I admit...

I've been a terrible blogger.

I think I spoke too soon when I was feeling alot better in the past couple weeks, because yesterday morning was not good. Perhaps it has something to do with the busy weekend we had. I stood up in my friend, Nikki's, wedding. I had a pretty good time, too.

But, too much dancing + too many late nights= a not so good me.

But I took this awesome photo...perhaps wedding photography is in my future? Hehe.


I promise to do better at updating this thing. If these darn headaches would go away (pretty much have had a headache for a week now, nothing seems to help it), I'd spend more time on the computer like I used to : ) And there WILL be a flashback Friday this week! Don't get too excited, it's probably only a week's worth of stuff. But, fun nonetheless.

I also promise to start scrappin' more soon. I have to use some of the stuff to make room for all the new stuff I bought (October Afternoon Cherry Hill & Ducks in a Row, Imaginisce school, and Prima Mommy and Me!) Fun stuff.....

lots to say...

but no time to say or post!! I promise next week will be fully stocked. Including the old stuff. I am standing up in a wedding this weekend and I am working hard on making a slideshow for it (never did this before...)

I'll post soon with info and pics!!! Excited to finally move onto more creative things after this weekend is over!!! =back to scrapbooking : )

uh, and oh yeah, I should totally be in bed right now. But I had to eat a hot pretzel first. Ah, obviously pregnant.

look out!

I FINALLY have found the "scrapbook" I was looking for from high school. Lots of magazine clippings. Good stuff. Hehe. I have to take pictures yet in order to post it. Oooo, fun!!!

unbelievable!

Report: Favre to Have Biceps Surgery, May Sign with Vikings
By Dan O'Donnell
MINNEAPOLIS - The St. Paul Pioneer Press is reporting on its website that Brett Favre will undergo surgery on his injured right biceps tendon.
If all goes well, the report indicates that Favre will likely sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

Favre in a Jets uniform was weird, but okay, we cheered for the Jets (and the Packers, of course) all season.

But Favre in purple & gold? I don't think we can name our son, Brett, any longer (we don't know yet what we are having---finding out July 2!!!!!!---)

picking up the pieces...still!

Party #3...well, I was so irritated all week I couldn't really say much about it. But I figured I better, so here goes...so this is a quick synopsis of party #3 with Mike's immediate family.

I planned it well. I lined up the hallway upstairs with lots of toys (easy toys to clean up). The hallway is like another room extra wide and gosh, 40+ feet long? so there was plenty of space to play. I locked the playroom door (last time that room got destroyed even though I said no kids upstairs) and I also locked our bedroom door (last time kids were jumping on our bed). I closed all other bedroom doors and told the kids no going into the bedrooms upstairs. There are other rules, rules that our kids wouldn't even consider rules, just a way of life. Like no jumping on the beds. No eating anywhere but the kitchen. No throwing anything over the balcony, except maybe stuffed animals (our kids play zoo and use the balcony for their stuffed animal monkeys and koalas). Shoes off when you come in the house. Drinks don't leave the kitchen table. But low and behold when all was said and done, there were plates upstairs, candy wrappers all over, candy mashed into the carpet. I ended up caving and letting the little gals (including Maddie) play in the girls' bedroom as they are sweet and play really nice together. They were playing dollhouse when another cousin (boy) walks in and pulls stuff out of the closet. I told him he had to stay downstairs. (Okay so by the way, instead of mingling, I spend most of the time following the kids around making sure our things & the house isn't being destroyed, because no one else does it. Well Mike will take turns with me sometimes). I came back down, and suddenly toys are raining off the balcony. He pulled out Maddie's polly pockets and threw them up in the air over the balcony (after he had been yelled at for throwing other stuff over the balcony, and told to come downstairs). Oh, he's 4 1/2 & yes, the parents of all the kids are present by the way. So, I will eternally be finding little polly shoes and other stuff until 2012 probably. Or the vacuum will find them. I went upstairs to force him to come downstairs and find he also ripped the hair off of a couple of the princess polly pockets. Once back downstairs, he pulled out games and attempted to throw the pieces upstairs over the balcony. I proceeded to take all games and puzzles and put them in our locked bedroom. He ate doritos in the living room with no bowl, and mashed them into the carpet. Just a small taste of what happened that day, and I think you can see why I get so frazzled over having a birthday party.

I was so stressed out that night, I didn't clean for days. I didn't know where to start. It just figures, every time we have had a birthday party with them, the weather has been bad and no one could play outside. I swear, next birthday, which would be Cal's, I want to rent out a place so I don't have to worry about being so stressed out over it (I will also be 7 1/2 months pregnant). And so I don't have to clean it all up. It doesn't matter how many precautions I take, things are ruined and messed up beyond what I feel any kid should do (unless they are 2 or under perhaps, and there are no kids in that age bracket right now in the family).

On to the happy parts of the party--I bought an arts and craft item (I do for every party, hoping to keep some occupied!) and only Kaycey, Maddie, and a cousin Kaycey's age did it. It turned out so cute, though. I bought blank wood frames for $1 at Michaels. They painted them how they wanted and then painted wooden letters to spell out their name. After it was dry they chose from some $.99 3D embellishments I bought. They really turned out cute!!

Kaycey got more clothes for Kit, and even a gift certificate to American Girl Place (Mike's sister lives in Chicago, and happens to work on Michigan Ave. How convenient!!) She got her own CD player and a couple CDs, and an iCarly DVD.

Mike's mom has made the cakes for our kid's parties with his family for years. She does such a great & creative job! This year Kaycey wanted a soccer ball. The frosting was kind of falling by the time I took the picture, but it was so cute! Also, they brought along an ice cream cake with Kaycey's picture. And honestly I only have a few other pictures, because I was too busy with other things to take pictures!!

a new addition to the family...

Mike just couldn't live without TV. He called me Saturday (he was @Cal's soccer tournament, I was teaching a class, and the girls were with my Dad) and said, "Meet me at Best Buy after you're done." I did, and ten minutes later we walked out with a new forty-some inch plasma flat screen. I don't think we've ever bought a new TV; we always used old ones we've had for who knows how long. So a brand new TV...and it's in the dining room (a makeshift family room until we buy a dining room table years down the road). It's so nice and quiet; no echo or anything like in the living room with that balcony!!

TV-less??

So this big huge storm tonight caused our power to go out temporarily. Once the power went back on, the TV did not. Mike has been messing with it, but he thinks there was a power surge that caused both TVs in the house to blow out. Neither TV in the house will go on (even though everything else in the house is working).

I don't watch much TV anyhow. Even during the day, Maddie and I watch very little, if any, TV (once in a while a movie or two); it's still a bummer to know we might have to go buy a new one. And a bummer that our big screen won't get moved upstairs in the bonus room for the kids to watch movies on and play video games, if indeed, it is shot. I hope some how magically they will work tomorrow. But Mike thinks they are goners.

At least we're not internet-less.

living with animal lovers

I am surrounded by them! Everyone (including Mike) in my house wants a pet, particularly a dog. They would all like a big dog. They beg or ask almost daily (okay, Mike doesn't, but the kids do). Maddie even went so far as saying a couple weeks ago, "Mom, you could find a new Dad and kids and then we can get a dog!" Yikes. I am replacable, I guess, by a hairy 4-legged creature.

Okay, so in general, I am not an animal friendly person. I'd rather not have any creatures in the house. But little and even medium size dogs I can tolerate (more so in someone else's house!) I really would rather have no pets, let me tell you why.
*brand new house. I'd rather keep my cabinets and wood floors and white trim and doors in tact for a while. The kids are capable of causing enough damage, but at least they don't chew on wood. Or have claws.
*the expense. The dog, the cage, the food, the vet. Why not just have a baby? Oh wait, we are : )
*the hair. That's what Maddie and I are for. Combing our hair is enough for me.
*the smell. I don't mean stinky. I just mean the smell of "dog". Dirty diapers are stinky enough, aren't they??
*guess who will end up having to deal with the messes. and cleaning up the messes. yep, me.
*who will be stuck at home all day with it? me.
We have enough neighbors who let their dogs poop on our lawn, we don't need our own dog to help us out in that department.

Just thought I'd clarify the dog situation in our house : )

Sleep, interrupted

My sleep is interrupted rather frequently these days...multiple bathroom trips during the night, a quick drink of water, or a quick snack to feed my growling belly.

On Monday, Maddie had taken a late nap (she doesn't nap all the time, but when she does it's inconveniently from 4-6:30 or something like that!). Of course when bedtime rolled around, she wasn't ready to sleep. So she came downstairs by me (I was in bed watching TV). She played with her leap pad a while, made comments about the shows on TV (not too much kid friendly stuff on at 9:30!). We watched the weather & Discovery channel and while scanning channels she told me to stop when I got to MTV! Yikes, we're in trouble when she gets older ("The Hills" was on, which I know is this big phenomenon, but I have no idea what it is). I turned the TV off, and we went to bed. Around 2am, I hear "I'm soaked". UGH. Maddie doesn't wet the bed very often, but it would be in bed with me at 2am. (Mike slept on the couch since Maddie took his spot. He had said he'd put her up in bed, but that never happened!) So wet blankets, wet mattress (YUCK!), wet pajamas. I cleaned up the mess and she went back to bed...in her own bed.

new posts!

Several new posts since Sunday night...I swear, I am going to try harder to keep up on this!!

party #1

So, Kaycey's first party was with my Dad, stepmom, and sister at our house. We made one of Kaycey's favorite meals, tomato soup with dumplings and a rotisserie chicken.

From Auntie, she got a pink aluminum baseball bat, iCarly trading cards, and a book.

From Grandpa Bo and Grandma Ria she got clothes, a soccer ball, make-your-own-stepping-stones, and a Ryan Braun Brewers shirt.

We got her a Wildlife Vet game for her Nintendo DS, an orange & pink Nike outfit, and soccer scrapbook stuff (paper, stickers, and a mini album).

Grandma B (my great-Grandma!) and Aunt Lorie stopped by the night before Kaycey's birthday and they gave her some animal cookie cutters--wrapped in a special K box!!

party #2

Here are shots from Kaycey's 2nd party, with my mom, Grandparents, sister, and cousin(and her husband and son, too!).

A razor kick scooter from Emma and Papa (my grandparents). I should've had it on video...Maddie was saying a prayer outloud, asking God for a dog.

a pink Aaron Rodgers jersey from my cousin, her husband, and son.

An American Girl doll scrapbook, soccer outfit for Kit, a puppy picture, watch, and turtle Webkinz from Grandma Tammy (my mom).

Friday night lights

So I put my camera on multi burst feature this past Friday night (about 10pm). I got this great shot of the lightning! Too bad, I have NO clue how to individualize the pictures taken in the series using multiburst. I haven't figured that out...

advice...

Never go to the grocery store while hungry and pregnant. (There were a few bags sitting on the island, too). While maybe just maybe it doesn't look like a whole lot of groceries for a family of 5, keep in mind, I don't know that I bought things to make a single meal. Yikes.

Lots of cereal (only the good kinds, of course--cocoa krispies, corn pops, honey smacks), doritos, tortilla chips, and pretzels. I bought a giant box of bomb pops, double stuffed mint oreos, tomato juice, candy (smarties, tootsie rolls, and kit kats) and drumsticks (ice cream cones). I rarely buy all that stuff! I'm more of a "salty" person, opposed to a "sweets" person. Okay, except for the mint oreos, thats a regular item in the house...

I have so much more to post, but I'll have to do it in pieces! More tomorrow, perhaps...

one of these days...

I am totally going to participate in the flashback Friday that my friends are doing. I don't have much old stuff. But I love seeing their stuff. Maybe I'll do a take back Tuesday or something so I don't have to wait until Friday : )

Say it ain't so...

Don't do it, Brett!

The latest news...

So, baby #4 is due in November (I'll have a c-section sometime between Nov. 10 & 16) and we told the kids yesterday! : )

Cal: "I want a brother."

Kaycey: "I want a brother."

Maddie: "I want a sister." Then Maddie proceeded to tell my sister that there are two babies, a brother and a sister. Boy, was she confused!!

Then Kaycey said to Cal, "It's okay if it's not a brother because you already have a sister who loves sports and stuff!"

The kids were fascinated by asking, "How old will I be when the baby is..." For example, Cal asked how old he will be when the baby is 8. Yikes...he will be 18!!! SO Cal then came to the realization that it doesn't matter if it's a brother or sister because he is so much older it just won't matter. I told him it won't be long till he can babysit. And he can teach bro or sis how to catch and throw. They decided to pick out names already, too. Cal and Kaycey's names were all players from the Brewers--Corey, Prince, or CC (who plays for the Yankees now). Though Kaycey also threw in Sammy for a boy or girl. Maddie's choices for names?? Princess, Dora, Daisy, or Uniqua.

April recap

Okay, so since I was so terrible at blogging in April, I decided to do a quick recap of the month (minus the Michigan wedding, since I did blog on that).

April 30--out with Jessi
So, Jessi and I were cheerleaders together back in high school. It had been literally since graduation that I had seen her (12 years). She is living in California as an engineer, finishing her master's @ Pepperdine. I am so proud of her!! Her family still lives here, so she was in town and she had contacted me via facebook. It was so great to reminisce and laugh about all the crazy times we had, especially the ones I had forgotten about!!! We went to dinner, a Brewers game, and then a Dunkin Donuts that was open 24 hrs (YUM!!) : )



April 29-Britney Spears concert in Chicago
So you are probably thinking I am suffering from some sort of early mid life crisis, but really I'm not. My sister bought me a ticket for Christmas (I wanted to go!) I am not going to sit and defend Britney or anything, I think she's a real nutjob. BUT for me it's all about great back up dancers. I love back up dancers. I totally would love to be a back up dancer. I love dancing and I love to watch dancing and all those dance shows on TV (though I am not a religious watcher of any on a regular basis). The concert itself was rather over the top, the theme being "circus" (the title of her newest album). There were 3 stages, with circus acts and all. I was disappointed she didn't play much older stuff, and the dancers weren't as spunky as the last time I saw her (8 years ago). There was so much time between songs; it definitely was no New Kids show : ) Obviously I am not lying when I say I like ALL kinds of music.


Maddie watching Cal play Madden 09.


Mike and Maddie riding the lawnmower.

The inexpensive artwork I made for Cal's side of the bathroom ($6 each! Literally all I did was frame a piece of scrapbook paper!)

Kaycey and Maddie posing for the camera

April 7--NKOTB in Green Bay

So my Dad asked me, "Are you guys out of your minds??" Hmmm, perhaps. But it was so much fun! Yep, this makes 3 times in about 6 months. They even donned Packers shirts with #12 on the back. Cheeseheads were even brought out. It was a great time, though my pictures were not as good as the first two concerts...they're coming again to Illinois in June. Hmmm.....