Happy Halloween!

Well, another yearly Sugar-Fest is done. We went trick-or-treating tonight, and I must say that these kids have outdone themselves. We will be on a sugar-induced high for at least the rest of the year. Anybody want to babysit????

As you can see, Kendall was a dragon this year, inspired by her beloved playstation game, Spyro the Dragon. She has been practicing breathing fire all week. No, I'm not kidding.

Noah was an elephant, and quite an adorable one at that! He didn't really want much to do with the whole trick-or-treat thing...he just wanted to run with reckless abandon! He could have cared less about the candy, but maybe that's just because he doesn't really know what it is yet! Soon enough, folks. Soon enough....

We went up to the park for a citywide costume parade and trick or treating, then over to the neighborhood behind us. We don't have to hand out candy, of course, since no one comes this far back off the road! And true to Ohio weather, we had a beautiful day yesterday, but it rained all day today! So, Beggars Night was not the best we could have hoped for...and yet the kids were done up in all their glory, traipsing around from house to house grabbing all the candy they could carry. And I will say this for them...I saw some VERY creative and gory costumes this year. I was not at all disappointed!

So another Halloween has passed. The kids are crashed out in bed, and Barry and I are preparing to sit down to Season 2, Disk 3 of The Office...and maybe a little Halloween candy to go with it! Dibs on the Snickers!

Just in Time!

Well, the party is over, and I am happy to report that we had a great turnout! And even better, we had a beautiful fall day! People were fishing, kids were playing outside and doing crafts, and of course there was much eating and drinking going on. The food was great! It really was a good party! And to make it even better, my awesome friend Alicia stayed over with her kiddos. Those kids played and played and played until they dropped. And on Sunday morning, Alicia, Barry, and I sat around in our pjs until noon, drinking coffee and tea and talking. It was a great way to end the weekend. And after Alicia and the kids left, we laid around the rest of the day too! We just let the kids do what they wanted and we were all L.A.Z.Y.!!!!! We haven't done that for so long...we didn't even remember what it felt like! AHHHHH....

But now the weekend (and the beautiful weather) is over. Yes, folks, today when I took Kendall to school, it was SNOWING! And it still is. I can hardly believe it. I must admit, it's a pretty little snow flurry....but I am not ready for it yet. Every other year, I am ready. But not this year. I still have things to do outside and things to do inside that I need to open the windows for....like painting. But I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

And all I can say for now is that I am just glad that the snow held off until the weekend was over!

Hope your weekend was full of fun and friends too!

A Boy and His Duck, Part II

I couldn't resist taking this picture.

I walked into the great room the other day, where Noah was sitting on the floor playing...and I cracked up!

I told you that this duck was his best buddy, didn't I?

Well, check it out. I walked in to see Noah playing with his busy gears, the duck pulled right up along side of him, and he's just talking to that duck and playing...busy as can be.

I'll tell you what...that duck got an earful from what I heard!

OUCH!

Look at our poor kitty.

Once we got checked into our hotel in Vegas, we called to check in with Mom & Joe and make sure Kendall got picked up from school all right. It was then that my Mom asked what had happened to Haley, our 12 year old cat. Barry asked her why, and she responded that Haley had a huge open wound on her back and that it looked really nasty. In fact, Mom wasn't sure that Haley would be alive when we got home!!! WHAT?!?!?! Talk about inciting panic!

So, on Sunday, we called our house since we knew Gary and Luanne would be back with the kids. We wanted to see if Haley was doing ok, and if it looked like she had some infection. Nope...Gary said she was doing fine, but it did look like a nasty cut.

So finally, when we got home on Monday and checked it out, we realized that she was going to need to go to the vet. It looked like someone had tried to skin her in one area of her back. The skin was cut and pulled back, exposing raw muscle tissue. YUCK! Kendall was so freaked out! So on Tuesday morning, Barry took Haley to a vet here in town and they confirmed that she was going to need to be put out and stitched up. Of course they shaved her too, so here is what our poor kitty looks like now....

They figured that she must have been crawling under something with a sharp edge that caught on her fur and she just pulled free, slicing her back right open. She will be on antibiotics this week to prevent infection, but other than that, the vet said she is as healthy as can be. In fact, she couldn't believe that Haley was 12 years old!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

As most of you probably know, Barry and I were in Las Vegas last weekend. He had a conference to attend, and I was lucky enough to have parents and in-laws that were willing to watch the kids so I could go along! What fun! And many thanks to Mom & Joe and Gary & Luanne for helping us out...the kids had a great time, and we really appreciate it!

We headed out Friday afternoon and came back Monday (leaving early from Vegas and arriving late at home!) It was a relatively "short" weekend, but we still managed to have a good time. We got in two shows, a bit of gambling, plenty of food, and for me...some r&r by the pool and in bed! Oh, and PLENTY of walking! Every time I go to Vegas, I am still amazed by it. That place is truly a different world. No pictures this trip though...I just didn't feel like it. Isn't that weird? I usually ALWAYS have my camera on!

I also need to send a belated Happy Birthday out to our friend Missy, who turned 33 on Sunday. She was in Vegas too, so I'm sure she had a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY! But Vegas is a big place, filled with LOTS of people, so we didn't run into them....BUMMER.

Noah and Kendall were excited to see us , but I'm not sure if it was because they missed us or if they were just excited to see what we brought them! Although, I will say that once Noah realized we were here, he ran to me and jumped up and climbed me like a little monkey....wrapping his legs and arms around my midsection. And then he WOULDN'T let go! It was very sweet...for about 10 minutes. Then, when he still wouldn't let me put him down...not even to go to the bathroom, it wasn't so cute anymore! But alas, he is better now. Although, on Tuesday, everytime I walked out of the room he was in, he would start yelling and running after me, like he was afraid I was leaving him. I really hope this isn't the start of some separation anxiety! He's already attached to my hip!

Nothing else too exciting to report. We're going to try to make it to the pumpkin patch this weekend, and I am getting new carpet in my office on Monday (which I am TOTALLY excited about!) And really nothing else, except of course, preparing for the big party on the 21st. Lots to do, lots to do! Oh, and I may even get to make a trip to Whole Foods this weekend too! Hallelujah!

Have a great day, ya'll!

My Buckeye Cutie-Patootie!

Ok, just one more post tonight...

I love, LOVE, LOVE this picture! Barry took it while I was at work, and I was so suprised to find it on the camera.

And the only thing I can say about our littlest Buckeye is this...

Isn't he adorable? Don't ya just wanna squeeze him?

Yeah, and don't think for one single minute that he doesn't know it either!

A Boy and His Duck

Meet Noah's duck.

This is his FAVORITE toy. We got this toy totally by accident...our friend Nancy was having a garage sale and she insisted that we take it home for Kendall. Now, knowing our child as we do, we knew that the Kendall Bug would love it for about a day, and then she'd never play with it again, so we resisted....

BUT Nancy insisted! (And if any of you know Nancy, then you know that resistance is FUTILE!)

So we took it home, and this duck has been Noah's buddy ever since. First thing after breakfast, he goes running to find it and pushes it all over the house, giggling the entire time. It's little rubber feet go flap-flap-flapping and he LOVES it! And you know what makes it even better? If you grab it and push it around saying "Quack, Quack, Quack!" He chases it, squealing and giggling like mad! This goes on all day long!

And I'll tell you what, my faithful readers...THAT sound is the best sound you can ever hear. It will make the sun come out in a hailstorm, I kid you not!

Holy cow, how I love this kid!

SHE DID IT!!!

For any of you who know Shelly, you know this is a major newsflash!

Shelly is one of my best friends in the whole, wide world. We have known each other since I was in 2nd grade, when her aunt and uncle lived down the road from me. We just really got along well, even though we were different. Shelly has always made it known to everyone that it was her mission in life to corrupt me....and I always counter with the fact that it was my mission to save her from the brink of self-destruction! After many boyfriends that always mistreated her in one way or another, she finally proclaimed years ago that she would never, I repeat, NEVER get married! And furthermore, kids were OUT OF THE QUESTION!

And then Tony came along.

And thank God for that. I have never in my life seen her happier or with a guy that treated her with such respect. They are obviously two peas in a pod, and I knew the minute I met him that he was THE ONE. And dear readers, this picture proves it. It is a done deal....the girl is married! And as an even bigger bonus, she gets to be a stepmom to two adorable little girls.

And more importantly, she is HAPPY. And that is all I have ever wanted for her....she has found her soft place to fall.

Congrats Shelly and Tony! We are so happy for you! 

Now THAT'S the Buckeye Spirit!

Over Labor Day Weekend, we stayed a night with my dad and Taffy, and Dad send Kendall out into the backyard to pick up all the buckeyes that had fallen from his 2 buckeye trees. She could not have been more pleased! But what to do with her treasure?

I told her that we should make buckeye necklaces to wear on game days, and boy, was she all for that! So finally, this past Saturday, she and I had a girls day out. I had just one appointment at work, so she went with me, took her portable DVD player and watched a movie while I worked. Then we headed to Whole Foods for lunch(I love, love, LOVE that place!) and then over to Jo-Anns and the One-Stop Bead Shop to pick up supplies for our little project. She was so excited, I thought she'd pee her pants before we got home!


But alas, she made it! But we weren't in the house 5 minutes before she started begging her daddy to drill holes in the buckeyes for us. Barry was busy building some nest boxes for the chicken coop, but took 5 minutes to help us out...especially since we told him we were making him his very own buckeye necklace!
I showed Kendall the plan, and she went to work! We had so much fun stringing the beads and talking about how we should change each one. She really went to town! And they turned out awesome! She is so proud of hers, and can't wait to wear it to school on Spirit Fridays. Barry was really impressed with his as well...and I love mine too! What a fun project for a Buckeye Saturday!

So now, Kendall has decided that she needs to sell her necklaces, because they are "so cool"...they ARE cool, but I guess we'll have to see about that whole selling thing....not so sure I'm up for that!

O-H!

I-O!

GO BUCKS!!!