Busy, busy, busy!

WOW! I LOVE 3-day weekends! We decided on Friday night to lay out our plan to tackle everything we wanted to get done this weekend. And believe me, it was A LOT. We knew that Sunday was pretty much a wash, since we were going to a cookout for the majority of the day, but other than that, we had a plan! Let me just tell you what all we got done...

Mulching, mulching, and more mulching.

All of the trees have been watered.

The garden is pretty much finished. We finally got the giant pumpkins, the little tiny pumpkins, the cucumbers, and the beans in. FINALLY!

All the laundry...and Kendall was thrilled to help me hang it out on my newly installed clothesline. She helped take it down too! Too bad she's not too great at folding!

Flowerbeds are complete. Nice black mulch, colorful annuals, no weeds....ahhhhhhh...

Bird feeders hung and filled.

Citronella burners set up... shoo, you annoying mosquitos!

Strawberry patch is weeded...and the strawberries are getting ripe! YUM!

The yard is mowed, and the weed whacking is done...what a job!

The bathrooms are clean....YIPPEE!

Well, Kendall's room WAS clean....yesterday....

I weeded out all of Noah's clothes that no longer fit and packed them away....and replaced them with all of the new clothes he got for his birthday. I also did the same for Kendall, except we don't have the new clothes just yet!

We even made time to cook out with Sheri on Saturday evening, and Aunt Jessie tonight (she was missing the kiddos...).

And, most unbelievable of all...we actually sat down and watched a movie last night. Walk the Line... GOOD movie. Gotta love Reese...but Joaquin Phoenix just creeps me out, no matter who he plays...

Other than that, we did the cookout on Sunday, and so here are a few pictures. We had a really good time, and the kids totally crashed out on the way home. They had run hard, and boy, was it hot! It was great to see all of Barry's old co-workers and their families. Did I mention it was HOT?

Shit. I just remembered I wanted to clean the fan blades. UGH. Well, I guess the weekend isn't over just yet....is it?

Graduation Day

Well, graduation day has come and gone, and I made it through without any tears.

Kendall was very excited to get all dressed up for her ceremony, and even more tickled that Daddy brought her a pink rose. The kids showed us their stuff right from the beginning, saying the Pledge of Allegiance and singing God Bless America...complete with hand motions. (No, I don't have any pictures of that, since I was running the camcorder, and Barry was busy wrangling Noah.) They sang a couple of other songs and recited a Bible verse before the diplomas were handed out. They even wore graduation caps, as you can see in the pictures.

How cute....that is all I can say.

How stinkin' cute.

They were all so excited and proud of themselves. Afterward, they had cookies and punch, but we tried to reign ourselves in, as Kendall had requested a trip to get ice cream when we were done. Noah was all about the ice cream, let me tell you. We jetted over to Handel's (not my favorite, but it would do) and made little piggies of ourselves.

I can't believe she's done with preschool.

I can't believe she's starting kindergarten in the fall.

My goodness...she is growing up way too fast, and I'm starting to feel a bit sad. I'm trying to think of all the fun and important things we've been able to do, and not dwell on the things we haven't. All in all, I think we've done pretty well. She is an exraordinary little girl, and I couldn't be more proud of her.

Life goes way too fast, so I guess I'd just better sit back and enjoy all the "little" moments like these. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times....

THEY'RE ONLY LITTLE ONCE!

Awesome Amy

Hey everybody....guess what?

Another important birthday has rolled around!

Today I need to give a shout out to my California-based, brown-eyed, wine-lovin' girl, Amy Wood!

Amy is awesome, pure and simple. She is chic and classy, yet a total goofball at the same time. She can hang with anybody. I've never seen her with the biker crowd, but it wouldn't suprise me to see her on the back of a Harley! You'll see her with your A-listers...all the cool, girlie, fashionable gals, and then you'll see her with me...her "feng-shui, tree-huggin', granola crunchin'" friend. (That is a direct quote by the way...one she left on my answering machine after I bought a flock of chicks for a little African village in her kids' names for Christmas...)

Doesn't matter.

Amy is one of a kind.

She always says it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission...and she's right!

She acknowledges that she can't sing...yet will belt out "Brown-Eyed Girl" or anything by Shania Twain at the top of her lungs...anyplace, anytime. In fact, I seem to recall a story about she and Jim going to Karaoke at Champps. If I remember correctly, she either got booed from the stage, or Jim pulled her off...I'm not sure, but I DO know this...she doesn't care. She'd do it again in a heartbeat. And that is what I LOVE about Amy. No inhibitions. With a shrug of her shoulders and big smile, her motto is..."Who cares?"

She always thinks she is making an ass of herself, but she doesn't realize that everyone just thinks she's funny and they love being around her. I say you can't be making that big of an ass out of yourself if they keep inviting you! You must be doing something right!

She is fun, hip, relaxed, generous, honest, smokin' hot (can a girl say that about another girl?)...and VERY cool. No one better to go shopping with, either.

She's a real go-getter. Want something done and done fast? Give it to Amy. Give her a carte blanche budget and let her run wild. It will get done and you won't be disappointed! Full throttle all the way!

She's a great mom and a true friend. I can't speak on Jim's behalf , but I'm pretty sure she gets all A's in the wife department too!

I miss her terribly. I wish she still lived in Ohio. The only good thing about her being in San Diego is the fact that it's a really fun place to visit...and the fact that she's happy there! We won't get there this year, but I'm planning on it next year for sure!

I love ya, Amy! Who else would watch "Supersize Me" with me just for fun....and then make our kids watch it the next day, asking afterwards, "Who wants to go to McDonalds?"

HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY...(again!) Tee hee!

A Bicycle Built for Two

Check it out!

This weekend we got Kendall this handy-dandy Co-Pilot bike trailer. And for Father's Day, we got Barry a new bike. Yes, I know that it isn't Father's Day yet, but we've been wanting to get out and ride, so we gave it to him early. Don't these two look snappy on their new bikes? Kendall is really into riding this thing! Thank goodness we got Noah a bike seat for his birthday...now we can get out there go. Our town has a rails-to-trails bike path that goes all the way to Xenia, and we have been looking forward to taking advantage of it! Hopefully this weekend we'll get our chance!

It's going to be a nice weekend...Anybody up for a long bike ride?

These Two...

These two make everything ok, no matter how bad my day has been.

These two can make me laugh hysterically AND want to scream within the same 10 seconds.

These two are my favorite kids in the whole wide world.

These two are so alike, yet so different.

These two will melt your heart, make you giggle, and roll your eyes.

These two are the reasons Barry and I work so hard.

These two have opened our hearts and minds more than we thought possible.

These two help us to enjoy life more, and to realize that it's ok to be a kid once in a while.
(even if you're a grown-up!).

These two make me want to be a better person...a better mom, a better partner, a better friend, a better massage therapist.

These two love each other so much.

These two will be best friends OR each other's worst nightmare at one time or another.

These two will always have each other to lean on.

These two are our pride and joy.

These two have forever changed our lives...and we couldn't be happier.

EYEBALLS!

Are you all aware that Kendall loves eyeballs? She loves the word EYEBALL. She uses it whenever she can. I believe it started 3 years ago at Christmas when she and one of her cousins were eating popsicles and playing the "My popsicle tastes like..." game.

My popsicle tastes like....dirt!

My popsicle tastes like...smelly feet!

My popsicle tastes like...rotten eggs!

And so on, and so on. Every response is followed by insane giggling and laughter. It really was funny, but they were out of control! Kendall's favorite response is "My popsicle tastes like...EYEBALLS!" I don't know what eyeballs taste like exactly, but it sounds GROSS!

So anyway, the fascination with eyeballs grew. When we found out I was pregnant with Noah, we asked Kendall what we should name the baby. Yep, you guessed it....EYEBALL! After much convincing that Eyeball was not a very nice name for a baby, we settled on Noah.

When she is fishing, every time she catches a fish, she insists on touching it's eyeballs. I know, I know, it's a little weird, but hey...at least she's interested. She has a million questions about eyeballs and how they work. I'm not sure where this fascination started, but here is yet another eyeball story...

At night, when it was my turn to read Kendall's nighttime story and get her sent off safely to dreamland. We were going about our usual routine, which includes brushing teeth, going potty, and picking out a book. After we read the book, we have to talk about what we are going to dream about, and then she has to pick out a "buddy" to cuddle with. After that has been taken care of, she cons me into singing her special lullaby, because lately, (she claims) she cannot fall asleep without it.

Then comes the best part. I say...

"Kendall, you are my MOST favorite little girl in the whole wide world. I love you SO much! I love you more than ALL the stars in the sky."

"WOW Mama, that's alot!"

"Yes, it is! I love you more than all the sand on the beach too!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Without a doubt!"

"Mama?"

"Yes, Kendall Bug?"

" Well, I love YOU more than all the eyeballs on all the people!"

And what can you really say to that? I do believe she trumped me. That's a heck of a lot of eyeballs! I couldn't think of a good response, and she was pretty pleased with being able to work the eyeballs in there, so I let it go...and sent her off to dreamland happy as a clam.

I am overwhelmed sometimes by how much I love these kids....and how simply they love me back...

A Big Weekend!

Wow! What a weekend we had! As you all know by now, Noah turned 1 on Saturday. I still can't believe it, but alas it IS true! The party was a huge success, and I even got a couple of hours rain-free! The kids got to go outside for a little while, and every kid caught a fish. Then, the lightning started and it was all over for the fun outside. No matter, though, as they had just as much fun tearing through the house playing.

Noah was in his glory, and personally walked up to greet each of his guests...it was so cute. He couldn't have been more pleased that all of those people were here to see him! He was just a happy little guy, and the life of the party, let me tell ya! He wasn't much into the cake though! The icing yes, but the cake...definitely no. He just kept scooping icing into his mouth, and everytime he'd get some cake he'd make a yucky face. It was so funny!

I am giving myself a little pat on the back...for this was the first party ever that I did not grossly overcook for. Everything except the cake was completely gone at the end of the party. I am so proud of myself! (It's the little things that make me happy!) Of course, now we will have to work on eating the rest of the cake...but that shouldn't be a problem!

Then of course, on to Mother's Day...what a wonderful day. I slept in until 9:30 or so, and it felt so INDULGENT. Ahhh..... Then I got up and had a little something to eat before we got ready to go. We had a late lunch at First Watch (my FAVORITE) and then went to the Franklin Park Conservatory to see the Blooms and Butterflies exhibit. The kids love the butterflies. Heck, I love the butterflies! Noah's big fun was splashing in a fountain they had. He would have done it all day if we had let him! Then we stopped at Sheri's house and ordered a pizza, and by the time we were on our way home, Noah was ready for bed and fell asleep in the car. So of course, we put him to bed, changed into our old clothes, and Barry, Kendall and I headed outside to get some work done. We got the flower beds weeded and edged...and Kendall "saved" all the earthworms from CERTAIN death, or at least, that's how she saw it. By the time we got inside and got her bathed and ready for bed, it was almost 10. UGH! I was ready for bed by then too! But alas, it was Grey's Anatomy night, so we had to get through that first...and then off to bed with me.

So all in all, it was a fun, successful, and productive weekend. What more can you ask for, except maybe a little more sunshine???

Today

Today is going to be a hectic day. Kendall has her kindergarten screening and registration at 10:30. I know, I know...I can't believe it either. And she is soooo excited. She has been practicing everything she can think of that she "might need to know"...including our address, which she was really having a hard time with. So, what did we do? We made up a song - and the only lyrics are our address. It's pretty catchy, if I do say so myself!

After that I need to stop and get ice cream for the party. Noah is turning ONE tomorrow! I know, I know....I can hardly believe that EITHER! Anyway, the party is tomorrow, and this crappy weather is pissing me off. I had this nice little plan for a picnic style lunch....fishing out at the pond, canoe rides for the kids, all that stuff. Now, with all of this rain, we can't even get outside to mow! UGH! I'll get over it by tonight, and just resign myself to being happy that everyone will be here celebrating Noah's birthday. It will still be fun, and the food will still be good!

Then we need to pick up our gifts for all the mothers and grandmothers....and once we get home, I will start my prep work in the kitchen!

And maybe, just MAYBE....the weather will clear up for a couple of hours on Saturday and the kids can still fish...

Hmmmmmmm.....in my perfect little world....

Welcome back to the Real World...

We're back from South Padre Island...and you may be wondering, " What on earth is the significance of this picture?" Well, folks, that picture is the ONLY picture we took on vacation. It is of the sign in the airport parking lot so I wouldn't forget where we parked. (Yes, I KNOW that is a great idea...thanks to Sheri's brother Craig) Although I am usually the resident shutterbug, this time I felt no need for pictures. Who wants to see a bunch of pictures of me and Barry laying around in our swimsuits? BORING. So this was the extent of it!

We had a really good time, but of course, there is no place like home. We rested and then rested some more, since there is really little else to do on the island. I just about finished a book, and Barry actually took some time to read! (For those of you who don't know, it isn't that Barry doesn't LIKE to read...it's just that he has more important things to do! ;-)) I actually had a couple of drinks, but it was so hot and humid that beer didn't sound good at all! We ended up leaving some at the hotel...can you believe that?

We were really starting to get homesick. South Padre is very kid friendly, so we were surrounded by cute kids of all ages...hence the homesickness. Couldn't wait to get home to the little buggers. And did they miss us? Go ahead, ask again....did they miss US???

NO. NOT AT ALL.

In fact, I think Kendall was disappointed that we were home. She just had too much fun with her grandparents. I know we should be happy that she goes anywhere and is happy to do it...but geez! Could we get a little love over here, or what? And Noah just acted like it was another day in Noah-land...

"No big deal, Mama. Happy to see you, as long as you have some food for me. How about a banana? Maybe some of those strawberry flavored stars? And by the way, I'm pretty sure I need changed again. P-U! I stink! I know you already changed me 3 times in the last hour, but hey, when you've got to go...you've GOT TO GO!"

Needless to say, they had a great time here being spoiled rotten, I'm sure. I guess we should be grateful they don't have separation anxiety....it just would've been nice to hear "Mama, I missed you SO MUCH!", instead of "Mama, I miss Grandma Cindy's house. When do I get to go back again?"

New Nightie and My Guys

Kendall has grown so much that not even her pajamas fit anymore, so we had to go shopping for new. I was shocked a bit when she decided she HAD to have 2 princess nighties. To date, Kendall has admittedly not been much of a "girlie girl", but lately she has been more interested in all things pink and "princessey". She was so pleased with her new nightgown that she was in her pajamas by 6:00. I don't know what to think about the princess phase, but if she is ready for bed without a fight, I'm all for it!

This other picture is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. My two favorite guys. Aren't they handsome? This was taken at Kendall's Big Girl Party. Barry and Noah were playing a basketball game, and I stopped them to get this picture. It isn't very often that I can get either one of them to stop moving long enough to get one! Noah is getting so big and is really starting to show his personality. Every day with him leaves me shaking my head about something. He is your typical rough-and-tumble, into-everything little boy. I love it.

Well, folks that's it until I get back. Have a great weekend!

Just one more day at work....

Yes! Just one more day of clients before we are sunning our buns on the beaches of South Padre Island. WHOO HOO! I cannot wait! I plan to do nothing but rest, eat, read, rest, and rest some more. I'm pretty sure that Barry is planning the same thing! But of course, before any trip there is much work to be done. I have been planning and cleaning, doing laundry and packing, scheduling and rescheduling. We have managed to get the grass mowed and the garden pretty much planted. The kids are so excited to have the whole weekend with their grandparents...who, by the way, I am eternally grateful to for helping us out in the childcare department.

So, I have a full day today...until 9 pm. Then I must come home and get my things together for the trip. Tomorrow Kendall has swim lessons, and we need to do some last minute grocery shopping. I have to make sure the munchkins have plenty of food! Then Dad & Taffy will be here to get a crash course on life at our house. Then off to bed and up early to leave at the crack of dawn on Thursday....ahhhhhh. I should be on the beach by 2:30-3:00...

Vacation, sweet VACATION!!!!

The Weekend Rundown

This was a busy weekend! Busy and fun at the same time... and if your weekend has to be busy, it might as well be fun too! Barry's birthday was Saturday. I had to work in the morning, and Barry and Kendall had appointments to get their hair cut right downstairs from my office, so we all decided to get up and go together. I only had two appointments, so that worked out just fine. We ran a couple of errands afterward, and then came home to get some work done!

Kendall and I made Barry's birthday cake while he finished planting the garden. What a birthday cake! Sheri found the recipe and passed it along, especially for Barry's birthday. You see, Barry LOVES Oreos. And this cake is full of them. It was soooo good. Too good. That's why we cut it right in half and took some to the neighbors. Anyway, check out the picture....doesn't it look yummy? (And yes, I realize that Barry's cake has the "33" candles on it. But I didn't have a 4 to make "34", so we just added one single candle to make "34"!)

Then on Sunday, we had Kendall's "Big Girl Party" at Chuck E Cheese's. This party was in honor of the fact that she quit sucking her thumb in January and quit wearing pull-ups at night in March. She is now officially a BIG GIRL. She only wanted to invite her cousins, so it was a small party...and that was perfect. They all had a wild time, and then both of my kids crashed out in the car on the way home. Perfect! Check out the pictures...

All in all, it was a very productive weekend. We just have a few things left to accomplish before our trip (more on that tomorrow!)...the kids and I will be very busy today! CIAO!