confusion

Took a class at Arts Camera today. Two actually. Specific to the Rebel. I feel so lost. Which makes me feel bummed. $1000 worth of camera, and a person behind the camera who keeps it on the "no flash" setting. Maybe I just don't know how to take a great picture. I think I'm just getting lucky. Argh. Maybe I'll take a real photography class, once I'm working somewhere.

from drab to fab...

at least that's what I'm hoping!! I'm looking for a new do. Haven't gotten a hair cut since October of 2008, believe it or not.

one extreme or the other.

or perhaps just keeping it the way it is : /

But also working on getting my house from drab to fab. Thanks to my cousin for "making" me go shopping and coming over to help (okay, so I mostly watched) hang some things. I guess I just needed motivation and cute stuff (photos to come--lots more work to do). Now I need a job to pay for all the furniture I have planned for the empty spaces in the house...

Hoping Mike has happier times at his job, too. He's been SO stressed out and working way too many hours. He's heard of good prospects, but the number one prospect involves driving to IL (outskirts of Chicago) for work and that would get tiring really fast. We know, he did it for quite some time right after I had Kaycey. It was not fun; sometimes he stayed at work for 72 hours straight instead of driving home. I said we could move another 20 or so minutes south (still not terribly far so the kids could stay at their current school), but that's still not close enough to where he'd need to go. And we could not sell our house, even if we wanted to...it's too unfinished. And it wouldn't matter where we'd go; he'd probably still have 2+ hour commutes sometimes. Sigh.

And P.S.--Don't worry...NO snakes will be entering my house : ) The older 2 have given up asking about a dog, and now want a lizard and turtle. Maddie, well, she thinks she is a dog, so I guess we don't need one, right?? : ) Uh, we've watched "Bolt" probably 10 times in the past 2 weeks. I realized that she began acting like a dog when we saw it in the theater and she does the superbark. Hilarious! Definitely a good Disney flick...a close second place to "Cars" for me.

Feb 2 + 3

My picture taking skills have taken a bit of a slide...meaning, I haven't been keeping up on the photo everyday. Oh well, I've been pretty good at keeping little notes about almost every day. On Tuesday, Emma and Papa (my Grandparents) came over in the afternoon. They brought dinner and slept over so they could babysit the little 2 so that I could go on a field trip early the next day with the 2 big kids.

Sadie slept 12-5:30am...woohoo!! Wednesday morning, I went on the field trip with the 1st-4th graders at school. We went to see "Junie B. Jones Top Secret Personal Beeswax" (a musical /play based off the book series). It was so cute! I don't know if it's only offered to schools, or what...but I think it's totally worth going to see! The kids all enjoyed it very much. The teachers and parents did, too! We were all singing the song and doing the moves..."top secret personal beeswax!!!"

Then we had lunch (which left everyone hungry...everyone got one hot dog and an ice cream sandwich--Kaycey and I brought a jelly sandwich). Lastly the kids got a tour of the college (I guess they want them to start young?? I thought the tour of the college was a little strange for 6-10 year olds). But when we were in the science building, a group of students brought in a boa constrictor!! I was part of Kaycey's group, and she had no problem going near it. I remained just close enough to get a couple pictures!!

jan 30+31

On the 30th, we drove our niece home, and it was also our nephew's (niece's little brother) birthday party. The three older kids and I left the party early, because they had another party to go to. A friend of Cal's from the old school invited him to her birthday party. Conveniently enough, two of her little sisters are Maddie and Kaycey's age. They just moved and their new house has an indoor pool!! Apparently this house listed for $1.1 million a few years back. Now it was in foreclosure and they paid $350,000!! The pool area/room seriously looks like it is straight out of some Wisconsin Dells hotel. Upstairs is this huge game room with arcade/video games and an air hockey and pool table! The kids were so amazed at this place! It was very cool.

So of course, it was a pool party theme. Cal has been invited to her party 3 years in a row now, but this time he was the only boy. Usually all her cousins are there (several boys Cal's age). I thought it was a little strange, but no one else seemed to care. Cal was happy to see friends from his old school. Kaycey was frustrated because she had to wear a life jacket. Maddie loved the pool! She was one of the last kids out of the pool. She was in there (with life jacket on!) with a couple of gals Cal's age and they were playing Marco Polo. Except when the big girls would yell, "Marco!" Maddie would yell, "Hoho!" It was HILARIOUS. She is so funny. We came home and everyone was pooped, even though we got home before 8:30.

On the 31st the 3 girls and I went to our neighbor friend's house (her 2 girls are Kaycey and Maddie's age). Mike has been working his tail off, putting in well over 70 hours a week sometimes. Too bad he doesn't get overtime. Argh. Anyhow, Sadie slept the ENTIRE time we were at our friend's house. She didn't wake up until right before we were going to go home. We're talking four hours or so of sleep. Cal went downtown with his friend and his friend's parents to the Brewers On Deck. He got Jeff Suppan's autograph. The mom hasn't emailed the pictures yet, but Cal said she took a bunch.

jan 18 thru jan 29

Long post, but this is my recap of most of the 2nd half of January...

Jan 19--Maddie had an xray to make sure her lungs were clear from the episode of pneumonia earlier in the month (lungs are clear). We stopped by Emma & Papa (my Grandparents) because Maddie requested to go to the "salon". My Grandma has been doing this for as long as I can remember...washing the kids' hair in the kitchen sink (she did it for us growing up, too, and she even did it for my 15 year old cousin when she was in town from up north!!)

We found out 63 out of 350 employees were laid off at Mike's work (15% of the IT dept. got cut).

Jan 20--My poor baby got her 2 month shots : (

Maddie shows off her new headband.

Jan 21--went to my Dad's for dinner. When I walked out the door in the garage to my car, I dropped my pan of veggie enchiladas. Smash. Glass everywhere in the garage. Not happy.

Jan 22--After watching "Word Girl" Maddie says, "Do you know what my favorite word is? Sadie."

Greatest gift ever, I swear. They play with this Calico Critters stuff everyday (even Cal plays with them sometimes)

Jan 23--Cal's team finished the basketball season 2-4. In the last game Cal scored 2 baskets.

Sadie smiles at everything!

Kaycey and Maddie had some play time outside.

I began the tedious task of rearranging basement bins and labeling them.

Jan 24--The Vikings lose in overtime. Unbelievable.

Jan 25--Maddie comes home singing the "P" song...working on the letter "p" this week. "Please pass the peas...put them on my plate 'cause I just can't wait..."

Sadie doesn't sleep, practically up all day. Maddie is finally the one to get her sleep!

first picture of all 4 since ???

Sadie LOVES her giraffe-y

Jan 29--How cute, Maddie still says "amen" at the end of all stories instead of "the end".

I love this picture! And I am loving my new camera, even if I have a long way to go to really know what it can do...

Maddie has been using the footrest from the stroller (I didn't put it on yet, Sadie doesn't need it!) as a pretend snowboard. How does she know what a snowboard is?!?!

We had our niece sleep over (the one Kaycey's age). The girls were like 3 (Maddie, Kaycey, and Julia) peas in a pod. Cal and I went to some school basketball games. I volunteered in the concession stand and Cal had a great time running around with his friends.

more to come....