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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Doing Our Homework

Kindergarten has begun implementing homework. 
I love it.  I love to see what it is.  I love to watch her do it.  I love to see her taking pride in her work.
I love it!


Somebody else loves homework too. 
He prefers to stand and do it on the chair.
I love to watch him too.



I wonder how many more years homework will be a pleasurable thing in our house.

Right now, we're lovin' it!

Picnic at the Park

Last April I bought Mark two rounds of golf with a cart at a nice course in Red Wing as part of his Father's Day gift.  It expired on Oct. 25th.  Luckily, his brother John and he got to use it two weekends ago.  It was an absolutely gorgeous Sunday. 

While they were doing that, we were doing this:


They rode their bikes and I jogged behind carrying a picnic basket, up to the park.



After lunch I laid back on the blanket and saw this:


Mark joined us at the end of our picnic.
It was a pleasurable Sunday afternoon!

*Sidenote: Christian wore his shirt backwards on purpose
 so people could see it when he was riding his bike so fast.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

You Know They're Sick

You know the kids are sick when they ask if it's naptime at 9:50. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

New Little Bean

This week a friend told me she's preggers!!!!!  I'm so excited and can't wait to share more info.  Can't even tell my children and it's driving me crazy!  Yahoo for babies!!!!!  Come June 20th, we can't wait to meet you, little bean!!

The Exciting End to the Week

This weekend we will attend a wonderful friend's wedding!! I love and respect her so.  She was my long-term sub when I had Christian.  I called her at 5am on Jan. 28, 2008 telling her to please show up at school at 8:00 because she was the Queen of Team 214 for the next 12 weeks.  Then she got hired at the second grade level and we were teammates.  It was a strong and wonderful team and we grew to be very close friends. 

Since she moved from second grade and the second floor we're not quite as close but seriously, I love this girl.  She is an amazing friend, teacher, daughter (I call her mother Momma - I wish she was mine!) fiancee, sister, aunt, seriously the chick is amazing!! 

On Saturday she is going to become an awesome wife.

Good God, Ben is lucky!

Mark and I changed our trip to Mexico for a month out so we can attend this wedding. 

On Oct. 16, 2004 I missed one of my best friend's wedding (we were in San Diego for Ted and Hollis' wedding and I wouldn't change that for the world) however, I still feel guilty.

(I feel/felt so guilty after the wedding Mark and I had them over about 6 months later and we both wore our wedding dresses that night while hanging out in our livingroom.  I hadn't been married long and had been known to put it on when there was the slightest 'need'.)


I didn't want to feel like that about another friend so I knew and wanted to attend J's wedding. 

She's loves Ben like I've seen few other women love a man. 

We went crazy on her shower, one, because we love her and she's the sweetest thing ever.

But once you've had a bridal/baby shower and people are so kind and generous you feel so confused. 
Why is everyone so over the top?

Because they're reliving that time for themselves. 

I cry with J about her wedding every couple days.  I listen to the wedding drama and tell her little things to think about or remember. I've sent her cards and I've reminsced about that time in my life over and over.  It's so fun to remember that special time in life.

I sent her a three page text tonight. I didn't expect to not see her tomorrow so it was sent in a text.  Such cliches, but oh so true.

Saturday is going to be AMAZING!

A Lunch to Rmember

My dad loves Victoria.  Yes, he's her grandpa and grandparents love their grandchildren but seriously, he loves her to the moon and back!!  Me, his first born, only daughter, doesn't hold a candle. 

I'm cool with that because this is what happens:


He shows up for the
elementary version of a
pizza.

I knew he was coming and it was so hard not to tell her.  I knew she was going to be in heaven.
I had another teacher cover for me for about five minutes so I could run down and take a quick pic.
Totally worth it!
They were so cute together.
I told them they need to eat and quit gazing at each other because when the time is up the food is gone.
A grandparent volunteer also reminded them. 
I really think they'd skip a meal to sit and talk and smile at each other.

I went back to my class, eventually brought my class to lunch then threw my Lean Cuisine in the microwave and headed out to recess, just in time to catch this:


It's a lunch to remember -
if not for them -
for me.

A Table - Finally

We have a very small kitchen. However, we entertain often.  I can't tell you how many times I bumped elbows with a guest eating at my table.

We've had a small cheap table for nearly seven years.  The chairs needed constant cleaning on their faux suede - especially on Christian's.  Just yucky and ready for something new. 

The new table needs to be dark, small, have a leaf, needs to be small, cute, and it needs to be small.  Much trickier than you'd think.  There was one that fit my prerequisites at IKEA but it was hideous.

We looked a lot and often.  For the record: Furniture shopping is NOT fun with two children.

While I was hanging with Kendra Mark and the kids finally bit the bullet.


For the record the table was completely put together when I got home but I did the 'centerpiece.' 

I love it!  We haven't busted out the leaf yet, but it's just a matter of time.

Another Friend in the Window Well

Not long ago we noticed a friend in the window well. We were 'blessed' enough to have another just a few days later. 

A small red eared slider.  Oooooh, yes, a turtle every my girl's dream.  I took pictures as she grabbed it (remember she grabbed a SNAKE for crying out loud!!) and she got scratched and freaked out.  I warned her but she dropped it but wanted to try again.  We talked about how to do it and even though the claws may touch her it won't actually hurt her.  She dropped it again.  Done.  The turtle was pissed and I was a close second.  We stress being kind to living things around here.  I treated the dead red eared slider in the middle of the road with more kindness than she was giving this one.





Let's just not pick it up.  She wanted to cuddle that thing so bad I could barely hold her back.
Little did we know we should have saved the name Fasty for this little guy (or gal).  We could barely catch it in a box from our recyling bin.  It had its gummed mouth wide open ready for attack.

Mark handled it and released it into its natural habit.  We were all relieved.

Everyday I check that window well and I'm so happy when I only see leaves.

A Fire the House

Did I make you nervus with that title?  Thought Christian got hold of a lighter, did you?  Nope, we tested him with all of them to make sure he's not acutally capable.  True story.

Last week our reading theme was camping.  We made fires out of pretzels, teddy grahams, cheese whiz and candy corn.  We had a blast at school doing it after we read The Bearenstein Bears Go to Camp.  In the story they have wheelbarrow races.  We went outside and did that as well and they totally loved it.

I decided to make the fires at home too for an after school snack.

Clearly I interrupted bike riding - or he's so hungry he didn't care he wore a helmet the whole time - either way that is funny!

Then we have Fashionista who pauses eating and smiles when she sees the camera.






One of my job's perks is bringing the ideas home and I love it -
so do they!

My Favorite Art

I've been doing art projects with Victoria since she was less than a year old.  I really like crafty things and really enjoy doing them with her.  She's definitely taken to it and loves it as well and has gotten very good at it.  We love to slowly walk through Michaels or Joanns and talk and think about things we could do with the random things we see.  We dream of making 7 layer cakes together.  We look at the stamps and talk like we're going to make cards professionally even though we already own drawers and drawers full of them and rarely pull them out.

This summer I purged some scrapbooking things and threw them in a bin for her.  She's dug through it and made some things.  She enjoys it. 

The other day she came up from the basement and said completely serious, "Now, you better REALLY love this because it took me forever!!"


Seriously, awesome!!!!!

I love that she added letters to spell my two names.
The camera, because I love taking pictures, the theme and how symetrical she made it.
I love it.
I'm going to have it laminated.

Love my artistic little angel!!

Perks - Not

There are some perks (and cons too - don't let me fool you) about being at the same school as my daughter.  You'd think she'd get a perk too.  Such as:  Getting sick at school.

Instead I told the nurse to send her back to her class. Then she came down crying so I went down to see myself. I called my MIL to bring Tylenol and had her lay down. Am I crazy???? Finally I had her go home with grandma and she threw up all over her carpet. I will not be receiving Mother of the Year 2011!!!!

It's not like she fakes being sick or is even dramatic about it.  

At least when she got home she actually hit the bucket.  I was rubbing her back and holding her hair and Christian came in to watch.  Leave it to a little brother. 

A little while later I thought I heard the dog throwing up.  Nope, Christian put a mixing bowl next to her bucket and was gagging and spitting.  I think he was hoping I'd hold his hair back. 

Hoping she hits the bucket tonight too.  Although she made me promise to was anything and everything she may puke on tonight. 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Lendt's Pumpkin Patch: A Family Tradition

We visited Lendt's Pumpkin Patch a couple weekends ago.  It is truly one of our favorite family traditions.  I love to see how they've grown and changed each year.  This is my favorite spot. 



It's my favorite spot because it's so easy to see how each have grown.

Just look at last year:






An even bigger difference is from 2009:
Look at those little faces!
And Lil' Dude's longish hair
and so blonde!


Way back in 2008 they looked like this:



I wish I could have them back like that for one day and cuddle
and snuggle those chubby little cheeks.

Ok, reality check, back to 2011:


They're getting bigger and bigger and I'm loving every minute.
This year they were big enough to walk and run all over
but NOT tripping over pumpkin vines every other minute.



Love this!
My big man pulling and my little man pushing.



He didn't want to get his cheek painted at first.
But when he did see a spiderweb was an option
he hopped up there and loved it.



Now, where is that just - my - size - most - perfect - pumpkin??










There it is!
The big winner!




Here it is!
The big winner. . .
but it's gotta weigh a good five pounds!


I see a jack-o-lantern in our future.



It was a gorgeous fun and family filled
Sunday afternoon.
I love that we have these family traditions and I love that we have them captured.