Uh Oh...

I finally got a new cell phone the other night. It has a keyboard and right away, Sam wanted to try it out. He text my sister...who thought he should be in bed! The next morning, he checked to see if she, my sister, had text him back a message. I think I may have an addict in the making!

Yummy...

Nothing better on a warm summer evening then eating ice-cream that has eyeballs!

Famous Boys on TV

The USA Track and Field Championships have been going on all weekend down at Drake. Jason has gone each day, I have not...a bit too hot for my liking. Sunday I worked, so Jason took the boys down to the meet with him. They had a ball and even high-fived some of the race winners! We taped the races and noticed these fabulous fans while rewatching last night!!

Autographs are welcomed...for a small fee or a dinner when we remodel...and I have no kitchen!

What I am Reading...

Just finished Henry House. I would give it about 3 1/2 stars, but the book has gotten rave reviews. It is about a boy, Henry, that was an orphan and used as a practice baby at a college. At the practice house, girls learned how to take care of a baby. So, Henry has many mothers, but never a "real" mom. This affects him through his life, especially with his relationships. It didn't take me long to read this, but I didn't stay up late reading it...

I have tried several times to read the book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but to no success. So, I took the easy way out and went to the movie last weekend. The movie is rough, but it was an excellent one! It was made in Sweden and is subtitled, but well worth the "read!" I am now going to read the second in the trilogy....will let you know what I think about this summer read!

Seriously, Jack...

We can all remember the stitches Jack had not long ago, along with seven band-aids.

He was down to one band-aid with that accident when he fell, BIG TIME, on the cement while running. His knees and one elbow were VERY scratched up. We were back up to six band-aids.

Those "owies" healed and then this weekend...Jack was running at the pool (a big no-no) and tripped over the water noodle he was carrying. Needless to say, we are back on the band-aids. We were up to five, but now down to two. If the summer continues like this, please get stock on band-aids...we are going to keep them in business...(we are stuck on them!! :)

Hello...

I am downstairs doing laundry and look up at the window and see this looking back at me.
First feeling: totally creeped out.
First thought: Can he get in?
Second thought: No...I don't think he can get in...
Third thought: Yell, "BOYS COME HERE!"
Next thought: If I yell at the boys, they will see it. Then they will want to go outside to look at it. Jack will jump in the window well and try to catch it. Once he catches it, he will play with it until it lays there or ends up with a bloody eye, like the previous toads. Then Sam will be stressed out or want to keep it in the empty fish tank to help heal the thing. We or I will end up having to catch bugs to feed the thing.

Final thought: Go and get my camera and take a picture of it...
and don't say anything to the boys!

Here is the little guy in the window well watching me do my laundry.

This toad owes me...big time. I saved his life and his eye!

Later, I showed the boys the pictures. They immediately went out to the window well to check it out...Jack was bummed it was gone. Sam asked, "Why didn't you tell us?" So I quoted the above...he replied, "Yea. Probably a good idea to keep it to yourself."

Bike Stories...

My main photo fixing and organization application is Picasa. It has the option of writing text on your photo. So I have been playing around with this option more and more. I have even found myself taking pictures (as well as cropping photos) with larger spaces so I can write on the photo. I love this! Here is a couple of examples that I have done...

This story tells about how Sam learned to ride his bike without training wheels...if you click on the picture it will "bigify" so you can read the story.

I caught this photo just as Jason was asking Jack if he wanted to learn how to ride his bike without training wheels...he face tells his answer.

This is just a photo of Sam, right after he clicked the strap on his helmet...needless to say, he clicked his finger in the strap, too!

I print the photo as a 5x7 with the longer stories because I had to use smaller print. When I type shorter text on the photo, I print off the photos in 4x6 or 5x7. Then, all I have to do is put it in the summer scrapbook and done with that page!

Tis' the Season...

Tis' the season of junk sales and garage sales! Went to a vintage garage sale last Friday and found some great fans...love vintage fans!!

This one is fabulous with the red covering!!

Found this little red kids chair at JB Knacker in Gilbert along with my huge bottle of buttons. Got the fan at a garage sale. the previous owner rewired it so it actually works!!

This fan is huge and looks fabulous on the top shelf in my entry way. It was SO clean..which is always a bonus when going to sales.

I love this season!!

Holy....

Holy cow, crap, moly....

The other night we heard a tree frog croaking. It ws loud and sounded as if it was inside the house. Well, after much looking, we found the little guy on the window ledge OUTSIDE (thank goodness) the widow. Cute little thing...his little chin would blow up each time it croaked. He was fun to watch. Our flood light was on and he was enjoying a large snack of bugs...I'm cool with that.

Before I went to bed, I decided to check on the little guy and couldn't find him. I was checking out the large variety of different bugs that had plastered themselves on our windows when I suddenly spotted the little tree frog...right at eye level! I yelled out a "HOLY CRAP." Not so cute anymore...totally disgusting on his bottom side and glued to my window with those nasty bubble suction toes. But of course, couldn't' pass up on the opportunity to take a picture!

Our New Main Floor...

We are so excited! We have almost finalized our plans for our main floor remodel. For those of you that are familiar with the house, I labeled the main areas so you could tell what we are changing. We've decided to knock out all the walls on the main floor and make it one big room. As you can see in the plans, we will need to add columns, of some sort, for support (one is right behind the chair). The first column is going to be my beloved laundry shoot!! Yea - that makes me so happy! We will begin "stage one" with replacing the windows, then siding and then the inside. The process should begin in about two to three weeks. Hopefully, next spring, we will begin the addition to the north side of the house. I am sure I will have loads of pictures to keep everyone updated on the process!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

The other morning, it was pouring rain, so the boys headed out to check the small river in our driveway.

Sam was helping Jack find the small flood...so he put his arm around him to help aid Jack's vision...how cute is that!

Then they headed in to get properly dressed to enjoy the rain puddles, but that was short lived...Jason and I decided it wasn't a great idea for the boys to play in rain puddles by the trees while it was lightning.

Birthday Cupcakes...

My mom and sister had their birthdays so the boys and I made them cupcakes for dessert. I used some new cupcake boxes that I got at Memory Bound. We put the special cupcakes in the boxes for the birthday girls.

This one was for mom...I put a colorful stack of flowers on top of the box.

The boys' favorite colors are blue and green which are reflected on my sister's cupcake box. I decorated the box with a big matching ribbon and flower.

Next time I would use (and suggest) tooling to make big bows on the boxes, but I was fresh out of tool! The cupcake boxes were a big hit!!

One of those days...

Ever have one of those days where you couldn't even put your socks on right?

(I don't know why my socks are labeled and it looks as if I need to vacuum!)

Living with Lego Minifigures...

Story 1:
Something you may not know about me, is that I really like little mini Lego figures. They are so darn cute! So, when the boys and I found this little camera guy (with a camera bag), we just had to get it for my dad, who is a photographer and loves cameras. I told the boys that this little guy was perfect, except for the color of his hair...it needed to be gray. Well, Sam insisted that there were NO figures with gray hair...which sent me on a search...


I pulled out the "Standing Tall" Lego book, which has pictures of all the minifigures (I am thinking of framing some of the pages - they are pretty darn cool!) and looked for a gray haired figures. I only found 4 that Lego had created: male worker made in 2007, Grand Moff Tarkin (a star wars guy) made in 2006, Professor Dunbledore (from Harry Potter) who has long hair and a long beard and Sensei Keiken. So, needless to say, Sam was correct. So I have accepted that the above guy is a young grandpa!

Story 2:
The other night I went in to check on Jack in bed. Beside his bed I saw the below Lego spider, but in the dark, it doesn't look like a Lego. That day, we had been spraying for bugs and sweeping up dead ones, including several spiders. So, in my head I said, "Holy crap!" and then the instinct of terminating it kicked in. So, I held my breath and pounded it with my fist...obviously, the little bug didn't even flinch. Hmmm...might it be....fake? So I touched real quick my finger. Oh. Oops. Just a Lego piece...thank goodness!

Some New Things...

Thought I would share some fun new things that I have found...


I keep my photo "information" in this 6x5 notebook that I found at Target.

A new 16x20 print for the sunroom I purchased at Slide Sideways.

(http://www.slide-sideways.com/)

Huge wooden key that I got at Target. Perfect for my kitchen wall!

Huge wooden scissors that I got at Target when I purchased the above key. Hangs out on my old doorknob "thing" by my front entry.

The scissors will look amazing in my new scrapbook room...in a year or two!

Last Day of School

Sam had his last day of second grade yesterday. These pictures actually bring a tear to my eye...he has grown up so fast in such a short amount of time!

First day of second grade...

Last day of second grade...

(The blue lump above Sam's right shoulder is Jack laying under a blanket...he just got out of bed. He isn't a morning person.)

Signs of Summer....

My "summer" chair is all set up under a shade tree (we didn't have one of those at the old place) where I can watch the boys swim, run in the sprinkler, etc...

A water activity being prepared...
(Sam and Jack are the only boys that I know that actually saved some water balloons for a later date. I don't blame them - there were only 300 balloons in the pack!)

A water gun arsenal is always at the finger tips...

Bright summer trunks...love them!!

(Jack did his first nude outside run this weekend. He couldn't find any swim trunks to wear...supposedly)

Update...

Just a quick update on my dad. He had a stent put in last Friday for an aortic aneurysm. All his girls were with him before they wheeled him off to surgery. He was in great spirits, but really wished he was the one going to be in the waiting room!

After they took him to surgery, mom, Meg and I went to the waiting room. We were one of the first ones there, so we scored a comfy couch and two recliners. Megan played around with her new i-phone and accidentally set her ringer on "firetruck." Each time it would ring, everyone in the waiting room would get quiet and stare at us.

I tried to nap on the comfy couch, but Meg's "siren" would wake me or I would eavesdrop on the family beside us as they discussed how kids now days don't even carry checks. They have this little credit card type thing called a debit card that they can use and take money right out of their checking account!

Dad was in surgery for about two hours and then in recovery for almost three hours. We met him at his room where he kept saying that he felt really good. Which he now understands was the drugs and Novocaine in his body! He finally got to eat...a raspberry Popsicle...which he was so excited about....haha. He had to stay on a liquid diet all Friday, which really did not please him.

The three of us headed to the hospital cafeteria for some lunch. After eating, we were waiting for the elevators and a little boy threw up beside me. And as you know, I cannot handle vomit of any kind or from anything. So, I let out an uncontrollable, "AHHHH!" Meanwhile, Meg was thinking, "Wow, that kid could burp,"...not realizing what had happened until she heard my distress call and saw the pure look or terror/horror on my face. Never fear...Meg is here! She grabbed my arm and steered my back into the cafeteria, giggling all the way. Mom had no idea any of this was going on, but followed us (by habit) asking..."What is so funny? What did you two do? Where are you two going?" We went out some back doors and walked around the hospital to the main entrance...what my family does for me to avoid an unsightly puddle!!

Dad headed home on Saturday and is doing really well. His only challenge at this time is trying to sit. His incisions are right where his legs bend and putting his "upper" body weight on the incisions is a bit sore. But, you can only keep a man from doing important computer work for so long!! He is VERY bruised on one side, and as Sam stated, "That bruise is as big as my head!" Jack, my band-aid expert, stated that Grandpa would need a very big band-aid and needs to cover that bruise up!

I would like to thank you for all your well wishes and prayers...at this time, please send him positive vibes so he can sit and get back to important computer work and eating at the kitchen table!

Homemade Pest Control...

Who needs Pest Control when you have two boys with water guns to take care of the pests...

Having some issues with this blog...first no picture and then I cannot get the writing to align left...so this is the best I could come up with!

Jack likes to make hot chocolate...by himself. Above is what you need to make the bestest hot chocolate:

1. Swiss miss hot chocolate mix

2. cup (prefer plastic...get more water in it)

3. marshmallows (multi flavored, not just white)

4. spoon

5. mom's little electric mixer (which must be put into the cup before turning on....still working on this skill)

6. Winter gloves...just in case the hot water would get too hot and that could effect holding the cup.

7. straw (not show, but in any color) And yes, he makes it even when it is 90 degrees out!

Hot Chocolate...

Jack likes to make hot chocolate...by himself. Above is what you need to make the bestest hot chocolate:

1. Swiss miss hot chocolate mix
2. cup (prefer plastic...get more water in it)
3. marshmallows (multi flavored, not just white)
4. spoon
5. mom's little electric mixer (which must be put into the cup before turning on....still working on this skill)
6. Winter gloves...just in case the hot water would get too hot and that could effect holding the cup.
7. straw (not show, but in any color)

And yes, he makes it even when it is 90 degrees out!