December 30, 2011

time to share the gifts!

Not all of these have been given yet, but the ones that are left are going to people who won't see this, so now I can share. It appears as though my quilting tutor is doing a good job!

My first quilt - for the oldest's BF who has never had one.


I-spy - for my grandson with fabric I've collected over years.

Stars - started for my granddaughter when she was a baby.
Tag blankie - for the newest little family member.


December 26, 2011

over the river...

My other sister and her husband moved into a beautiful new home, and so it was her turn to host Christmas. They made ham and potatoes, and we opened gifts that we exchanged names for. This was the view on the drive out to her house:


December 24, 2011

Jesus would have a smart phone, I know it....

The kids and I went to midnight service at the church where I grew up, and where my sister and her family still goes - it's a very relaxed format. As I was taking this picture, the middle daughter leaned over and said, "I think taking pictures in church is frowned upon."

Because it was Christmas, I didn't point out that we were all wearing jeans and hoodies, and that the people in front of us were dancing....


December 23, 2011

all aboard!

The oldest planned a surprise for the rest of us today. She took us to dinner and then to the Polar Express at the IMAX theater. We saw the movie in the theater as a family when it was released, and we have watched it on dvd hundreds of times since, and there were still things we caught this time that we never heard or saw before. The two funniest memories of the night:

1) The middle daughter walked into the IMAX and her brain went into math mode. All she could think of was how fast the sound waves would travel across the dome, and the formulas to calculate things. She could not clear her brain until the movie started. And she was pissed that she couldn't turn it off. Hilarious!

2) As we are wrapping up dinner hubby pulls out his phone and announces that he has "this cool calculator" on his phone that can figure out what the tip should be. No one had the heart to tell him that we all have a tip calculator on our phones - or we all sat in the same stunned silence, while he demonstrated it for us....


December 22, 2011

it's points either way....

At work we had a gag gift exchange, so middle daughter and I made a trip to the local Goodwill store looking for a good one. We found a pillow in the shape of a hamburger. It was perfect.

In the exchange we did, once you opened your gift, you could trade with someone else who already opened theirs to get a "better" gift. 

When I picked the kids up at school I reported back that my co-worker chose the burger, and when it was the boss's turn she swiped it from my co-worker. Apparently it was a hit.

The middle kid says, "Maybe it will earn you some brownie points - or more like hamburger points."

December 20, 2011

so that's what the ironing board is for

Ok, so when I started quilting again, I forgot why I quit in the first place. Part of it was finding time to work on it with little kids running around. The other reason is that I stopped taking classes after the intro, and didn't learn how to actually finish one.

I'd like to introduce my new quilting tutor, YouTube:


December 17, 2011

Ms Money

I was talking with our coach at a rock climbing competition when the middle daughter came springing up with some papers in her hands. "Whatcha got there?" asked the coach. "Oh, an application to work here - college isn't gonna pay for itself."

I love that girl.

December 14, 2011

well, at least it's one more

My co-workers decorated my cube for my birthday - hub and kids left me a starbucks gift card and texted me messages all day, and my sister, my other sister, my dad and sooo many friends on FB wished me a happy birthday - which was really nice because I spent my day at work, and then at night went to my other job, and was still in a meeting at midnight when my birthday ended.


December 7, 2011

st nick...

I did not want the oldest to miss St. Nick just because she is away at school - it's always been such an event in our home.... So I made arrangements for the info desk in her dorm building to deliver a package to her mailbox that night. In the box was a small, wrapped item for each day, like an advent. That night when she got caught up on the days, she sent me this picture:



December 4, 2011

cookie day

My BFF organized a cookie exchange at her house this weekend. Way easier than baking all of these alone - which is what the two of us used to do.


December 3, 2011

i forgot about these

Last year when the oldest was choosing colleges, one of them was on the other side of the country with a very aggressive program and intense schedule. We knew if she wound up there, we would not see her during the semester, possibly not for Thanksgiving, and only a few days for Christmas.

As I was putting the Christmas stuff away, I realized that this Christmas was one of the "lasts" for us. For the first time it hit me that she would be graduating, and the possibilities she had to choose from was overwhelming to me. I was missing her already.

I put some ornaments in one of the leftover cookie tins to send to her - wherever she was the next year. I put the tin back in with the rest of the decorations and packed them away. This year, when I pulled  them out, there was the tin on top.

As it turns out, she chose the college 45 minutes away and is home nearly every weekend, but the sense of "lasts" has not gone away.


November 29, 2011

but i'm helping

Nike the crazy dog, testing out the quilt as I'm trying to lay it out. At least she isn't eating it...


November 24, 2011

what's next?

I finished my first 5K.

My time was so much slower than I planned and I walked a lot. My runs leading up to this had been so much better. When we finished, I was so disappointed.

Disappointed, until my sister reminded me to think of how far I've come. Ten years ago my chronic fatigue was so bad I could hardly get out of bed. I'd be having a great day and within an hour hit the wall and have to sleep. A lot of my memories are blurry. I felt like I had the flu all the time - for years. And I just finished a 5K - something I never thought I could do, even before CFS.

November 22, 2011

just ask....

This is what you get when you ask your co-worker how her weekend was....

The dog came in with poop (of some sort) in her beard Sunday morning (hubby was out hunting)…once we figured out what the horrid smell was in the house I started to gag while taking the dog to the bathroom to clean her up.  Miss E gagged too, but her gagging escalated and she actually threw up (a large amount).  Little B was sitting right next to her and decided to play in it.  Put the dog in the kennel and cleaned up the kids.  Went back to cleaning up the dog only to have her shake poop all over when I got her wet in the tub. 

Thanks for sharing Libbe! 

November 9, 2011

We live in Wisconsin

On my way to work today I passed 3-4 people running in the dark, in the rain, in 40 degrees... Because the weather is supposed to be bad later. Wisconsin.

November 3, 2011

lunch-making fail

My husband got this idea to help with the morning rush by making the kids' lunches....



October 31, 2011

31 Days of Words {Day 31}

We made it! That was a difficult challenge - I like to write when I feel like writing, and when I have something great to share. On the days when I wasn't feeling it, it was hard to let go and post something I felt was mediocre. But I made it to the end of the month.

Here's a look back at all the words of the day. Repeat, Creative, Quiet, Accomplishment, Compassion, Golden, Home, Reconnect, Routine, Individuality, Stifle, Chocolate, Dreary, Catch-up, Pasta, Challenged, Pink, Fleece, Scraps, Blur, YoMama, Planning, Nada, Yankee, Tunes, Patchwork, Rainbow, BFF, Homecoming, Sisters... Finally.

October 30, 2011

it's kinda creepy

Yesterday we went to my sister's house for some Halloween fun. My sisters and I change our hair color a lot, and were all a little lighter over the summer. All three of us showed up last night dark - completely unplanned. Freaky.


October 29, 2011

pay attention to the signs

Sometimes life is busy and confusing, and I forget to breathe. And then a beautiful sign helps me pull it together again. I stopped and pulled over into a parking lot - a church parking lot, no less - to take this pic.


homecoming

This is what my oldest has been doing since she graduated from high school.

October 28, 2011

my BFF

In grade school I was tall and awkward, with glasses and eventually braces. Although I got along with everyone by high school, I only had a few real friends. I am a lot the same as an adult - my circles include dozens of people on the surface level, but it takes me a long time to open up and share enough to build those real friendships (the awkward part is still just the same).

This week, and today especially, I am so grateful for my best friend from grade school who is still my best friend 25 32 years later. :)

October 26, 2011

there's more to it than sewing...

Last weekend when my daughter was home, she decided she wanted to make a quilt over the winter. We chose a patchwork pattern, pulled out the fabric stash, and washed a load fabric. I don't think she realized how much quilting involves ironing and cutting.... good thing I like both!

October 24, 2011

warm smells

We burn candles all winter. They seem to take the chill out of the air just enough that we can keep the heat a little lower. This time of year is my favorite because I love the fall scents like cinnamon, hazelnut, mulled cider, and caramel pecan!

October 22, 2011

just follow the crowd

Today was one of the final cross country meets heading into the state competition. Beautiful day and the course was close to home. The kids were hoping for some personal records, and good finishes to move forward with.

I don't know who planned the course, but what a mess. Most of the course was too tight to pass, in some places the leaves had blown back over the course leaving no indication where to go, and I have never been to a race where the runners have to stop on the course and wait for cross-traffic runners to pass. God help you if you got separated from the pack at this one....

October 21, 2011

no, YOUR mama

Why do so many of my posts deal with food? There is a new frozen yogurt place in Milwaukee - serve yourself, soft serve, with all the fixings. Thank goodness I have my kids to find these places for me....










October 20, 2011

coffee, coffee, coffee

Some days go by so fast. One thing to the next, taking in new info and tossing out old, going from little things to big things and back. You get to a point where you just say whatever... and then you get more coffee. That was today.

October 19, 2011

scraps and lists

My mom was a list maker. She wrote on little scraps of paper, napkins, the back or receipts - and she stuck them everywhere. And I'm just like that. Today I wrote a grocery list on the cardboard sleeve from a coffee cup. I purposely slip them into books, drawers, and stacks of papers sometimes - I like the surprise of coming across them later!

October 18, 2011

60 seems warm in April...

I gave in an turned the heat on - I swear I only turned it on for a few minutes. I am trying so hard to get to November without it.

It's not even really cold outside yet. The sun isn't strong enough to keep the ground warm overnight. Later in the year, when we have all adjusted to the cold, this will seem wonderful, but today 60 degrees in the house was not nice to wake up to. The house had such a chill that no one could get warm. Thank God for fleece.

Grown-up Gummies

My co-worker forwarded a story about a new trend in teen alcohol use; they are soaking candy like gummy bears, candy corn, or Swedish fish in vodka overnight. The candy absorbs all the alcohol and becomes portable and really un-suspicious. It's difficult to control the amount of alcohol being ingested, and the hazard to little kids is obvious. They are referred to as boozy bears or drunken gummies. Google search it - there's a ton of info on it. Still, I'm not sure if I should be serious or joke about this....

This is freaking brilliant - a huge step up from jello shooters. I would never have thought to try that on my own. My guess is that someone was throwing gummies around at a drinking party, a few landed in the wop and the next morning, voila.

I told my sister about it. Her kids know to ask before they drink out of someone's glass if this is "kid juice" or "grown up juice." We had a good laugh about now them having to ask if this is kid candy or grown up candy before they just pop them. And it gives a whole new perspective to grown up trick or treating.

I told my kids about it. I might be giving them ideas, but at least they will not be caught off guard if they were ever offered some, and they know that I know.

Sing along

We are in the car and the youngest keeps singing to the radio and the middle keeps changing the station. I'm not sure, but I think they might be doing it to purposely annoy each other.... :)

October 17, 2011

pink

My oldest found this t-shirt for me.











October 16, 2011

i want my t-9

Today I switched phones with my middle daughter. She wanted a flip phone again, and I thought it would be good to learn how to text on a QWERTY keyboard so we switched. I can type on a keyboard - I should be able to type on a phone keyboard right? RIGHT?!!!! How long does it take to learn how to type on a damn phone keyboard? I mean really, this is easier than T9 and I learned that.... Geez.

October 15, 2011

family dinner

When the kids were little we used to eat dinner together as a family all the time. Then as they got older and schedules got busier, we ate together less and less. Some nights we would find ourselves eating dinner at 10pm. For a while we actually ate dinner twice - 4pm and 9pm because everyone would be starving between school and sports and I didn't want them snacking on junk.

Tonight, for the first time, I think since school started, the whole family was here for dinner.

it's progress

They added groceries to our Target store. The new frozen food cases have lights that time out and turn off when no one is near them - a huge energy saving feature. So why do I still feel guilty if the lights come on in aisles I don't need when I walk by too close....

October 14, 2011

pacing myself

Nothing interesting or extraordinary. A little bit of work at home. Then an early start to the weekend by cleaning the house and getting dishes and laundry done. Picked the oldest up at school and went to the middle's cross country meet. I even had some time to go for a run with the youngest and watch tv. It reminded me of the very short time when the kids were little and I stayed home with them. What a different pace.

October 13, 2011

yep it's October

I work downtown, about 20 miles form home. When conditions are right, the fog comes in from the lake to the downtown area. This morning the fog covered the tops of most of the buildings. Driving in, the sky went from sunny to overcast in less than a mile - like driving into a dream. By mid-morning the rain rolled in and stuck around all day. The drive back out into the sunlight was beautiful.

October 11, 2011

i can't come to work today...

Part of my life requires me to attend some very formal meetings, like parliamentary procedure formal. This has been challenging for me in many ways for example sitting still, not swearing, and resisting the urge call people names. Every once in a while something will happen that makes me laugh, and unfortunately, that's not really formal-meeting appropriate either. Tonight I had one of those moments. I was mid-sentence when I realized it. You have no idea how hard it was to contain it... worse than the giggles in church.

at least she's good at it

I could start a blog just with pictures of this kid falling asleep in the middle of things....


October 10, 2011

college fair

Tonight my middle daughter and I went to a college fair at school. It was interesting to see how she approached the school reps, what questions she asked, and how she explained what she was thinking about studying. It was a completely different experience than attending college events with my oldest daughter.

It amazes me that all three of my kids have been raised in the same home, and are nothing alike.

It's tradition - you have to....


October 9, 2011

pups

Today was just a regular Sunday; doing wash for the start of the week, grocery shopping, cleaning the toilets. Bet you wish you were me.... Oh, yeah, almost missed the highlight of the day - took the dogs to the dog park.



I have failed as a parent.

I live in the same town I grew up in. My kids go to the same high school I went to. So it was no surprise that our 25th class reunion was held at the favorite hangout a few miles from my house. I had the middle kid drop me off so she could keep the car to go to a friend's and I didn't have to worry about getting home safely. So apparently I have failed as a parent because when she came back to pick me up, she walked in wearing a t-shirt from the rival school, a detail which did not escape my former classmates. I'm not sure, but I think I might have some explaining to do...

long shadows


October 8, 2011

has it been that long?

Tonight was my 25th class reunion. I was talking to one of the spouses, who mentioned something about not knowing any of the people at the party, and I said, "that's ok, neither do I."

Except for the 2-3 close friends I have kept, most of my former classmates are not people I know, even if I was friends with them in high school. There are some that I know about through the magic of Facebook. But most - their families, their jobs, where they live - I know as much about them as I do about some of my neighbors or co-workers. It was really nice to get to know them again - or for the first time.

October 7, 2011

is this what they mean by dog days?

Today I picked my oldest up at school, and we spent the day at home. The weather was beautiful and we ate lunch outside, opened all the windows, and watched Law and Order reruns while napping. I don't remember the last time I had such a  lazy day.

Today's word: Home.

golden day

I spent a few hours driving today, and a lot of it took me through part of the state forest. Everything is yellow and brown, not our usual fall colors, but still so vivid. Maybe the colors are exceptional this year, or maybe they just are to me. Today was one of those days I will remember as content: no rushing, no conflicts, no drama - just a regular day. Today was a golden day.

saving Chip

My oldest daughter moved about an hour away to college over the summer (more on that later - lots more). She texted me at work today and asked if I could call her as soon as I got a chance. I knew it wasn't an emergency but was important, so as soon as my meeting was over I called.

Turns out she found a chipmunk on campus with a broken paw, so she scooped it up and put it in a box of blankets and took it to her dorm room. She called several vets in the small town, but none were equipped to deal with wild animals. She finally reached a wild animal rescue an hour away who could take it but could not come to pick it up, and she is car-less.

Through the years we have had numerous small creatures, and have been late for school and important meetings to capture stray dogs and return wandering turtles to the pond. There was really no debate. I was driving an hour to pick up Chip, and take him to the vet, another hour away. Unfortunately, Chip didn't make it, and he is now buried in the yard with our family pets. But it makes me happy that my kids realize the value of a life - of any kind, and will go out of their way to save one - even a little, scruffy one.

i don't run

I have never been a runner. When I had PT tests and stuff for the fire department, I always came in right at the time limit; if we had to run an 8 minute mile I did it in 7:58. The longest I ever ran in one single stretch was a mile and a half. Ever, in my whole life.

This summer I decided to start running so that instead of dropping my middle daughter off at cross country practice I could stay and work out too, maybe even participate in one of the community run/walks they do during the year. Well I made the mistake of mentioning this to the kids, and the oldest asked, "so which run did you sign up for?" I had a lot of excuses. She was relentless.

I decided I better find a training plan and get going. There seemed to be two choices (other than "just run"). Both plans were based on running for a set amount, then walking for a set amount - then repeating and increasing the intensity. And that's where I got stuck. Did I want the plan that went by miles? What if I added a quarter mile each week like it said but couldn't do the whole 5k by the event? If I chose the plan that went by time, what if I built up my time to run for 40 minutes, but that turned out to be only 2 miles? All you runners are rolling your eyes and laughing at my dilemma - just like my sister did.

I decided I needed to map out a 5K and go running. I really had no concept of how far that was to run or how fast I could walk it. Turns out, I was worrying over nothing. Not only did I run the whole thing, I did 3 miles in 36 minutes... 12-13 minute miles. A few weeks of that, and I'll be all set to go for the November event. And I found out I actually kind of LIKE running.

October 3, 2011

it's so quiet

About a year ago I tried something we'll call the Wake Up Early Experiment. This experiment started because of a beautiful idea about enjoying a cup of coffee while getting a few things done in the peacefulness of the early morning - from Remodeling this Life in last year's 31 Days of Living Simply.

Anyone who knows me can predict how this went: Wake Up Early - Attempt 1 and Wake Up Early - Attempt 2. The experiment was canceled at the request of all involved.

Just a year later, and I have been waking up at 5:00 am for a whole month. And it is nice. The house is quiet. Better yet, the neighborhood is quiet, so I can sit outside with the dogs or go for a run - alone.

Funny how sometimes when you stop trying so hard, some things get easier.

October 2, 2011

sorting through the stash

The last few weeks I have completed some of the things on my gigantic to do list. Just this week I am finding some space in my life to think again.

Maybe it was sorting through the quilt fabric and craft supplies, or deciding if whether to keep or refurbish the worn out garden art. And maybe it is just this time of year - you know all the crayons and glue floating around. Whatever.

October 1, 2011

31 Days of Words


One of the best ways to build a habit is to commit to repeating the activity every day. So, I thought participating in the 31 Days series would be a great way to get back into blogging mode again. The concept is simple... pick a topic and blog about it for 31 days. Check out all the 31 Day participants at The Inspired Room.

Welcome to my 31 Days of Words. Not new super-smarty pants words, not the four letter ones either. Just a word that describes my day. Simple and manageable - another key to successful habit-building.

Want to see the whole month in one place?

September 30, 2011

fall cleaning

 Well THAT took longer than I thought.

I thought I would just put a few things away, and wound up spending the better part of September cleaning, purging, and organizing. Everything. Closets, cupboards, email, bills - everything. I don't think well and have a hard time focusing when the thing in my life get out of control. This is probably the the reason I like minimalist style and blogs about organizing.

September 26, 2011

a two-fer

Ha. I dropped my youngest off at physical therapy, drove to the dealership for car maintenance, and paid the bills by phone before picking her up again. I love when multi-tasking works out.

September 23, 2011

wish i had one....

So, middle daughter babysat for my sister's kids today. I dropped her off while running some errands and they said they's bring her back. My 16 year old, who has had her license less than 2 months, and has never driven stick,  arrived home, driving my brother-in-law's Miata. And the best uncle award goes to....

September 15, 2011

but it's for children

The youngest saw a commercial on tv... a fishing fundraiser for children's cancer. "Ironic", she said, "Let's kill fish for children."

September 11, 2011

my commute home today

On my bike ride home today I snapped this. All the bridges downtown have flags in remembrance of 9-11.


September 9, 2011

like mother, like daughter

Tonight I told the youngest it was time for bed, and she said she still had Spanish homework to do. I asked why she had been shooting around in the driveway for an hour if she still had homework. She replied, "I'm a procrastinator. It's what I do."

September 5, 2011

I can't believe it....

I haven't posted in so long, and yet I still have visitors. And people asking me when I'm gonna start writing again. Or if I died. Life has been crazy here - I'll circle back around and explain later - for now my goal is to get all those things I have been scribbling on receipts and napkins posted where they belong. Things they are a changin' - better check back often....

all set for the first day of school


August 31, 2011

move in day

Today we were moving the oldest into her dorm at college. Some of the other parents on the floor were rushing around to get to the introductory parent meeting. Ten minutes before the meeting, her roommate's parents asked if we were going to the 1pm or 3pm parent meeting.

"Ah, well, um, it's just that we usually skip those kinds of things."

Yep, bad parent award again.

August 30, 2011

all loaded up and ready to go

Somehow, her 45 minute college drive seemed shorter before we got all her stuff loaded into the car...



August 28, 2011

last of summer

This week, the youngest learned to wake board. The first day or two looked something like this....


August 16, 2011

NY time is different

We left New York today on a 6am flight, which meant a 4am cab ride. By the time we got back home, we were exhausted. We did a few things around the house to get ready for work and practice tomorrow. We all drifted off in the family room sometime in the afternoon.

The middle kid rolled over and asked, "What time is it?"
"5 o'clock," I replied.
"AM?" she asked
"No, sweetie. Dinner time."

"Oh." And she rolled over and went back to sleep, and slept through the night.

August 15, 2011

back again

For her 18th birthday we surprised my oldest daughter with a family trip to New York. We debated that for a long time - we have to plan way ahead to save for something like that. And we knew if we did an 18th b-day trip, we were committing to two more. We decided that we will only get one chance to do it, and we should. So glad we did.


August 10, 2011

they all rolled over and...

The oldest and her friends are all making the most of their time together before they go off to school - they were all so tired....


August 9, 2011

my commute home today

My bike route home from work cuts right through the midway of the state fair grounds!


August 4, 2011

just play along ok?



The middle daughter wanted to go to a concert in town, but the venue is in a dicey neighborhood - a parent-on-site kind of area. None of the other parents wanted to chaperone, so being the great parent I am, I took one for the team.

Ok, the real story is that I listen to alternative music too, and this was the perfect excuse to go to an awesome concert: The Summer Set, Downtown Fiction, Hot Chelle Rae, and We the Kings. And the other parents still think they owe me.... :)

asleep at the wheel

My middle daughter took her driving test today. We were not able to get an appointment at the two testing stations near us for like, a decade. Fortunately, one testing station added some super-early appointment slots. She was worried about it being an area she hadn't done any practice driving in.

As we were leaving (she was successful) she was telling me about the test. "...and Mom, the tester was sleeping, like legitimately sleeping. Snoring and everything. I just drove really smooth so I wouldn't wake him up."

Well that's one way to do it....

July 31, 2011

beach bums

Although Lake Michigan is just a few minutes away, we never seem to spend much time there. Today, the middle kid and I were driving around (getting ready for her driving test) and we found ourselves near the lake. We wandered down some rock paths to the beach, and got some beautiful photos.


July 28, 2011

like it was yesterday

Happy 16th b-day to the middle kid! I would feel bad that she made her own cake, but the decorating kit was a birthday gift.


July 15, 2011

beware of your sisters.

The youngest found out through Facebook that her older, adult brother has a girlfriend. When he stopped over today, did he get grilled!

"Come on, tell me the deets. Where did you meet her? What does she do? And why is this the first I'm hearing about this? I already creeped her on Facebook, so you better tell the truth."


Rule #1 - When you have 5 sisters, it's better to tell them things yourself than if they find out on Facebook.

June 29, 2011

better get going on that....

My middle daughter has a giant dry erase board in her room. She and her girlfriends made a list of the things they want to do this summer. Seems ambitious....


June 18, 2011

photos, please

Last year my camera broke, and I didn't replace it right away because I have a camera on my phone, and my kids have cameras and take tons of pictures. My oldest daughter bought me a new one last Christmas. I take it everywhere with me, but I hadn't realized how attached I had become until I had to send it out for repairs that took a few weeks. And now I have it back. :)

June 11, 2011

Graduation

Our oldest graduated from high school today. Way to go!


June 10, 2011

the golf cart?

My oldest got into the car today after school and said, "My last day of school and I got to drive the golf cart!"
"The golf cart? Really?"
"Yep. That was the last thing left on my high school bucket list!"

High school bucket list? You rock kid.

May 25, 2011

what a blast (from the past)!

Tonight my BFF crossed off something that was on her bucket list - and I got to be part of it. Our first "real" concert without parents was Rick Springfield at Alpine Valley. Man he was HOT. Turns out, he still is.


May 24, 2011

anyone else wearing lunch today?

So I was making lunches today and got strawberry juice on my shirt. I debated going upstairs to change and decided not, because changing my shirt would mean changing my pants and sweater too, and I only have brown pants clean and non-wrinkled, and don't feel like wearing brown shoes today. Besides, my manager spent a whole day wearing pants with baby barf on them last week  - AND NO ONE EVEN NOTICED.

I love working with other moms.

May 7, 2011

Maybe with a coat of paint....

I stopped at Goodwill to look for a cabinet or dresser I can turn into a TV stand. Now I know where all the discarded country peg shelves have gone. I think I still have one in the garage attic.

May 6, 2011

I'm saving that for later....

The past couple of weeks the kids have been crazy-busy, and I haven't been as strict about making them put their stuff away (as if I was ever strict about it). The dogs have noticed and started taking the leftover lunches out of the kids backpacks. But instead of their usual MO, they have been hiding things in the plants and baskets around the house. Last week I found three packages of goldfish crackers and an apple while I was cleaning up, today this - a package of croutons from the kitchen cupboard, and a stuffed animal from the middle daughter's bedroom.

May 4, 2011

why do we live here again?

Wisconsin. Where blankets are perfectly acceptable outerwear fashion for May, and any outdoor sporting event without snow is considered "nice".

May 3, 2011

How I Spent My Spring Break....

While everyone else we know went to Florida, we stayed here in Wisconsin watching it rain/sleet/hail/snow. At least we can check off one home improvement project.

Before

After

April 19, 2011

what's one more

We are pet-sitting this week for my sister who is in Florida for spring break. I was worried about how our dogs would get along. But even Nike the crazy dog is ok with it.

April 18, 2011

Breakfast Milk

My kids are not a breakfast eaters on school mornings, and I never was as a kid either. My kids love Starbucks and chocolate milk so I figured mixed strong, over ice, they might drink Carnation Instant Breakfast. Score one for mom - two of the three like it.

This morning I mixed myself a travel container, but forgot it in the fridge. My middle daughter came home from practice, opened the fridge, and said, "Is that breakfast milk? Can I drink it!"

Hooray for Breakfast Milk!

April 13, 2011

Boston

This past weekend, I went to Boston with my two oldest girls on a music trip. We saw the JFK Museum, Bunker Hill, and Harvard. We had the most amazing pasta primavera, cupcakes, and bakery - ever. And we got to spend some quality time with Medford's finest while they rescued nine of our kids from the elevator when it got stuck between floors. Now that's a vacation!

April 6, 2011

Thunder dog

We had one of the first thunderstorms of the spring. Neither dog likes thunder, but Nike, the crazy dog, is petrified. Since the crate was already taken, she found the next best place she could to wait it out....