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!!

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.

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!

Our family is growing again.

More details next post.

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.

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!

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.