Young love

Yesterday I joined Preston for lunch at school. It was really fun and gave me a glimpse into his days. He's quite the popular fellow! After lunch, he talked me into going out on the playground with him for recess. Holy cow! I think I'm better off not knowing what they do at recess! There was swinging under bars that kids were walking on (and nearly whacking his head), rough housing, and burying each other in nasty dirty rocks. Now I know why he comes home so dirty! After they got back inside and got all washed up, he asked me to stay for the rest of the day, and Mrs. T. graciously allowed me to. It was fun! They read a story, painted, played, had more recess and had snack. I can see why he likes it so much!

Those of you who know Preston well, know that he and Maddi Grace were the couple last year. They were planning on getting married! Well, that lasted until kindergarten started and she went on to parochial school. Preston didn't skip a beat, though, and has had many girlfriends since. I met the newest one yesterday, and I must say that she is a little doll! When they went out for lunch recess, they held hands on the way out. When recess was over, they had to hug. They also hugged after afternoon recess and snack. It was so sweet! But that's not all... all of the other little girls (mainly ones he went to preschool with), flocked to him all during recess. It was like they hunted him down! I talked to Mrs. T. at recess and she said that he and Chase are the class "ladies men." Girls from other classes come to her door throughout the day and ask if they can say hi to or give something to one of them. That did not surprise me one bit! I hope all this girl craziness slows down before he reaches jr. high and high school! YIKES!

Spring break started today and the kids are here for the next 5 days. The weather has been FABULOUS! It made it to 77 today and the kids broke out the shorts. It's supposed to be even nicer tomorrow. I am SO loving spring!

One of those days

I can't pretend that today was a good day. Maybe it started out that way, but it certainly didn't end up like I'd wish. Two grouchy kids came home from school. Neither one said that there was any reason behind their attitudes. They had attitude. They had smart mouths. They lost video game privileges, which only led Preston to tears. They had time outs. They went to bed early- I had both in bed by 8:00. We had lengthy discussions regarding their behavior. Needless to say, I am stressed to the max. It's only 8:51 and I am bored. I don't feel like doing anything but browsing for fabric. Nothing else sounds good.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I plan to sew. I need to sew. I plan on joining Preston for lunch at school. I need to boil eggs to color. It's supposed to be beautiful outside. That always lifts my spirits. I have an entire week before I babysit again. Maybe tomorrow I'll have some flow to my sentences.

Celebrations!

Look who lost his first tooth!
Lovely, I know!
The tooth with the mile-long root!

This weekend was a weekend of many celebrations! Some planned, others just happened by accident! Early this morning, Preston lost his very first tooth! It was purely by accident. He was brushing his teeth- or maybe he was just holding in his mouth with his teeth and holding a pillow in his hands. Why? Don't ask... OK, I was reading to him while he brushed. He started flapping the pillow, the pillow hit the toothbrush, and both the toothbrush and the tooth flew across the room. I looked at P, thinking he'd hurt himself by the look on his face, then realized it was his tooth. He opened his mouth and it was gone! We couldn't find it for several minutes until Kate saw it and saved the day! He was so excited! I was a little sad that my baby had lost his first tooth- he's growing up on me too fast! All day long he's said, "I'm just to glad to have that tooth over with!" It had been loose for almost a year, but it is no longer!

Saturday afternoon we went up to Granny and Pa's to visit with my new little nephew, Cooper who was in town for Ali's party. I got to snuggle and feed him and it was so fun! He is such a little doll! I really wish they lived closer! That evening we went down to dad's to celebrate Ali's 18th birthday. I'm still trying to get over that one! I remember sitting and putting her hair in pig tails and dressing her up, and now she's 18. Lil sis grew up too fast, too! WE had a really fun time! Of course, Annette made some FABULOUS food! Her barbecue pork was so good that I had seconds, and her cheese dip... when I went for thirds, it was already gone. She got one of Ali's cakes at Mc.Arthur's Bakery in St. Louis. Click on the Deli & Pastries link, then on European Pastries and check out the Strawberry Delight. Oh. My. Word. To die for!

Tonight we all gathered at Me-Maw's for the March birthdays. Since my, Aunt Sherrie's, Uncle Bruce's, Ali's, and now Cooper's birthdays are all in March, we get together to celebrate at once. WE had a really fun time there, too! Jacob, Amy, and Shelby were all able to make it, along with Emily and Derrick. The kids had a blast! It's always fun to see everyone again since we don't see each other that often.

Definitely a weekend to celebrate!

Five Question Friday

I was browsing other blogs and found this Five Question Friday and thought it would be neat! Here we go!

1. Did you pass your driver's test on the first try?

Absolutely! We had a little issue though. The turn signal on my mom's car was out and I had to use hand signals for all of my turns! It was so embarassing!

2. What is your most embarrassing moment?

Besides using hand signals on my driving test? Hmmm. Maybe during a college speech class when I was telling about the fourth of July. I'd asked my prof. if I could bring in some firecrackers and have them go off in the metal trash can and he approved. When I went to light them (I'd never done that before), I freaked out and dropped them. I also forgot to empty the trash can prior to class and caught some paper on fire. Oops! At least I got an A!

3. What TV show would you like to be on- Oprah, Biggest Loser, or What Not to Wear?

What Not to Wear! I'd love $5,000 to spend on new clothes! You better believe I'd make that 5 grand stretch!

4. Would you ever get plastic surgery and what kind?

I said I'd NEVER get plastic surgery- then I had kids. I could use some lipo under my chin, a tummy tuck, and the girls need some attention after 3 years and 10 months worth of marathon nursing!

5. What are your favorite jeans to wear?

Loft has THE best jeans! I'm skinny and I'm short. No, it's not as great as it sounds. Loft has 00 petite jeans that I don't even need to try on. Worth every penny!

Natural Cleaning

Today is Show us Your Life at Kelly's Korner and today's feature is Cleaning Tips.

I am very adamant about toxic cleaners. I don't feel comfortable using them around my children. They scare me. Plus, when you have a child with eczema and allergies, adding one more irritant to the mix just isn't worth it. I started making my own cleaners several years ago and it's something that I've stuck with ever since. Christopher balked at first, but once he saw that our house was just as clean, he didn't contest.

I buy vinegar by the gallon. Wal-Mart must think I do a lot of pickling! But vinegar is the main go-to for my cleaning. I keep a large spray bottle that is filled with 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water. I use it on glass, tile, countertops, walls, and to clean the bathroom. Everything is so shiny once I'm done! And be sure to use cloths, not paper towels so there's no waste. No rags? Cut up some old clothes that aren't fit for donating and you've got free rags!

Baking soda is another staple for natural cleaning. Instead of using Comet or other harsh abrasives, baking soda is a great non-abrasive alternative. When I clean the bathtub, I sprinkle a good amount in the bottom, spray with my vinegar spray and scrub with a brush. It gets everything and I don't have to worry about the kids being in the tub after I've cleaned.

Baking soda is also fabulous for greasy messes! Our stove has a built-in grill on one side. It's fabulous for cooking, horrible for the mess. The grates and the drip pan beneath are not fun to clean. What I do is fill the sink with HOT soapy water. I put the grates in to soak and then sprinkle the drip pan with baking soda and spray with the vinegar (there it is again... I told you I use it for everything!). I let that sit for a few minutes and then scrape it into the sink with a pan scraper. The grease absorbs the baking powder and it comes right off without the greasy mess!

We have a lot of hard wood in our house, and with two kids and two cats, we have to Swiffer everyday. But those Swiffer dry cloths are expensive. I bought 2 microfiber cloths at the Dollar Tree and use those instead, just as you would the dry cloth. They do an even better job at cleaning and can be washed and used again! Can't beat that! For wet mopping, we got a Shark Steam Mop for Christmas and it is awesome! The only thing that goes in and comes out is water, so there's no chemical residue left behind.

And while on the subject of cleaning, I can't forget my Dyson. By FAR the best vacuum we've ever owned. I don't think we'll ever buy anything else.

Just when I thought we were on the mend

Three weeks ago, I came down with laryngitis and bronchitis. Preston followed 3 days later. The next week, it was Kate that was in for antibiotics. The next day, Christopher comes home early from work sick. The next day, I woke up with a full-blown horrible cold that still has me coughing. You'd think that's enough, right? Guess again...

This morning, Preston runs across the kitchen and pukes in the sink. Nice... I guess that's better than having to clean it off the floor (optimism always pays off). No school for him. He did really well all morning, didn't act sick, so I figured it was just a fluke. Nope... He was still throwing up at 6:00 tonight. It's been 3 hours now, and so far, so good. I pray that I"m not jinxing myself by stating that. He'll be home from school again tomorrow, and hopefully he's all better.

I can not tell you the amount of hand sanitizer and Lysol that's been used in this house today. It's unreal. After three consecutive weeks of being sick, I can NOT afford to get a stomach bug. I have Easter next week, spring break, a photo shoot... way too much to be getting sick. Please pray that no one else gets this!

Feels like spring

It was a glorious 72 degrees today and it was just fabulous! I drove out to Sonnomon's Cabin this afternoon to check on the flowers for Abbie and Issie's upcoming shoot and found it to be in full bloom. Unable to pass us such wonderful weather, I took Kate out after school for an impromptu photo shoot. This is one of my favorite places to shoot her. It's a little too girly for Preston.
Possibly my favorite.


What spring finally looks like! Now, if only my bulbs would bloom!

I was also able to accomplish 2 big tasks today that I'm quite proud of. I finally got my Abbey Road photos framed. That was an undertaking! Refusing to buy custom frames, I dismantled 2 ugly prints in our dining room. I cut the mats to size, glued on some black paper (they were cream), cut out the center, and added the photos. I love them! And yes, Abbey Road is proudly displayed in our dining room! I had to get them done before Kate's Beatles party.

I also tackled Kate's very neglected scrapbook. She was backed up from November 2008! I worked last night and all morning and was able to get up through March of 09. That album is full, and ready to start the next one with last year's birthday pictures. Now to buy an album. I have to get all of these pictures scrapped before I get even more behind.

Shop till you drop

I took a little trip to Fairview today to do a little shopping. Preston still needed some summer tops, Kate had a whole bag of stuff from Abercrombie that needed exchanged, and I had birthday money to spend! I had myself a nice time, although I ran short on time and had to nix a few stops that I really needed to make. I just had to stop at the fabric store to pick up some more yummy fabric! I'm really into sewing right now! I brought home a swatch of the fabric I'm going to make the sunroom curtains from so that I didn't wind up with 10 yards of fabric that he didn't like. He did end up liking it, though he claims it looks like something from the 50's or 60's. That's OK. I love vintage!

I got some pretty awesome deals at Old Navy today! They had all their graphic tees on sale for $6, so I stocked up. Pretty much everywhere I went I did well, and am proud of the deals I got!

A trip to Fairview solo is not complete without a trip to St. Louis Bread Co. for lunch. It's my little treat! Their You Pick Two is my favorite- broccoli cheese soup with Greek salad (minus olives). That salad is TDF! If I had some of that dressing I'd eat it every day! I could go for another right now, and it's 9:30 at night!

And one year ago tonight, I was saying good-bye to my twenties and getting ready to usher in my 4th decade. Man... that sounds old! Tomorrow I turn 31.

Reminiscing

While at Granny's tonight, John (Grampy) was telling me that it was our church's 75th anniversary party today and most of the previous vicars had come for the party. Now, it's times like these that I wish Christopher would go to my church because I would've known about this get-together and would have went. I really need to just take the bull by the horns and go back- or at least take the kids and get into the routine and hope he follows. Next week is Holy Week, probably my most favorite, so maybe we'll go. John, I know, will enjoy our company. Anyway...

He visited with the vicars past and had some good conversation, which we remembered tonight with a lot of laughter! There was the time I babysat for Vicar Conroe's children while they went out. They apparently made their own potato chips, which the children had hidden the burnt ones, and had to drag them all out and show then to me! They also came home drunker than skunks and had to drive me home! Then there was Vicar Tessen who started the tradition of having a keg (yes, of beer) at the church picnic. I remember that picnic! He was also the vicar that was lead to curse during Catechism class because of my brother's antics. Tisk, tisk, Seth! I believe he was also the one that brought cookies to class one time for each student, except for Seth. Absent was the one who almost kicked Seth out of Catechism for calling him a not-so-nice name for a gay man. Oh, Seth! It's a wonder you ever made it to Confirmation! I'm glad you're a much better Christian now!

Looking back, I hated Catechism. I hated the memory verses and tests. I hated the hours spent learning the Nicene and Apostle's creeds. But overall, without those classes, I would not be the Christian I am today. I can look back and see what I learned from those years and know why my parents sent us. I need to enroll Kate (Preston still has 2 more years before it starts), although I can imagine she will feel the same way.

Weekend Roundup

This is our ugly laundry room floor. It was ugly, pink, dirty linoleum that would not come clean no matter what caustic solution was applied. You can even see in the picture the lighter pink areas that were cleaner than others. It was BAD! But Christopher got to work Saturday morning laying the new (cough) peel and stick tiles and voila!
Six hours later, this is our new laundry room floor! It looks awesome! We love it so much! I wish we'd done this a long time ago! Granted, this is only a temporary fix until we decide to do tile (which will be a HUGE undertaking with all of the odd cutting), but we love it!

This weekend was a quiet one. Christopher and I are still sick, and since I've been sick for over 2 weeks now, I'm really run down. My cough is just terrible and I can't catch a break. My ears are so plugged up that I'm just waiting to see which one will be infected first. I'm pulling for the one with the tube because naturally, that one always gets infected, plus it's been bugging me all day. My Zithromax should be wearing off today, so I think it's only a matter of time before one of them lands me back at the dr. for yet another round of antibiotics...

Tonight we went to Granny's for my birthday dinner. She called yesterday asking what I wanted to have and what kind of cake. I requested roast beef and her delicious gravy. It is THE best! And it didn't fail! It was a very yummy meal- and she even made noodles! Then mom made the cake after Granny made the first one and set the oven on broil! The poor cake nearly caught fire! The new cake was delicious and it's now sitting on the stove taunting me. I know I shouldn't, but I'll have a third piece before I go to bed. Willpower?

My Sweet Georgia

Remember my mentioning that I was setting up my Etsy shop? It's up and running and I love it! Now, I just need to get to work on some more items to add!

Blah

So we're still sick. At least Christopher and I are. Preston is over his bronchitis, and Kate's is almost completely gone since starting her antibiotics. My cold is full-blown now- sinus congestion, sneezing, the cough is back in full-swing, my ear(s) feel like they're going to pop even with the tube. Not fun. Christopher was sent home again yesterday since no one wanted his cold, and they told him that since the boss wasn't going to be in today, that there was no need for him to come in, and to just get better. So that's what he did. Except he's not better.

With his extra day off, we decided to go to Effingham and look at flooring for the laundry room. We bought some tile which hopefully he lays tomorrow. I digress, it is peel and stick, which is hugely embarassing to me. Sorry. But right now, we're getting ready to fork out for oak in the living and dining room any time now, so we don't have it in our budget for real tile, and we're absolutely SICK of the dirty pink linoleum. It's just a temporary fix. So, in this case, I would much rather get my oak floors upstairs and wait a year or two for nice tile in the laundry room. After all, no one comes in that room anyway!

And after nice weather this week, spring comes in tomorrow with snow. Yeah... Not too happy about that! I told Christopher it would be a perfect day to lay (ahem, stick) tile. As for the rest of us, I don't know what we'll do. I do know that veggie soup is on the menu, a perfect way to warm up!

Ugh!

You want to know what really stinks? Just getting over being sick, and getting sick again! Needless to say, I'm not very pleased! Whatever it is, it's viral because supposedly, the Zithromax that I just finished taking yesterday, is supposed to be working still. My throat is very sore. I have sinus drainage (sorry). My left ear (the one with fluid last week) is bugging me, so it must have more fluid. My ear is ringing quite loudly. I just feel blah.

It was such a nice day, too! I would have loved to have been outdoors today. I absolutely can not wait to start gardening. But I felt to yucky to go outside. I did sew a bib for Baby Cooper, but that's all I sewed. I set up my new Etsy shop and ordered my banner, and hopefully I'll have it up and running by the end of the week. My inventory is growing and I can't wait to get everything up. Jess emailed me tonight that I may have a possible order, so that's exciting! As soon as I get everything in order, I'll share my site!!!

Fillings? Piece of cake!

Today was the big day. I think Preston had forgotten about it all (aside from last night) until after I picked him up from school. Then the floodgates opened and the tears were falling. He was SCARED. I can't say that I blame him!

He started frying again as we were walking in, and I felt so bad for him. I was also dreading the process because I was certain that it was going to be bad. I could not have been more wrong! Once he saw the clown nose (nitrous mask), he wanted nothing to do with it. We tried to convince him, but he wanted no part. I think he really wanted to know what was going on- the unknown can be scary. When he opted out, I was thinking that it was not going to be pretty, trying to do 2 shots, but thankfully, he didn't even need any! They weren't really cavities like you think of, but really, were just small brown spots of the surface of his teeth. They very well could have turned into full-blown cavities, but they were caught in time.

Dr. K. was able to drill them without Preston having any pain! Amazing! The whole thing took less than half an hour and he did SO well! We were all very proud of him! He was beyond brave! He got to pick 2 prizes out of the prize drawer, and he liked that! He also conned me into taking him to Wal-Mart to get a toy, and how could I say no to that after what he'd just done! I did give him a $10 limit, though, because who knows what he would've found if I hadn't! He got a bubble launcher, and since it was nice when we got home, we got to go outside and try it out! Of course, he decided it was more fun to use it as a leaf shredder. He is all boy!

Sick day

Kate had to stay home from school today. She only started with the bronchitis yesterday, and when she woke up this morning, was not feeling well. Her throat hurt, her ear hurt, and she had that nasty cough. Off to the dr. we went. Thankfully, her ear was just fine! That would have made her 3rd infection in less than a year, and while that's nothing compared to Preston's ears (or mine), that's a lot for her, especially for a 10 year old. It's that Henry curse. Anyway, she has bronchitis and they gave her an antibiotic since they knew that I'd been on one. I'm not for certain that it was 100% necessary considering Preston has had the same thing and he seems to be on the mend, but I'd rather play it safe than sorry. Especially since 2 months ago when she was sick and her ear hurt, they said it was fine, but the next day it was a full-blown infection.

Then Christopher comes home saying that his throat hurts. He looks in his throat and finds this NASTY white spot that looks more like a tonsil stone than a strep pocket, but nonetheless, was pretty gross! Yeah, he showed me. Who knows if he'll even go to work tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Preston's appointment to have the cavities filled. He is NOT happy about it. I have tried to make this an easy experience, but he's 6, and he's rightly afraid. He's afraid that the gas won't work and that he'll feel them give him a shot- that's what he's really afraid of, the shot. I pray that this will not be a horrible experience for both of us. I do not want him to be afraid of the dentist if he has a bad round tomorrow, so I pray that the gas just knocks him out like it did the time I had some teeth pulled. The only thing I remembered was walking over a rainbow!

If you can spare a prayer, please pray for his peace in this matter- that he will be brave. Please also pray that he has no allergic reaction to the nitrous. He has a history of drug allergies, and if this is not the same gas they give prior to surgery, then this is something that he's never had before and there's always that risk.

Please Pray

One of my sweet nephew, Cooper's newborn screenings came back abnormal. I'm not certain which one exactly, other than it was a thyroid condition that can cause retardation. They were pretty shaken when they got the message- yes, they called and left a message with that shocker... The talked to my Aunt Sherrie, who is a nurse practitioner, and she said that false positives were quite common and not to worry too much, so they're feeling better today. He will have it re-drawn tomorrow to know for certain. So any prayer that you could spare will be greatly appreciated. It will be a long few days until they get the results. I know that even if it comes back positive again, he has fantastic parents and we will all love him just as much!

I called Seth tonight to let him know that we were praying and that one of Preston's newborn screenings came back positive as well, and he had to have his re-done. Of course, it was a false positive, but I just wanted to let him know that it does happen, and we know first-hand how scary it is to know that your brand new baby could be sick. On a positive note, Cooper is doing very well and is eating and growing just like he should! He's a very content little guy and they're loving having him here!

Weekend Roundup

I'm still dragging on. This time change has really thrown me for a loop! I usually bounce right back, but not this time! Maybe it's because we're all sick with bronchitis. YUCK!

I finally drug myself to the dr. Friday. My coughing was keeping me up and I finally started feeling bad. I got some antibiotics and already, I'm feeling much better and my cough is minimal. Now, why did I wait a week to go in? I had to laugh, though, because when she looked in my left ear, she said it was full of fluid (no surprise), but when she looked in my right, she said there was no fluid, it was just really scarred (again, no surprise). I still can't get over how wonderful it is to have that tube! Without it, I know that it would be infected by now! I'm glad I got started on meds. when I did because the other one would have surely followed without them.

Saturday morning, Christopher's cousin Aaron was down with his wife and 6 kids. Yeah... six children. I won't go there... He wanted us to go to the cabin and go fishing. Now, any other time, I would've jumped at the chance. The kids LOVE fishing, and they love playing with their cousins. But, it's March, and this is Southern Illinois. It was drizzly and 45 degrees. Not to mention that Preston and I have bronchitis, but Christopher insisted we go for just a bit. So we pack up, drive to Ramsey, and once we get there, have to park and walk a mile to the cabin because the lane is completely flooded. Nice... We're there 10 minutes and Melissa is back honking, ready to pick them up. No joke! So we walk another mile back to the car and they invite us over to their grandma's house for lunch. We go have lunch with them, visited, and came back home. We spent the rest of the day doing not much more than nothing, and being lazy. The next time they're down, it better be warm because I'm not venturing back to that cabin unless I can go without a jacket!

Today was spent trying to adjust to the time change. We missed church because the kids didn't wake up in time. We didn't end up eating breakfast until 9:30, then didn't eat lunch until 1:00. We spent the evening with mom and got back on track with an on-time dinner, and the kids watched Home Alone. I got some sewing done that I'll share tomorrow, possibly, and I hope to get to the fabric store tomorrow to pick up some more!

Thrifty Thursday

I saw this on another blog (sorry, I don't remember where) and thought it would be neat to start here, especially since I love a great bargain! I'll try to share my tips on saving money and being generally frugal. Since I really don't have a specific topic for today, I'll just share my super great deal that I got at IGA today!

IGA had Nabisco 100 calorie packs on sale for $2.00 a box this week. I've really gotten into these things since they help control my chocoholic tendencies, so I had to go get some. When I got there, some of the boxes had $1.50 off coupons stuck to them. That made each box just 50 cents! I bought 3 boxes and I was so excited! I may go back and get some more tomorrow- that's just too good of a deal to pass up!

My favorites... Mr. Salty chocolate covered pretzels and Chips Ahoy Double Chocolate Chip with fudge drizzle. DELICIOUS!

Pancakes

The Methodist Men had their annual pancake dinner tonight and we had to go get some pancakes- the kids had theirs at home. Having someone else make yummy pancakes so that I don't have to cook dinner... priceless! We saw Granny and Pa there and the kids thought that was neat. Pa was out cooking the sausage and they had to run over and say "hi" to him. I don't even want to think of the calories involved in that meal, what with the 4 pancakes, butter, syrup, bacon and orange juice. But it was good!

Mc Cafe shakes

Drive as quickly as you can to your nearest Mc. Donalds and get the new Mc Cafe shake. It is to die for! SOOOOOOOO good! While I was getting my hair done yesterday, I said that I might need to get me a shake afterward because I just didn't feel well. Donna told me to try the Mc Cafe shake and I am so glad I did! I got the chocolate, and it had some mint swirled in it, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Heaven in a cup! I'm still debating whether I should get one today, too!

And if you were wondering, I'm feeling much better today. I actually slept well without any midnight coughing fits. Still not much appetite (other than milkshakes), but that might be a good thing.

Like being hit by a bus

When I get sick, I usually don't feel bad. I can be hacking up a lung with my nose so stopped up that I can only breathe with my mouth wide open, but I still feel fine. Rarely, though, it hits me, and I feel like I do today- like I've been hit by a bus.

I woke up Thursday with laryngitis, something I'm no stranger to. Saturday I started getting a spasmy cough. Today I just feel yucky. I laid on the couch all morning before I had to go get my hair done, and I nearly fell asleep while I was processing. That was the longest 2 hours of my life! I'm debating going to the dr. tomorrow, something I hate to do, but if antibiotics will make me feel better, bring it on. Trust me, I've felt MUCH worse before, but considering I rarely feel bad, it stinks!

Sharing

I recently remembered my Shutterfly account when I was looking for pictures of our kitchen renovation and stumbled upon scads of photos that I'd long forgotten that I'd uploaded. I have all of the proofs of Preston's 2 year photo shoot, not just the ones I ordered, and I so enjoyed looking back upon them and the memories that they rekindled. Starting tomorrow, I'll be sharing these photos. Some are goofy, some are just photos, and some just stir up emotions that only a mom can feel, being reminded that her children are growing up way too fast- especially her baby.

Feels like spring

I can not even begin to tell you how beautiful the past few days have been! They've been amazing after such a long, cold winter! We have spent hours upon hours just playing outside, enjoying the sunshine and letting the kids run to their hearts' content. It really wears them out!

Today the thermometer hit 60 degrees! It really felt like spring today, especially with the random showers that kept popping up. We went up to Granny and Pa's and the kids wanted to take a walk. On our way back, it started pouring! Luckily, Pa noticed that we weren't back and drove to find us and gave us a ride! The kids thought that was really neat- or maybe the act of flagging him down was what they really liked! Since Granny was leaving to go stay with Seth and Diana for a few days and help them out with little Cooper, Pa took us to Burger King for dinner. The kids got to play on the play thing inside. One of Preston's old preschool friends and his parents showed up, so he had a lot of fun playing with Christian. I had a nice visit with his parents, too.

We got our water softener installed today and I can't wait to go take a shower in soft water! I can't wait to see if my dishes actually come clean in the dishwasher, now, too!

Fun day

Today was a pretty fun day! I picked up Gracie from preschool and Kendra had sent money for me to get Gracie a happy meal- she gave me all quarters. Ha! Figuring out what she wanted was a big ordeal, and I still got it wrong! At least she liked her cheeseburger and apple juice. Granny was due to bring Glen by around 1:00, so I had Gracie lie down at 12:30 and she was OUT! Glen got here and was not the least bit quiet (what 2 year old is) and she still slept 1 1/2 hours!

I really enjoyed some play time with Glen! When the kids are around, he only wants to play with them, so this was a treat! I think he had fun, too! The basement was a disaster after he left! He kept finding containers of play food and asking, "Can I dump?" Of course! How could I say no to my cute little nephew when he wants to dump? He was only here about an hour and he was going to come back, but he fell asleep and Granny couldn't get him to wake up in time to come play. I'm going to try to get over to Granny's before they leave to take him back tomorrow. The kids are out of school at 11:30, so hopefully they can spend a little time with him. Boy, is he in for a surprise when he gets home!

I have laryngitis... again. I just had it back in November and spent 2 weeks with no voice. This time, I still have some remnant of a voice, at least for today. I may be completely mute by morning.

He did it again...

Just a few days ago I shared the story of when Keith and Dee were returning from San Antonio and Keith packed a plastic knife in his carry-on. I even mentioned that I wondered what would go on this time. Lo and behold, he did it... AGAIN.

This time was much worse. He left his scuba knife in his bag of scuba gear. Dee was carrying the bag, but they didn't target her. In fact, they told her she could just go on and leave on the place without Keith! The police were called and they had to do a full background check on him before he was cleared. The knife is gone, and hopefully after this incident, it will be a lesson learned. But, apparently, after the first go around, who knows if this will happen again. At least we know that TSA in St. Louis is on their toes!

Hanging with Mr. Cooper

This morning, Christopher and I went to Belleville to meet our newest nephew, Cooper. Isn't he just a doll? He was SO unbelievable sweet! He was wide awake, just looking around at everything. He was just so precious! Diana said that when he gets mad, he gobbles like a turkey and his little double chin shakes! He and Diana are doing very well and may come home tomorrow- Friday for sure. I know she's ready!

Big brother Glen is staying with Granny and Pa, so I took the kids up there after school to play with him for a bit. He was so excited to see them! He absolutely loves Kate! Granny's bringing him by tomorrow while she gets her hair done so I'll be watching him and Gracie! She's going to stay there until the kids are home, too, so that Glen can see them again. He is such a sweet boy, too! He wasn't at all interested in Cooper when they met yesterday- he only wanted his balloons! I told Diana that when he comes home, he'll see Cooper is there and think, "What in the world did you bring that thing home for?" The innocence of a 2 year old...

My Typical Day

Kelly is doing her Show Us How You Live today, and today's theme is Your Typical Day

My typical day starts at 6:15 when the alarm goes off. Actually, it's Kate's alarm as Christopher's alarm goes off at 4:30, so that means I have to walk across the house to shut it off. Kate is oblivious to it! I go wash my face and then head down to fix breakfast.

At 6:45, I get both kids up and we all sit down to eat. They have until 7:15 to finish. I'm up from the table and packing lunches at 7:00, talking to them and making sure they don't fight while they eat. After that, we have until 8:00 to get all three of us ready and out the door so that we can get Kate to school on time- hers starts earlier. That 45 minutes is the worst 45 minutes of the day. Seriously. We have more fights in the morning than any other time. Kate is usually daydreaming instead of getting ready. Preston is usually tormenting Kate. For this reason, Kate gets ready upstairs, and Preston gets ready downstairs. It just works better.

Kate is dropped off between 8:10 and 8:15 (on good days). Preston is dropped off between 8:20 and 8:25. I then head home unless I have errands in town. I get my cleaning and stuff done in the morning so that I can do whatever in the afternoon. Doesn't always work that way, though. I also do my dinner prep, get online, do whatever I feel like doing. My days go however they end up going. I'm pretty laid back. Once spring comes, I'll be back outside gardening and keeping myself more occupied.

I pick Preston up from school at 3:00 and we have to be across town to pick up Kate at 3:15. Then it's back home where we have snacks, do homework, and play. I usually start dinner around 4:30-5:00, and we eat whenever it's done.

Bathtime starts at 7:00. After bath, comes bedtime snack and we hang out until bed. I usually try to have Preston in his room by 8:00 on school nights. We read and cuddle for a few minute before I go to get Kate settled. After that, it's my time again. I usually head to bed around 11:00 then it's back to the same ol routine again!

I do watch Gracie on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I have to be back in town at 11:00 to pick her up from preschool. On those days, she takes a nap around 1:00 and wakes up in time to go get Preston. Kendra picks her up at 4:00.

Weekends... they're about as unpredictable as the weather!

Kitchen renovation

Two years ago when we bought this house, this was our kitchen. It was completely funstionless, and I told Christopher that we would only buy this house if we did a complete kitchen makeover. Thankfully, he agreed. Above is the wall that we knocked out, and the wall that housed side by side (touching) a stove, fridge, and portable dishwasher.

This was the only wall that had cabinets, none of which opened easily, and notice, no dishwasher. After 8 years of washing by hand at the old house, this was a MUST on my list.
So we ripped everything out except for the floor, which I regret that we didn't do it at the same time.
We knocked out the wall to the dining room to open it up.
When our cabinets arrived, one blew off the trailer on the way home and busted. Luckily, Menards replaced it at no cost, thought it took another month for it to arrive. We had to move in with no cabinets or countertop around our stove and fridge. That lasted 3 weeks! Try cooking with no where to set your spoons and such!
This is the knocked out wall after the reno and the new cabinet came in. The once useless wall is now functional and adds additional cabinet space.
This is the other wall, complete with dishwasher and pantry cabinet that had to be the single best decision Christopher made during the entire reno. We couldn't live without it! We do have knobs on all the doors and drawers now, and it really changed the look of the kitchen.

Now I sit here 2 years past and wish we'd had more time. We had a total of 5 weeks from the purchase until we moved it, so we designed and ordered cabinets in one day, appliances in another. There was no time to really put into it what I wish we would have. I'd love to do a tile backsplash on the wall behind the sink. I'd love to lay hard wood. I'd love to paint it a bright color. I wish we would've taken out the nook window and installed a smaller one, allowing us to put cabinets in the nook. But overall, I love my kitchen! I really love it!

Introducing Cooper Joseph!

Congratulations, Seth, Diana, and big brother Glen!

Welcome Cooper Joseph!
3/2/10
9 lbs 4 oz
19 in

I can't wait until tomorrow to meet you little nephew!

Random funny story

I was visiting The Lumberjack's Wife and reading about their adventure with airport security and the knife her husband forgot to unpack from his back pack. It totally reminded me of the time Keith and Dee went to San Antonio 2 years ago!

Grandparents like to buy their grandchildren souvenirs. Kate always gets cutesy girly stuff, and Preston, he gets boy stuff, stuff that I just don't understand. They went to the Alamo and Keith saw a plastic and rubber knife that measured about 8 inches. He thought Preston would like it. Come time to leave, Keith threw said knife into his carry-on, obviously not thinking ahead. They arrive at the airport and go through security. Keith passes through the metal detector with no issues. His bag goes through and things start to come undone.

TSA asks him to explain what was in his bag. Keith is absolutely clueless, and he reaches for his bag so that he can see what they're talking about. A lady TSA officer puts an arm out and rather angrily tells him to not touch the bag. Keith, still clueless, tries to get the bag again and see what's inside. Again, TSA is NOT pleased. Keith suddenly realizes what is in the bag, and he tries to explain. TSA is NOT in the mood to listen to stories, and they keep telling him to not talk. They start taking everything out of the bag, and the come to the knife... The woman picks up the knife and stares in disbelief. It is plastic and rubber. She turns to Keith and tells him she's sorry, and that he will be able to take the knife on board.

When they came back and told us that story, I nearly fell over laughing! Things like that only happen to Keith! They're set to fly back from Mexico on Wednesday and hopefully he'll learn from last time and not try to bring home any plastic knives! I don't know if they even sell plastic knives in Mexico. I've never been. They called tonight and had to rub it in that it was 82 degrees. I looked at the thermometer and it said 37. I was just a little jealous.

Fancy Flip Flops

Whoever it was that came up with the idea of fancy flip flops, is truly a genius!

Kate HATES shoes. HATES them! Someday she will make her future husband very happy with how little she will spend on shoes. I can envision her with a closet full of flip flops, but maybe one pair of brown and a pair of black shoes. Right now all she has for winter is a pair of tennis shoes and some moccasins because that's all she'll wear. Seriously. I can't tell you how many pairs she's had that have never been worn. She just can't stand the way they feel. Sigh...

But fancy flip flops, that solves summer shoe problems! I got her a super cute pair from Target a few weeks ago that are leather and have a cute flower on the top. Perfect for church and places where she needs nicer shoes! They're darling and there's no complaining. A blessing! Now, to find a few more pairs so that she actually has shoes to match her outfits!

And if someone could come up with some cute winter shoes that fit like moccasins yet look nice, I'd gladly pay any price for them!

Visiting visitors

With the kids home from school today, I thought it would be a perfect day to pay a visit to Me-Maw. We hadn't seen her in a while, and she was really glad we stopped by. We had a really nice visit and some great political discussions, so all in all, it was fun! The kids chased Simon all over the house the entire time and I'm sure the poor cat was glad to see them leave! They played at the bar, serving water to each other, and it really brought me back to when we were younger, and Seth and I would play the same thing! They didn't get out the play Tupperware toys, though, but I'm sure that if they had thought of it, they would have!

We got home and watched a little of Magical Mystery Tour before Grampy stopped by for a visit. The kids were so glad to see him! Kate pretended to be a dog, complete with a shoelace tied around her waist for a leash. Oh, Kate... It was really nice to see him as well!

It's been a busy day! Tomorrow Gracie starts preschool, so from here on out until the school year ends, I'll be picking her up from school at 11:00 on Tuesday and Thursday. That will be nice to have a little break in the morning since I'll be watching her an extra day each week. I wonder how she'll like it!