Christmas Wrap Up!

We have been terribly busy with all the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season. I am so glad that it is over and hopefully we can return to some sense of "normal" around here. I've already taken down and packed away all the Christmas decorations and I am in the process of clearing out the old and organizing the new. I thought I would take a minute to update about our Christmas while I had a minute.

So here we go....

First off on Friday the 19th we were to have Anna's school Christmas party but instead got 12 inches of the wonderful white stuff. Can you say YUCKY?! Anyway that did indeed guarantee a White Christmas for us. We ended up doing her party on Monday and it was a wonderful time. I really enjoy getting to help the class at events like this, it's so fun to get to know all the kids. As "Anna's Mom", that's what the kids all call me, I recieved alot of hugs and one Mom even made a comment about how popular "Anna's Mom" was,LOL!! It's nice that I am there enough that they all know me and that they all like Anna so much. She is especially popular with the boys already, her Dad was not amused by this and has his shotgun ready already!

Next was Christmas Eve and we went to Randy's cousins' for the evening. We had a great time and all the cousins had a blast and got way too many toys. Then we came home and put out our "Reindeer Food" and snacks for Santa. Then it was off to bed for Anna and off to get ready for us. We got the stockings filled, the presents ouot and the puppet theater built.

Anna woke up bright and early Christmas morning. She was very excited to see everything Santa left and the great puppet theater her Dad and I got her. So far the theater is her fave thing. Here are some photo highlights:









Later that day we had some of my family over for more present mayhem and some yummy food. We had a great time and even got some Wii play time in. After everyone left Randy went and picked up my step-daughters and they came to stay for a few days. My step-son also dropped in but he's busy with college and girls and work so he didn't stay with us. Anna had lots of fun playing with her sisters and we enjoyed having them stay a bit longer than usual.

So now on this last day of 2008 we can finally take a breath before we start the New Year and all the new adventures it's sure to bring. Hope you all have a wonderful and Happy New Year!!!!!

Spotted

This Christmas we spotted 2 new reindeers helping Santa. And I was even able to grab a couple photos, so here they are:

Reindeer Drake


And Reindeer Anna

Let It Snow!

I HATE snow!!!!! I mean I really hate snow. I wouldn't be sad if I never saw it again. Sure it looks pretty on the trees and all that crap but so does sun and flowers! I got half our huge driveway done and a path all the way to the end for the mail and school bus. YUCK YUCK YUCK!!! I hope one day I can move somewhere that never or rarely has snows, that would be awesome!!

Dog Bite Update: Anna's ear is looking great and healing quickly. And she's been more cooperative in letting me take care of it.

Dog Bites, Birthday and Hip Hop Dancin'

Where to begin! On Friday night Anna went with her Dad to pick up some firewood and go to his cousins to finally get her b-day present. A little while later Randy calls to tell me she got bit by a dog!!! Apparently the firewood guy had a dog and he said it was friendly and she had been playing with it for awhile when it bit her ear! She says he didn't growl or anything so my best guess is he got too rough while he played with her and may have to tried to grab her coat or winter hat and got her ear instead. He told me it wasn't that bad and they would be home soon. Of course when they arrived home, it looked awful to me and she didn't want us to touch it all. We had to bribe her w/ a new Wii game just to get the earring out. So I did the best cleaning job I could. She was happy though that she got her b-day gift and it was a great Ariel mermaid doll that sings and lights up and stuff.

Saturday was my b-day so we got up and went to get Anna's Wii game. She decided on a Catz 2 game and we also ran some other errands as well. We then stopped by my friend Julia's office to get some voodoo medicine to ward off all the bacteria from Anna's dog bite. Later my mom came by with my fave cake and homemade mannicotti. My Aunt Anne also ended up stopping by so it was nice to eat and visit. I had also made an enchilada casserole so we had tons of food! They even brought me some nice gifts too!!

Sunday I got up early to get a Wii Fit from Best Buy that Randy was buying for b-day and Christmas. They had a ton of them so it was quick and painless! Buying it was painless, however getting on it and having it tell you how awfully fat you are , not so much! I have a long year ahead of me for that. UGH!

On Sunday I was also able to bribe Anna, with some small Chritmas gifts, to let me really clean off her ear and get all the caked on gunk off. Once it was really clean I was able to see it wasn't so bad and I think the earring did the most damage. It's now healing very nicely. Re-piercing that ear is going to be fun though, but that's a battle for another day!

Monday my friends Christy and Julia planned a nice lunch at Julia's office to celebrate my birthday. They got me yummy Da Francescos food and even had "real" plates and candlight and everything. It was so nice to sit and chat and enjoy a nice lunch with friends. And the cake was AMAZING! I think I am ordering one for Chritmas it was so good. It was some type of custard cake with fresh berries in the filling and on top. It was soooooooooo good. I was even nice enough to bring some home to Randy and he even said how good it was. I am so lucky to have such wonderful and thoughtful friends!

After I was stuffed, I picked Anna up from school and she went to try out a new Hip Hop dance class to decide if she wanted to do that or ice skating. She had been really stuck on ice skating but she doesn't like the idea of falling down so I didn't want to fork out all that cash for her to tell me she doesn't like it. After we did a dancing w/ Santa thing a few weeks back she's been asking to go back to dancing. After lots of discussion about what kind and where. We settled on Hip Hop at a family friends new dance studio. I was surprised to see how many kids were in the class, at least 10, boys and girls equally. She went in and 45 minutes later she came out so excited. I asked her if it was fun and she said" no Mom, it was super fun forget ice skating" LOL!!! She wanted to know when the next class was and if she could sign up. So come January we are back to dancing. The bonus is the studio is next door to Trader Joe's and across the street from the Village of Rochester so I have something to do while she's at class too!

So that's the last few days in a nutshell. Hope everyone is well and staying warm! I will try to update again soon,but we are so busy with getting ready for Christmas and school events that I keep getting sidetracked. Sorry!

Deck the Halls

Last week after lots of begging I broke down and put up the tree and other decorations. I really wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving but Anna had other ideas. So it's beginning to look alot like Christmas around here! We still have a few more things left to do but it's mostly done and ready for Santa.

I also got my Christmas cards done and in the mail, got all the early December b-day cards mailed and even have a few gifts bought. I was going to wrap them, but haven't decided exactly what's from Santa yet and he has special paper. It feels great to be a little ahead of the game, but I am sure in a few weeks I'll be feeling behind again!

On Friday we went to the Kris Kringle Market in Rochester, it's an outdoor German type market w/ greenery and other Christmas stuff and yummy food. We had a great time except for the part where I discovered that I lost my cell phone-UGH!! Luckily when we called it the person who found it answered and ttold me where I could pick it up. You'll never guess where I lost it- the BEER TENT- LOL!!! I swear I only had one glass of hot spiced wine which I even shared with my mom! Speaking of the hot spiced wine, it was super yummy, I need to figure out how to make it! Anyway I got it back and on our trip to pick it up Dasher, you know Santa's Reindeer, had shown up at the market and Anna was excited she got to see him.

I have just one more thing to add- I HATE the cold!! Snow is okay, I can deal with it, but this freezing cold crap is for the birds, well actually it's not since the birds are smart enough to leave!! Is it Spring yet???

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for all my friends and family, I am truly lucky to have you all!

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town!

And Anna already found him. We were hanging out at Whole Foods and decided to take a little walk around the mall and there he was. She was super excited and I was glad to see a "real" looking Santa. She climbed on his lap and he told she had gotten much bigger since last year and she told him she wanted Littlest Pet Shop stuff. Grandma was with us and unfortunately all my pictures have Anna looking at her, oh well. The goal was to see him and tell him what she wanted. Then Santa's helper gave her some reindeer antlers and a reideer sucker and she gave me some coupons for Free Gelato at Whole Foods-YUMMY!!!!


She had to take this photo for Daddy, since he likes BIG deers:


And one more in front of the HUGE Christmas tree:


I'm glad to be able to check our Santa visit off the list and that we didn't have to wait in line or anything, it was perfect, especially free gelato! Anna also later pointed out how great it was that Santa was located across from Starbucks, that's my girl!

Birthday Part 2

Anna's actual birthday was Nov. 15th so we planned a little party w/ a couple friends at Club Libby Lu. If you have never been to a Libby Lu, it's a store just for girls and they also do makeovers. She had her friends Amanda and Jordan, Jordan's little sister Peytan and her cousin Olivia. It was so much fun and the girls had a blast. They got to wear dress up clothes, get make-up done and fancy hair styles. Then they picked out goodies for their Libby Lu backpacks and did a dance around the store, it was so stinkin' cute! And as an added bonus they just happen to have 25% off everything that day, including her party, YAY ME!!! Here are some pics of the Diva's in Training!



After they were "stylish" we went to Maggie Moo's to celebrate w/ ice cream and present opening. She got lots of wonderful gifts and everyone loved their ice cream. I was good and didn't get a thing but I did get some of Anna's and I must admit it was pretty tasty and very tempting! Although I will confess to stopping at Starbuck's on the way home for a latte, but hey after an afternoon at Libby Lu's I deserved it!! In the car Anna and her cousin were discussing their next trip to Libby Lu and how gorgeous they were,LOL!! They were very sad to hear it was going out of business in January and vowed to save them!!! So I guess now they are planning a sit in at the local Libby Lu,LOL! Well, at least they have a cause!

Turkey in Disguise

Anna had a homework assignment where she had to make a Turkey and then disguise him so he doesn't get eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. It was really cute and we had fun. After throwing around a lot of disguise ideas we had it narrowed down to Santa and a peacock. Of course the peacock won out because it required alot of glitter,LOL! And we threw in some glasses just for fun. So here is our Tom the Turkey in disguise as a Peacock, shhhh don't tell anyone!

Birthday Part 1

Saturday we had a family Birthday party for Anna's 5th Birthday. She was very excited and couldn't wait for everyone to arrive. I went and got the cake whiole she stayed home w/ daddy and she was so happy when she saw it. She said it was perfect and exactly what she wanted and that she couldn't wait to use the Lipgloss guitar they put on it.


When everyone arrived she was already thanking them for her gifts, even though she hadn't even opened them yet. We all hung out for awhile and then the opening frenzy began! She got a Hannah Montana keyboard, Ponyville toys,HSM pj's and some gift cards. She absolutely loved the gift cards and refers to them as her credit cards- what could be better than going to a toy store and buying what you want?! Her dad and I got her a little 1.5 gallon fish tank that she has been begging us for. We all had cake and ice cream and had a wonderful time visiting for awhile.


After everyone left we set up the aquarium so that it could sit over night and get ready for the fish. We then went to Target to spend one of her "credit cards" which she used to purchase two Littlest Pet Shop things.

The next morning she was up bright and early and eager to get her fish and go to Toys R Us. So we got ready and we were at Toys R Us by 9am when they opened. We spent alot of time looking around and checking out the toys since we almost never go there. She gave me some ideas for Christmas and then she made her choices- a My Little Pony remote control scooter and some more Littlest Pet Shop. She then used her other "credit card" and we headed out to the pet store. Of course the pet store wasn't open yet so we listened to Christmas music in the car, yes they are playing it 24/7 already! Finally the store opened and we went and checked out all the fish. She decided on a blue Betta and we took him home. I'll post more on him later.

So she had a great weekend and still has a Michael's gift card left to use for lots of fun craft stuff. I'm sure we'll have to go there this week sometime.

One party down and one at Libby Lu to go. Oh and she informed me her Dad promised to take her to Dave and Busters as well, so I guess we have 2 more to go,LOL!

Productive Day

Finally I feel like something is getting done!! Today, after going to bed super early yesterday, we got up early. By 8:30 we were at Walmart cashing in the stack of returnables that was taking over the garage and getting a few things we needed. Then we stopped at McD's for a belly ache,LOL!! Came home and raked as many leaves as would fit in the yard waste container and also had 4 loads of laundry done!! Then while Anna ate lunch I cleaned all the summer stuff out of her drawers so I could actually fit her clothes in the dresser instead of on top.

After I put Anna on the bus, I ran to the Dollar store to order balloons for her b-day party Saturday and took a detour through the Starbucks drive-thru. I was really trying to not have a coffee today but I just couldn't do it. I'll try again tomorrow.

Right now, I am cleaning off the computer desk, although I am obviously playing on the computer more than cleaning. But at least I feel like something got done today, instead of feeling further behind!

Did You?

Vote today?? I hope so and if you haven't make sure you get out and DO IT!!!! And don't forget to head to Starbucks for your free coffee after!

Fall Fun

We have been really busy with lots of fun fall activities and I've been meaning to update about them but just haven't had the chance. So now I have a moment to breathe before we move on to all Anna's birthday festivities!

First I was chaperone for Anna's class trip to the Big Red Cider Mill. Some of the parents, including myself, had worked for days on t-shirts for the field trip and they turned out so cute!! We used their thumbprints and turned them into sea creatures since that is the school's theme this year as well. We had a fun bus ride, then a hayride to pick yummy apples and a pumpkin. We followed that up w/ cider and doughnuts and some time in the petting farm and playground. The kids had a blast and her class is very nice and well behaved. It was also great to get to know the teachers and some of the other parents better as well.

Next we went with friends to see High School Musical 3. The girls were very excited and luckily the theater we went to is in a smaller town and was not as crazy as some of the others. The girls really enjoyed it! I still have all the songs stuck in my head,LOL!

Anna's friend Jordan came home w/ us after the movie and then that same night we headed to our favorite farm for some Trick or Treating! They put on a wonderful event and we went with some of our great friends which made it even better.


During all this I was also in charge of putting together Anna's class Halloween party. For some reason I was really stressed about how it would turn out and if the kids would have fun. The things I had them do were make T or T bags, that we later filled with a TON of candy that was brought in, then they had cider and doughnuts, then cookie decorating, pumpkin bowling, a mummy wrap game, pin the nose on the Jack O Lantern and finally they made "witche's hands" from popcorn and candy corn. The kids had a blast and I had a lot of compliments on how well it turned out. I was very relieved it went so well and I was also very thankful for all the moms who came out and helped too!

Finally we get to Halloween night. We had our usual cast of characters for our annual T or T. It's so great to have wonderful friends and traditions, I am so thankful I have them in my life. This year we hit every house ion our sub and the kids made out like bandits!! Of course my favorite house was the one offering beer and wine to the parents. A glass of wine really made the night much more enjoyable,lol!! Not too mention perfect weather !

I'm glad it's all over, but now we are entering the birthday zone, only to be followed by the Holidays. It just never seems to end.

Happy Halloween!!!

C'mon you know you want to do the Time Warp with me,LOL!!! Have a great Halloween!

Times like this

Times like this make me wish I had a boy,LOL!! We've been planning Anna's b-day party and who knew a soon to be 5 year old girl could be so picky?! We settled on a family party at home and a Libby Lu trip w/ her cousin and 2 other close family friends. Now on to the cake. Sounds simple, right? Went to Walmart to look at the choices and she could not make up her mind. First it was Hannah Montana, then High School Musical, then Camp Rock, back to Hannah, maybe Barbie and around and around we went. I gave up and told her to go home and think about it. She has to decide tonight or I am picking it! Same w/ the plates and so forth. And she's also already trying to decide which hair do and accessories to pick for Libby Lu and that's not for over 2 weeks!! I cannot wait for it to all be over!!!!! And she's only turning 5, can't wait to see what the teen years hold, YIKES!!

Cheater, Cheater

Some of you may or may not know, but I listen to lots of country music, especially when driving about town. Since Randy has been driving my truck I don't have satellite radio with Anna's Kids channel so we've been listening to ALOT of country music. Today a newer song came on and Anna told me she liked this song and started to sing it. I almost fell over in my seat when I really listened to the lyrics! Luckily she really only likes the cheater, cheater part and doesn't have all the lyrics down yet, thank goodness!!. But the whole song is a riot and it may be one of my new faves too. You can check it out here:

• Joey & Rory
• New Music

Homecoming Queen

On Friday Anna went with Randy to go visit some family. She called me a bit later to tell me that she was in the Homecoming parade and was going to the football game. She was very excited! I mean, how many 5 year olds climb in their Dad's truck to go visit their cousins only to end up in a Parade and at a big football game?? But it got better, I later received this picture on my phone:



Yep, that's her in a cheer uniform cheering with her cousins cheer squad!! What luck and what a great story she had tell when she got home and when she saw Grandma and Grandpa the next day. Guess all that money spent on cheer finally paid off,LOL!

To top off her great weekend she scored her first soccer goal and almost got another but it was blocked. It was definitely a great weekend for her!

And one last thing, a BIG Thank You to all my friends, just knowing you are there makes all things possible and better!! I LOVE YOU !!!

And so it begins

Even though it never really ended-HUNTING SEASON! Many of you know how crazily obsessed my husband is with hunting and if you don't well let me tell you it's out of control. Not only is there always some sort of season going on, although deer is his favorite, when there isn't a season they are busy geting ready and planting food plots and fixing tree stands. The horror of it all never ends. Most women are hunting widows for a few weeks, maybe even a month. I've been one for over 7 years now,LOL!! And I'm pretty sure none of you have found bullets in your washing machine either. Yep that's right bullets and when it's not bullets it's fishing hooks from you guessed yet another season,fishing. What was I thinking??!! I should have known when I was planning the wedding and had to squeeze it in before hunting season that I was in trouble. I even had Anna on opening day of gun season Nov. 15th, how crazy is that??

And speaking of Anna this is what happens when your Dad is a turkey, I mean hunter:

Happy Hunting Season!

Noah

Ya know Noah, the guy with Arc? Well I'm starting to think an Arc is an excellent idea. Yesterday it rained, off and on, but all day. today it has been steady to heavy rain ALL day, not a single break in the weather. And guess what they say about tomorrow- Heavy Rain ALL day!! So you can see why I am feeling a little like Noah. Yuck, we even had to play soccer in this crap, well I didn't but Anna did. I just had to sit on the side lines getting drenched, sounds fun doesn't it, especially at 9am.

And I am also pretty sure that an Arc gets much better gas mileage than my truck, especially now that gas went up about 40 cents in a couple freakin' days.GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Well time to shut down the computer, cause guess what, it's a rain storm. Surprise, surprise.

Remember me, your mom??

That's what I was thinking as Anna got on the school bus for the first time today. No hug, no kiss, not even a hestitation as she got on. Although she did say "later mom". She was this confident little person who was now an elementary student. She said Hi to Miss Laura, the bus driver, and went looking for a seat by one of her friends. Where is the kid who would cling to me or at the very least give me that last extra long hug before she went into class? She has been replaced with a very confident kid and while it does make me a little sad it makes me super happy and proud that it appears so far I am doing ok as a parent and haven't messed her up too bad.

It's Official!

Anna is an elementary school student!! Today was her first day of Kindergarten and she did awesome! She's in the afternoon class, so for four hours she asked me if it was time to go yet,lol! Finally it was and we waited outside the classroom for her teacher to let us in.



After her teacher greeted each student we had to find Anna's name on the desk and attached was a scavanger hunt for her and I. Basically it was fun way to help the kids learn where things were. The last thing was to hug your mom good bye and sit in the circle. She was so excited to get started and I know she didn't even miss me.


After, the moms headed to the Media Center for "Tissue and Tears" reception put on by the PTO. The PTO ladies seemed very nice and I look forward to getting involved. I didn't see anyone crying either, which kind of surprised me. Anna was so confident and ready that I felt great leaving her.

After school she informed me that she loved her teacher and it was so fun, they even have art class she said. She also told me that she would be riding the bus to school tomorrow as she didn't need her mom to take her to school. I'm a little sad that she didn't want me to take her a few more days, but also glad that she is so sure of herself and going to school. I'm very proud of her and still can't believe she's already in school, it's just crazy!

The BIG K

Only 4 more days until Anna starts Kindergarten, where did the time go? She is so ready and so excited. I'm excited for her too. While I'll enjoy all my extra kid free time, I'm gonna miss my shopping and coffee buddy,lol!! And I will no longer have any excuses as to why my house is a wreck, I'll have more than enough time to get it and keep it in order. My plans for the first few weeks are to reorganize each room top to bottom and purge all the stuff we no longer need or use. Hopefully it won't take too long and will make keeping everything organized a bit easier.

On Wednesday we had Kindergarten Welcome Night to meet the teachers and see her room. Unfortunately Anna will be having a new teacher and they didn't have her processed so she was very dissapointed when she didn't get to meet her. She did get to meet the student-teacher that will be in her class for the first 16 weeks and she really liked her. She seems like a very sweet girl. Hopefully Anna will like her teacher just as much. She was happy to see a couple of her Nursery school friends are in her class and that it's about half boys and half girls too.

We also went back to school shopping ( Thanks to Grandma !) and got some some cute clothes that we can transition from summer to fall. Of course I just saw the 1st day it's supposed to be 90! So much for fall weather!

Tomorrow we have a 3rd b-day party for Anna's cousin Joshua. We went to Lakeshore Learning and got him some great stuff. I just love that store and could spend a fortune there! I think when Anna goes to school fulltime, I'll work part time so I can get a discount and buy everything I see,LOL! Of course Anna lovs it too and it's super hard to drag her out. But her all time favorite store is Whole Foods. That's right a grocery store,crazy kid! She loves all the samples they always have and the attention they give her with stickers and treats. At least it's a healthy store and not a toy or candy store she likes so much! I'm not surprised though it's one of my fave places too. So much to see and try, it's a great place!

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend and first day of school!!!

Child Labor

It sounded like a great idea. Get my walls washed and get it done for free. And as it turns out it was fun too:


Well at least for her, since the mess she created was far worse than the dirt left by the dog on the wall. The floor was soaked, she was soaked and I ended up with more work. But she did "help" and was proud to have contributed to the house cleaning. Next time I think we'll try something with less water,lol!!

Speaking of water, here are a couple pics from the malls water sprinklers that we went to the other day.



Yesterday my mom and I went to the Heavenly Scent Herb Farm www.heavenlyscentherbfarm.com and unfortunately I forgot my camera. The place is just so beautiful and peaceful. It was so nice to walk around and have a relaxing day. I think I may take Anna next time so we can take some pictures in the Fairy Garden. We also got a fairy house for our own little fairy garden we are going to do next spring. I'll take Anna to pick out her own fairy. And I found the cutest "butterfly antenna" for her Halloween costume. That sounds so weird that I am already thinking of halloween, guess summer is really ending.

Latest and Greatest

So I survived the sleepover,LOL! It actually went really well and the girls had a blast. Jordan wanted to stay another night. They were really good and on Wed. I took them to the Bounce House to play and another friend and her daughter joined us as well. The kids went crazy and we were able to sit and chat for bit. Then we went home and played in the pool and sprinklers. It was a fun sleepover and I am glad the girls had such a wonderful time.

On Tuesday Anna had her first soccer practice and she loved it. They also got their uniforms and their team is yellow and black so they picked the name the Stingerz. She can't wait to play again. I volunteered to be the team parent so on Thursday I had a meeting for that and they held a raffle and guess what I scored? A Starbucks gift card-WOOHOO!! Thank you to God for rewarding me for sitting through a very uninspiring meeting. Anna had to come with me and was much to my surprise very good and so she was rewarded with Happy Meal which came with a very annoying Star Wars toy. Luckily I had my Starbucks and so it didn't bother me so much.

Tonight Randy took Anna and they headed up north for the weekend. I headed to PF Chang's with some friends. Man that place is so yummy!! It was nice to hang out and come home to a nice quiet house. Tomorrow my mom and I are heading to the Heavenly Herb farm to enjoy their Summer Fair. I also plan to clean Anna's room while she isn't here to "help".

Only 1 week of summer vacation left, can you believe it?? Wed. we have Kindergarten Welcome Night and Anna is excited to meet her teacher and check out her classroom. Should be fun!! We also have a couple end of the summer playdates with our friends. Then it's off Kindergarten.

I apologize for any grammar and spelling errors, it's late and I am really tired but can't sleep. Time to go find a new home for that annoying Happy Meal toy, have a good weekend!

Sleepover

Right now as I type this Anna is planning the itinerary for her first sleepover tomorrow night. Her friend Jordan will be spending the night and following day with us. They are both super excited and have lots of big plans for their time together.

I on the other hand envision a sleepless night filled with lots of 4 year old girl giggling and carrying on. I figure eventually they have to pass out right? Man, what was I thinking?? I'll let y'all know how it goes on Wednesday if I survive the night that is!

Recycle

I've been recycling for quite sometime and am fortunate that our city offers curbside recycling, however up until July 1st what we could recycle was limited so I couldn't recycle as much as I wanted.

Starting July 1st a new recyling plan was implemented and we could now recycle just about everything and it is awesome!! I have gone from 1 container to 2 and may have to add another one. And my regualr garbage has been reduced to about 3 bags and even those aren't always filled they get stinky before I can fill them.

It's so great to be able to make such a big difference and it's also been great for Anna. She loves getting the stuff into the right bin and talks about keeping the earth clean and healthy. Hopefully her generation can do better than the previous ones have and there is still hope for a healthy planet.

If you aren't recycling shame on you, it's easy and cost effective and makes a HUGE difference!! So get out that container and start recycling!

Green Thumb

It seems that Anna definitely has one. We have a couple plants we bought her at Eastern market earlier this year and they are doing so awesome. But the one she is most proud of and that is growing like crazy is her cactus. When we bought it for 2 bucks it only had 3 "ears" on it and it was in a tiny pot. It soon grew another ear and continued to grow quickly. So quickly that Anna had to decorate a new, bigger pot for it and we transplanted it a couple weeks ago. I figured since we transplanted it would slow down for a bit until it got re-established, but no it's currently growing yet another "ear" and getting bigger and bigger. She is so happy and here it is today:


Besides growing plants she's also been playing at the beach. We recently made a trip with my friend Ginnie and her daughter Autumn. I did bring my camera and of course after one shot my batteries died!!!! But they had a really awesome time swimming and making sand castles.


We've also been having some water fun at home. I got this cool hose sprayer on clearance at Target for only $1.91 and she's having a blast with it!! And at the same time my grass and flowers are getting a drink too, so it works great for all of us!



Today we went and voted and the poll workers were very impressed that she knew about some of the issues on the ballot. They also commented on how well behaved she was while we were there. How come she can't be so well behaved and well mannered at home?? At least I know she does hear what I tell her!

And can you believe in just a few short weeks Anna will be starting Kindergarten?!! It just seems crazy to me that she's even old enough so fast. Of course she thinks she's 4 going on 15 so she is ready. I think she's most excited about getting to ride the bus. Fall is just around the corner and I can't wait for cooler weather, beautiful tree colors and all the fun of cider mills and the farm!! Lookout Fall here we come!!

Girls Night!

I'm sure most of you with girls under 12 spent your evening in much the same way I did. Watching the Disney channel premiere of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus in 3-D!! Anna has been waiting patiently for about 2 weeks to wear her fabulous 3-D glasses that we HAD to get from Walmart before they ran out. So tonight was finally the night and she was so excited. So together we sat and sang and danced and snacked our way throuigh the show. It was lots of fun to just sit and laugh with her and see how much she loved the show. And I have to admit, I actually kinda like the Miley stuff,shhhhh.... don't tell anyone!

And I think I have little performer on my hands. She is very sure that she wants to be singing and dancing on stage just like Miley. But with HER songs that she plans to write,LOL! She also reminded me that she wants to take a Hip-Hop class so she can dance like they do. What 4 year old knows what Hip-Hop is, let alone that she wants to take a class for it! She kills me. Little does she know I have been looking for Hip-Hop classes for her age and I've only found a couple, but as long as they fit our schedule I will sign her up.

It's actually been a girls day today. Randy went up-north to drool over the deer. And I babysat my girlfriends 4 and 2 year old girls for her while she helped her husband at their office. The girls had so much fun and I never knew how loud 3 girls could be,LOL!! And the amount of singing and performing was unreal. They danced and posed and took each other's pictures, it was so cute and funny!! I need to get the pics off Anna's camera because some of them are super cute!

Well I am super tired and need to go to bed and get all these Hannah Montana songs out of my head!!!!!!! You get the best of both worlds.....................

Farm Fun

Yesterday we made a trip to one of our favorite places- Wolcott farm. We met up with my friends Lorene and Ginnie and their girls. It was fun to enjoy the great outdoors with all our friends. It certainly was a beautiful day for a girls day out. The simplest things are usually the most fun! Can't wait to do it again!!

Being at the farm made we think about all the fun events we do there in the Fall and how close Fall really is! In just a few short weeks, Anna will boarding the bus for Kindergarten and before we know it Halloween will be here. It's scary how fast it goes by. And while I am excited for all Fall holds for us, I'm a little sad to see summer go by so quickly.

Another sign that Fall is fast approaching-soccer. Yesterday I got letter for a parent meeting for Anna's soccer league that starts in the fall. They will be putting the teams together at next week's meeting and hopefully she can get on a team with her friend Amanda. Anna told me she'd like to have a pink uniform. After I informed her that it would be the coaches choice she decided that any color would be Okay, but pink would be best for girls. LOL!! Already worried about her outfit!

Speaking of clothes. We are going to have to do some serious back to school shopping soon. Almost nothing fits from last year. I hate this time of year for clothes shopping. It's nearly impossible to really guess what MI weather will be like in Sept. It could be 90 or it could be 40, who knows!! Don't want to waste money on stuff she'll hardly wear. I guess I'll wait a little longer to start.

Next week we hope to hit the beach and the Sterlingfest. And I hope to remember my camera for a change.

Funky Town

I'm feeling like I'm in a bit of a funk and I'm not sure why or how to get out of it. So it's a little depressing. And everything just bugs me. My husband ,the house, the dogs and to a lesser extent even my princess! Mostly it's just the wonderful noise makers she got as "prizes" at the little carnival we went to the other day. Whoever bought those must not like moms!! Anyway hopefully I can figure out the issue and get over it soon. I know I can't be too fun to be around.

Back to the carnival. A local community put on a Rosco the Clown carnival event for kids and it's totally free and tons of fun! They had games and those wonderful prizes, moonwalks, balloon animals and more. Even the sheriff and fire departments were there giving things out to the kids and letting them check out the trucks, cars and equipment. It was a nice afternoon with friends and Anna really enjoyed it.

Right now I am enjoying the silence in the house. Anna and Randy are at a BBQ and I stayed home to relax by myself and weed through her toys while she is gone and can't argue about what stays and goes. She thinks we should keep everything and I think anything not touched for more than 6 months and in most cases at least a year should be gone. So I was able to straighten and get rid of some stuff without any complaints. It's also very rewarding to have the house stay neat for more than 5 minutes!

So that's the latest and greatest. I'm trying hard to post more often, but I find that my life is a bit of bore right now. Maybe I'll rob a bank or Starbucks to spice my blog up?! What do you think? LOL!!

Tamales,veggies and butterflies

I LOVE Tamales!! My mom was kind enough to run to Mi Pueblo restaurant and get me 2 dozen of them!! I ate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner!! I can't wait to get some more, I think I need to buy at least 4 dozen next time. I am pretty sure that if I could only have 2 things in the world it would be a cafe mocha from Starbucks and tamales,they are my two fave things!

This week Anna had VBS and the theme was Power Lab. She had an absolute fabulous time, adored her crew leader Abby and can't wait to go back next year. She was also happy that the girls won the penny war by about 26 lbs!!! I am sure that the 10 lbs that Grandpa gave Anna certainly helped, she was very excited when her shoe box full of grandpa's pennies made the jar over flow and they had to get another.

This morning we got up and went to the Family Christian store for a Veggie Tales event. Anna's friend Amanda along with her mom my friend Christy, joined us as well. The girls really enjoyed the new video and both were given a 3,2,1 Penguins video to take home.

Next Anna and I made our way to the Nature Center to donate some books for the book sale and drop off some pinecones for craft projects. It turned out to be Butterfly Day and they had some openings and since it started to pour rain we decided to stay and play. They had lots of crafts related to butterflys and Anna ended up doing 5 different ones, they even had butterfly cookies to decorate and then eat, of course that was her favorite. They also had some buttterflies an catepillars to look at as well as all the regular animals they have. It was more than the worth the 2 bucks they charged!

Then we came home to find a surprise waiting for Anna- her dad had brought her cousin Olivia over for a visit. After eating lunch, having some ice cream and doing some playing, I took the girls to lakeshore Learning to do a make a school bag craft and look around. After doing their bags and picking out a new puzzle we took Olivia home.

It certainly was a busy day but it was tons of fun! I look forward to sitting down and watching the NASCAR race tonight. Tomorrow we are going to Grandma's to check out the stray kittens she rescued.

For Marissa

This post is dedicated to Marissa who is home recovering!! Hope you are feeling better!!! And I doubt this will help your boredom,LOL!!!

Last week Anna and I went to visit my friend Julia and her new baby,Jaidan. This is Julia's 4th child and Anna and her daughter Jordan are great friends. Unfortunately they live in Oxford so we don't get to visit as often as we would like to. We went around 11 and the kids played for awhile then we all went outside to take a swim in the pool. After lots of pool fun we came in and ate lunch. About 3 I told Anna it was time to go and she wanted Jordan to come over. Since Jordan's dad was working by our house, I loaded her up and brought her home so the girls could play for a few more hours. They had a great time and were both sad when I had to take Jordan to her dad. All that time they spent together and they didn't argue once!! It's so great that my friends and I have kids that get along so well and love each other. We are very lucky!!

I can't remember the exact day, my brain is fried these days! But my mom and cousin Alexandra came over to visit and we all went to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch and then did some window shopping. Anna adores her "cool" big cousin and it was nice for us to have some girl time together! I wish she lived closer so we could spend more time together.

On the 4th, Anna went with her dad to a cousins' house for a pool party. I decided to stay home and enjoy the silence. It was very nice to get a break! It was also nice to actually get to watch whatever I wanted on TV, that almost never happens! Saturday Randy went up north and Anna had Grandma and Grandpa over for a BBQ. It was lots of fun! Sunday Anna and I went to see Kung Fu Panda and then walked around Partridge Creek for a bit and hit Starbucks too!

This week Anna has VBS and she's really enjoying it. She goes from 9-12 each day and is having a blast. This years theme is Power Lab so lots of experiments and other fun stuff. She has a really sweet group leader named Miss Abby. The church does an amazing job and they have well over 100 kids this year!! She is also collecting penny's. They are having a penny war betweeen the girls and boys to see who can collect the most. The money will go to help building churches across the country.

Tomorrow my mom is coming by and after we pick up Anna from VBS we will do lunch and some shopping. She also is going today to our fave Mexican place to get us a couple dozen tamales. YUMMO!!! they are my fave food and I can't wait to eat them!!

So that's it in a nutshell. Sorry I haven't been a good blogger lately. I promise all of you and especially Marissa that I will indeed try to do better!!

Crazy Fun!

What a crazy busy week!!!

Sunday evening we had a terrible storm come through and we lost power. We also had someone's shingles come through the screen of one of our windows and a portion of our tree fell on the garage! Very scary! We had a lot of trees down in our neighborhood as well. Many completely uprooted , I even saw one that fell on someones house and did quite a bit of damage. Luckily our tree only bent a part of our gutters and the screen should be a pretty easy fix. But the loss of power was bad timing and it took until Wednesday night for us to get it back. And running a generator costs crazy money, but thank goodness we had access to one to keep a fan on and the fridge going and a little bit of light and TV. The bad timing part: I was doing all our laundry for our trip to MI Adventures on Tuesday. Luckily I had most everything done and I was able to use the generator to run the dryer to finish up some odds and ends.

Not having power really makes you see how much you use and depend on. I thought I was pretty good about being more green and using less energy. But eveytime I thought of something, I realized it required some sort of power and I was really surprised how much I actually use!!

That was the crazy part, now on to the fun part!

We left Tuesday and after a pit stop at the Outlet Mall we made it to our hotel in Muskegon. It was a nice and clean hotel and it was just up the road from the mall and a Starbucks-YAY!! After we went out to dinner and did a little window shopping we went back to the hotel and went swimming in there pool. Anna had fun and then it was time for us to hit the hay.

Wednesday we got up had a nice breakfast and then made our way to Michigan Adventures. It was only about 15 minutes from our hotel and we were surprised to find that it was really empty. Not at all what you would expect to see at an amusement park in the summer. But it made for a great time, since there were absolutely no lines for anything!!

Anna's mission was to meet Snoopy so after riding a few rides we got a tip from a girl who said she saw Snoopy at the front gate. We headed up and didn't find him. Anna was so sad. We went in a store and then came out and who was waiting right there-SNOOPY!! HOORAY!! Anna was so happy to give him a hug and get her photo taken. Mission Complete!

Next we went to the waterpark. It was really nice and they had water activities for all ages!! In fact the whole amusement park really had something for everyone. From big thrilling coasters to kiddie rides and even putt-putt golf. It was a wonderful time and definitely worth the price of a ticket. We all had a blast and would definitely go again!!

On Thursday we packed up and headed home. It was a really great road trip!!

Fishing Derby

Many of you know my dislike for fishing since it consumes so much of my husbands time and money that isn't being spent on hunting, my other dislike. But that's a whole other blog,LOL!! So you will probably be surprised to learn that I spent yesterday morning out in the heat fishing! Yep, you read that right I was fishing.

Yesterday was our town's 22nd Annual Youth Fishing Derby. It's a really nice family event and Anna was super excited to be going. I had planned to sleep in and enjoy some peace and quiet but her and her Dad convinced me to come along. And looking back I am really glad I did.

First Randy got up extra early to pick up his cousins 2 kids, Jon and Emily, and to secure us a primo fishing spot. The competition started at 8 so Anna and I arrived about 7:45. Then Randy's other cousin and his daughter Olivia arrived shortly after. Anna was the first of our group to catch a fish, it was 8 3/4 inches and she at the end she was just a little short of placing. They did take her picture and video tape her too. So we see in her the local paper or on local TV! Of course this is when I realized I forgot my camera, of course! Next was Emily who's fish was 8 7/8 and then Olivia got an 8 1/2 inches. Poor Jon the oldest and only boy didn't catch a single thing. I guess he taught his sister too well, she ended up beating him in the casting contest as well.

The event ended at 11 and we packed up and Anna went home. Olivia ended up coming over to our house for the afternoon and the girls swam and played and had a blast.

It turned out to be a really fun day and we all can't wait to go next year. Anna is determined to win next year and based on this years results she has a really great chance. And at least she really likes fishing, her dad would be sad is she didn't.

Now I need to start packing since we leave for Michigan Adventures on Tuesday. So much excitement already and the summer has just begun!

And one more thing: YAY REDWINGS!!! STANLEY CUP CHAMPS!!!

Summer Vacation!!

Finally summer vacation has arrived!! While Anna has been out of school for a week, today seemed like the first real summer day we've had. And in honor of the beginning of vacation time we decided to fill up her little pool and have some water fun! She had a blast and it made it feel official!

We have a lot of plans this summer and can't wait to get started on having some fun. Next week Anna, myself and my mom are taking a road to Michigan Adventures amusement park. We are all very excited and can't wait to go and have some girls only fun!! Anna is also signed up for Vacation Bible School in July and hopefully another class that the school district runs. We also have lots of trips to the beach, zoo and park planned too. Wow, I'm getting tired just thinking about it all!

This Saturday is the annual Kids Fishing Derby and this year Randy is taking Anna. She is very excited and he is certain that with his great training she will win a big prize. I hope it works out for the both of them and I will let you all know how it goes.

As for me, I am anxiously awaiting a phone call from my friend Julia to tell me that her 4th little miracle has finally arrived. She is expecting a girl and was due yesterday, so I hope she makes her appearance soon!

Babies, makes me think maybe I should have one more. I know, crazy!! If the economy wasn't so goofy for us right now I'd be more inclined to consider it. And of course when I read my friend's posts about the chaos another can add, I feel pretty happy with the way things are right now,LOL!

Happy Summer vacation everyone!!!

Sabotage!!

Since I am on the topic of addictions. One I have been trying to break is Pepsi. I am pretty sure that Pepsi may collapse financially if I quit drinking it and while I worry for the economy, I can no longer continue to poison myself for the good of pop lovers everywhere.

Which brings me to my topic of sabotage. I have stopped buying Pepsi since I will drink it until it is gone as fast as I possibly can. It's really sad. Yesterday I had an awful migraine and I knew a Pepsi would help so I told my darling husband to stop and get me a small Pepsi or a 20 oz only, I repeat only something small because I do not want to drink anymore than I have to. So what does the man do, brings home not one but two 2 Liters!!! So he tells me don't drink it then?! Sure thing, like you can put crack in front of a crack addict and say don't use it.! That'll work.Grrrr................................................

And this is not the first time he has done this to me. Oh no, he does it all the time. If I'm trying to cut out extra sweets or something, he brings them home. Whatever it is for some strange reason he sudenly stops and buys it.

So I've decided he's trying to keep me fat and unhealthy on purpose. I don't think he is doing it intentionally. I think way deep in his subconcious ( sorry I am not a spelling bee winner) he thinks if I stay fat and miserable I'll never leave. Of course, I have no plans on leaving fat or skinny. I mean come on when we met I was a size 2 and remained that for a few years until I got pregnant. So if I was indeed going to leave wouldn't I have left when I was skinnier, younger and not a mother. It is so frustrating.

He has the same warped ideas about plastic surgery. I mentioned a nip or a tuck would be nice and he said no way. Why I asked, besides the fact that we are totally broke, he says all his friends whose wives had boob jobs or what not divorced them within a year! SO I guess what he's saying is he'd rather have me here because I'm stuck than because I am happy and want to be here. Why are men so dumb??

And what really makes me mad is that I have decided to dump the damn Pepsi, but I just cannot bring myself to do it. Ahh sweet Pepsi why do I love you so??

Addiction

I have one to Starbucks. I know most of my friends are laughing right now because I am sure they already knew this. And really so did I, but today it became more of a reality.

Today I ordered my usual coffee delight and pulled up to the window, paid and received my coffee. As the girl handed me my drink I realized that my name was written on the cup. No big deal you may think as they often ask what your name is and put it on the cup. However, they never did ask me my name this particular visit, yet they still knew it was me. Part of me thinks wow, what awesome employees to remember little ole me and the other part thinks how sad. I really am addicted.

The worst part of all this is that I have really,really cut back. Over a year ago I was an everyday visitor, then gas prices rose, I got my own cool coffee machine and I cut way back. Now I visit maybe 2 times a week, sometimes even less. Yet they still know me.

I think I'll just stay in denial and tell myself they only know my name because I am so awesome and unforgettable. Yeah, that's right, unforgettable me!!

Graduation, Graduation

Graduation day is here. Or it was here. Yesterday was Anna's preschool graduation. She was so excited and couldn't wait! It was evening so she must have asked me a thousand times if it was time to get her dress on and go,LOL!! Finally her Dad came home and we were out the door. Grandma,Grandpa and her cousin Justin were meeting us there.

The ceremony was held in the church and the teacher's gave a little welcome speech. Then they introduced the graduates one by one and had them come up to the front of the church. They had asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up and as each child came up they told us what the kids said. It was very cute and often times very funny. Anna said she wanted to be an animal doctor and a singer. Next the kids sang us some songs that they had been practicing. It was very cute.

Then they had a video presentation of the year in pictures set to music. It was so cute and sweet and her one teacher obviously put alot of time into putting it together. They even gave each family a copy of the DVD to keep. Then a surprise guest showed up and it was Rosco the Clown! He led the kids out of church and into the other room for a magic show and they LOVED it!! They also had a little reception set up with snacks and drinks for everyone who came.

I'm really going to miss her school. They were amazing in so many ways and I am so glad Anna had such a great preschool experience in such caring and creative environment.

After we got in the car Anna said it was "the best day of her life" and it certainly was a really special night!!!

And these are

the days of our lives! LOL!! And yes I still watch that soap opera, although I have found that as long as I watch Mon and Wed, I can skip all the days inbetween and still know the whole story line,LOL!

When I left you last we were really busy and we still have a been alittle. Anna is all signed up and ready to play soccer this fall. She is very excited to be on a team and said she can"t wait to meet her coach. I signed up to be a team parent and it should be fun for all of us!

She is also graduating from preschool in just 10 days!!! I can't believe how fast it went. They are having a little ceremony at the church and then a reception after, complete with snacks and a clown. She's very sad to be leaving her teachers and friends at school, but she can't wait to go to Kindergarten. She'll also get to ride the bus one way to school and is super excited about that as well.

Today the weather is very rainy and pretty cold. But we have been having some really nice spring weather and enjoying playing outside. We've also taken a few trips to the zoo and farm.We are also enjoying our lilacs that are in bloom and smelling wonderful!!

Hope you all are having a wonderful Mother's Day!!!!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Seems like forever since I've had a chance to sit down and write here. So here is a quick update of what's been going on at our house.

Anna had a bowling b-day party for a school friend on Friday and she had a blast! She has a bowling field trip this Thurs. for school so she's excited to go back so soon. She's also decided she wants to play Soccer in the fall instead of doing dance, so I will be registering her this weekend for that. Only 4 more weeks of school left, where did the time go??

As for me, I've been cleaning and deciding how I want to re-organize the house. We have way to much stuff, too. So I will be going through and getting rid of all the stuff we don't use or need. I also feel like I am always on the go and I hope it slows down soon.

Anna and I are also planning a trip with my Mom to Michigan Adventures in June and we are all excited about taking a road trip! Should be lots of fun!

We were also enjoying all the beautiful weather but in true Michigan fashion it's now gone and cold, gray and rainy. But it was nice while it lasted and it helped lift all our spirits.

So that's it in a nutshell. Hopefully I can post some more soon!

Look Mom!!!

While sitting at Kindergarten roundup listening to all that it entails I got the above wonderful text message from my husband who was at the river with Anna. She was so excited about her rainbow fish and at the idea that she would be going to kindergarten. She told me it was her bestest day!

I am so happy that she enjoys all the outdoor activities that her father does. He would be so sad if she didn't. I also love that while she is a total girly girl she has no problem rolling up her sleeves and getting dirty.

Lions and tigers and bears, Oh My!!

Today was a beautiful day and even better since we spent it at the Detroit Zoo with friends! It was so wonderful to get outside and enjoy the fresh spring air and to be able to play with all our friends. I am so lucky to have such great girlfriends and our kids just love each other too which makes it even more special.

As we walked through the zoo it occured to me how much all of our children have grown up from our past trips. Even just from last year. The babies are becoming toddlers and our preschoolers are becoming big kids. It's just amazing how much they've grown and what great little people they are blossoming into it. I guess that's the bittersweet sign of spring.

Tonight I have kindergarten registration which makes it even more real to me that my once tiny baby is going to big kid school in the fall!!! It also makes me realize how much older I'm getting, ugh!!! Time flies so I plan to enjoy all while I can!!

HAPPY SPRING!!!!!

Jackpot!!!!

Since Randy was phesant hunting and Anna was having a sleepover at Grandma's, I decided to get up early and hit the cookbook sale at the local library. Luckily I got there before the doors opened at 9 because there was already a line. I was a little excited to see the line since I knew this meant that this was a good sale! And it really was.

I was able to grab up 10 just like new hardcover cookbooks for only $17!! And I would have grabbed more if I could have carried them,lol!! One of the books I bought I don't think had ever been opened, it actually cracked like a new book when I flipped through it!! The even had health and nutrition books. It was a really awesome sale and I am so glad I got my arse up early and went. Totally worth it. I will definitely be hitting up that sale again!

It also inspired me to go through our books and videos and donate the ones we no longer use to the library. What a great way to clear clutter and help the library with all there great activities. So I'm off to enjoy the silence of the house and get to de-cluttering!! Have a wondeful weekend!!

** Aunt Helena, if you are reading this I know you would have been up early and in that line with me!! Love ya!!!**

Smash Bros. Brawl

No I'm not talking about the hot new video game, I'm talking about my hubby and his family. First, let me say I love my husband dearly but, let's be honest, he's a hillbilly. Sad, but true. And in true hillbilly fashion all the cousins hang together and fish together. The other day my husband went to meet another cousin on his lunch hour for a little fishing. Apparently before he arrived his cousin got into an argument with another fisherman about how close they were to each other. Boys are so silly. As my husband was getting ready to return to work, the other guy came over with a big stick and started to swing at his cousin and in true hillbilly fashion a brawl began. My hubby is big on choke holds and so it was, I am sure with great pleasure,that he snuck up on the guy and put him in a choke hold. Another cousin was on the scene ( yes there are many of them, they are hillbillies remember?) made my husband stop. So he lets go and walks away. The funny part was the guy never saw him and thinks the other cousin is the one who got him,lol! And the stick was not the big, I saw it. Although I am sure it would have hurt if you got knocked upside the head! I'm guessing they need to find a new fishing hole.

Events like these, while very entertaining, make me happy to have a girl. Hopefully she can find a better solution to confrontations she will encounter and I guess if not she has been trained in the art of choke holds,LOL!! I'm pretty sure if she had been there that she would have told them all how silly they were and that they need to share and be friends. 4 year olds are smart and in this case much smarter than the boys at the fishing hole.

One more thing to share, one of my new fave songs. I love it and here it is for you all to enjoy:
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=29864771

Girls just wanna have fun!!

Saturday I realized that my little girl is getting bigger everyday and just way too fast. First, we went to see the Easter Bunny. In the past she would never have agreed to be in the same room with him, let alone take a picture. But not this time. It was her idea and she marched right in and climbed up on that bunny's lap and smiled her best smile. She was so excited and quick to point out to me, that she was indeed gettting bigger and braver.*sigh*

Next we went to her friend Jordan's 4th b-day party at Libby Lu's. If you've never been to Libby Lu's it's a little girl paradise. Lots and lots of girly stuff, Hanna Montana, and they do makeovers! So for the party she chose a "Celebrity DJ" makeover. Got her hair, nails and make- up done and loved every single minute of it!! She sat so still and was so serious while they glammed her up. And then all of sudden my 4 year old was 15!!!! Well at least her attitude was, LOL!!

Next we walked over to Starbucks. Along the way people commented on how cute she looked and she was loving it. She walked into Starbucks picked out her organic chocolate milk and sat it on the counter like an old pro. It brought back memories of her sitting in her stroller in that very same coffee shop where she now acted like she owned the joint. Oh my, what a difference a few short years can make. We then picked a window seat where we discussed the days events. It was a bittersweet moment. I missed the little baby girl in the stroller but I was so proud of the little girl I was having a "big kid" conversation with.

And now in less than a month we have kindergarten roundup and I cannot believe she will be going to kindergarten in the fall. It always seemed so far away and now here it is just a summer vacation away!! I know she'll love it and what a great new adventure for us to begin.

You are my sunshine...

Finally some nice sunny and mild weather!!! I thought winter may never end and it was getting a bit depressing. But after yesterday and today I am really feeling that Spring may actually have started to sprung,HOORAY!! I already feel like I have more energy and more drive to get things done. We even got to play outside and open the windows a little.

Of course being a Michigander has taught me to be very cautious of such nice days early on, it's usually just good ole Mother Nature teasing us. But for now I'll take even a tease and I'll pray that even if the cold comes back the snow will stay far far away.

You get the best of both worlds....

Hannah Montana you gotta love her or at least if you have a daughter under 12 you do! Anna really loves her and sings that song at the top of her lungs wherever we go. Today she entertained the folks at Wal-Mart and the Hallmark store, she cracks me up!! I do have to say of all the girls she could idolize, Hannah Montana is the best pick. So far she's stayed nice and sweet and seems to have a good head on her shoulders, I sure hope she doesn't mess it up like that Britney chick. But Britney she's a whole other post, LOL!!

Saturday was Anna's art show at preschool and what a wonderful job the teachers did putting this thing together. The projects were so creative and they had things on walls, ceilings, counters, it was a beautiful display and the kids thought it was so cool that they had a show of there own. I'm so happy I sent her to this school, it's been a blessing!

Sunday I watched the Nascar race and almost threw up when Kyle Bush won. I can't stand him and the fact that he was driving a Toyota makes the Detroiter in me angry. BUY American !! And I know they make Toyotas here but where do you think the bulk of the money ends up? In Japan of course! Okay that's my little rant for the day ( can you tell my family works for GM and Ford?)LOL!! Anyway GO JR.!!!!!!!!

One more rant, LOL!! Gas prices- HELLO!!! Today by my house it's up to $3.39 a gallon!! That's just crazy and I think I am never ever going tobe able to drive anywhere again!! Diesel is over $4 a gallon so that means everything is gonna up in price to cover the cost of transporting it. And the news said it's supposed to go up even more. How are families supposed to survive? It's a little depressing to me. I hope that somehow someway the economy can make a comeback before it's too late.

And since I was depressed about the gas prices I decided to make myself feel better and make some no bake cookies. I can't wait to go drown my sorrows in them and big glass of Pepsi!

Wii- ha!!!!!

So Thursday my hubby called to tell me he just happened to be at Best Buy ( yeah sure) and that they had Wii's and he was getting one. Of course I had to protest and act like I didn't think we should get it. But secretly I really wanted one. And as I predicted he bought it anyway.

Fast forward to today. I have to admit that it is so addicting!!! I was never a video gamer at all, in fact we have an Xbox that I have never ever touched. But I think I could play Wii all day and I may just have to that one day! I even found myself in the Wii aisle at Walmart today! I may need to join a 12 step for mom's addicted to Wii games. Luckily both Anna and Randy share my addiction and for the most part we can play well together, well usually anyway.

Which brings me to my last item of the day. The Wii has made me realize where my daughter gets her competitive nature and I am ashamed to say it is from her parents. She wants to win and she wants it BAD!! And I think in some ways that kind of drive is good, but I think we all need to learn to be better losers. So hopefully in all this game playing I can teach her some valuable lessons about winning, losing and being a team player. If not she will probably be kicking my ass in no time and loving every minute of it!! LOL!!!

And don't forget to change your clocks!!

Peer Pressure!!

That's why I started my blog. Peer Pressure!! I'm not proud of it, but all my friends are doing it. So who am I not to join in on this wonderful blogging craze?



I'm not sure I really have anything very exciting to blog about, but hey you never know. Maybe only I think my life is pretty boring these days. I think it's just the lack of sunlight and the over abundance of snow!! Michigan has a lot of great things but weather is not one of them! I am really over all the snow and gray skies, give me warm sun. In fact that's what I want from a presidential candidate, promise me great weather and I'll vote for ya! Now, if it were only that easy.