Pulling My Heart Strings

School Board Meeting - Student of the Month!

2011-09-12T23:02:00.001-04:00

Tonight we went to the Tri-County School Board Meeting. Macie was recognized as one of the Students of the Month in the Primary School. Her Teacher, Mrs. Ingram recognized Macie and another student in her class. When they were presented the award at school, the Principal, Mr. Ulrich asked Macie was was her favorite thing about school. She said "Art!" Mr. Ulrich said "Maice seems creative, look at the way she dresses." Mr. Ulrich also asked Macie what she likes the best about Tri-County school, she said "The teachers are very nice!" That answer led to an "awwwww" from the people attending the meeting! She recieved at special "Student of the Month" pencil, that Mr. Ulrich said "had all the answers" and a gift certificate to Pizza King! Macie said she was going to drink her $3.00 in coke!!

Ryan's Wisdom!!

2011-09-11T23:10:00.002-04:00

Life is easy for a four year-old. But even better when it includes candy!!! And we also let our country kids play in the streets when we go to town!

This is Dave and Nathan working on setting up the Kiddie Tractor Pull at the Little Cousin Jasper Festival! I will take a moment here to reflect on a few quotes from Ryan this weekend.
"Mom, do you like my underware? I have been wearing them all day!"
"Mom, I lost Macie!!" (Macie was taking a shower, and Ryan noticed her absence!)

Student of the Month!

2011-08-31T23:19:00.000-04:00

Macie came home today from school with a very special suprise! She recieved Student of the Month award! She was very excited. She said she was called out of Mrs. Ingrams room, and she thought she was in trouble! :) Then they told her she was Student of the Month and she will get to go to a school board meeting. I told Macie this is the type of example she needs to set for other students for the rest of the year! I like to remind my kids daily that they need to behave in school!

Spring Break - First Day at Disney

2011-03-21T23:00:00.001-04:00

Monday was a BIG day at Magic Kingdom! Kids had a GRAND day, and rode new rides since they now meet the height restrictions. Macie said her guts were "all tangled up" after the Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road ride.
The kids met Snow White, Daisy Duck and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
We made sure to plan our day around both parades. The night parade was the best one. All the characters were back, but with lights!!

Sunday in Orlando

2011-03-20T22:44:00.002-04:00

I keep telling myself it's time to start blogging again, and I think I will do it "tomorrow" Now "tomorrow" has turned into MARCH! I will take this time on Spring Break, and start to blog everyday. I can do this, I am sure. Dave is watching NCAA Basketball right now. Odd to see him do this, most basketball in our house is only watched during tournament time.

Today was spent waking up to Meme cooking breakfast! We then headed to River Island for a few laps around the "river". One lap is 1,200 feet, so we trekked about 3/4 mile today around the river, and there is a current, so naps were in order for the kids after the lazy river!

It is so hard to get the kids down for bedtime during vacation, but Ryan's good night kiss included him saying "See you at Breakfast time".

I am sure the kids are dreaming sweet dreams, anticipating their trip to the Magic Kingdom on Monday!

Laken & Nathan's Wedding

2010-11-22T23:48:00.000-05:00

Dave & I at Laken & Nathan's rehearsal dinner.

Tea with Mrs. Newsberry

2010-11-14T11:30:00.000-05:00

Kids and Cousins

2010-11-07T00:11:00.001-04:00

The Pictures says it all....

2010-10-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

October Wedding

2010-10-15T11:15:00.002-04:00

In October, we went to Jillian's wedding. I was working that weekend, and went straight to the reception from work.
Becca and Baylee were the flower girls.

Sarah, was a bridesmaid. Dustin dressed to match, not really, but funny how that worked out.

Pre School Friend

2010-10-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

Oh, don't tell Kate the Little Guy fell on her hostas. Why do her hostas look so much healthier than my hostas I made the kids stand in front of when we took pictures the other day in the fog?

Look how cute they are, She joined Little Guy, in the rocks. Oh what girls will do to sit by a boy :)

Froggy Tuesday

2010-10-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

Tuesday wake-up call same as usual, but when I woke up, I noticed the fog was bad, I couldn't see any of the neighbors lights. About 10 minutes before we were out the door, we received the phone call that school had a two-hour fog delay. Kids and I stayed a little bit longer at home than normal. Just spending a few more minutes with them in the morning was nice since I have been so busy with work. Before we left we picked gourds for the teachers, and took pictures with the kitty Ryan named "Blackie" You can tell in these pictures how foggy it really was. On our way to town, I got another phone call that school was canceled, and that meant Ryan's preschool was canceled for the day.

Mom, I Love You!

2010-10-07T08:41:00.002-04:00

So things were running a little late this morning. Things? If you want to call my cold a THING. Keeps me up all night and doesn't want me to get out of bed. But I am trudging through this thing!

Ok, I was running late this morning!

I am not going to complain about my late hours at work during harvest, but it does take a toll on the kids, too. They were home before me, and still wouldn't go to bed until I got home. They have no problems going to bed when daddy works late!

So I decided to take them to school today since Ryan has preschool in the morning and they needed to be at the school at the same time. Macie stopped in to see her preschool teacher, Mrs. Beth. Then Ryan went down to Macie's room to see where she sits in the classroom. Mrs. Hageman changes their seating chart around, and that is a great idea! She sits by some handsome little boys, too! What a lucky little girl! She made sure she gave Ryan a hug and kiss before he went back to his Preshool class, and as I was walking out of her door, I heard her say "MOM" I turned around to see her standing there, and she said "I love you!" Today was just as hard for me as the first day of Kindergarten to leave her there at school.

Mom, are we going to Florida??

2010-10-04T23:00:00.002-04:00

This picture is from March, 2010, at the Orange Lake Resort in Orlando, Florida.

If you can believe me that by the end of the day, the kids (and I) are exhausted! The ride home, in the dark seems longer than on the way home, in the dark!

Tonight, Aimee helped watch the kids, took Macie to soccer practice, and then took them to McDonald's afterwords for supper.

I went a different route home, after I picked up the kids from McDonald's, and this totally threw them off. First because they know every landmark between here and home, and because they were really tired!

I always get the famous question, "Where are we going"

After that question, I answered, "Interstate" Ryan asked "Are we going to Florida???" Seriously! "I will take you to Florida, just not tonight!"

MM piped in and said, "Mom you are not allowed on the interstate without dad, you will get lost!"

"Macie, dear, how do you get to gymnastics?? By Interstate, in Mom's Truck!!"

Ryan told me, "Mom, you get ticket if you are speeding." No, Ryan, that wouldn't be me.

The ideas that run through their head! And when we got off the Interstate at the next exit, everything was familiar to them again, even in the dark.

"Oh, how did we get here!" Ryan started in on his own questions, and Macie told him, "I can't close my eyes when you are talking! "

Things were quiet until we got home, Macie was tired after soccer practice.

Time for Bed!

2010-10-03T22:00:00.004-04:00

Macie and her creation, called a bear. It was constructed on the couch in the living room. When Big Guy saw her craft project, of Elmer's Glue, rounded scissors, and lots of construction paper, he told her to take her project back to the kitchen. I am not sure where she found the buttons, oh she is so resourceful. I bet if I was looking for buttons to fix a sweater, I would not be able to come up with any!

Did this weekend really happen? Or was it a continuation of the previous weeks, that never end? I had Sunday off of work, but those days off seem like a blur. The million things on my to-do list, don't get checked off. They just stack up!

Kids are sporting new jammies from Nana. She came over for the weekend, watch Macie play soccer on Saturday, but it was too cold and rainy on Saturday Morning. She took the kids to Nanny McFee Saturday night and they liked the movie!

Now it's time for the kids to head to bed. Rush around and come home, have a snack, do homework, go over classroom work, read a book, and head to bed.

How does God get to work?

2010-09-30T22:00:00.002-04:00

On my way to work this morning, the kids were full of questions for me. In the morning I could drive all the way to work with the radio on, even though I change the station again and again, looking for a song I like, and not wanting to listen to any news. Depending on the morning, the kids may sleep all the way to town, especially during harvest. But today, they had lots of questions.
Ryan asked me "Where does God live" Before I could answer, Macie answered for me, "Somewhere between here and the North Pole" That answer worked for Ryan, because the next question was, "How does God get to work?" That requires a tougher answer. I know God works through my kids everyday! It's the simple things they say, or the tough questions they ask, it's God speaking to me through them.
One day on the way home from work, Ryan was thoughtfully looking out the window asking "Where is God?" I may not be looking for God everyday, but he is looking for us, protecting us, and making sure we get to work.

Mid-Term Week

2010-09-23T09:55:00.000-04:00

Macie recieved her mid-term report. M = mastery, P = progressing and N = needs work. I remember my report cards were graded with S+, S, S- and U. Macie had "straight M's" besides needing to learn her home phone number and home address. She knows our mobile numbers, which I think are more important, since we are never home and mobile numbers are the best way to get ahold of us ;)

Macie said she was on the letter Z, but she is not done with school!!

Ryan's First Day of Pre-School

2010-08-24T21:00:00.000-04:00

After we sent Macie off to her first day of Kindergarten, a few weeks later was Ryan's turn for Pre-School. I was so excited how EXCITED he was about starting Pre-School. He had his Spiderman book-bag since last Christmas, ready to go to school!!!

Good-Luck Ryan and Macie! We are very lucky parents :)

Graduation Day

2010-05-22T17:43:00.000-04:00

Graduation is a big Day, even if you are in Pre-School. I can't even look at this picture without tearing up. She looks so grown up. How am I going to handle her High School graduation in twelve years? Look at the little guy, he is so proud of his sister!

Turkey!!!

2010-04-24T17:50:00.000-04:00

Macie's 5th Birthday

2009-12-20T16:09:00.000-05:00

Macie had a big day on her birthday! I was told I went a little bit overboard, but .... Princess party in the morning, and a family party that evening. Girls made their own magical wands with ribbon, colored paper dolls and dressed in beads, bracelets and earrings. They were cute in pink! Princess party ended with PINK lemonade, and lunch and cupcakes.

Pre-School Program

2009-12-18T16:24:00.001-05:00

Macie's Preschool Program was in December for her All Shapes and Sizes Preschool Class. They have been practicing their songs for a long time. Before the program, we went to supper at McDonald's with Aimee, Becca and Baylee.

Some of the girls in Macie's morning class, look at their beautiful dresses !!

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-27T14:27:00.005-04:00

Spring Break 2009. I never would have guessed we would be able to travel to Florida. We usually travel north to MN each summer. This trip was a nice change of scenery, and nice weather in the month of March! We enjoyed the swimming pools at the resort and visited the Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, and Downtown Disney. We also celebrated Dave's birthday in Florida - what a treat for him! What a great memory for the kids to finally meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse! Riding the rides and enjoying the vacation!

The Wedding Weekend

2009-03-17T00:21:00.003-04:00

This weekend was busy with wedding. Wedding rehearsal, rehearsal dinner and wedding. Really. It was a great time with friends!! Weekends do not get any better than this. Congrats to Dustin and Sarah. It makes me happy to see two good friends start their life together!

Christmas 2008

2009-02-26T15:34:00.003-05:00

Ryan Hanging out at Grandma's

Macie helping with the stakings.

Macie on phone, Ready to play outside!

This is what Christmas is about!

Catching up at the end of 2008

2008-11-29T01:37:00.007-05:00

Once again, I let this blog go to the back of my mind, and probably lost all of my readers, again. I know that I have lots of things to bring you up to speed, and lets start with Macie's Birthday Party, Hanna Montana Style. She had lots of fun with friends and family!

Picking Pumpkins

2008-10-13T19:22:00.004-04:00

So it's been a month since I have posted. All I know in the past month is we haven't been home AT ALL. We are busy visiting friends, family, or working. Lately, it's been all work and no play. Before I had to go into work on Sunday, we took the kids to Millennium Farms, in Oxford Indiana. This was a great experience for the kids. We are planning to go back later this month - weather permitting. We took the hayride, picked four big pumpkins, and they are now at home waiting to be carved. That will be a fun mess at home! Project outside!

Macie is having a BLAST at preschool. Not only is her BFFs from daycare in the same class, but they do important things like circle time and snack time. Can it get any better for a three-year-old? I don't think so. She is doing great at identifying all the letters in the alaphabet. She is also great help around the house, honoring the title, BIG SISTER.

This is my little man. He is handsome, and sweet on all the girls. There is a little girl in daycare, he loves on her and kisses her hand. What a gentleman. He loves to play with his tractors. He is especially fond of the stairs at home. He has a great vocabulary for his age, his favorite word is "cracker". That is his favorite snack!

2008-08-29T11:09:00.001-04:00

Bottle Fed and Corn Raised!

2008-08-27T11:39:00.004-04:00

After a little coaxing, Macie finally fed the calf. Dave did a few chores while the guys were gone to the Indiana State Fair. This calf would have been more than happy to eat more than one bottle.

First Day of Preschool

2008-08-26T16:33:00.002-04:00

Macie started preschool last week. What a hoot. She goes on Tuesday and Thursdays. Every other day is heartbreak for her when she doesn't get to go. All these girls go to the same daycare. We car pool. It's my pleasure to pick them up after preschool. It makes me appreciate my job even more that it's flexible enough to pick up four smiling princesses. From left to right, Bailee, Becca, Peyton, and Macie

Birthday Girl

2008-07-17T12:04:00.002-04:00

Today is my birthday. I took care of my own gifts and went shopping this weekend. So,I decided to wear a new shirt today. Today might be the last day I wear this shirt. Someone asked me if I was expecting. Oops. I will let it slip.

Flowers and balloons were delivered today, too.

One Weekend Away

2008-06-23T11:25:00.002-04:00

Next weekend we will be celebrating RD's first birthday. "Time Flies" is a good one. "They grow up too fast" is another one. You don't have to tell me, I see it everyday. I wish the weekends were longer, and the days were longer. I am not sure how longer they can get when it gets dark at 10 p.m. It is hard to convince kids to get to bed when it is still light outside.

Tractor

2008-06-19T14:27:00.002-04:00

Last night RD said Tractor. He is still working on singing Happy Birthday, and it comes out "Hap-Brit". Close. Cute.
This morning when we were loading up in the car, he said "Bye, Sis"
MM loves this talking, and I am surprised RD is talking this early, especially when MM gets all the talking in, just like the Big Guy.

June - again

2008-06-18T09:54:00.002-04:00

Reading the blog, we are back to June, only in 2008. We should post more often, and stay in touch. My kids keep me busy. I am lucky to have healthy, happy children. MM reminds me to pray at supper. That is unbelievable. RD knows when I need kisses and love from him. That is unbelievable.

2007-03-27T14:41:00.000-04:00

A Prayer in Spring

2007-03-27T14:40:00.000-04:00

A Prayer in Spring

by Robert Frost

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid-air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
The which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends He will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

2007-02-12T12:31:00.000-05:00

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!

We just found out
it’s no longer a maybe,
We're going to be blessed
with a precious little baby!

June 21st is the first day of summer,

It might be the day MM is a BIG SISTER!!

Summertime

2006-08-27T22:59:00.000-04:00

This picture of MM was taken before vacation. Corn on the cob is the best example of summer. When the sweet corn is gone so is summer. Summer really went by fast. The Big Guy commented how early it's turning dark. September is almost here. Not every project got done outside..again. This weekend I went outside and pulled weeds for one last time. The plants were looking like I needed to water them. We had about an inch and half of rain this weekend.

It's off to the races!

2006-08-27T01:01:00.000-04:00

Every Wednesday in Longville during the summertime, HUNDREDS of people flock to this little town. The main road is blocked off for the weekly turtle race. Longville, MN is the Turtle Racing Capital of the World. MM was in Heat #7, There are 10 turtles in each heat. She WON! The Big Guy is experienced in this competition, so I guess he picked the winning turtle. My job was to take photos and keep the camera rolling. All the heat winners come back at the end of all the races (37 heats total) and compete against each other time. Looks a little crowded to me. The Big Guy got right in there. The lovely lady on the left about stepped on MM's turtle when she was on her way out of the circle. So that was the end of racing for this year. MM got a free ice cream from Frosty's . By the way, we love their Kemps cotton candy ice cream!

One Fish...

2006-08-27T00:40:00.000-04:00

There's lots of catching up to do. First, See the fish, and by the way, The Big Guy and MM get a picture by Little Boy Lake. What a vacation. We spent a week in MN fishing Little Boy Lake. It was HOT, HOT, HOT! I don't think that week it would have mattered where we vacationed, it was HOT everwhere!

18 month check up

2006-07-18T00:34:00.000-04:00

MM had her 18 month check up. I always take a picture of her in the doctor's office. Sorry dear, we have to go to the clinic for shots later. I promised her french fries on our way home.

Let's go for a ride!

2006-07-18T00:24:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I have posted a blog. There are a few things I have failed to mention on this blog since have have been absent. MM is saying lots of new words, purple, highchair, tummy. Mom even made it thru a birthday! We took MM out for her first boatride. It was a good evening to go out and she enjoyed every minute on the boat. She wanted to explore every inch of the boat, but a little juice and goldfish, and we were set.

Slow down JUNE!

2006-06-12T11:54:00.000-04:00

Where has the time gone? Summer is almost here, and weekends just slip away from us. MM loves her new toys - thanks to mommie :) I have realized she has PLENTY of clothes so I am moving on to my next hobby - toy shopping. She is starting to get a nice Little Tikes selection. I am still on the hunt for a Little Tikes Picnic Table. If all else fails, I will go buy one at Toys r Us. We spend the evenings watering flowers and playing outside until she is very tired! My laptop crashed last week, so I am out of comission on downloading pictures until I get it back.

Have a great weekend.

2006-05-26T11:04:00.000-04:00

Nothing big happened around home this week. Finally planted the flowers in the pots! Then the next night it stormed, so they all had to go under the porch! Lots of rain this week. This weekend's project will be mulch. Nana & PaPa are over to spoil MM.

Some words MM is working on... crakers, shoes, cheese, grace, juice. Oh, and her favorite word is NO.

Have a great weekend!!

Good Friday!

2006-05-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

During the day I usually talk to MMs babysitter via messenger. Today she signed on to tell me They were looking at MMs pictures on her web site. MM was telling her everyone in the pictures. Mom, Dad, and then Macie said her cousin's name, Delaney. I am sure it didn't come out perfect, but I was happy, I called the big guy at work and told him, too!

Why we don't own NEW things

2006-05-17T09:17:00.000-04:00

This is a list of why we don't own NEW things
-My parents threw out their old end tables one weekend and I loaded them up in my truck and glued the legs back together and they now sit in my living room. MM got ahold of my drink last night and spilt the tea on one end table. It has a glass top. The tea ran under the top and it's sitting in a pool on both corners. How do we get under the glass. Is that why mom wouldn't let us bring drinks in the living room?

-Our couch and love seat was bought from a friend of a friend. It's beige...with tea stains!

-I went rummaging last weekend and bought 2 lamps to go on the end tables. They are a pretty crystal and I bought 2 new lamp shades to match my antique floor lamp-discovered at an auction. But the big guy thinks all this new light makes it too bright, so he's right behind me, dimming the lights.

-Our kitchen table is a hand me down. This table is also featured in the Big Guy's baby pictures! One time the drop leaf was not secured and tested before we set the table for dinner and the roast ended up on the wall and floor!

-The back door leads directly to the kitchen. There is no area to drop off shoes and hats and coats. We've tracked in so much in that kitchen. So I went to wal mart and bought this huge, pretty rug - it is not pretty anymore. I told the Big Guy, he can buy the next rug and see how much it cost. Maybe he'll take off his shoes next time he comes in the house.

Why don't we own new things? Maybe it's because we don't deserve them! Maybe its because we live like real people and walk in real dirt in our real shoes. We have hobbies, wait, HE has hobbies! I have MM to keep me busy. Life isn't perfect, and either is my house.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2006-05-16T00:09:00.000-04:00

It was raining....all weekend...until this afternoon. It was raining when I attempted to straighten my hair, too. MM stopped long enough to get her picture taken with her cousin. The next day I went back to curly hair. The rain didn't stop the big guy from stopping at Rural King. I don't think we bought anything. MM took a few rides on the John Deere petal tractors. Couldn't get her away from the tractors. This is the big guy's way of keeping the rain off of MM.

Double Trouble

2006-05-11T12:06:00.000-04:00

This is my little helper. Since planting season, I have been out talking to farmers and handing out coke and candy bars to our customers. One night I made a stop after I picked MM up. I think she's ready to go! Maybe she would have changed her mind if this 4-wheeler was turned on and running!

Is this what you could call double trouble? After I downloaded this picture today, it occured to me...what would I do w/ TWO MMs? Her real personality comes out in these pictures. She is so excited when her dad comes home early and then it is like she is making up for lost time, getting in all the play time she can before bed time. When it is bed time, she lets us know, she is half way up the stairs, ready for bath, jammies and bed time.

Tea for Two

2006-05-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

Tea for two? This girl runs on caffeine and M&Ms! Chocolate is her FAVORITE! and we have to HIDE it from her. Now... lets talk about the baby! HA. M&M is maybe learning bad habits from her mommie, but I've seen a grandma here and there sneak in some chocolate (a bunny EAR) or some ice cream! We are just happy she has her appetite back and is feeling 100%. Look at this face, I think she's onry!

We had another big weekend of visiting PaPa for his bday and attending a Mother/Daughter banquet. There are new babies at church and I can imagine how happy the new mommies were to bring their new baby girls. Last year I carried M&M in her car seat and she slept thru the dinner. This year, she helped herself to her own plate. Time flies and babies grow to fast. These new mommies will wish the same thing next year. Is there a way to stop time? Not sure if I could figure that out. Is there a way to stop them from crawling up the stairs? or having the notion to jump off the couch? My house will never be the same. I swore I picked up the living room last night when we got home from the banquet. And I remember this morning all the toys I stepped over on my way out the door. Life seems chatic, but I wouldn't change it for the world, or to be debt free, or to be a size 5 (i'd take size 9). When people visit, they can step over the toys, just don't step on a weeble wabble.

2006-05-05T07:57:00.000-04:00

Left Over Candy

2006-05-03T07:53:00.000-04:00

TODDLER BIBS:
This is something I got this weekend from my sister's inlaw-inlaws...She makes toddler bibs. I love them, even though the sleeves are a bit long, it works out great and saves the outfits!

We are still finding left over Easter Candy around the house. I did buy her some chocolate for Easter, along what was in her eggs. Last night I found a box to put the eggs in and I was sorting through the eggs and found more candy. MM still refers to candy as "Yum,Yum."

We wore her out last night by playing outside before we cooked on our new grill. She likes to help outside, but we still have to keep an eye out on her. She has a mini shovel she will use to move around some mulch and dirt. Then she will be off and running in the yard. Like a boomerang, she comes back.

I am glad she is starting to feel better this week. Her sores are gone and she is in a better mood. Our evenings have become somewhat normal this week since the Big Guy has been rained out of working late nights. Last week he would come home around 9 or 10 o'clock. We are getting some honey-do jobs done, but there is lots to do at our house! We finally put her Little Tykes slide together. I bought it at a resale shop and got it for a great price. Thanks Nana! It took both of us to put it together. Of course, MM was right there , under all the chaos excited about her new toy. Last night when we unloaded the grill from the truck she was right there! Can't miss a thing.

Shopping Diva

2006-04-25T10:36:00.000-04:00

Last night I took MM shopping with me. She has been under the weather for a few days, and she even had a temperature when I picked her up. The trip to the stores gave her time to take a nap. You probably think it wasn't nice of me to take her out when she wasn't feeling very well. Sometimes she sleeps the best in the car when we are traveling. Anyway, I had a Little Tykes slide set that was on hold for me at a resale shop. I had to pick it up last night, or someone else would have the opportunity to buy it. I can't believe how much those toys cost! I can't believe how much all toys, clothes and shoes costs for little toddlers! My sis and I went shoe shopping this weekend and the prices for toddler shoes is outrageous, they costs as much as my shoes. I do believe toddlers need good shoes. They are still clumsy and need good support for their growing feet. I think MM was in her last size for four months. Now we are growing into the next size. What the big guy doesn't realize is that every year, every season, she needs new clothes. I think I do a good job buying clothes on sale, or at resale shops. I have totes and totes of her clothes from last season, not willing to give them up- just yet.

By the time we got to the stores, she was already feeling better. MM Loves to talk to other people at the stores. She waves real big a them, a few will wave back. Some people love that attention. When MM gets bigger we will talk about talking to strangers!

I have found more uses for the handicap bathrooms. It is more space for moms to pull in their stuff, carriers, strollers, baby bags. Now that I have a very active toddler, I was weary about going to the restroom yesterday, but I thought I would try. MM thought it was very intersting, when she squatted down, she could see under the door and see all these feet coming in and leaving the restroom. Of course I had the fear of her crawling and wandering off and I would not be able to get her. That would be a difficult thing. She behaved very well. We went out to eat after shopping and she was a little princess at Chilis. She loves mac and cheese. I couldn't believe I was eating supper with this little person.

2006-04-21T23:21:00.000-04:00

This is an Easter picture of The Big Guy and MM. All ready to go to church... by the way, she was extra good in church! She sat on my lap most of the service and was a little princess. MM had a big weekend, most of it involved chocolate. She didn't care too much for the peeps. Those are still in the wrapper, and the Big Guy hasn't discovered them yet. MM had a very pretty dress for Easter. I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted in her dress. She fell asleep after church in her car seat. After we got home, I made my salads to take to the in-laws and she stayed in the car seat and slept. By the time she woke up, we were on our way up there, and had to change her clothes so we could feed her lunch. After that was time to hunt for the eggs. That was cute to see, and she enjoyed it more than I thought she would.

I have been way behind on my blogs. I usually like to do them in the evenings, and my comptuer has been at the "Dr" for a week, so I am trying to catch up on everything! I think I got it back on Wednesday. My sister told me I am a bad blogger. I guess I will get the hang of this eventually. It has been a long week.

MM had a good week last week and we haven't been as lucky this week. MM is sick with a virus and I have stayed home with her for a couple of days. I took her to the dr today and lets just hope she is better next week!

I took her to Wal Mart yesterday to pick up more medicine. We were in the craft department and we went by all of the beads in one of the isles. MM said yum yum! Oh MM , those aren't candy , those are beads! She wasn't too happy with that answer!

Yum! Yum!

2006-04-12T14:24:00.000-04:00

Everything to Macie is a Yum! Yum! The spoon, her milk, the animal cracker, the applesauce. She use to say JUICE, but like other words, she uses for awhile and then comes up with new words. She also talks in sentences. It is very entertaining since we can't understand what she is saying.

Mama Can't Sing!

2006-04-10T15:03:00.000-04:00

This is going to be such a nice week! I can't believe this weather! Why do I have this cold again?

MM and I had a good weekend. We didn't do too much. It was dedication Sunday at church where they paid a dedication to the new babies of the church. There were 17 babies total! That is a lot of lovin'! They gave a rose and engraved bible to the babies, and then we had a potluck after the service. It is great to see such a growing church, it also makes for an interesting church service, including MM. She is usually makes her presence known as well.

When we came back home I let her play outside for awhile. I let her play in her good clothes. She is growing out of her clothes so fast, I guess she should get some use of her good clothes. I was really suprised how this picture turned out. I think she fell down in the and she wanted me to pick her up. The lighting in this picture is very intersting. She looks like an angel.

Sunday night when it was time to get her jammies on we were jammin' to an old Wynonna CD in the radio. It is so cute to watch her dance. She definitley has her own groove going on. I was singing to her and she was dancing. Then she put her hand up to her ear, I guess I can't sing. And my one year old daughter had to tell me!

Thanks to the warm weather, the Big Guy is working late. Supper is now ready and he said he would be home at dark. He wanted me to save some dinner. I am sure there is enough roast and potatoes to go around! Once or twice!

We got thru the Day!

2006-04-06T22:10:00.001-04:00

M&M slept thru the night. She had a rough morning. M&M is a morning person, so when she doesn't want to get up we know she doesn't feel the best. Every morning when the Big Guy wakes her up, she is always pointing towards the door, she can see the light from the bathroom where I am getting ready. He will get her out of her bed and she will come running into the bathroom. This morning after he sat M&M down, she went straight to our bed. She wasn't ready to get up and wanted to lay back down on our pillows. I felt guilty I didn't stay home with her again today, but M&M made it thru the day and when I picked her up she looked like she was feeling better. It was a long day at work, and it took longer than I expected to get things done at work.

Every night when we get home, she is ready to play outside. It doesn't matter how cold it is, she doesn't want to come in the house. This afternoon when we got home, I carried her into the house. It was drizzling and I didn't want her out in the cold rain when we are trying to get her better. When we got in the house, she went over to the patio door and tried to open it up. She is getting tall enough that she can reach it. She is not strong enough to turn the knob, but she knows what it is for. (When I pick her up at the sitters, she heads straight for the door, she is ready to go home.) So this evening while she is begging, in her own little way, to ask to go outside, I ignore her. I leave her coat on and work on getting supper ready. I know if I take her coat off she would get very upset. She is then occupied with pots and pans and spots a Schwan's push up in the freezer. M&M didn't eat much all day so I knew she would be hungry when we got home.

When the Big Guy gets home, M&M thinks she can get him to take her outside and play. She wimpers for a little bit, this is sort of a routine she has down. They will spend time outside before supper is ready. He starts to warm up dinner for M&M. She seems very interested in his coke, she he pours some in a cup for her. As soon as he turns his head, she decides to take a drink, a big one, and it's all over the place. I have never seen a bib hold back that much liquid. Sometimes the big guy should wear one, too.

I did get the oil stains out of her coat, now I have another load of laundry to do. I didn't have to worry about stains and wear and tear on her clothes last summer. She just sat there and looked pretty. This year, I know she will be out in the flower garden with me. If the Big Guy teaches her anything, she will be digging up worms.

2006-04-06T22:10:00.000-04:00

Again, Who needs sleep?

2006-04-05T21:52:00.000-04:00

Last night I wasn't home. I had a marketing meeting for our customers. I get home just in time for M&M's bed time. She is tired and in my lap as soon as I get thru the door. I eat her left over shells and cheese and we take her upstairs for bed time! Now she is starting to feel a little warm. Big Guy is telling me about all the fun they had tonight working on the mower, changing the oil, taking a ride on the golf cart. I am sure she was a big help changing the oil, she has the grease on her fleece jacket to prove it! We are on wash cycle #2 trying to get that out.

M&M isn't doing any better thru the night. She is restless, and I take her temperature, it's 101. Where did all of this come from? It was a long (or short) night for us. M&M had a rough night. Big guy had to wake us up before he went to work this morning. There were plenty of things to do around the house. We started with the kitchen. M&M loves to help unload the dishwasher. She took the mixing bowl for my KitchenAid out of the dishwasher and walked it right over to the counter the mixer was sitting on. I am impressed, of course, she loves watching us use that mixer. She always requires a spatula for herself, hoping to get a taste of the icing I usually make. She is also very interested in stirring everything. I see her in a couple of months wanting to visit us cooking while sitting on the counter. Then she is standing over by the table. She wants to sit at the table, which is unusual for her. So I sit her up on one of the chairs with her milk and she's pointing at the animal crackers. She is sitting so well at the table like a big girl, so I continue to clean in the kitchen.

We had a good morning and she took a long nap. In the afternoon we went for a ride and she fought her car seat the whole time. She did not get a nap this afternoon. M&M went to bed early. I hope we have a better night.

Who Needs Sleep?

2006-04-04T08:55:00.000-04:00

After making the cookies and finishing up the NCAA square winners, it was a late night. I finished the dishes and I had a hard time finding my way to bed. If I am guessing it was around one am. You are sitting there with your eyebrows raised at me. I am tired and my eyes are bloodshot. M&M decided to wake up a couple hours early. I put her in bed with us. She wasn't ready to go back to bed. I gave her a book- in the dark. She played with it for awhile, and then was leaning over me pointing at something on the night stand I coudn't see - it was dark. She kept repeating "Mom, Mom" I handed her the other book and then a bottle of her lotion. What does she want? Of course, the whole time the Big Guy is sleeping, or playing possum. He does that so well. He had a lot more sleep than me at this point, too. He requires more sleep than me, with is odd, I think.

Mantic monday!

2006-04-04T00:29:00.000-04:00

Finally! Game over. I stayed up to watch the NCAA game. I really can't tell you who won, or who played, but I know I matched a score, so I won! Imagine that, Not much luck on my side most of the time.

Seems like I had a long day. The Big Guy thinks he neeeds to be on the other time zone, just to confuse the family. That's ok, supper will be on later for you buddy!

I made cookies for a work meeting for tomorrow night. It never fails, the cookies won't turn out like planned. Maybe it was planned on the the Big Guy's part so he'll have more to sample at home.

M&M went down fast tonight. She was exhausted. I couldn't get her in the house when we got home this afternoon. She was determined to walk to the end of the lane. Logically, when you get to the end of the lane, you turn back around. Not this little girl. She's on a mission. I am not sure what she is scouting out on a country road, but she is headed East now. Headed for what? I am not sure. She's getting cold and she's walking faster. She fell down four times, but she's tough, she is on a mission. M&M, it's time to go to the house. M&M walks faster. M&M, you are getting too cold. M&M walks faster. I scoop her up and she is mad. Maybe she wanted to show me something down the road, but I didn't see anything. Time to go to the house and get warmed up, maybe a diaper change, too. Does she care, no. Her mom has her, and it's not fun going back to the house. Sometimes I am glad we live in the country. No one can hear us yelling at each other. This time M&M is yelling at me, play time isn't over. If she only knew the Big Guy expects dinner when he he gets home.