept it to myself. I figured it will be ok. I started with a salad. Then moved to the hot plate section followed by a slice of chocolate cake with some help from Alex. After dinner we had one more stop to make at Walmart so while I was in Walmart, Alex and Kato went to Menards. We got home after 9pm settled down and watched Lakeview Terrace. All was great until the next morning....thanks for reading xoxo

June 12 2008

Well Jade had a doctors appointment today. She weighed in at 15 pounds 12 ounces and was 25 inches long and that puts her down in the 45% range. This is a lower percent then her last appointment. I guess its ok though cause now she is a bit more active. Her head however is still way too big for her body in my opinion. Its in the 75%. That means her head is bigger then 75 out of 100 babies her same age. I hope its not a sign of whats to come. Anyway the doctor said she is in good health and has met or exceeded all milestones for kids her age. I think its time for doctors to update their expectation lists. I know all babies are different but it just seems weird to me how someone can say so and so should be doing this by now or wow that is really advanced for their age. She is doing great and is more happy then fussy, doesn't mind being alone or with someone, eats and sleeps without issues and is a very content baby. We got lucky with her. The babies are sleeping and Alex and I are listening to his kids bop CD. I hope all is well with you today and you have a great weekend. thanks for reading xoxo

June 11 2008

WELCOME TO OUR NEW BLOG!!

I am glad you chose to read about our family. For some of you, you live far away and we don't always get a chance to talk so now you can check us out whenever you want. I hope you enjoy the updates about the kids and feel that you are being included in what we are doing and not left out. You can view the prior blogs that were created at another site and catch up on what we have been up to. Thanks for reading XOXO

June 4th 2009

THIS WAS MY LAST BLOG ON THE YAHOO SITE

things are going well here and we enjoyed our weekend up at greenbay. alex is doing wonderful at tball and enjoys it much more then soccer. jade started eating peas and hated it but now she is on green beans and eats them much better. michael will soon be on a trip back to wa to visit family and summer is almost here!!! not bad for such a short blog. oh and just some words of advise if you have naughty photos of yourself on your cell phone and you know who you are you might want to delete them before you go get a new phone because chances are the people at the cell phone store are looking through your photos when they take your phone to the "back" for downloading and test calling:) and thats all I wrote. I guess once I figure out what blog site I am using I will let you all know. thanks for reading xoxo

TBall

Alex had his first Tball practice last night. I wasn’t able to go because someone drove a work vehicle home and I didn’t have a place for Jade to ride. I suppose I could have walked but it would have taken me almost 20 minutes to get there and its only a 45-50 minute session. So I had Kato take a few pics for me. When Alex got home we talked about it and he said he liked it much better then soccer. He is going to be in a play this Friday, he will be the Muffin Man. His teacher told me yesterday that he got a little nervous when people were watching him and he felt like they were laughing at him. When she explained that they weren’t laughing but smiling because he is so cute he almost burst into tears. I have been talking with him a couple times a day about how people will be there to watch and sometimes they will smile and laugh but not at him its because the kids are so cute and laughing isn’t mean. I hope he will do ok on Friday. Tomorrow is Alex’s last day of school. He will go to the 4 year old class in September and then in 2010 he will start Kindergarten. Tomorrow night Kato, Michael, and I are going to a dinner sponsored by MADD and its purpose is to talk about teen driving and answer any questions we might have. They also will have information about insurance and its just a chance for other parents to talk about the concerns of their teen driver. I hope it won’t be a waste of time. I really hope the food is goodJ Jayne is going to come sit with Alex and Jade. Then Saturday its up to Green Bay for Earl and Dorothy Katers 60th wedding anniversary party. Thanks for reading xoxo

Memorial Day

Monday Memorial Day
Once again Jade woke up early so we were up at the butt crack of dawn. I came downstairs wondering where my husband was and found him and Alex curled up on the floor. I knew Kato would be achy from that nights sleep. He quickly made some coffee and we waited for everyone else to get up. I didn’t cook anything for breakfast as I was tapped out for a bit. We hung up the flags outside on the house and cleaned up. The cousins left around 11 and we decided to go to Brat Fest in Madison. We met up with Jayne, Keith, Jennie, Runkle, Aaron, Melissa, Ben and Benjamin. It was a lot of fun just talking and hanging out listening to some great music and once again eating meat! Alex went on two rides and Jade was really fussy. I think she was also tapped out from all the activities this weekend including her teeth cutting. I too didn’t eat super healthy, too much meat, so she may have had a tummy ache. After a bit we left and stopped at Jayne and Keith’s house to see Jades room. It is so cute. They painted the ceiling blue and the walls green and had fairies and flowers all over. It really is a great room for a little girl. Alex has a room there too its decorated in jungle animals. Once we got home Jade seemed to be better and we ordered pizza. I think I would like to become a vegetarian for a couple of days. I would like to say THANK YOU to a couple of special people in my life today. First to my Grandpa Dale for his service to this country, to my wonderful husband Kato THANK YOU and I love you very much, to my Uncle Bernie THANK YOU. To the Lamb family members of the service as well as the Katers THANK YOU! The service men and women of this country don’t get the thanks they deserve everyday and they should. I am glad we have at least one day set aside to remind us of their sacrifices. Without them we would not be able to do the things that we do, have the things that we have and to be able to go to sleep at night knowing someone is watching out for us in all areas of this world. We are blessed to have them, fortunate to know them, and humbled by their courage and commitment to the United States of America. If you haven’t hugged your service member today maybe you should and tomorrow remind them again how thankful we are for them. Thanks for reading and Happy Memorial Day. xoxo
This is Alex at Brat Fest. We saw a little critter in the water eating some greens. He was checking it out!

Sunday Devils Lake memorial day weekend

Sunday we woke up early and I made us all homemade waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, bacon and sausage and we had some left over fruit salad. After cooking and cleaning up I chopped up some veggies and threw it all in a cooler so we could head up to Devils Lake. We didn’t leave until noon and it took us 2 hours to get into the park. Once there I had to turn around and take Michael back home so he could go milk cows with a friend. I fed Jade and we once again headed up to Devils Lake to meet up with the cousins, Kato and Alex. They picked a great spot next to the lake and the boys fished and we ate the veggies and chips and dip. The girls hung out for a bit and we walked along the beach and soaked up the sun. Jade got her first pair of sunglasses from Lala and she looked so cute in them. The boys didn’t have any luck fishing so we packed up around 5 and came back home. We picked up some chicken and grilled out. Once done eating and cleaning up, thanks again Hubby, we watched Bedtime Stories. Jade got tired so I had to take her to bed before I could finish the movie. It was a long day so I crashed out. thanks for reading xoxo

Saturday At the Zoo Memorial day weekend

We had a great Saturday~
Katos cousins came up from Elk Horn. Jamaica and her kids and granddaughter all stayed with us. We decided to go to the zoo and check out the animals. We saw penguins, buffalo, rhinos, polar bears, lots of monkeys, and some other animals. The kids enjoyed it and since the zoo isn’t super huge we were able to get back home to enjoy a neighbor cook out. We had brats, hot dogs, and hamburgers. The neighbors made homemade brownies and an awesome fruit salad. The other neighbors made super yummy adult hot dogs, they are adult because they are a little more expensive then the Oscar brand, and they brought a macaroni salad. We enjoyed watching the kids play hockey and basketball. Once it got dark we made a fire in the fire pit and had smores! I stayed up a little too late and was a bit tired on Sunday. Jade cut two teeth over the weekend but she was a pretty good girl. The cousins slept all over the house and they seemed to enjoy the cook out and just hanging out with us. All in all Saturday was fantastic! Thanks for reading xoxo

CHOMPERS!!!!

What a glorious day!!! It was beautiful outside, Kato came home from work early, and Jade got her first tooth! I couldn’t believe it. I was playing with her and she decided to bite on my knuckle. I felt something and so I went in with my finger to investigate and what do you know??? A tooth was popping through. Its on the bottom, right side, front of her mouth. The other one next to it will be here soon too. I quickly called Daddy and told him of his little girls big accomplishment and he was super excited. Once off the phone I realized something, would I still be able to feed her without injury to myself?? I might have to start weaning her off. I guess people still breastfeed when their kids have teeth but to me that seems nuts!! I would love to show you a photo but I don’t have a camera that can take a close up of something that small and still have it be clear. So this one is of her hanging out on the floor and you can see she has a runny nose, probably from the tooth. Anyway, I checked Alex’s baby book to see when he got his first tooth and he too was almost 6 months old. He got two teeth in June and then nothing until August. Hopefully Jade will be like that too. At least she wasn’t too bad. I thought something was up these past couple weeks because as I wrote earlier she hasn’t been feeling well or sleeping well but now it all makes sense.
Kato’s cousins are coming up for the weekend and we have been getting ready. We want to go to the zoo or something but its rainy today. We are supposed to grill out with the neighbors too tonight but we will see what the weather brings. Kato is outside right now vacuuming the driveway. Yes I said vacuuming the driveway. He doesn’t like those little tree things that get stuck in the cracks of the driveway. He also washed the house cause those same things get stuck on the siding. He is such a busy guy!! Gotta love him though, he is just so cute and yet very manly. Thanks for reading xoxo

May 17th 2009

So this weekend we spent cleaning, doing laundry, and using scabies cream. Jade got a mild rash from the cream but she should be fine. Michael had to wash his bedding himself and clean his room. Saturday I made waffles, ham and fried a couple of eggs for Kato. We went to a camp ground in Portage to check out the camp sites for the Lamb cousins camping trip in August. This place was great!! It has a pool, awesome playground for kids, basketball court, baseball field, showers, electricity and water at every site and much more! We should be set for August as long as we are not the only cousins to go. Even if we are it will still be fun to camp. We haven't been camping in a long while. I still remember Michaels first camping trip. We went to Cresent Bar which is in eastern Washington. They had huge forest fires that year and the sky was thick with smoke. It wasn't too far from the Gorge which is a totally awesome place for concerts. Its outside and I have been to several concerts there. Its on the Columbia River and usually really hot in the summer time. Anyway, we slept in the back of my dads truck because I was afraid he would crawl out of the tent. We went water skiing and swam in the river. At night you could hear the concerts at the Gorge. We went with some of my parents friends and we had alot of fun. We ended up getting into trouble with the park people because they said we were too loud. It turned out to the the party someone else was having across the river. With Alex our first camping trip was also great because he said his first words Mama Mama Mama. Kato was jealous but I didn't mind. It was so cute. We camped at Kegonza and fished and walked through the trails. Michael brought a friend, Mikey. Camping is fun but alot of work so this time I am going to plan easy stuff to cook and clean. With water and electricity it shouldn't be a problem. Oh did I mention there is a bar for the adults and next to that is the arcade for the kids. The best of both worlds!! Next weekend is Memorial day and we usually go up to the cottage but the following weekend is Kato's grandpa and grandmas 60th wedding anniversary so we are going to that and traveling two weekends in a row gets to be too much. We invited Katos cousins up from Delavan so I hope they can come. We have a few things planned so the weekend won't go to waste. Plus on Saturday Michael is going to be selling brats for wrestling so if you are in the Sauk Prairie area stop by the Family dollar parking lot for a brat and help out the wrestling team! Time to go get the grill ready for some chicken. Here is a photo of our campsite we picked site number 206! thanks for reading xoxo

TGIF

Yes that is my husband. Yes he was sober.
What a week…Jade woke up Monday seeming just fine and later that night she seemed fussy and not able to get comfy to sleep. Tuesday morning she woke up and was so fussy that I knew something was wrong. It could have been an ear infection or sore throat or something so I had Kato take her to the doctor. They couldn’t find anything so they advised to just keep giving her Tylenol and Motrin. Well Wednesday she woke up with green snot caked all over her face and a fever of 101. Since the doctors weren’t much help I just kept a close eye and continued the medicines. Her fever broke by Thursday and she is feeling much better. She has a clear runny nose still but so far her lungs sound clear. Today I get a call from one of my moms who says her little boy is super fussy and has a low fever. Well I already had plans to take Michael to the doctors for some skin rash so I offered to meet her there but she was able to get him in earlier. It turns out he has ear infection. So while I was at the doctors this morning with Michael, Alex was at a gym in Madison on a field trip with school. Jade, Michael and I only had to wait a minute before the doctor was in and then the bad news hit. Now before I tell you what’s up with Michael just know he is 15 ½ years old. He loves to hang out with friends, wrestle, hike through woods, climb stuff, explore and just be a boy. He showers everyday and we are still trying to convince him that he should really brush his teeth twice a day. On weekends he spends the night with friends hanging out everywhere but home. Ok so on Monday he presents me with a rash that looks like chiggers. I give him some hydrocortisone cream and he uses it daily. The rash is spreading and looking worse so I made an appointment for this morning. It turned out to be scabies. I was shocked! Now the entire family, the daycare kids, and of course Michaels friends whom he has been hanging out with all have to use some prescription cream for twelve hours and then use it again in one week. Plus we have to wash everything with super hot water. We do laundry regularly but now it has to all be done tonight. Oh the joys of parenting. I checked Alex over and he doesn’t have any spots or areas of concern which is good considering he was at a gym today where I am sure he had close contact with others. Since I have learned the news of Michaels fate I feel itchy and I know its all in my head but still. So now its Friday and we are supposed to enjoy the weekend but instead it will be filled with creams and laundry and cleaning extensively. The good news is that there are no confirmed cases or probable cases of swine flu in Sauk Prairie. Bad things happen in threes so after this we should be good to go for awhile. Thanks for reading xoxo

May 11 2009

It has almost been a week since Michael got his temps and I am pleased to report, no accidents or tickets. This weekend we celebrated mothers day at Jayne and Keiths on Saturday. Jayne made some super yummy pork tenderloins, a potato dish, my favorite salad, delicious stuffing and some rolls. It was soooo good and everyone got stuffed. I tried really hard not to exceed my calories for the day but I went over by about 100. Earlier that day Alex had soccer and once again he didn’t participate. Kato even took him to the earlier class where he would know at least a couple of kids. Oh well maybe he will do better at Tball. Sunday we had a big pancake breakfast with scrambled eggs and ham. I made blueberry pancakes, plain pancakes and pancake with M&Ms. I whipped up some whipped cream, which was really good on the blueberry pancakes. It was difficult to resist eating too much. We topped it all off with OJ. Kato, Alex, Jade and I went for a walk and later that night we grilled up some steaks, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. We enjoyed salad and the boys had some noodle dish. I am trying really hard to drop a few pounds so I am trying to watch my diet which is why I opted for more veggies and no noodles. Saturday we went grocery shopping and had lunch at Taco Bell where once again I really wanted something cheesy and loaded with stuff that will go straight to my butt, however I was good and ordered from the Fresco menu and had a diet drink. I log my calories in my itouch and it helps me stay on track. I have lost 10 pounds since being back from Washington. Going for long walks with the family and working in some exercise with the kids seems to be helping too. It sucks that its so easy to add the pounds and so difficult to get rid of them. I may have to save up for a tummy tuck cause after 3 kids things are not going back to normal. Monday is here again and its back to the grind. I hope the kids are happy and in good moods. I hope its nice out so we can play outside. Mostly I hope it will be a good week. Things are starting to get really busy. Soon the pool will be open and hot weather is fast approaching. There is so much to do and sometimes so little time. Too bad we can’t have 3 day weekends in the summer. Rylee and Logan will be starting Kindergarten this fall and Alex will begin 3 day preschool. Eli and Lucianna will be in the 2 day preschool and Kale and Jade will continue to be too little for any of it. My brother and his wife will be finding out if they are having a boy or a girl in June and I wish all the time that I could be there to enjoy the fun times of being Auntie Kara. They are expecting in October. My Grandma has good days and sad days but everyday she says it gets a little better. I miss my Grandpa very much and wish I could have a few more minutes with him. I found some songs on itunes that he and I used to listen to when we would drive up to the farm or go on road trips. It was fun to ride in the little green pick up on the hump between him and my Grandma. That was when seat belts weren’t required by law. We would sing the same songs over and over and every once in a while stop for a coke or milkshake or some kind of treat. We would play games in the car and try to spot animals. They took me all over. We would go to the hot springs and swim. When you first drive up the smell of sulfur is so strong its super stinky, like rotten eggs, but then you get used to it. They took my brother, my cousin Kip, and I to Yellowstone. That was so much fun. We went to Louis and Clark caverns. We visited ghost towns, Coulee dam, and went to Soap Lake. We drove to a place where you can drive through a park where live animals like bears and buffalo roam. The buffalo would blow snot on the windows. What a fun childhood I had with them. Thanks for reading xoxo
this is jade and her great grandma

CLEAR THE ROADS!!!

I warn you now, Michael got his temps today. I was class helper today at Alex's school and since I had the day off and Michael just so happens to be exactly 15 and 1/2 years old we decided to go to Baraboo and get his temporary drivers license. He wanted to drive home but I had to say no way. He did drive me to the Piggly Wiggly to get some groceries. He has a little work to do but he did a good job. We didn't wreck the van, run over anyone, and he managed to not get a ticket so I'd say it was a successful first time behind the wheel. He is really excited and I think a little bit humbled because driving for real is serious and it can be nerve racking. I think in time he will get better and will become more relaxed and natural to him. All in all I am very proud of him and know he will be a good driver. Good job Michael!!! thanks for reading xoxo

April 30th 2009

Alex started soccer two weeks ago. At first when you meet him he is shy and quiet. Later once he gets to know you he really opens up and is a different kid. He likes telling everyone he has practice but when he gets there he clams up and doesn't participate well. I think its because he doesn't really know anyone except for his dad. The first week he kinda sat out of the group but last week he seemed to open up a little bit more. I hope he comes around this Saturday and really gets involved. It reminds me of when Michael first started to play football. No one wanted to tackle or block anyone from the opposite team. We as parents thought it was because they felt weird touching someone they didn't know. At practices everyone tackled everyone but then again they knew each other. Now that Michael is older and playing football he has no problems taking out someone. Its funny how kids have no problems playing with other kids at the parks or swimming pools but when it comes to a close contact sport they shy away. Oh well at least he is getting experiences. thanks for reading xoxo

April 24th 2009

My wonderful Grandfather passed away Saturday April 18th. I am heartbroken. He was a very important man in my life. I don't understand many things about his passing because no one told me exactly what was going on until it was too late. I sometimes feel angry because its almost as if the older family members view me as a little kid still, unable to cope or deal with the realness of life therefore they shelter me from the bluntness of what really is going on. I sometimes feel happy that he is no longer suffering and has finally gone to be with the Lord. I sometimes feel regret that I wasn't there and that the last time I saw him I thought he was going to get better and I didn't spend enough time with him. I feel sad and empty all the time but push through it for my family. I feel blessed for being able to have the best years with him, living with him, traveling with him, learning from him, laughing with him, swimming with him, fishing with him, singing with him, building things with him, or just sitting in silence with him. I pray for him to be ok and happy now. I wish I could get a sign from him to know he is at peace. I love him so much and miss him terribly.
Here is a pic of him with Jade. I am very lucky he was able to meet all of my children and that he had such a wonderful bond with Michael. This pic is one of the last ones that I took before his passing. thanks for reading xoxo

UP at 6:30 AM

I woke up this morning at 6:30am. Yes that was AM!! I don't even get out of bed until 10-15 after 7 on a work day. I couldn't fall back asleep so when I heard Kato was up at 6:45 I thought WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH US!! Our kids are still sleeping even the baby and here we are working on the computer, making a grocery list, doing laundry, drinking coffee. Have we become ADULTS like real ADULTS. You know the kinds that get up early and go to bed around 8 or 9 and watch nothing but the news and comment on every little building that is being built in our community and saying "I wonder what they are building there?" The kind that like to go for a drive just to see the scenery!! UGHHHH I must drink beer tonight, stay up late and oh wait Alex has to sing at church tomorrow and I don't think I could take it with a hang over and yes I am still feeding Jade and it wouldn't be fair for her to drink beer. OK maybe we are just becoming responsible parents who are just excited that today is Alex's first day of soccer practice and we can't wait to watch him play. GOOD LUCK ALEX we love you!!! thanks for reading xoxo

May Days

We had a great weekend. Friday night was low key and just a regular night but Saturday night was awesome!! Saturday morning we woke up and all went to Alex’s soccer practice. Once again he didn’t want to participate because he was shy. I am not sure what to do at this point. We may try to take him to the early practice because at least Logan and Olivia will be there and he may play since they play. After practice we went out to get some grass seed and look at getting a log splitter so we can finally chop the wood on the side of the garage. We have had it for 2 years now. The log splitter is $55 to rent and the store didn’t have one available. Once we got home we got started on yard work. Pulling weeds and poking holes followed by mowing. Then we planted some seeds in the dead spots where Chief left his mark. After that it was time to get fancy as my husband was taking me out. Kato picked a place and we dropped the kids off at Grandma Jayne’s house. He didn’t tell me where we were going and that made it fun. Once downtown we went to Porta Bellas. It was a nice Italian restaurant. We had a great dinner and went for a quick walk down State Street. The UW campus is there so it was busy with parting college students who were loud and obviously working toward a hangover. We picked up the kids and thanked the in laws with a cannoli. Back at home we watched Hellboy II for the third time. Not by choice but because each time we rented it the disc was the wrong kind or it was scratched up and didn’t work. We finished the movie and went to bed cause all the outside time really made us sleepy. I was very proud of my husband for picking such a great spot and it was really nice to have a date night. I hope we do it again soon. Sunday morning arrived and I woke up alone as Kato and the kids were up and downstairs. I quickly got ready to start the day. We finished up in the yard and went to get more seed for the front yard, hay to lay over it and some top soil to fill in some patches. Kato found the mole’s den by stepping in it and it was pretty big. He filled it in and hopefully we won’t have anymore holes. We took a long walk and then grilled out. Everyone needed a bath/shower so once we all got cleaned up we sat down to watch some tv. Alex and Jade fell asleep quick and so we got to watch some stuff in peace and quiet. All in all it was a perfect weekend. Thanks for reading xoxo

May 4th 2009

Jade is weighing in at 14 pounds 5 ounces. That is good news and she has reached the 50% mark in her weight and height. Her head is still too big for her body at 65%. That means that of 100 kids her head is bigger then 65 of them. She is getting up there with the others. The doctor said she can start cereal so we did. She does really well with it. I am still feeding her and that is going good too. I know I will have to stop before September because I am planning to meet the ladies for the Seahawks game in San Francisco. She is rolling both ways and loves her jumper. She has a bumbo to help her sit and she will sit in it for a bit but she prefers to be in her jumper or on the floor to roll and kick and play. She is sleeping through the night but sometimes wakes up for a snack. The doctor said I shouldn’t feed her but then again he isn’t the one with milk jugs that need to be emptied. She will be 5 months in a couple of days and the time is really flying by. Speaking of flying, since we have been back from WA we both haven’t had any symptoms of swine flu so I think we got lucky. I hope none of the daycare kids come in contact with anyone who has been exposed. I don’t want it near me or my family. Plus I don’t want the daycare kids to get sick. I have them using hand sanitizer and washing their hands often. Sometimes I think I am borderline germaphobe. Maybe I just hate being sick myself. Anyway I hope everyone stays healthy and this swine flu goes away!!
this photo is Jade wearing my Grandpas slip from when he was a baby. we miss you Grandpa and I think of you everyday. I love you.
Thanks for reading xoxo

I have posted this pic before but I really love it

April 14th 2009

Yesterday I found a spider in the house. It was huge at least the size of a dime. I figure it is getting to be that time of year again. Plus when I went to Michaels room I saw an attractive nuisance for bugs. He had an open empty bottle of energy drink, an empty box of pizza, an empty carton of ice cream, and a banana peel all sitting there just attracting bugs. They may have been empty but little bits of stuff is still there. To top it off his clothes were laying all over the floor which is frustrating considering the laundry room is less then 3 feet from the door to his room. I love Michael he is my first born and I admit sometimes I am too lenient but this is ridiculous. He is the only 15 year old I know who has 200+ DVDs, a 52 inch wide screen tv, surround sound, queen size bed, and various other nice components of a room, not that I know many 15 year olds but I always ask him if his friends have any of this stuff. How do you get a teenager to clean his room daily without being asked??
I hope he grows out of being messy soon. He wants responsibility to drive a car yet he can't be responsible for his own space. I know a 4 year old who cleans up better then Michael. Oh boy I hope Jade is a neat freak!! Thanks for reading xoxo
This is Michael wrestling with daycare kids

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!! The kids had a great time looking for eggs with clues that lead up to the big Easter basket of goodies. Alex got a spiderman watch, soccer outfit, and superman cape (thanks stacey for the info on where to get it for such a great price). Michael got a fishing pole, tee-shirt, leaders, and a gift certificate. Kato got an ax and a hatchet. I got some new kitchen towels and table cloth. It was the first time that I know of besides Christmas where Kato went out and got me something without me knowing it or having me pick it out myself. I was very impressed and appreciated it very much. Today we went through Alex's clothes and packed up the 3T stuff like jeans and some shirts as its too small. Summer is coming and so we went through all his shorts. I was shocked that some of the shorts are 24 months and he can still fit into them. After some cleaning of the house we went for a walk to the park and then enjoyed an early dinner. We wanted to watch a movie but the movie we had was in blu-ray form so we just watched celebrity apprentice. It was a great weekend. thanks for reading xoxo

Saturday April 11

It was a bittersweet day for me. I went through all of Jade's clothes and packed up the 0-3 months stuff and replaced it with 3-6 month clothes. Even though she can still fit into some of it I figure its just better to keep it all together. It was kind of sad because it feels like she is getting bigger way to fast and even though I am with her everyday I feel like I am missing it. I know I am busy with other kids and household chores and just life itself but I make time to play with her and hold her. Maybe its because she could be my last one. Anyway, we had a great day getting things done around the house. We watched Step Brothers, which was funny but had alot of bad words and then we watched Get Smart. This picture is of Jade she is wearing my Grandpa's slip from when he was a baby. She likes to flip up her dresses. I hope thats not an indication of whats to come. thanks for reading xoxo

Animal hat day at daycare

Is the Easter Bunny Here Yet?

We had a good Friday. The kids worked on Easter eggs this week and finally finished them today. Then we busted out the animal hats and pretended to be animals. It was super fun. We played outside a bit and everyone got picked up early. Not bad at all. Kato stayed over night up at Fond du Lac, to finish up that project for work and as usual I got stuck with the household. Cook dinner, clean up dinner, feed Jade dinner, bathing, reading books, feed the dog, let out the dog, set up the dog bed, clean up toys, wipe butts, change diapers and then bed time. It took us 45 minutes to get ready for bed cause Chief is here and I had both Jade and Alex to tend to. Its normally a 10-15 minute process. I didn't sleep that great but then again who does when you have an infant who doesn't sleep through the night all the time. So to top it off I had to make my own coffee this morning. I refuse to cook tonight so take out or delivery it is cause I am not going out either. Well TGIF and thanks for reading xoxo

April 8 2009

So far the glasses are working out great!! I haven't had a headache this week and that is great for me. Today the kids are going to start a project for Easter and it should be fun. Chief is also going to come over for a visit. I am ok with him being here as long as I don't have to do all the work. Also Logan is very allergic to dogs and I don't want him to have a reaction. I got as much Easter stuff done as I am going to do cause I sure as heck don't have tons of money to spend on it. It seems we forget the reason behind some of these holidays and they get out of control!! Jade got to meet the Easter bunny on Sunday and Alex only wanted the suckers he was handing out. I forgot to pick up her photo with him so I will have to go back and get it. I guess I got sidetracked or something. Michael started drivers ed and apparently he has to have 30 hours of driving time here at home to get his license. Kato will have to start that one cause like I ve said in the past...Im not ready. We talked last night about him buying a vehicle and I told him I bought my first car and in order for him to get one he needs a job and to help pay for his portion of the insurance. We will see how that goes. His dad said he would buy him a car if he gets straight A's so maybe that will motivate him to do good in school. Well thats all for now. Thanks for reading xoxo

April 5 2009

Today was a great day. We got a little bit of snow but it wasn't bad. I made Michael some curtains to match his new headboard that Kato and I made for him and Kato did a bunch of laundry. Jade and Alex played and took naps. We got some groceries and enjoyed tacos for dinner. I am still getting used to the glasses and mostly forget to put them on before I start reading. Its sunday night so that means we are now only hours away from a work week. It will be busy for Kato as they need to finish up with a project up North and Chief is going to come stay with us for a few days on Wednesday. Michael has wrestling tomorrow and he also starts drivers ed! I am not ready for that. Jade is rolling over and growing out of her 0-3 month clothes. Alex only wears Batman pjs or Batman pants and no shirt. Kids what can you do but love em?? Have a great week everyone! thanks for reading xoxo

Saturday April 4th

So what do you think?? I got two pair of glasses and these are Katos favorites. I got a pair of purple ones too and will post a pic later. It feels weird having them on and I am now having to get used to that but it is better when I am on the computer or reading. I don't think I need them for driving yet but take them with me just in case. Kato was on call and sure enough he got paged out so Alex and him went to work at a hospital. Alex wore the same thing as dad, his Motorola sweatshirt and jeans. He even took his toy tools. The nurses at the hospital really enjoyed having him there and when the job was done and as they were walking out, Alex looked up at his dad and said "Dad, Im still the boss right?" It must have been so cute to see that. So Jade and I went shopping today and got two tops for her to go with some pants that she has. I could have just had her wear a onesie with the pants but sometimes its nice just to have her in a normal shirt. For all you moms with lil ones you know what its like in spring and summer...a onesie is too much but they don't make many tops that are not a snappy crotch. Anyway we also hit the craft store for some stuff and then to Baby Depot for some more stuff and by the time we picked up my glasses it was time to get home and prepare for Michaels arrival. He was supposed to fly into Madison at 5:30pm. We were nervous cause the weather people mentioned we were going to get snow this weekend. Michael had a lay over in Chicago and we were preparing for the worst but guess what??? HE MADE IT TO MADISON and he was even EARLY!!! I was so shocked and happy. It was good to see him. Before we left Alex grabbed his wallet which contained play money and play credit cards. We decided to go eat at Applebees and our wonderful son Alex paid with his credit cards. He actually took them out of his wallet and gave them to the waitress. He then signed the customer copy of the bill and then gave his wallet and all its contents to Michael. It was very sweet of Alex to buy us all dinner. After we got home we watched Journey To The Center Of The Earth. Jade and I were very tired so we went up to bed and tried to watch Saturday Night Live but she was asleep before we got to the top of the stairs and I fell asleep before the first commercial. Thank goodness we didn't have to go to Chicago. thanks for reading xoxo

April 2 2009

Its been awhile since I wrote anything and mostly because I am getting super bad headaches when I am on the computer. I went to the eye doc on tues and yes I need glasses. I have sucky vision in my right eye and my left eye has been overused now!! So Saturday I will go and get my glasses and catch up on blogs. We got some super sad news from Keith. The family is going to put the cottage up for sale. We are totally upset for various reasons but will not mention them for now. Its a sucky situation and dispite trying really hard to be understanding its not that easy. Well I gotta go for now my head is starting to hurt. thanks for reading xoxo
this is one of my most very favorite photos of up at the cottage

March 29 2009

It was a great weekend. Friday night we got Michael all ready for his spring break trip to Washington. He definitely doesn’t seem to care much about hygiene as he did not pack a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, or any bathing product. I guess he figures it would be available out there. But then again he only took 2 pairs of underwear saying they could last about 18 days. WHAT!!! That’s gross!! He also only packed 2 pairs of socks. I guess my mentality is pack enough so you don’t have to do laundry every two days but for a guy, he will probably just turn his undies inside out?!? Anyway, after that we watched Twilight and went to bed.
Saturday Kato took Michael to the airport and from what it sounds like those stooges almost didn’t make it. Once Kato got home Jade woke up and was not going back to sleep, so Daddy and Jade went downstairs and watched I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry. Once Alex and I got up and moving we went to Madison and ran some errands. It ended up snowing Saturday night and so after going to Pizza Hut we hung out and watched You don’t mess with the Zohan. It was funny.
Sunday we woke up to about 4 inches of snow. The boys went out to shovel and the girls made breakfast. Keith is on his way over and he apparently has something he wants to talk about so we have been trying to guess what it is. I hope its good news.
So my tough lil Alex likes to have big muscles. He takes his sweat pants, puts them on his arms and then puts a shirt over it. It ends up looking like he has huge biceps. Well he decided instead of just one pair of pants he wanted to be RIPPED so he put on three. Nice pic huh??
Thanks for reading xoxo

IM NOT BLIND

So for the past couple weeks I have been having super bad headaches and I blamed it on my hair. So I cut some off thinking that would work but it didn't. I then blamed it on the loud children everyday but I would have them on the weekends too. Finally yesterday as I was reading the paper I realized I couldn't see the words too well. I covered my left eye and was very surprised that I could not make out the letters at all. My right eye is not clear. I can see things just not clearly, everything is blurry or fuzzy. So I go see the eye doc on Tuesday. I had an appointment for two weeks from now but today while reading to the kids it was very frustrating and I once again got a headache. I think 6-10 Tylenol a day is not good. Anyway I called the clinic to see if someone there could help sooner but they don't have an eye doc and they said if you have headaches go in sooner. While researching if insurance will pay for this I found a doc in Middleton who wants me to come in ASAP which is Tuesday. So there you go I AM NOT BLIND. I am just getting old and with old age comes the fun of bad eyesight, saggy boobs, wrinkles and of course the gray hair which I am now starting to find. At least I don't feel old I just look it!
We got to go outside today which was nice cause the kids are climbing the walls again. I guess its supposed to snow on Saturday. Guess what else Michael flies out that day. GO FIGURE!!
thanks for reading xoxo

March 24

Its raining its pouring I think we will soon be going....CRAZY!! It is only Tuesday and this week is already driving me insane!! Long stressful days too much to do and not enough time to do it and oh my the headaches!! I should invest my money in Tylenol cause they are making huge profits from me. I wish I could drown myself in Rum and Coke but that would not be good for the baby. Oh I am sure this will pass. Thank you to our Heavenly Father for helping my grandfather to get better and watching over him and my grandma. The news of his recovery is so wonderful. Thank you to those of you who have said a prayer for them! Now I must go as Jade has completely filled her diaper with squishy sounds of what must be her lunch and dinner. thanks for reading xoxo

March 22 2009

SUNDAY- Gorgeous outside!! Jade and I slept in and didn’t get out of bed until after 9am. It was nice. We started cleaning right away so we could get outside and do some yard work. After cleaning the house we piled into the van and headed to the Pig and then to subway so we could eat fresh. Once we got home Kato and Jade watched the Badgers basketball game which they lost and Alex and I went outside. I worked in the yard while Alex played. Soon after the game Jade and Kato came out and we got the garage all set for spring/summer. It was nice to finally get all the Xmas decorations down. The snow is gone and only a few bits of ice patches remain. It was great to get these things done so we could grill out early and get ready for Sunday night. It is the last few hours of a non-work day and we like to enjoy it. I hope tomorrow the kids are good and the weather is nice so we can be outside.
Thanks for reading xoxo

March 21 2009

This weekend we went up to GreenBay to have Jade meet Katos grandparents for the first time. We met up witht the grandparents at the Bayview Motel and Restaurant. Everyone there knew who we were almost immediately. I guess Grandma and Grandpa were so excited for us to come they told everyone about it. I enjoyed a veggie skillet while Kato had the western skillet. Michael, for some reason, chose that exact time to try walleye. He ended up drowning the fish in ketchup. Since they didn’t have cotton candy Alex only had bits from our plates. The Grandparents really enjoyed showing us off to all their friends. After that we went to their house where we talked and they got to hold Jade. She was a great baby and didn’t fuss at all. I got some great photos of everyone. I could tell they were very excited for our visit. After a bit we went to the Packer Pro shop. No cotton candy there for Alex too bad. I got a little out of control as soon as I saw the SALE sign. The sale was really a sale and most of the stuff was at least 50% off!!! I got some really cute stuff. Jade got her first Packer pennant for her room and yes its pink. After resisting the evil temptation to go broke we headed over to Krolls for some butter burgers and chili and once again no cotton candy. It is sooo good. After 9 years of going there we finally ate in the restaurant section instead of the bar. The bar part is smoking so with the young kids its not an option to sit there. Once we were spent we decided to head out of town except we had one more mission while in Green Bay…to find cotton candy. Alex had been such a good boy we knew if we left without his one little desire we wouldn’t hear the end of it. So off to the one place we suspected would have it…Chuck E Cheese. VICTORY!! We found some blue cotton candy and headed for home. Within 10 minutes of driving Alex had eaten half the bag and passed out. We got home about 7:15 and watched Leatherheads, I was pretty tired so after the movie it was straight to bed for the girls and the boys stayed up playing video games. It was a good day.
Thanks for reading xoxo

March 18th 2009

So yesterday I wanted the kids to have a wonderful breakfast. Kato stayed home in the morning so he could be class helper at Alex's school. Pancakes are a favorite so I fired up the griddle, mixed up the pancakes and got everything ready to go. It is busy in the morning with kids going to school and mom do this and kara do that and sometimes its overwhelming. Anyway, I get the kids up to the table and pour the first batch of yummy pancakes only to find the griddle is too hot and they burned right away. I had never burned them before and I thought that is odd. I turned down the griddle and started a new batch. This time the griddle was too cold and the thing crapped out on me. So now I am frustrated, children are hungry and Alex has school in 15 minutes. I quick grab my skillet, get it hot and pour some more pancakes. They were sticking to my non stick skillet. By now I am pulling out my hair. Finally I got things going somehow, fed the children including my husband, cleaned up and took 5 minutes to inhale deeply. Later that night I went out and bought a new griddle and skillet and tossed the old broken ones. I don't like Tuesdays much, they are more of a Monday for me.
The past two days we were able to play outside and today it was kinda cold for the babies to be out so we stayed in. As a result the kids were climbing the walls!!! I made tuna casserole tonight with green beans and Alex really loves it. He had two bowls of cereal and two helpings of casserole and one helping of green beans. Now he wants a snack. GOODNESS between him and Michael our cupboards will be bare!
Spring get here quick please I need outside time!!
thanks for reading xoxo

March 15 2009

Sundays are rough they go too fast and its only hours away from the beginning of a new work week. I had to make a dessert for Michaels wrestling award ceremony tonight and what did he want me to make??? Angle food cake. I suck at it!! My mom is way better at making it then I am. Anyway, I was kinda rushed cause we didn't get back home until late and I had to feed Jade and then go get my prescription anyway, everyone ate it all gone really fast so maybe it wasn't that bad. Michael had an awesome season and I am very proud of him. His record this year was 23 wins 6 losses 14 pins. He wrestled in the 189 weight class but also once in the 215 which he won and again at 285 which he also won. He got first place a JV state in his weight class. It was a GREAT season. Go Eagles!!!
thanks for reading xoxo