More pictures from the weekend...


We went to watch The Wiggles here at PSU. The kids loved it, and couldn't believe it was the REAL Wiggles. The light sticks they couldn't live without, and "Aunt Tico" bought them some. It was fun to hear them call her Aunt Tico, even though I call her Keeko. Everytime they said it, we just laughed. This is the first time they are really old enough to call her anything, so I wonder if it will stick.

After The Wiggles show, we ate a dinner of Chinese and vegetarian sushi downtown, and went to watch the Homecoming parade. The college kids saw us coming with the wagon, and let us right up front! The students are very good about the kids - if we are going somewhere and holding the students up, they are very patient, smile at the kids, etc. I hope they are just as polite to senior citizens. Living in a college town certainly has it's advantages...

Mikey's Soccer Game

Mikey's soccer season is ending this weekend. He has had so much fun, and we have had so much fun watching him! Katherine and Stella came up for the weekend, so she took this picture. I'll post more of her good ones, since mine are still not so clear. On the happy side, I DID get a digital camera for my birthday (thanks, Chris!!), so I just need to learn how to use it. Here are some more pictures from our weekend. It is wonderful having my sister back in my life. OK, bookclub, you can quit with the "aawwwww......." ;-)

We had a great time at the game on Sat. - The weather was perfect!

Hello??

Who out there is in Catasauqua, PA??

Fall has arrived!!

Here is our wonderful house on our wonderful street with the wonderful leaves. Lots of leaves. Lots of leaves to rake. The kids love them.








Mikey loves jumping in them, Molly likes walking through them. They like the sounds of them. Isn't that the best part of fall? Well, besides college football....hee hee


I watched a friend have incredible strength today. Our friend from college, Todd Humble, died of a heart attack last week. The viewing was last night, and the funeral was today. I was in awe of Gina and how well she handled everything. It made me wonder, could I have done that? Would I have handled that the same way? Is that what I would do? It made me thankful that I don't have to answer those questions yet.

If there is any good that came out of today, it is that the Drill Team realized we need to do better at keeping in touch and seeing each other. Time is precious, and so are friends. We need to treasure both.

Five Weird Things About Me

I was tagged by Erin to come up with 5 weird things about me, so here goes:

1. I am actually very shy. OK, go ahead and laugh. I hate walking into a room full of ppl I don't know, desperately wanting to make a new friend. I put on a good front, and laugh a lot. My shyness sometimes comes across as being aloof. I am NOT aloof. ;-)

2. I can only clean and do dishes with rubber gloves on. My skin is really sensitive to water, so I rarely take a bath, just showers. Therefore, if I am ever over to visit and you want help with the dishes, I'll happily dry, or hand over some gloves!

3. Talents? NONE I don't have a single talent in the world. I have God-given gifts, like teaching, but if I had to be in a talent show, I couldn't do anything but stand there.

4. I'm scared of heights. Won't even sleep on the top bunk. I have sat at the top of Beaver Stadium, but didn't like it. I have this feeling that I will either fall or be pushed, and that will be the end of me.

5. I can bake up a storm, but can't cook at all with no recipe. If my family could eat baked goods for dinner, we'd be in good shape. Well, actually, we'd be in HORRIBLE shape. Thank goodness Chris can whip up a quick dinner.

Our big trip

Last weekend we went to Richmond, VA to see Heather. I hadn't seen her in over two years, and she had never met either of my kids, so we were both pretty excited, to say the least. It's amazing to think we talk at least a few times a day, and she had never met them in person. So, we loaded the car, stopped for gas and a coffee, and realized the DVD player was broken. It is almost 400 miles to get there, so we went across the street to Best Buy and bought a new one. JUST what Chris wanted to buy this month...but it is easier than not having it for such a long trip.

We were off. We had a crummy atlas, but it got us there. It rained a lot of the time, there were two tractor-trailor accidents in I-81, and total, it took us almost 9 hours to get there. We were SO ready to get out of that Blazer! Rebecca immediately wanted to read to my kids, but I told her they may not want to sit for a story right away. They were so enthralled with her reading, they just sat in the recliner and listened to the whole story. Mikey thought the sun rose and set on Rebecca all weekend, and Hayden played well with the kids, too. Hayden, Molly and Mikey played Hide-and-Seek for at least an hour on Sat. afternoon! Here is a picture of Hayden and Molly hiding together:




We just had fun BEING together. The guys took the kids to lunch and a nature reserve while we went shopping and out for lunch together, and then we played at home with the kids while the guys went out for a beer and some nachos. It was fun to just hang out. We ate, put the kids to bed, watched a little football, and laughed together. Here is the birthday cake Heather had for me a week early, and Rebecca had even made me a cute card.

The trip home was easier - pretty weather, I bought a new atlas (even though we went to same way!), we didn't have the accidents to deal with, and everyone was just happier in general. I can't wait to go again, or to have them come up here!

Leaves

Ben and Pia came over to play with us last week, so of course, Christy came out and we all ended up in the leaves. The kids love hearing the sound of them as they crawl in them, walk in them, throw them, and rake them. Reminds me of the time I got in trouble with the campus police because I was sitting in a pile of leaves on campus. Except I was 20 or 21, not 3 or 4. Leaves are just the best. I'll post more pictures as the leaves continue to change here on Pickwick Avenue.

Lurkers

Leave a comment! I would love to know who is checking in from Australia, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio, Minnesota, etc. Wow, I have the power to reach the WORLD!! hee hee

Feeling un-needed sometimes.

Molly had her first playdate last week. Without me. It was a lot harder on me than it was on her - she was nothing but excited, and I was nothing but nervous. I had to let my baby ride home with someone else from school to play, and I was going to pick her up. I didn't really know the parents, I had to get directions to their house, and she would be there for 2 hours!

Mikey was all out of sorts because he couldn't go. The first individual playdate. So, I convinced him that WE would have fun on our own until we went to get her. We walked from school to the bank for cash (essential to have any fun at all!), and then he decided we should WALK to the Creamery on campus for ice cream. Now, to get to the Creamery it is at least a half mile, UPHILL. I tried and tried to convince him we should drive, that he would get tired, that it was a long way, etc. etc. etc. He said "If I get tired, I'll just keep walking." So, off we went. We held hands, talked about our mornings, sang songs, and walked. He never even needed a rest. As we sat eating ice cream and drinking chocolate milk in the Creamery he said "Mom, these people think I'm a college kid." I asked him what he meant. He replied "They don't know I'm a little boy. You are the only one here that knows I am a little boy - they all think I am a college kid like them!" He is the sweetest 4 year old boy on this Earth.

So, we walked down to school, got the car, ran home to change, and went to get Molly. She and Becca were just on their way out the door for a wagon ride with her mom. Becca lives on a paved road that is hilly, and Mikey wanted to ride her little tricycle up the hill so he could ride down, too. Becca's mom pulled the girls up, and I walked with Mikey on this tiny trike. Becca's mom pulled the wooden sides off of the wagon, got in with the girls, and they were off, screeching and laughing all the way down. Mikey started heading down, with me walking behind him. All of the sudden he stopped, stood up, and looked at me with an expression that I had never seen before. I realized he was holding the handle bars! I sort of laughed, and said, "Wow, I'm glad you could stop yourself! Let me help you..." I went to help put the handle bars back in the bike, but the front wheel came off in my hand! Then, I tried to pick it up to carry it, and the seat came off, too! So, the tricycle is in 5 pieces - the handle bars, the seat, the front wheel, the two back wheels, and some metal ring from around the front tire. At this point, I am laughing uncontrollably. Mikey is begging me to quit laughing - he is too embarassed. I assured him I was not laughing at him, I was just so happy that he wasn't hurt! We walked down the hill to the house, carrying the bike in 5 pieces, and I didn't quite know what to say to the mom. I looked at her and said "Ummm.... I think I need a tool...." She assured me it was ok, that it had happened before. I was relieved, but at the same time I thought "You put my kid on a death trap to ride down the hill??"

The funniest part of the whole day was when I was retelling the story to my sister, Katherine. She and I laughed so hard we were crying, and couldn't even talk to each other on the phone, because we couldn't stop laughing and crying! It was a great way to end my day.

Age. It's just a number.


I remember when we were in college. Adults seemed so OLD. Now, I have to face the fact that we are those adults. Two of my friends got promoted to Lt. Col. this weekend, and they aren't the two most mature people that I know. They are two of the sweetest, most fun friends I have, but the first word to describe them wouldn't be mature. So, I guess I have to admit, we are old.
We ordered a cake for Kevin, since he was coming to town. After all, what is a promoion without a cake?? I went to order the cake at the finest bakery in town, Wal-Mart. As I was standing there, I saw that you could order a cake with a photo on it. Now, that is a little more exciting! So, I packed up the kids and came back home. I dug and dug, and couldn't find the picture of Kevin in Jodi's bra on top of his winter coat. That was one of our finer nights in college....
I told Chris what I wanted to do, so he started digging for pictures. He found one of Kevin at the Skeller with is mouth full of food, cropped everyone out, blew it up, and ordered the cake. I love that guy, have I mentioned that lately? So, here is the fruit of our combined effort.

Here are some more pictures of us, with Kevin and Mark (who flew in from Colorado Springs for the occasion) at Mark's parent's tailgate yesterday. I have known Kevin and Mark since the fall of '87. Now we are old. Officially. However, old friends stick by you through good and bad, and we all have dirt on each other. They are the brothers I have chosen, not the one I was born with. It's great being military - you choose your friends to be your family. And I love them.