Late Halloween Post

Alright, I'm very late posting this but oh well. The girls had a fun Halloween. We had a Halloween party on Friday with a bunch of friends. We played games and ate pizza.

Then Halloween came and Audrey went as a bat. I made her wings out of an umbrella and they turned out pretty spiffy. I took the idea from the internet. There are no bat wings out there people. Only Batman outfits. Leave it to Audrey to request this kind of an outfit!


Alexis went as Cleopatra. I found her outfit at WalMart. She loved that I put make-up on her. I think that was her favorite part of the outfit and the night!


We carved pumpkins on Halloween this year. Usually we do it earlier but it didn't happen that way this year. The girls had a great time carving this year. Audrey and I made one together and then she made one on her own.


These are our pumpkins. Ben made four pumpkins with the RockBand symbols on them. They turned out awesome! I don't think this picture does them justice though.

Audrey's Birthday Party

Saturday we had a Webkinz/Animal Party for Audrey. She had six friends over and I invited a friend of Alexis' over so I could have two big helpers. That actually turned out to be the greatest idea. It was so nice to have them help. This was the most stress free party that I've ever given. I'm sure part of it was because I didn't make a cake this year. I bought one from Costco (if anyone wants some cake I have A LOT left over) that Audrey picked out.

Here are the party guests:


We started the party with, of course, an animal game. One person sat in the middle with their eyes closed while the rest past around a stuffed animal. When I told them to stop passing it around the person in the middle had to guess who had the animal. The girls liked this game and got quite silly with it.


After everyone introduced their animal (everyone brought their favorite Webkinz or stuffed animal) they each got a balloon to pop. Inside each balloon was a piece of paper that told them what kind of bracelet and collar they would receive.


After we put the collars on the animals it was time to tie a fleece blanket for their animals. Each girl took home a little tie fleeced blanket and a collar for their animal and a bracelet for themselves.

Another game we played was where one person went into another room while everyone else got assigned an animal to imitate. When the other person came back into the room they had to watch the other kids and then guess what animal they were. To my surprise the girls played this game for 45 minutes.

All the girls had a great time and I think Audrey loved her party which is all that matters.

As the last guest left Audrey jumped off the couch and said to me: For my next birthday I want a ninja party!

6 years old

Audrey turned 6 years old today. It has gone by fast but life would certainly be boring without Audrey in it. She makes me laugh everyday. I'm so glad she is a part of our family.



This morning Audrey woke up (too early) to find streamers and balloons in the doorways of the house. This is a tradition that I started way back when Alexis turned 2 I think. I like that every time someone goes through a doorway they are reminded that it is a special day for a member of our family. I also had all the family presents wrapped and on the kitchen table.



I took cupcakes to school for the special snack today. Audrey got to wear a crown all day at school and I believe she is line leader for the week, a very coveted position in Kindergarten (I'm assuming because you get to always be first!). I worked in the school for several hours this morning so I got to see a lot of her today which was fun.



When I picked her up from school I had three balloons for her to hold and carry out. She loved that. Once Ben got home tonight we ate and opened presents. Audrey got to pick out all the meals today. She picked breakfast burritos for breakfast, mac and cheese, strawberries, and fishes for lunch, and fried chicken (I fry it myself), fries (I also fried these), and corn and peas for dinner. She originally picked ramen noodles, broccoli, and peas for dinner! That kid cracks me up! She can request anything that she wants and she asks for ramen noodles! Hilarious!



Audrey had to wait until 8:30pm to open her presents because Ben's train was over an hour late today. She even fell asleep for a half hour around 7pm. Poor kid! But it's important that every member of our family is here to celebrate with her.






Today on the way to school:




A Webkinz from Aunt Lori, Uncle Andrew, Lily, and Abby. This present got a "Oooohhhh!" She is also sleeping with her right now.



Audrey loves puzzles and it will be fun to help her with this one. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Thomas!

A new leapster Incredibles game. What could be better? Thank you big sister Alexis!

Fun body lotion from Aunt Peggy, Uncle Tim, Paul and Bekah! Thanks!

This one from Granny and Grandpa Dyer got a: "Ooooo, it's Goldilicious!" Thanks! If you haven't read any of these books by Victoria and Elizabeth Kahn you are missing out! There is also Pinkalicious and Purplicious.

This was the big gift that Audrey saved for last. She actually found out what was in it this morning because I left some wrapping out that said Barbie on it. Whoops. But she had no idea how much was in the box. She sure loved tearing the wrapping paper off of the box.

The big reveal. She had no idea how much stuff was in this box. 16 or 17 barbies, clothes, shoes, purses, and furniture. Thank you Craigslist! Her face is priceless in this picture.

And ten minutes after opening up the barbie box we got this in the living room:

Some things about Audrey:

She loves to dance. She can't keep still if there is music on.

She loves to make people laugh.

She loves to snuggle.

She is extremely thoughtful.

She is the best sharer that I know.

She loves ice cream.

She can be extremely silly.

I think Audrey had a great birthday. Now I just need to make it through her birthday party on Saturday!

I love you Audrey!

Bus driving and paper.

On the way home from school two days ago Alexis says to me: Mom, when I'm a grown up if the only job I can find is being a bus driver then I want to drive the little buses. The ones the K4 kids use.

I guess she is already thinking of contingency plans.

After Audrey's shower the other night she noticed that I had thrown some old paintbrushes away in the trash.
She said: Mom, you wasted a lot of paintbrushes!

Me: I guess I did.

Audrey: That's okay. I waste a lot of paper. When I get older I won't though because I'll get used to it.

Uh, okay kid. Whatever you say! These two girls keep me smiling!

Left Behind

So I show up to pick Audrey up from school and her teacher quietly says to me: Remember the bag of snacks that you brought in? Well, you left an item in the bag. I put it in Audrey's backpack.

I immediately remember that I had lost a bottle of Midol recently.

It's a good thing I know her teacher so well.

Pictures only tell half the story.

But I don't have time to tell the full story so use your imagination and fill in the blanks!

Nothing New

Alright, I've been asked if I blog anymore. Obviously, I've been taking a sabbatical from blogging. I've been keeping a fairly busy schedule and when that happens blogging is usually the first thing to go.

I got a new calling in church that has started taking up some of my free time. I am the Ward Activities Chairperson, which means that I plan and execute all the Ward Activities (Christmas party, Chili cookoff, etc.) with the help of some other people who are on the committee. So that is fun and challenging.

I am volunteering a lot at the girls school, which I love doing. I love to see them during the day and help their teachers and other students. I like knowing what is going on in the school. After all, they are at the school for 6.5 hours a day.

We have friends over everyday after school. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we have three friends get off the bus at our house for about an hour. Tuesdays and Thursdays we have two. So we are pretty busy after school as well. Sometimes I find myself with 6 or 7 girls at my house. It's great. They all play and leave me alone.

Audrey is taking a gymnastics class and a swimming class during the week and she loves both. I forgot to take her to swimming one Monday evening and I haven't heard the end of it. She prayed that I wouldn't forget next time. Whoops. That was one of those I feel like a terrible parent moment.

Alexis is taking piano lessons and swimming lessons. She absolutely loves swimming and I think she really likes the piano. She isn't complaining about them so that is good. We started with a new teacher a couple of weeks ago and she really likes her.

Ben has been busy working and providing for us, as usual. He is a wonderful provider and father. The girls jump all over him when he gets home at night.

So that is my exciting life. Running errands, volunteering, cleaning, babysitting, and working on church projects. Life is busy and good.

TLCB gig

Last night as a group of eight we crashed the Iron Horse Hotel to watch The Lucas Cates Band play. It's a really nice outside patio area with couches and tables. It was super fun. I think it's really fun to have a big group there. There was one downside and that was a private party that parked themselves right in front of us so we couldn't always see the band. I was making some jokes about having to sit on the ground to see the band and I got a dirty look from one of the private party guys. Oh well. I thought it was common courtesy to not stand right in front of someone while they are trying to view something but I guess that is just me being crazy. Because, you know, there is no where else to stand. At the end of the evening we had to move to another couch to see and this guy said, "Look, we even made the girls move! We paid for our front row seats." I smiled but said to my friends, "Suckers! We didn't pay anything." Okay, that's all I'll say on that topic.

We got to have lots of conversations with the band too. Mark, the bass player, has quit smoking (hooray for you Mark! You can do it!) so we talked about that a little bit. I'm not sure what else we talked about. It was all great though. It was a beautiful night too. We had lots of fun and I can't wait for the next one ladies! I forgot my camera so I'll steal some from DeAnn and Patty and post them later!

Getting better every year.

Last night Ben was looking at a picture of me and Alexis back when Alexis was just 11 months old. He made the comment that he loved that picture. He said he loved the way I looked in that picture. I said I actually hate the way I look in that picture. Alexis said, "Yeah, I think you look better now then you did then. Plus, you're a better mom now then you were then." To which I replied, "Oh really? I wasn't a very good mom back then?" She said, "Oh, you get better every year." HA! I'm very glad to know that my parenting skills are improving each year.


Two mornings ago Alexis woke up with some allergy issues. She was sniffling and I told her we needed to give her some medicine before school. Audrey laid on top of Alexis' lap and said, "Oh, Alexis, you have pollen issues!"


Two of my favorite phrases that Audrey uses that are incorrect are: silly potty (for silly putty) and whenever we get to use the elevator she calls it an alligator. I just love those slip ups. I do think she knows the elevator one know but she stills says alligator because I like it so much.

First day of school

Well, school has started. The girls are taking the bus this year, which is huge for me. I have never let them take it before. I just don't trust a bus driver to keep my kids safe and to get them to where they need to be. The girls have a large group of kids on their bus this year who all take care of each other. Plus, I have three kids getting off the bus with my girls this year because I am watching them for an hour after school. I have to admit that it is really nice not to have to drive them. The bus stops right at the bottom of our driveway too. Both Audrey and Alexis love to ride too.


They have been so excited for school to start. They have wonderful teachers and I am very excited for this year.


Yesterday was my first day of having both girls gone from 8:30-4:15. By about 2pm I was feeling like something was missing. I have been taking uninterrupted naps, which is glorious, but I also feel a little guilty doing it. I told Ben I might get a little weird now that there is no one here for me to talk to. He said, "get a little weird?" I said, "Okay, I might get a little more weird."

Chicago Afternoon

Ben's awesome boss, Dan, gave us four tickets to a Cubs game last Tuesday. We decided to go since the kids weren't in school yet and neither of us have ever been to Wrigley Field. I decided to head down to the city a little early and walk around with the girls. It was a gorgeous day out. Not too hot and sunny. We walked around for 2 and 1/2 hours. The girls were worn out! Okay, so was I.

We walked to Millennium Park and played in the water area. looked at the bean sculpture. They had to get wet with their normal clothes on since I didn't bring any swimsuits. They dried pretty quickly though.


We got some ice cream and boy do these girls love ice cream.


We went to see the bean sculpture, also in Millennium Park. It's very cool. The girls loved this.


I even got a picture of all three of us from our reflection off the bean.


The bean sculpture.

We picked Ben up from his office and headed to Wrigley Field. We did get a little lost and when we asked a couple who were wearing Cub shirts where the stadium was they gave us a, "Oh, come on! Really?" Uh, yeah, do you see the Wisconsin plates buddy? I mean, really? Is your team so great that everyone must know where your stadium is? And by the way, your team sucks!

Anyway, I digress. We had really great seats. That was fun. But truly, the inside of the stadium was a little gross. Now, you can't tell in this picture below but it is of Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, who threw out the first pitch. Kind of cool!

Another view of the field.

Ben and the girls. Does this score tell you anything about the game? The Cubs were pathetic! Right after we took this picture the score went to 12 to 5. By the time we got in the car the score was 15 to 5. Oh my goodness, so pathetic.

Well, of course we had to get hot dogs! Alexis wasn't really happy with me for taking her picture while eating a hot dog. I kept badgering her though and she did this for me:

Audrey eating her hot dog.

Overall, we had a very pleasant afternoon and evening, even though the Cubs sucked. Okay, I've said that enough.

MPM

On Monday the girls and I went with Amy and her kids, Haylee and Brady, to the Milwaukee Public Museum. Mondays are free for Milwaukee County residents so we decided to take advantage one more time before school starts. The kids had a good time and I did too despite a smashing headache. It was probably a migraine since light and motion made it hurt and taking Advil did nothing at all.

Anyway, the butterfly exhibit was the by far the favorite place to be. The kids would have stayed in there longer had I not made them leave. Two butterflies chose Alexis' shirt as a haven and she walked around for a good 20 minutes with them on her shirt. Audrey got several to stay on her fingers and then one went onto her face which she thought was hilarious.

I just love free entertainment!

Dinosaur World and Diamond Caverns

In Cave City, KY--just north of Bowling Green, KY--there is a magical place called Dinosaur World. Lori and I decided to extend our trip by one more day so we could stop and see this place with the kids. Because after all, what's one more day when it's been three and a half weeks? Plus, when are we ever going to be driving through KY again?

Dinosaur World is pretty cool. It is pretty neat to see life size dinosaurs everywhere. Plus, I never realized how many different kids of dinosaurs they were. Although is was really hot the girls still had a nice time. Here are pictures to prove it.



Even Lori had fun playing with the dinosaurs!


Okay, I did too!


There was big sand excavating area that the girls had to themselves. They dug up and brushed away at the bones underneath the sand. I think the place was deserted because everyone else was sane and realized it was too hot to be outside. Or just to exist really.

Some life size dinosaurs.

The girls are trying to make it look like they are running from this dinosaur. I think it's funny that instead of pretending to run away Audrey has her fists up like she's going to fight the dinosaur.

This picture is really funny because of Abby's and Audrey's faces. Hilarious! That is about how I felt at the end of this trip too!

The other thing we saw on this day was the Diamond Caverns. In 1859 a young slave discovered a pit in the bottom of one of the region’s many dry limestone valleys near Mammoth Cave. Lowered on a rope into the cave, the first visitor thought the sparkling calcite formations resembled diamonds, and the name for the cave was born.
Providing cave tours for over 140 years, Diamond Caverns is the fourth oldest show cave in the country. The cave is presented by a state-of-the-art lighting system that brings to life a profusion of spectacular natural formations throughout. Delicate deposits of calcite crystals fold in drapery like formations along the passage walls.

And now you know more than I did when I saw this. It was very neat and despite Alexis' nervousness about the ceiling caving in on us she liked it as well. It didn't help that the old lady behind us kept talking about how scared she was and how old the caves are and aren't safe and on and on and on. She should've just said what Bob did in "What about Bob?" when he boards the bus and doesn't think he can handle the ride: "Hi. My name is Bob. Would you knock me out please? Just hit me in the face."

Ahh, what a fun trip we had. And it only took me a month to blog about it all and recover.