My mommy ideas...

I have these little "tricks/shortcuts/ways to make my life better" that I do with my kids. You may have heard of some of them, and it may be new to you. I love reading about new ideas and tips that mommies who are in my life season give, so, I thought I would share some of mine...

I don't know about you guys, but giving a kid a popsicle in the house, always turns into a mess. I use a small styrofoam cup. Cut the top off, put a hole in the bottom and then put the popsicle in the cup. It provides a spillage for the ice-cream when it drips. It works great. However - so do the new "slow-melt popsicles" that they have recently come out with. Pictured below. I still lvoe this idea, and it's great for popsicles that aren't slow melt.



I'm not sure if I can take credit for this or if the credit goes to Will. Will made this fruit loop necklace at school. He brought it home, Andy was fussy and wanting the fruit loops so I put it around his neck. It worked like a charm. It can be used for cheerios or any other food with a hole in the middle. Maybe even donuts .... : )

Needless to say, Andy loved it. He was able to enjoy his snack without dumping it all over the floor and creating a mess.

ben and andy in harmony!

Anytime I have an opportunity to photography my boys being sweet with one another - I jump right in and grab the camera. It shows me that they do truly love each other.

Actually, Andy absolutely is completely crazy over Ben. He is his favorite person (aside from mommy of course : ).

Andy loves for Ben to sit down in front of the tv. He immediately runs over and climbs on top of him and sits on his lap. He loves for his big brother to hold him.

Ben carries Andy around and cradles him, and Andy loves it.

Ben loves to read ..... and most importantly to Andy. It's great - and Andy loves it.

Andy loves that he's so important to Ben.

Now ... if we could just get Ben to return those feelings to Will. Because Will - actually feels the same way. But Ben isn't crazy about Will ... I guess you can't have everything!

Here comes fall

You just gotta love the fall season. Cooler weather brings some nice evenings. Just right for playing outside...

These are shots made during the (very) brief moments of harmony between these 3...

So guys, is the grass greener on the other side of that fence?

Left behind...

Do you ever feel like you are running in 100 directions, but never really getting to one destination? That's how I feel. I make list of things I need to do. And then make lists on those lists, and those lists. And then I lose them all. I remember while I'm driving, showering, cleaning the house, changing the babies diaper - things I have to do, and then by the time I get to paper to write it down, I've forgotten again.

I apologize to those of you are following my blog. I haven't posted much lately because I think I'm unorganized in my digital world. My office isn't set up correctly for me. So it's hard to get in here to blog. I had my photos on my main computer and then it crashed. So I started putting them on my laptop, but that got confusing. So, now I've gotten an external hard drive that I'm putting all my families photos on. So it will be easier - I can move it around from computer to computer ... but I'm still feeling a little disconnected. And I think I'm so far behind on my blog that I just feel overwhelmed.

Isn't this supposed to be easy? Fun! I think I'll have to let facebook and myspace go and just concentrate on my blog. Although I am trying to do digital scrapbooks for my family and for my boys and their legacy - and I'm not exactly able to do that either. Maybe I should let the blog go too and concentrate on my books. I'm so worried about leaving a legacy for my boys that I can't bring myself to start on anything. Doesn't make sense, I know!

Wouldn't it be great to have a voice activated computer? I could say load this folder of pictures to my blog, myspace, facebook and my scrapbooks. I could talk to it and dictate the stories behind the pictures, and it would type what I'm saying and post to my blog and other applications I wanted it too. Now there's an idea! I think I'm on to something. Oh, David ... one more thing for you to get on creating for me. His list is long!

Hopefully I'll give some new posts soon....

kate

More Hanging Out

Either we were out later than usual or it must be getting darker earlier - wonderful Fall!

It's time to bring out the lights for the front yard driving range!

Hanging Out

It was late in the afternoon, and we were just hanging out (as usual).

So basically, this is the way our driveway is set up just about every day.

Kids bikes strewn about and seating for everyone.

Kate, Ben and Will walked down the street to talk with some of the neighbors so I pulled out one flash on a stand and took these quick pics of Andy.

...and the obligatory family snapshot (includes our extended neighborhood family)...

The kids trying to get out from the rain. The kept running back and forth from the rain to my front porch. It was pretty funny! Amazing how much fun kids can have playing in the rain.



Andy watching the kids play - trying to decide if he should chance it or not.

And Ben - driving on our neighbors tractor.

Here's Will trying to climb up the wall.



Ben playing with chalk in the rain. It was washing away as quick as he was writing with it, but he was still having a ball.



Andy sitting in the only chair outside - watching the other kids and waiting for the rain to pass. I love taking pictures of him. He has the greatest expressions and they are always different. He's such a character.

All the kids always want to dote over Andy. Sometimes he likes it, but most times he's like "please, just leave me alone." They were trying to put this batman hat on him, which he was not up for. And then Will is messing with his hair which is annoying him.



The party moved over to my neighbors house. She has a bigger covering on her back porch. At this point it was raining really hard. You can't tell from the kids jumping on the trampoline - but it was coming down hard.




Then a few kids went home and the party came back to our house. To Andy's room in fact - where they trashed it!

Welcome to the Academy!

First, let me say thank you to you all for your great advice. I so appreciate and needed it.


I took Ben to the Academy today to take a tour, talk to teachers and the principal. Leaving the house was tough - he fought me. I almost backed out - but I wanted him to at least see the school and give it a chance. Last night at his Keeley 'meet the teacher', his teacher gave me a list of things he should know as a first grader: his telephone number, address, birthdate, letter of the alphabet (upper and lowercase), numbers (count to 20), number words (one to ten), colors and color words. I read that list and was more convinced that ever that he should go to the Academy. Ben knew all of this well before kindergarten.

On the way to the school, I didn't talk about the school. Ben asked me a few questions and I said "that's a great question. why don't you save it for the principal at Walnut Glen." We got to the school, the principal came up and greeted us and she gave us a tour. The tour was great - and I, all over again, was sold. We went into another room and I stood and talked to 2 of the 1st grade teachers and the principal. Ben was wandering around, looking through the classroom, investigating things. The principal said "watch him. do you see how he's concentrating trying to figure out how that works." We give them room to be gifted here. They are busy here - so they don't get bored. I finished my talk with the teachers, we said our good-byes, thanked them for the tour and Ben and I left. When we got outside I asked Ben "what did you think?" He said "I'm not sure just yet." I said "that's fine. you take your time." I told him on the way there that the decision was his to make, and I would let him choose and go to whichever school he wanted to go to - it was up to him. And I would have followed through with that. I was prepared for him to go to Keeley. We got into the car and I didn't say much on the ride home. I watched him in the rearview mirror and I could tell he was in serious think mode. We got almost home and I told him how proud I was of him. And I would be proud of him no matter what school he chose. I told him that it was an honor to go to Walnut Glen and it was by invitation only. They chose him to go to the school and he was invited by the principal. Then I said I know you like Keeley - you have friends there. You have a tough decision to make, don't you? He said "what do you think i should do?" I said "I think you should do whatever is going to make you the happiest." He said "I know, but what school should I go to?" I said "I think you should give Walnut Glenn a try. I think you'll learn so much more, you won't be bored and you will have an opportunity to meet other kids who are as smart as you are." He said "I remember last year, I was bored a lot, I finished my work early and was always waiting on my friends to get done. It's probably going to be like that at Keeley this year." I said "maybe." I didn't say anything else about it. We got home and David said "how do you like your new school?" Ben said "it's awesome dad. I get to play a musical instrument and make science projects." David said "that's awesome son." I walked in the bedroom and he followed me and said "Can you call the principal and tell her I want to go to Walnut Glen." I gave him a hug and said "I am so proud of you."

All the way to the school - I prayed for it to be cut and dry. For him to either say No I don't want to go, or Yes I want to go and I would accept whatever he decided. I wasn't going to choose for him because he's the one who had to go to the new school.

I am so proud of him for making the decision to go to Walnut Glenn. He is going to actually get to put his creativity and his smarts to get use. I am nervous for him since it's a new school, but I'm so excited for this opportunity. I know he'll do great.

I'll keep you posted.

I'm 24 (ha!) and we had a birthday dinner for me! - August 15

I have a group of friends that are very dear to me. We have been friends since high school - most of us - and we try and get together as much as we can. I am so blessed to have many great friendships that most people don't get one of in a lifetime.

Throughout the year, the group of us get together to celebrate our birthdays - and this month was my turn.

We went to Gloria's to eat dinner (yummy), and then to the hotel bar next door for drinks. We really had a great time and almost shut the bar down.

Dear friends, I love you all. Thank you for making my birthday so special!



A few photos of David and I! The love of my life. It was great to finally get some alone time with him without our boys.



My girlfriend from gradeschool, Misty and her husband, Nacho. She is my oldest (not in age, in number of years we've known each other) friend. I have known her since I was in 2nd grade and truly feel blessed to have her in my life. What a joy for me!



My great friend, Eric, and his wife, Erica. Eric and I have been friends since 1989 and he is so important to me. I love him dearly and hold him to the highest regard.

More pictures of us!

My girlfriend, Dena, and her husband, Charles. Dena and I have known each other about 8 years. We met in Church and have just become the greatest of friends. I really value her friendship and am so thankful for her.


ME and Dena!


All of us - minus Eric and Erica. They had to get home to take care of Eli.


Me, Misty & Sherri! Sherri and I are more like sisters. There's a HUGE (ha!) age difference between us - but we started hanging out in our 20's and have become so close. She's a great friend and I'm thankful for her.


Charles, Dena and David!

More photos from my dinner party...

This seemed like a good idea. Never, never a good angle. Dena, ME and Sherri (my cousin).

Dena and ME!


All of us (minus Eric and Erica) at the outside bar.


David and I at the end of the night.

More photos from my dinner party...

For some reason - we thought it was a great idea to pose on the furniture around the bar area where we were. But interestingly enough - it was just me doing the posing?

We had great fun though! It was great to be in front of the camera instead of behind it.

A Rainy day

There was a big storm coming our way. David was watching it on the radar and told me we had 10 minutes before it would get to us - when the neighbor kids knocked on the door wanting to play. We had our 3 boys, and then 6 of the neighbor kids over playing outside - in the rain! They got a little time in before the rain hit.

Here comes the rain ... let's run!


Never is quite a party without Batman or some type of superhero. This day it was Batman!