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!!

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.

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.

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!!

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!

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.

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!!

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!!

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!

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"!!

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.

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.

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"!!

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!

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!

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!