Molly Joly

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge and a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2011-05-13T12:36:00.007-05:00

This is pretty exciting!

I'm one of two guest designers for the Sketch Challenge at Taylored Expressions today!

The sketch is above, along with my take on it. It was definitely a fun sketch. I used a Sizzix original die to make the pink border, and the stamp set is "Chillax" by Taylored Expressions. The "Happy Birthday" is from the TE set "It's a Banner Day 1". I started this card with the idea it would be for Eric's birthday, since today he celebrates his 35th!!! Happy Birthday, honey! Eric loves to test out new and different mixed drink recipes with his Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker I got him for Christmas. However, the color scheme didn't really fit a masculine card, so I opted for a different card that I will post later (at least after I give it to him!)

Please come to Splitcoaststampers and play along with the challenge!!! Here are the details about the challenge (and the potential prize!) from Taylor:

1. Create a card using the sketch as inspiration. Feel free to switch up the shape or size of your card. As long as your project follows the general sketch, you’re good to go! You may play as many times as you want. Each upload will be entered into our weekly drawing, so the more you create - the better chance you have of winning the PRIZE!

2. Upload your project to Splitcoaststampers before 8pm PST on Thursday, May 26th using keyword TESC138. Feel free to come back to this thread and link your creation, however, make sure you’ve uploaded it using the correct keyword as that’s how we’ll choose the winner.

3. You’re not required to use TE Stamps on your project, but I love it when you do! And if you’re drawn as our weekly winner and you’ve used TE Stamps on your project you’ll get a little sumpin’ sumpin’ extra (see below)!

The PRIZE!!

1. We will randomly select one person from all of the challenge uploads to receive a $10 gift certificate to the TE Store!

2. If you used predominantly TE Stamps on your project you’ll receive an extra $10 bonus for a total $20 gift certificate to the TE Store.

Also, remember to use keyword tayloredexpressions whenever you upload your TE creations. This will include you in the TE customer gallery here on SCS!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and please check out the following blogs - my card absolutely pales in comparison to these ladies and I'm so honored to be included with such a talented group!

Thanks so much to Taylor for letting me play along!

Another Scrapbooking/Crafting Friends project!

2010-08-30T19:53:00.002-05:00

Hello again!

I've got another card using a digi stamp collection designed by Sarah Paris. The collection is entitled "Clocks and Watches." This was quite an interesting set to work with! I can imagine lots of cute tongue in cheek birthday cards for my Father and Grandfather, and other older guys.

I hope you enjoy it!

It's been awhile!

2010-08-12T20:02:00.003-05:00

It's been quite a while since my last blog post. I've been such a bad blogger! Since my last post, I've been very busy! Summer road trip, lots of crafting, lots of family time, and some ME time!

Here's a card for the Scrapbooking/Crafting Friends DT using a Chi Chi Memories digi stamp set called "Summer Fun." What an adorable set! In addition to the Chi Chi Memories stamp, I used Basic Grey patterned paper and Thickers.

Enjoy!

More Cards

2010-05-24T13:03:00.005-05:00

Well, I spent Saturday in Lennox with the TLC gals. Had a great time as always!

I managed to finish a dozen cards. I used the new Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety stamps from Unity which coordinate with the Cosmo Cricket paper line of the same name.

I just love the bright colors!

I also broke out my new PaperTrey Ink stamps. My design is not original by any means - I think I found it on one of the design team members blogs and fell in love with the Up, Up and Away set! I also used the cloud and hot air balloon dies and am thrilled with the result.

The Papertrey Ink "Take Three: Summer" worked beautifully for me, too. I was into the blues and reds Saturday, I guess! Once again, this was a design I came across on one of the DT's blogs, I'm sure.

On a funny note, when I was leaving for the crop on Saturday, I commented to Eric that I felt guilty I hadn't been scrapbooking much lately, that I'd only been making cards. His response?

"It's a hobby. How can there be guilt in your hobby?"

Well said, baby, well said.

Happy (early) St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-15T17:23:00.003-05:00

Since I haven't blogged in such a long time, I thought I would share a few cards I made and sent out for St. Patrick's Day.

The patterned paper is from the Reminisce "Lucky Me" line from this year. The leprechaun stamp and "Happy St. Patrick's Day" stamps are from a Stampin' Up set, while the Miss Anya and Mermaid Anya are from The Greeting Farm. The images from The Greeting Farm are perfect for using copic markers - especially for someone like me with less than pefect coloring skills!

Watch out, Clark Griswold!

2009-12-02T21:53:00.006-06:00

Okay, so Clark doesn't really have anything to worry about, but I am so excited:

OUR HOUSE HAS OUTDOOR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!

Strange, you say? Doesn't everyone?

I have NEVER had outdoor lights and it is something I've always wanted to do - I just never knew where to start. So, after seeing pictures of my "little brother" Justin putting up HIS lights, I asked him if he'd be willing to help out. We went to Wal-Mart to get all the fixings - the lights, clips, timer, etc, etc. All the things a seasoned outdoor light decorator knows, but something of which I had no clue.

Justin and Brian stopped by last night, ready to decorate.

And decorate they did!

I almost wanted to cry by the time they were done because the lights look so beautiful! Those two toughed it out in the cold so I could have my outdoor light display.

Check out that "J" of lights in the tree!

I would still love to find an outdoor Nativity scene. Maybe next year. Maybe I'll find one on clearance at the end of the season. Hey, maybe I'll find a big inflatable or two to put out next year, too. Or one of those signs that flash "MERRY CHRISTMAS" or the projector to shoot images onto the garage.

Maybe Clark does have some up and coming competition...

As long as Brian and Justin will do it all again next year!

So Thankful.

2009-11-25T22:33:00.006-06:00

Dear God, thank you for blessing me with a wonderful family - a loving, devoted husband, three beautiful, healthy children. May I never take the blessings in my life for granted.

Fair Time!

2009-08-08T07:25:00.003-05:00

Well, it's that time of the year again! Time for the Woodbury County Fair!

Alainna was really excited to go since she can remember her visit last year. Grandma and Grandpa took the kiddos out and Eric and I met up with them after work. Alainna took us right to the building housing Nicole's 4-H exhibits so we could check them out. They definitely deserved the blue ribbons she received!

After a couple orders of potato ribbons with cheese (there's a reason I should only eat these things once a year!) and fresh squeezed lemonade, we headed toward the carnival rides. You know - the carnival rides that look as though they were in their prime during Teddy Roosevelt's presidency? Anyway, after purchasing some overpriced tickets, and trying to get Alainna to understand that each ride she wanted to go on took 4 tickets, Alainna chose the Super Slide. Jack and Will anxiously watched as Alainna climbed the steps. After watching her joy and she came sliding down, Will was about ready to jump out of the stroller. After Eric started up the steps with Will, Jack started complaining because HE wanted to go, too! Will and Eric made their way down the slide, and Will loved it!

Then, I took Jack. Our dear, Jack. What was the first thing he did? He tried to run up the slide instead of taking the steps. Then, I had a bit of a battle trying to coordinate getting the scratchy, dusty, icky potato sack set to go with Jack, trying to go down the slide without me. When we finally took off, whoa, what a ride it was! When we got to the bottom, Jack ran toward the steps for another ride. He was a little disappointed when I carried him back to the stroller.

The next choice was hard. We told Alainna that we had enough tickets for ONE more ride. She had to decide between the merry-go-round (which she had declared as her "favorite" earlier in the evening) and the bounce house. After going back and forth quite a bit, she chose the merry-go-round. Oh, my! I remember last year the boys not wanting any part of the merry-go-round. But this year they LOVED it! I think they would have taken another spin it we had let them. After finishing up on the merry-go-round we told the kids it was time to move along and we'd check out some of the animal exhibits.

That's when the tears started.

And the screaming.

And the whining.

The majority from Alainna, of course.

I think next year we will have the discussion about "each ride takes X number of tickets, we only have XX tickets, so we can only go on X rides."

Or we avoid the carnival completely. But is that really possible?

Once everyone settled down (or at least settled to the point that we could get the boys into the stroller) we walked through some of the animal exhibits. Pigs, sheep, bunnies, chickens, ducks, turkeys, cows, horses, and goats! What an amazing experience for the kids! Some of the goats stuck their heads through the bars and the kids thought that was pretty neat. The beautiful horses fascinated them, too - especially when one kept "whinnying" at anyone walking past!

After a quick stop for a soda for me, a bomb pop for Alainna, and a funnel cake for Eric (which he had to share with ALL of us!) a nice gentleman walked by and offered to take a picture of all of us.

Then it was time to go home. I tried unsuccessfully to get a picture of all three kids by the "Welcome to the Woodbury County Fair" sign and the statue of the calf at the entrance. I finally threw up my hands and decided I wasn't going to get the "perfect" picture.

We were all exhausted by the time we got home but I know the kiddos loved [almost] every minute of their time at the fair!

My Little Crafter

2009-06-23T21:44:00.003-05:00

I found out about a challenge over at the Club Anya blog for 2 different age groups of kids. The kids have their own gallery in which to post their creations, and there will be one random winner chosen from each age group.

Alainna loves playing with my craft supplies - especially my stamps! Now, she's been playing with flowers. And glue. I try to get her to use my ATG because it is A LOT less messy than the liquid glue!

Alainna chose the ballerina stamp because she loves to dance!

Success!

2009-06-18T18:50:00.002-05:00

Today was the day.

Not a major surgery, by any means. But a surgery, nonetheless.

And one involving anesthesia. Which means no food or drink after midnight the night before. Try explaining that to a 2 1/2 year old!

We were to report to the hospital at 8:30 for check-in. The wait wasn't too terrible, especially since Will had his cars. He rolled them along the seats in the waiting area, and only tried to escape out the door once or twice.

We were then taken to "Gabby's Room," a special room for pediatric patients. Waiting on the bed, was a hospital gown and hat, along with a small stuffed dalmatian dog. Will had no problem getting up on the bed (with his stuffed Grover and cars) and PBS became our good friend today. Thankfully, Sesame Street was on! Yipee!

A nurse came in and administered Versed to Will to help relax him. And relax him it did! The nurse said we had to be careful to not let him off the bed on his own because the medication can cause problems with balance. It didn't take long for Will to become like jello as he watched Sesame Street.

But like all good things, Sesame Street came to an end. The next PBS show wasn't quite as entertaining for Will, so he got a little restless. Thankfully, it wasn't much longer before the surgeon arrived, marked Will's right side as preparation for the surgery, and the nurses came to take him to the operating room.

The nurses talked to Will about taking him to another room with toys and that he'd get the shoe covers the nurses were wearing. Will let me place him in the Little Tykes wagon along with his new dog and Grover, and the nurses added a blanket and pillows. And off he went.

No screams.

No tears.

Then the waiting began. However, it was much shorter than I anticipated. It seemed like after a short period of time, we were summoned to meet with the surgeon, who informed us the surgery went quite well, he repaired the hernia, and that he did not find another hernia on Will's left side.

After speaking with the surgeon, we went back to the waiting room to wait until Will was brought back to his room. When they called us and told us to head back, we walked very quickly to Will's room, taking a wrong turn before eventually making it back. We were so anxious to see him and touch him and we walked into the room...

....and he wasn't back yet.

We didn't have to wait long, though. When the nurse wheeled him into the room (this time in the bed, not the wagon) he briefly opened his eyes and saw us standing there. The nurse said that when he was starting to wake up from the anesthesia and she asked if he wanted to go see
Mommy, his eyes opened up wide. Oh, bestill my heart, my little guy! After attempting to take off the wrapping that covered his I.V., Will turned on his stomach, folded his hands underneath his body (his usual sleeping position), and went to sleep.

Eric and I took turns running to the cafeteria to grab something for lunch. When I returned from calling Shelly to tell her Will was doing fine (and to pass the news along to Alainna and Jack), Will was moving around quite a bit. It turned out that by sleeping on his hands, he had pulled out his I.V. Not a big deal, the nurse told us, and disconnected it. He'd already had some pain medication, and seemed ready to sit with Daddy.

Once again, PBS was our friend. William sure picked a good time to wake up! Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder distracted him as the anesthesia wore off. He was so intent on watching the shows that he wasn't trying to move around a lot.

The poor little guy was SOOO thirsty when the nurse brought in some water. Will usually doesn't like drinking from straws, but under the circumstances, I think he decided it was the best thing to do! He also had some juice as we waited for the clearance to leave the hospital.

After making sure the fluids stayed down (and came out the other end) we received the clearance to leave the hospital. We went through the discharge instructions with the nurse, signed the necessary paperwork, and off we went!

Until I realized I left my camera in Will's room.

Thankfully, I was able to run back inside and grab it before we left.

The ride home was uneventful - until we were about 2 minutes from home. Whatever fluids hadn't come one end, came out the other. Poor little guy.

It didn't take long for Will to be back to his old self. He was a little quieter than usual, but perked up as the day went along. He played with his cars and trains and watched a little more Thomas. He had a delivery of balloons from Grandma, Grandpa, Memere, Pepere, and Jack and Alainna. I was glad Jack and Alainna were able to see Will and know that he was okay - especially Alainna. After seeing the three interact, it validated our decision to have Jack and Alainna spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I don't think Will was quite ready for the usual rowdiness the three create.

He ate a little supper, drank some more fluids, that, as of the writing of this post, have stayed down, and had some quiet book time with Mom. Then, out of nowhere, he laid his head down, and I asked him if he wanted to go to bed. He nodded. Even though it was over an hour earlier than his usual bed time, he walked into his room, let me tuck him into bed, and went to sleep.

We were so proud of our little Will today. We love you, little guy!

Whirlwind Day!

2009-06-15T06:49:00.006-05:00

I just had to post some pictures from Alainna's recital. We were all exhausted by the end of the day after dress rehearsal in the morning, and then the show in the evening. Alainna was so sweet - she knew every step of her ballet and tap routines! And she looked absolutely adorable in her costumes!

She loved getting all made up with grown up make up but I made sure to emphasize that this was a special occasion and she wouldn't be wearing makeup every day like Mommy.

A Blast from the Not So Distant Past

2009-06-08T09:59:00.003-05:00

Just had to share this LO I did for a challenge over on the TSR message board. My Mom finally cleared the images off her memory card and came across this picture!

I'm sure I was in a morphine-induced state when I first heard about it, so when I saw the picture, I was in total shock. I was thrilled I can document this memory for Jack and Will.

Our little daredevil!

2009-06-01T20:35:00.005-05:00

Yesterday during church, Grandma and Grandpa took Jack and Will while we went to church. I was getting ready to head up to the SCRIP office when Alainna rushed into the parish center shouting, "Mommy! Daddy! Jack bit his tongue and he's crying!"

We ran out to the playground where we found Grandma and Grandpa comforting Jack. Blood was everywhere - Jack's face, his shirt, Grandma and Grandpa's clothes - EVERYWHERE. By the time I got to him, he had been crying so hard that he had that "out of breath" cry. Eric and I tried to check out the injury, and I think we both had the same reaction when we saw it.

EEEEK!!!

It looked SOOO bad! But then, Jack wriggled out of Grandma's arms, giggled, and ran back to the playground.

All was well. Jack went to visit Great Grandma with Grandma, Grandpa, Will and Alainna, Eric went home, and I headed up to the SCRIP office to finish up some work. About 30 minutes later, I got a phone call from Grandma, telling me Jack was fine and had even had a salty cracker without any problems.

That was before lunch. Before the dark side. Before the empire. [Sorry, I couldn't resist the "Star Wars" quote].

Poor Jack. Everytime he'd take a bite of his lunch, he would scream. He was hungry and tried again and again, but end up crying each time. When Eric called, we decided one of us should take Jack to Urgent Care, just to make sure. Jack was in much better spirits after Eric rummaged through the freezer for popsicles!

When I got home, I got Jack all ready to head over to Urgent Care. He was in a good mood, but getting a little sleepy. His tongue still looked horrific and he loved showing it to me.

But not when he had two medical professionals sitting over him. THAT took a little more prodding (and one of those icky tasting tongue depressors!)

The outcome? Keep an eye on it. Pain meds every four hours. A prescription for an antibiotic in case we noticed an infection.

I thought ice cream was a good idea. A stop at Sonic on the way home for a dish of vanilla, and we had one very tired, sticky little boy, with a tummy full of ice cream! (thus explains the white on his tongue in the picture!)

A day later, it looks so much better. Although he had some pain meds before lunch, he hasn't had any since, and didn't seem bothered at dinner. We were so grateful our little daredevil is back to his old self again!

The Graduate

2009-05-23T18:18:00.002-05:00

"Do you realize Alainna is the first in our family to graduate from preschool?"

So read the text from my younger brother, Dan, yesterday.

The graduation program took place in Blessed Sacrament Church and was short and sweet. The kids wanted into "Pomp and Circumstance." They started with the groups with younger kids, then eventually moved towards Alainna's group, the Sunshines. I was trying to keep an eye on Will and Jack so they didn't take a header off the pew (happened only once with Jack, but due to my quick response, no injury) or use the floor as a personal race track with the cars he smuggled into the church (guess who?). As the kids walked in, parents were waving and the kids were waving back and smiling, which is to be expected with preschoolers, right? I stood up and waved at Alainna, since she looked like she was scanning the crowd to find us. She made eye contact with me, saw that I was waving to her, and got a very stern look on her face and shook her head.

I almost burst out laughing. I'm sure her teacher told the kids not to wave at the parents since they were in line and very close to each other.

And she listened. She followed directions.

After singing a few songs as a group, the director called up the children based on their group. Alainna and her Sunshines were the second group, which I was VERY thankful for since the boys were getting quite restless in the pews! When your child's name was called, the parents were to go up and meet their child, then sit with him or her. Alainna beamed (as did our entire pew of Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, and Aunt Ellen - the boys didn't understand the significance or else I'm sure they would have been beaming, too). Eric and I walked up to meet Alainna. She came right out to hug us, but first, we had to get this picture. You can see the pride in her eyes. She has been talking about graduation day for months now!

I couldn't help but think back to Alainna's first day at preschool and reflect on how much she has grown in the past nine months. Sure, I've always felt she was brilliant, (what parent doesn't think that about their child?) but she has matured far beyond what I ever expected. She takes such pride in showing us her reading abilities. Even if she doesn't get every word on the page, she is sounding them out and doing her best, although sometimes at night she says, "Mom, will YOU just read it to me?"

During the reception after the ceremony, Alainna was thrilled as she proclaimed, "Now I'm a kindergartener!"

I hope she's not disappointed when she finds out she has to wait three long months before that happens!

Warm Weather Eatin'

2009-05-19T09:17:00.003-05:00

As the weather warms up, we've been trying to eat out on the deck. Of course, this is quite a challenge with two little active boys who want to get up and either show off dance moves (Jack) or try to go play on the swing set (Jack) or try to climb on the big table (Jack AND Will). While it presents more of a challenge than eating indoors, the clean up is definitely easier!

We ate outside last night after swimming and the kids loved it. We had sandwiches and chips - just like a little picnic. This morning, Alainna wanted to eat breakfast outside!

Birthday Party!

2009-04-19T21:06:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Alainna's birthday with a party at Chuck E. Cheese. There were 16 of us, between our families, including Memere and Pepere who made a special trip from Connecticut, and family friends.

Eric made a very special cake for Alainna - a Barbie Princess cake. It looked beautiful and was delicious!

Easter pictures

2009-04-13T07:09:00.006-05:00

Good morning! I just had to post a few pictures from yesterday. We had a busy morning - the discovery of the goodies from the Easter bunny, breakfast, church, prep for our day at the farm, and then driving to the farm!

Here are some pictures of the kiddos all dressed up in their Easter outfits.

Have a terrific week!

Number Five

2009-04-09T00:31:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here at 12:30 in the morning knowing that I should get to sleep because we have a busy day ahead of us. It is Alainna's fifth birthday. Five. It seems unbelievable and believable at the same time. Thinking back over the past five years, how much I've changed, how much Eric has changed, how much our family has changed.

Lately, before she goes to bed, Alainna wants me to tell her the story about the night she was born. Sometimes I grumble about it (mainly because I tend to add every detail of the 8 hours or so before she was born), but I've started to realize how important the story is to her. I've also realized how many values that Eric and I try to teach all three kids are incoporated into that very story. Eric with me at the hospital the entire time, the presence of our family when we had to make tough decisions about what direction to take with the birth, the annointing I received right before heading into the delivery room, and my first words to my dear, sweet, Alainna. She takes in every word of the story, sometimes reminding me if I "forgot" a part, or asking for further clarification about a detail (which she usually knows the answer to, but just wants me to include in my narrative).

On this, the occasion of your fifth birthday, my prayer for you is that you never forget how much you are loved. Stay close to the Lord - He will never leave your side. Remember to look out for those less fortunate than you - we're all in this together. Love your life. And never forget my unconditional, constant love for you.

Happy Birthday, Alainna.

Love,
Mom

Happy Saturday!

2009-02-28T07:58:00.004-06:00

Good morning and Happy Saturday! I just wanted to share a few pictures from this past week. When Memere and Pepere came to visit, they brought some books for the kids, specifically, one called "Where Do Angels Sleep?" by Cynda Strong. It's a very sweet book with beautiful illustrations and Jack took an immediate liking to it. Now, when I pull it out at night, Jack and Will run over and drop down into my lap. Here are some pictures of us reading together.

Have a great weekend!

American Girl Lunch

2009-02-21T07:47:00.006-06:00

So this post is way overdue, but I thought I'd share some pictures from our lunch at the "bistro."

The American Girl website recommends making reservations and I'm very glad I did. The store was crazy on that Saturday afternoon, and the bistro was no exception. Alainna and I arrived about 15 minutes early for our 2:00 p.m. lunch reservation, and were told our table wasn't ready. No problem. We had to wait a little past 2:00, but nothing horrible. People walking in trying to get a table for lunch were told the first opening was at 4:30 unless they wanted to wait for a spot to free up at the counter.

The restaurant overlooks the Nick Jr themed amusement park at the mall, and we were lucky to have a window seat. It was quite entertaining to watch all the rides while we waited for our meal.

Oh, and Felicity, Alainna's new American Girl, had the seat of honor at the head of the table in her own seat.

The lunch was a three course meal - we started with appetizers. Alainna ordered warm pretzel bread with dipping sauces. It was a good choice, even though I ended up eating some of it (the cheese sauce was very yummy). Shortly before our appetizers arrived, our server, Mary, brought Felicity a tiny cup with whipped cream topped with sprinkles. She thought Felicity might get hungry watching us eat. My dear daughter told the server, ever so politely, "she doesn't eat - she's not real." Having no doubt received this response on prior occassions, Mary replied ever so sweetly, "well, maybe you can eat it for her."

True to form, Alainna ordered spaghetti - no sauce, add parmesean cheese. It took a little while to get our food, but the appetizer helped take away those initial hunger pangs. I ordered the chicken pot pie and was glad I did - it was delicious. Alainna enjoyed her spaghetti, too. Then, we just HAD to order ice cream sundaes, of course! I ordered the s'more sundae - oh, my, what a treat! Yummmm....I can almost taste it now....

Would we do it again? Definitely. With reservations, of course. I was very impressed with the overall atmosphere of the bistro. There were so many little girls and their parents and grandparents in a small area, and there was no screaming or outbursts. All the little girls were so well behaved - even Alainna (okay, for MOST of the time! But, hey, she's only four, right?) Our server would listen intently as Alainna talked her ear off about one thing or another.

Was it expensive? Of course. It IS American Girl. But was it worth it? Definitely.

Getaway

2009-01-26T21:16:00.003-06:00

One of the Christmas gifts from my parents this past year was a weekend of babysitting so Eric and I could have a little getaway. We haven't had a weekend alone together since before the twins were born. When we started talking about it, we looked into Minneapolis as an option. We found the weekend for Twinsfest, a gathering at the Metrodome with Hall of Famers and current Twins players - the perfect thing for an autograph collector like Eric! However, if Eric was going to be at Twinsfest all day, I couldn't see myself walking around the Mall of America all day by myself. Thus, Eric and I talked about it and decided to bring Alainna with us. Between the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park in the Mall as well as the American Girl store, I was sure Alainna and I would have a great time together.

Well, what an amazing weekend!

Friday night: After the drive from Sioux City, we checked into our motel, then headed over to the Mall. After Alainna calmed down from her initial excitement at seeing all the Nickelodeon rides, we made our way to the American Girl store where she picked out her "big American Girl" doll, Felicity. After we picked out a few accessories for Felicity, we stopped for a quick (and quite greasy, yet delicious) dinner at Johnny Rockets. Mmmmm...cheeseburgers, cheese fries, and milkshakes. Hey, it was a vacation, right?

Saturday: Eric dropped us off at the Mall around 9:30 in the morning - and that's when Alainna started making her way through the amusement park. Alainna couldn't quite understand why we had to wait in line to go on the rides! She was so impatient and just wanted to run right up and jump on the next ride. While on the WonderPets Flyboat ride, she yelled out to me, "can I go on it again?" I cut her off at three times in a row on the flyboat.

While heading across the park to another ride, we couldn't believe what we saw - Dora the Explorer! Or, as Alainna told her brothers, "the real Dora!" Alainna waited in line (thankfully, there were only a few children in front of her, or I think she would have really lost it!) for her turn to meet Dora. She first gave Dora a big hug, and told her she watches her on TV. Then, Dora turned so Alainna could meet Map and Backpack - oh, my goodness! Then, true to form, I requested a picture with the two. Before we left, Alainna told Dora hello from her brothers William and Jack. We had to call Daddy right away to tell him about our brush with a celebrity!

Throughout the day, Alainna kept asking to go on the "log ride" with me. I made sure she understood there was a large drop at the end of the ride and she might be scared. "No, Mom, I won't be scared." After making sure she was tall enough to go on the ride, I bought my ticket and joined her in line. A girl behind us in line informed us that the rider in the front of the log would get wet. Alainna quickly volunteered to sit in the front of our log. She didn't exhibit any fear: until we started the ascent to the final drop.

"Hold onto my shoulders, Mommy!" She was scared. I really don't remember if she screamed because I was screaming.

But by the time our log splashed at the end of the ride, she was laughing. And so was I.

I was so surprised that my 4-year-old couldn't wait to go on the log ride again with her Daddy when he joined us later in the day.

I have a feeling as she gets older, and taller, Alainna will be the first in line for the crazy, twisting roller coasters Eric and I have enjoyed over the years.

As time allows, I will post the story of our very special lunch at the American Girl store on Saturday.

Some Christmas pics

2008-12-29T22:44:00.007-06:00

Well, I'm sitting here working on using my December TSR kit - I have my most recent Christmas pics sitting in front of me, so I thought I would share a few!

Alainna had the honor of bringing up baby Jesus at the 4:30 mass at Blessed Sacrament. When we told her Father Schrad asked her if she would do it, she put her hands to her face in delight and answered a resounding "yes!" I was the cantor, so Eric walked up with Alainna at the beginning of mass - she didn't miss a beat! And she also waved to all her fans - including Mommy. Luckily, my friend, Ann, had a front row seat and offered to take pictures - I don't know how appropriate it would have been for me to stop the opening song in order to snap some pics. :>

We had Christmas Eve dinner at my parents' house - Brian, Ellen, Dan, Nikki, Mickie, Eric, me and the kids, as well as Mickie feasted on a Little Chicago Deli sub and soup - yummy.

The big present from my folks - next to a weekend of babysitting so Eric and I can get away - was tickets to see the Elmo show when it comes to town next month. Of course, Jack and Will didn't understand, but Alainna got it.

After all the presents were opened, I tried to get the three kiddos to pose in front of the tree. HA! Good luck, right? Well, Jack and Alainna started wrestling, which made Will want to join in the fun - with Mom snapping away, of course!

Officially engaged!

2008-12-23T19:28:00.003-06:00

Here is my baby brother, Dan, and his fiance, Nikki. Dan proposed last Friday night, and last night, Nikki's parents hosted a small family gathering at their home to celebrate. At least my parents didn't have far to travel - the party was right next door. Yes, indeed, Dan is marrying the "girl next door." I love this picture I took last night - the smiles on their faces are so genuine.

Alainna couldn't be happier - she keeps going around telling people, "Guess what? Nikki's going to be my AUNT!"

Congratulations to the two of you!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T07:45:00.003-05:00

I think all parents have dealt with it. A sick child on Halloween. Poor Will. I could tell at dinner last night that he just wasn't himself. His nose was running, he was whiny, pulling his ear, and just "not Will." So, Eric and I made the decision that he would stay home with Will, and I would take Jack and Alainna trick-or-treating.

Alainna couldn't wait to get into her costume. Jack, on the other hand, DID NOT want to get into his costume! For a brief moment, I thought I'd only be taking Alainna. Then, Eric suggested giving Jack a sucker - oh, my!!! That was the key! He loved it.

First, I took Alainna and Jack around the neighborhood - that was quick. Alainna did awesome. Jack was reluctant to walk up to the door, but then when the candy made it in his trick-or-treat bucket, he wanted to pull it right out and put it in his mouth - wrapper and all! So, I had to keep taking all the candy out - Jack was NOT happy with that decision!

After the made the rounds close to home, we piled in the car and went to Brian and Ellen's house. In true form, Brian had a bag of Funyons waiting for Alainna! (along with some other goodies!) After playing a bit with Brian, we took off for Grandma and Grandpa's house. We walked up to the doorway like the droves of other trick-or-treaters, and Grandma and Grandpa quickly ushered us into the house for some special treats. Jack couldn't get over the balloons! And Alainna couldn't wait to try out the "belly washer" fruit drink. Grandma walked next door with us to Nikki's house where Alainna met Toto a/k/a Sophie. We went to a few other of Grandma and Grandpa's neighbors before heading home!

I was glad the kids didn't get overloaded with candy - but I admit I snuck a couple pieces - I just LOVE double bubble gum! And the weather was PERFECT - no coats for the kiddos. All in all, we had a very Happy Halloween!

"I can wear long sleeves now!"

2008-10-30T09:36:00.005-05:00

This was one of Alainna's first comments after her cast was removed. Yea! And just in time for trick or treating tomorrow!

Alainna was such a good sport - Shelly and Jessica had prepared her for the noisy saw the doctor would use, so she was very brave!

The smell wasn't as bad as we thought it would be - but we certainly scrubbed her arm up before we left the doctor's office!

Eric had a surprise for Alainna - a lion Webkinz. He chose a lion because of her bravery throughout the past six weeks.

On Tuesday, I told Alainna I would take her out to lunch to celebrate getting her cast removed. She first said she wanted to go to Stone Park, but when I told her it would be too cold for a picnic, she said, "the hot dog place!" (a/k/a Milwaukee Wiener House). So, we stopped and picked up hot dogs for us, as well as Eric and Brian, and took them up to the office for our little party.

Alainna is so excited to start up swimming lessons again next week - she was a little disappointed she couldn't get in the pool last night, but I think she understood the doctor's instructions to take it easy.

Oh, and if you are wondering why I'm referring to Ali as "Alainna," it's because the sweetheart corrects me every time I call her Ali - "Mom, I have a Webkinz named Ali!" is her reply.

Sweet Treats!

2008-10-18T20:45:00.006-05:00

I signed up for my second class with Trish Turay over at Debbie Hodge's website. Wow - Trish is one talented lady! I've enjoyed her creative projects, as well as her eagerness to help - I've e-mailed her several times with questions and she always gets right back to me! Trish also puts together terrific kits at her website, Work in Progress. And her blog is chockfull of inspiration!

Here are a few examples from Trish's class -

This is her "sour cream candy container" - I used Basic Grey birthday-themed patterned paper and filled them with M&Ms as birthday treats for Jack and Will. They were SO cute and SO easy!

This is the "Spider Cider." I made these using Reminisce patterned paper and stickers, then some bits and pieces from WIP's October project kit. I stamped the recipe card using an SU stamp set. The "Spider Cider" is very yummy - I've nearly finished one batch all by myself. This was a Halloween treat for one of Alainna's preschool teachers - she loved it!

Finally, here is the "Monster Munch." Alainna helped me out a lot with this one! We found the bucket at Michaels'. First, we prepared the "Monster Munchies" - VERY tasty! We lined the bucket with tissue paper, which Alainna stamped ALL BY HERSELF with some of my Unity stamps. I used Reminisce patterned paper and the SU stamp for the recipe card. This was also a Halloween treat for one of Alainna's teachers.

It was so much fun to use my scrapbooking and card making supplies to make these seasonal goodies! I'll be the first one in line for Trish's next online class!

Swimming fun!

2008-10-18T08:09:00.005-05:00

Jack and Will started swimming lessons in January, 2008, when they were a little over a year old. We went for four months, then took off the summer. The boys did well - but toward the end, Jack would get very whiny during his lesson - and this summer, he wasn't too excited about being in a pool or lake. (I suppose the fact that he turned heels over head a couple times in his little floatie in Brian's pool added to his reluctance!)

Anyway, when we started up in September, 2008, Jack absolutely LOVES it! So does Will, but we've noticed the biggest attitude change with Jack. They are both doing awesome - the teacher, Jessica, is impressed with Will because he is started to swim on his belly like he's "supposed" to - instead of swimming perpendicular to the water. Jessica has even been taking off the boys' arm floaties for part of the lesson so they can learn to swim without them.

We're not looking to either boy becoming an Olympic swimmer, but we're so glad they like the water - especially Daddy!

Ahhh....a weekend for ME!!!

2008-10-11T08:10:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, I attended a scrapbooking retreat at the Swan Lake Christian Camp in Viborg, South Dakota, arranged by my good friend, Teresa. What a beautiful place! All summer, the camp hosts youth groups but it is also available to rent for groups - like a group of scrapbookers! The scenery was gorgeous - especially with the changing of the seasons - and so serene. I was able to complete lots of layouts and cards and pick up tricks and hints from the others ladies there.

Saturday night, Michelle and I ventured to the town of Tea for church. We attended a very nice church, St. Nicholas - I couldn't get over the stained glass windows! We utilized the GPS for the trip to the church, but as we were leaving, Michelle decided to call her sister, Kim, who is very familiar with the back roads of South Dakota, to see if she could give us a quicker route back to the camp. Success! Except Kim was a little irritated when I told her the GPS wanted us to go one way and she wanted us to go another!

Saturday night I stayed up WAY too late - but hey! It was a weekend for ME, right? :> Sunday morning, I awoke to Teresa's voice announcing, "Last call for breakfast!" It was nearly 8:30! I couldn't believe it! I don't remember the last time I slept THAT late!

I had such a wonderful time - I hope it's not too long before I do it again. Eric was such a saint - he didn't utter one word of disgust for me taking this weekend.

Here are some pictures - you can kind of see the lake in the distance - and then a shot of the big indoor room where we scrapped. The room behind us was where we ate the DELICIOUS meals prepared by the camp staff. We were SOOO spoiled by the cooking! Beef stroghanoff, chicken fajitas, fresh cinammon and carmel rolls for Sunday breakfast, and dessert with every meal. Yum.

The Story on that AWESOME cake!

2008-10-03T20:29:00.003-05:00

I've received so many compliments on the Lighting McQueen cake I wanted to tell you about the talented lady responsible for it!

This is my friend, Mandy - I "met" her on the Scraproom message board and she only lives about 30 miles from me. This past summer, Mandy posted some pictures on the MB of beautiful wedding cakes. She included a picture of the groom's cake, which was a car, and commented how she makes a Lighting McQueen cake, too. RIGHT AWAY I sent her a message asking if she could make a cake for Jack and Will's 2nd birthday. We sent messages back and forth and last Friday, the day before the big birthday bash, Mandy brought the cake to me at work. Ladies and gentlemen, here she is!!!

Amazing job, don't you think? Thanks, Mandy, for making Jack and Will's birthday celebration SOOOO special! I'm going to have to have you brainstorm for Ali's birthday...right now, she's saying SHE wants a Lighting McQueen cake, too.

Happy Birthday to Jack and Will!

2008-10-01T12:29:00.005-05:00

This post is a few days late, but Jack and Will had a WONDERFUL birthday celebration this past Saturday. Memere and Pepere made the trip from Connecticut to celebrate with us. We opened presents on Saturday morning, ate dinner at Red Robin, and enjoyed cake back at our house.

As I was wrapping presents the night before and getting excited for the big day, I couldn't help but think back to the night before their birth two years ago. The FIRST thing that came to mind was my fear of becoming dehydrated because I had to stop all food at water at midnight. I remember drinking so much water that night, that I couldn't go to sleep without having to get up every fifteen minutes to go to the bathroom!

What an amazing two years. Our family has been blessed with three beautiful children. We thank God everyday for the gift of our family!

Can you tell me how to get...

2008-09-22T20:42:00.006-05:00

...to Sesame Street?

Well, yesterday it was via Sioux Falls.

We took the kids to see Sesame Street Live, "Elmo! Ready for Action!"

We arrived about an hour early, so the boys were a bit restless and didn't want to sit still. Ali was great - she was a little antsy, but (naturally) sat better than the boys.

BUT.....

...as soon as the lights went down and the music started and the characters started making their way out onto the stage...

I was able to snap this picture of Jack. This says it all to me. The ticket price? TOTALLY worth it. All three loved the show - the singing, the dancing, the lights, the sounds - EVERYTHING. Ali even started to participate in some of the audience participation numbers. If we'd let her, I think Ali would have sat through another show!

Ali helped me pick out souvenirs - the music CD from the show and the storybook/program (which was a suggestion from Stacy at Zany Zinnia - thanks, Stacy!). Naturally, we listened to the CD from the moment we left the arena until the kids fell asleep on the ride home.

After the show, we ate dinner at Johnny Carino's - YUMMY. We arrived at the restaurant with three very hungry AND thirsty kiddos. When we sat down at our table, we quickly selected what to order for the kids. Eric and I didn't have a chance to order our meals before the server brought out the kids' meals. WOW. We were impressed. Then our meals came out - they were absolutely delicious! And reasonably priced! We will DEFINITELY be returning to Johnny Carino's. My friend, Lisa, at A Walk Down Memory Lane gets the kudos for her terrific recommendation!

Although it was a long day, and the kids (as well as Mom and Dad!) were exhausted by the end, it was SO worth it.

Our Adventurous Tuesday Evening

2008-09-17T09:48:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was pretty much like any other Tuesday.

Until approximately 5:00 p.m.

Grandpa had the kiddos at the park. I pulled up to switch cars with Grandpa, take the kids home, get dinner going, and get ready for my meeting at church.

When Ali saw me pull up, she ran over to the monkey bars, climbed up, and shouted, "Mommy! Watch me!" She reached out for the first bar.

And missed.

She landed on her right arm and side. And screamed.

She wouldn't move her arm or hand and wouldn't let anyone touch it. Grandpa and I hurried to get the boys in the van so I could get them home with Eric, then take Ali to urgent care.

When we got home. Ali went to lay on the couch, and put her arm under a pillow. She'd scream whenever we'd try to even look at it.

I got the boys all set and headed to urgent care. We didn't have to wait for long since Ali was the second patient. To pass the time, we started reading through a pile of books I grabbed before we left the house. At least it took her mind off the pain.

When it was Ali's turn, she held her arm as we walked to Room #2. She cried when the nurse touched her arm to try to get an idea of what was wrong. The doctor came in moments later, did a quick once over or her arm, and sent us to another room for an X-ray.

The X-ray tech was so sweet with Ali. As we waited, Ali and I talked about Curious George and the story about his X-ray. She asked lots of questions about things in the room and I tried to answer them as best as I could. I don't think she was nervous about the X-ray, I think she just wanted to pain to stop!

The tech took three X-rays, all while I held Ali on my lap. When the tech tried to move Ali's arm to change the angle of the X-ray, she cried. It wasn't until the tech tried to roll her arm on the side that the pain was too much for Ali. Tears came to my eyes at that point, too. The tech decided to check out the X-rays she already took and consult with the doctor as to whether another was needed.

It wasn't.

The X-rays showed the doctor what she needed to know.

Both bones in the arm. Broken.

The doctor and nurse put a "temporary" cast on Ali's arm - one that would harden and tighten as the night progressed. And did it ever! Although we gave her some pain medication before bed, she still woke up a few times during the night. Poor thing. And one of the worst parts?

She couldn't suck her thumb and rub the satiny part of Baby's bonnet at the same time. Just when she needed that comfort, she couldn't. Eric helped her wrap her pointer finger through the tag and suck her thumb at the same time, but it was a little acrobatic.

This may be the end of Ali's thumb sucking days. Ali was quite upset. She has been telling us for months that she will quit sucking her thumb when she turns five.

In true Ali fashion, she INSISTED on going to school today. The doctor approved, but said she couldn't use her right arm and needed to take it easy.

We're going to to the doctor on Friday to get the "real" cast. Ali is excited at all the people that will be able to sign her cast. She's EXTREMELY excited that Memere can sign it when she comes to visit next week - since Ali got to sign Memere's cast.

I've included a couple pictures of the little patient.

Some fun pics to share

2008-09-09T16:00:00.007-05:00

We had a pretty relaxing weekend. Ali had her ballet and tap classes, but we pretty much hung around the house. I was able to get some scrapping time in after bedtime and work on the "Layout Every Other Day" challenge over at www.willowtraders.com. The weather was unseasonably cool, but no complaints here!

I wanted to post some new pictures of the kids when we were playing in the boys' room this weekend - as well as Jack blowing kisses as he finishes up a phone call with Uncle Dan.

Enjoy!

"Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad."

2008-09-03T21:51:00.002-05:00

This is what Ali said to Eric and me today. Twice.

Once when we stopped the car outside her preschool, and once when we arrived at the door to her classroom at preschool.

Did we feel dissed?

Nah.

We felt proud - insanely proud.

Here's our little girl, so excited for preschool, to learn, to meet new friends.

She can't wait to go back.

Lunch Fun!

2008-08-30T13:05:00.003-05:00

We wanted to get to Artsplash early this morning to avoid both the heat and the crowds. Well, we really didn't succeed with either of those goals! It wasn't too bad - but Jack and Will had enough after sitting in their stroller for an hour and a half. The sun was bright, but there was a cool breeze, and very pleasant in the shade.

Ali decorated a cookie, painted a mini canvas (which Mommy didn't put far enough back on the table when we got home and Jack wanted to add his own artistic touch to it!), and she had her hair colored - purple and glitter. It washes out, though. That's what the volunteers said. But then as I was watching the young gal spray Ali's hair, I noticed a sign that said, "Color may not wash out of very light or very fine hair." Thanks for the heads up!

We walked over to Milwaukee Wiener and enjoyed a quiet lunch - well, it was quiet after we gave the boys their hot dogs). I took this picture of the kids together - not perfect, but I don't know the last time I got a good picture of the three of them together.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

School Prep

2008-08-30T07:06:00.002-05:00

Well, Wednesday is the big day. Ali will start preschool. She is SOOO ready to go! She'll be going three days a week, so we hope it starts to get her into the groove for kindergarten.

I signed up for the Back to Class online class at www.debbiehodge.com - it's an AWESOME class for completing a school album - and getting one ready for a child that's not in school yet. The teacher, Trish Turay, gives great inspirational hints, too. Definitely check it out if this is something you've always been wanting to do!

I've been thinking for weeks about the pictures I want to take on that first day. I know this isn't original, but I want to find a spot outside to take a picture of her - then take her picture there on the first and last day of school every year. I think that would be a great comparison to be able to make each year.

Ali keeps telling us she's going to learn to read when she goes to school. It's very sweet. We've been working with her on writing letters - we have a dry-erase book for tracing the letters, and she really gets a kick out of writing the letters then wiping them off and doing it all over again!

Be looking next week for a post of her first day of school pictures!

Ahh, adventures at work!

2008-08-16T22:01:00.003-05:00

Last Tuesday started out as an ordinary day. The usual smattering of court appearances, office appointments, and phone calls.

All that changed approximately 2:45 p.m.

I was on the phone with a client in my upstairs office and Mary was doing some filing in another office. Suddenly, I hear Mary yell, "Baaaaatttttttt....."

Great. A bat.

After making sure Mary was okay (she was fine - just a little spooked) I realized I still had my client on hold! I got back on the phone, all the time watching the bat fly laps back and forth in the hallway. I hurried to wrap up the phone call.

The bat kept up with the laps. It seemed like a small bat - as far as bats go. I don't remember seeing a bat flying that much at the office - at least not during the day. Whenever I've discovered one during the day, it's usually been up against a wall.

Small, but still a bat. And a moving one at that.

I wanted to try to trap it in an upstairs office, but it didn't stay put for long enough.

But I did.

For a few minutes.

But then I had to leave for a hearing.

Before I left, I called Brian, who was returning from court. I yelled into the phone, "THERE'S A BAT IN THE OFFICE!!!" (I'm sure there was a colorful word in that sentence somewhere).
After I hung up the phone, I thought to myself, what the heck can Brian do right now?

When I left for court, Mary was back in her office downstairs. I made sure the bat was "trapped" upstairs when I left. I arrived at court out of breath from all the excitement.

When I returned from court, I stuck my head in the door - we wouldn't have to worry about the bat anymore.

Tiny Dancer

2008-08-09T21:54:00.004-05:00

Ali had her first dance class today - she's taking pre-ballet and pre-tap. She took a workshop this summer, so she'd had a taste of both classes. Ali was thrilled when a couple of the girls from the summer workshop arrived for her class. When her teacher came out to lead her into the classroom, Ali gave me a hug (at my request, not because she was being clingy), took her teacher's hand, and eagerly followed her teacher, Jennifer, into the classroom.

After her lesson, Ali and I met my parents at Milwaukee Wiener for lunch - then Ali and I stopped at TCBY for some frozen yogurt. It was a very nice mother/daughter afternoon - I think this may become a Saturday post-dance ritual for the two of us.

Sick

2008-08-07T00:40:00.002-05:00

Monday night I took Will to Urgent Care - the after hours "instead of going to the ER for illness or injury that doesn't require the ER but occurs after your doctor's office closes for the day" doctor's office. He had been running a fever that had been responding to ibuprofen, but kept returning. He also wasn't acting like himself. Since Urgent Care is a first come, first served business, we had a little bit of a wait, but not too bad. Will was so good during the wait.

NOW.....when the lab tech pricked his finger to check his white blood cell count and swabbed his throat for a strep test, he had the reaction that most anyone would have - or at least the reaction any almost two-year-old would have - he screamed. And cried. Understandably so. Turns out he has a mild case of pneumonia.

PNEUMONIA? It's August!

Yep, pneumonia. And an eye infection.

So, as we left Urgent Care at 9:00 PM, prescriptions in hand, with no cell phone to let Eric know the diagnosis or our destination, we took off for Walgreens to get his prescriptions filled. Let me back up. We stopped at Hy-Vee first because I mistakenly believed their pharmacy was open 24 hours. Nope.

We had to wait for just a little while at Walgreens - Will occupied himself by picking out plastic plates, bowls and cups for himself and Jack and Ali - Nemo, Disney's Cars, and princesses. Perfect choices, I might add! I couldn't believe how well he was taking everything - here he was, not feeling well, feverish, and up nearly TWO hours after his normal bedtime, and he was taking it all in stride. We picked up his antibiotics and eye drops and headed home.

Have you ever tried administering eye drops to a 2 year old? If you haven't, and you don't need to, I recommend you DON'T. Even with both Eric and me, I don't think we managed to get an entire dose into his eyes. Maybe that's why the instructions are for three drops in each eye - they figure you'll miss with two, and only get one where it's meant to go.

Since he was warm when he woke up in the morning, I stayed home with Will. It worked out that I was able to check into work periodically, and only had one appointment today. Eric took his lunch during that time and I ran out to my appointment. Other than that, it was Mommy and Will day. I have to imagine in his mind, it was glorious. He and Jack typically come as a "package deal": where you find one, you find the other. It was nice being able to spend time focusing completely on Will. I really need to do that more often - spend special time with both Jack and Will individually. Hopefully, next time it won't be when one is sick!

Number Eight

2008-08-05T22:53:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Eric and I celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary. My parents offered to keep the kiddos for dinner so Eric and I could have a quiet dinner to celebrate. We took advantage of a gift certificate to Bev's on the River and enjoyed dinner overlooking the Missouri River. It was a beautiful evening- warm, a little muggy, quite reminiscent of our wedding day. Here we are, eight years later, blessed by God with three beautiful, healthy children, as much in love today as we were eight years ago, and looking forward to whatever the future may bring!

Bedtime Battles

2008-08-02T08:18:00.002-05:00

The FUNNIEST thing happened last night - one of those moments you know your child won't believe when you tell the story years after it happens.

Ali sleeps with lots of stuffed animals, dolls, etc. She has a few that she "can't go to sleep without" including "Baby" and Mommy's old Cabbage Patch Kid, Sherry Betsy. Well, the deal is, if Ali comes out of her bedroom (without a really good reason, like using the restroom), she doesn't get to sleep with Sherry Betsy - and this has been working - for about a week. Last night, she went to bed a little later (since we went to the fair, and it was Friday night), and right after we shut her door, she came out for a silly reason. SOOOO....Daddy took Sherry Betsy. Oh, my goodness. Blood curdling screams followed. Ali came out once and took Sherry Betsy back to her room, screaming she can't sleep without Sherry Betsy, and Daddy followed her, and took it back. More blood curdling screaming followed. Daddy then told Ali if she came out again, he would keep Baby, too.

OH, BOY. THAT DID IT.

SCREAMING, YELLING, CRYING.

But she stayed in her room.

IT WORKED.

As she started settling down, I quietly went to her door to see if I could hear what she was saying. This is what I heard.

ALI: "AND DADDY SAID IF I COME OUT AGAIN HE'LL TAKE BABY!"

ALI (in a slightly different voice): "That's not very nice!"

ALI (screaming and crying): "I KNOW!"

And that was all I heard. Maybe a little more whimpering, but no more screaming, and she didn't come out.

I think Daddy found the solution. At least for another week or so.

Hello, Mr. Lamb!

2008-08-01T23:19:00.004-05:00

Thankfully, the humidity let up today and we had a very nice afternoon for the Fair. First, we checked out the poultry- the ducks and chickens. The roosters kept calling out to us! William especially enjoyed the ducks - he "quack, quacked" at them. Then, we headed over to some of the 4-H exhibits - we also found some 4-H'ers from Blessed Sacrament who helped Ali make "thumbprint art." We quickly walked past the "KidZone" section - lots of sand and legos. A great idea, but not what we wanted to do at the fair.

While we checked out the animals, Ali kept asking about the carnival. She wanted to go to the carnival. We walked past some food booths and picked up some yummy fair food - potato ribbons with cheese and fresh squeezed lemonade. The boys split a hamburger, but neither of them were very interested in it. Ali wanted ice cream - no surprise there!

After our adventure at the food booths, we ventured over to the carnival. We took all three kiddos on the merry-go-round. Ali LOVED it, Will tolerated it, and Jack HATED it. Ali kept running around asking us to buy more tickets! more tickets! She also went on the "Super Slide", a dragon roller coaster, "Spin the Apple" (like tilt-o-whirl - Mom went on this one, too - a little too much spinning for me!), and a rocket-ship-like ride. Of course, she wanted MORE but the boys were really starting to show signs of fatigue. Mom and Dad played a little skeeball, the kiddos each picked a rubber ducky out of the metal tub (for which they won those terrific carnival toys!) and then headed back toward more booths and animals.

Before we left, we also saw cows, sheep, pigs and horses - Jack and Will started a "call and respond" with the sheep - "Baaaaaa!!!"

All three kids were great - especially Jack and Will, considering they spent most of the outing in their stroller. We had some very tired, and somewhat dirty, kids when we got home!

Time for the County Fair!

2008-08-01T08:47:00.001-05:00

Today after work, we plan to take the kids out to the Woodbury County Fair. It's been so hot this week, so I hope it's not too uncomfortable. I know Ali will enjoy it - and the boys, too, as long as they don't fight us with the stroller! I will try to take and post some pictures. In the least, it will be a good way to practice animal names and sounds with Jack and Will!

Hump Day!

2008-07-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe it's already Wednesday! The kiddos have haircuts today - I just love the way Jody is cutting their hair these days! I just LOVE that I was able to take a picture of what I wanted to her, and she cut it EXACTLY like the picture. Will's hair is so thick and seems to take so much longer to cut - the poor little guy starts to get a little squirmy after awhile. Jack's hair seems to take about half the time to trim as Will's! Ali's getting her's trimmed, too - the shorter length looks so "grown up" on her - and makes for much more pleasant hair brushing in the morning!

I'm back!

2008-07-29T10:41:00.001-05:00

Well, it's been quite a while since I've posted anything here. I'd like to say I'll post more often, but I can't promise that the next post will be in another 9 months!

We've had a fairly busy summer - occasional swimming at Uncle Brian's house, lots of reading inside on hot, humid days, and a big road trip to Connecticut to visit Eric's relatives. Ali was brave enough to try out water skiing with Pepere - doesn't she look like she's having fun? On our way back, we drove up to Lansing to meet up with Dan - he was thrilled to be able to spend time with the kids, especially Ali.

Pictures? Of Me?

2007-10-20T09:10:00.000-05:00

I've been clothes shopping for myself lately - whoa! No way! I wore a skirt to work today with new high heels. By 8:30 a.m., my feet felt as though it was 5:00 p.m.! But I loved the shoes, so I stuck with them all day. I had Eric take my picture on the deck after work to remind myself how great I feel in my new clothes!!

Monday, October 8, 2007

2007-10-08T22:29:00.001-05:00

Trying to work on the DT challenge right now for www.scrap-room.com. I'm having a little trouble concentrating, though.

J&W started chattering about 4:40 this morning. Yikes!! I let them talk a little bit and didn't get them out of bed until they started complaining around 5:15. Still quite early little guys! I felt exhausted by the time I got to work!

After work, I stopped at Caribou with the kiddies - only the drive-thru, of course! I'm still waiting for Caribou to come out with a stuffed caribou I can get for Jack for Christmas - when you ask him, "Jack, where's the Caribou?" his eyes light up and he laughs. If he sees the caribou icon on the side of the cup, he REALLY smiles and laughs. It's adorable!

William was very sensitive today - but what else is new? He's so emotional - just saying "no" to him in a stern voice throws him into a tizzy - like when he bit my shoulder (hard enough to leave teeth marks!) today when I was holding him - I put him down and told him "No bite!" I think it's just a phase he's going through - especially as I've cut back on and finally stopped nursing the twins. I've made sure to include extra snuggle time especially for Will - Jack doesn't seem to give two hoots that we're not nursing anymore. It's amazing how different their personalities are - William, my highly emotional, high strung, active little boy, and Jack, my laid back, easy to please, low maintenance, does everything at his own pace and walks to the beat of his own drummer little boy.

Alainna continues to amaze me every day - she's so mature that I think sometimes we forget she is only 3. So, when she ACTS like a three-year-old, we're at a loss - where did our little lady go? She's so smart - it's so beautiful to hear her talk about things and remember things from the not so distant past. She still talks about her Joly relatives she visited this summer in Connecticut. Of course, some of her memories are based on what we have reminded her about since we've been back, but I know some are based on her own experiences. I'm hoping that by scrapbooking I can too keep these memories alive for my children.

Over and out.

Sunday Afternoon

2007-10-07T16:51:00.001-05:00

Well, today was pretty crazy. Will and Jack were up around 5 am; pretty early for both of them on a Sunday morning! Alainna followed at a little after 6. I had to cantor at 10:30 am, so I took a little nap after breakfast. I'm glad Eric was able to get the yardwork done yesterday because the weather today is pretty cold and bleak - more of a fall day than yesterday, which hit about 90 degrees!

Eric is watching the Red Sox right now - just about time to start dinner so I should call it a post for now.

Over and Out

Hiatus

2007-10-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am, back from a long hiatus!

I look forward to posting more often - at least more than three times a year!

Iowa City retreat

2006-06-26T12:20:00.000-05:00

Well, I just spent most of the past week in Iowa City, Iowa. The main purpose of the trip was to attend the State Public Defender's Office seminar. When I wasn't at the seminar, Ali, Mom, Dad, and me spent time together at the condo. Also, Mom and I were able to do some shopping for the twins - Carter's and Osh Kosh at the outlet mall need to restock their shelves this week! I also made a few trips to Reminisce, picking up quite a few scrapbooking supplies! Ali had fun exploring the library, the playground equipment on the ped mall, and chasing the ducks at Morison Park in Coralville! We could not have asked for better weather, either. It was a relaxing trip, for the most part - until Dad's mishap on Friday evening when he ended up at the ER with a broken ankle! But all is well and we are all home safe - quite a relaxing trip!

Father's Day

2006-06-19T05:38:00.000-05:00

Had a very nice, relaxing Father's Day yesterday. After Ali and I took Eric out to breakfast at Horizon, we spent the rest of the day mostly at home (with Ali and me both taking about 3 hour naps!!) and then to my folks' house for dinner. Ali played around in her little coupe car, greeted her cement animal friends, and ran around the yard with Brian and Dan, playing football and tag. She really enjoyed it when Grandma brought out chips and dip - but mostly just wanted to lick the french onion dip off of her chips and then hand them to Mommy! Great-Grandma, Mickie and Bill were also at dinner - great steaks, Mom's homemade potato salad and coleslaw - who can ask for anything more? There was a little bit of rain but the storm held off until we left. Ali enjoyed playing outside and in the house with her new jump rope, and I don't think it will be too long before she has the needed coordination! Overall, a wonderful Father's Day - hard to imagine next year the "little guys" will be enjoying it with us!

2006-06-18T06:42:00.000-05:00

How can we resist this face?

Tribute to my Father

2006-06-18T05:22:00.000-05:00

I don't think I say it enough, Dad, but thanks for everything you do.

For knowing how to read me like a book, I thank you.

For integrating in me a strong work ethic, I thank you.

For giving me a love of reading, and now passing it along to my daughter, I thank you.

For your marriage advice (solicited or otherwise), I thank you.

For the e-mails you send me that brighten my day, I thank you.

For loving my Mother, I thank you.

For teaching me how to handle my emotions, and understanding those emotions yourself, I thank you.

For our fall trips to NYC while I was in college, I thank you.

For giving me roots, I thank you.

For giving me wings, I thank you.

For loving my daughter, and somehow knowing just when we need a break, I thank you.

For your unconditional love, I thank you.

Dad, on this Father's Day, I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you do for me, because I know I don't say it enough. Watching you with Ali makes my heart swell with love and pride - she is learning so much from you, and at such an early age. Thank you for being such an important part of all of our lives. I love you.

Love,
Moj
6/18/06

Welcome!

2006-06-17T23:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I've decided to enter the world of blogging! I think this will be a great idea to keep family and friends up to date on our lives, as well as create somewhat of a journal for me to use for scrapbooking purposes!

Please e-mail me with any comments or suggestions!

Those Twos!

2006-06-17T21:15:00.000-05:00

The "terrible" and "terrific" twos! Ali is constantly between the two! She has such a roller coaster of emotions at her age. She's really working on consanant sounds right now - I'm convinced she could speak more if she wanted to, but she's just taking her time. Ali doesn't do much of anything she doesn't want to do (I wonder where that comes from?)

She tried to run out of the pew at church tonight - and squirmed around the entire time! I think she wanted to play with the kids next to us - in fact, I think she wanted to do anything but sit still!

Like any child her age, when we get so frustrated and don't know what we're going to do, she'll come up and lean into us to give us hugs. Who can resist that???