Happy Father’s Day 2010 to daddy

And Grandpa!!  

After all is IS Friday…but anyway

And since it IS Friday, Mrs. 4444 is once again hosting Friday Fragments to rid you of all that little stuff and clear the way for…..well, probably more stuff to clutter up your mind. But anyway….

• Holy cow, this week came and went without me posting.  Or so I thought.  I had that little thingy at the beginning of the week about the birthday party then I just went AWOL.  One would think I did something constructive.  Nope, not really.  But anyway…
• Oh, yeah, I DID donate blood.  That’s something I’ve never done before.  I did not pass out.  AM was pretty sure I would.  I think she was secretly hoping for something exciting to happen. She did sit with me and watch the whole process, pretty brave for an 8-yr-old.
• I stumbled across a blog by Teresa Strasser (of TLC’s “While You Were Out” among other things).  She’s really funny, bad language and all.
• Both older kids started their softball and T-ball practices this week.  The rest of the team started last week I guess, but my head was in my…well…they made it to practice this week.  But anyway…
• I already SOLD TWO of my neat camera strap covers, so I will be sewing some more this weekend.  You want one, right??  Come on over to my Etsy shop!!
• I zipped up north (yes, I can still go further north from here without quite hitting Canada) to see some relatives.  They were visiting all the way from Wisconsin, so I figured the least I could do was road trip the 2 hours to see them.  We stayed at a hotel with a mini waterpark and once the kids were in bed (poolside room) we sat in the hot tub and had drinks.  Ahhh…… (Hopefully the hotel manager didn’t notice 3 adults and 6 kids pile out of a double occupancy room in the morning. Did I mention I’m also cheap?  It helps when you’re poor…but anyway…)
• Made my hubby a sweet costume for his National Guard’s annual training annual theme party.  They always dress up for the theme, this year’s was your favorite decade.  I saw lots of Facebook shots of hippies and 80’s outfits.  Hubby decided to dress like the 1770’s, complete with powdered wig and knee length pants.  I sewed his vest and pants and made a ruffled collar.  I need pictures and no one seems to have posted any to Facebook yet (my only connection while he’s away apparently!).  Rest assured, as soon as he’s home I’ll post.
• I had the kids wash the van.  Nice job, right?  Then in rained anyway. 

• I cut AM’s hair.  Maybe I should have been cleaning off the counter instead, but anyway…
• I’d better start making it look like I DID do something with myself this week.  Like clean the house, do some laundry, shower…..but anyway…..Have a great weekend!!

Hop on!!!

Weekend Birthday Party

I took time in between working 12 hour night shifts and trying to sleep to take the kids to their cousin’s 5th birthday party.  It was warm and windy, like most days around here.  Cousin L received tons of Legos and we all had a fun time eating and visiting.  JC even got to have his own (chocolate) cupcake.  Not sure what I was thinking, but he loved it.  Then cried at me when it was gone! (and yes, I’m aware of his hair… I’m working up the strength to cut it)

PM, smiling.  That’s a good thing, because within five minutes of being at the park she had wiped out and skinned her knee.  She got over it fairly quickly.  Its funny how different my girls are.  PM loves her dresses and smiles so nicely for the camera.  Then there’s her big sister….

Every face was her growling at the camera.  AM’s cousin T is just 2 months younger.  They always get along so well even though they have very different tastes sometimes, they’re still silly 8-year-olds.

 

MD and the birthday boy L are about a year and a half apart, but being boys, age doesn’t matter so much.  I really think L’s obsession with Legos was kicked into high gear when we spent a week at their house this winter.  MD brought an entire suitcase of Legos to play with.

It was a nice time, and worth the sacrifice of some sleep.  I wish we could have partied a little longer!!

Friday Fragments

It’s FINALLY FRIDAY!!!  Flush the fragments floating in your frontal lobe to facilitate a fabulous Friday full of fun, festivity, and function. Well, minimal function anyway.  Mrs. 4444 hosts Friday Fragments just for us!!!

• I got some new shoes!! Those cool rocker-bottom kind that are supposed to exercise your thighs and butt into shape just by walking around.  I put them on and I didn’t feel any different.  I wore them all day, around the house, on a walk, to school with the kids…. no problem.  I was wondering if they actually work.  I got my answer the next morning.  My butt felt sore. My butt. My thighs. My calves.  It felt like…well… like I exercised or something.
• I like watching Phineas and Ferb, but don’t tell my kids….

• JC used his Go-Go-Gadget arms to reach an empty beer bottle I had sitting on the counter.  At least I thought it was empty, until he was slugging down the last sip and spilling it on his shirt.  I immediately decided it was bath time as we were planning on going to Grandma’s that night.  The last thing I need it to show up with a baby reeking of beer.  “Hope he sleeps well for you!!!” Just trying to maintain my Mom Of The Year status!
• I didn’t see Grey’s Anatomy last night.  I’m about a season behind, so you all just shut it until I get caught up, mmm’kay?
• I’m preparing myself for a movie I want to see soon.  One involving the undead and shape shifters and stuff.  No, not the HBO one….the other one.  Why hasn’t anyone said the HBO one is just an adult sexed up swearing version of the teen version?  Do you get what I’m saying here??? I feel like I’ve read these Sookie books before, only there was a lot more teen angst going on.  I hope these adult books end differently….
• So I was putting fresh clean line-dried pillow cases on my pillows and noticed that one set of pillows has tags on both ends.  WTH???  How am I supposed to decide which end to stuff into the case first?  I was really thrown.  So I ripped one set off.  Problem solved.  I shouldn’t get so worked up.
• A shot of AM as a Rat in the Pied Piper…
• I’ve been trying to be good and eat healthy, but I slip up sometimes.  Like chowing down an entire order of Mozzarella sticks from DQ while they are still too hot.  I call it “Diner’s Remorse”. 
• So we climbed into the van to leave for the Youth run last night.  It had been about 75-80 degrees all day.  The vas smelled like…welll….ass.  I blamed the kids on their reluctance to throw out all their fast food wrappers even when I asked them repeatedly.  I gave them a lecture.  It wasn’t until I was sitting in the driver’s seat that I noticed it.  The crock pot.  From Saturday night at work.  Dirty. In. The. Sun. My bad.
• The two big kids ran the Fargo Youth Run 1/2 mile (the Fargo Marathon is Saturday morning, and its actually accredited to be a Boston Marathon qualifier!).  PM was disappointed that she didn’t run, a few of her friends we know that are her age did run.  She wants badly to do what the other kids are doing, and especially what her big siblings do.  I saw a few wheel chairs (powered by parents) in the mix, but she doesn’t need a chair.  She just can’t run.  I am going to look into some way for her to participate next year.  When I Twittered about it, Barbara at TherExtras mentioned adapted bikes…. research time.  Anyway, here’s our newest medal winners:

• I didn’t realize until the pictures that I gave MD the wrong number to wear.  I had a matching one for each kid in case I wanted to run with them, and at the end we couldn’t collect them without the matching number.  Cool.
• I am doing the 5k tonight with my mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and nephews.  (By “doing” I mean walking briskly.)  I decided to take the little kids in our big bike stroller/trailer thing.  It has bike tires and pushes easily.  Plus there’s room for two and snacks.  My snacks perhaps.  My brothers-in-law are running the half marathon Saturday morning.  No thanks on that!
• Don’t forget to enter to win a $200 gift card from BlogHer and Flip Video just by sharing a moment you wish you’d had a video camera.  It’s my first big giveaway, so please stop by!!!  My ad-free review blog is “All That Other Stuff…”

Friday Fragments

Yaay! Friday is here once again! Mrs. 4444 invites us to purge our minds for the weekend by posting all those little things too small for a post, too cool to throw away!  Visit all the Fragmenters at Half Past Kissin’ Time!

• This week was our little town’s clean up week.  I was excited to “curb shop” two neat old high back dining chairs.  I plan on painting them and re-upholstering the seats so I can use them for photos!
• AM’s girl scout troop learned how to sew.  We threaded needles and stitched pieces of fabric together, then used machines to make their own sashes.  It was pretty fun to get them going on these.  I think sewing is kind of a lost art, so it would be nice to get these girls comfortable at least being able to do small things.
• I gotta clean my house some more.  I know this is a common theme in my fragments, but its getting crazy around here.  I feel like we’re months away from a “Hoarders” intervention.  OK, maybe not quite that soon, but I can see us heading in that direction.  I need to purge this house in a big way.  I wish I had a professional organizer and motivator to stand here!!!  I wish I had the cash to go buy all the cool bins and baskets I would like to have to keep everything neat.  I need some good organization tips that don’t cost a lot!! Help!!!!
• PM quote of the week as she puts on her sister’s bath robe and examines her new look.  “Um, now it looks like I need to makes pancakes.”
• The big kids’ Spring Concert was last night.  They did a nice job singing their songs on a set of risers in the gym.  You remember, right?  They always tell you not to lock your knees so you won’t faint or fall.  MD, kindergarten, was on the first row riser so he had no where to go.  No, he didn’t pass out, but he kept goofing off and making faces and waving his arms around as if he were directing.  I kept hearing giggles from the audience as he “performed”.  I was a bit embarrassed, but not terribly surprised.  I would have said more, but his actions were really a blessing in disguise.  While he was doing his thing, he distracted most of the audience from noticing the poor little guy in the second row on the left vomit on his own shoes.  Very few people knew what had happened until they finished the song and cleared out the kids for a quick magic-sawdust cleanup.
• After the post I did yesterday, I decided it was worth finding the time to slap on a little make-up for the school concert last night.  So here’s a new pictures of how well I clean up (also, I’ve colored my hair since that last picture was taken a week and a half ago, somehow I think new color improves everything!).  OK, still wearing a hoodie, but I think this is as much effort I can put in on a school night!

Not bad, as long as I’m prepared for it :)

• Like most moms, I pack for any outing.  Over pack usually.  I stashed a bottle (not pictured!) for JC, as well as my iPod loaded with a few SpongeBob episodes (this usually appeases JC “Naughty” the 18-month-old), cereal snacks, gum….and as it turned out I forgot to UN-pack my book.  I was done with it anyway, I just hadn’t thought to remove it before we left.  I set my bag between my seat and my Mother-in-Law’s as we listened to the concert.  As you see below, plainly visible book.  I have a feeling my uber-Christian conservative MIL was silently praying for my return from the dark side.  She didn’t say anything,  but she usually saves that sort of stuff up for a full on intervention at a later date.  Time will tell…

• One last thing!!!  May is Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month!!  Our 3-year-old PM is a stroke survivor.  I also introduced you to another friend, Brendon.  You can read about him in my post Brendon’s Smile!!  Remember: kids have strokes, babies have strokes, even the unborn can have a stroke!!

Hey, it’s a blog hop, so I’m giving the code a go…JOIN IN!!!

Why my husband should really start his own blog….

This is the hubby’s “25 Random Things” meme that he filled out.  It says an awful lot about him, and it makes me laugh.  Enjoy…

1. I was born at noon on a Tuesday, November 17th, 1970 at St. Lukes Hospital which is now MeritCare. I share the same birth date as Danny Devito, Daisy Fuentes, Sophie Marceau, and Stephen Root (Milton from Officespace, and the voice of Bill from King Of The Hill).
2. I first realized wasn't gay during an episode of Charlie's Angels. I was seven, it was a shock--i thought i was broken.
3. Also when I was seven, I rode my bike across town to Stephen's, Adam's or Joel's house. My oldest, Aria is seven. There is no way I would let her ride her bike across town to a friend's house.
4. I'm far too sensitive. My feelings are hurt very easily. I'm also very forgiving--which I guess is a good quality to have if one's too sensitive.
5. If at all possible, I like to try to get into tv shows that have been out for a while so i can watch them on DVD without commercial breaks. i really really really hate commercials. Right Now I'm watching Grey's Anatomy. After Grey's anatomy, it'll be Desperate Housewives, Pushing Daisies, Deadwood, and Carnivale. Yeah, I know, Deadwood and Carnivale are HBO shows and have no commercials. Also, I want to watch Bury My Heat At Wounded Knee.
6. I believe in almost anything paranormal. Ghosts?...yup. UFO's?....yup. The Loch Ness Monster?...yup. Crops Circles, Moth-man, chupacabra, the Bermuda Triangle, the Dragon's Triangle, ESP, Remote Viewing, Psionic Abilities, Prophets and prophesy, the scientific study of fate, Roswell, Area 51, Stolen, found or acquired alien technology, the JFK Conspiracy, the UFO cover-up conspiracy, The Illuminati, Secret Societies, Bigfoot, Yeti, Sasquatch, Cryptozoology...yup, yup, yup, a 1000 times yup. Reincarnation?.....maybe. I just can't bring myself to disregard a lifetime of religious understanding.
7. When I was a junior in high school, I 'fudged' my science-fair project. By fudged, i mean completely fabricated. I was SUPPOSED to photograph sunspots through my telescope, but like any high school kid forced to study a subject he or she absolutely hates, I skillfully procrastinated my responsibilities and found myself staring an 'F' in the face two days before the High School Science Fair. So, as a back up plan, which is to say, 'slamming the panic button', I drew sunspots on a white construction-paper cutout of the sun. I set it on a background of black construction paper to simulate space. My friend and I took pictures slightly out of focus and had my friend develop them at his work at the local newspaper. I ended up going to the regional science fair and getting the Army Award of Excellence presented me by Captain Illa La Chapella. My conspiratorial friend is still mad at me. Mostly I think it's because he didn't get an ward. I kept it because back then I didn't understand personal integrity. Also, I think I deserved the award for my rapid-fire creativity.
8. My wife and I have the uncanny ability to listen to a song we love over and over and over and over...without getting sick of it.
9. Because I'm a DJ, people are always trying to get me to listen to their music. You know the type. They vomit lists of 'fringe' groups that can't make it on the national scene, which usually are under-produced, poorly mixed, hippy-types that either write a good lyric, rip a decent guitar-riff, or are 'pioneering a new sound.' It's almost always crap. I almost always hate it. But I still smile and tell them it's awesome.
10. I have a 2003 100th anniversary edition Harley Davidson 1200 Sporty. It was my 'Welcome Home Alive' gift from my wife.
11. I believe in the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution--the right to keep and bear arms. This doesn't make me a gun-nut, survivalist, member of a hate-group, or terrorist. This simply makes me the homeowner whose house you don't want to break into.
12. I've been to Mexico, Canada, England, Ireland, Germany (sort of), Turkey (sort of), Qatar, Afghanistan, Pakistan (unintentionally, and twice, by the way), and Kyrgistan. Mexico, Canada, and England are the only countries I've visited that weren't a result of the war.
13. I follow three tennets in life: Never trust a skinny cook, Never love a woman who kisses with her eyes open, and always follow a fat hunter. Either you'll understand these or you won't. If you do, we've probably had similar experiences.
14. I love computer games of all types, console, computer, handheld--love, love, love them. If I lived in an alternate reality where I didn't have a wife and kids, I would happily spend my free time wasting my life saving digital worlds from demons, monsters, aliens, villains, mutants, zombies, skeletons, warriors, warlords, barbarians, sorcerers, witches, wizards, dragons, armies, hoards ....blah...blah....blah...and in the background of THIS reality, Mel, my wife, laughs and whispers 'Nerd!'.....now you see why I fantasize of my alternate reality.
15. I love my wife dearly, but I've discovered that of all her talents, singing really isn't her forte. I scream aloud in my head. Or imagine loud noises--like standing inside of a large bell as it tolls or a Chinese New Year's celebration. Anything loud. Really, really loud. Sometimes I'll ask her a question, you know, a tactical diversion. She usually keeps singing until she doesn't remember the words then looks at me and says 'what?'
16. I've owned some awesome cars in my life.
My Awesome Cars List: 1962 3/4-ton Chevy pickup, a 1969 Pontiac Lemans 2-Door muscle car, a 1976 Cobra II Mustang (the Farrah Fawcett car from Charlie's Angels), a 1956 Buick Special, a 1979 Plymouth Trailduster 4x4 2-Door with a removable hard-top, a 1971 Oldsmobile Delta Royale 2-Door convertible with a 455c.i. Rocket, and a 1997 Geo Metro (shut up, I include this in my 'awesome cars' list because it's what I currently drive).
17. Peanut Butter and Jelly isn't just a kid's lunch. It's a breakfast, snack, dinner or entree.
18. In Afghanistan, when we based out of FOB Warrior, we drew rations from the chow hall to cook for ourselves in the field because our MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) froze. Among the dishes I prepared for our squads were Shepherd's Pie, Steamed and Rolled Tacos, Oofda Tacos, Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, and Grilled Steaks. The Afghanis called me Ashpaz, which is Pashtu for cook.
19. I've killed people in combat.
20. I hate kid's programming. My threshold of pain for Dora the Explorer is about 2.6 minutes. 2.6 seconds if I'm hung over.
21. I believe in a modest wardrobe. I have two pair of work slacks and four shirts. My summer wardrobe is about the same. I also believe in 'wearing twice, washing once.' Going green and saving the world one load of laundry at a time! (Actually, as I'm finding out, I'm probably just lazy)
22. Sometimes Sailor Jerry is my best friend.
23. I have a dream of starting my own business. It's a well planned and unique idea--it could be awesome. But I'm afraid of the economy, the Obama Administration's tax policies, and jeopardizing my family's security and financial welfare on a gamble.
24. I love giving and getting hugs. The longer the better.
25. It's cliche, I know, but in the 38 years of living on this earth, the only thing I know for sure is that life is short. Even shorter of you're a plate of frosted sugar cookies on my kitchen counter.

Happy Father’s Day!

By the way, you didn’t see this picture.  I didn’t sneak around the corner of the deck and shoot it on the sly. 

First Weekend of "Summer"

School here is officially done. We had the best day on Sunday. After church, we started up the grill and Daddy made us Asian Barbeque Pork, Ranch Burgers, and Italian marinated chicken. He also made a cold cucumber salad. YUM! We hung out in the yard all afternoon. The kids played, JC parked himself on a blanket and we tried to keep him from eating the grass. I took my laptop outside and played music for us. The adults had adult beverages, the kids had kid beverages. We ate food as it came off the grill, never really assembling inside, just stealing from a kabob as it was cooling. The sun was out, the wind was relatively still. It was fantastic. I also took my 10,000th picture with my little Canon Rebel. Can you imagine?? Anyway, here it is....

Am - minus 3 teeth.

Happy Memorial Day. Thank you veterans, including my husband, who keep this country safe. I found these photos of my hubby in Afghanistan. Thought you'd be interested...

( ^ He's the grouchy one middle right! )

Presumably e-mailing me....ha ha!

Who's Your Daddy?

I guess that's never really been a question, but here is the definitive answer. Grandma is holding JC, next to a photo of Daddy at the same age. At least we know what he'll look like when he grows up.

And because the cuteness does not stop...

Grandma and Cousin T (AM's twin?) with JC

Cousin B & JC

Fragment Friday - Visits and stuff

Fragment Friday - all the stuff too good not to mention. See lots of other fragments at Half Past Kissin' Time!

• My cousin brought her kiddos over on their way back to Wisconsin. These are all the current "great-grands", and they're all ours. We have tons of cousins, older and younger, but so far she and I are the only two providing Grandma with any greats! The funny thing is some of our cousins are younger than our own kids. We had a good time and I wish they could have stayed a few days instead of a few hours. Maybe this summer....
• I made lentil stew and it was super yummy. Well, if you ask me it was. Don't ask the kids.
• My house is still a mess, what else is new.
• I have made good on my threats - before Daddy gets back PM will be potty trained and JC will have teeth. PM has only worn 2 diapers (night time) in the last 2 days and I have not cleaned up one accident. Let me rephrase that, I had not NEEDED to clean up any accidents. Poop included.
• MDx's school has been closed for the last several days due to the town being nearly underwater. I truly hope they get up and running again soon. MAN can 5-year-olds TALK!! I remember being concerned that he wasn't.....
• I like booking weddings for the summer. So far I have only two, but I tend to get a few last-minute ones as well.
• I am this close <------> (see?!) to buying my first stash of cloth diapers. Any input from you cloth mommys would be appreciated :)

A Thousand Words Thursday - Grandpa

See more ATWT photos at Cheaper Than Therapy

Grandpa always knows how to make J laugh. He obviously enjoys this. J does, too!

Also, this is DH's dad...so this pic is a little taste of what I'm in store for! Did I just say that??

Busy Busy

Sorry I've been ignoring this blog somewhat. I've been trying to get all the Christmas photos done. It's nice to have the business, but I think it's at the expense of my house. I'm not a fantastic housekeeper, but it has been particularly disaster-like around here. Trying to get the kids to help is like pulling teeth. What I need it to have Steve tell the kids to do stuff, they listen to him on the first try instead of me following behind them "clean up, clean up, clean up!" He says I need to channel my inner Drill Sergeant.

I am excited, however, that my sister-in-law asked me to do their photos this year. I've only been married for 8 years and a photographer the entire time, but this is the first year any of my in-law family has asked for Christmas cards. I also did one for my new cousin...it's funny to have cousins the same age as my own children. The Iversons and Fraases do produce some very cute kids, tho!

My Niece and Nephew

My sweetie pie cousin

Our Week In Wisconsin....

It's been SO long since I posted here!! We spent a week in WI with the family. It was so much fun...I wish we could have stayed longer! It was nice to see everyone, some we haven't seen since Christmas or even last fall!! I want to thank everyone who put up with us and fed and housed us! I love all of you guys!

At the Betty Brynn Kids museum

New cousin baby S.

Wind Point Lighthouse in Racine

Snape's serves EVERYONE???

HI, we're not really tourists!

A Week In Wisconsin...

Uncle K & Aunt V's new puppies

How awesome is this?

Lake Michigan in the morning

M.D., A.M., & J2 (J1 would be his older brother!)