The Blizzard Blast

Last Friday night was my school's annual Blizzard Blast.  Basically an elementary prom.  There were snacks and a dj and most importantly 20 baskets to be raffled off.  Each class has a theme and items are donated to fill the baskets.  My class' basket was scrapbooking. 

I have only missed one Blizzard Blast and that was in 2008.  It was two weeks after Christian was born.  Forgive me:)
In 2009 Victoria won the Doggie Basket.  She was so proud and so happy and so shocked.  Our dog doesn't like toys and will only eat one brand of treats.  Needless to say we didn't need this basket filled with just those items.  However, Victoria did have fun deciding which dogs in her life would get which items. 

2010 nada.

2011 was AWESOME!  Christian was popping tickets in any and all baskets up on his little tippy toes.  Victoria wasn't very interested in the baskets this year.  She wanted to dance. It was so cute.  They had hula hoops to get the kids on the dance floor.

V with her friend Tyler. Notice the hula hooping rock star she is?!

Takes after her mama:)

He tried to hula hoop but mostly enjoyed jumping through them and throwing them.

They did the Limbo (my children were the ones who continually cut in line and just walked under the stick), they danced their little booties off to Black Eyed Peas. 

But there was one basket and just one that held any interest for my girl.  The Girls' Slumber Party Basket.  Amongst a bunch of other goodies it has a WHITE (since Lala she only likes white stuffies now) stuffed cat that was holding a pink blanket.  (Blankets are her current obsession.  She has 18 and counting.)  She jumped up and down in front of it.  Putting ALL her tickets in that basket.  We had to pry her away because she just wanted to stare at it.  We left before the names were drawn since Christian was literally falling asleep.  She was sad but I made up a story about not knowing who won until Monday and if she did win I would drive the basket over to daycare right away for her.  I spent the four mile drive telling her you've already won a basket in your life and other kids need to win too.  Just before I turned right into our driveway my phone rings and my friend Laura is screaming, "You won! You won the Slumber Party basket!"  We flipped around and headed back to school.  She was soooooo excited!!  What are the odds?? 

Everyone was leaving when we were coming back in.  Saying, "You won! You won!"  She was beaming!!  PTO took her picture with her huge basket.  I stood to the side holding Christian who right then and there wet his pants in my arms.  I sent him off with Mark and I was left struggling to get all this stuff out to the car.  Luckily a parent of a past student helped us.

V couldn't wait to get her hands on that cat.  When she had it she said, "Here Christian, you can have the rest."  Which is how he came to be a new mommy.  A talking doll came with it and it says a ton of sayings that all have mommy in them.  He's convinced he's the mommy not the daddy.  He loves his baby and takes good care of her.  Victoria wrote out her thank you to PTO this morning.

It was a super fun and exhausting night!

Our Sixth Anniversary

My husband and I spent a wonderful anniversary weekend together.  On Friday night we went to my favorite restaurant, The Flame.  I had my usual that was even better than usual.  After a long week, a leisurely dinner and a couple drinks we headed home.  Our neighbor Lloyd dropped by to help us celebrate. 

We slept in and rested on Saturday. 

It's such an odd feeling to not rush out of school to take care of my children.  To wake up and not have two pairs of blue eyes waiting for yours to open.  I had a million things to do around the house.  But I didn't.  We finally made it to Perkins for breakfast at 11:30am.  At least it was still the am. 

An awkward little dude was there twisting balloons for tips.  I immediately thought, "Oh the kids would love this!"  Mark and I don't have the weird rule of not talking about our kids when we're not with them.  We do it, often. And it makes both of us happy.  So the awkward little dude comes to our table.  Really?!  Two adults with no kids??  Really??  The made my husband an awkward dude.  It was so weird.  So he starts twisting me a heart balloon with a dog attached.  Then had me cover my ears to whisper a line to Mark to say to me.  Weird!  Awkward!  "I can't 'bear' to give my heart to anyone else."

Finally he left and we enjoyed a lovely breakfast.

We packed and headed out for our romantic getaway.  We had a wonderful drive up to Hinckley.

We had a wonderful suite with a jacuzzi.  We had reservations at 5pm for a couple's massage in their wonderful spa.  Loved it!  The only thing that would have made it better was to have more time to hang out.
We didn't because we were starving.  We got ready and popped a bottle of champagne.

Then we headed down for dinner.  Only a three and a half hour wait!

So we put our name in and grabbed a sandwich and gambled.

We both lost but had fun.

Finally it was time for dinner.

I was beginning to get grumpy due to the lack of food and loss of money.

Then we got the best seat in the house. And adorable wrap around booth over looking the rest of the restaurant. The food was AMAZING! The best au gratins of my life!! 

We headed back to our suite and watched The Town in the jacuzzi and finally ordered a huge (undercooked) pizza from room service in the middle of the night.

In the morning Mark convinced me to stand next to hime while playing slots.

Smoking is allowed in the casino and I can't stand it. I'd just taken a shower and refused to gamble any more but I did agree to stand next to him.  He won $200 in under an hour and then we were outta there.

It was a restful wonderful week-end.

Happy Anniversary to us!

She's a Big Girl Now!

Last week Christian had a check up.  He went from the 25 to the 44%tile in height and weight in the five months since having his adenoids out.  Yipee!!  We have an almost average child!!!!!!

While at the appointment I asked about booster seats.  The rule is four years and forty pounds.  Victoria may not weigh 40 pounds until she's eighteen at this rate.  She's only 32 pounds. . .still.  However, Dr. Stang told me about a booster that is good at 30 lbs.  Yahoo!  A booster means easier to put in and out of the car if need be.  Also, she can get herself in AND out of the seat all by herself.  I didn't know how hard it would be to find this particular booster so I looked at WalMart, while I already happen to be there.  I explained, to her, we needed a certain kind and it wasn't likely that we'd find it on the first try. 

However, WE DID!  I was so happy.  I handed it to her and she squealed in delight and (literally) hugged it with her little faced pressed on it and said, "I've wanted this my WHOLE life!" 

Could it get any more dramatic?  It was laugh out loud funny. 

I couldn't resist of picture of this monumental moment.

Look, she can't even take her eyes off of this pink piece of paradise!!

It's bliss growing up!

To the Man I Love

Most of my blog insists of stories about my children.  However, if it wasnt' for this man

I wouldn't have them.

This Valentine's blog is dedicated to the man I love.

Too often I tell you what you didn't do/what you forgot/ what you need to do/what you should do/ what I want you to do. 

Here's a list of things you do and are that make me love you:

* You are passionate - about everything you believe in.
* You are the best daddy - when I'm doing dishes and I hear the kids giggling under an awesome fort you constructed my heart melts. Or when I'm folding clothes and you get a story started and I walk in and they are both perched on your back I can't wait to climb on in too!
* You are a hard worker.  You've created a business all with your own ideas and own two hands that supports us.
* You're so thoughtful. My new GPS;)
* You're sooooo supportive. A few examples:
Kelly: Hey Mark I think I'm going to sell Creative Memories.
Mark: Ok. 
K: I'm thinking about going to graduate school and sucking up all of my family time. 
M: Sounds great! 
K: I think having a petting zoo in our backyard for Victoria's thrid birthday would be cool.
M: Would it ever! Go for it!
K: Mark, I'm going to sell BeautiControl.
M: Good luck!  I think you'll be really good at it.
K: Honey, I need a day of shopping with Liv. 
M: Ok, I'll cook you both dinner when you return.
K: I want to go to Chicago to see New Kids on the Block.
M: When? Never mind, have fun!
K: I want a mini-van.
M: Me too!

* When you clean. . .you do a great job.
* You make the BEST shrimp ever.  I've never had shrimp that good in any restaurant of my life.
* You can put toys together and add batteries like a machine!
* You can fix anything. Such as my school pencil sharpener that's seen a few crayons in its day!
* You are so damn cute you can convince me of anything.  (If you don't believe me please pick at the "Family Yacht" in the garage.
* You love Mexico as much as I do. :-)
* You listen (and actually care) about my school stories more than anyone in the world.
* You rub my feet so good!

You work hard when you're at work and when you're not.  You literally give me anything I want (note earrings from Christmas:).  I cherish your love and should tell you more often.
Or at least let some other things slide.

Love you!!
YW

Is it Magic?

Mark is doing 'magic' tricks for the kids right now.  I swear he's amusing himself more than the small children.  He's making strange motions and noises and laughing and saying, "Isn't that awesome?" over and over.  He's amusing me too.

Nice & Big

I am currently lying back on the couch using the computer.  The kids are running around the living room.  Victoria just came over and laid her head on my chest and said, "I love you so much mommy."  I kissed her head and told her I love her too.  I continued reading and didn't immediately noticed she was patting my boobs while talking.  A couple seconds passed and I said, "Victoria, stop, you know better."  She stopped and said, "Oh yeah, right, that's your private areas.  But they're so nice and big."  I couldn't hide my laugh in its entirety.  Next thing I knew she had her shirt pulled all the way up and said, "See they're so flat you can't even see them."  Then she just hopped away like nothing happened. 

Six Years

Six years ago February 5th was on a Saturday.  It was 51 degrees outside.  It was a great day.  It's hard to remember the way life was six years ago.  So much has changed.  It's amazing what a wonderful life we've built together.