Turkey Day Fun

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We enjoyed a few special days with family and soon to be family. This year Tia Ruthie, Uncle Barry, Cousin Matt and his soon to be wife Lindsay all made the trip for some food and fun. Throw in a couple extra dogs and you have got a continuous party. Thanksgiving day we had super weather 70 and sunny most of the day. Madison and Dasher shared a pillow and soaked up some sun on the deck. Our dinner couldn't of been better. Steve made a standing rib roast and a turkey, the rest of us helped with the side dishes. Madison and Tia Ruthie made the green bean casserole extra special. I ate way too many cookies, but really they were a bit of heaven and I could not stop my self. The next day the temp dropped 30 degrees and we braved the weather to do some sight seeing on the mall in DC. The kids loved all the extra attention and were very sad to see everyone go. MG said that her eyes were crying after everyone left. She was pretty bummed.

Well now it is full steam ahead trying to get ready for Christmas. Wish me luck.

C

Michigan Fun

I decided to bite the bullet and take both kids to Michigan on a plane by my self. It just made more sense for Steve to stay home and work and take care of the dog. The kids were awesome on the plane and way exceeded my expectations. On the way to Grandmas and Grandpas new house we got to see cows, horses, chickens, goats and some wild turkey. WOW. We saw most of that every time we left their house on the back country roads. The kids love the lay out of their new house, it is nice and open with a straight shot to run back and forth. Surprisingly enough the small town next to Grandma and Grandpas boasts of having the largest indoor play area in MI. We went twice and kids had an absolute blast. They went all the way to the top and were not afraid at all. It completely wiped both kids out as you can see B extended his nap from his crib into mommies bed. Everything was a great adventure there even going into grandpas basement to find new treasures. Madison was very sad to leave and really wanted to stay, but all that was forgotten once they saw daddy at the airport. Well, I am hoping to get the laundry and unpacking done by the end of the week, you know how it never seems to end.

Hugs

C

Well We Knew It Was Coming..............

Brennie got his first stitches! Unfortunately the story isn't really that great, I am sure we all expected much more from my little climbing machine. So here's the story.... we flew into MI this weekend to see Grandma and Grandpa K, just before dinner the afternoon we arrived I found a tick on the back of Brendans right ear. It was big and YUCKY. I used the tweezers to try to get it out, and boy did Brendan not like that that thing was in there deep. I pulled on it and the tick head broke off and stayed in his ear. SO on the phone with the nurse help line who tell me we need to go to the emergency room to have it removed. My mom and dad have recently moved so off we go to find the closest emergency room. Bubbs was a trooper until the actual procedure. By the time they got down to business it was way past his bed time and he was not happy to get a shot of Novocaine and have his ear cut open and probed. It took a good bit to get the tick head out and he ended up with a couple of tiny stitches. You can barley see them in the picture. The funny thing is the glare from his pale skin and white hair made it almost impossible to get a picture. After a good nights sleep, Brendan was no worse for wear and ready to party. My tough little man.

My Cute Girl

These are just some super cute pics of my girl. Hope you enjoy.

Trick or Treat

Sorry the pics arent the best but hopefully you can get the an idea of what was going on. Madison went as the Island Princess which for those of you who are not up on these things is one of the new Barbi princesses. Yes there is a movie. Madison was quite happy to dress up and ready to get to work getting some candy. Brendan on the other hand was a different story. The costume I originally planned for him was a puppy dog. We tried it on that afternoon and Brennie found it much to snug for his liking. He was totally not having it. So being quick on my feet and not wanting to waste any more money on a costume I had an idea! I got out bubbas prized possession, his football jersey and put that on we also put on sweat pants rolled up and some of his sisters knee socks a little of daddys eye black and vola! What a cute and tough football player we had. Trick or treating went well, both of the kids were very polite and made mom proud. It was so hard keeping them out of the candy along the way. About 1/2 hour in MG decided she had enough candy and was ready to go home. I am sure her motivation was getting home and eating some of her candy. :) We did plug on for a bit longer and made it through with only minor whining. Thank goodness it is only once a year, because it is a lot of work for a little bit of candy.

Preschool Halloween Party

On Halloween Madisons school had its first party of the year. I signed up to bring drinks so I got to hang around and take some pics. The kids were all super cute dressed in their costumes. While we set up for the party the kids walked up the road to the coffee house and went trick or treating. The party included cupcake decorating (everyones favorite), a craft, games and stories. It was a big sucess.

Field Trip Fun

First let me say sorry it has been so long but as you will soon see we have been very busy. MGs preschool had its first field trip before halloween. We went to Pumpkinville. It is really great to hear Brennie say pumpkinville, super cute. As you can see Steve showed up and impressed all the other moms by going down the big slide with his suit on. The trip included moon bounces of several varieties, hay ride, petting zoo and of course pumpkins. All of us were pretty much worn out by the time the morning was over.

Pumpkin Time

We need to start this one with the fact that Steve bought a 96lb pumpkin. Yes you got that right a pumpkin just under 100lbs. He is needless to say very proud and carved it first thing. The criteria for MGs pumpkin was that she wanted to be able to pick it up on her own and as far as Brennie was concerned the tractor ride was the highlight. We had a great time and avoided all drama until we decided to go out to lunch. The kids were way tired and it was way to close to nap time. Needless to say that did not go well. Over all an awesome family day.

C

"When did she get so big?"

So finally the words when did she get so big came out of Steves mouth and not mine. Madison has started swimming lessons again. The big difference is that this time a parent doesnt have to get in the water with her, she just goes on her own with her teacher and class. I think Steve was pretty relieved not to have to get into a swim suit as am I. The great news is she really loved it. I was worried she would be timid with out mom or dad, but she had a blast and wanted to go back the next day.

Sleep Over

Well, finally you get to meet Eddy. He has been around the longest but gets the least amount of mention. I found E in an alley when I lived in Washington DC. He is now 13 years old. He is a small cat but very fat. He is also pretty grumpy but mellowing in his old age. He has lost his ability to jump well. So he has recently decided that MGs bed is the best place for him especially sense it has a step stool to help him get up. He cuddles in as close as he possibly can and he protects her from things that go bump in the night. Nothing like a sleeping child. One of those ahhhh moments.

Shameless Brag

Ok, so this morning Steve took the kids. Off to ballet and the gym. So it was just me and the dog. I had seen in the free paper yesterday that one of the local towns was having a proud pooch dog show. So on a whim I decided we would go and maybe enter a contest if we were feeling it. This was all just for fun and some of the categories were, biggest, smallest, looks most like owner, prettiest, best dressed, best trick and best in show. We entered prettiest, looks like owner, and best trick. We were the only ones who entered looks alike and so we won. We do have matching sproutie hair on the top of our heads. We also won best talent. Domi gave a high five, weave polled through my legs and waved good bye. We sadly did not win prettiest. But the shocker is we won BEST IN SHOW!!!! Can you believe it! It was super fun. They had a real AKC judge volunteer to do the judging and it was just a lot of fun. SO there is my shameless brag on me and my dog.

Thanks for looking.

C

First day of School

Well this last Monday was Madisons official first day of preschool. I thought for sure I would be a goner as I got all teary eyed just going to her parent orientation. Can you imagine! Who does that? Well, I did surprisingly well. Just kissed her and sent her on into the big world of preschool. Oh, yeah it wasnt my first day but hers! She did great. The first 2 days were shorter then normal so they didnt get to go the playground which was a bit disappointing. Of course when I pick her up I start asking her how her day was ect and she is just like a brooding teenager. How was your day? Fine. What did you learn? Nothing. Did you make any new friends? No. But she seems pretty happy to go and have fun, just doesnt want to talk about it. I do pick up bits and pieces as the day goes on. Such as one little boy didnt like the snack (pretzels) Learned a new song. Ect. Our only big drama so far has been that she refuses to wear the name tag. Must clash with her outfits :) I guess if that is the worst so far we are doing great.

The transition was made a little easier because my parents were here for a visit as well. So I could leave Brennie with them while I took MG.

Bad news is I dont think MG realizes she has to go back on Monday. I think she thinks she is all done for good. We shall see what Monday morning brings.

C

The Dog

Just in case you have been asking your self, " what about the dog?", here she is. Isnt she pretty! Love my Doggie!

End of Summer

Is there a better way to end your summer then with your sons first baseball game? Madison has been several times already but this past weekend we took Brennie for his first. Brendan was pretty impressed with the whole thing especially the hot dogs. We made it through the 2nd inning and I think Brennie sat still for 1 minute total :) Steve was awesome and extremely patient with the kids. He really is an awesome dad. Even though we only made it 2 innings these are the things I will remember for a long time to come.

C

Brendans Birthday

What do you do when your baby turns 2? Have a party of course. This is just a random sampling of pictures from Bubbas 2nd birthday. Grandma K was able to fly in last minute and it was just an awesome treat.

As far as the party went we kept it simple, a few friends and a moon bounce. Brendan was the last to get into the moon bounce and was only convinced it was ok when Grandma went in with him. Of course then he wouldn't get out. Oh yes we had cake. As you can see Brennie was happy to help himself to some left over cake in the refrigerator.

In the pic of Brennie looking like a big boy he is sporting a new outfit mommys friend Julie bought him. Doesnt he look handsome!!

Not much to say tonight so good night for now.

C

Great Country Farm = Great Fun!!

Today was an unbelievable summer day! We woke up the heat wave had broken and gone was the humidity. I decided to take advantage of the perfect weather and take the kids about 20 minutes west of here to Great Country Farm. We had gone a couple of times last year but Brennie was still little and MG was a little more cautious. This was our first trip out to the farm this year and it was an absolute blast!!!

The kids both loved all of the animals, Madison said her favorites were the bunnies and the kitty and Brennie especially liked the cows. We also saw goats, pigs, mini horses, donkeys, chickens, peacocks, and some sheep. I think that covers it. What is great about the farm is that they also have slides, a jumping pillow, and other fun things for the kids to do and play on.

Brendan made fast friends with one of the barn kittens. The little guy just climbed right up for a visit. Don't worry B was not trying to bite the kitty but give him a kiss. I am NOT raising the next Ozzy Ozborne!

They also do u pick at the farm. Blackberries and peaches are in season right now, but we had to get going home for some lunch and naps. Kettle corn made the trip home just right! YUMMMM!

It was just the perfect morning.

Thanks for looking .

C