Tuesday, August 08, 2006

14 Days and Counting


OK so now I'm the one counting the days until school starts instead of kids counting the days until it's over. Everyone has all their school supplies, new outfits for the first day of school and Seth jut got his last shot yesterday so he can officially go to pre-school!! YEAH!!! The only thing left is our family dental appointment on Monday and they we are all set to go!

What a crazy, but fun, summer this has been. We've done a lot of travelling (mostly to see family), swimming lessons, karate boot camp, vacation bible school, etc. Actually we have 3 more days of VBS and then we are off to Fulton to see Marc's family and meet our new great niece. Ariana Jasmine arrived on July 12th and we can't wait to see and hold her. We are also taking our other nieces, Emily and Abbigayle with us as we are watching them over the weekend.

Jonathon is home on leave at the moment and has spent the last few days with his Mom. He will be returning here on Wednesday so he can go to Fulton with us. Then on Monday he ships out to Holloman AFB in New Mexico where he will spend the next two years. He's having a great time being back home but I think by Monday (after a weekend with all the kids) he'll be ready to get back!!

Katie got her hair cut really, really short a few weeks ago....she was so excited about it but has now decided she's going to grow it back out!! I have a feeling she'll be like I was as a kid, everytime my hair would get shoulder length I'd get it cut short and then start the whole process over again.

I hope everyone has had a GREAT summer vacation and hopefully once things get back to normal around here, if that's even possible, I'll try and post on a more regular basis!

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Summer Fun

Sorry it's been awhile since my last post. We just got back yesterday from a long weekend at my family's. My youngest niece was baptized and had her 1st birthday party all in one day! We had a great time and actually got to spend some time in the pool on both Saturday and Sunday. This did a world of good for Olivia....she progressed so much more than she had during swimming lessons but I think it's because she had more freedom to practice and try things on her own. It was amazing how good she did and it showed at swim lessons today. Seth had a great time too and has absolutely no fear, even after swallowing several mouthfuls of pool water. He informed me that when we got home I needed to sign him up for swim lessons. So that was my first order of business last night. Livvy will progress to Level 3 and Seth will start with Pre-school and then hopefully move up to Level 1.

When we left yesterday we left Katie behind. She's going to spend the next 2 weeks with Uncle Bill & Aunt Heather. She's attending VBS this week and later I think they are planning on taking her to the Arch. She is also going to be going on a trip to Pirate's Cove on Kentucky Lake for a few days and she is completely unaware of it. They want it to be a surprise!! Heather's grandparents have a home there and a boat so I'm sure they will have a lot of fun and Katie will hopefully have a nice tan when she returns home!

Am busy doing lots of laundry today so I can repack. Marc, Olivia, Seth and I are heading to Fulton Friday for the long 4th of July weekend. Marc will be helping his Dad redo their basement bathroom which had to be completely gutted due to a mold problem. His parents are always here helping us with our house so it's our turn to help them!

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July!!

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

So Sorry

OK so I haven't blogged in quite a while. So sorry but I have been without the internet for over a week now. As of about 30 minutes ago I am back up and running and raring to go.

School has been out since last Wednesday and I'm already close to being insane!! Or was I already there...hmmm. Olivia starts swimming lessons next week. Stephen is out of work until the 28th as Dinorex is doing maintenance. We will go visit my family the end of the month for Haley's baptism and 1st Birthday party. We will be leaving Katie behind and she will spend 2 weeks with my family. She's looking so forward to it!!

Well that's it for now. I'll try and be better about posting now that I've got my internet back!!

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

I'm Not With Stupid, I am STUPID!!

That's the new t-shirt idea I came up with yesterday. Marc thought it was good and I'm sure I could market it and sell a ton of them. Half of my family would be eligible to wear them as well...LOL!

Countdown to the last day of school has begun. The girls only have 5 days and 30 minutes (including today). Olivia's last field trip of the year is tomorrow and they will be going to Green Meadows Farm in Wisconsin. She is very excited and we are all hoping that there will be no rain...at least during the time of their visit.

Memorial Day Weekend was kind of quiet but productive. Both Katie and Olivia got their ears pierced so that was their highlight of the weekend. Their cousin Emily also spent the night with us and that was fun...other than the times when they were fighting over who's friend she was and who could or couldn't play with her. Marc and I spent the weekend doing yard work, planting flowers and cleaning out the storage and furnace room downstairs.

Just wanted to post something new as it's been awhile. Seth and I are on our way to the Chevy dealer to get the oil changed. We are travelling almost every weekend in June so need to get that done!

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Productive Morning





Have been busy being creative (or at least trying). Here's a graduation card I made for our niece Michelle. Also a layout of my cousin Megan....she was the flower girl in my first wedding back in 1994...she's still just as cute too!

Monday, May 15, 2006

I hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day! I made out pretty well!! Matthew bought me a dozen roses, a huge balloon and a lovely card. Stephen gave me a $25 gift card from Barnes & Noble (which I've already spent). Katie and Olivia bought me flowers and a beautiful butterfly necklace. And, Suzanne made me a beautiful card. All the girls brought me breakfast in bed on Saturday which was sweet!! They also brought breakfast for Marc and said Happy Early Father's Day. Guess they didn't feel right about bringing breakfast for only me. All in all it was a quiet weekend which was nice for a change.

Olivia and Katie are both a little under the weather. Not sure if it's allergies or a cold. Katie is home from school as she does have a slight fever today. Olivia wanted to take medicine and go to school so I of course complied with her wishes. Tonight is her first night of swimming lessons (level 2) and she does not want to miss that. I think that's why she was adamant about going to school. She knew if she didn't that swimming lessons would not be a happening thing.

Monday, May 08, 2006






This is the layout I started on Friday at our monthly Schnockered Scrapper's Soiree. I finished it on Saturday. Haley is my youngest niece and will celebrate her 1st birthday the end of June. I just thought these pictures went perfect with the paper!!

Used my new template and made gift bags for Katie & Olivia's teacher's. Inside I put 6 cards (which I made). Each card was for a different occasion, sure hope they enjoy them as I had a great time making them.

It's official....I've now got all three of my daughters hooked on scrapbooking. I found a cute 8 x 8 making memories album on clearance at Target and picked it up for Olivia. She spent all day Saturday and a little bit of Sunday with me at the table working on it. She's got about 6 pages done and they are really good for a 6-1/2 year old. I have a feeling she could become obsessive about it...is that good or bad, LOL !!

Saturday, April 29, 2006



I'm doing a study for Diet Coke next week and I had to make a collage of the top 3 situations where I drink Diet Coke and how it makes me feel. I also had to refrain from drinking Diet Coke for two 24-hour periods and do a collage on how that makes me feel. Not sure you can read the words I used in these pictures but I have a word for every letter of the alphabet describing my feelings for both. Much thanks to Ana, Dianne and Marnie for helping me with the words. If my collages are voted the best the study pays an extra $50!!

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Well the living room is finally finished. Just in time too. Marc and his Dad finished Saturday morning about 11am and Suzanne's party started at 4pm. The party was very nice and I think everyone had a good time. If anyone went away hungry it was their own fault.

Sunday's confirmation service was very nice and we are all very proud of Suzanne. I'm not sure she'd admit it but I think she's proud of herself as well.

Well, today it's all about me!! Marc should be leaving right now to go to Best Buy and get a new computer. We've been having trouble with ours off and on for the last few years and it's just time to upgrade. The one we have in the basement went kaput as well so we will move the old one downstairs and hopefully everyone will be happy. I also stopped at Kohl's this morning and got new throw pillows for the couch and a new purse for myself. Speaking of it's all about me, I also finished my scrapbook "All About Me" yesterday. All the pictures and journaling are done, with the exception of the page about life lessons I've learned. I still have to give that one some thought.

Monday, April 17, 2006

I'm Amazed

Marc and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on Friday. He actually said Happy Anniversary before I got the chance to. After he left for work I heard knocking on our bedroom door and Suzanne asked if she could come in. When she did, she was carrying a cookie sheet with a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, a Pop-Tart and a can of Fresca. Now if that's not a healthy breakfast I don't know what is...LOL. Katie spent some of her birthday money and bought us a lovely card and some vanilla sugar wafer cookies as she knows we both like them. Late Friday night Matthew gave us a very nice card and then on Saturday Stephen came home with a lovely card and gift. He got us a motion/sound picture of a waterfall in a beautiful gold frame. We've already got the perfect spot picked out in the living room for it.

Speaking of the living room, it is really taking shape. The ceiling has been textured and Marc put in over half of the wood flooring over the weekend. His parents arrive on Thursday morning so they can put up all the oak trim. I'm so pleased with the results and can't wait to see everyone's reaction to it at Suzanne's party on Saturday.

I planned a really nice Easter dinner for last night as with Dinorex being closed I figured we'd all be here (which is rare). However, Matthew got hired at Dominick's and you guessed it, his first day of work was last night from 4-10 so he missed out. He'll get to enjoy the leftovers today though. Both he and Stephen have to work next Saturday during Suzanne's party too but they will both be at church on Sunday to see her confirmed which I think will mean more to her.

I went to Walmart (1st of many trips this week I'm sure) this morning and got everything I needed and then some. Bought Suzanne the prettiest pair of cross earrings as a confirmation gift. I'm sure she'll love them...if they'd had a second pair I'd have been tempted to get myself a pair. I do have to go back to Walmart tonight after school as she'd like to get a new skirt and top, plus sandals for Sunday. Since her birthday is May 6th, this will be part of her birthday gift as well as a few other things I've picked up for her.

Well I'm in spring cleaning mode so I better get back to it. Happy Spring!

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Sorry

Sorry, it's been over a week since I posted anything. It's been crazy around here, which is normal I guess. Olivia started her swim lessons on Saturday, Katie and I took her and then on the way home picked up a friend of Katie's who spent the entire day with us. Seth was supposed to start T-ball on Saturday but there was a scheduling conflict and the kids were all there and raring to go but there was no coach. So...the lessons will start next week and they will tack on another week at the end. Sunday the kids sang at church and they were of course adorable. I was able to get pictures but have been having trouble with my computer so it may be awhile before I can get them downloaded.

Marc has been diligently working on the living room. He's got most of the ceiling done (he's texturing it himself and it looks great) and hopes to finish that up tonight. Then he's going to rip up the carpeting (YEAH!!!) and start putting down the hardwood floors. Suzanne's confirmation/early 8th grade graduation is on the 22nd so he's trying to get it done before then.

Friday is not only Good Friday but Marc and I will celebrate 5 years together that day. Unfortunately I have a Tastefully Simple show that night but we agreed that we celebrated our anniversary early by taking our trip to Texas and enjoying some time alone. Katie is going to sleepover at her friends house that night and Olivia is going to sleepover at Emily's as well. We can't tell you how much we LOVE Aunt Marnie and Uncle Dave!!!! I'm going to have to get after them about our taking their girls every once in awhile to at least try and make up for all the times they've taken Seth and the girls. Doubt we will ever come close but we will certainly try!

Well I spent the morning running errands so I better get some things done around here! I'll try and post again before another week passes us by.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Back to Normal, Whatever that is??


Well everyone is back home. My girls returned from North Carolina at 11pm on Saturday night. They were so happy to be home but luckily went right to bed after a little conversation. We celebrated Katie's birthday yesterday (it was 3/30) and she was pleased with all her gifts and of course any money that she got.

Jonathon graduated from basic training on Friday and as of today should be headed to California to prepare for tech school.

Everyone's back to school today so hopefully everyone will fall back in to our regular routine.

Walgreens had an April Fool's No Joke for all their customers. I was able to get a free 8 x 10 and I've attached a copy of the one I chose. It's Olivia and my niece Haley and I just think it's adorable, although I'm a little biased!!

Have a great day!!

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Proud Mom Moment II



Well we survived our quick trip to San Antonio!! We left here Wednesday night about 9:15pm and arrived at my brothers (near St. Louis) at 2:00am. Slept until 7:00am and were back on the road by 7:30am. We arrived in San Antonio late Thursday evening, about 11:15pm. We would have made it in less time but we hit Dallas rush hour and we lost a little time.

We were at the Air Force Base by 8:00am on Friday and sat through graduation. However, Jonathon was not among the graduates. He doesn't graduate until this Friday and he claims they wouldn't let him call home to notify us. Oh well we know what graduation is like and we did get to spend a few hours with him on Friday evening and he was allowed to go off base all day on Saturday. Marc and I spent Friday afternoon on the Riverwalk and we went back on Saturday with Jonathon. We also went to the Alamo and RiverCenter Mall as Jonathon was itching to play some video games. Jonathon looks great, what a difference 7 weeks has made in him. We are still amazed!!

We left San Antonio bright and early (5:20am) on Sunday and got to my brothers about 8:45pm. I was able to spend a little time with my nieces which was nice. We were on the road by 9:30am yesterday and arrived to pick up Seth at about 2:30pm. He had a great time with Uncle Dave, Aunt Marnie and the girls but I think he was happy to come home. As I'm sure they were happy to see him go home!!

Well I have a lot of laundry to do so I'll close for now.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

What a week!!

It's been a hectic week around here and it's only Wednesday. Monday the girls only had 1/2 day of school so I took both Katie & Suzanne to the doctor for their school physicals. They took blood from Suzanne and Katie completely freaked out. Imagine her dismay when the doctor checked out her veins and announced that they should get blood from her too! We had to hold her down and when I told her it would hurt worse if she didn't lay still she quieted down a little. Although we all know my Drama Queen....she screamed when they put the needle in and again when they took it out. I told her she should never have children and she responded with a quick "OK". On the way home she told me she was going to back to school and warn all her friends.

Today is the day that Marc and I leave for San Antonio. We are leaving at 10pm and driving as far as my brothers in southern Illinois (near St. Louis). We are going to crash their for 3 or 4 hours and then get up and head out in the morning, hopefully missing the St. Louis rush hour!! Jonathon is so homesick he called home twice this past week and the last time I talked to him when we hung up he said "I Love You, Mom"...not something I hear from Marc's kids much. We are thinking that since he gets the entire weekend free that maybe we might stay an extra day to spend more time with him. My girls will already be in North Carolina and hopefully Marnie will agree to keep Seth one more day if need be. We probably won't decide until we get down there and find out what's going on.

My Dad is back in the hospital and having surgery as I type this. They want to scrap some of the dead tissue off his foot, however if they have to go deep he will lose his Achille's tendon and then will not have any control over his foot. He would then need a leg brace. I think my Dad would rather loose his leg and have two prosthesis and walk with two canes. I'm sure he told them that if they got in there and decided it was necessary it was OK to take his leg. Keep those prayers coming!!

I'll be out of touch until next week but I'll fill you in on our trip and hopefully have some pictures to post!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Proud Mom Moment



Katie participated in her first karate tournament today. Out of 16 other 9-year olds all in various stages of the yellow belt, she took home a 1st Place Trophy. She is so excited and we are so PROUD!! She's only been taking karate lessons since September and a lot of the other kids she participated with have been taking lessons for a year or more! Way to go KATE!! Of course now she's going to want to participate in every tournament possible.

Friday, March 17, 2006

I Guessed Right!!

OK, so about 30 minutes after I wrote the first blog today, I had an idea of what my anniversary present was. I was right. We have finally leapt into the 21st century....I am now the proud owner of a digital camera. I'm so excited as Katie's first Karate tournament is tomorrow and I can use it and get my pictures right away. Marc said the reason he gave it to me almost a month early is so we can use it when we go see Jonathon next week.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

What is It?!?!?!

At 8:30 I get my daily morning phone call from Marc, wanting to be sure that everyone is up and ready to head to school. He then proceeds to ask if I will be home all day, not a typical questions so I'm wary. I say yes, why...and he responds with..."if the UPS man stops by and brings a package you can go ahead and open it". My first thought is OK what has he ordered that we probably don't really need. I immediately feel guilty for this thought when he responds that it is an early anniversary present for me. Now I'm shocked. Our 5th anniversary is not until April 14th and he's already ordered me something (making up for last year's birthday??). He then says it is something I can use and that he ordered me two things. Hmmm I could use diamond earrings but somehow I don't think that's what it is...it can't be a vacuum cleaner as we just bought a new Kirby. In fact I was going to tell him that he didn't need to buy me an anniversary or Mother's Day gift since I now have a really nice vacuum. I then ask will the box give away what is inside?? He responds with I'm not sure. Then I say will the return address give it away? He again says not sure. I proceed to tell him that if the box says what's inside (like my birthday present last year) then I will go ahead and open it...but if not I'll wait for him to come home. But will I really be able to wait or will the anxiety get the better of me....guess time will tell.

Potty training with Seth yesterday went well. I only changed two pull-ups and only because they were stinky. The rest of the day he went on his own. I hope this will continue to be a daily thing as I'd like to stop buying pull-ups. I also know that Aunt Marnie would really appreciate not having to deal with changing him next week as she is trying to train Abbigayle. He keeps assuring me that he will go on the potty at Aunt Marnie's all the time. Again....time will tell.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! My girls went off to school decked out in whatever green they could find to wear. I'm going to surprise them when they get home with Shamrock cookies. For those of you who know me well you know it's the Pillsbury ones you just put on a cookie sheet and bake. Although I did make cookies from scratch for the Christmas cookie exchange last year. I think once Seth is in school all day I'll be better about cooking and baking cookies from scratch...or at least I hope I will.

Look for another post later today or tonight about my anniversary gift. With my luck the UPS man will come really early, there will be nothing on the box hinting to it's contents and I'll have to wait until Marc gets home!! LOL!

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

I'm a Karate Mom

Last night both Katie and Olivia had their Karate tests to see if they can advance to the next level. Both Marc and I went to watch as they wanted both of us there. Big mistake for me to go as Olivia continually looks over to make sure I am there and watching. They don't find out if they pass until next week. At the end of class Sensei tells each kid what they need to work on. The list for Olivia has quite a few things on it, Katie has none. Marc and I are both assuming that Katie has done well enough to advance and that if Olivia works on what he mentions and does the moves well at the beginning of class next week she will also advance. Poor Olivia can't decide what she wants to do...one minute she says she wants to continue (if she passes) and the next minute she says she wants to quit. I talked to Sensei Tex and he claims that for her age she is doing as well as everyone else which makes me feel a little better and I tell her hoping to encourage her. Next week I'm sending them alone with Marc as I'm sure she will pay better attention if I'm not there.

Katie on the other hand is excited as she's pretty sure she passed although she did ask Sensei what she should work on since he didn't call her name. He told her to just keep practing all the moves. She's also signed up for a tournament on Saturday where she will compete against any other 9 year olds that are the same rank as her. She's very hopeful that she will come home with a trophy....and so it starts. I'm hoping that this will toughen her up a little (she's too emotional at times, who does she get that from?? LOL) and make her a little competitive but not obsessively so.

Marc really enjoys taking them to Karate and helping out when needed. By September Seth will be old enough to go so I'm sure he'll want to join as well. I told Marc to take the class with Seth if he wants but who knows.

Today is my day with 4 hours of no kids. So far I've managed to get some laundry done, plan some scrapbook pages and make some phone calls. And, I still have over 2 hours left, hmmm what to do??? Now that's a good question....

Monday, March 13, 2006

All She Wants for Christmas is her Two Front Teeth

Olivia came home from being with her Dad last night and showed us that her other front tooth was getting looser. Before bed she wanted me to pull it out and I said I didn't think it was quite ready yet. This morning I heard a joyful scream from the basement.....Dad, Mom my tooth fell out. She was so excited that she'd done it all by her self. She of course put it in a ziploc snack bag as she wants to show everyone at school. She also said she wasn't going to smile at anyone because she wants to be sure that she gets to be the one who tells her teacher that she lost her tooth. Needless to say she looks extremely funny with both front teeth now missing. Hopefully she won't have to wait until Christmas before the adult teeth come in.

Yesterday I took Matthew to Kohl's so he could use his Christmas gift cards. He offered me is $20 card in exchange for $20 in cash which I agreed to. I used my $20 to buy to nice casual/dressy tee shirts. Matthew was able to get most of the items he wanted and we spent all but 5 cents which they gave us back in real money. He got a great rolling duffle bag that was marked down from $29.99 to $19.99. At the register it rang up $22.49 and when I complained they gave it to us for $10 off the register price so we got it for $12.49. I'm almost tempted to go back and get a few more of them to use as Christmas gifts! Although by now they've probably changed the price on all of them anyway.

Well I just received the portraits that we had taken for our church directory. I think that I'm missing some pictures so I'm going to get on the phone and see what's going on!

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Am I Wrong??

OK, so I can't be the only one out there that hates the prospect of taking my girls out to buy birthday presents for their Dad (my ex). I hate it!! I know they love their Dad and want to buy him stuff but they always want to either buy him things that are way more money than I want to spend on him...or they want to buy him something that I know he won't be thrilled about. A lot of times I suggest just giving him $20 so they can all go out for dinner although I know it's not very personal. I also realize that he is very good about taking them out to buy me things for my birthday, mother's day, etc. but lets face it....aren't women easier to buy for. So regardless of this I took the girls shopping today as it is their Dad's birthday and they will be seeing him tomorrow. They both bought him a shirt, Olivia chose a nice polo shirt and Katie got him a Homer Simpson t-shirt. Hopefully he'll like them both and wear them every now and then to make the girls happy!

Marc is outside at this very moment grilling our dinner. Pork chops, bratwurst and hot dogs with salad as a side dish. I'm so glad that we are that much closer to spring as that's one of the things I miss during the winter, our weekly grill outs.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!!

Friday, March 10, 2006

Energized

The taste-test survey for the energy bars went well. We had to try 4 different ones and I was completely shocked that they weren't bad. I expected them to be AWFUL but out of the 4 there were two that I would definitely consider buying if I was an energy bar kind of gal. It only took about 20 minutes and I was rewarded with $25 so you can't beat that.

Two cute stories about my kids to share....

Yesterday Olivia decided to wear a dress to school, she came upstairs all decked out in a pink dress with the appropriate hair acessories and a necklace. When Seth saw her he looked at her and said..."Olivia in that outfit you look pretty". Talk about melt my heart. Luckily Olivia was polite enough to thank him. I have a feeling she won't hear those words that often if ever again from her little brother who usually takes great pleasure in tormenting her.

Renee (scrapbooking friend) spent a few weeks in Arizona in February and brought back the cutest mood rings for each of us. Of course we all put them on and kept checking our moods throughout the evening. I still had it on the next morning and Katie (10) immediately said.."is that a mood ring?"...when I said yes she immediately asked if she could have it as she's always wanted one. News to me I didn't even know she knew what it was. Olivia (6) completely does not get the concept it. They keep checking to see what color it is and Olivia keeps telling me to make faces at it. Apparently she thinks this is how it knows to change colors. Completely cracked me up.

My Dad called me last night. He's home from the hospital but my Mom has to take him back on a daily basis for the next 6 weeks. It takes an hour for one IV of medicine and 1/2 hour for the other. Add on the driving time and they are spending about 3 hours in the morning away from home. Then they have to rush home as a visiting nurse comes everyday at 1:30 to check and re-wrap is foot. He is not supposed to put any weight on it at all and he said it's almost impossible to use crutches as his left leg is a prosthesis and it's hard to use it as the support leg. So they were given a wheelchair but they don't have a ramp leading to the house so Mom has to park the car as close to the porch as possible and he hobbles up the stairs and she carries the wheelchair. This is really starting to take it's toll on my Mom as well. My Dad is so negative and depressed as he really can't go anywhere or do anything and he just can't get comfortable. They aren't even sure if they will be able to come back to Illinois at all this year so that means they won't be coming to see us and we may not get to see them either. Which of course is depressing to me. Then he proceeded to tell me that he thinks Marc and I should go see Jonathon graduate and let him know how proud we are of him. Also that we need to listen to Jonathon and let him tell us everything and show us around the base and to act interested even if we're not, and if he really wants to go to McDonald's for dinner when we are there then that's where we should take him. Give me a little credit Dad. Then in the next breath he is telling me that it's going to take a lot longer to get their than we think and that we are going to end up getting ourselves killed and then who will raise our children. OK, now I'm confused....are we supposed to go or am I supposed to send Marc alone and stay with my kids so nothing will happen to me?? Couldn't I just as easily get hit by a bus while crossing the street? Doesn't he realize that as a Mother I am constantly worried by the the thought that something will happen to me and I won't get to see my children grow old and enjoy grandchildren? However, I try not to dwell on that as I don't want to be a negative/depressing person! Needless to say I was very depressed and crying the rest of the evening. I'm sure that wasn't his intention but that was the affect never the less.

OK, so enough of that. We have another busy weekend ahead. I have a Tastefully Simple show tonight and Katie has girl scouts. Tomorrow is "Celebrate Kids Day" at our church and since I'm a team leader for children's ministries I will need to be there the entire time (10am-1pm) as well as a little before to help set up and a little after to clean up. Marc is going to be there too as he is in charge of the Underwriters Laboratories table. This also means all the kids have to be there too but there will be enough activities and such that I think they will be fine. Then after that I have to take my girls out to get a birthdray present for their Dad. Sunday my girls will be gone all afternoon and Matthew wants me to take him shopping at Kohl's so he can spend his Christmas gift cards and get some things he needs.

Marc's been busy working on getting our taxes done. He also has to do them for Stephen, Jonathon and Matthew although they shouldn't take as long. He is anxious to get them done so he can continue working on the living room. He went to Menard's last night and bought the paint as it was on sale and he's done patching and sanding walls so it's time for paint.

OK, I think I've rambled on enough for today. Have a Great Weekend everyone!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Change in Plans

We finally heard from Jonathon last night. Unfortunately he won't be graduating on the 17th as originally planned. Now his graduation will be on March 24th. Everything came to a screeching halt for a few hours. But all is OK. Hotel and rental car reservations have been changed. And, most importantly we still have somewhere for all of the other kids to go. All that is left is just informing my brother that we will not be stopping by on our way home until a week later.

Marc was happy to hear from Jonathon as this is the first time he's had a chance to speak with him since he left on January 31st. Seth talked to him as well which I'm sure meant a lot to Jonathon. He always asks how everyone is and I know he misses us all. He also told us that once he graduates he will be headed to California for his technical training. He will be at Vandenberg AFB which is near Santa Barbara which is one of those places I've always aspired to visit. Maybe now I'll get a chance!!

The one good thing that came out of the change in plans is that now I will be able to go see Katie take part in a Karate tournament. I was a little distressed about missing out on a photo op which of course will I'm sure end up turning in to a scrapbook layout.

This also means that the week of spring break that my girls are spending with their Dad will now be expanded by 2 days. They will be travelling to North Carolina to meet their grandmother and Aunt for the first time. Yes, I know what you are thinking the girls are 9 and 6 and they haven't met them yet?? Well Katie was 6 weeks old when she met her grandmother and I belive 6 months old the last time she saw her aunt. It's a very long story and would bore you to tears!

I'm off to do a taste-test survey on energy bars. I'm certainly hoping that it gives me the energy to come home and get all the income tax information together for Marc. I'm not holding out much hope though.

I got my Tastefully Simple order today for the show I did last week. I spent the entire afternoon sorting, labeling and bagging everything up. I have another show tomorrow and just booked one for April and have another tentative open house for April as well. WOHOO!! The new Spring/Summer items will be available April 1st and I can't wait to try them. We will be throwing Suzanne a joint Confirmation/Early 8th Grade Graduation party on April 22nd and I'm sure I will be serving some of the new items. I especially can't wait to try the Key Lime Cheese Ball, YUM!!

Well time to get dinner ready. Haaave a Great Night!

Monday, March 06, 2006

Weekend is Over!

Weekend was good! My Tastefully Simple show was a big success and I did manage to book a show for April so that's good. It was an early party and I was home by 9:00. On Saturday we went to our niece Abbi's 3rd birthday party on Saturday and had a great time. The goody bags were a huge hit. Especially the Little Einsteins coloring pages and the conductor wands. Seth has been conducting music ever since. When he's done he asks for me to clap so that he can take a bow. The cake was absolutely adorable, it looked like Rocket from the Little Einsteins. Marc liked it so much (especially the frosting) that he informed me that from now on we should just hire Marnie to make our kids birthday cakes. Guess the bunny cake I made last year wasn't as impressive, LOL!! On Sunday my girls were with their Dad for most of the day and so it was just Marc, Seth and I that went to church. Then later in the afternoon Seth went with his friend Hawk to see the movie "Doogal". So Marc was able to watch the race in piece and I took a nice nap.

Only a little over a week to go before we leave for Texas. I'm both looking forward to it (seeing Jonathon and watching him graduate) and dreading it (the 19+ hour drive there and back). It will certainly be an interesting weekend!

My Dad is doing better (I think). He will hopefully be going home from the hospital tomorrow, although he will have to remain on heavy duty antibiotics for 6 weeks. So instead of returning to Illinois the first of April, they will have to stay in Texas until May 1st or so. According to the MRI he had the infection is not in the bone so they are still very hopeful that it will not be necessary to amputate any of his right foot or leg! He's on several prayer chains and I'm keeping him on them indefinitely. He's still very depressed and nervous as he finds it hard to believe that he won't need surgery. Mom did say he's not eating well, but who does in a hospital. I'm sure once he's back home he will start to eat and feel better.

Well I better get some work done around here. Happy Monday everyone!

Friday, March 03, 2006

Olivia was so upset yesterday after school that she wanted to talk to me in private. Of course I'm thinking the worst, that she's done something wrong or hurt someone at school. So glad I was wrong....she was upset because her friend Emily told her teacher that she'd lost a tooth and essentially stole her thunder! Whew, I can handle this one. I tell her that it wasn't a very nice thing to do but that Emily was just excited for her and probably didn't realize that what she did hurt her feelings. Hug and a kiss from Mom and everything is back to normal (whatever that is!).

It was back to the dentist for Seth and Matthew. Seth sat still and did really well while the got rid of the areas of decay and put on a sealant. He keeps telling everyone that they painted his teeth. He was so good that he received a sticker chart to keep track of his brushing habits for the next month. He promptly came home and brushed his teeth and put on the first sticker. If only this concept worked for the teenagers in this house, LOL!

Suzanne and Matthew go with their Mom this weekend and my girls are going with their Dad Saturday at 5 and not returning until Sunday afternoon. Just the thought of the entire Saturday evening and Sunday during the day with just Seth is soooo relaxing to me. Suzanne was scheduled to fold the church bulletins this weekend but now I'll have to do them (or talk Katie into it). I told Suzanne I'll be signing up to do the bulletins again and then she will have to do them for me to make up for it. She needs the service hours for confirmation class. She'll find out this Sunday if she passed her confirmation test, fingers crossed. If she does pass then it means throwing a party on April 22 and confirmation on the 23rd. Marc's parents will be back in Illinois by then so I'm sure they'll be here to help us celebrate. The party will also motivate (hopefully) Marc to step it up a notch and get going on the living room which is still in total disarray.

Well I better get busy. Have a Great Day everyone!!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

How do you FAIL Gym??

That's the big question of the day. Matthew somehow managed to fail his gym class last semester, refused to get dressed and participate supposedly because he did not like the teacher. BooHoo suck it up that's a life lesson we all learn, we will not like everyone we meet or work for but you just do what you have to do and make the best of it. Needless to say Matthew is currently taking two gym classes and we got his mid-semester grades yesterday. He's passing one and failing the other. HOW DO YOU DO THAT??? I was not a big fan of gym class when I was growing up but I did managed to pass the class every semester with no problem. This is a kid who has been a member of the NJROTC for three years so we know he's not opposed to physical exercise, he also has no medical issues holding him back. We keep telling him that in order to graduate next year he has to pass P.E. He plans on joining the Navy after he graduates but again, they won't take him without a high school diploma. I have a feeling his senior year will be a long year for all of us.

The tooth fairy paid a visit to Olivia last night. She finally lost one of her top front teeth. The tooth fairy was generous and gave her a $1, partly because Mom felt guilty about lying and saying she was just going to wiggle it not pull it. However, once I got a hold of the tooth I just yanked. It didn't take much but Olivia wasn't happy about it for the first few minutes afterward. Next question....do we have the cheapest tooth fairy coming to our house?? I hear stories from my kids that their friends get anywhere from $2 to $5 a tooth. When I was a kid I got a quarter for every tooth, regardless of how I lost it. Our tooth fairy usually gives $1 for the first tooth and a quarter there after. I know times have changed but I think giving more than a $1 for a tooth is ludicrous. We have so many lost teeth to go in this house that it could break the tooth fairies bank!

I so wanted to try Dianne's suggestion (as seen on the Food Network) of putting a tube of biscuits in the deep fat fryer and then injecting it with honey when they were done. I had a tube in the fridge and we are going to deep fat fry dinner tonight. However, Seth got up and decided that's what he wanted for breakfast. He even went so far as to peel the wrapper off the tube and set it on the counter. Then he came to get me and I heard something fall in the kitchen. When I asked him what it was he said "our breakfast". Of course I couldn't imagine what kind of mess I'd find but low and behold the tube had popped open on it's own accord. So...that was breakfast/lunch for us.

Right now I'm in the process of baking Truffle Fudge Brownies and Almond Pound Cake for the Tastefully Simple show I have tomorrow night. It's smelling pretty good in here right about now.

Talked to my Mom last night. My Dad is doing OK. The doctors are very optimistic that they can save his foot. They are going to do an MRI just to be sure that the infection is not in the bone. Thanks to everyone for their prayers and keep them coming!

Wishing everyone a good day!!

Monday, February 27, 2006

We are All Healthy!?! (fingers crossed)

OK, so my goal this week is that everyone goes to school everyday this week and lasts the entire day. Last week Katie and Olivia seemed to take turns staying home sick. Katie, Seth and I still have a residual cough but otherwise are feeling good.

This is a busy week for me. Church meetings on Tuesday and Saturday morning. A Tastefully Simple show on Friday night and my niece Abbi's 3rd birthday party on Saturday afternoon.

I'm also a little stressed as I talked to my Mom yesterday and found out that my Dad is in the hospital. Apparently the heel on his right foot has really been bothering him. Of course, being a man, he refused to go to the doctor until it got so bad that it has now turned black. My father has been a diabetic for the last 20+ years and his not a good one. He's had laser surgery on both eyes, lost his left leg from the knee down and had a quintuple bypass because of the disease. The doctors are trying to save his right foot/leg but we will no for sure in a couple of days. So obviously this is all I can think about as I worry he's just not got the strength to go through another major surgery, recovery and learning to walk with two prosthetics. I'm hoping that thoughts of his grandchildren will keep him strong and optimistic. All prayers for him and my family would be much appreciated.

Haven't heard from Jonathon lately but am hoping to get a call this week. Seems like every 2 weeks we hear something. I'm hoping that now that he's passed the 3 week mark things are getting easier for him. Marc and I are looking forward to seeing him graduate and wondering how much he will have changed, if at all.

Well, Seth is bugging me as he's ready for lunch and wants leftover spaghetti from last night. Have a great day everyone!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Wow, it's already been a week since I last posted. Partly because last Wednesday I came down with a horrible cold that just kicked my butt big time. I even missed scrapbooking so you know it was bad!

We left Friday and headed to by brother Bill's house for the long President's Day weekend. The kids were relatively good for the 5 hour drive and none of them napped at all which was amazing in itself. We did our normal stop at Sonic Drive-In in Springfield, IL for lunch. Marc loves that place and unfortunately it's the closest one to us. We had a great weekend and I enjoyed being with my two nieces (Chloe is 3 1/2 and Haley is 8 months)! Our visit was two-fold as my sister-in-law had a joint Tastefully Simple/Pampered Chef party and it went really well. She was worried no one would show up but she had 10 people there so that was good!

We came home yesterday and poor Seth was having tummy troubles. Luckily it was just stomach cramps and once I gave him some Pepto-Bismal when we got home he felt much better. Needless to say I am doing a lot of laundry today to try and catch up.

Heard from our son Jonathon who's doing his basic training with the Air Force. He's doing fine but is definitely a little homesick. I'm in the process of writing him a letter as I haven't sent one in a while.

I've been watching the Olympics and have convinced Marc to take the girls to Karate tonight so I can watch the women's skating tonight. I think it concludes Thursday and we have to be at church to get pictures taken for the new directory that night so I guess I'll have to set the VCR that night.

I've also got to get busy and make my cards for the card swap as they are due this week. As usual I've waited until the last minute. I'm going to try and do them tomorrow when Seth is at Parent's Day Out. Maybe I'll try and figure out a plan today so tomorrow I can just get it done!

Have a Great Day!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentine's Day

Will wonders never cease?? Surprisingly, I awoke to find a dozen tulips in a vase along with a card on the breakfast counter this morning. My husband can be very sneaky and romantic when he wants to be. He came home late from basketball last night and I thought nothing of it. I was actually in the kitchen when he got home and he came in empty handed. Then a few minutes later he professed that he'd left his wallet in the car. When he came in from getting that (and the presents)..he decided he'd just go right downstairs to check on the girls. Unbeknownst to me he put the flowers in the sink in the laundry room and then snuck down there this morning to get them. I had no idea. I just figured it would be like most Valentine's day when I heard the same speech about how he doesn't need Hallmark to tell him when to be romantic, he'll bring me flowers whenever he feels like it. Which apparently is only our anniversary, mother's day and my birthday (if he remembers it)...LOL

Katie and Olivia left here this morning all decked out in red with their Valentine shirt and socks they got from Grandma. Olivia can't wait until their party and refused to believe that it wouldn't be until the end of the day. She just won't be able to wait that long as that will be the funnest part of the day and she's convinced herself that the party will most likely take place right after snack this morning. She was so cute addressing her cards this weekend, she sealed every last one with a kiss, except for Josh's which was sealed with two kisses. She LIKES him and when she told him that he told her to go soak her head in the lake!!! She doesn't seem deterred though, she probably thinks she can make him like her.

OK, so I've been feeling ambitious lately....I actually cooked full course meal on Saturday and again yesterday. Plus I baked an Almond Pound Cake, sliced it and used a heart shaped cookie cutter to make hearts which I then frosted with cool whip which I had added Red Red Raspberry mix too. I have a meeting a church this morning and those will be our treats. Next time I do this instead of making the pound cake in a loaf pan I'm going to make it in a cookie sheet (with edges). This way I will be able to get more heart shapes out of it, I hope! Then after my church meeting I plan on coming home and making strawberry cupcakes (as I've recently been accused of never making cupcakes) frosting them with pink frosting and topping them off with a jelly heart on top. I plan to have them sitting on the table when the girls get home from Karate tonight. Hopefully they will be happily surprised.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!!

Friday, February 10, 2006

We Survived

We all managed to get through our dental appointment without incident. Unfortunately all of us have to return later as we all have cavities or areas of concern that need to be taken care of.

In case you are wondering about all the decisions I was pondering yesterday, here's what happened. I did not do laundry so I am in the process of doing it now. I still haven't decided what to do for my card swap. I did end up watching Days and didn't cry as much as I thought I would. And, Seth did not have mashed potatoes for lunch, instead he requested Macaroni & Cheese.

Tonight is the Father/Daughter Valentine Dance at our church. Katie and Olivia will be going with their Dad (who is Jewish)...I'm actually impressed that he agreed to take them as he will not know anyone there. The girls are all excited and spent all morning choosing the outfit and accessories they plan to wear. Of course I'll have to take pictures and scrap that memory for them.

Marc is home today as he has a school conference for Suzanne later. After that he plans on going to Menard's (his favorite place) to get the flooring for our living room. I can't wait to get rid of the UGLY carpeting it is going to replace. Unfortunately it will probably be a month or too before that happens. Right now he's sanding the walls he patched and hoping to paint them with primer later today. Then later tonight we plan on having a date night.....LOL....which will consist of going to Walmart as he needs new socks and picking up Subway for dinner. We are so romantic...NOT!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Decisions, Decisions

Well, last nights scrapbooking was a great time as usual!! It's always a bright spot in my week and one I look forward too!

Today it's back to the usual routine...drop kids at school, pick up house, etc. Later in the day we all go to the dentist. It's amazing how our dentist has to set aside an entire afternoon just to see all of us. He's the only dentist the 4 older kids have ever been too and when Marc and I got married my girls and I started going to him as well. I'm soooo glad that he's a great guy as I am one of those people who have a dentist phobia. If I go and I don't like you, I won't go again until there are problems which I know is not good. My youngest brother is a dentist but he lives near St. Louis so it's a little far for us to go....also I'm not sure he'd be as patient with us since we're family, LOL!!

OK, so I'm a huge Days of our Lives fan and today is the funeral of Hope & Bo's youngest son. According to http://www.theearlyedition.blogspot.com it's going to be quite the tearjerker. I'm not sure if I want to watch or not. I'm such a sap and it doesn't take much to make me cry so I know I'd be sobbing. Of course the decision might be taken out of my hands if Seth decides he wants to watch one of "his" shows.

My other big decisions of the day......drum roll.....

Do I do a load of laundry today or do I wait and just do two loads tomorrow?

What kind of cards do I want to make for the card swap I'm in? We have strict instructions that they have to be cards for HAPPY occasions. I just have to decide which happy occasion to chose.

Do I let Seth eat mashed potatoes for lunch for like the 4th time in a week or do I insist he eat something else?

Well, obviously I'm not getting much done so far today so I'd better get busy or my day will be over before I know it!!

Hope everyone has a good day!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

YEAH, It's Wednesday

OK, so I'm so deep in thought trying to figure out what to post as my first entry, that when the UPS man just rang the doorbell I jumped. Needless to say I knew he was here as I heard the truck. Anyway, I LOVE Wednesdays as this is my night to join my sister-in-law Marnie and all our friends for a wonderful, wacky night of scrapbooking. We affectionately refer to this as therapy night!! We keep trying to convince our husbands that letting us go out once a week to scrapbook is cheaper than what therapy would cost. My husband is not so easily convinced as he knows I'm completely addicted and love to spend money on paper and supplies whether I need them or not!!

I'm not sure why I decided to start my own blog, I just enjoy reading Marnie's and I love the idea of keeping a daily journal. So, since I spend most of my time running around after kids and the any spare time I have on the computer I just decided it might be fun!

My husband, Marc and I have 7 children between the two of us. He has four and I had two from a previous marriage and then we have one together. Stephen is 20 and goes to Harper College and works part-time at Dinorex (think Chuck E. Cheese). Jonathon is 18 and just joined the Air Force last week and is currently in San Antonio for basic training. Matthew is 16, a junior in high school who also plans to join the military when he graduates. Suzanne is 13, an 8th grader who is both excited and nervous about going to high school next year. Katie is 9 and a 4th grader who loves to entertain anyone who will give her the chance, she's definitely our Drama Queen. Olivia is 6 and in 1st grade, she is a sweet, funny, loving little girl but she has a little of the Devil in her. And, finally Seth is 4 and loves anything Batman, Spiderman or super hero related.

Now, surely you can understand why I love Wednesdays!!