May 29, 2009

With Mark home this week on vacation, I've been doing a few things I otherwise would procrastinate: cleaning closets, coloring and highlighting my hair (at home), and hunting from bookstore to bookstore for a particular magazine - with no luck, etc., etc. Mark has used his week at home to get a few rounds of golf in, play Wii with the kids, and take them on bike rides & such. It's been a good week, but the time has flown by.

Today, Mark golfed with his dad and my dad. Grandma P. spent the afternoon with us while they were golfing. We enjoyed the sunshine outside, took a walk around the neighborhood, played Wii, and brought McDonald's home for dinner. Kendall was pretty tired after a full day. This picture was taken after her shower, in her P.J.'s and very much ready for bed. She was cozy on the couch while Grandma rubbed her back. Indulgence at it's best!

May 28, 2009

Another morning was spent in front of the wii. At noon, we decided 4 hours was enough. Mind you, this is mostly Jacob and Mark. Kendall and I join in for a game or two, then we're done. :)

Mark left early for golf this afternoon, so the kids and I picked up a couple birthday presents (we have 2 b-day parties this weekend) and took some pizza out to Mom's. Since Mark golfs on the same league as my dad, Thursday nights are typically spent with my mom.

I took this picture of some of our cereal boxes today...I am planning a scrapbook page and needed the pic! :)

Found it!

My blogging mojo is back! I have now updated the blog back to May 14....happy reading! :) However, I have no pictures for the last 2 days. Mark is home on vacation this week and it's really upsetting my schedule - but in a good way. Well, I did COMPLETELY forget about Jacob's last soccer practice last night. We didn't go and I didn't even realize it until Mark asked me this morning! Oops.

Yesterday, the kids and I went to a picnic lunch with Jacob's preschool class and their teachers. The girls started chanting, "JACOB P**S" in a sing-song-y way on the playground. I then find out from the teachers that he is the romeo of the class (not by his choosing, I don't think). I guess the girls always chase him and want to sit next to him. The teachers even would not let one particular girl sit next to him, due to extra chit-chatting it would cause. Oh, my! I am a bit leery about this kind of attention!

We also purchased a vanity cabinet and top for the basement bathroom yesterday. And, we had a delicious dinner at Mom & Dad P's (hence, totally forgetting soccer practice).

Today, I cleaned out my closet, officially switching from winter to summer clothing. I also made a very sizable pile of clothes to donate. I figure if I've had the article of clothing for 15 years (yes, I had lots) OR it had big shoulder pads, it just has to GO. I didn't let go of EVERYTHING this time around, but I'm vowing to make another pass through the closet in the near future. :)

Then, the mail man delivered our Wii game system we bought off of eBay today. It came with 10 games and 4 controllers and lots of other accessories and add-ons. Mark and Jacob literally played it from about 1pm until 9:30 tonight, with a break for dinner. Jacob absolutely loves it and Kendall enjoyed playing a few of the games, too.

May 25, 2009

Officially Memorial Day! Thank you to all the service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms & safety we enjoy (and sometimes take for granted) today.

Mark golfed with his dad and a couple co-workers. I worked all day in the yard, getting the weeds pulled (they will be back next week - we have no mulch), trimmed bushes and trimmed a tree. After dinner, we all went to Meijer and picked out some ice cream to bring home. Mark got the camera out while Kendall was eating ice cream. What a great picture!

Garage Sale Photo

Lisa provided me with a better picture of our garage sale a couple weeks ago. We had lots of inventory spread out over 3 garage bays and it extended out into the driveway!

May 23, 2009

Memorial Day weekend kicked off with our usual trip to Bird Lake. We celebrated Mom's birthday, played in the sand and water, and Jacob even caught a fish at Aunt Bev & Uncle Jim's place (during their luau!). The weather was beautiful....I hope to spend more time up there this summer with the kids. They enjoy it so much!

On the way home from the lake on Sunday, the kids and I stopped at Chad Rufenacht's graduation party. Then, once home, we stopped at a cook-out with Lisa in honor of neighbors moving back to Texas. A busy holiday weekend.

May 22, 2009

The kids and I again ran a couple errands and went to the grocery store. When we came home, I made a cake to take to the lake (wow...that all rhymes) and some yummy snack mix (photo).

May 21, 2009

Today was mega errand day. We returned carpet samples, Jacob got a hair cut, went to Michael's, stopped at Office Max, headed to Select Stone to get prices on landscape stone, went to the mall (got lunch), ran into neighbors who then followed us to Side Cut park to let the kids play together for a while. We were home in time for dinner!

While we were gallivanting around, I took pictures of the Southwyck Mall, now being demolished. It is a sad sight. This was THE place to go in our junior high, high school days. I remember Christine and I being dropped off by our moms or dads and allowed to spend unsupervised time there....very cool in the day! Later, I remember cruising on the weekends with Wendy and Kim J.

As I was taking the pictures, I also remembered they had asbestos issues, so I figured I better roll up the windows and move on, so as not to inhale too much demolition dust!

May 20, 2009

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today I watched Annette's children: Aubrey (3) and Collin (18 mo.). They were so fun and easy to entertain! Annette's husband, who usually has the kids during the day, was in the hospital for a few days. Annette just started a new job and couldn't take lots of time off, so she was scrambling to find sitters for the kids. I was happy she called. Kendall and Jacob both really enjoyed playing with them.

May 17, 2009

Sandy organized a picnic brunch at Oak Openings to celebrate Aunt Bev and Uncle Jim's birthdays. The weather was chilly, but sunny. We got to see Haley's prom pictures! :) And, I found out later, that Chris and Kate Rufenacht and all the kids were there at the same time - too bad we didn't see them.

May 16, 2009

Just a Saturday filled with errands, a soccer game, and grass cutting.

May 15, 2009

Today was Jacob's last day of preschool. What a bittersweet day. He thoroughly enjoyed school everyday and his teachers were very good. It's funny to think he might spend less time in school during a week of Kindergarten than in his pre-k class.

Tonight the grandparents joined us for the preschool graduation. It was held at 7pm for the 4-year-old classes as well as Jacob's 5-year-old class. About 75 students graduated. The church was standing-room-only as family lined the walls of the building. The school put together a movie that played on the big screens above the podium showing each student (a baby picture and a very recent picture with their graduation cap on) and various photos of class activities through the year. Each student was given a copy of the DVD. Of course I video'd the hour-long program, but still need to edit it. I will post it when it's completed.

May 14, 2009

Today was Kendall's last day of preschool. Frankie also came home with us and played for a bit...both Jacob and Frankie wore their Star Wars shirts today! Had to take a picture, you know. :)

The excitement for the day was surprising Mom with a Mother's Day pedicure. She's never had one before and I only splurge every year or two. I arranged the next door girl to babysit the kids since it was Mark's golf night. Mom came over and we hopped in the car, without telling her where we were going. I stopped at BP gas station (yes, a big splurge!) to get us a couple capuccinos, then headed to the salon. Mom was surprised and enjoyed getting a bright coral color on her toes! Afterwards, she treated the kids and I for pizza.

Too bad I didn't snap a picture of the occasion!

As I went to bed, I checked in on Kendall and found her sleeping neatly on her floor (see picture). I scooped her up (gosh, she's getting heavy) and put her back in her cozy bed.

Where did it go?....

I'm looking for my blogging mojo. Can't find it anywhere! I have a feeling it will appear next week when Mark is on vacation! :)

May 13, 2009

After I dropped Jacob off at school, I hosted a little "Crop & Coffee." The neighbor who organized our bunko group is moving back to Dallas, so we decided to make a scrapbook for her. Our bunko ladies and some other neighbors each made a page or two for the book. Tonight is the last bunko she will attend, so some of us got together at our house to finish up the book and put some last-minute touches on it. It really turned out nice. You can take a peek at it here.

After lunch, the kids were watching that art show on PBS, you know the one: the artist teaches how to paint. It's not a "kid's" program, but Jacob & Kendall got inspired. So, we got out the easel and they went to work....and used up all our paints!

May 12, 2009

This is the last week of preschool already! Jacob is graduating Friday night and today was Kendall's last "Tuesday" of school this year. It's hard to believe another year is over. Though I am not going to miss driving Jacob to/from school every morning :).

Jacob had his 6-year-old well check at the pediatrician's. See Dr. Clark at left! He is 44" tall (10th percentile) and 37 pounds (barely on the growth chart). I thought for sure we might pass the 40 pound mark! Jacob did need two shots....he screamed bloody-murder, screaming "NEVER!" over and over again. I had to hold him down, etc., etc. I think we traumatized the nurse giving the shots. She kept saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." afterwards and even tracked us down in the lobby as we were leaving to give Jacob a handful of stickers. When we got in the car, I asked Jacob if he wanted to get ice cream, shop for some sandals he needs, or go home. His choice was to go home and call Anna and Ashley to come over to play. We did that. He called and his conversation was like this: "Hi, this is Jacob. Who's this? [Anna] Would you and Ashley be available to come over and play?" (he's so serious using the word "available"!) They had to study for a test first before they could come over. So Jacob took his lightsaber stuff and sat in the front yard and just waited, and waited, and waited sooo patiently for about 40 minutes (their driveway is pictured across the street). Finally, they came over and all the fun began!!

Jacob also had soccer practice tonight. After all that activity after his shots, he said they weren't really bothering him. Whew! Maybe next time will be better!

May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day! The kids gave me their sweet gifts they made in school. Jacob painted a pot with a pretty flower in it and Kendall made a writing pen and pad of paper. Mark must have taken the kids shopping at some point and got a card, pair of running shorts, and yoga pants. Hmmm...are they trying to tell me something???

I did spend most of the morning/early afternoon cleaning the house. I am hosting the neighborhood playgroup tomorrow morning and needed to catch up on housework after a week of focusing on the garage sale. Woo hoo!

Jacob had a soccer game in the afternoon (pictures of the game action & Kendall playing in the dirt with her friend, Grace), then we took Mark's mom out to Cracker Barrel for dinner.

It was a good day!

May 9, 2009

Day #2 of the garage sale. The weather did not cooperate: cool and very windy. We were extremely slow, sold the last of our "big" items, and decided to close up early. We reconciled our revenue of $1,200 between Lisa and I. Not too shabby.

I brought the unsold stuff home and bagged them up for donation. Then, went to the grocery store and took down the garage sale signs posted at various intersections around the area. We grilled some chicken for dinner and had a quiet evening.

Mark did take the kids around the garage sales. Jacob was very upset that he lost a $5 bill he had in his pocket. The wind probably carried it far away.

May 8, 2009

It was opening day of the garage sale. Lisa opened her door by 8am and we were non-stop busy all day long. At one point, there was even a line waiting to pay us! It was a beautiful day for the garage sale and there were traffic jams through the neighborhood. I feel sorry for the school busses and mailman trying to navigate. Lisa's final count was 48 participants.

Oh, and my faith in humanity was restored when I found the missing LeapFrog game among the piles of clothes we had! No one stole it afterall.

May 7, 2009

This morning was Breakfast with Buddies at preschool for the 3-year-olds. So, I had a donut with Kendall and she showed me things around the room like a little tour guide :). When it was time for me to go, she started bawling and clinging to me, saying she didn't want me to leave. Awwww. I did stay for "circle time" then gave her a quick kiss, said goodbye, and left quickly. I could hear her crying when I got out into the hall. Poor thing. She didn't even do that on Day 1 of preschool. (pic of Kendall at school (top))

When I picked her up, the teachers said she pulled herself together quickly, told them that her pants were scratchy (yes, she didn't want to put them on this morning), and took off her shirt to only wear the shirt she originally picked out this morning. It was sleeveless and it's just too chilly for that....our compromise (to get out the door in time) was to wear the shirt I picked out over top of it. ay.ay.ay. I guess she ended up wearing "her" shirt in school anyway.

(pics of Kendall in her sleeveless top that she insisted on wearing)

The kids are staying the night at Grandma & Grandpa C's tonight because of the garage sale preparation and kick off in the morning. Kendall even packed her own overnight bag, complete with toothbrush, underwear, socks, pajamas, and clothes. She also packed a back-pack with her favorites: a blankie and some stuffed animals. I was impressed that she could plan ahead and pack what she needed. Such a good girl! :)

I went to Lisa's to start setting up and there were a TON of people "shopping" our garage sale tonight. We made quite a few sales, but it was hard to get things done and keep the toys organized. As I left I couldn't find a Leap Frog game....I'm hoping no one walked away with it. Last year, I caught a woman "shoplifting" at our garage sale. It kind of tarnishes your outlook on people's integrity. Ugh.

May 6, 2009

Luckily the kiddos are occupying themselves while I purge the attic, mark all the garage sale items, and load them in the Jeep to take to Lisa's! This morning Kendall painted a picture for Great-Grandpa "who broke his arm." Now, Great-Grandpa C. is fully recovered for over a year now, but Kendall still refers to him like that. Now, I have to remember to mail this to him (along with another picture she painted him a few weeks ago, too!).

Jacob has kept himself busy building his Lego set he got for his birthday. After hours of work and NO help from Mom, he finished it today. He even put all the stickers on nice and straight. It is certainly a cool police station and he is now enjoying playing with it.

Tonight, I attended a parent meeting for incoming Kindergartners. How exciting to talk about bus schedules, lunch menus, and to see the rooms. I think Jacob is going to love it.

Jacob's Birthday Video

Beware: This is almost 15 minutes long....feel free to fast forward when necessary! :)

May 5, 2009

We got word last night that a small pack of coyotes have taken residence in the neighborhood. Many neighbors have seen them and heard them in their yards! A "trapper" has been contacted. I'm not sure how concerned I should be about this, but figured it was safe to eat lunch outside today! :)

Jacob is in full-scale LEGO mode with his birthday lego set from Grandma and Grandpa C. The set has 953 pieces and 5 instruction manuals. Kendall went to school this morning, "helped" me with the garage sale stuff, played in the sandbox, played in the dirt at soccer practice, etc....all in a beautiful, Easter-quality dress she picked out today. I'm hoping it will wash up nicely, as it soaks in stain remover....Other than hand-me-downs from Kim & Lisa, I buy most her clothes from the resale shop, so I don't panic too much! :)

Jacob asked at dinner tonight, "Can invisible people see each other?" Hmmm...

May 4, 2009

I am in full garage sale mode! 40+ houses in the neighborhood are participating in a garage sale this Friday and Saturday. It looks like our attic threw up into the extra bedroom! However, the attic looks clean! Ha. I am taking things in car loads over to Lisa's house. We've done the garage sale together for the last 3 years or so. We have one BIG sale! Even some repeat customers from year to year!

May 3, 2009

I ventured up 2 hours north to Clarkston, Michigan (NW of Detroit) for Catherine's bridal shower. A fellow teacher hosted the shower and it was out of Martha Stewart's handbook! You can tell from all who attended and the care taken with the shower how much Catherine is loved. My former college roommate is still thinking outside the box: post-reception-reception will be at a bowling alley and she requested going roller skating for her bachelorette party! Honeymoon in Alaska. Crazy girl!

It was also good to see Ann Marie (right in photo). We were able to catch up a little in person rather than just on Facebook! Gosh, it just dawned on me that these two ladies were in our wedding almost 13 years ago!

The kiddos enjoyed cleaning out the garage with Mark, playing in the sandbox, and having McDonald's for dinner. Of course, Jacob spent the day breaking in his new toys from his birthday, too.

May 2, 2009

JACOB IS 6 YEARS OLD!

Where has the time gone? Jacob is starting to look more mature, really losing his baby features, and getting taller. He's still skinny as a bean, but growing none the less!

He had a fantastic day. Every year I put streamers/crepe paper on the kids' bedroom door while they are sleeping the night before their birthday. So, that greeted Jacob when he woke up. Then, he opened our presents and we got ready to go to his soccer game. The coach said they made Jacob captain of the team today (they really don't have captains). We came home and I started the Swedish meatballs (Jacob's choice for his birthday dinner - go figure!). The grandparents and Aunt Bev & Uncle Jim arrived for dinner, presents, and cake & ice cream. The cake was made by Jacob's former and Kendall's current preschool aide. It was delicious! Jacob enjoyed all the festivities surrounding his birthday this year. He was in his glory!

ALL the birthday photos are HERE. I am currently putting together the birthday video and will share that when it's complete.

May 1, 2009

The day of Jacob's first "friend" birthday party!

Jacob took some of the 48 cupcakes I made in to school for his class treat, along with cute raccoon hand puppets that Grandma P made for each of his classmates.

After school, the moms followed us home (Jacob B. insisted on riding with us while his mom followed close behind :) ). The boys were dropped off and the fun began. Mom C. came to help me out and Jon asked his mom to stay (and I put her to work, too!). We had the big inflatable blow-up bouncer outside and two games planned: an egg race and pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but with a Darth Vader twist. The boys had fun and I had to come up with a couple more games on-the-fly because they seemed to enjoy a structured activity. One boy commented that he thought our house was like a hotel. Hmmm....compliment or not? I'm not sure!

Side note: I had not received an RSVP from Jon's mom by Wednesday, so at school I asked her if Jon was able to come to Jacob's party on Friday. She said she didn't know anything about it, so we talked and she said they would come. Well, today she tells me that she and Jon were walking into Wal-Mart to pick out a gift and she asked Jon, "What do you think Jacob would like for his birthday?" and he replied, "Oh, mom! He would love something from Star Wars. He even gave me a Star Wars card last week!" Ha! Ha! So, he got the invitation, but never showed his parents and they have no idea what Jon did with it!! Too funny.