The Bakery

2011-04-25T13:20:00.002-06:00

Easter

This weekend we spent Easter with the USAFA women's tennis team. It was a "mini-holiday" with the travel and hotel, meals out and laughing with the team. We spent Friday night in Ft. Collins, where we awoke to snow Sat. morning. The tennis match was re-scheduled to be inside at 6 pm. So, we had ALL DAY to kill. The kids swam in the pool for a couple of hours and the girls hid some filled eggs, so the kids had an Easter egg hunt in the courtyard, which they loved. Off to the match, home late to bed, and up early on Easter to get to Laramie, WY. Remind me never to go back. Nothing to do, even though it's a college town. NOTHING. TO. DO.

It had snowed there as well, and Chris took the kids outside to play as it was melting. Michael found a piece of ground that had "rivers" running along 3 sides as the melt run-off was flowing. He looked at Chris and said "Hey, Dad. I'm on a penna-swayla!". Chris said "What?" Mikey held firm - "A penna-swayla!" It took Chris a minute to figure out Michael was on a PENINSULA. That's called too much reading and not enough talking.

All was well, we got home last night, and Chris had to teach today. Thank goodness the kids had the day off for a teacher workday. We needed to rest and catch up with laundry.

I'd post pictures, but I don't know how to get them off my phone yet. I'll work on that.

2011-03-25T22:10:00.003-06:00

Blogging.

It's been so long I had to reset my password because I'd forgotten it. Mostly I came by just to look at my blog. I haven't seen it in a long time, and missed the pictures of the kids I had posted.

I don't even have anything to tell...what a boring life I have come to live.

Things the kids have said lately:

Michael - "I want to move my money to a retirement account. That way it will earn more interest and I won't be tempted to spend it." That boy is OBSESSED with money. He writes about it at school, he knows how much every receipt is in my purse. He scrounges in the house for money to be put into his account. He offers to combine birthdays parties with Molly "if it'll be cheaper". I assured him we could afford his own party if that's what he wants.

Molly, on the other hand, takes after her mama. If she wants something, then she wants it enough to warrant buying it. She doesn't care how much she has in her account. She doesn't bother to put her book down to scrounge for money in the house. She's content to just BE.

Oh, I DO have a story to remember for later. The kids and I and a friend of mine went to TJ Maxx. There were carpets on sale. I wanted one for the basement. Chris said fine, go ahead and buy it. Well, another lady wanted the same carpet. I pushed around for 15 mins or so, and found a salesman. He took the tag off, I went and waited in line. It turns out, it was the LAST carpet like that available in that store. But, I had waited, and that other lady didn't take the tag or buy it. So, I bought it. Well...she followed the guy carrying the carpet out to my car and stood there and SCREAMED at me in the parking lot. And screamed some more. Finally, I quietly said "Please, not in front of the children." However, she was not to be stopped until she was finished.

We finally got the carpet loaded, the salesman apologized for her behavior as she was walking away (it wasn't HIS fault!) and we left. Molly said "Mommy, what was that name that lady was calling you?" I replied "Don't worry about it honey. It was rude, and you won't hear it again."

After we got home and put the carpet in the basement and admired it, we came back upstairs. Molly said "Mama?" I said "Yes?" She said "You know that name that lady called you? " I answered "Uh huh." Molly replied "Well, I think SHE'S one..."

I had to turn around so she didn't see me laughing!

2010-06-24T17:12:00.002-06:00

Something Blog-Worthy??

So. We went to a cookout last week. One of our friends was on his way to a high school reunion. After having a few drinks, we decided he could tell multiple stories to multiple friends, and see how long it took them to compare notes. Some suggestions:

1. He is recovering from colon cancer. He's still needing help changing his bag. Any offers?

2. He's discovered that he is in love with a man. The best part? His wife likes the same dude!

Our favorite?

3. He has invented reusable toilet paper. You simply wipe, store it in a trash receptacle, then wash and re-use! What?? You haven't HEARD of them?? They are called E-Z Wipes - you've surely seen the informercial on at 3 am, right?? No? Well, here, check it out on my phone, I'll pull it up for you. Oops, I can't get it up. Sorry...

So, we laughed, drank some more, came up with more stories (which I can't remember sober a week and a half later), and wished him luck at the reunion.

I came home, googled, and found this.

http://www.wallypop.net

Dang, we thought we were ON TO SOMETHING!!

I guess we'll never be rich now.

And for the record, I'll be buying my Charmin, just like usual.

2010-03-02T19:32:00.002-07:00

Molly-isms

Every now and then, things come out of Molly's mouth and we want to say "Did you REALLY just say that?"

The other night Chris took the kids up to USAFA for an ice hockey game. They arrived, got their tickets, and went to find their seats. As they approached the top of the aisle and looked down on the rink Molly asks "Are we at the OLYMPICS??!" Chris answered "No, honey, we're at the Academy..." to which she replied "Oh yeah...otherwise we'd have to drive to Canada."

And tonight I was driving them between piano and Boy Scouts. For their birthdays they want to take a trip back to State College. They asked how much it would cost and I told them "Oh, about $2000 for everything..." I hear them whispering in the back seat and Molly says "Well, mom and I can go, and you and Dad can stay here for some BOY time." Michael replied "But then you'd get to see Miss Rebecca and Mr. Jim and the Creamery and everyone and that's not fair."
Molly's response? "Well, Michael, sometimes Life just isn't fair..."

I didn't know whether to crack up or scold, so I did a bit of both.

2010-02-24T16:06:00.002-07:00

Thought for the Day

Molly has a friend in school who she considers her "best friend". Well, said best friend is moving to Hawaii this summer. I almost wanted to encourage Molly to choose a different best friend now, so she isn't hurt this summer. Then, I thought.

WE are the "best friends" who move, too. Would I want someone to NOT be my friend simply because I move? What a lonely world that would be.

So, to those of you that made me your friend, even knowing I'm moving - thanks. I can't imagine my life without you. I'd live in a very lonely world.

2010-02-21T16:04:00.006-07:00

The View From The Top

Chris and I went skiing for the weekend with no kids. Hot Kimmy (HK) came over and watched the kids, dogs, and cat for the weekend and we were off to Keystone! We went partially to celebrate his promotion, and partially just to have some much wanted time to ourselves.

I have a confession to make. I never skiied in State College. They had a place called Tussey Mountain, but I refused to go. Everyone always said "oh, if you can ski with the conditions at Tussey, you can ski ANYWHERE", but I didn't want to PAY to ski a hill like Tussey. It would have been a disappointment. I'm not a great skiier, or even good, but I just couldn't do it. I knew we were moving back to Colorado and I wanted to wait for the Rockies again.

This is WHY I waited. This is the view from the top. It is about a 20 minute gondola ride up to the top, and at the speed I ski about a 30 minute run back down to the bottom. On a good day.

So, we went skiing. Chris is a much better skiier than I am so he'd go down a little bit, wait for me to catch up, go down a little bit more, and wait for me. After a few times of doing this I spotted a flat area right behind where he had stopped. I crouched down, held my poles back, and shouted "See ya later, Duuude!" I skiied by him down to the flat place, where I promptly crashed. Not just fell down, but crashed. So badly that I hurt my knee and couldn't get up for several minutes. He offered to go get someone to take me down on one of those stretchers, but I'd rather die than do that. I figured the snow was cold, like an ice pack, and I was fine. Sure enough, in a few minutes I was not only able to stand, but continued skiing the rest of the day.

The next day my knee was indeed pretty sore, so I opted to just take pictures while Chris skiied. I took a few and then rode the gondola back down. Coincidentally, Chris was skiing down as I was riding down, and I got some pictures of him in action.

Here is the view from the bottom. I was pretty proud of myself for getting down the mountain!

The bottom part that you can see here really isn't that long, it's just pretty steep for a beginner like me.

We've settled into a comfortable winter routine here in the Solo household. Brownies, Boy Scouts, piano lessons, waiting for soccer to begin again...life is calm. We go to the gym and work out or swim, we play with friends, we invite people over to hang out, we just carry on.

I like our View From the Top.

2009-12-31T15:10:00.015-07:00

2009 - recap

I did not fall of the face of the earth, or forget about my little blog. I simply had some adjusting to do. The changes this move brought did not go nearly as easily as I had hoped, but I've come through it all successfully.

I turned 40. Chris flew me out to PSU for a long weekend and I got to see a lot of close friends. Not all of them, but a lot of them. Teresa (my college roommate), Mark (my college BFF), Claudia (one of my bridesmaids), my mom, and my Aunt Helaire (who I named Molly after) all came up to visit and stayed at Rebecca and Jim's with me. It was a VERY good weekend. Fun, busy, and exciting with a PSU football game all rolled into 4 days. At the end of the week, I realized that "Hey, I'm 40. But I don't feel any older."

We moved. I think all of the changes that incurred had a lot to do with all of the adjustments. Now that it's been a semester, we've not only survived, but done quite well! I have a part-time job that I enjoy, the kids are in school that we all absolutely LOVE, Chris is having fun teaching cadets Probability and Statistics, Michael is doing soccer and Scouts, Molly is doing piano and Scouts, and I have started taking piano lessons, too. Our gym is absolutely incredible, and I admit, when we do move, I'll miss it.

Now that it's the end of 2009 and tomorrow starts 2010, it's not so bad looking back. It seemed horrible during it, but now that it's over, 2009 wasn't that bad. Well, besides when I actually got the dreaded Swine Flu. But, now I have some great antibodies in my body!!

Beginning tomorrow we will have a Lt. Colonel living in the house. Now, that's making me feel older than turning 40 did. After all, Lt. Colonels are OLD. Like, OLD PEOPLE old. Perhaps it will be like my birthday, where after the fact it wasn't so bad...

Here are some long awaited pictures. :-)

Michael and Molly on the first day of school in their uniforms.

Rebecca and Jim came out for Christmas and we all went to Garden of the Gods. I think their trip out here was the highlight of the last 6 months for me. Life returned to normal, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Michael and Molly decorating their Gingerbread House. And being sweet!
Michael got glasses this fall. He thought he wouldn't like them, but once he figured out he could see better, he loved them!

We all went to a corn maze in Denver for the day. It was QUITE the maze. Notice the warm clothes we had on - it was 82 that day (yes, in October) and there was snow on the mountains!!

Molly and Michael on Halloween. Molly was Scooby for the third year in a row, and Michael dressed up as "Daddy". They were in a contest on base, and Mikey got first for his catagory, while Molly got second. She isn't a very happy second place winner, is she? ha ha

I'll try to do better next year.

2009-07-18T17:00:00.014-06:00

Chapter Two

(Or, another chapter of our lives, but I never counted, so I don't know the number. I thought Chapter Two sounded better...)

We did not just move across the country - we were displaced for a month. What to do with the time but travel? After tearfully leaving our friends we drove to Dover and got on a C-5 bound for Rota, Spain. A week in Spain was relaxing! We stayed in the Navy Lodge and went to the beach every day. The Lodge would lend you chairs, umbrellas, towels, coolers, and sand toys. How wonderful is THAT?? The kids ate squid, shark, octopus, snails, swordfish, etc. and we were so pleased! Seafood, beer, wine and water was pretty much what we lived on for the week. It was an experience with the kids that we were lucky to have. Here is Molly sucking out the snails.

And Chris and the kids in the water playing...

Of course, we HAD to eat a lot of gelato!! Every. Single. Day. I think that little girl has chocolate on every summer dress and shirt.
We also went up in a church tower in Seville.

We let the kids take a picture of us while in the palace gardens.

Most evenings we managed a walk along the beach.

Yummy sangria!!

From there we came back on another C-5 to Norfolk to Dover. We drove down to Richmond to see Heather and Scott for about 36 hours. It was worth every minute of the drive. I don't know when I'll see her again, which is hard. We took the kids to Maymont Park.

After Richmond we went to D.C. to see Mark. We all went to Mount Vernon together on a hot, summer day.

Then, driving back to State College we met up with Stephanie and Scott, Abby and Carter for dinner at an exit on the turnpike. They were on their way down to D.C., and meeting on the road was the best we could do. I miss them.
Next, it was back to State College to pick up our things at Rebecca and Jim's house, our old next door neighbors. After yet another tearful goodbye, we were at least on the road. Well, 3 miles down the road Chris realized the U-Haul did NOT have air conditioning. In Pittsburgh he traded trucks to get one that DID. We went to Wright-Patt to see Col. Z and Tami, and Julie, and then we were off to St. Louis. I met up with my friend Bob and a friend of his for drinks, which was fun. The next night we spent in Kansas City at Great Wolf Lodge with Stephanie and Chad and their 2 kids. That was fun!
The final night of travelling we spent in Salina, KS. Not a lot to do there, but we managed to find the best steak I have ever eaten at a place called Tucson's. The best salsa, too. It was a local joint, and the waiter said the prep cook, Bernice, makes the salsa. When she took a month off to have a baby, it was "horrible!" It made us laugh.
We arrived on 2 July. On the 4th we went to a cook-out with some friends of ours. What a lovely way to be made welcome right when you get back! Unfortunately, it poured rain and was so cold you could see your breath outside, but the guitars playing and the singing inside more than made up for it. Plus, the beer didn't hurt. :-)

Oh! I drove the Blazer with the 2 dogs, the 2 kids and the cat across country. We'd meet Chris each night at the hotel...anyway...I pulled up to the house, and we unloaded. We tried to get back into the Blazer to go to dinner, and it wouldn't start. Thank GOD it didn't die on me somewhere hours away from Chris on I-70!!

Our household goods were supposed to be delivered on the 6th. Due to a "computer glitch" according to the moving company, they weren't delivered until the 10th! So, it was another week in the TLF, but at least it is a modern TLF! Of all places to be stuck, it wasn't a bad place.

Chris started work on the 5th, so he has been pretty busy already.

We have been back in the house for a week now. It was strange to know where to put the furniture and dishes, and the neighbors on both sides, but strange in a good way. It was fantastic to have a friend come over as the truck was unloading and take the kids to the playground and Chick-Fil-A for ice cream. It has been nice having another friend come over to help me set up the play room.

In the first week - the kids rooms are unpacked, I managed to even bake muffins in the kitchen, and the dogs have run of the house, pretty much. The cat is not real happy about that, but she doesn't hide and growl at them much. We joined a gym so I hope to get in shape.

I didn't take pictures as we went across country - I just wanted to me a mom in charge of the kids and the animals, enjoying seeing our friends. Sorry, friends!

Before we moved we managed to squeeze in a bar tour. Who can leave State College without a bar tour? Certainly not US!!

Other than that - I miss my friends. I miss my neighbors. Moving sucks.

2009-06-11T06:44:00.005-06:00

Moving Day

Today is it. The day they are loading the truck. All of our things will be on their way to Colorado Springs.

We have had a lot of fun living here in Happy Valley. We had a good time as undergraduates, and a different time as parents with two little kids. Different, but still wonderful.

Things we will especially miss, in no particular order:

11.Penn State athletics. Beaver Stadium, football games, tailgating with the Kellers and Co., basketball games, SBS, everything being blue and white. I felt like I truly belonged.

10. Going to listen to the old Phyrst Phamily, now called Family Brew. It's fantastic to go listen to a band who knows your name and will play requests, all while letting you sing along and play percussion instruments.

9. Walking down College Avenue on the rare sunny day looking in shop windows and letting the kids play on the pigs. Who knew bronze pigs could be so much fun?

8. Eating. Whether it's breakfast at The Corner Room or ice cream at the Creamery, stickies at The Diner or dinner on our neighbor's deck, we will miss it.

7. The trees. Ok, I know I complained every single fall about raking. I know I did. But when you look at the cul-de-sac and it feels like you live in the woods in the summer - well, it's just wonderful. I will miss all things green.

6. The college kids. As crazy as it sounds (because most locals HATE the kids) I will miss them. I will miss their excitement, their youth, and the general "age" of the town. After all, if THEY don't age - because they are all between 18 and 22 and move on to be replaced by a younger set - then I don't age either!!

5. My Bunko Group. They were the first group that I felt like I could just be myself with, and oh, how I looked forward to our monthly games. Have a glass of wine for me, girls.

4. Our church/my school. Talk about a welcoming bunch. True, it helped that I taught there and knew so many people and the ins and outs, but they really met us with open arms. I'm glad the kids had their First Communions there.

3. Our large back yard. Fenced, shaded, playset and sand box. Enough said.

2. Having everything within 15 minutes of driving time. You could be ANYWHERE in town in 15 minutes. Anywhere.

And finally.

1. Our friends. I have made some simply incredible friends here. Neighbors who turned out to be much more than neighbors, parents from school who turned out to be much more than just parents, and co-workers who turned out to be much more than co-workers. I'll miss brunch after church with Stephanie and Scott, inviting myself over to Mittie's or Sharon's, and walking the path next to next door to ask if our kids are over there, since they have their own bedroom and all....
And you can't replace friends. I can make new ones, and I can find my old ones in Colorado Springs, but I won't replace these. And I'll be back.

2009-05-20T07:47:00.015-06:00

The Neglected Blog

I really WILL do a better job at this. One day. Let me go through my camera memory stick and see what's new to tell.

OK, I've found:

The Blue/White Game

It was an incredibly beautiful day here for the ol' Blue/White Game. In the 80's, very breezy, lots of friends, Chris's barbeque, and a Temple Owl-Nittany Lion engagement cake to eat. I forgot to take a picture of the cake, or if I did, I can't find it. (Perhaps it was all of the beverages consumed??) It was a great cake!!
And's what is a game without a picture of Mark and his parents!?

Chris and Co. set up at 8:00 am. As he was getting up to an alarm (which we don't even use during the work week!) he said "I can't believe I am getting up there at 8 for a 2 o'clock game..." I looked at him and laughed, replying "I can't believe you guys are getting up there at 8 for a 2 o'clock PRACTICE." But, they got our spot, and it was totally worth it. At least for me, because I wasn't there at 8.

Alright, so the timing of the whole day is backwards, but you get the point.

Next on the camera card?

The trip to D.C.!!

Our best part of the trip was something we couldn't take pictures of - a trip inside of the White House!! A friend from college, Gina, is the Air Force Aide to the President. We took advantage of it and got her to walk us through and tell us what she knows. It's a lot more than I know! So, no pictures, but an unforgettable trip. I think the funniest thing was the butterfly and the bird toys stuck on the windows that you could see as you were leaving. Gina said the girls must have put them there. Made me think that it is great to see they are treating it as a home.

Where are we here?

And here?

Or here.

Then, we kept walking...

Need another hint?

We got the spend the day with Karina and Colin, who we were VERY excited to see. We've missed our Godson and his sister!! It figures that as they move this way, we move back that way.

The next weekend I went with my peeps (Stephanie and Jean)

Here:

Our husbands sent us to Bedford Springs for a Mother's Day Getaway. Boy, do we love our husbands!!

Day before yesterday Michael scored his teams two goals at soccer. I was so proud!!

My mom and dad have been here visiting for just over a week, and I haven't taken a single picture of them. Maybe tonight. I took the week off of work to spend with them because I have the feeling we won't see them for quite a while with the move in a few weeks. So, perhaps tonight's cookout with our friends will give me a chance to get out the camera!

2009-04-20T21:37:00.003-06:00

Miss Molly

So, the other day Molly was sitting on the couch facing her Daddy on the loveseat. She puts her little hands behind her back and says "Pick a number from 1-10, Daddy, that I am thinking of..." and she puts 5 fingers out behind her back. Well, she didn't know that I was watching! I go above her head and put out 5 to show Chris. He plays along and says "Umm...5?" She pulls her hand out, tucks in her thumb and replies "No, but you were Oh So Close! It was 4." I laughed at her and told her that I could see she had five, and changed her mind. So, she wanted to try again. She put her small hands behind her back again and said "Pick a number from 1-20, Daddy, that I am thinking of..."

I cracked up. It only took her a sec to realize that she couldn't DO 1-20 with just her hands, and she laughed, too. I love that little girl. Oh So Much.

2009-04-11T15:15:00.014-06:00

Catching Up

SO much to tell. First, the house sold. It took a week and day, and we got 96% of asking price. We're pretty pleased. I'm especially excited that I don't have to keep it spotless anymore. Chris, however, has threatened to tell me the house did NOT sell and we have a showing once a week so I'll get a-cleanin'. He sucks. :-)

Spring Break was fun. I went with Mittie and Steph to the Crayola Factory and to Chocolate World in Hershey. I have wanted to do both since we moved here and was glad to go.

The kids got along famously and we have been doing things together ever since.

Here is a picture of the kids writing on a clear wall to explore mixing of colors. It looked like they had writing all over their faces!

Next we found a "shadow room" that took pictures and made shadows on the floor. We figured out that if you use a flash against the metal wall, you get this:

We spent hours at the Crayola Factory! On the top floor is a canal museum. The kids learned all about locks and how they operate by using boats and cargo to go up and down different levels of the river. They liked it so much they did it 3 times!

That night we drove down to Hershey and spent the night. We took the kids to the pool, ordered pizza, and just took it easy. Right after breakfast we headed to Chocolate World! The kids pretended they were working in a chocolate factory packing Kisses into packaging. They took their jobs very seriously!

It was a very relaxing "mini-vacay" with my good friends and their good lookin' 'kids!

Then we got in gear for First Communion, which was last Sunday. Here are the kids all excited for their big day.

We also went to Shaver's Creek to the Maple Harvest Festival with the Tumey's and the Fozard's. Too bad the weather was cold and rainy!!
I didn't manage to get any pictures of us all eating the pancakes, but the kids did like the bluegrass music inside!

Last weekend we went on our third Walk for Autism. One of my students from two years ago has autism and his dad happens to be one of Chris's fraternity brothers from oh-so-long-ago. Molly had her picture taken with the Nittany Lion. A different shot of her and the Lion was on the front page of our paper the next day in color!

In between all of the running around we have been playing a bit of Wii on the cold yucky days...

and finished off the days with a bit of bedtime reading. I LOVE the fact that both kids can now read to US!!
Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, but the Solo fam has been busy busy busy!

2009-03-24T14:44:00.004-06:00

We did it!

We finally got it on the market. THIS is what we're trying to sell.

I don't think it shows everything off that we've done, but at least it's on the market. The best news? The realtor says that most houses are selling for 95-100% of asking price!!! I hope the housing market here doesn't fall flat on its face in the next couple of months.

Now, if I can just either :

a. ship my kids to my mom's so the house stays clean
or
b. check us all into a hotel.

We hope to move right after 4th of July weekend. So, I want it to sell, but not TOO quickly. See how demanding I am??

2009-03-15T14:18:00.005-06:00

It could be worse.

We could be trying to sell this.

http://www.cbur.com/propertyDetails.php?mlsid=27839

I can't decide what I like best about this beauty. The cook top? The green carpet? The accordian doors? The dark paneling? I think I come back to the mural on the wall in the panel room, every time. Once I quit looking at the doorknob in the middle of the door, that is.
A certain friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, likes to dance on bars in private homes. I wonder if she'd like THIS bar??

Perhaps ours will sell faster than I think. If we can just get it all done to get it listed!!

2009-02-23T15:10:00.005-07:00

"This is the BEST age!"

Chris and I seem to say this earnestly at least two or three times a year. "We don't want them to get old." "We enjoy them just they way they are!" and "Isn't this the best?"

I liked it when they were babies and napped at the same time, ate at the same time, and played with the same toys. I thought I had it made.

I liked it when they took baths together, shared so nicely together, and ate dinner with us as a family. No more naps, but we had longer days to do things together. I thought I had it made.

Now, they take their own showers, including conditioning their hair. They can turn the water off, get their towel, put on their pajamas, and hang their towels up. They bring us a book and read to US. They can get their own snacks out of the refridgerator (cheese, yogurt, etc.) get their own drinks, and clear the table after they eat. When they want to go out in the snow they just ask "Can we go OUT to play...?" After I nod, they can get on their boots, hats, coats, gloves, and scarves. I look out the window to check on them playing together. They come in, hang things up, put them away (after I nag a little bit) and play Monopoly together. I don't even have to count out money or change! They'll play chess, or draw, or play with their Lincoln Logs. They can buckle their own seat belts! I'm so glad I had two kids, of opposite sex, close together. I think I have it made.

2009-02-02T20:12:00.003-07:00

Quick Update

We are moving back into our old house in Colorado Springs. It just makes sense. Why buy a house when we already have that one? And, I already know where the furniture goes!

I love being a Daisy Leader. But the amount of meetings and events has risen exponentially. I don't ever want to be in charge of selling cookies again. Remind me of that, will ya?

Snow is fun. I'm missing the sun right about now, though.

Heather, if you are reading this, thanks. For everything. Especially listening and reasoning. "Love you!"

The dogs are great. This puppy is the easiest dog I could ever imagine. If by "easiest" you read "laziest" then you are correct.

I'm actually looking forward to putting stuff in storage. I just have too much stuff. I need to give away TONS of it instead of moving it.

Michael came home excited to do Jump Rope for Heart. He couldn't wait to tell me that if he raised "Only 5000 dollars, we can get a Wii!!!" I laughed right in his poor little face. I love that kid. But he DOES make me laugh.

Facebook is seriously taking away from my blogging. I can't NOT Facebook though.

Chris is one of the most comical people I've ever known. He just makes me laugh.

2009-01-19T10:55:00.009-07:00

A busy few weeks!

Things to share:

- Chris got selected for Lt. Col. He probably won't pin on until later this year. That's probably the biggest news, and everything else pales in comparison!!

- The puppy is doing better. He came to us with a new surgery, and that one had to be re-done. So, hundreds of dollars in vet bills later, he is home with a lamp shade on his head. But he HATES the lampshade, so in all honesty, it is sitting here next to me, NOT on his head.

- Michael got third place in the Pinewood Derby for his den. He and Chris made a car to look like a police car, and he named it "Speedy". Original, huh?

Here he is with his trophy looking SO proud, as were we.

The kids and Chris all happened to be in their uniforms on Sat., so I took a quick pic.

- Molly and her Daisy Scouts went to 2000 Degrees to paint pottery, to our vet's for a tour and to a Cookie Rally this week. I hope they are all excited to sell their cookies. I'm hoping just being cute in their uniform will be enough and they will sell a LOT of cookies! Molly has The. Smallest. Uniform. And it's still too big!

At the vets office a dog had to have his eye removed because he had been in a fight. After the surgery the vet dissected the eye for us so we could see the lens. It was totally cool.

- I actually have a job application for Colorado Springs, which I hope pans out. It is for the pre-school where I had the kids while I was teaching in the private elementary school, and for a 3 year old position 5 days a week. Prayers for that. I loved the teachers there and hope I'd fit in well.

- We are already starting to think about our move. Selling this house, moving back, Chris teaching at USAFA, me teaching but with hours that would allow me to do full-time bus duty (both mornings and afternoons) because Chris can't. It's a lot to think about. And I don't want to be thinking about it because I am loving living here.

So. There's a lot going on in SusieWorld. Now it's time for Girls Night Out. See ya!

2009-01-09T16:37:00.003-07:00

Introducing Smokey

Because we already have the Bandit.
And no, that's not our carpet or wallpaper - it's from the foster home. Thank God.

2009-01-06T18:22:00.003-07:00

2008 In Review

Most people start the New Year with a resolution. I have a horrible habit of looking backwards instead of forwards. I sit and ponder the year gone by - what we did, what I would have liked to do, and what I would have done differently. I seem to always have the same secret wish for the upcoming year, and yet, rarely see many changes. This secret wish? I want to be better.

A better wife. A better mother. A better daughter. A better sister. A better friend. A better teacher. A better Christian. A better Daisy leader. Just better. It seems like so much to juggle and I tend to get overwhelmed, like I have so much to do, and I don't know where to start. So, I start with prayer.

Then, I get frustrated that things don't change immediately. I don't know what change I want, or what change I'm looking for. Just a change.

This will be the the Year of the Change. I'm changing my attitude, you see. Not so much my actions. Instead of perfection, I'm going for "as good as I can do". And in most of the areas, I can honestly say "I'm doing the best I can do." I will have a lot of changes this year in my life as I turn 40. Moving again is a biggie.

(as a side note- Chris just made me a kick-a%% milk shake, which he said "Fits in well with our new diet! Creamery ice cream, vanilla, chocolate malt and milk.)

Selling a house, buying a house, moving kids, pets, stuff. Finding a job.

However, in the midst of all the turmoil, I am thankful. Thankful for my relationships. Without the people I have in my life, I wouldn't have much life at all. Especially my husband, kids, mom, and friends. I value those relationships more than life itself. So, I just want to say thanks. Thanks for being you. Thanks for making me laugh. Thanks for letting me cry. Thanks for celebrating with me, hanging out with me, and talking on the phone with me.

But watch out. I'm the girl with the New Attitude!

2008-12-29T09:18:00.008-07:00

Another Christmas, come and gone...

I haven't posted in awhile for two reasons -

1. I didn't want to lose the picture of me at the top (totally selfish, I know!)

2. I was busy with Christmas. I LOVE Christmas!!

We had various activities here in the Solo household. Christmas parties, cookie decorating, caroling, church services... the same as across the world. As we were singing in church on Christmas Eve and I looked around, seeing lots and lots of friends and their children, I was filled with amazement. I was wondering how many people across the world were singing Christmas carols at that exact same time. All singing, all joyous, all for the same reason. I'm sure the angels loved it.

Molly did not have an extravagant Christmas list. An Easy Bake oven and Connect 4, which she got, and he threw in the Polly Pocket Jet for good measure.

Do you wonder who is taking the pictures? We have the best neighbor in the world, Rebecca. Not ONLY did she wrap all of the gifts and hide them at her house, but they came over before 7 on Christmas morning armed with a camera and fresh quiche for breakfast!! Boy are we going to miss her and Jim when we move....they are irreplaceable.

Michael had a short list, too. He asked for Lincoln Logs, Battleship, and Sorry. Santa delivered. It will be a sad, sad year when they ask for expensive gifts!! We are encouraging them to stay young and little as long as we can. They grow up only too fast....

Christmas is a funny time when you have kids. I think the best quote was from Michael as he was dumping out his stocking. Our kids get very little candy, so the contents are a bit..."different" from most stockings, I'm sure. Michael shouts out "YES!! My favorite MEAT!!" Santa had delivered some beef jerky. I had to sit there and laugh out loud at that one.

As I sit here and think about Christmas and all that we've done, I will have several favorite memories. A childhood favorite memory is watching out the door to see my grandparents driving down from Amherst, MA. They would have stopped by my aunts and uncles in northern VA and picked up all of the presents and be arriving like Santa's sleigh down the old dirt road. Grandma would have a blanket on her lap and Grandpa would be driving, because she never learned to drive. Can you imagine that today? We would all bound out of the house for hugs, kisses, and of course, to help unload all of those presents!!

An old-ish favorite memory is caroling at the VA hospital in OH with Chris's office. I love carols.

Now we are making new memories. I wonder if my kids will remember they got to eat dinner in their pajamas on Christmas night, and they didn't get dressed for 3 days because they were busy playing!?

Now, my friends, here is my question for you. What do you remember most about Christmas past, and what do you hope your family will remember about Christmas present?? (Even though I'm sure what our families will remember is NOT what we had planned for them to remember!!)

2008-12-16T19:58:00.004-07:00

Check ME out!

Now, let me tell you the short story behind the picture...

We had a book club weekend in Monticello. Erin is a photographer. A real one, actually. I know, I know, it seems like the "in" thing to do is buy an expensive camera, get a website, and start calling yourself a photographer. Everybody knows one of those. C'mon, don't sit there and pretend you don't. Someone who can't even get the subjects to look at the camera, much less get a decent shot of them. Well, Erin is not one of those. As evidenced by the photo.

I am not photogenic, that's no secret. I usually HATE having my picture taken, that's no secret either. I also don't like singing in front of anyone over the age of 4, but I digress. I knew that she was good at taking pictures. But I had never really been around her because I had my kids way before she started taking pictures. I had decided I did not want her to take my picture. Until she whipped it out. The camera, people...the camera. This is a family blog, remember?

All of the sudden, I realized it might be my one shot in life to get a decent picture. You know, the one to use for an obituary one day, or just to make me think that I - at one time - had a decent picture taken. And here it is, voila!

Please don't send me hate comments about your friends that bought expensive cameras and are great photographers. I already have Erin. She's the butter. Everyone else is just Parkay.

2008-12-09T17:26:00.003-07:00

I've made a decision -

I've decided that I always want a table in my kitchen. It doesn't have to be big, or nice, or even totally cleaned off. Actually, a cheap flat surface will suffice. But here's why.

Last night was an evening that I had always dreamed of, yet one that you can't plan. I had gone to the gym, so I was only wearing work-out clothes. I was preparing dinner, unloading and loading the dishwasher, etc. Molly was doing her "math homework" for kindergarten which involved hiding a certain number of her ten bears in a cream cheese tub. She had to figure out how many were hidden by counting what was left on the table.
I had just gotten a book in the mail. Not just any book, mind you. The Book. The book that I had ordered a few weeks ago. It was from Snapfish and was our trip to Europe from August. I had used a coupon that came from Oprah (don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about here...!) and ordered the book. SO, Michael was sitting here reading the book with me helping out with hard words, like architecture. He was LOVING looking at the book and reading it. Loving it I tell you.
I was doing mommy stuff, and they were doing kid stuff. All was well, all were happy. Right there at the kitchen table. Mixed up with their Playmobil Advent calendar toys. I couldn't have planned his good reading, or her good math work. All I could plan was the yummy dinner. Sitting at the dining room table eating that dinner with Chris, Michael, and Molly was pure heaven.
Oh, the icing on the cake? Molly's headband that she was wearing was reindeer antlers. Complete with bells. I can't look at that sight and not smile.

2008-11-29T16:37:00.008-07:00

Our Thankful Life

I usually reflect at Thanksgiving at all of the blessings we have in our lives and how good God is to us.

I was able to go to the kids' elementary school for Molly's feast. Who wouldn't be thankful for THIS??

My mom, dad, and brother all came up for the week, arriving after the game last Sat. night. I was excited to tell them all about the game, the tailgate, and what we had been doing lately. It was our last tailgate for many years (except for the Blue/White game) and although it was a sad thought, our friends helped us really enjoy it. Perhaps too much.

I'm thankful for the family we always tailgate with, go to church with, go to brunch with, have children's choir with, have dinner with, and go ice skating with. I guess we do a lot together each week, huh? Here we are at our tailgate. Prime real estate, I tell you.

My family sat around a lot this week and laughed playing games, watching football, movies, and going to Wegman's. I think my mom started a new tradition. Why cook when you can just order Thanksgiving dinner from Wegman's and enjoy the day together??

Oh, we did go to an Amish house for lunch again. The day was extended by trips to the Amish tackle and boot shop, then the soap and candle shop, and finally the dry goods shop. They had all kinds of things there. I looked at the Amish bonnets, wondered if I could dress up as an Amish lady for Halloween next year, and decided it probably wasn't in great taste. But that would have been cool, huh?

Here is my mom sitting around while I took a picture for her Facebook page.

Today Chris took the kids to Millbrook Marsh. I am thankful for this family of mine.

I'm thankful for a wonderful husband (he really is, I'm not just saying that...) and two beautiful, healthy, happy children. I wonder what I have done to deserve all of this. I'll never know. But I AM thankful.

2008-11-16T14:43:00.004-07:00

Did you hear?

Who passed his comprehensive exam and now only has to defend his dissertation in May?? Yup, my hubbie. Christopher James Solo. Soon to have a PhD.

Life is good in the Solo household. Real good.

We went to Great Wolf Lodge with Heather and Scott last weekend to celebrate. What an incredible time THAT was!! The kids were all old enough to play together while the adults rode slides, or they could go down the slides with us. The kids played like cousins all weekend. Just good ol' playing. And loving every minute of it... It was relaxing and fun with a best friend along. And to top it off, guess who we met for dinner?

Heather and I took the kids out of school for the day on Monday (yup, we teachers value our kids education!) and then on Monday night we stopped in D.C. to have dinner with Mark. A pretty perfect ending to a pretty perfect weekend.

2008-11-13T15:17:00.002-07:00

Things I Want to Remember

- Molly got upset with Michael because she was left to pick up the game. She came out saying "He force-fielded. I have to pick up, but I won because he force-fielded." I think she meant he forfeited.

- We were talking about moving across country to Colorado again next summer, and how the dog and the cat don't get along. We discussed possibly getting two rooms, one for me and Michael and Bandit, and the other for Chris, Molly and Jamba. However, it would have to be a hotel that allows pets. Michael chimed in "Like the Hampster Inn?" I think HE meant Hampton Inn.

- Chris has the kids making a scrapbook for earning a Scouting badge. Michael glued a picture of them going into a haunted house at Acacia fraternity. His caption? "I whent to a hatetit hous." I don't think the brothers at Acacia would agree.

2008-11-12T18:48:00.003-07:00

An Explanation

That picture WAS the parade. The WHOLE parade. We walked around the block. That was it. People in the cars waved to us as we walked by, and the truck held up the traffic for us. We may have been small, both in stature and number, but boy, did we have FUN! It just cracks me up, still.

2008-11-11T20:13:00.004-07:00

Happy Veteran's Day!!

We had our Veteran's Day Parade at school today, and it was the best ever. Check it out!

P.S. I found the camera!! On my dresser.

2008-11-05T18:52:00.003-07:00

Where's the Camera?

Remember the old Wendy's commercial that said "Where's the beef?" (If you do, you are OLD.) Well, I feel like saying that for my blog. I have pictures on the camera, I just can't FIND the camera.

Imagine a picture here of the kids trick-or-treating.

This is Abby, Molly, Michael, and Carter.

Here is a pumpkin that Chris carved, too.

Now, imagine a picture here of Chris and I heading out to a formal on Sat. night.

When I find the camera, I'll post the pictures. Any ideas where it could be? We didn't take it to the formal with us....so I have no idea. I guess if I cleaned the house, I'd find it. That's a big if.

2008-10-29T14:39:00.003-06:00

My Fun Friends

This is the email I got yesterday:

THE FIRST MEETING OF THE MAGAZINE CLUB!!

Most of you have heard me mention this pseudo-book club idea, now the time has come to make it happen! With all our schedules far too busy to actually finish a whole book (okay, perhaps that's just me), I would prefer to spend my time with the ladies eating, drinking and poking fun at the celebrities in tabloid magazines. Want to join me?

What: Magazine Club
When: Thursday, November 6th
TIME: 7:00 pm
Where: My house

We will be discussing the latest US Weekly and Star weekly celebrity rags. Just go to the store on Monday of that week and pick up the newest edition.

The intention is that the articles will fuel heated discussions as to the lack of reality in Hollywood, general silliness of those in the magazine and how both magazines are using the exact same photos/stories. Mostly though, it will be about drinking, eating and adult conversation! Hope you can make it!

Let me know via email if you can come!
jean

See why it gets harder and harder to leave this town?? The funniest part? I was reading the email to Mark and called the magazine U.S. Weekly!! I can be SUCH a blonde...

2008-10-26T19:19:00.011-06:00

Another week gone.We took the kids to the pumpkin patch last weekend. I didn't even bother to take pictures. Seriously, if your youngest kid is in elementary school, they are too dang old to take a picture with a pumpkin!! If you want to see cute kids in pumpkin patches, check out my friends' blogs. They all have cute kids.

We brought it home and Chris carved jack-o-lanterns with the kids. They were in seventh heaven.

I tried to take pictures, but didn't have much luck.

Also, Michael joined Tiger Scouts. It's like Cub Scouts, but for first graders. Here he is in his uniform - so proud!

I've also been letterboxing on campus a few times. The first time we went with friends, I took Jean, Alexander and CJ with us.

Take notice that Alexander is missing from the photo. Here's why:

Hey, when a boy has to go, a boy has to go!

The kids finished soccer today and started ice skating lessons this evening. I'll have to remember a camera next time!

They grow up so fast, but each 'stage' is so much more exciting than the last. The pumpkin patch pictures we've outgrown, but now I get to listen to them chattering in the back seat about who they are going to "vote" for in their school election. Michael informed me that he wants to vote for Obama (he doesn't know his first name) because McCain wants us to fill our gas tanks every two minutes. I wonder which friend at school he heard THAT from? Molly wants to vote for McCain. Just because.

They really do crack me up.

2008-10-17T10:50:00.003-06:00

Fall Is Here

Last weekend we went to a fall party. We got the EVite to the "2nd Annual Fall Festival" and all of the RSVP's were talking about how great it was last year. Hmm, I thought. Last year? Gosh, I didn't GET that invite.

So, I RSVP'd with the comment "Why didn't I get an invite last year?" The reply? "Well, it was the first month or so of school ( I taught their daughter last year) and we didn't want to look like we were trying to kiss your butt..." OK, it's not like they get report cards!!

We went last weekend, and check out the fun had by all at the Weyandt's.

This weekend is Homecoming. Mark and Kevin, two of my best friends from college, are in town for the parade and game. It's wonderful to be back together. We figured out we have known each other for 21 years. Boy, does that make me feel old.

That's just a random picture of Mikey when he was little.

Molly had a playdate the other week. The little girl was coming home with her on the bus, so the day before we all cleaned up. The kids were dusting, taking down dirty laundry, putting away toys, etc. I was vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, sweeping, etc. We all worked pretty hard for just over an hour. Finally I said "Hey, thanks! The house looks pretty good." Molly replied "We didn't need to clean the house, Mom." I said "Sure we did - your friend is coming over tomorrow!" Molly's retort? "Well, when I went to her house last week, it was a DUMP. They had stuff behind the couch and everything!"

I just had to laugh.

2008-10-08T17:41:00.001-06:00

New Presidential Candidate... It's someone we know!

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know!

Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Tvtjf&altl=Tpmp

2008-10-05T17:52:00.002-06:00

I Hope I Don't Regret It

I've taken a plunge, and I really hope it's for the best. I've actually opened up a Stampin' Up website. For those of you in the dark (ok, almost ALL of you) I'll try to fill you in. I DO sell Stampin' Up, but I don't SELL it. Does that make sense? Imagine a Tastefully Simple chick who eats all of her stuff, and will sell it to her friends, but doesn't have any "shows". Well, that is me. But instead of food, it's stamp crap. Oops, I mean Quality Stamps and Stamping Products. ha ha

The pro? My friends from other states can now order without me having to log it in for them. They can order without having to WAIT for me to log it in is more like it. And it gets shipped directly to them.

The con? I don't want to be a naggy salesperson! It is my Hobby. Not my Business. I'm afraid it won't be as fun if I take it seriously. Oh, and I have to pay $14 a month for the darn thing!

Sort of like the studio. I know, I know, you are still waiting for pictures. We closed it for the month of August, and just re-opened it in late September. Here is the problem: It is our Hobby. We don't want to take out a loan from the bank to get it going, because then there is real $ involved. But with no money, we can't advertise. And we can't pay anyone to work there. So it has to be us working there hoping people come up. We do have a sign now to put outside and that brings people in, but not a lot.

But it is SO much more than just the studio! It is our hang-out, our fort, our place to laugh, have a drink, and bitch about life in general. If we had to take it Seriously, then it wouldn't be the same. Does that make sense?

*********************************************************************************************

Let me tell you how well my Mom knows me. So, I'm on the phone to her today, telling her I'm cleaning my side of the bedroom. She tells me she as to do the same thing, that she's done the nightstand, but not the floor. I tell her "Oh, I've done the floor, and now I'm working on my NIGHTSTAND!!" Her reply? "Yes, but what does the BED look like??" I had to laugh. I had all my clothes in piles All. Over. the. Bed.

At least I get my messiness honestly. I'm just like my mother. I hope I stay that way.

2008-09-29T19:02:00.003-06:00

The First Day of Kindergarten.

It feels like so much of my job is done. I mean, I KNOW they are still little, and there is so much ahead of us. But there is also so much behind us. Playdates now ride the bus home with her, and I probably won't know the parents. I liked it when their playdates were MY friends' kids. It was more of a playdate for me, I admit, but I trusted them with my kids if I had to run somewhere quickly. Now, these parents - gosh, when I send Molly to THEIR house - what if they have a loaded gun in the house? What if they smoke crack? I need to KNOW this. And I won't. Probably ever. It's hard for me to lose that control I have over their lives.

She now comes home with STORIES. Of what they did. Of who said what. Of who did what, and what the teacher said. She and Michael chit-chat on the walk from the bus stop, comparing days, what they ate for lunch, who had what "special" (art, P.E., music, computer lab, library), and what happened to their friends today. I love to hear it, but it sometimes makes me feel so. What's the word? Disconnected?

Tomorrow she brings her first playdate home on the bus. She's SO excited. I wonder what we'll find fun to do...

It can be hard sending small people you love SO SO SO much out into the world to start spreading their wings. I just hope people are kind to them. I think of that when I'm teaching my class, now that I have kids. I know that these little tots have parents who love THEM as much as I love MINE. It has made me a much different teacher. And I do love those tots. Just for that very reason.

2008-09-24T19:09:00.004-06:00

Lame Blogger That I Am...

I went to our Book Club Reunion and didn't even take my camera with me! I took 2 containers of Creamery Ice Cream with dry ice, but forgot my camera. I truly am a crappy blog friend. But oh well, you can just read Erin's blog.

It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the beautiful drive down to UVA and back - perhaps because I was by myself? Listened to what I wanted to, ate what I wanted to, stopped when I wanted to, drank what I wanted to, and called whoever I wanted to on the phone. The 5.5 hour drive went by WAY to fast!

On the way home I stopped by the Va Farmer's Market off of 522 near Winchester. Yummy pumpkin pie, apple butter, peach preserves, and 3 kinds of apples found their way into my car! Oh, so did a gallon of cherry apply cider...

The book club. An interesting group of ladies. Sometimes they make me feel so OLD even though they totally don't mean to. They are all just having babies, and I was done having babies before I even MET these girls. I feel like they are where I was in life when I met them, almost. I was older. And the kids were older. I could have hugged one of them when this weekend she said "Now, I see it must have been a bit of a struggle to even MAKE it to book club..." And, they realized that I never talked about my kids during book club, because they didn't have any yet. They would NOT have wanted to hear about MY kids when it was a foreign concept, right? But now that they all have babies and toddlers, I just smile when they tell a story and exchange advice. Sometimes that life of mine seems like so long ago, and to be honest, sometimes I don't even REMEMBER that life. That first two years with both kids is sort of a hazy blur.

Or perhaps I just go through life in a hazy blur. But it's certainly a happy life! Can I just tell you how much I LOVE my life? Walking downtown to meet friends for lunch on a beautiful sunny fall afternoon. Watching Michael play soccer with his friends, and having him shout to me from the field "I got hit in the chest. I just kept on playing! And I got hit right here. And I just kept on playing!" So proud of himself. Almost as proud as I am.

2008-09-18T18:56:00.001-06:00

Thought for the Day

THE LAW OF THE GARBAGE TRUCK - - -

I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally, just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so..... 'Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.'

2008-09-15T18:56:00.010-06:00

This is the view of Heidelberg from the castle.

The end of the Europe trip.

So, we left Rome in the evening, and headed back to Germany. We got to Hahn late late in the evening (Or early in the morning, depending on how you look at it...) so we stayed at a hotel there by the airport. The next morning we got on a bus to Ramstein to see Claudia, and to have dinner with DeAnna, another bridesmaid. Here we are, enjoying time together. The three of us haven't been together in YEARS, so it was sort of like old times, but instead of living by Wright Patt, we were hanging out in Germany. It was the same, but different. ha ha

OK, so I didn't like the one of the three of us. But here is one of them that I do like. We were sitting by one of the castles that we saw...but don't ask me which castle.

OH, we went to Triere. We saw a dude with...ummm...warts? I took a picture in the hopes that Erin could help the poor man.

Rumor has it that she's some sort of wart doctor, or something like that.

The highlight of the whole trip? Something I didn't even get a picture of, but I'll do my best to describe it.

We flew back to the States on a chartered commercial flight from Ramstein to BWI. Most of the plane was filled with troops coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. We landed and it took about an HOUR for our bags to come through. The section of the airport was only for military - we had our own immigration, our own baggage claims section, and our own customs. As people were finally getting their bags, we heard the biggest commotion outside of the door to the "real world". Cow bells, whistles, cheers...it was a little boggling at 11:30 at night. So, when it was our turn to follow the crowd through the door, I was moved to tears. There were over 50 or so volunteers there to meet those troops. They shook Chris's hand and thanked him for serving our country. They hugged me and thanked me for supporting him while he served. The gave the kids baggies with cookies, waters, chips, fruit, etc. And they knew that we were only coming back from vacation. We were loaded down, had the kids, and the two car seats stacked on top. They didn't care - they were there to thank whoever came through that door. None of those volunteers were family members of the troops on the plane. They were just there to say "Welcome Home."

I can't wait until I live in a city and can volunteer to be there for the troops returning from wherever. I hope they appreciate it 1/2 as much as we did.

2008-09-08T12:13:00.013-06:00

Rome!

We paid for a flight to Rome on Ryan Air. That airline is an adventure in itself. But I digress. SO, we get to Rome at about 11:30 at night after a plane, a bus, and a taxi. We ring the doorbell. Whose doorbell, you might ask? Well, Chris's college roommate, Matteo - his parents live in Rome!! They are actually also in charge of the dorm rooms for the PSU study abroad students. And since we went in between semesters, we got to stay in the rooms for free! Good timing, huh?

The location was incredible, right off of Piazza Nervona. Did I even spell that right? Anyway, on the piazza in the evenings there was singing, and one night there was an opera and a string quartet followed that! It was nice to have his mom right down the hall, too. Since we showed up with the kids late at night she already got stuff in like they were her own grandkids...milk, cereal, fruits, yogurt, pastries, juices, a bottle of wine for me and Chris...we were totally spoiled. Here we are in Rome.

This is the view from his parents terrace...

This is the view looking UP to the terrace from the piazza. Cool, huh? See that small statue in the middle of the photo?

Well, it is barely on the upper edge of this picture. Pretty cool, huh?

We went and saw the Vatican, and climbed up to the cupola. Beautiful. Impressive. Awe-inspiring.

We went to the colloseum. Is that spelled right?

Ok, I'm just noticing how incredibly bad these pictures are. I have to check the camera settings, I guess. Why can't a simple point-and-shoot be a SIMPLE point-and-shoot??

I'm on the phone to Heather while I'm trying to post this. Now, I can't remember for the life of me what it is! lol While talking to her, all I can think of is Astrodome. And I know that's not right. Let me see if I can think and talk and type at the same time. Nope, can't do it.

You know, it's where they had the early church, and it rains through the hole, and the kids loved it! Um...palodrome? No....ok, total blonde moment. Sorry.

And I know this could have been taken anywhere, but I loved it. One of my favorites. The kids sharing ice cream cones. Oops, gelato. We ate a LOTTA gelato every day. It was so hot!!

We also went to see the Spanish Steps.

Now, what's missing, you may ask? How about the Sistine Chapel??? WELL, it was CLOSED. For TWO days. And we had TWO DAYS left!! Stupid Day of Ascension....ha ha

We'll see it next time. I have about 300 more pictures from Rome, but have to go catch the kids off the bus. Last post for Europe - Germany!!

2008-09-04T17:36:00.004-06:00

Some promised pictures.

This is McGuire Air Force Base terminal. The terminal from hell. Lots of these people were SLEEPING in the terminal. For DAYS. With their KIDS. I don't care if I never see it again.

It took us a week to get out of here. We sat in this airport through SEVEN (7) flights over five days to Germany. We did get called for one of them, they checked our bags, we lined up to get on the plane, and THEN we were told there were no seats. After 5 days in the airport, Michael finally had a small meltdown and had tears running down his cheeks, saying "Why CAN'T we get on the plane?..." About broke my heart. We finally said screw it and went down to Dover, DE to try for a flight somewhere on Sat. Anywhere, at this point. We were meeting some really-really nice people in the airports and all, but we just wanted to get somewhere.

So, we ended up that night on a flight headed for beautiful Rota, Spain!!

It is a Spanish naval base right on the ocean. We didn't have a whole nights sleep on the plane, but the kids were excited to be at the beach! The base had a private beach, and after dinner we did head down to the public beach. This is taken at 8:15 at NIGHT. I don't think I've ever seen so many people on the beach so late in the evening!!

No joke, there were people Every.Where. At 8:15 at night. It didn't get dark over there until almost 10, though, so it's not like they were rushing home. Nope, they all were rushing to get ice cream. I think Europeans eat an average of 9 ice cream cones per week. Gelato, excuse me. Michael's favorite flavor was cantelope, and Molly's was chocolate. The chocolate was like eating a spoonful of chocolate icing. THAT rich. And THAT yummy.

The next day we flew to Hahn, Germany and rented a car to drive to Claudia's house. She was one of my bridesmaids and I've missed her so much! The next day we drove back up to Hahn and caught a flight to Rome. I'll save Rome for the next entry because that one is a 3 day-er...

2008-09-01T19:53:00.005-06:00

Something is better than nothing. Right?

Here are Chris and the kids in front of the Trevi Fountain.

2008-08-22T10:32:00.003-06:00

Just in for a day...

We're back from Europe. All was well, and I will post pictures when we get back from the beach Labor Day weekend. I've enjoyed reading all of your blogs and can't wait to catch up soon!
In a nutshell, the kids did incredible, the traveling was tiring, but the sights were worth it. :-)

If you have a minute, check out Shinyoung's blog on my sidebar. It is a short clip of Little Susie and her antics. I don't know which I liked more - the look on Little Susie's face, or the giggle of her mama!

2008-08-04T06:12:00.003-06:00

My Peeps

I had a girls evening out last night. They almost cancelled because they thought I wouldn't be able to handle it, leaving for Europe and all. Oh, they of little faith. The kids are packed, and we don't even leave until after lunch!! I'll pack my bag after their eye appointments this morning.

So, we went out for a couple of hours last night. These are the girls you can talk to about the state of your marriage, your kids and their accomplishments (or their failures), the local news, the football team, national news, choosing kindergartens and the effects that will have on them - not only this year, but in the future and on the entire family...you know, THAT kind of stuff. In the picture are Michelle, Ann, and Nicole. Michelle has kids at Grace, Ann's kids go to the Catholic school, and Nicole's kid will go to the local charter school. And mine will go to the local public school. We've all made different decisions for different reasons, and we all support each other in the decisions we've made. I think we all made the decision that was right for US, as moms with kindergarteners.

This is the last post for awhile, probably. I'll try to post from over there, but no promises. I have a million thoughts in my head about packing and what I need, what we don't need, etc. I'll breathe a huge sigh of relief when we hit the road, I think.

Oh, a quick note. My old roommate Jodi came to visit this weekend. We hadn't seen each other since 1991. She was a little sister at the house with me in college, and it was GREAT. She has the same laugh, the same mannerisms, and is the same Jodi. We also met up with a brother at the house from when we were there, Drew. Chris called a sitter, and out we went! Good times were had by all. The next morning we went to The Diner for lunch, and who should we meet up with? A different brother from when we were here!! He was passing through town with his kids and happened to eat diagonally from us. He recognized Drew and came over to chat.

Here are me, Drew, and Jodi.

So, after a weekend filled with friends, we're off. I'll be in touch. I'll have my peeps call your peeps. :-)

2008-07-28T06:55:00.003-06:00

FYI

For those of you lucky enough to live near a Cheesecake Factory, check this out. And order the avocado eggrolls for me!!

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/cheesecake.asp

We just had our college reunion this weekend, and had so much fun. It's pretty incredible that almost 20 years later, we still get together and are just ourselves, but a little older. None of us have really changed all that much. I didn't take pictures (because I just didn't FEEL like it!), so they are all in my head. We went out a lot, hiked Mt. Nittany, and just enjoyed being together. It's amazing that after all of these years, I still have a "soft spot" for my close guy friends from college. Yeah, most of them are married with kids, and so am I. But that doesn't stop me from loving them.

This weekend a college roommate comes to stay with me. I havent' seen her since we lived togeher back in 1990-1991, and I am excited to say the least. She's bringing the 3 girls that she has and her new boyfriend so I can "check him out". I didn't get to do that with the husband, and she doesn't want to make anothet mistake. I'll let you know what I think of him. ha ha

This time next week we'll be packing bags, loading the car, and dropping Bandit off at a friends. Why? You might ask?

Well, we are going to EUROPE!! All 4 of us. Chris bought me two extra memory cards for the camera to take. We'll start in Germany, staying with Claudia, one of my bridesmaids. Then, we have a trip to Rome to take, and if we have time Mikey wants to see the Eiffel Tower. So, Paris might be a quick trip. We have to be home by the 21st at the latest, because we have a beach house in NC from the 23rd to the 29th. Then, the first home game is the 30th!! And school starts the next Tuesday. We are flying space available to Germany, so we hope to get out in the first couple of days. It could possibly just be a vacation in New Jersey, and we lose the money on the Rome trip, but we're REALLY hoping not...

Ok, that paragraph was a total ramble. But I don't feel like re-doing it. Sorry about that.

And here's a picture for the sake of a picture.

I love this man. We were watching a Cops ( you know, spouse appreciation time!) or something like that, and there was a drug dealer whose street name was "Go Hard". We STILL laugh about it. I really do adore him. Those are Mikey's pretend hot dogs, in case you can't tell. In case you actually care. ha ha

2008-07-09T19:22:00.006-06:00

A Confession. Well, two.

I must admit something. I am almost totally computer illiterate. I can't email an attachment. I can't even get the pictures off my camera and put them on the computer. Chris has shown me how a zillion times, and I still screw it up. So, while he's out walking the dog I'll blog and try to add pictures later.

Another confession. Chris and I had our first weekend away without the kids. And we loved it. I didn't even really miss them. I mean, I missed them, but I was fine without them. Does that make me a bad mom? I knew they were in the best hands possible, thanks to Rebecca. She lives next door and is a police officer and a great friend. She moved right in and took over for the weekend. How in the world do you say "thanks" for a favor like that??

So...guess where we went? We went to Mitchell's wedding- he is the cadet we sponsored that we just think the world of. He graduated in May, so that was the trip to Colorado Springs. And then he got married in June at the ripe old age of 22, so that was this trip. It was so much fun, and relaxing, and we just talked, and laughed, and walked, and ate out, and went out to the bars...just enjoying each other. Boy, do I still love that husband of mine.

Where did we go, you might ask? Here is your first clue.

That one is not that easy, so here's another:

Still stuck?

Ok, and here's the final giveaway!

After landing at BWI Chris took me down to Richmond and dropped me off at Heather's for the week. For those of you that haven't met me in real life, Heather is my best friend from home. We used to live together and teach down the hall from each other in the elementary school. I haven't spent a whole week with her since we lived together! It was fun, too. And nice that I could just be myself. You know, like when you THINK I'm going to say something, but I totally say something ELSE. And then I laugh because I crack myself up. I was that Susie for a whole week. She, Scott, and the two kids brought me back home for the 4th of July and stayed for the weekend. It was sad Sad SAD to see her go, but nice that I could spend that time with her.

Sunday was our 7th wedding anniversary, and today is Chris's birthday...throw into that stamping a few nights at the studio, swim lessons every morning, Arts Fest here in town, getting ready for the Grand Opening of the studio this weekend, applying for passports for the kids, getting a new drivers license for me, (thanks be to God that picture from the Colorado license can finally be thrown in the trash!)...well, you just have one busy Susie. Happy, but busy. Honestly, I'm not one to be sitting still for very long unless I either have a good book or a friend on the phone!

Other things to share:

-The 4th of July in State College rocks. A 45 minute fireworks show put to music, a baseball game, a 4K run, a festival....too much to do! We made it back from Richmond in time for the fireworks, but not much else.

-We're teaching the kids to play Monopoly. I bought a Littlest Pet Shop version, but they still have to count money and pay rent and buy things. The only difference is they are buying Littlest Pet Shop things and buy cat carriers and dog houses instead of houses and hotels. They LOVE it to put it lightly. We still have to play with them at this point, but soon they will be on their own! Boy, are they growing up. Monopoly is proof.

-Molly the Titanic

She had to go off the diving board at swim lessons, but there was a lifeguard in the water for safety. Well, the one lifeguard lowered her down, and she went under. She sank. And she didn't come up. Finally the other lifeguard went down and got her. She came up pretty happy, as she had been holding her breath. But when we asked her why she didn't swim to the top, she said really calmly "I don't know how to swim..." You'd think she'd at least TRY!!

I guess that's about all for now. I swear, I've been really really busy, but it seems I can't remember anything to blog about!!

2008-07-07T21:05:00.000-06:00

I promise I'll blog again soon.

I've just been really really busy. Hopefully tomorrow!

2008-06-18T19:31:00.005-06:00

One in a Million

You know how when something happens, you say "Wow, that was a one-in-a-million!" Or "They're one-in-a-million!"

Well, here is our One in a Million.

Chris went to Japan last month, right? He bought Mikey a sumo wrestler keychain that Mikey ADORED. Note the past tense. Yup, on the walk home from the bus stop, the keychain fell OFF the bookbag and crashed to the sidewalk, where it promptly shattered. Picture the child crying all the way home holding pieces of his sumo wrestler. So, of course one of Chris's favorite phrases is "Daddy can fix ANYTHING!" This sumo wrestler he couldn't fix.

Picture a Daddy trying to figure something out. He gets on the internet to buy a NEW one. Of course! Only problem? None to be had. He tries googling it. All he managed to find was a pretty girl in Canada that had taken a picture of one. As a last resort, he emailed her to see if she would part with it for love or money. (Preferably money, since he IS married.) The chances? About one in a million, we figured.

Luckily for him, and for Michael, she emailed back. Not only would she mail it, she would accept no money. Talk about a one-in-a-million!

The kids got a package from Canada this week. Here are the details:

Not only did she send the sumo, Jen sent all kinds of little toys. Now mind you, Molly LOVES everything little. She's carried "treasures" as we call them in her hands since she could grasp. And these are some cool treasures!

Inside that crocodile are little crocodile "sandwiches" made out of bread and everything! And that little water bottle opens with a fake little straw! And in the egg on the left is a little "towel" to clean up with. It's all so intricate and detailed. Right up her alley.

And to top it off, check out this nice letter.

So, Jen, you have obviously read the blog to know about the kids and Bandit. You have an incredible heart to make these two kids so happy. These two kids that I love, but you don't even know. You are One in a Million, that's for sure.

2008-06-18T19:21:00.006-06:00

Worst Wife of the Year Award

Goes to - you guessed it! Me. I didn't even blog a Father's Day thing. I suck. Sorry honey. You KNOW we adore you. Right?

So, here is your Doodle.

And here is your Toonies.

Happy Father's Day, honey. Sorry about that. But on the bright side, I didn't spend any money doing this, right? :-)

2008-06-18T10:28:00.002-06:00

A few quick answers.

The studio is right near the Corner Room, and the windows face Hammond Building. Diagonally you can see the mall and the Loop stop.

The other artists. Lisa paints gourds, and Amy does flower arrangements. We also sell Dawn's fused-glass ornaments and Jeannie's bags. (sort of like tote bags, or purses, or school bags, or beach bags, or whatever...) Lisa, Amy and I are the only ones using the "work room" though. I'll put up pictures when we finish decorating shortly, I promise.

We are going to open for Arts Fest, so we are busy busy busy creating and cranking stuff out. Pricing is the trickiest part for me. Handcrafted cards. Hmmm. I could sell a lot for a dollar each, but the TIME I put into them. Two dollars might be too much, though. Although if I mail them to friends, I insure them for $4 each. ( Hey, I don't want to remake them!!) Any thoughts, opinions, etc. are all welcome.

Today is finally Michael's last day at school, and it's a half day, so I'm off to the bus stop. HELLO SUMMER!!

2008-06-13T11:04:00.002-06:00

The Studio

It's official - we've opened a studio!! Two of my girlfriends and I have opened a working studio, and a showroom right next door. It's PRIME real estate (right on the 100 block of College Avenue), the AC is now turned on so it's nice and cool, and we are all moved in.

Advantages:
All of my stuff is out of the house. (I stamp for those of you who didn't know.)
I'll be more inspired to go down there to work, having it feel like a real "job", with a place to sell my stuff.
Chris finally has more room in the house for HIS junk.
The girlfriends are down there working, TOO! It is almost like a "female fort"!

I've been giddy with excitement since Wednesday when I moved in. Absolutely giddy. All I want to do is go down to the studio!

Disadvantages:
I have to drive the 3 miles to work on my stuff instead of having it here in the dining room
Getting SO close to these girls, and having to move next year.

I don't have any pictures to post, as it is still a work in progress, but I will, I promise. I'll be spending evenings at the studio, after the kids get in the tub. During the school year I can go at lunch, and work un-interrupted until I have to be home at 3 to get the kids off the bus!!

Life is great. Absolutely great.

2008-06-02T20:14:00.016-06:00

Our Short But Sweet Vacation

We made our pilgrimage to Colorado Springs last week for commissioning and graduation. It was a lot of fun, although cold. Here are some of the highlights of the trip:

Michael and Molly asleep before we even hit Baltimore.

Michael and Ryley, Teresa's youngest son, playing Guitar Hero III.

Mitchy and the kids rock climbing at Garden of the Gods. I was laughing with Chris, reminding him how Mitchell became Mitchy. I told Chris he COULDN'T call him Mitchy, and he told me that he dared Mitchell to tell him that he couldn't call him that. Mitchy it was, and still is...

Mitchy rock climbing as we left. He was a long way off and didn't even know we had pulled off the road to take the picture.

Us with Mitchy at the parade. What a handsome kid, huh? Well, I guess not much of a kid anymore.

After lunch we went to Karla's house, and Anne came over to meet us. It was so good to hang out with close girlfriends. You know the ones - the ones who expect you to get what you want out of their fridge, and the ones who can correct your kids or you can correct their's, and not only do they not mind, they are thankful. The ones you can be your total complete self around, and they love you anyway.

Mitchy gave the kids his cadet hat. Michael wore it around all afternoon, just as proud as can be. I love how kids don't know they look dorky, they just like something, so why NOT wear it?! I wish adults could be more like that.

This is Karina, or as Michael used to say, "B-queen-a". Still as pretty as ever.

And our Godson, Colin. What a sweetie! I can't believe it has been two years since we have seen him. WAY too long...

I even had almost an hour to run by and see the twins! I couldn't put them down the entire time, but the best part was just laughing with Brandy. It is wonderful to hear her and know that not only is she a great mom, she is a REAL mom. Thanks, Brandy! I enjoyed the laughs. :-)

We then had to fly back to BWI and spent the weekend in D.C. with the kids Godfather, Mark. Well, for those of you who know me, Mark needs no introduction at all. I've known him since my first month of college. He's my Mark. Teresa and her boys met us all out for Saturday afternoon. I love hanging out with my college roommate, her kids, and my best friend from college, and my own husband and kids. It was a great day all around. AND it was Molly's real birthday!!

I'll save the National Zoo for another day. I'm way too tired tonight!!

I didn't even take pictures of Laura, Bryon and Evie, or of the actual graduation and commissioning - my camera battery was low and I forgot to take it to Laura's anyway. I'm a sucky blogger, huh?

You know one of the best parts of vacation? Coming home.

2008-05-18T20:25:00.010-06:00

We Had A P-A-R-T-Y!!!

For the kids birthday parties we had a BYOB party! A Bring Your Own Bicycle - what were YOU thinking?? Gosh, they are only turning 5 and 6! This was Molly's invitation, and Michael's was the same, except in blue and orange.

The forecast was crummy. Rain. Luckily, it cleared up around 11 to start setting up, and from 1-3 it was not exactly sunny and beautiful, but the skies didn't open up on us. Many prayers were answered that afternoon!

We let the kids invite their friends from school and some family friends, and it was FUN! Here are some scenes, although some may be blurry. (A photograper I am NOT.)

We rode bikes,

and had birthday cake!

Molly thinks "They are all singing to ME?!!"

Michael just wants the singing over so he can dig into the cake and Creamery ice cream!!

This was the "parking lot" during the cake and ice cream part!

The kids had a ton of fun. I don't know what was more popular- Bandit or decorating the bikes! He finally had to go take a nap from being worn out with all of the kids.

One of the moms, Robyn (Parker and Ava's mom) dropped the kids off for the 2 hours. In that 2 hours, she managed to get TWO (2) speeding tickets!! I told her next time to give ME the $216, and I'll let her stay for the party! Her husband took it surprisingly well, although I have the feeling that for the rest of her life, everything will be cost relative to the tickets. Example: "Well, we could have that floor in the new house tiled, but it would cost us 5 tickets..." Her husband, Stan, was Chris's fraternity brother here at PSU. He cracks me up.

So, the house is picked up, the party is over, and we survived with a ton of help from our next door neighbor, Rebecca. We seriously owe her. Seriously. I think everyone should have a neighbor who loves kids and is naturally a sweet person and a great helper who just pitches in. Kids parties would go so much smoother!!

2008-05-10T06:55:00.005-06:00

Looks like we've made it...

Bandit came from a rescue who had gotten him from a puppy mill. We had no idea of his numerous ailments when we got him, but it looks like we've finally turned the corner. He slept through the night last night for the first time and I can now pick up his poop. Doesn't sound great, I know, but he's had the runs since we got him! So, for me, it's pretty wonderful.

He HAS gained 2 pounds in spite of his intestinal parasite which is now being treated, and his infections in his ear and eyes is almost gone. Chris is ready to kill me for getting a dog, much less a sick dog, but he is in Japan, so I am running this ship for now.

Here are some pictures I took the other night.

For all of you mother's out there - Happy Mother's Day! I'll put pictures on the blog later this week, hopefully - Molly had a Mother's Day Tea at school on Friday and Michael came home with his gifts as well. Nothing beats the gifts from the kids. No matter how small, or non-useful (is that even a word?), they bring tears to my eyes. Because they are presented with pride and love. From the people that I am proud to love. I love you so much, Michael and Molly.

2008-04-26T10:31:00.007-06:00

Meet Bandit

Sorry guys, I didn't have the pictures when I wanted to blog!! Here is an abridged version of the dog story:

I was looking through Petfinder.com looking for a small rescue dog for weeks. Not that I really WANTED a dog, but I was just seeing what was out there. During the girls weekend in Baltimore we saw a lady picking up a puppy to fly to CA. It was a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel puppy - the cutest thing I ever did see. So, to make a long story short, I found a puppy that needed rescuing in OH that was 1/2 Cavalier, 1/2 toy English Spaniel. However, it was pending adoption already. I called the shelter to see exactly what "pending" meant. It turns out, the lady was supposed to pick it up the day before and didn't show up! I turned in my application on Sunday and went to school on Monday a nervous wreck about getting a dog. Lisa told me she would come with me to get the puppy, so I was looking forward to the trip if I got approved.

Monday night I got approved, but the puppy had a vet appointment on Saturday. In the meantime, I sent a picture to Amy of ANOTHER puppy at the shelter, which was also half Cavalier, but half Cocker. She fell in love with that one. It, too, said "pending". I told the shelter I could come pick up the puppy on Monday evening. On Sunday night Amy called the lady with the dogs, and asked about the other puppy. There were several applications on that one, but they had other dogs. Amy said no, she really had her heart set on THAT dog, but that was ok. At 9:15 Sunday night Amy gets a phone call from the shelter, even though she hadn't left her name or number. If she wanted the dog, fill out an application, bring the cash, and she could take it home with me on Monday. It turns out the first application was having a hard time coming up with the money, and the next application was from South Carolina, and who knew when they could come get it?

On Monday morning at school we were so excited for our big trip - 3 of us going, 2 of us getting puppies. Monday was also Amy's birthday, and when Barbara heard, she wanted to come with us. Becky, our director, got a sub for Barbara for the afternoon and we were all free to go at noon!!

Our trip there was a LOT of fun. We really wanted to be safe drivers, so we added extra protection!

Once we got to the shelter Lisa saw a Shitzu (which is NOT spelled right!) and called her husband. He said no, Amy and I got our dogs, and we left. Less than a mile down the road Lisa's husband called her back and told her to go get the dog. We went back, got the dog, and headed home.

Luckily Barbara didn't mind driving because we were all holding puppies the whole trip home!

4 of us went, and 3 came home with puppies. We are loving them!

We didn't tell the kids about the puppy, preferring to surprise them instead. Boy, were they ever surprised on Tuesday morning!!

That is our latest addition to the family, and will probably be it. We are thinking the dog will grow to about 12 pounds, and he is 6 pounds now. He sure is a cute puppy!

2008-04-24T18:18:00.001-06:00

Our family is growing again.

More details next post.

2008-04-13T19:13:00.005-06:00

He couldn't get it up...

The KITE. What were YOU thinking on my family blog???!

Molly wanted her picture taken on Friday morning before school, so here she is in all of her glory.

This Saturday was the annual Walk for Autism here in State College. I taught Parker last year and I have his sister Ava this year. He is an incredible kid from an incredible family, so we do what we can to support him. Look who Mikey saw!!

I apologize for the blurry pictures - there was a smudge on my lens....

I took Michael to lunch at the restaurant of his choice after we did the walk. McDonalds, which surprised me! I expected Indian or Korean. I asked him what the best part of his day had been. His answer? "Spending time with you." Right back atcha, Mikey.

2008-04-07T18:28:00.002-06:00

Something to blog about...

Hmmm. I'm at a loss this time. I want it to be something interesting enough to READ, but my life is so mundane lately.

Molly had 2 birthday parties this weekend. She's now at the age where you "Stop, Drop and Run". I've discovered this means new-found freedom! Each day I had 2 (count 'em - TWO) hours to do whatever I wanted to. With no kids. And nothing really to do. SO, I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond to get my K-cups for my morning tea. Then, I went to Sam's to return some shorts I had gotten for Mikey. They were way too big. I strolled around and tasted some foods, and got a fantastic recipe for beans I'll make for the Blue/White game next weekend. I went to Barnes and Noble to spend my Christmas gift cards from my kids at school. I ran to McDonald's to get a sweet tea and a fry (one of my downfalls). Then I went back to get Molly, feeling refreshed and happy.

Sunday was reserved for Michael's and Wegman's, both with no kids. Ah...the joy of birthday parties.

Next weekend I won't have nothing to do because it is during the Annual Autism Walk here at PSU. I'd rather do the walk than have nothing to do, and it's for a great cause. Parker, who I taught last year, has autism. I looked at a kids' book at Barnes and Noble about a friend with autism, but I didn't want to buy it. I really don't think Mikey and Molly REALIZE he has autism. He's just Parker. So, why introduce it until they notice? It'll wait...

Oh, speaking of autism. Chris, Mikey and Molly were the picture on the front of the flyer this year! It was of Chris and the kids in the wagon. It made us laugh. The funniest part? The local PBS station did a show on Parker to air last weekend for Autism Month. After the interview they were talking about how wonderful the walk was, and how it was for a good cause to "help families like these". And THEN, they showed the picture of Chris, Mikey and Molly!!!

I wonder who they thought had autism in that picture. I'll have to show them this year that they have been miraculously cured! Is that spelled right? I can't figure out how to do spell-check on this thing.

Now, for a picture. This is Molly when we lived in Colorado Springs, and is our screen saver right now. I love it!

2008-03-31T18:47:00.007-06:00

What a great vacation!!

Once I recovered from the flu went went out to Wright Patt for Col. Z's retirement. He was Chris's boss when we got married and quickly became a family friend. He flew out to CO to visit us three times while we were there, and has come here as well. We just LOVE him.

Anyway...

Here we are at the luncheon after the ceremony.

The kids absolutely adore him. He even got them gifts and presented them to the kids. Talk about feeling special!! He and Tami took a lot of time out of their week to hang out with us and the kids, which was great. It was like we were on a real vacation!

We ate several meals together and just hung out at their house. It was great to laugh together.

I also got to visit with Julie and heat emboss some cards with her, and met Jenny Bruss for breakfast. I love First Watch!! I ate a crepe filled with whipped eggs, bacon, turkey, avocado, tomato and cheese topped with sour creme and homemade salso. Picture the plate with home fries and a hot English muffin, and can you say YUM?? I lost 2 dress sizes with the flu, so I have to make sure I don't put them right back on!!

OH, I almost forgot!! Today we got Molly's hair cut. I was walking down Calder Alley and saw a sign at a real salon for a Cut-A-Thon benefiting the United AIDS Foundation. Haircuts were only $9! She wanted a change, so here you go. Three years of hair on the floor, since she didn't have much until she was two. ha ha

And it isn't the best picture, but she now has a bob just at her shoulders. It is so stinkin' CUTE!!

2008-03-17T14:09:00.001-06:00

The flu bug has hit. But I don't think I look yellow!

In Molly's defense, she said she only had yellow, green and red crayons in the pew at church.

2008-03-07T07:43:00.012-07:00

So Much To Tell.

Last weekend I had a girls weekend in Baltimore. Boy, was it great. We didn't really party and were asleep by 10:30 and up by 7 both mornings, but we had so much fun! We stayed at Fell's Point right on the water and they had the most delicious breakfast! Fresh fruit (canteloupe, honeydew, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, pineapple, grapes) granola, oatmeal, various cereals, 3 different kinds of breakfast breads, muffins, doughnuts, bagles with 3 cream cheeses, coffee, teas, juices, milks, yogurt...you get the picture! It was a great way to start the day.

Next, it was off to the Inner Harbor for a little shopping!

We spent a LONG time in the Swatch store and managed to get lots of watches 1/2 off! The salesgirl was so patient with us. But I think we managed to amuse her.

After shopping for hours we needed to eat. Where? The Cheesecake Factory!! I got my favorite Avacado Eggrolls. Absolute heaven.

Then, Lisa had decided she wanted to get a tattoo. After researching before we got to town, she settled on the Tattoo Museum. A very good choice once we got there! What a great reputation they have, and it was something "different" to do on a Saturday afternoon. That wore us out, so while Lisa napped we watched a rivoting Lifetime movie on tv. Hey, it was good to just relax!!

We all woke up early on Sunday morning and decided to head down to D.C. to see some monuments. It was a beautiful sunny day and a lot of fun!

We never actually went to the Capitol, but I did manage to take a picture from the Washington Monument. It saved us from walking.... :-)

Next it was off to see the WW II Memorial. I had never seen this one!

Of course, we had to take a picture of the White House, even though we didn't manage to get all the way over to it, either.!

We finished our journey at The Natural History Museum before eating at CPK on the way out of town!

And at CPK I got my favorite Thai Crunch chicken salad with no onions or scallions, but with guacamole. YUM!
A very enjoyable weekend away from home, I must admit. Some time with just grownup girlfriends does a body good.

2008-02-28T13:21:00.001-07:00

EXCELLENT Pictures!!

No, not mine. I can only dream these are mine! These were taken by a husband of a fellow Mom's Club member. Check THESE out!!

2008-02-26T20:13:00.011-07:00

Pat-a-cake

I got bored this weekend, so I decided to bake. I found some NEW recipes and went for it. This was "Brownie Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting". They were not difficult, but each one has almost 400 calories and about 19 grams of fat. SO, they are heart attacks in a muffin cup. But yummy.

They are very rich and very brownie-like in texture. But I can eat almost anything with a cream cheese frosting! Just not a lot of it...

Then, on Monday I had bananas that I needed to bake with as they were a little past eating condition. I googled and here is what I came up with:

Banana Nut Muffins with an Orange Glaze

I wasn't sure at all about having an orange glaze on banana nut muffins, but let me tell you - there's no going back! I don't think I'll ever make a plain banana nut anything again!

Then, I found this. Chocoate - Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

To be honest, I haven't even tried these yet. But my friends at Bunko, school and book club loved them! When I have more time I'll post the recipes in the sidebar like Amy does, but I haven't quite mastered that yet.

We also had the lunar eclipse. Here are some pictures from my driveway. Not great, but I never claimed to be a photographer!! These were taken while I was shivering in the driveway:

I love baking and taking the food places. I just know that the eating part won't help me lose any weight!

2008-02-23T07:07:00.002-07:00

Kids Perceptions

The other day the kids were playing with Polly Pockets together. We have two boys and about eight girl Polly Pockets. Anyhow, this is what I hear.

"Hey, let's let them have parties!"
"Yeah! You take the girls over there for their party. OK?"
"OK, we'll get out all of the Stampin' Up stuff to stamp...."
"And I'll put the guys over here to drink BEE-EER!"

All I could do was laugh. Still. These kids seem to Keep Me Laughing.

2008-02-20T11:48:00.005-07:00

They make me laugh.

As most of you know, Michael has been going to speech since he was 18 months old. Me, being the mom that I am, always thought "Well, he might need speech, but at least we caught it early! It's all about early intervention, right? I'll be proud when he is in kindergarten and doesn't NEED speech anymore!!"
I was a fool. Of COURSE he still needs speech. Don't get me wrong, he is now understandable. (When he started pre-school at the age of 3 the teacher couldn't understand him. Luckily I was teaching across the hall and could interpret!) When he IS finished with speech, I'll be so proud. But I love him as he is. And as he was.
He now sings "If your happy and you know it then your fathe will thurly thow it!" And I love it.

Molly was deciding what to take to show-and-tell today and she wanted to take her "chickmunk". I laughed at that chipmunk - which is actually a gingerbread doll!

And what do they use to go swimming underwater? "Gobbles". Of COURSE!!

2008-02-13T18:18:00.011-07:00

I LOVE Snow Days!!

I know, I know, they drive most moms crazy. But not me. Nope, I love them. Having a leisurely breakfast. Hanging out in pajamas. Spending time together, either stuck in the house or playing outside. I think they're the bomb. Here are our TWO snow days this week!!

Chris and the kids made new snowmen. Well, Chris made them, and the kids helped decorate them! Then, it REALLY started to snow!!

We had Tuesday and Wednesday off school, so today we went sledding at Slab Cabin Park here in State College. What a great time! Take a look...

Molly liked being pulled around by her big brother!

This was the run that we made. For the most part we pulled the kids up, but Molly hiked it with me 3 times or so! We really had a blast. Molly said her favorite part was "when we tipped over". Hey, I never said I was a GOOD sledder!!

The kids liked throwing snow balls into the creek. Mikey kept edging closer and closer, and I was afraid he'd fall in.

And because I never post a picture of me, here you go. Not a great picture, but a picture none-the-less.

We also made and decorated 4 dozen cupcakes for Michael to take to school tomorrow. (Note to self: just BUY them next time!)

AND, we made pretzels with a kit from Auntie Anne's pretzel shop. They were yummy, but it sure would have been easier if we could have just DRIVEN to the mall to get some!

So, that was our two snow days. And we can't WAIT for the next one!!

2008-02-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

My husband, Chris

I got tagged by Denise to do this, so here goes.

What is his name?

Christopher James Solo

How long have you been married?

6 years, going on 600. Oops, I mean 7.

How long did you date?

3 years, then engaged for one year

How old is he?

36 - younger, but I trained him well!

How old are you?

I'll be 39 in October. And I thought I was only 37 until Bunko last month. That was a bummer...

Who eats more sweets?

Definitely me. By far.

Who said I love you first?

He did.

Who is taller?

Chris, but not by too much

Who can sing better?

Definitely him. Without a shadow of a doubt.

Who is smarter?

Again, definitely him. Since we got married he has caught up with me on the Master's, and is now passing me by getting his PhD. I'm so proud!

Who does the laundry?

Me. When I bother to do it, which is NOT often enough.

Who does the dishes?

Usually me, since he is bathing the kids at the same time. If I slack off, he'll do them.

Who pays the bills?

Chris. Mostly online.

His guilty pleasure?

Chips, salsa, and a beer.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?

Chris does.

Who mows the lawn?

Chris. I've haven't mown the lawn since we lived in OH.

Besides you, who is his best friend?

He isn't that close to that many people. Tracy Cook? Meatgazer Clark? Lance, V or Matteo? Oke or Spike?

Who cooks dinner?

Me. But he's a better cook, and much more original. Sometimes he cooks if I don't feel like it.

Who drives?

He does. All the time. Unless we go out, and then I drive us home usually.

Who kissed who first?

He kissed me.

Who asked who out first?

Gosh, I don't even know. I guess he did...?

What was your first date?

We went to the National Zoo. Just a fun day out!

Who proposed?

Chris did. He rowed me out on my parent's pond in the morning of our big annual 4th of July party. It was great.

Who has more siblings?

I have a brother and a sister, but Chris is an only child.

Who wears the pants?

Chris.

What is your favorite thing about him?

That he loves me for who I am. That he is SUCH an involved daddy. That he is everything that I always wanted, but thought I'd never find.

I tag A.K ., and Erin and Patricia.

And my sister be-atched about it until I added her to the tagged list, so here you go, Keeko!

2008-02-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Updates with new videos

See the Playin' the Buckets and This Little Light of Mine posts below for new videos...courtesy of Uber-Husband...

Yes, Chris hacked into my account. Check out how modest he is at a post lower down on the blog called "This Little Light of Mine"!!

2008-02-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

Playin' the Buckets

Once upon a time (read a long, long time ago) way back when I was young, dumb, and single...

Heather and I went up to D.C. to visit Chris. Actually, a BUNCH of us were gathering in D.C. that weekend, mostly Drill Team people from our college days. We had a tiny bit to drink while we were out that weekend (read entirely too much for our own good and way too much for our health) and were outside of the nightclub. I was sitting on the curb (read puking in the gutter) and Heather wandered up the street a storefront or two. She "met a friend" who was playing the buckets for extra change. In her most convincing tone (read drunken stupor) she took over the sticks and started playing his buckets. She actually got a larger crowd than he had (from what I'm told) and then he took his sticks back because I'm sure he was afraid she would want her cut of his takings.

Fast forward to Sunday afternoon. We took the kids to a women's basketball game on campus, and take a LOOK at the 1/2 time show!!

Yup, dudes playin' the buckets. I just HAD to call Heather!! We both had a good laugh, and these guys were actually very very good.

We met some friends for the game. Hojae, his son Ian, and Sumi, his mom is missing. She was at home sick. It was a shame she missed it, as I missed talking to her. See, here is a photo. No Sumi....I promised Hojae that I'd blog and give Sumi a hard time for missing the game!

Also this weekend the kids decided to play a little hockey.

They play with their hockey sticks and a rubber ball. Molly's goal is Michael's bedroom door, and Mikey has to get it past Molly. They LOVE it. Especially when they are the one winning...

Oh, we also played Trouble this weekend. The best $8 game in the world, because usually they will play it on their own.

What a great age the kids are! When they were tiny, I was so sure I had made a mistake wanting them so close in age. Now?? Life is good. In every way.

2008-01-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

This little light of MINE... (Version 2.0)

I have the best husband in the world. He is the handsomest, strongest, smartest, charmingest, hottest, wittiest, sexiest, lovingest husband in the whole wide world. He is just dreamy. I will call him Uber-Husband from now on. (Oh, and he passed his PhD candidacy exam.) Anyway, while I was sleeping this evening, that most wonderful man downloaded a video conversion program, learned how to use it, converted my video files from .mov to .mpg format, reset my blog password and hacked into my account, and uploaded the videos I wanted to share with everyone but couldn't. Oh, I just want to throw myself at Uber-Husband! (p.s. Uber-Husband wrote this while Susie "Paris Hilton" Solo was sleeping...)

I've been sick with a sinus infection and finally broke down and went to the dr. yesterday. I called in sick for today but didn't have to take a sick day because we got a day off with freezing rain! I'm hoping 3000 mg of amoxicillin a day helps me. It will either help me or kill me.

Check back.

2008-01-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Granny

Chris's great-grandmother passed away past year, and I was just thinking about her. She was so totally sane, and funny, and had great stories. She lived by herself until her last hospital trip, and always cooked and baked for the entire family. She was great...

Here is a picture of 5 generations. Yup, 5. Crazy, huh? It is Chris, his mom, Granny, Mikey as a baby, and Grandma D. We have one that is the same with Molly when she was born, too...

Here they are again, just the next year.

Here I am holding Mikey on our first trip to Pittsburgh.

And here's Chris. Mikey has the funniest expression on his face! We laughed at this one for the LONGEST time!!

And then the next year here we are at Craig and Carol's. This is Chris's uncle and aunt that we stay with in Pittsburgh. Craig is his mother's brother.

Mikey was such a beautiful baby, and then came Molly. Not so much to talk about there. Don't get me wrong, we loved her just as much, she just wasn't much to look at for a long time. But she "cutened up"!!

2008-01-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

I wish I had my camera when...

Molly was shoveling her spaghetti noodles in her mouth as fast as she could. Chris said "Molly...?" and she looked up with her face still towards her plate. Protruding from her little mouth was approximately 387 noodles.... She couldn't even chew!

Not such a proud parenting moment, but hysterical none-the-less...I had to turn around to laugh into my water while he was left to scold about table manners. THEN, he had to laugh into his glass, too. We do laugh a lot in the Solo household!

2008-01-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Out with the Old, in with the New.

We ended the old year at 2000 Degrees, a paint your pottery studio. Molly chose a container to hold her "jewlery"...

while Mikey picked a plate in the shape of a star to be his "snack plate" after school.

They were SO excited to see the finished products were smooth and shiny, and they can't wait to go back! If it was cheaper, I'd be psyched too. $36 for two kids things. What a rip-off.

We painted with Isaac and Isabelle, and we went out to see the ice sculptures in town for First Night. Since it was a block away, we walked down to see what had been made, and what was BEING made...

Later that night, Chris ran a 5K in costume as part of First Night. While he was running, we went back to see more sculptures, watched a quick parade, and then met dad at the finish line. He was hot from wearing the heavy costume!!

Chris has begun his Candidacy Exam. Ten long days. Four long questions. We'll all be happy when it's over!! My friend and I got Sally to come over to watch my kids and hers while we went out for a Thai lunch. Sally took pictures of them dressing up. Here is Sarah and Molly in Molly's room, and then there is a picture of Molly looking a little bit bored. Or something.

And finally, here are the munchkins as I tuck them into bed. They had crawled into Mikey's bed for a quick cuddle.

We are all back at school, in the routine. Today was NOT routine - we had 67 degree weather in PA in January!! We played outside at school, Molly's class ate lunch outside, we went to The Creamery with Isaac, Isabelle, Parker and Ava. Then we came home and Parker and Ava came over to play outside and ride bikes. Robyn helped me rake almost the entire back yard, can you believe that? I wonder if her shoulders are tired, too...?

So, the wet cold returns tomorrow. Back to January. But I sure appreciated the 2 beautiful days we had! Thanks, God!

2007-12-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

A very late Christmas post...

Molly is sporting the tiara and earrings that Michael got her for Christmas. This was Christmas Eve after church when we let them open one present. The sweetest part of Christmas morning?

Even with all of the presents under the tree, they insisted they dig out what they had gotten us FIRST. They went shopping with some Girl Scouts at a "Santa Shop" earlier in the month. Instead of tearing into all of their gifts, they wanted to give us ours first, so they could see how happy they made us. We wouldn't have cared if GARBAGE was in those little stapled bags they gave us. Molly gave me a "lovely" jeweled pen, and Mikey gave me a bracelet. He gave Chris a tablet and pen with the American flag on them ('cause he knows that's Daddy's favorite flag) and Molly gave him a Christmas tree photo foam frame. After we "ooooh" 'ed and "aahhhh" 'ed, THEN they were willing to open the rest of the presents. We couldn't have been prouder.

They got Leapsters for Christmas and have turned into teenagers overnight. They would sit and play those things all day if we let them! Molly's other favorite present is a My Little Pony ice cream truck and Mikey's is his Rubik's cube. They got lots of neat gifts from lots of people and started their Thank You notes today!

2007-12-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Some old pictures of Mikey, too.

Here is Mikey when we went to visit my mom and dad for the month of Dec. 2002. Chris had finals at AFIT, so Mikey and I went down and moved in for an entire month! I was already quite pregnant with Molly, so the help was appreciated.

Then, in March, we went to Roanoke to see my dad's mom. It was the last time I saw her, so I was glad we went and took Mikey. Look how pregnant I was with Molly! Oh, those were the days.... ha ha.

Fast forward to Molly's first birthday. I think the noise was too much for him. In this picture he was 2 and almost 1 month.

I looked for decent pictures of this week, but I don't know how they are labeled on the computer, so I'll have to post it later.

This one will work. Here they are with Mark the day before Thanksgiving.

Ok, I really do have to go clean up anything today. Just anything. :-)

2007-12-13T17:54:00.001-07:00

Miss Molly

Here she is at Christmas in 03...

And HERE she is at Christmas 07...

She still makes me laugh.

2007-12-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Loser Blog

I'm sorry I haven't blogged in ages. My mom and dad came to visit, which was incredible amounts of fun, thanks for asking! I, of course, being the Great Blogger that I am, took not one single picture the whole time they were here. I suck.

The tree is up, the presents are bought (although not wrapped or shipped to the people they go to!), and Christmas is coming. Oh, that reminds me of the funniest t-shirt I saw downtown.

So, Teresa (my college roommate), Rey, and her boys came for the weekend. We went shopping downtown to this t-shirt store. It is green and has a picture of Santa on it. His mouth is open, and his shoulders are bare. The t-shirt says "Santa is coming!"

I've laughed about it since Saturday. It STILL cracks me up!!

2007-12-03T14:23:00.001-07:00

The Preemie Club

My friend from England, Debs, brought this to my attention. Check it out.

www.prayforkyle.com

My mom and dad are here visiting, so I'll post a real blog entry later!

2007-11-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

This is Mikey and his friend.

I took it during a hayride at Halloween, and it was the first time I met her mom. Isn't she just the cutest thing??

The highlight of my week? The packages I got in the mail today.

One was my new Keurig Platinum B70 coffee/tea maker. It's my Christmas present from Chris. He THOUGHT it was coming in a plain box, but NO, it was labeled on all sides for me to see! Talk about excited!!

And the other? Kristen, my Godson's mom who still lives up the street from us in Colorado Springs sent a box. The contents? A new picture of Colin, the Godson. The kids' Christmas presents, a dress and tights that Karina outgrew for Molly, and the best thing ever. My favorite cookies. Snickerdoodles. That she made. And packed up so they wouldn't break. And shipped them across country. Some friends you just love so much you can't describe it. Thanks, Kristen. I hope I'm 1/2 of such a good friend to you!!

2007-11-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

They crack me up.

When Chris took Mikey on his field trip he called Mikey over to a cage. He said "Mikey, take a look!" Mikey said "Baby PANDAS!!" No, they were just black and white rabbits....

Mikey had his first "own" playdate today. His friend Lizzie came home with him on the bus. I have such a big kid.

2007-11-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

I'm TRYING to become computer savvy...

But now I've lost my links. I'd better call Wendy again.

2007-11-21T20:57:00.002-07:00

I love Wendy. For so many reasons.

But the main one this second is because she designed me a new blog. Don't you just LOVE it???

2007-11-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Get in line, ladies. Step right up....

This man cracks me up. Life is definitely never boring here in the Solo household. I think I've even convinced him to wear it to Thanksgiving Dinner. Should be a BIG hit!!

Let's see what else is going on around here.

Mikey had an Upper Respiratory Infection last week so we kept him home for two days. Chris let me go to work in the mornings while he stayed home, and then I stayed home while he went to class or into his office. They played a lot of trains while they were home, as evidenced here:

That is their GeoTrax train, which they LOVE. Mikey is really good at switching the switches for the tracks.

They also have the old stand-by:

He's now all better and we just keep the humidifier in his room at night.

Other news that's fit to tell:

- We're going to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving. We are heading over on Thursday, and coming home either Friday or Sat. (For those of you reading this stalking us, please don't come rob our house!)

- Tomorrow we will go visit Mark for a few hours. He is flying home to Williamsport tonight and he always drives to see us, so tomorrow we will make the trip to see him. Added bonus: seeing Pop-Pop and Grandma Keller! I can't wait to give Mark a big ol' hug tomorrow!

- Erin is having her baby. Tonight. I keep checking the book club portal to see what's going on. Had him! You guys will have to wait to hear from her.

I'm off to watch a movie with Chris now that I know Ephraim is here and all is well. Sitting on the computer is over for me for this evening.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

Dining Out

Last night we went to Dining Out. I know a lot of you don't really like the whole "military thing", but I really, really do. Really do.

So, we got a sitter, got cleaned up, and out we went.

Let me think of anything else to blog about...oh, we went to Mikey's kindergarten conference.

They wanted to take him out of speech. Most parents would think "Wow, that's great that my kid doesn't need speech anymore! Yahoo!!" Not this mom.

All I could think of was "I've had this kid in speech since he was 18 months old, most people can't understand all that he says, he sounds aren't clear at all, and YOU WANT TO TAKE HIM OUT OF SPEECH?!? Are you CRAZY???"

So, I told them I would take the papers home, read them, sign them, and return them, but they would NOT be checked in the box they wanted checked. A couple of hours later the speech teacher was calling me here at home to set up an IEP meeting to start speech again. I went to bed a much happier mommy that night.

My friend Joe came up for the Ohio game and that was a lot of fun. It seemed he hadn't changed since I was 17. Same sense of humor, same laugh. Just older like me.

Bo came up for the Purdue game. He hadn't been here since The Reunion in July, and we were sad his whole family couldn't come, but it was fun to see him again, too. Can I tell you how much I LOVE having a spare bedroom in State College? When hotels are $250 a night with a two night minimum over football weekends the Solo room is free, breakfast included. What better deal can you get? I think it should be illegal to jack up the prices of a room because of the game, but it isn't. So, what can you do...

Here's a yummy recipe.

Poppy Seed Bread (really cake, but I feel healthier if I call it Bread)

1 box Betty Crocker Butter Pecan cake mix

1 package French Vanilla instant pudding mix

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup poppy seeds

4 large eggs

1 cup hot tap water

Preheat over to 350. Mix all ingredients well and bake for 20-50 minutes, depending on the container used. I use a Bundt cake pan and bake it for close to 50 minutes. You can use cupcakes or loaves, too....

OK, I guess that's about it. I've doing a craft show next weekend to take orders for cards to me make for Christmas. Last year I did the same thing about made about $120, so I'm pretty excited. I love getting paid for something I enjoy doing!!

(No Susie Solo = porn name = paid-for-something-I-enjoy-doing jokes necessary)

2007-11-01T17:21:00.000-06:00

Per Kristen's request...

Here they are. One of The Incredibles and Scooby Doo. This was taken last week when we went trick-or-treating at the local Wegman's. Have I told you how much I LOVE that place?

Anyway, quick post just for a quick picture.

Last night we had fun on a pretty warm night, and we had a total of nine (9) kids come to the house. Kinda lame.

I hope all of you had fun, and I've been checking your blogs to see pictures. I still want to see a certain lawyer dressed up as Dorothy with her red sparkly shoes....hee hee.

2007-10-30T14:49:00.000-06:00

My hero.

You see what he bought? And do you see who is using it? Hooray!! It's a leaf blower, and I don't even have to use it!! What a great day in my little life. Here is what is left to fall on us:

So, he will get a lot of use out of it!

Mikey went on a field trip today to a pumpkin farm, and Chris got to go with the class. Here they are on their adventure.

Oh, funny story. Well, maybe not funny. But a quick story. Chris went out of town last weekend to go to his cousin's wedding in FL. It was the Ohio State game, they are ranked #1, it is a home game, and Chris has to leave. He's bummed.

So, I say to him "Do you mind if I invite Joe to come to the game with me? I'd like to see him, and I haven't seen him in 15 years, and we have your ticket..."

His response? "Go ahead. That's fine with me."

A few days later, I think about it, and just want to clarify that he really IS "fine" with it. I ask him again "Are you SURE you don't mind if Joe comes? You don't know him, and you'll be out of town, and I just wanted to make sure..." His response? "Well, he's not going to be on my side of the BED, is he?" And then he laughed.

I picked up the house after Chris left, but before Joe came to town. I was on the phone to Chris and said "Well, most of the house is pretty good. I threw what was left in our bedroom. After all, he won't see that....well....maybe he WILL!!"

Chris laughed and said "Don't worry about it. He'll just see the ceiling."

See why I love that man?

I am editing the post, because I forgot about this. More proof. He's my hero.

Wifey,

I bought the domain name www.susiesolo.com tonight. We own it for 2 years. (I found a promo code, so it cost less than $15 total for two years.) I will show you how it works. For now, I have it set up so that when you type www.susiesolo.com, your blog shows up (it redirects to your blog page..or wherever you might want it to.) Cool, huh? Indeed, I am the best husband.

Looking ahead: One of these days, you and I are going to write a book based on our experiences, including those documented in your blog. I thought buying www.susiesolo.com would be a good idea.

I love you.

-Christopher

2007-10-19T16:39:00.000-06:00

I don't mind getting older. As long as I don't mature.

Yes, I'm getting older. The good part of getting older is you get better presents. Look what I got this year!

It is a watercolor print of Old Main, and is the view I had from my college apartment. The triple-matting and frame are so beautiful - I put it up in the living room immediately!

Fall is officially here. I've tarped some leaves from the backyard and the colors are stunning. Here is one of the first leaves that fell:

And with the fall comes more tailgating. We had 3 home games in a row, and that wore us out!! Luckily we had 2 weeks to recover, then had 2 more at home, and have this weekend off. I know those of you from PSU really don't feel sorry for us at all - having to tailgate and sit through every home game. It's a tough life. Really it is.

The kids are still playing soccer. Molly has a game on Tuesdays, Mikey has a game on Wednesdays, and they both have games on Sundays. We spend a lot of time at these fields.

Chris is one of her coaches and she LOVES it. That is Becca sitting next to her. They are best friends from school and asked to be on the same team. She's a lovely girl.

Mikey plays with a couple of his friends, and they are getting to be pretty good! The big Solo news? They BOTH scored goals this week!!

Oh, we also did a Poker Ride on campus! It was put on by the Campus Police, and the Bike Club, and I think some other group, too. It promoted bicycle safety, so we let Mikey ride it with us and borrowed a bike trailer to pull Molly. She likes being pulled like an infant...Mikey got the best hand in the whole competition, so we won a $50 gift certificate to downtown! It was a yummy Indian dinner for my birthday.

We also had the Homecoming Parade last weekend. Boy, was it a fun parade! There were over 50 floats, people juggling fire, and of course, what parade is complete without the band?

And of course, it wouldn't be October without a jack-o-lantern on the front porch, would it?

So, that has been the Solo household lately. We meet Grandma and Pop-Pop Keller at The Creamery every Wednesday for ice cream, have a play date or two in the afternoons throughout the week, have Bible study on Monday afternoons, soccer Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, tailgating and football games on Saturdays, and one week starts to look like the last one and the next one. I think it will only get busier as they get older, so I enjoy from 3-4 in the afternoons while they watch PBS and I can check my email and blogs!

2007-10-12T23:29:00.000-06:00

Susie's Birthday

Hey everyone...don't forget to wish Susie a Happy Birthday!!! (Oct 14th.) I know she'll be mad that I hacked into her blog account, so I'd better say some nice stuff. Honestly, Susie is the most wonderful, loving, involved, loyal, caring, funny, off-color, tell-it-like-it-is, loves-the-simple-things-in-life, gets-grumpy-when-she's-hungry, doesn't-hear-me-when-she's-reading, doesn't-know-where-the-mop-is, once-put-a-cat-terd-in-my-shoe-'cause-she-was-mad-at-me, best-Mommy-in-the-world person I've ever been in love with. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART! Love, Chris

2007-10-08T19:06:00.000-06:00

The power of prayer.

We have had some unusually warm weather here - like, in the upper 80's this weekend. Chris and I were taking the kids to the football game. So, we buy them each a ticket outside of the gate and in we go. Since it was so hot, I asked Chris to stop to get us each a water. He stopped, pulled out his wallet, and had ONE DOLLAR in there. Now, there is NO ATM in the stadium. I didn't have my purse, since I didn't want to stand in the "bagcheck line", and if you go outside of the stadium to use the ATM, you can't get back in the stadium. What to do, what to do...?

I immediately thought of our next door neighbor, Rebecca. She is a PSU police officer, and works in command control underneath the stadium. So, I tell Chris to take the kids to the seats, I'll find us money for water. I go to track down Rebecca, only to be told she is out of the stadium at that time. I proceed to leave her a note that went something like this:
"We brought Mikey and Molly to the game, but are out of $. It is hot and they need water.
Section SH, Row 46, Seat 8. Thanks! Susie"

As I leave command control, all I could think of was my responsibility as a parent was to take care of my children. I was failing. I said aloud to the thousands of people entering the stadium "God, what do I do now...??" I walked about 20 yards, if that, and entering the stadium was Pastor Lynn from my school!! I said a quick prayer of thanks, explained the situation, and borrowed $10 until Monday at school. I felt much better as a mom.

I go all the way to our seats, and flash the money to Chris. I told him I had borrowed it from Pastor Lynn! He said "You borrowed MONEY from a PASTOR?!" I said "Yup, sure did." Chris asked me where the waters were, but I was so excited, I had forgotten to get them! So, I went to the bathroom and stood in line for waters. There wasn't really a line, just one dude in front of me buying 6 waters. He turned around, and it was my neighbor! As I bought the kids each a water, I was laughing, telling him the story of how I was buying the water. He insisted I take a $20 to last the game, since I had "two kids and four quarters". So, I took the change, his $20, and the waters back to the seats. Chris said "Where did you get THAT money??" I told him I ran into Greg, and he laughed, saying only I could go to Beaver Stadium, and in 109,000 people find two that I know well enough to borrow money.

Later, Mikey said "Hey! There's Miss Rebecca!" She had come to the rescue with a water, and offered us money, too, but by then, we were fine.

See, one deliberate prayer, and the kids were fine for the whole game. God is indeed good.

Mikey has received speech therapy since he was 18 months old. We are used to his speech. Molly is now starting to say things a little differently, but not as he says them. It started this summer....

"poach" is porch
"cone" is corn
The funniest? Over the weekend she threw a ball into a tub. She shouted "SKWO!"

At the game, she always wanted to know what the "skwo" was. I wonder when she'll realize it is score.....

2007-10-03T13:36:00.000-06:00

A Bad Influence

Sometimes I think the kids spend TOO much time with Chris. He is such a hands-on daddy. I love him all the more for it. However, the kids are now old enough to pick up on his cues.

Lately when I get out of the shower, or Mikey walks in on me in my underwear I hear one of two comments from him.

a.) THAT'S what I'M talkin' about!

or

b.) Just in Time....

I don't want him to think that is what all men say to all women when they are scantily clad. But I laugh every time, which probably only encourages him further. Honestly, how can I NOT laugh??

2007-10-02T19:37:00.000-06:00

They USED to be babies.

Sometimes I miss them being babies. No, not the waking up in the middle of the night, not the changing diapers, not the crying, colic, acid reflux or lactose intolerance. Just the baby. Feeding them at 4 am, knowing that we were the only ones awake on our street. The cuddles and the clutch of their hand on my shirt. The gummy grins.

I've come to the realization that we as a family have moved past that stage. We no longer need strollers, swings, exersaucers, bottles, wipes, diapers, sippy cups, or changing tables. And we never will again. In some respects, it is a little bit sad. Not that I WANT it again, and to be honest, not that I really remember much of it the first time...they were just so close in age.

But now, we have two soccer players. Two kids that are line leaders and snack providers this week. Two kids that can play in the backyard if I keep an ear on them. One that can ride without training wheels, and one that isn't too far behind. We have two best friends who are exploring the world together.

I still like looking at their baby pictures.

2007-09-23T19:49:00.000-06:00

My 10,000th visitor!! From Pandora, OH...

http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=stats&s=s27solofamily&v=100&r=9&vlr=89&pg=61&d=923

Who are you?

Tonight we were playing a game to get the kids to eat their dinner. I started it with "If you think you had fun playing soccer today, eat a carrot..."

Chris and I made up a few, and the kids loved it. Then, Mikey said "OH, I'VE got one!!"

He then said "If you think mommy spends money faster than daddy can make it, eat a green bean..."
I couldn't eat from laughing!

2007-09-19T15:51:00.000-06:00

Summer lovin', had me a blast....

Look at my big kids. Aged 5 and 4, but big kids now. Sure, it's only a little coaster, but they LOVED it!! They really are at such a fun age.

Things to think about in my life lately:

1. Football season is FUN!! Tailgating three weeks in a row takes a lot out of a girl, let me tell you! I know, I know, most of you have no pity at all. I'm lucky to be able to do it for this season and next...and I love having friends come to visit for game weekends. That's the sole reason for buying a house with the 4th bedroom.

2. School started. I think both classes will be really good this year. My MWF class is already pretty easy, and I have high hopes for my TR class. Even if not, I only see them twice a week! LOL

3. My friend had a son killed in Iraq this month. My heart aches for her as it hasn't in a long time. I really wish I could do something for her. She lives in CO, and lived near us in OH, too. Came to the wedding, had a son the same week I had Mikey (Dane was much older, from a previous marriage), and had another after I had Molly. Such a wonderful mom, such a wonderful family. He was such a good kid. You know, lots of people say "Oh, he's a good kid..." But Dane WAS a good kid. Sparkly eyes, good manners, could carry a decent conversation with adults on his own. Grew up right in front of me. Gone. What a terrible loss.

4. Fall is arriving. Leaves will have to be raked soon. Shit.

5. My book club had a reunion this past weekend in FL. Luckily, I didn't buy a ticket to go, because I was on the couch not feeling well for a lot of the weekend. Although I do miss them. You want to know what stinks? I wasn't feeling well, I didn't eat much for 3 days, and I don't think I lost a single pound!! I wish I had at LEAST lost some of my gut....

6. I have my first PTO meeting tonight as a PARENT. Boy, do I feel old.

7. Both kids have started soccer season. So, now we have soccer on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and twice on Sunday. When you have to be out of the house by 5:30, having dinner already eaten, the early bird specials at old people restaurants are looking pretty appealing...!

8. Mikey came home with "The Mystery Box" from kindergarten on Friday. He was so excited that he had all weekend to think of something for it. You have to choose an item, write 3 clues, and take it to school to see who can guess it. Whoever guesses correctly gets to take the box home! (Unless you've already had a turn, then you pick a stick with a kids name on it to see who gets it.)
His clues were:
- it is white
- it is light
- you take it camping

Answer: a marshmallow!

2007-09-17T15:19:00.000-06:00

I PROMISE

I'll blog soon! School started, we had 3 home football games in a row, and I have a nasty cold. I'm off to Bunko, but I promise I'll blog soon! I haven't forgotten about my blog...just neglected it horribly...sorry.....

2007-09-05T17:08:00.000-06:00

There he goes...

My first born. My baby. My big boy. Off he went to kindergarten. I was nervous, excited, sad and proud all rolled into one. I had to trust that he would get to the right classroom, eat lunch, and get home on the right bus. Anything else is just an added bonus on the first day of kindergarten. As a mommy, I was terrified. As a teacher, I knew he'd be just fine.

Kindergarten teachers have it down to a science, let me tell you. Everything is color coded, sorted with shapes, and ready to go on the first day. You HAVE to be overly prepared when you teach little kids. This morning, after he had gone, I remembered so clearly teaching kindergarten - how excited the kids were, how worried the parents were, and how I had to assure them that all was well. I do not want to be a PITA parent. I will let Mrs. Valent teach, and I will parent.

So, I had my tear or two roll down my face after the bus left, and went on to school. The big problem was MOLLY! After we got in the car to leave, she cried and cried. Every bus we saw started her off again with her saying in between tears "Is THAT his bus...?" It was their first big separation. She had to look at his car seat all the way to school, knowing that he was on a bus, going to a different school, all without HER. It was sad. Hopefully tomorrow will be easier on both of us.

Mikey was a different story. Excited, focused, and serious, he quickly boarded the bus and left. The best part was picking him up at the bus stop and having him chat the whole walk home about his day. (The bus stop is at the end of the road, 6 houses down.) We got to hear all about snack, lunch, having TWO playtimes outside, and his centers at school today. It was all new to me, so I was a captive audience! I just wanted to know EVERYTHING. How did he do talking at show-and-tell? Did he make any friends? Did he sit on the carpet nicely? Did he have good manners? Was he enthusiastic or calm? I wish I could be a fly on the wall. Then I could watch him grow up. Without me.

2007-09-03T06:23:00.000-06:00

I can fly, I can fly, I can fly!

In all of the cold, rainy days we had the most fun play date! We went over to Parker and Ava's house and played with THEIR toys, so it was like having new toys to play with. Some of you may remember that Parker is the child from my class last year who has autism, and Ava is his little sister, who I have this year. Anyway.

After playing with toys, their super-duper-cool mom, Robin, let the kids FLY through the air in the livingroom. We spread all of the cushions on the floor and let the kids jump off of the couch. I couldn't stop laughing! Check it out.

Much fun was had by all. I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time, just listening to the kids squeal and giggle. Parker and Ava had better watch out during the next wet/cold weather, because we'll show up to jump in the livingroom again!!

I wish I could take credit for the great pictures, but Robin took them. I got to just sit and laugh.

2007-08-28T18:37:00.000-06:00

I will always have hope...

I read this in today's news.

This is about my friend, Laura, that I worked with at summer camp.

And so is this one.

It altered our lives forever, and I really hope they catch the SOB.

Sorry for the downer of a blog entry, but I read the story at the top today, and it really got me thinking. Not that it is ever really out of my mind...

So, there IS hope. It IS possible. I just hope it's sooner rather than later. Isn't DNA a wonderful thing?? As Psalm 139:14 says we are all wonderfully made. And it's a wonderful way to catch a creep.

2007-08-23T10:00:00.001-06:00

Mental picture.

All of the cubbies cleaned out and labeled for this year. All of the canvas tote bags hanging in the cubbies, with the kids' names painted on them in large letters, bright paint, ready to be picked up to take home.
It really was beautiful.

Unfortunately, the bags have now all been picked up at "Meet the Teacher" morning, and the cubbies are empty. But, maybe I can take a picture on the first day of school with the bags BACK in there! Now, that's a thought...

I'll take some real pictures when I go back in to school late next week. I'm taking a break for now, after all, this is still my summer!!

2007-08-21T18:45:00.000-06:00

The Countdown

In ten days we'll be at Football Eve, up in ol' Beaver Stadium! Which means in 11 days ---

Let's Go LIONS!! JoePa's the shazizzle.

2007-08-20T17:36:00.000-06:00

A pictureless blog entry -

because I can't find my camera in this dumpy house!!

Our house is a mess. Almost all my fault. Not that I messed it up, mind you, but I haven't exactly cleaned in awhile. Why, you might ask?

Well...

Chris is redo-ing our kitchen. He hung the cabinets (ha ha, I said "hung"), he tiled the floor (on a diagonal even!), he made that beautiful hole in the wall, he scraped the wallpaper, and he painted it. The counter comes on Friday morning, and then I will have some of the mess put away.

We went camping over the weekend. Not my favorite thing in the world to do, but the kids and Chris love it, so I went. It wasn't horrible. I liked the canoe on the lake, and eating s'nores (as Molly calls them), and the bacon cooked on the campfire. Yummy! I just don't like the SMOKE from the campfire needed for my delicious treats. I could never smoke. I just don't like the smell....
Oh, and it rained. So, we brought home a wet tent, wet tarps, wet chairs, wet everything. And it's going to rain all week. Sunshine would have been better.

I have begun in earnest to get my classroom organized. School bags are painted with names, cubbies are labeled, Play-Doh is out with new toys and rollers, you know - a place for everything and everything in it's place. I like an organized work space. Bulletin boards are papered and bordered, just waiting for the kids' art work.

It's cold here. I know you don't care. But today's high was 64. That's f-ing COLD for August. I feel like my pool membership dues are being wasted when it is that cold.

Chris just said he found my camera - I'm off to find something to take a picture of. Check back soon, ya hear?

2007-08-12T21:20:00.000-06:00

My ABC's Tag

I FINALLY got tagged to do this! Thanks, Denise.

A Attached or single: Attached.
B Best friend: BEST? How about close? Chris, of course, and Heather, and Kristen, and Wendy, and Julie, and anyone else I just pick up the phone to call. Oh, of course Mom and Keeko, too...
C Cake or pie: Depends on the mood. Cake. Chocolate, with chocolate icing.
D Drink of choice: I've made the switch to diet this summer. Yup, I'm still fatter than I've ever been, but I feel like I've at least helped a little bit. I love sweet tea. And a good cold beer sometimes.
E Essential item: computer access, and a good book.
F Favorite color: pink? red? Can you tell I'm really indecisive?
G Gummi bears or worms: Neither. They both give you cavities.
H Hometown: I was raised in the booming metropolis of Moneta, VA. But I've moved about every 3 years since I was 17, so at this age, I don't really HAVE a hometown...
I Indulgences: According to Chris, they are purses and the computer.
J January or July: Are you kidding me? JULY JULY JULY!! Whoever celebrated the 4th of January??
K Kids: Mikey and Molly. And I adore them. They aren't perfect, but I adore them.
L Life is incomplete without: My friends, laughter, and my faith.
M Marriage date: July 6th, 2001
N Number of siblings: 2 Katherine and David
O Oranges or Apples: Apples. I really really don't like orange pulp. At all. It makes me gag...
P Phobias/Fears: heights, fires, spiders, letting my friends down
Q Favorite Quote: instead of a Bible verse, which is easy, I thought of my Lucy Van Pelt quote (you know, from Peanuts) it goes something like this: "Life would be easier if everyone would just listen to me."
R Reason to smile: The life God has given me. Who wouldn't want to be ME??
S Season: Now that the kids are older, summer. I've LOVED this summer.
T Tag Three: Wow, there is no one left to tag. I'm such a loser....HA! OH, I can tag Jodi and Gina, since they just started their blogs this week! And Laura, if you haven't done it, you're tagged, too!
U Unknown fact about me: In college I won a contest I had with my friends over who could kiss the most guys in one semester. I was a kissing fool! However, having 3 girls living in one bedroom, we stayed EXTREMELY innocent. But boy, was kissing at the door a great time!
V Vegetarian or meat eater: I was raised on a beef farm. Give me my meat. Now! My husband WISHES I'd say that to HIM.....
W Worst habit: reading when someone is trying to talk to me. I love reading.
X X-rays or Ultrasound: Let's see.. .extreme pain, or seeing new life inside of you... is that even a QUESTION???
Y Your favorite foods: A long list. Short list? cheesesteaks, ice cream, avocado egg rolls, edemame,chocolate, fruit.
Z Zoo animal: The giraffes at Colorado Springs. They are so much fun to feed!

I'll have to start doing posts on my purses, and just throw a picture out every now and then. I DO like my purses. You'll see....

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. The kitchen is being remodeled by Chris, and I have been trying to keep the kids busy and out of the house!

2007-08-04T09:16:00.000-06:00

Feeling ugly?

Check out this dude. I'll never feel bad about finding a zit again...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292111,00.html

Molly caught me watching the end of The Wedding Singer. She asks "Mommy, are they brother and sister?" I replied "No, they are husband and wife. Like daddy is my husband, and I am his..."
Her answer "Life." How romantic. Not the answer I was expecting, but romantic.