Disney Day

M-I-C see you real soon, K-E-Y why because we like you...M-O-U-S-E! We really like our Gator. Disney Day at school. It was chilly outside. thanks for reading xoxo

All I want for Christmas...

Well it looks like Alex may be asking Santa for his two front teeth this Christmas. The top two front teeth have been wiggly for awhile now but last week when he collided with another kids head they really got wiggly. It was only a matter of time before one fell out. He was able to twist it around in his mouth without it detaching. Gross, I know but for a 6 year old that is tricky. He finally pulled it out at breakfast on Tuesday morning. The wonderful toothfairy brought him 8 quarters. He wanted dollars. Sometimes there is no winning with him. He has one front tooth left hanging by a thread. For me its a little sad. When they loose the bottom teeth it doesn't change their appearance that much but when they loose the top it really makes them look different, a little older and their natural baby face turns into a big kid face. When that grown up tooth comes in all big and out there in its awkward stage, it can make for some pretty bad school photos. I will have to learn all over again to embrace this part of childhood. Most people probably don't think about it like I do, analyzing what loosing a tooth means, but that is just how I am. thanks for reading xoxo

Nerd

Senior year is full of fun things to do and this week is Homecoming which means everyone dresses up in different things. Pajama day kicked off the week and yesterday was 60's 70's and 80's day although the only people around in that time frame were the teachers. Today is nerd day and Michael has participated. He makes for a great nerd. Not sure what tomorrow is but he mentioned Friday is School Spirit day and he says he is wearing a singlet...just a singlet. Go get em Gator. thanks for reading xoxo

A Decade Together!!

My husband and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this week. Married September 22nd 2001 and still going strong. I made him enchiladas for dinner on the actual date and on Saturday we headed down to Milwaukee for some much needed alone time. We don't get alone time anymore and it has been a very long time since we had a date night. So by Saturday we were so ready we both could hardly stand the excitement. With the younger kids at the grandparents house and Michael with friends we had no worries. We decided to stop and play a par 3 and much to our surprise we were pretty much the only ones out there. It didn't take us long but not playing golf in awhile sure showed on the score card. It seems whenever we go, we always say we should do this more often. On our way down to Milwaukee we mentioned the kids maybe twice. Half way to Milwaukee it rained so hard we had to drive slow and cautiously. The windshield wipers sucked! I wanted to stop and get new ones but changing them in the rain would suck too. Once the rain cleared and we were in Milwaukee we stopped at a brewery for lunch and a beer tasting. It was so good. Sometimes its nice having a really good meal with out the craziness of kids. We stopped at the local grocery store to pick up some items for our hotel room and proceeded to our overnight accommodations. The Pfister Hotel was super nice and maybe a little to fancy. The hotel was completely booked for a wedding and it made me a little nostalgic for my own wedding. Our room was perfect, once they brought in a fridge and microwave, with really high ceilings huge windows and a bed perfect for jumping on, which yes I did. I jumped on that bed like a little kid on a trampoline. It was fun and Kato laughed. So we refreshed, watched a little bit of the Badger game and headed to Miller Park for the Brewers game. With preferred parking it was nice to not have to walk 5 miles and over a bridge to get to the stadium, my only wish is it would have also made for a quick get away after the game, it didn't. The game was perfect, a little bit of a nail biter at times with the taste of victory at the end. And since we were only 11 rows away from home plate we had a great view. I failed to remember everything again and forgot to pack a camera. Lucky for us Kato and I got a free pic from a vendor just outside the stadium to commemorate our 10 year accomplishment. After the game it was nice to relax at the hotel and watch some tv in peace and quiet without children whining, dirty diapers to change, snacks to prepare, and sippy cup messes to clean up. I ended up falling asleep first and I don't have a clue as to how late Kato stayed up but by 6am he was up and turning on lights, making coffee and trying to urge me to go back to sleep...impossible. Once I am up, I am up. We went to breakfast at the Original Pancake House and it was so very good. I had an omelet and pancakes. I didn't know the omelet would be made from 8 eggs. I was not able to finish even half of it. Kato had corned beef and hash, he loves it. I saw a bunch of kids out and about with their parents and commented about it to Kato. Once we over ate we headed for home in much better weather. I thought it was funny but the entire time we were gone we very rarely mentioned anything about the kids, however on the way home it was the one thing constantly on my mind. I guess when it comes down to it I missed them a bunch, chaos and all. With them finally in my arms and back at home, running a muck, creating drama, screaming and making messes I knew there was no place I'd rather be. To my husband, thank you for my children, thank you for my home, thank you for you and thank you for the best time of my life...the past 10 years. I luvu. thanks for reading xoxo

Ladies Football 2011

Seattle 0 Pittsburgh 24

Ladies football weekend arrived last Saturday. We decided to go to Pittsburgh this year even tho it wasn't the first away game for the Seahawks. The first game was in San Fransisco and since we were just there two years ago, and since WE make the rules, we decided to go to the second away game. Molly hooked us up with the hotel this year and did a fantastic job. The hotel was centered downtown about 2 miles from the stadium and about 4 miles from all the other stuff we wanted to check out. Our hotel offered a free shuttle within a 3 mile radius so it worked out that we didn't need a car. Once we all met up at the airport we headed for the hotel where we got settled in then set out to get some famous Primanti Bros. sandwiches. Huge, filling, and honestly I have had better but apparently they are a big hit there. We stopped at the wine and spirits store for some refreshments and I was introduced to whipped vodka. Yummy! After a quick stop back to get fancied up a bit we headed to the South Side for dinner and drinks. We ate at a tapas style restaurant, suggested by our shuttle driver who was really nice. We indulged in lobster raviolis, sea scallops, stuffed artichokes, and a variety of decadent dishes. We all had about 2 drinks and between the laughter, tears, and words of wisdom shared by all we had somehow attracted a secret admirer. After about 2 hours of girl talk we decided to head to the next hot spot down the strip and asked for our check, only to be told that a gentleman sitting at a corner table just below us not only paid our bill but also provided a generous tip to our waiter. He had left before we could thank him. Shocked and a bit surprised of what had happened we all were left a little speechless, which only lasted about 2 seconds but for 5 girls that is a long time. We had a couple more drinks along the way and called it a night around 11:30. Back at the hotel, the ones who had pulled an all nighter to get to PA were ready for shut eye. Sunday morning hit and we were still surprised at how generous our secret admirer was and we were starting to believe Pittsburgh is full of really nice people. That is until we were all in our Seahawks gear starring out the window of our shuttle not really wanting to get out for fear of how we would be treated. Some fans are mean and say really mean things that I won't repeat but I will say it does get scary. Plus, it just so happened to be the home opener for the Steelers and they were coming off of a major upset so the fans were pumped and anxious for a win. We spotted a pair of Seahawk fans and quickly decided to jump out and walk close to them, we are safer in large numbers. Much to our surprise again, the fans were really nice and for the most part, really friendly. We saw about 20 Seahawk fans total, and each one wanted to give us a hug or have a photo taken with us. I guess it was a shocker to see some blue and white in a sea of black and yellow. The game sucked because the Hawks just didn't bring it, in fact it looked as if they brought their pee-wee football team. The spanking was huge and yet some of the fans high fived us, patted our backs, and even said good game. Pittsburgh Steelers fans are truly nice people. They are big, they work with steel, but they are nice. After the game we took a fairy boat across the river, took in some beautiful views of the city, found a really good bar and grill, had some beer and dinner before heading back to the hotel. The bar and grill had the best mac and cheese I have ever had!! Back at the hotel we opened the wine and headed to the hot tub and pool. We didn't finish all the wine but we did have alot of great laughs. Sometimes girl time is needed more then anything else in the world. Here's to another memorable Ladies Football Weekend!! Love You, Miss You, Thank You Julie, Candy, Janie, and Molly! thanks for reading xoxo

Sock Monster

Alex was in desperate need of new socks. I took him to get some new ones and figured I should get some for Jade too. Ella will be getting all of Jades and with the cooler temperatures coming they are going to need them. I am certainly not picky about where the socks come from but they must meet some criteria. First they must provide shelter to ones tiny piggies, second they must not have but one hole in which you insert your foot and third they must be able to match everything in your closet. Alex picked black and white ones. As for Jade well, she is a girl of many colors so I was happy to find that the dollar store is the best place to get cute little socks for girls because they have many colors. I bought her about 18 pairs of sock and not a single pair matched the other, although some were similar in colors. So when we got home and showed them to Jade she of course wanted to try them on. Well she did and she ended up putting on every single pair of socks. So this is her in 18 pairs of socks. Her little feet look like they have casts on them. She had some difficulty walking, especially on the hard wood floor. I should have known she was going to do that because there are times, when Daddy is in charge, and I come home to find her wearing 6 pairs of Dora and Tinkerbell underwears over her diaper. Just glad she likes em. thanks for reading xoxo

The Sisters

Having never had a sister I can't explain the closeness or bond that they might share so having daughters who are sisters is a new world for me. I can tell you that it seems more often then not they are in cahoots with each other. They are on the same dirty diaper schedule that's for sure! When they cried as babies they sounded exactly the same and when they laugh they both open their mouths really big to get that sound out! When they were born they looked nothing alike. Jade and Alex could have been twins looking at their baby photos but Ella looked like my little Indian baby with her dark black hair and dark complexion. Both are thumb suckers yet one sucks the left the other sucks the right. They get jealous of each other if one is on my lap the other one wants to be there too. When Daddy come homes they both run to him yelling Daddy, Jade usually gets there first and Ella has to scream to get her turn in his arms. Its just easier to pick them both up at the same time. When we are out and about people (usually older ones) will sometimes ask us if they are twins. Being that they are almost the same size I can understand that but they are after all 18 months apart. Jade has hazel eyes, Ella's are blue and both have enormous heads and tiny bodies, at least according to the percentiles given by the doctors at their check ups. I wonder what they will be like when they get older and I hope they are best friends. I never thought I would be this blessed and given such beautiful wonderful amazing girls whom I love love love! thanks for reading xoxo

Labor Day Weekend 2011

Labor Day weekend can be so bittersweet. It marks the end of summer but the beginning of beautiful fall. There is much to do in our little town during the long weekend. Sauk Prairie hosts the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw. People from all over come to our little town to throw cow poop. There is also a craft fair, parade, children tractor pull, beer tent, bouncy houses, food tents, live music, petting zoo, and a 5k and 10k race. This year I ran the 5k. I had been training for the Dirty Girl so I was ready for the Cow Chip Classic. There were 332 women who competed, I placed 88th. I have room for improvement. In my age group there were 44 women, I placed 12th, again room to improve. So I have decided to keep up the running and do it again next year. After the race, a shower, and some coffee the family and I hit the craft fair. It was busy as usual and lots to see. I got Jade and I bracelets, Alex got some arrows for his bow that he got from there last year, Ella got some cow socks, and we all got a yummy lunch before the parade. Bucky Badger headlined the parade along with some UW band members. Michael was in it for his accomplished wrestling team and their float was packed with trophies, awards, and medals. The kids got some candy and by then I was exhausted. We headed home for some movies and a relaxing night. Sunday we hosted the 3rd annual block party. It was drizzling and a little chilly but people showed up. Hamburgers and hot dogs, pasta salads, fruits, veggies, and a campfire with smores rounded out the night. When some guests got tired they just crashed out in our living room. Sometimes its the last time we actually see our neighbors until the next spring. We hope to get together with them for a game night and pizza during the cold winter months. Now its time to settle in, dust off the football attire, and prepare for what will feel like the longest winter EVER as it always does. Thanks for reading xoxo

First Day Senior Year

Seniors didn't have to report to school until Friday which was nice for Michael considering he didn't get back from Washington until Wednesday. He came home with a new tattoo and another plan for after high school graduation. I am glad he has so many options, just wish he would pick one. It was my duty as his mother to send him and Mikey and Dylan off to school in the classic embarrassing way. So after a couple quick pics they were off and I made sure that the entire neighborhood was aware they were going to school. Cars were honking and people were staring so in my mind, mission accomplished! Seniors, can you believe it? thanks for reading xoxo

First Grade

Today was Alex's first day of First Grade and no one cried!! He woke up easily which I know will change by next week. He got dressed on his own, which also will change by next week. He ate breakfast and brushed his teeth without whining, that too will change and he got off to school without any complaints, and yes that will change too. He let me take some pictures and surprise surprise he even smiled. I think he was a little excited, especially when he remembered that this year he gets his own locker and his very own desk. He really likes having his own stuff. His teacher reminds me of my grandma, complete with hearing aid and all. She enjoys wearing stockings with socks and tennis shoes, loves her teddy bears and baseball and doesn't take much pucky from her students. So it should be a very interesting year. He is also going to Kids Club after school. I debated about sending him every day but figured if he doesn't like he doesn't have to go anymore. It will give him the opportunity to make new friends, maybe get more involved with sports and the teachers will help him with his homework. Today and tomorrow I will walk him to the classroom but come Tuesday he will have to go it alone. I think he will be ready. Thanks for reading xoxo

My Little Artist

Picasso, Van Gogh, and even Michelangelo could not have created as beautiful pieces as my lovely and talented daughter, Jade. I just love it when she gets her sister involved too. I am very thankful for Crayola and their washable markers!!! thanks for reading xoxo