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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!

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!

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.....

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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.

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?

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!

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.

The sound of silence.

Chris took the kids camping again for the night. I miss them, but boy, do I LOVE the peace and quiet. No getting anything for anyone but me. It's a great break.

Back to the reunion.

The next night I had organized a dinner for everyone at the VFW. A spaghetti dinner, in true Drill Team fashion.

Of our pledge class, there was Ann, me, Bob, and Melissa.

The oldest group was John, Irene, and Eric. John and Irene got married. A LOT of Drill Team people have gotten married to each other. Chris and myself included.

I apoogize for the poor picture, but here is almost all of us on the Lion. Chris was putting the kids to bed, so he missed it. And I don't know how to photoshop him in. Sorry, honey!

From there we went to The Phyrst, one of my favorite bars in town. They have a sing-along band, and on most Saturdays nights the president of the University comes and plays the washboard with the band. How cool is THAT??

Will we EVER grow up? Apparently not. ha ha ha

Here I am standing at Table #2, playing the tamborine with the band. Nope, we'll never grow up...

OK, so, there was this bachelorette party asking Jason, Bo, and Zerbe how, well, how "big" they are. The boys are trying hard to convince them. Well, I got the girls attention showed them that Jason would be about 7 inches, Zerbe would be about 3 inches, but BO, now he must have had 13 inches! The funniest part? They all BELIEVED me!! Like I'd KNOW!!

So, Bo's wife Rhonda comes over to clear up any misunderstandings.

Not to be outdone, Eugene gets in on the action!!

And somehow, Kevin's pants fell down, too...

Overall, it was quite a weekend last week. I can't believe we have to wait a whole year for the next one, but our old bodies have to recover...

I got an email from a friend, Dave, who came. He said "Em (his wife) was amazed at how everyone just clicked; I was amazed at how no one seemed to have changed."

That about sums it up.

Check it out!

Janice found a place called Wee Little Designs. What a cute idea!! They are doing a give-away...I think you have to leave a comment??

I had the time of my life. And I owe it all to them.

We had our Drill Team reunion this past weekend. It was undescribable. Friends who have not seen each other in 15-20 years getting together, and it was if no time had ever passed. There wasn't a whole lot of "remember when?" - it was mostly making new memories together, and catching up on what has happened since we last saw each other. We had 38 adults and 13 kids, and it was FUN. Especially after the kids went to bed and we went out to the bars on Friday night. I could look around the tables, and know that I could blatently flirt with anyone there, or any of them could grab my rear-end, and my husband wouldn't care. Not one bit.

Our group was extremely close throughout college, and we all lived together. I'll post some of the pictures, and try to explain what was happening in them.

This is Melissa, me, and Ann. We pledged together.

This is Eugene and Bo. One is in the AF, one is in the Navy, and we couldn't be prouder of either of them!

Chris, and his two roommates, V and Lance. Have I ever told you how thankful I am that Chris doesn't shave HIS head?

After we met up at The Gingerbread Man for dinner, we all headed to the Skeller for a few drinks...

Here is 1/2 of Mark, Eric Hall, Bob Alexander, and Kevin. Ok, so we had started drinking earnestly. Actually, Kevin took a $100 bill up to the bar, and asked for Kamikaze shots. The waitress asked how many, and Kevin told her "all of it..." So, 33 shots later, he did it AGAIN. Mixing shots with beer is just a bad thing altogether....lol.

This is Rhonda Moore (Bo's wife, who we ADORE), Rob Zerbe, Teresa Fink, Scott Selzer, and Kevin O'Rourke on top. Bo, Zerbe, Teresa, Mark, Kevin, and Jason Rosen all pledged together. Jason was also my big brother out at the fraternity. Let me see if I can find a picture of him..

HERE'S Jason. I love him, love him, love him. Actually, he and I almost got married. No, we never dated, but if we got married, we could inherit 4.5 million dollars from his grandfather. We were serious enough to have told our parents about it, but we never followed through. We'd have been happy. But then I'd never have found Chris. It was fantastic to see him again. To say the least.

We proceeded to take over the dance floor. The evening was a great time - excited to see each other, a few drinks, and then dancing ourselves into a frenzy at closing time. Oh what a night...and that was just the FIRST few hours!! We still have more to go, on another post.

Finally, baby pictures. Of Mikey at least.

Pictures of the kids have been on the other computer, and I never blog from it. Well, last night my sweet husband finally made them accessible from the laptop!

So, in honor of their May birthdays, here are some pictures of Mikey. I'll do Molly next time. Second kids always get the shaft, don't they??

Mikey at One Month

Mikey at 4 months

Mikey at about 8 Months

Mikey at 9 months

Mikey's first birthday party

Mikey's second birthday party

After this, he still looks the same, so that's it for today - I have to go make the kids some lunch.

Oh, I am having this big reunion this weekend, right? So, I'm looking through old pictures of me and my friends. I find one that I am definitely in, because I can SEE me, and Chris says it's me too, but I have NO RECOLLECTION of it being taken. I don't even remember the trip. At all. I'd think I'd remember this one...

It's of about 25 of us. In the White House. In the Oval Office. At the desk.

I looked at it, and all I can say is "Huh? Is this ME? I don't remember this....."

Perhaps Altzheimers has set in already.....

A Hole in the Wall

No, I'm not talking about a little tucked-out-of-the-way bar. I'm talking, literally, about a hole in the wall. In my kitchen wall to be precise. Last night Chris decided to put a hole in the wall for an "eat in kitchen" bar, or a pass-thru. I admit, I was a little worried he wouldn't have it neatly done before the reunion this week. I worried for nothing. It still has to be sanded, stained, and painted around, but it is done.

Here are the pictures:

I forgot to mention- on our vacation, we also stopped by South of the Border. Check it out!!

I thought wearing the menus on the head as hats was hysterical. We felt like The Griswalds. Really, we did.

Bloggers Block

I admit, I have the dreaded block. Have absolutely nothing to tell you. Since we got back from vacation, all we have been doing is playdates and the pool. No pictures to show,

HOLD THAT!! We did have Arts Fest here this weekend!! It is a HUGE festival of the arts held here at PSU annualy. My college roommate, Teresa, her oldest son, Kyle, and her boyfriend, Ray, came up for the weekend. It's fun that Kyle can sit while we go out to the bars! I dont' have any pictures, but trust me, we had fun!

I am planning a college reunion for us in 2 weeks time. Chris and I were on a trick Drill Team, sponsored by AFROTC here at PSU, as undergrads. So were most of our friends. The DT has actually stayed in pretty close contact considering it has been almost 20 years for most of us, or longer for some. I think there are just under 60 people returning, including family members. I have planned a spaghetti dinner, something we had as students, for the Saturday night. I'm sure most of you are tired of hearing about this reunion, but I am getting more and more excited. It's like having your friends come in town for your wedding, but you don't have to pay for anything! I remember how excited I was getting those RSVP envelopes in the mail. Well, this time I have been getting RSVP's via email. I'll keep you informed on all our activities!

Oh, and I did manage to receive an award. I need to pass it on.

I need to think of 5 people to pass it on to. Let's see who is deserving, in no particular order...

1. Stacy. She is Wendy's sister, and started a blog, and has kept up with it! Her adventures are fantastic, and her stories almost unbelievable. Find her, and you'll laugh, too!!

2. A.K. She has recently joined the AF family, and we welcome her. And her youthfullness. Heaven knows we need it!

3. Laura She found out she was pregnant shortly before I left Colorado Springs, and has done a fantastic job blogging Evie. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know what she looked like!!

4. Debs She and I were good friends when I was living and teaching in England, and it is great she has found me!

5. Erin. She convinced ME to blog (and look what has happened!), and is a fantastic friend to boot. We are blessed to be in the same bookclub, and her daughter is the BabyGap girl this year. And she found out today that her next child is probably a boy!!

Well, Chris is home from visiting his mom for a day or two, so I will go see my husband. I'll try to be better at taking pictures. Here is a picture for the sake of having one:

Yes, they both had birthdays in May, and I didn't even blog them. So, here is a picture from their party. We went roller skating for their party this year. Not a great picture, but I didn't really take many - I was too busy socializing with the moms!!

Lost information.

My dear husband was trying to fix my sister's blog page, but instead, deleted mine. In the process, I have lost some links on my sidebar.

Shinyoung, I know I have lost the address to your blog. Could you please email it to me?

I'm trying to think who else I have lost! Boo hoo....can you feel my pain?

Hello, out there!!

I check my site meter a lot. Why are you not commenting??? hee hee

Especially the one in Roanoke, VA...I grew up at Smith Mt. Lake! Say hello to me. Please?

Vacation, Part III
We went to EdVenture, the children's museum in Columbia, SC with Keeko and the kids. Boy, was it NEAT. I have been to a ton of these, both as a teacher and as a mom, and this one rated near the top! Here are some pictures. I took a LOT more, but won't post some - they were just for me to remember the museum, not necessarily of the kids. ha ha

Here is Mikey inside Ed's stomach - notice the food! The stomach and the head were the coolest.

Here is Mikey in the fire engine. They had a whole floor where you dressed up and practiced different jobs!

Molly gathered eggs from under a chicken, and milked a cow.

They changed a tire on a car, and drove a VW bug. Don'tcha love the matching Izod shirts? Thanks, Mom!! Now, let me explain the driving picture... Molly drove first, then Mikey came along. There wasn't a seat belt on the passenger side, so she crawled in back, he crawled in back to buckle her up, then he buckled up and started "driving". So sweet. So cute.

They played outside in the bubbles and water. They fished from a boat and took the fish to the market. Molly flew on a plane and balanced it to match the altimeter on the wall. They ran, crawled, explored, touched, pushed, pulled, balanced and tried EVERYTHING. It was great. And the grand finale? A pressed penny to save - we have them from all over the country.

We also went to Chuck E. Cheese one day, and here are Keeko, David, and me sitting in a booth. How exciting!!


We then took the kids home and threw them in the tub. And no, this was not ALL in one day!!

One of the highlights of MY week was our anniversary. We left the kids overnight for the first time ever. Not because we didn't WANT to, but who in the world wants to watch two little kids overnight? My mom and sister, that's who!

We went to Myrtle Beach, just the two of us. Two beach towels, no toys, no life jackets, and no paying attention to anything. It was great to take a nap on the beach, falling asleep to the sound of the waves, and not worry about a kid being in the water! The kids prize? Another pressed penny, and some shells. And a mommy and daddy that had a much deserved night out. We stayed at Broadway at the Beach, and had a fabulous time!

We went back to my parents house, and left the next day for Richmond. Then, yesterday, we finally came home. As much as I enjoyed being on "vaycay", I really was happy to be home again. There's no place like home, no matter where the AF sends you.