Things I Love for Today

* Warm clothes from the dryer

*Lights on Christmas trees

*cold fresh fruit

*stripes

* skiing, both water and snow

*getting mail - REAL mail, not bills...

*hearing my kids laughing

*a cold drink on a hot beach

*having time to do what I want to do, with no interruptions

*my friends

I got a comment on my blog from a friend in England. I haven't heard from her in the LONGEST time (years and years), and now she can see my and my family on my little blog!

I just wish I knew how to get back in touch with her....??

Email me at home: SusiePSU@adelphia.net

Oh, and the picture? Just a random picture of the kids opening presents on Christmas, but blog entries are SO much better with a picture, don't you think?

MORE exciting news!!

Stella, my niece, has been selected for a Kraft modeling thing. She has done one for Hanna Andersson already, so this is her second "gig", I guess you'd call it. (Although I really don't like that word...) They called Katherine, my sister, and she had two meetings already, so they shoot tomorrow. She has been asked to bring a solid color bathing suit in case the ones they have don't fit correctly, or something. It will be in the shallow end of the pool, and if they actually print her, she gets paid a bonus. I want to know how I can get paid for swimming in January. Although if people had to look at me in a bathing suit, I would have to pay them...LOL.

EXCITING NEWS !!!!


Check out Erin's blog. She is in my bookclub back home, in Colorado Springs.

www.thepigbear.blogspot.com

If I knew HOW to put in a link, I would have done it...lol.

I like to think that my votes helped. Yeah for Erin and Sarah! (And Brent, of course!)

It's almost over.

College football season has almost come to a close. I have watched so many Bowl games in the past week, it is like a power boost before the end. Some of the team I cheered for lost (like Va Tech) and some of them won (like PSU), but in every game, I had a favorite. Usually the lower-ranked team. Why? I like the underdog to win.

I've been thinking a lot of New Year's Resolutions. Should I make one? If so, what do I choose? To take the kids to church more regularly? To keep the house cleaner? To finally try to get in shape? To do more with the kids in the afternoons? To try to email my friends more often?

So, I have come up with something. Just to be a better ME. A better mom. A better wife. A better Christian. A better friend. A better sister. A better daughter. A better teacher.

I'm sure Chris would be happy if I were just to try to be a better SAVER. Especially with a kitchen full of new appliances. Hey, it adds value to the house - that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

And for those of you who love random pictures, here are Mikey and Molly mailing their letter to Santa. Yes, that is a tiara on her head. And no, it was NOT my idea...lol. Some battles just aren't worth fighting.

Happy Together

Most days, Mikey and Molly are content to play together. This is one of my favorite pictures from this month - just coloring on the floor by my feet.

Christmas time was good this year. The four of us were happy together. It was quiet, we didn't have any family or friends over, but it was cozy.

We didn't even cook a Christmas dinner this year.

It was super hard to be away from my family and friends. Harder than I thought it would be. But, we made it, and Chris is on his way to the Outback Bowl with Kevin and Bo. Here is a picture of us tailgating this year. It is Chris, Kevin, me, Mikey, Mom Keller, Dad Keller, Bo, and Molly.

The kids and I went downtown to look at the ice sculptures as they melted down the sidewalk. We would have taken pictures, but we sent the camera with Chris to FL.

Oh, Molly is the queen of opposites lately. If Mikey and I are slowpokes, she is a "fastpoke". If we are going downtown, why aren't we going uptown? Some of them are pretty comical. I'll listen for more of them tomorrow.

Our first letters to Santa

Dear Santa,
I would like a green Care Bear with a rainbow, a sleeping bag, and a light pink towel with a hood.

I was good. I shared my toys with Mikey and listened to Mrs. Pritchard, Ms. Lonni, and Mrs. Johnson at school.

Love,

Molly







Dear Santa,

I would like in my stocking a nice, red, juicy lollipop, a nice juicy candy cane that tastes like peppermint, and apple, pear, banana, and orange and strawberry candy canes. One more piece of candy - a fruit roll up!

I want a pice of train that has a rolie thing on top. I want a Lite Brite, new Play Doh, a Christmas tree ornament, and a sleeping bag with a pillow.

I'm good at jump roping, putting my toys away, doing my speech, and I like to read books and work at school.

Love,

Michael




(Mom's note: We are taking the letters to Santa's mailbox downtown, and he really send you a handwritten letter back in the mail!!)

"Mom. Mom? Mommy....Mom! Hey, Mom...Mom? Mommy!"

I feel like my mother. She used to hear that all of the time from the three of us. It seems like my name is all I hear from my kids anymore...if I had a dollar each time they called for me, I could quit work! Today I told them I was changing my name, it wasn't Mom anymore - it was a secret, and I wouldn't tell them. Mikey promised that if I told him, he wouldn't tell his friends. I wasn't buying it. Finally, I picked a name and told them. Now, my new name is Babe. I couldn't decide between Babe, Toots, or Hot Stuff. Maybe next time I get tired of hearing "Mom", I'll be Sweet Thing. :-)

The House is Disappearing

The kids and I made our first gingerbread house on Sat. afternoon while Chris was at school. OK, so maybe we didn't make it, but we did assemble it. The directions didn't call for a hot glue gun, but we used one! I hot glued it together (no waiting time before we could stick on those candies!!), and the kids went to town. Twenty minutes later, the candy was all on, the sprinkles were sprinkled, the gumdrops all dropped onto icing, and we were done! Well, I think as much candy made it into the kids' mouths as on the house, but we were proud. I'd take a picture, but it wasn't THAT good....lol.

We proudly displayed the house in the living room on an end table. Over the past 3 days, more and more of it is missing! The kids know it is glued together, because we went to buy a new glue gun to make it. Therefore, they know not to eat that part. However, the candy stuck on the icing? Going, going, GONE! The house is a bit naked. I just turn a blind eye to the missing candy. After all, if you are going to fuss over a gingerbread house with kids, why bother making it?

Oh, and tonight I went to the cookie exchange (9 dozen), and I also got a tray of cookies from the parents at school today. I am on a total cookie sugar-high, trying to type. Some of them are so yummy I won't put them on the neighbor's tray - they are staying right here in the Solo household. Chocolate peanut butter truffles, anyone?

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

I love getting Christmas cards. We move a lot, being in the military, and some of my friends I only hear from at Christmas, it seems. They have moved, we have moved, they had another baby, we did NOT...lol And my favorite part of the cards? The pictures and the newsletters. In the pictures you can see how much the kids have grown, and who they are beginning to look like. Oh, and how they were posed. That is always pretty comical. Oh, and if you don't get a pictures at Christmas? I guess you just didn't rate high enough on the list to get one. :-)


The very best part of cards? THE NEWSLETTERS!! Oh, everyone has such a perfect life and a perfect family and a perfect year at Christmas, don't they? You never hear: "So-and-so got suspended from school this year for..." or "Our son is turning out to be such a nerdy dork!" "Our daughter is totally spoiled and throws tantrums all the time, and she is almost 14!" Another thing you don't hear - "We have moved, and are settling in, but it is difficult." NO, everyone who moves loves their new house, their new neighbors, their new friends - they never say "I had to find a pediatrician, and don't really like the one we have...." or " We still haven't managed to find a dentist, but we'll cross that bridge when we really have to!" One of these days, I am sure I will get an honest newsletter, one that tells the whole picture. As soon as I do the same... ha ha


I am excited today, though. I have some friends coming over to stamp Christmas cards. Yup, friends. Well, one that I meet up with every week, and the other two are potential friends, I guess you could call them. We'll see. I am thrilled to get out my stamps, my inks, my paper cutters, etc and get busy. I had better go clean up this dump before they see I actually LIVE like this. See? That should go in my honest Christmas letter, huh?

You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream!!


Today I took the kids to The Creamery. Can you believe the price of a cone went up again? $2.50 a cone...and there is only one size cone. They pile as much ice cream up as the cone will hold, and that costs $2.50. Now, it IS a lot of ice cream, don't get me wrong. I would just like to pay less to receive less. After all, I ate as much as I could, and look how much I still had to throw away! I suppose I could go down to Cold Stone Creamery downtown, and eat fancy ice cream there, and not be-atch about how much it costs. But I can do that anywhere. While I live here in Happy Valley, I'm sticking to The Creamery on campus.

Back when I was in school, (no, I didn't have to walk to school, uphill, 2 miles each way...) the cones cost $1. Inflation. Wait, now that I think about it, I DID have to walk to classes, about a mile each way...lol I hate to think about how long ago that was.

Mikey still goes to speech once a week, and I still laugh at what comes out. For example, he has always called the garage the "ba-gwage". Chris and I will probably call it that for the rest of our lives. Dessert is "bessert". Once he was pouting after dinner, and I asked him what was wrong. He said "I just want bessert in my mouth..." So, now we only have dessert on Fridays. Other nights, don't bother asking. At least not until the kids are in bed!

Oh, big news. I've finally finished raking the yard! Now, for some of you, you might think "BIG deal..." It IS a big deal. In the afternoons when Heather called, most days her message was "Well, I guess you're outside raking. Call me when you come in..." Just in the back yard, we have 25 trees that drop leaves, and at least a dozen bushes and trees to rake around that don't drop their leaves. The borough sends a big leaf sucker truck around a few times a week during the fall to pick up the leaves. Their last trip was on Thursday, so I had to be done by then. I finished, we had a huge windstorm on Friday, and the neighbor's leaves (who didn't rake at all the entire season ) blew into my yard. UUGGG!!

Here is our leafpile. It really doesn't do it justice, since I also had leaves picked up that I had raked a couple times a week all fall. I was one tired chickie.

One of my favorites...

Enough said.

Packed and Ready

The kids packed what they thought they would need for two nights in Pittsburgh, and here it all is! Right down to a fake potted flower from her bedroom, a bottle of vitamins, their mouthwash, tissues, toys, blankets...I just wish they had thought of clothes!

Quick update.


I did join the gym yesterday. Tuesday and Thursday will be my weight days, with MWF being my cardio days. I'm pretty friggin' exhausted, but am waiting for Chris to come home.

He had an exam tonight, so he didn't even get to see the kids. I feel badly for all three of them on these nights.

We met Mark's mom and dad at the Creamery today for ice cream. "Pop Pop" asked the kids if they wanted ANYTHING else... he'd get it for them! He spoils those kids rotten. Which I appreciate, because they don't see my dad often. Mark's parents have become grandparents to my kids. Which I love. Because I love Mark. At one of the football games his sister looked at the kids, and the first thing she said was "Look how big they've gotten!" I wanted to say - "You've never seen them before...." until I realized that she has seen them, in pictures. Either from Mark or at his parent's house. And that made me love the Keller family even more. For keeping up with my kids.

While at the Creamery, Mikey asked to go to the bathroom. Well, he had been in there for longer than it takes him to pee, so I said "Are you ok in there?" He said back (in between grunts) "Can you turn on the fan?" I just laughed. I love that kid.

I'm so full of love tonight, can ya tell? I just talked to Mona, a friend from middle school that I keep up with. She came to visit us once a year out in CO. I love her, too. And I never hesistate to tell her.

I am one of those people that think you SHOULD tell people when you love them, if you get the chance. Or if you take the chance. Never take them for granted. Especially friends. I'd rather have 5 friends that I can call if I ever need them than 40 people I can call for a party. I guess that's why I'm so loyal to my friends. Because I appreciate them.
I have a friend going through a hard time with her husband right now. And I like the fact that she calls me. Because that makes me her friend. I am the one she can call when she needs to cry, laugh, or just sound things out. And I like knowing that friends love me as much as I love them.

OK, this has turned into a long update. Sorry. I'm going to shower to try to relax these muscles of mine that haven't been used in way too long.

Love you guys.

He can READ!!


Mikey read his first word today - map. I was so proud! It was on a mailbox-type of thing on the street, and he asked me what it said. I looked around and couldn't find a word that he was talking about, and he said "That one. Map." I looked around, and there it was! Map! No pictures or anything, just the word. I am one proud mama.

Fat or fit?

I am going to join a gym. Probably tomorrow. LOL No, I mean it. There is a gym about 50 yards from school, and I can go while the kids eat lunch. I am actually pretty excited about it! I just have to remember that the other girls working out are 1/2 my age and have had no children, so I can't compare myself. Personally, I think that is a good reason to go and just feel good about myself in general!

There are free weights, machines, and classes, although the classes are Sat. and Sunday evenings. So, every now and then, ask me how the gym is going...or if I am going.
But don't look for any pictures to be posted!

They are lucky to be alive.

We went to Wal-Mart today. Nothing strange there. We had a list of things to buy for the Operation Christmas Child boxes. Nothing strange there. We pushed, shopped, and bought a few extra things (NOT on the list) for the boxes. Again, nothing strange there. Then, we went to the check-out. Here I am, feeling all warm inside buying gifts for kids with less. Lots less. I let the kids get some extra things for the little kids. I'm smiling, holding my head high, teaching my children a life lesson, right? (Picture a smug Susie here...)
So, we are checking out, and I hear two little ANGELS saying to the lady in the next line "Stupid lady!" I think to myself "that CAN'T be MY two kids.....CAN IT??" So, I look up from talking to the cashier about the weather, and there they are, popping their heads up and down, looking at the lady in the next line, taking turns (at least they were taking turns) saying "Stupid lady! Stupid lady!" OK, something strange there.
I made them get OUT of the card, march their butts over the the lady, and apologize. I was absolutely mortified, to put it lightly. I stayed calm until they were in the car, buckled in, and ready to drive the 100 yards to Sam's. Then, I blew. Picture one pissed mommy and two crying kids in the Blazer. Not a pretty sight.
I stopped, drove to Sam's, and threatened them within an inch of their life. Shopping in Sam's was pretty peaceful, since they were forbidden to SPEAK! Needless to say, they got no ice cream cone at Sam's today. As the lady they apologized to said as she looked at me "It gets easier, it really does...." I was so flustered, I accidently left my bags and had to walk the 10 feet back to get them. Sometimes, I wish I could take home the groceries and leave the KIDS.
It does get easier, the difficulties are just different. There are always challenges to parenting. I just pray I can face them and teach the children along the way.

Mikey Wants a Squirrel

Mikey and Molly were watching the squirrels play in the front yard today. I'm chatting on the phone with Kristen when Mikey calls for me. He wanted to go outside, catch a squirrel, and bring the animal in the house. I told him that he couldn't, because the squirrel would bite him, but we could go up on campus and FEED the squirrels, because they will eat out of your hand there. He replied that no, he had a bucket ready to go outside to catch the squirrel, and would it still bite him? I told him yes, and got off the phone to see what he was up to.
He came back upstairs, took his coat off, and said he was ready to go to campus to catch his squirrel. He would put his bucket like "this" and the opening "there" (with huge arm motions while squatting down) and we could bring it home! I told him that we couldn't bring the squirrel home, that the mommy squirrel would miss it. He solved that by saying we could bring them BOTH home, the baby AND the mommy!! I just said "No, honey, squirrels live in trees....but hey!....it's time for CLIFFORD!!"

If all else fails, there is always PBS. Besides, I love those happy giggles while Clifford is on. Clifford and Curious George are their afternoon treats on these more frequently cold, drizzly afternoons. Their treats, and my 60 minutes of peace and quiet. Just enough time to blog and relax.

Kids Stuff

In the above picture they were at a Halloween party that we went to - and Mikey wanted to be Prince Charming. I managed it with some curtain tassles and some tie-back cord from Wal-Mart, with a few safety pins. The cord went like a Miss America sash, and the tassles around his shoulders. Hey, it was cheezy, but he was happy, everyone knew who he was, and it was cheap and easy!

I was thinking of things the kids say that make me laugh...

Molly wants cornflakes, but asks for snowflakes.
She likes to play frisbee, but says quizbee.

Oh, and their favorite song for this week? "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" They belt it out when it comes on their CD in the car! Very cute.

Molly is the biggest girly-girl. Is she even my daughter?? Every day, she wants to wear a dress with tights. Sock tights. NO jeans, and if I am lucky, she'll wear some leggings and a fleecy shirt. So, if any of you see any sales on dresses with matching tights, let me know where to look! She's almost up to a size 4 now. Long legs, tiny body.

The two kids are at the front window watching the leaf sucker. Twice a week the machine comes by to suck up any raked leaves and take them away. The kids like to watch the thing come around, but miss the leaves they can play in. We have to tarp our leaves out of the back yard still, so there will be PLENTY of leaves once we do that. You can't even see the back yard due to the depths of leaves.

Mitchell, our cadet from USAFA that we sponsor, flew in for the weekend for a visit. I'll post some pictures if he and Chris ever get up today. :-) I think the bars must have been a good time last night, and Chris forgets that he's not still 21.

Sitting here watching the kids play, I remember how much work it was when Molly was born. Mikey hadn't even been walking for a month, and didn't speak for SO long. He was a fat little thing, and she was in that bucket carrier forever, so I was trying to carry both of them if I was in a hurry...and getting up to feed Molly, and Chris was in AFIT...and now they are so much fun. They play all of the time, sometimes for hours without interruption, and especially since we moved, have become the best of friends. They aren't really concerned that they don't play with that many other people - they have each other. I don't really remember much of Molly's first year, but am thankful that I have them both so close together now. They really are my pride and joy. I just hope I don't spoil them rotten.

Quick Quip

Tonight Mikey was trying to get me to give him some dessert before he finished his dinner. Here were his best tries:

"Mommy, if you give me a fruit snack RIGHT NOW, then I will let you stay up LATE. PAST your bedtime!!"

Then, I got on the phone and in the background he starts singing "If you give me a fruitsnack, I will let you play with my toys in the morning, if it isn't a school day..."

Have I mentioned lately how much I love that kid??

And no, I didn't give him a fruit snack. But Chris laughed so hard he did. Usurped again.

Happy Halloween!

Last night was one of the best moments of my life that I can remember. It ranked right up there with taking the kids to their first PSU game...we went trick-or-treating. It was a quiet night, the weather was absolutely incredible (we didn't even need jackets!!), and we left holding hands and flashlights while the kids darted up the sidewalk to the next house. They both "got it", and dashed from house to house, knowing the faster they went, the faster they got the candy! Mikey wanted to hit the townhouses, realizing they were closer together, but we talked him out of crossing the bigger street. They took off at a trot, Molly with her Cinderella dress fanning out behind her, and Mikey with his flashlight to see where they were going. After 4 houses or so they slowed down, and after the dozen houses on our cul-de-sac, and another 6 or so down the side street, Molly was being carried, Mikey was carrying her ghost full of loot, and we were headed home. Mikey would have been happy to carry on down the next street, but Molly was pooped. We even trick-or-treated at a police car that came down our road. He was a younger policeman, and had candy for the kids. So, they kids said "trick-or-treat" and he had baggies of candy corn for them. However, they would't approach the car. I laughed and explained we have taught them NOT to take candy from strangers, especially in cars.... He then said "Oh, yeah... I didn't think of that... here, YOU give it to them..." We had already said to the kids how nice it was the policeman was out to make sure we were safe, so they knew he was alright, they just got shy.

I can't even explain the joy in my heart taking the kids around. It was like I have the whole American Dream. The husband I adore, and who adores me. Two kids that are happy and healthy. A house on a cul-de-sac where everyone knows everyone and everything about them. Perfect weather on top of everything. The excitement on the kids faces and the spring in their step (at least at the beginning!). Four jack-o-lanterns on the front steps all lit up and glowing.
Who wouldn't want to be ME!?!?

Well, take a look at this messy house, and I'll see some hands going up... hee hee


I leave you looking at the tree at the entrance to our park - 3 houses down, and 2 over. Beautiful, isn't it?