Memorial Day Weekend

Wow, this was the.
Longest.
Weekend.
Evah!
We packed so much sun and fun into a few short days, there's no way I can fit it all into one post. But am I gonna try? You betcha!

Let's start with Friday. Alex and Maggie spent the night at my mom and step-dad's condo on the lake, so they had a day filled with fun and adventure. I got a call from my grandma letting me know my dad was in town from Virginia, so I loaded up the little boys and went over for a visit! (Rick stayed home cuz he had to work early Saturday morning. Boo.)


Saturday morning was dedicated to housework, so the little boys and I cranked up some Adam Lambert and boogied while we cleaned! We were a little preoccupied, so imagine our surprise when we went to our backyard and saw this...

Our neighbors were having a birthday party! They had asked Rick if setting up a bounce house would be okay with us, and that our kids were more than welcome to play on it...he just forgot to mention it to me! It was like going to the fair...without leaving our yard. The kids loved it!


Saturday night was karaoke at Bowly's (of course), and our kids got to see their cousins for the first time in forever! Alexis, Brock and Ethan spent the night even! I didn't get any pictures of them together Saturday, but I had another chance on Sunday...at Steve and Kelly's first BBQ of the season!

Everybody had such a great time! There was swimming...

The Twinkies were there, and they did some swimming...

And also...swimming! Jack and Jacob were in the pool from the time we arrived until it got too dark to see outside, with only a break to eat and several rest stops for potty time. I'm serious, they were in that pool ALL. DAY. LONG.

There were also a couple of random-partner-draw cornhole tourneys (Rick and I were on a team for the second tourney and got 2nd place!)...

And we ended the night with a bonfire! It was awesome.

I know Alexis and Maggie don't look too excited in this picture, but they were worn out from the pool and the sun...plus, they may have been a little hypnotized by the flames.

And Monday, it was back to Grandma Jo's for a Memorial Day lunch! This time, Rick and the older kids came with us. It was a good visit, and I'm kicking myself for not getting more pictures!

Okay, I don't think I forgot anything...we were just going, going, going all weekend! And it's weird to me that today is Wednesday already...it really feels like Monday for some reason. Maybe my internal clock dedicated to keeping track of the days of the week got too much sun.

First and Last

I can't believe today is already the last day of school...I mean, is it just me, or didn't we just have Christmas break a few weeks ago?

Here's a picture of Alex, Jack and Maggie on their first day of school last August...

And this is a picture from this morning. What a difference one school year makes!

And today isn't just any other last day of school...

Maggie was accepted into the accelerated learning program for gifted students, so next year she'll be at a different school. We've already met her teachers and toured her new building (blog post to come). Several kids from her 3rd grade class will be there, so hopefully the change won't be quite so scary. She says she's looking forward to it.

And Jack...my little Mister Boo...he'll be a big 1st grader next year! Not that Kindergarten isn't real school...but, well...first grade is a lot more, uh...schoolish. You know what I mean.

Next year, Alex will be a 6th grader. My little mouse will be a big boy, a middle-schooler. Wow. He's seems excited about it...I guess I have mixed feelings. Don't these kids realize that if they keep getting older, then that means I have to keep getting older, too? Rotten brats.

Now, this is one kid I'd love to get into a classroom...

Keep your fingers crossed for all of us that the HeadStart program is still accepting students for next year. Jacob needs the structure of school just as badly as I need him out of my house for a few hours a week! *sigh*

All right! Bring on the summer vacation! Days at the pool, trips to the zoo, afternoons at the park, picnics in the back yard, golden tans and mosquito bites, BBQs and birthday parties...

Only a few more hours to go...

I Just Couldn't Stay Away Any Longer...

I know, I know. I'm weak, what can I say? I was trying to ignore the fact that I even HAVE a blog

....but in a moment of weakness, I've decided to return.

After all, who am I to deprive my public?

I'm sure you've all been wandering listlessly through your days, awaiting an update of any kind...just something, anything, from your humble Coffee to get you through your day. And, like the celebrity I am, I've selflessly returned from my sabbatical to grant your seemingly improbable wish.

So what have I been up to, you wonder?

For your convenience, a bullet list:

• Threw a rockin' cool birthday/slumber party for Maggie, complete with personal pizzas, karaoke, and a movie. Have had to suffer through Supermom status ever since.
  

• Got to see my dad when he came up for a visit around Columbus Day, and took the kids to the Pumpkin Farm in Ligonier. Freezing cold, blustery day. Typical. Considered concealing myself in the bed of his truck just before he made the trek back to Virginia, then disregarded plan due to having to go 13 hours without being able to pee.
  

• Got a job (although, I think if you really plan to enjoy it, you can't really call it a J.O.B.) babysitting the Twinkies, starting Monday.

• I'm not even sure what this picture is about. Nothing to do with Halloween, however. But fun just the same.

• There have been multiple doctor visits due to my constant/chronic allergies; so far no miracle cure. I'm currently on an over-the-counter allergy med with decongestant, a nasal spray, an inhaler, and a nighttime allergy medication, in addition to the thyroid pill and dose of Tylenol I take every morning. Might as well add an anti-depressant to the list, seeing as how winter is already breathing down our necks.

• Family pic scheduled for tomorrow evening. Will post results as soon as they're available...will be our first professional family pic since before Jack was born. Timely.

• Listed some new items in my etsy store, and put my folk art dolls on SALE!! Offering a limited-time-post-Halloween sale, hoping to get some Christmas money, since I'm told the children will be expecting presents this year. Typical.

So, lest this blog post be all about ME, what's new with YOU? I've missed blogging, SO much, and will be making the rounds to visit you all throughout the week. Yay! Have a wonderful evening!

8 More Days...

...til I'm on a plane headed for Texas! I can't believe the time for the Tally Rally is almost here! I've been looking forward to this for months...and it totally snuck up on me. Seriously, eight DAYS?? What on earth have I been doing with my preparation time? Oh yeah, now I remember...

hanging out at the pool with Shyla and our kids. Every. Freaking. Day.

It's a blast. We just can't get enough of it, and I have the best tan I've had in years from basking in the sun for endless hours. Also got the best sunBURN I've had in years, but it's gone now and I really don't like to think of it. Because of the nightmares, you understand.

Let's see, what else have we done this summer? A TON of stuff....guess I'll do a bullet-list.

• I convinced Alex to cut his shaggy mop of hair, and he loves his fresh new 'do.
• Jack made a new best friend, named Aaron, whose back yard is behind ours. Jack is over at Aaron's more than he's at home. They're like peas and carrots.

• We've made several trips to the library, and I finished the "Twilight" series. Loved it. Can't wait for the "New Moon" movie...November 20, baby!
  
• Alex turned 11...we had a pool party for him, of course. And ice cream cake, which was my favorite part.

• Been to several BBQs.
• Got to meet my 3-year-old nephew, Tobias, for the first time. He totally loved me, even gave me a slobbery kiss before they left to attend a wedding, then head home to Wisconsin.

• Visited my Grandma Jo and saw my dad, sister Kim and brother David there.
• Watched all of Season 4 of "The Office"...the DVD set was my Mother's Day gift, and I freaking LOVED it. Can't even tell you my favorite episode, since they were all so super fab.
  
• Finished another folk art doll (Flora Bloom) and listed her in my etsy shoppe, along with Aurora Fawn.

• Took Jack in for his Kindergarten physical...poor guy got 4 shots and didn't even cry. My big boy.
• Rick's taught me a few cornhole pointers and I've done a bit of practicing for the big tournament at the Tally Rally. Hopefully Rachel and I (or "Team Chowder" as we've dubbed ourselves) will be able to win at least one game. Keeping my fingers crossed.
  
• We've been to the pool every day...did I mention that already?

That's all I can think of for now! I've got a LOT of cleaning to do before the week is done...laundry, dishes, vacuuming...not to mention organizing the schtuff I need to take and packing for my trip. Busy, busy, busy....wonder how long I can put off the packing before it's officially considered "procrastinating?" Better not try to find out. Off to pack!

Or at least work on the list of what I need to remember to pack. That counts, right?

Wanna See Some Zoo Pictures?

If your answer to the above question was NO, thanks...then you, my friend, have come to the wrong blog.

I've got zoo pics. LOADS of them.

Rick and I each had a camera...I got him his very own for his trip to Vegas last month, and it's so awesome that he's not afraid to use it. I don't have to nag him, or anything!

But before entering the zoo, we had a picnic lunch...it was such a beautiful day!

Okay, I think I should mention that even though Rick doesn't mind taking photos, he doesn't so much enjoy posing for them...

And since the baby tried to run off several times during our picnic, it was a good thing we had brought along his leash.

A lot of the animal exhibits were vacant until after Memorial Day...part of the fun of living in Indiana is that the outdoors are uninhabitable by most living things until at least that late in the year.

But we saw tigers...



...and lions (one of them even gave us a nice, long, barking roar that was really loud and scared several small children nearby)...

We saw camels...

...prairie dogs (um, this picture is obviously of us, but we're totally watching the prairie dogs)...

...we even saw a few different types of monkeys (again, this is us just outside the monkey cage thingie)...

Ah, finding this drinking fountain was apparently a happy moment worth preserving (we were pretty thirsty)....

...and there were some beautiful tulips just outside the exit that were just too perfect NOT to plant our kids in front of in the hopes of getting the ever-elusive shot of all four of them together. (And no, they're not all looking, Jacob has his hand in front of his face and Alex has his eyes shut, but they're all four facing the camera. I count this as a win.)

(I should note here, if you wanted to see zoo pictures with more actual zoo animals, you should check the web and see if one of the monkeys has a blog. There were some framed paintings in the Reptile House done by a chimp...maybe he updates his blog with zoo pics. On this blog, you're mostly going to see pics of my little monkeys, and that's all there is to it.)

In crafty news, I finally finished the baby deer for Aurora Fawn....and after painting it, I think it actually resembles a deer more than a pig/rabbit, which I was unsure of when beginning the sculpting. Didn't turn out bad at all for my first paperclay animal! I'll be listing her in my etsy store soon, then I'll start working on another doll for summer. I already have some ideas, so I'm excited to start!



Happy Tuesday!

Try, Try Again

This is, like, the 14th time this week I've tried to sit down and blog. Seems like every time I try, some huge kid catastrophe drags me away from the computer. I get distracted and forget what I was doing on the computer in the first place, and Jack hops on and takes over the computer while I wander off and try to remember what it is I'm forgetting.

I think my new meds may not be agreeing with me.

Here are some things I DO remember about the past week or so...

First, let me show you my newest toy....an exercise bike I found yesterday for $20 at Play it Again Sports! I've been stuck at the same weight for weeks now...not losing any more, but not gaining either. Hopefully, a half hour on this thing each morning will get things moving again. Isn't it CUTE?!


On Easter Sunday, we shared a dinner with my mom's side of the family in Plymouth. The kids loved the Easter egg hunt! Kim and Jim's yard was just full of great places to hide eggs.


A couple days later, we finally got around to dyeing a couple dozen hard-boiled eggs, another beloved Easter tradition. All four kids suddenly decided (as they do every year) that hard-boiled eggs are their new favorite snack.




My newest doll, Aurora Fawn. I'm still working on a cloth and clay fawn for her to hold in her arms. Just have to finish up painting him. She may be my favoritest doll yet!


Here's this week's Lotus Paperie layout:


Last week's layout for the Survivor challenge at TallyScrapper:


And I just love how this one came out, for the current GutterGirlz challenge:


Okay, that's all I can think of for now...today we're packing up to head to the zoo! We bought a family pass for the year so we can go whenever we want for FREE! I'm really hoping that between the zoo, the park and the library, we'll have enough to fill up our summer so we can avoid killing each other. Maybe it's a lofty goal, but I've always been a bit of an optimist.

Alex and Maggie start soccer practice on Monday, so that's something else we're hoping will fill our days. There's been a lot of laying around in front of the TV and playing video games this winter...now that spring is here, it's time to get off our butts and make some meaningful family memories!

Which I will most likely forget within a week.

But that's why I take pictures, right?

Hope you have a wonderful and memorable weekend!