Photos Worth A Thousand Words-Wordless Wednesday

STRESSED????!!!

Sometimes ya see something, and can't pass it up! I could use one of these once a week. HAAAAAAAA!

Bubbles n' Daisies

Yesterday afternoon while playing in our atrium, Kevin got really angry at his bubble hippo since it was not working. I replaced the batteries and that did not seem to work. So after a few days of frustration, Kevin threw it on the ground out of anger, and it magically started making bubbles all around the atrium. Juliana says, "Mommy, Kevin got mad at the hippo and then it started working again!" I'll have to try that with all of the broken toys someday soon. Since it was working again, we headed out to the front yard to begin our Bubble Festival. After about 15 minutes, Juliana stubbed her toe on a stick or something and it started bleeding. Of course she freaked out, so we put bubbles on hold for a few minutes while we tended to her "broken" toe. The rest of bubble time was great until they begin fighting over the hippo. I called it a day after that. We had fun though, and so did every passer by on foot and on bike.



Juliana also officially became a Girl Scout last night. She had the pin ceremony last night. I am not sure I'd call it a ceremony, but it was a momentous occasion for her, so that's all that matters. Daddy and Kevin came to play at the park where the ceremony was being held and had a great Daddy/Son time together during the meeting. That ended our day.


Actually homework finished our day. Once I got some help from Mrs. Braun about a few pages of math homework, we could finally complete it. I know, I'm an idiot, you'd think I could have figured it out.

Juliana is going on a field trip today. I'm staying home for this one since I have Kevin. I can't wait to see pictures!!!

Surprise Birthday

Today we surprised Nana Marie for her birthday. Tomorrow is her actual birthday, but tomorrow just could not work out for us. Nana Marie had no idea that we were coming over, she only thought Mom was going to be there. The look on her face was priceless! We brought her balloons, a yummy chocolate cake, candles to blow out, and of course, Juliana and Kevin's chaos too. This little venture was actually mom's idea, so she was there too. I actually think Mom was planning on visiting alone, until I suggested that we crash the party of two old ladies. Haaaa, kidding!

The afternoon was perfect for Nana Marie! That is exactly what I was hoping for today. Unfortunately Nana Marie will be at the cemetary all day tomorrow visiting Danny, as she does on all of the birthdays since it marks the anniversary of his death. She has not had many birthdays in recent memory that she can laugh, giggle, and smile and forget about the not-so-good memories. It is so wonderful to see Juliana and Kevin making memories with Nana Marie. Not just memories full of boring visits, but fun memories of hugging and playing together. I LOVE IT! Even though I know Nana Marie will not read this message, I'll close with, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE LOVE YOU!

If there is anyone confused and thinking, "who in the world is Nana Marie?", here is your introduction. Marie is my "Aunt Marie". She was married to my dad's brother Don, "Uncle Don". Because Marie would never have grandchildren of her own, and since Juliana was a teeny baby when Uncle Don passed away, we made the decision that our children would call her "Nana Marie" to make her feel more like a grandmother, rather than only an aunt. Strangely enough, I think the silly name Nana Marie has made her feel closer to the kids, and vice versa. It is a wonderful relationship to witness.

A Hot Day in SF

Quick and easy... we had a loooooong day in Golden Gate Park today, along with hundreds of other sweaty people. We ended the day at my favorite place in the world, The Cheesecake Factory for dinner (although it was Jason's idea). I like the Cheesecake Factory equation a little bit different than today. A couple martinis with the girls is much more of my idea of a full Cheesecake Factory experience. Although I'll take sippy cups and painting with butter as a good time too.



Off to Nana Marie's (my Aunt Marie) house tomorrow for her birthday. It is a tough day for her, as she lost her only son on her birthday so many years ago. It is rarely a happy day for her, so I hope we can put a smile on her face to let her forget the sadness for a little bit, and remember it is her special day.

Sister and Brother

Since Kevin was born, it has been pointed out how much Juliana and Kevin look alike. So, I have gone through some pictures to see the uncanny resemblances in some photos. Kinda scary, but really cute!

Juliana- 2 days old. Screaming with Ed the Duck.


Kevin- 2 days old- yawwwwwning, it's been a long day!


Juliana- about 15 months old. LOOK AT HER GRIN!


Kevin- 11 months-- Lake Huron, Michigan


Juliana- 18 months old- Cruising around our backyard in Massachusetts.


Kevin- 19 months old- Just staring into space in our front yard.


I could find many many more if I had all the time in the world. These were just ones that I came up with really quick.

HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE!
----------------------------
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRINA! Have a great one!

Picture: Cousins... me, Krina, and Peggy at Granny's 90th Birthday celebration 2007.

A-B-C-D Next Time Won't You Sing With Me...

A to Z about MEEEEE!
-----------------------------------

A is for age: 30

B is for beer choic​e:​ Yuck, no beer for me! I like the hard stuff!

C is for caree​r right​ now: Professional Mommy... although to say professional indicates that i get paid for it. Haaa, I wish!

D is for your dog'​s name:​ Shadow.

E is for essen​tial item you use every​day:​ tooth​brush​.

F is for your favor​ite TV show at the momen​t:​ Always, OPRAH! I wanna start on the "Big Give" bandwagon, anyone want to join me?!

G is for favor​ite game:​ children's game... Candyland. Adult game... Imagine If or any other group game with a drink or two sitting on the table.

H is for homet​own:​ Woodland.

I is for instr​ument​ you play:​ Drums... oh wait, they just play in my noggin throughout the day!

J is for favor​ite juice​:​ Cranberry juice.

K is for whose​ butt you'​d like to kick:​ Haaaaaaa! Don't tempt me! Ha ha, we all know I couldn't kick butt even if I wanted to. I'd feel bad and take them to the hospital and fess up.

L is for the last place​ you ate: last restaurant... Chilis. It had been a few years, and I'll keep it that way.

M is for marri​age:​ 7 years and counting.

N is for your name:​ Mommy.

O is for overn​ight hospi​tal stays​:​ Too many. Some for myself, but waaaayyy too many for my kiddos.

P is for peopl​e you were with today​:​ Martine, Kerri, and 20 crazy kids! and not to forget Jason and Kevin too when I got home.

Q is for Quote​:​ "SMILE, IT MAKES PEOPLE WONDER WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO!"

R is for bigge​st regre​t:​ I should have one, but I don't.

S is for statu​s:​ on what?

T is for time you woke up today​:​ 6 something.

U is for under​wear you have on now: Oh geeze! Why did I do this thing?!

V is for veget​able you love:​ I'm a simple pea and carrot girl.

W is for worst​ habit​:​ Habitual worrier!

X is for x-​rays you'​ve had taken​:​ I have no idea. Probably one here and there, nothing significant though.

Y is for yummy​ food you ate today​:​ just had milk today.

Z is for zodia​c sign:​ Scorpio.

Wordless Wednesday

A Special Day!

April 22 is a special day for us. It marks my brother Patrick and his wife Laura's wedding anniversary, and it is also Aunt Deb's (Dee Dee) birthday. HAVE A FANTASTIC DAY!!!!!

Patrick and Laura's wedding day- April 22, 2006


My favorite picture of Aunt Dee Dee and Juliana- taken September 2006.


I have to add to this post. I took Kevin to get his haircut this morning, and I was suddenly reminded of college. I got a (bleep-ing) parking ticket! No parking on tuesdays from 10am-noon because of (bleep-ing) street cleaning. Grrrrrr! Kevin's trip to his best haircut ever went from a $15 fun haircut, to a $55 ticked off mommy haircut. Phew, I had to vent! Yes, it reminded me of college because that was the only time in my life that I got parking tickets for stupid reasons. Perhaps if I read the signs, I would avoid things like this. Ehhhh, I am entitled to vent occasionally, right?!

Maybe this is the sign that I missed on the street...

Our Saturday

WINDDDYYYYYYY weather here today! Jason had the idea to go fly a kite. A great idea to get out of the house. It was not the most successful venture in the world. We were in serious need of Kite Flying School judging by the looks of the other kite flyers with kites suspended in the air for minutes on end. I nearly took out a father and his daughter on a bike when the kite took off with a gust of wind and flew into a tree. The string got caught around my pinky and pointer finger, and I had to let the kite loose. I have the battle wounds to prove it! Not the most successful venture, but fun nonetheless.

This morning Juliana and I went to make Mother's Day gifts for a few special ladies in our lives. TONS OF FUN! Juliana kept asking me over and over if she could make something for Mrs. Braun since she is special like a mommy. Sorry Mrs. Braun, I love ya, but I had to tell her NO for the moment. BUT, I ended up to be a hero anyway. I signed Juliana up for "Kids Night Out" where she could come back and make another creation for Mrs. Braun. The "Kids Night Out" consisted of 3 hours of painting, ice cream from the local ice cream shop, and a movie. There were no less than 20 kids enjoying "Alvin and the Chipmunks" on the plasma television, and covered with chocolate ice cream when I picked Juliana up at 9pm. I was also told that Mrs. Braun's gift is super pretty and so much fun to make. The final product will be ready at the end of the week, so we will see what it turns out to be. Other than hearing how pretty the gift will be, I heard, "Mommy, I mixed up a lot of colors and made a color that looked like black". Ohhhh, hmmmm! We'll see. Pretty is not exactly the same adjective that I'd use, but ya never know. Kerri, just pretend you LOVE it! Ha ha ha!

WILD ANIMALS

Today I made the ultimate sacrifice... I volunteered to go on Juliana's Kindergarten field trip. Kidding, it wasn't a sacrifice at all, it was actually a lot of fun. The kids were able to see many wild animals that have been rescued in the local area. There were coyotes, many birds, a fox, and my favorite, snakes. Ewwwwww!

The day in a nutshell... we met with an "animal lady" who showed the kids a one-eyed possum that was injured, then talked a little bit about the different species of animals. From there we went into a room with snakes and lizards. Yuck! The "animal lady" then brought out a toad, and then a snake for the kids to touch. As I said above, ewwwww! A great learning experience, but I'll stay ignorant about snakes, thank you. From there, Mrs. Braun led us on a mini-hike up a hill, through the brush, and back down the hill. Quite the tour guide, thanks! After snack time, some crazy games, and lunch, we all headed back to school. The weather could not have been more perfect, the kids were pretty darn good, and the morning was a lot of fun for everyone.

Here is a glimpse into the trip.

A Laugh or two

Sometimes as I am browsing other blogs, I come across some hilarious things. I will apologize right now if I offend anyone reading or viewing these pictures. They are just too funny to not share with you. Here you go!

Funny Pics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

Funny Pictures and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

Funny Pics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

AND FINALLY---


Yes, I am aware some of these signs are completely manipulated and created by computer geeks. Hey, they are funny nonetheless. Hope you had a good laugh or two!