Word Art

If you have a blog...

would you let me know so that I can keep up with your family? This is you:

Cathy M.
Angie B.
Kay L.
Carrie S.
Jorie G.
Kim W.
Carrie H.
Debbie N.
Kelly E.
Candice D.
Stacy M.
Tara H.
all of John's siblings (except David and Beth since you already complied with my request)

And anyone else who's lurking around. I woud love to know what you're up to!

I guess I'm "tagging" you to get a blog.

Double Feature

Last night John and I got a babysitter and had a real date. Our baby sitter showed up a few minutes early and took the kids upstairs while I finished cleaning up the kitchen and getting ready. I could hear her upstairs playing "Blue's Clues" with the kids. Not watching ... playing. They were having a blast. With the kids in good hands, we left right on time for a local theater where you eat dinner and watch the movie at the same time. We arrived 30 minutes early, like you're supposed to, were seated and ordered our dinner, and were eating by the time the lights dimmed for the movie. It was great! I mean, the food wasn't all that, but it's a real time saver to eat while you watch the movie. And The Bourne Ultimatum was excellent. Just our kind of movie.

The movie let out at about 9:10, which is still pretty early for us. We walked out to the car and were talking about what to do next, when I said, "Hey, I wonder if Ocean's 13 is playing over at the $1 movie."

"Do you wanna go see?" asks John.

"Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

So we hopped in the car and drove over to the $1 theater (about 5 minutes away) and, sure enough, it was playing at 9:45. So, for another $3.50, we saw another movie before we got home at midnight. Ocean's 13 was also fabulous, although I think I would need to see it about 3 more times to really get it.

The whole time we were waiting for the second movie to start, I was thinking to myself, "Look at us! We're so spontaneous! We never do things like this!"

The First Day of School

Jack went back to school yesterday. Holly Grace started Kindergarten yesterday. Whew. What a summer. I'm so glad that they are back in school!!!! Here are some pics:


Holly Grace picked her own shirt out of the catalog, we ordered it, and she wanted to wear it the first day. I was really pulling for the sweet petal-pink shirt that I picked out, but nope, she wasn't having it. The purple bow has little sparkles all over it, too. Notice that the backpack is practically as big as she is. She chose it, too. She has to take a beach towel and a pillow every day for "quiet time" so it really is stuffed full.


Oops!


I always like to get their shoes in the picture. I love the blinding whiteness of those brand spanking new back-to-school shoes. Although I do wish that Jack didn't have to wear all white tennis shoes.


This picture I just loved. My firstborn is getting so big and serious.

And what, exactly, did I do with myself all day on Wednesday? Well, Mitchell and I had a nice morning while Charlotte took a short nap. We played "Mark, Seck, GOOOO!" with matchbox cars on the wood floors. Wow, they go a long way if you really fling them hard. Also, I have not yet fished out the ones that went under the buffet in the dining room.

Then, everyone had an early lunch and I put them both down for afternoon naps at 12:45. Then I had TWO WHOLE HOURS to myself before we had to leave to pick up the big kids. Did you hear me? TWO WHOLE HOURS. So what did I do?


Made cookies, of course! Hoping to be back in the running for mom of the year by having warm cookies for the kids when they got home from the first day of school.

When John got home from work, he promptly plucked the top cookie off the pyramid of tastiness and ate it. After which I fussed at him for ruining the perfect display. Then he rearranged the cookies to look as if he hadn't eaten anything. He might just be in the running for husband of the year.

The best school supply yet

Every year I struggle with this school supply: the water bottle. Some teachers want sport-top, some don't care, some sport tops my kids can't even get open without using their molars to pop the thingy up. A couple of weeks ago, we were at REI and I found these:

CamelBak Water Bottle - 25 oz.
*CamelBak® convenience comes to popular water bottles for the benefit of anyone in need of quick hydration.
*Durable Lexan® polycarbonate construction now benefits from easy-to-use, no-drip bite valve system; simply flip up the valve, bite and drink
*Wide-mouth bottle fills easily and holds 25 fl. oz.; dishwasher safe in the top rack
*Standard cap size fits most wide-mouth bottles; bottle fits many water filters
*Easily attached to a pack or belt using a small, lightweight carabiner; handles warm liquids as easily as cold
*Lists approximate volumes in ounces and milliliters

Did you see that part about the "bite-valve"? It's awesome. The kids just bite on the blue part and the slit opens up; then it works just like a regular straw. As soon as they release their bite, the slit closes again and prevents leaks. It's polycarbonate, so it doesn't absorb odors and make the water taste funny. Holly Grace (a.k.a. the "midnight waker") likes to keep one on her nightstand and sometimes sleeps with it in the bed with her. It never leaks. And that blue thingy can be replaced if need be.

Grandkids' Camp Day 6

Our day started with cranberry orange scones, oranges and a smorgasbord of meats. A Bible story about pouty children followed - I promise that was not planned! God gave it to us on just the right day, though.

An attempt at the hot tub was more successful today - no flies.

Dressed and ready for the day, the rock shop opened briefly. We are concerned about the fate of the business. A better offer came along and the choice was made to go crawdad fishing. Everyone caught at least one, but we employed the catch and release program, thankfully.

Lunch was sandwiches at the picnic table on the deck. A squirrel wanted to join us when he found a few goldfish crumbs. We wouldn't let him, though. He was very entertaining!

Some free time outside allowed the kids to fight off the Japanese (?) bad guys before quiet time. Everyone was in separate rooms with books chosen just for them at the library. Jack was thrilled to have time to read in Grammy and PawPaw's room. Holly Grace was singing in her room. We heard Will reading in the attic room. He also had a perfect view of the new culvert being installed on the driveway above us. Of course, Grant was the last one up and he made a surprise appearance at the top of the stairs with, "What's up, Doc?"

It was then time to complete the camp project - a new bridge across the ditch. It is beautiful and sturdy! We have pictures to prove it!

Now we decided to play a new game - Hide and Seek with Walkie Talkies (Rocky Talkies according to Grant). It didn't go over so well at first. It is a difficult concept to embrace - being quiet with a communication device in hand! So Grammy and PawPaw hid (without walkie talkies) while the kids counted under the deck. The kids are not so quiet or sneaky and Grammy and PawPaw are. After an extensive search, they finally found the old folks waiting where the kids had been counting. hmmmmm.....

PawPaw had a good time with Jack and Will by giving them directions via walkie talkie. Jack was the communications officer and Will was the navigation officer. They followed directions very well as PawPaw sent them to the gate, up to the cul-de-sac, across the water and the new bridge to the deck and around to the hot tub. Very impressive! Grant and Holly helped Grammy with supper.

Supper was Chicken Stir Fry filled with veggies - yummy and everyone ate very well. Showered and jammied, ice cream was served with a movie and then, popcorn.

We are headed home tomorrow!
Grammy and PawPaw

They will change your life

I recently took a big leap. With the prodding of my husband. And it's phenomenal - the difference.

I invested in 800-threadcount sheets. I LOVE getting into my bed every night. The sheets are so thick and heavy. They aren't as soft as I thought they might be, but they are NOT scratchy like the 6-thread count sheets on Jack's bunk beds (kidding - they are at least 10-thread count).

I have often thought that nicer sheets would be a luxury I would like to have, but have held back because I thought we would be getting a king-size bed soon and didn't want to invest in nice sheets that we would be getting rid of. But, John's been traveling and sleeping on quality sheets in some hotels that are really proud of their beds. So, he urged me, when he saw a sale ad for 50% off to take the plunge. We are in love. With the sheets, I mean. And each other, lest you should wonder.

We got them two days before my surgery. That afternoon, when I got home from the hospital, it was so wonderful to crawl into my freshly made bed with nice cool sheets. I slept for four hours straight. Okay it might have had something to with the fabulous drugs I had. But still.

So having a fabulous bed (I got new bedding, too - nothing expensive, but new to us) has inspired me to clean out the master bedroom. Get rid of all those kids' toys lurking in there. Institute a new rule: No Kids Playing in My Room or Watching TV in My Room That's Why There's A TV in the Gameroom Full of TiVoed Kids' Shows. Donate the old bedding already. Figure out a better laundry system that will actually get the clean clothes put away instead of sitting in laundry baskets until the kids need them. I feel like I'm "nesting" only I am most certainly not pregnant! :) I am feeling SOOO liberated now that Charlotte is one. I am getting rid of pesky things like: bottles, the breast pump, the boppy, the bouncy seat, the infant carrier, the pregnancy/nursing/childbirth books, the burp cloths, etc. etc. Whew. Apparently we needed a separate storage unit for all that baby paraphernalia. Who knew?

Today I went through all of Holly Grace's clothes and boxed up all the too-small things, labeled with sizes on the outside of the tubs, and put them in Charlotte's closet. I helped the kids clean their rooms and the gameroom and get school uniforms ready and accessible.

All because of new sheets? Can you say "obsessive"?

Grandkids' Camp Day 5

GKC 2007
Day 5
Date: July 11, 2007 10:20:02 PM CDT

Pancakes and bacon got the day off to a good start! A Bible Story and morning activity included coloring pages. PawPaw found a space program on the Science channel and the kids decided that the cabin would be a great space shuttle with booster rockets and we would all wear space suits. Holly Grace would have a purple one. The most important thing is to look good!

Grammy and PawPaw put together a fun obstacle course on the driveway that included hurdles, cones, loops, balls, frisbee, start and finish lines and a stop watch! Everyone handled the course very well. A game of washers followed.









Off to the creek on the 4 wheelers with fishing poles! Grant and Jack almost caught minnows and crawdads, but they would not hang on to the salmon eggs. We had only one serious fisherman, Jack kept his bait and hook until something took both from his line. Everyone else traded them early in for a little yellow fish to cast.

Back to the cabin for lunch - hot ham and cheese sandwiches with pickles and carrots, then ice cream cones! It seems that everyone looks forward to quiet time each day with no complaints. It is such a good break in the day for one hour! PawPaw and Grant usually make the most of it.

The campers have struck gold! It was found in the fire pit where PawPaw had been burning scrap lumber. You won't believe how many nails and screws are there! Everyone will be rich!

Will has moved the little orange trailer about 10 miles on the driveway. A little trailer is always useful, especially when there is a rock shop that needs inventory. Speaking of which, the Rock Shop opened again late this afternoon. There are many helpers and they are always busy. Grant was trying to shoo away the humming birds today because Holly Grace does not want birds in her store. They might eat the food if there was any. She is definitely in charge and is good shop keeper. However, we are unsure of how profitable this business will be. There is no business plan and no set hours but lots of fun and she is generous!

The zip line has been in use and probably needs to be raised because these kids are getting so big! A big campfire was just the ticket tonight for cooking supper. It was cool with a little wind, but no rain. So, hot dogs and beans and marshmallows were cooked over the fire. More sticks have been cooked this week than any food. They are all getting really good at firebuilding with great respect for the fire and the fire pit.

Inside, there were showers and a game of Old Maid. Then, we had to make a decision - another game or ice cream? Grant was so excited that he said, "Ice cream? - I don't know how to play that!" The vote went to ice cream.

Dental hygiene, Bible story and bedtime story relaxed everyone and caused some heads to nod. So, off to bed...
Grammy and PawPaw

Grandkids' Camp Day 4

We knew it would be a good day when there was ice cream in the honey nut cheerios for breakfast!

After the Bible story, an activity book for Smokey's Friends kept everyone busy for a while. PawPaw discovered a show on the Science channel about dinosaurs while we made dinosaur posters. We found the flag and said the pledge as we put it up.

The rock shop opened early with expanding inventory. Rocks have started appearing in the bathroom, livingroom, dryer and elsewhere! Jack has found a piece of obsidian and is very excited about it. Geology is a wonderful hobby.

We started the camp project which is cleaning out the drainage ditch on the north side of the cabin that has been filled in with rocks and limbs and wood. Maybe we will build a new bridge across it! Taking a hike to check on Grammy's blackberry plants, we found a huge, new climbing rock. A long 4 wheeler ride completed the morning. We stopped to talk to the neighbors and their "giant dog, Ziggy". Holly Grace thought that Ziggy wanted to snuggle with her.

We had a great lunch - turkey sandwiches and a wonderful quiet time - one hour of total peace! Letters home were painfully written and you will find them in the duffle bags upon return. This brought a need to get outside. So, a hike along the game trail took us to the old castle rock. There was a big fight with bad guy indians, but good prevailed and we are all safe.

When we returned, we started a freezer of ice cream and tried out the hot tub. Unfortunately, horse flies chased out all hot tubbers. So, back to the rock shop when rain began and then hail! Talk about exciting! Glad we weren't trying to cook outside today! All camp cooks got the day off andGrammy and PawPaw cooked tacos and beans. Hopefully, we will have a campfire again tomorrow. We had a diverse group of ice cream sundaes - chocolate, strawberry, and banana and all mixtures!

We discovered Jack reading Calvin and Hobbs to all the other kids after supper.

A short ride took us to the meadow to watch for the bats - and we saw three, though Grant got a little "freaked out"! PawPaw had left a fire going and it sure felt good when we returned to prepare for bedtime. First, we had to receive stickers for today. Teeth, meds and jammies readied everyone for the bedtime story. Will and Grant fell asleep and Holly Grace was almost there when we made our way to the attic room.

Today, Will asked, "When does the next Grandkids Camp start?"

Yesterday, the birds were fed and everyone tasted the hummingbird food. The general consensus is that it tastes like marshmallows.

Grammy has received fresh flowers everyday.

More tomorrow!
Grammy and PawPaw

I did it! All by myself!!!

I finally figured out how to get video off my new (since Mother's Day) digital video camera and onto my computer. I swear, I was trying to use the PC instructions, but my Mac made it so simple. All I had to do was buy a firewire cable, connect the camera and turn it on. Have I mentioned my new love, iMac?

Anyway, here's the inaugural video ...

When all else fails, Baby Girl, just kiss your daddy.

Grandkids' Camp Day 3

GKC 2007
Day 3
Date: July 9, 2007 11:19:53 PM CDT

What a great day at GKC in the mountains! Grant was the first up, but came downstairs and into Grammy and PawPaw's room very quietly. Holly Grace followed later, then Will and Jack was last. We had eggs with bacon and cheese, hash browns, toast, pears and peaches and apple juice for breakfast. A Bible story every morning helps us through the day. We had a Smokey the Bear Fire Safety Fun lesson, too.

Outside, the boys gathered rocks for collections and Holly Grace opened a Rock Store. Rocks were free and cleaning the rocks was free, too! So, the rock cleaning began. They all used water and "toulet" (Holly's pronunciation) paper leaves (a nice soft and rather large leafy plant that they all agreed would be perfect for an outdoor toilet!). We have a fine rock shop on the deck, now.

A ride on the 4 wheelers took us to the creek and back before lunch. Lunch was individual make your own pizzas - yummy and creative. Everyone had 2 english muffins. Toppings included marinara sauce, mozzarella, canadian bacon, jalapenos, capers and olives. Some toppings never made it to the pizzas. :)

Quiet time was wonderful for everyone. Holly Grace listened to Amelia Bedelia in the east bedroom, Grant read 2 books and slept in the west bedroom and Jack and Will listened to Hank the Cowdog in the attic room. PawPaw and Grammy rested in the bedroom. This all lasted one perfect hour! After helping Paw Paw with new water hoses for the trees, it was off again to the creek on the 4 wheelers.

Everyone made and cooked their own supper tonight. We had yummy chicken trail burgers. Eating on the deck was a treat. We are so proud of all the participation of all the campers!

The boys were playing out back and Jack accidentally hit Will in the back with a big stick. We knew that it was serious when Will cried. Apparently, it knocked Will's breath out. Jack was horrified! We are unsure who cried more - Will or Jack. All was immediately forgiven. Ice cream saved the day!

Throughout the day, there was the zip line and exploring and rock climbing. No bears are coming around here, but Grant discovered a big, huge pile of bear poop just south of the cabin. He thinks we should clean it up tomorrow - maybe he will forget.

A quick game with the Woodsy the Owl team kept some busy while others showered. Then, a Bible story and we started reading a book. We hope to complete it this week. Sleepy kids brought bedtime and good rest.

We have found that camp is so easy with older kids! We are getting spoiled!
Grammy and PawPaw

Don't get too spoiled, Grammy and PawPaw ... Mitchell is pooping in the potty these days. I have a feeling he'll be joining you next year.

Grandkids' Camp Day 2

GKC 2007
Day 2
Date: July 8, 2007 11:06:17 PM CDT

Well, let's see - where to begin. Perhaps at 4:30 this morning with coughing and crying. Holly Grace needed more meds, then right back to sleep on the floor beside Grammy. At 6:30, Jack and Will appeared at Grammy's side, dressed and ready for the day! hey did not see Holly, but avoided stepping on her, so she slept a little later. Grant was soon behind them.

So, off to Capulin early, had breakfast on the way (yogurt, oatmeal to go bars, pinapple juice and yogurt covered raisins). There was a feed lot on the way and Will told us that he saw two cows wrestling. One of them "got bucked up". Hmmmmm.

Capulin Mountain finally appeared and we were so excited! Stopping at the information center, we watched a short video (Grant was looking for the video games). We drove up to the crater to hear the ranger talk. Jack was really in to her talk and interacted with her. We had picnic sack lunches of string cheese, peanut butter crackers, goldfish, teddy grahams and capri sun - eaten not necessarily in that order. We hiked down to the center of the crater and completed the lady bug hike forms. Everyone received their lady bug buttons. Jack and Will received the junior ranger badges - oath and all after completing the requirements! We even saw a lady bug this time. Will spotted her first! Of course we stopped for a group picture at the entrance sign.

A movie kept everyone occupied while we drove to the cabin and finished the lunch bags. Grant slept. It was not a long trip and we arrived at the cabin a little after 4 pm. So, we unloaded, poured wine (adults only) and built a campfire. Hot dogs and s'mores were a big hit. We are glad to report that there are no burns on any bodies.

We took the 4 wheelers to the cafe for our daily dose of ice cream and rode back little way in the rain. Hot showers, meds, teeth brushed and story time completed the evening. All four campers are asleep in the attic room.

Everyone is playing nicely and earning stickers for the name tags. Jack is all about that!

Holly Grace is better today, but her energy level seems to fluctuate. We keep ibuprofen, cough drops and cough syrup handy, but she is improving. Tonight, she started coughing and Will said, "Bless your heart" as he put his arms around her. It was really sweet.

We are all happy to be at the cabin and off the road. Everyone is looking forward to coffee with PawPaw in the morning.

More tomorrow!
Grammy and PawPaw

PS - Will had a red tiger blood snow cone last night.

Charlotte's First Birthday Party Slide Show

This is a digital scrapbook I made yesterday in about 3 hours with software from Topline Creations (TLC). I LOVE this software. This template was pre-designed, so I just dropped in my photos and adjusted sizes, etc., when needed. I went to see a demo of this software and fell in love - so much so that I signed up to sell it. If you are interested in a copy of it, let me know! I am having a hard-bound copy of the book printed by TLC and I've burned an interactive CD with music for my mom. You can mouse over the slide show to stop on a page at any time. I made the slide show with the hi-res images of each scrapbook page on slide.com ... super-easy!

Funny things Mitchell says

"Mom, Mom, I want some this cumcumber in my salyad."

"You want some of this cucumber?"

"No, it's too strangerous."

Grandkids' Camp

Every summer, my parents take all the grandkids who are potty-trained with them for a period of time and give us moms and dads a break. The first year, it was just Jack and Will. And actually, they weren't potty trained. Either of them. They were 21 months and 12 months, respectively. After the first two years of "Grandkids' Camp" (or GKC, as they call it), when they pretty much changed diapers and put babies down for naps all day, they instituted the "must be potty-trained" rule. They have seven grandkids now, but only four are potty-trained. The cast of characters: Jack (7), Will (6), Holly Grace (5) and Grant (4). And of course, Grammy and PawPaw. This year, GKC was a WEEK LONG. One week of heaven.

Several years ago, Christi (my SIL) and I decided that it would be fun for the two of us to get together and scrapbook while the kids were away. So we meet up either at her house or mine (we live about 5 hours apart) and work as fast and furiously as possible. The highlights of our time together are: eating, scrapbooking, and getting the daily email update on how camp is going from my mom. After all the kids are in bed each night, she writes us an email that highlights the day. So, I thought I would share the highlights of GKC with you! This year's theme (EVERY year has a theme!) was Ice Cream Every Day.

Grammy and PawPaw came into town for Charlotte's birthday and picked up all four kids. They left at 9 a.m. Saturday morning ...

GKC 2007
Day 1
July 8, 2007 12:08:44 AM CDT

Oh yes, it is very late! We had a good, but long day. Leaving a little late was just the beginning! Will shared his Spiderman comic books that Nani Dot gave him and everyone was busy for a while. Then, the movie was good.

At Sonic, we ordered a dozen corny dogs, tater tots and slushies. As Grammy remembered to get Grant's patch and closed the back of the Land Cruiser, there were four little heads popping up through the sunroof! We got everyone back inside along with lunch and went on down the road to the rest area for lunch and playing.

Holly coughed a lot, but it did not slow her down much until later. There were lots of trains today, mostly stopped and very long. Everyone has been kind and generous!

When we talked about stopping at the local water park, Holly Grace said that she loves water parks! As we turned in, Will said that he had always dreamed about going to this place! So, about 5 pm, we arrived there, got changed and lockered and in the water. It really felt good! The wave pool was fun and the lazy river was nice, but Holly barely made it around two times. She must have gotten water in her mouth and started coughing again. It did not stop and she was exhausted. She and Grammy sat in the lounge chairs and she went to sleep wrapped in towels! Grammy was so worried about her, thinking that there could be a trip to the emergency room or at least some phone calls this evening. PawPaw and the boys went off to ride the big slides. Jack was a little apprehensive, but he was glad that he went. When they returned, Holly Grace woke up happy and refreshed and walked to the car! Miraculous recovery!

At home, we showered, had Meatloaf for dinner and went to get snow cones for our ice cream of the day. Jack had cinnamon, Will had toasted red something (can I get back to you with that?), Grant had spiderman, Holly Grace had blue coconut, Grammy had strawberry daiquiri and PawPaw had butterscotch.
Jammies, meds, tooth brushing and off to bed for all!

Tomorrow will bring adventures at the volcano!
Love from GKC~
Grammy and PawPaw

Charlotte is One!

Here are the promised photos from Charlotte's first birthday. We started a James Avery Charm bracelet for her. John and I gave her the bracelet and the girl baby shoes charm. My mom gave her a 2006 charm for the year she was born. My brother and sister-in-law gave her the ladybug charm. Jack and Holly Grace picked out a whole slew of play wooden food from Target to get for her (i.e. themselves ... it was all for ages 3 and up). She also got some great books and a few electronic toys from Grandma. We had a swim party and it was oh so much fun. Just family was there, which was great. Unfortunately, I didn't get to swim ... too busy taking about 150+ photos. It was only 14 pages worth in her scrapbook.

Shake Your Groove Thang


My nephew Brock


My newphew Will


Jack and Will enjoying cake


Uncle Cory and Charlotte

I have been shamed

Okay, so I have been shamed into posting (see Lindsay's blog at crawfordhouse.blogspot.com. Scroll down to the part where it says I update "rarely"). What's going on in our lives? Let's see...

Since my last post I have:
*Watched Charlotte take her first steps. Captured it on film - video and still! Still don't know how to get digital video off my camera and onto my Mac. Help, Bre!
*Celebrated Charlotte's birthday with grandparents, great-grandma (NaniDot) and my brother, Cory, and his kids. What's that? You want to see photos? Okay... coming soon.
*Spent a week with my brother's wife and their littlest while her older two and my older two went to "Grandkids' Camp". Yes, it's awesome. I shall blog on that, as well.
*Spent two weeks with my parents in New Mexico at their cabin. Mom and I scrapbooked like crazy and I got SIXTY pages done. And the weather was gorgeous. And the food was amazing.
*Had a minor day surgery. I'm fine. Don't worry. I suppose I could blog on that if you want gory details.
*Watched the first three episodes of the first season of the BBC's "Coupling". John and I laughed out loud several times. Although it was odd watching a show with canned laughter again. We don't watch many sitcoms ... actually "The Office" is the only one we watch, and there's no canned laughter, so it took us a while to get used to it again. But, it's hilarious.
*Been to the library twice with four kids (glutton for punishment).
*Been to the Honda dealership to replace the rear entertainment system remote that we can only assume was inadvertantly thrown away after our spring break trip to the mountains. It was $238 to replace. I said, "No thanks". Update: John found one on a Honda Accessories website for a mere $168. I guess I'll have to suck it up and pay it.

Alright, everybody happy? More coming...