Birthday Party Teaser

These are just a few birthday party related pictures. Sophie's party finished only an hour ago. I'm just posting a few pics as a teaser. When I have more energy I will post more.

Sophie and I decorating cupcakes for the party

Birthday party day donut breakfast! Daddy was in charge of "Donut Club" yesterday for work.

The first rule of "Donut Club" is...we do not talk about "Donut Club."

We invited Sophie's neighborhood and church friends to her Strawberry Shortcake party. Just like with wedding invites, we invited everyone we wanted to have attend, but we figured we'd only get a percentage of that who actually showed up. Wrong!! Everybody came! And we're glad all the friends could make it, but holy cow, that was a lot of kids! 10 to be exact.

A little bit of the present-opening action
After everyone had gone home. Getting ready for nap-time. Mine.

More pictures from our fun day coming soon!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window... Overcast and 21 degrees. Yeah for 21 degrees!
I am thinking...about making chicken wings for the Super Bowl.
I am thankful ...that Greg has a job.
From the kitchen...I'll be making some birthday cupcakes in preparation for this weekend.
I am wearing...jeans (with pop spilled down the leg), a grey long-sleeved t-shirt and a grey cardigan.
I am creating...a grocery list. THE grocery list.
I am going...maybe to Aldi tonight. Gotta check that place out!
I am reading...Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher...for the second time. Love her!
I am hoping...my children will take good naps. They were up early today.
I am hearing...the buzz of snowmobiles from the lake a block from my house.
Around the house...I am learning to pick up as I go. It makes life so much better!
One of my favorite things...my grey cardigan.
A few plans for the rest of the week. . . THE grocery shopping trip (for the whole month), which I will execute in two trips to Target tomorrow.


Here is picture thought I am sharing...

*sigh*

You can check out other daybooks, or make one of your own simply by going HERE.

Indoor park

The kids and I were planning to go to Owen's doctor appointment this morning. He was to get "pokes" as Sophie so sensitively explained. However, the clinic called this morning because a water pipe had burst, so we were left with nothing to do today! Then I remembered that some friends were meeting at an indoor park to play, so we headed out as soon as we could get dressed.

Sophie and Owen enjoyed eating lunch with some little friends

Owen was loving the toddler area!

I didn't get a picture of him IN the ball pit, even though he spent 3/4 of the whole morning in there. He loved it!

He was looking longingly at the "big kid" play area. He stuck his arms through to show me how much he wanted to play over there. So, I let him. He ended up in a winding staircase, crying and trying to get out through some slits in the side. Sophie had to go rescue him.

After that, we stuck to things more his size

New Skates

Greg has been wanting to get ice skates for Sophie since last winter (when we didn't get it taken care of soon enough to make it worth it), and we finally got some for her! We gave them to her for an early birthday present so we could get some use out of them while the weather was balmy enough to be outside.

They were the only double-runner adjustable skates I could find for her size. You can check them out here for yourself if you're interested. This was the best deal on these skates that I found. I like that they are adjustable and will fit Sophie for a several winters. I like that they are double-runner so she can get the hang of skating without also having to balance on one blade. I also like the price--around $18, with shipping! And they just strap on to her boots, so she didn't have to take off her boots to put on freezing skates (a not-fun memory I have from childhood).

Check out all the fun she had skating with Daddy!

Trip to the Big Mall

We took black Grandma & Grandpa to the airport yesterday, and since we were in the neighborhood, I thought we'd make a trip to the big mall for some fun. We arrived earlier than most stores were open, so we stopped for a treat at Barnes & Noble. Sophie picked out a really tasty rice krispie bar, which we all shared.

(Shut up about the green turtleneck)

Then we went to a big aquarium that's in the mall. It was our first time. We had a coupon for a free child's admission with a paid adult, and Owen was free. There's no way we would have gone otherwise--it was expensive!

Here, the kids are checking out the Nemo fish.

(Not) touching the touchable stingrays and sharks. I did, though. Slimy, but cool.

After the aquarium, which was very cool, we scoured around for some free treats. Here, Sophie is sampling different teas (she said they tasted like flowers) while Owen naps.

We also spent a good deal of time in Legoland.

Owen had a tough time reaching the Legos.
It was much easier to reach from on top of the table.

Later he moved onto a table more his size.

We finished up with a special lunch at A&W in the food court--mini corn dogs! Sophie, rubbing her belly, proclaimed the cheese sauce to be really yummy.

Tinkerbell Jams

Owen's got some pretty smooth moves too. You'll have to wait for the video to see those.

Welcome, Logan!

We have a new family member! Logan Tyler was born yesterday to Brad, Janelle, and Big Brother Jared. He was 7 lbs. 11 oz. and has a head of hair. He decided to bump up his scheduled c-section and surprise the heck out of everybody. We're so glad he's here safely and that he and mom are doing well.

We heard the joyous news last night just as our own kids were getting out of the tub and into their pjs. Sophie kept leaping around yelling, "You have a new cousin, Owen!" After she said this several times, I explained that Logan was her new cousin too. "But there's only one baby," she said. Yes, I explained, but he is for all of us. "Oh," she said thoughtfully, "Do we get to keep him?!"


Yes, we do...forever and ever...just not at our house. And we're so thankful for that...the forever part, I mean. Congratulations, you guys!

Goodnight Song

I'm trying to see if I can get video to upload here. If so, lucky you! This is a video of Sophie singing the "Goodnight Song" before bed.

Reminiscing

(I don't have any current pictures of my kids, so to fill in the blogging gap I have created, I thought I'd tell a few more self-deprecating stories...)

Memories from 8th Grade that remind me why I'm glad it's 2009 and I'm 30-something...

• My pleated-front, skinny-ankle, acid-wash jeans would not be flattering on my current body-type


• Though the yellow and green eye shadow I wore to match my outfit (changing it to blue, pink, purple...to match other outfits) would match my green turtleneck, it wouldn't do much for my complexion


• Gigantic, red, Sally Jesse Rapheal glasses. Thank you, Lord, for contacts.


• Hair permed by my mom was so high maintenance. Now I sleep on wet hair and fluff it up in the morning. I can't be bothered.


• I lived on a corner, very near my Junior High. One day at lunch (we had open campus), a huge group of students began congregating in the street outside my house. I watched from my deck above as two students began to fight in the middle, and then watched in horror as my father ran out of the garage, SHIRTLESS, to grab the two perps and march them up to the school with the whole crowd of students following behind. I asked my mom if she could call school to say I was sick. She said no.


• I'm sure the ribbon routine (you know, the ribbon on a stick that gymnasts gyrate around with) that I had to create and perform alone in front of my gym class (to Amy Grant's "Sing Your Praise to the Lord," by the way) was highly character-building. There's no way in heck you could get me to do that now.
• The slow-dance conundrum. What do I do if a boy asks me to dance? Oh, I hope a boy doesn't ask me to dance! It'd be kind of nice to know a boy would like to dance with me. But, oh my gosh, what would I do if one asked?...When "Love Bites" began to play (I was a child of the 80's...you remember too, don't you??) I always just made a bee-line for the drinking fountain outside of the gym. I would pretty much do the same thing still...if I went to dances.

Well, there you are. Reasons to be glad you're not in Junior High anymore and reasons to be thankful that you are way cooler than me. You're welcome.

Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window...Sunshine. But still about 10 degrees.
I am thinking...about our Bible study discussion for tomorrow--may be a tough one.
I am thankful for...our good buddies being back in town. We haven't seen them in about a month due to sickness and travelling!
From the kitchen...I will be making a soup "kit" for supper that we got from Greg's grandma who got it from her town's "Garden Club." I'm curious...
I am wearing...a turquoise sweater (not green today!), Gap jeans and green house shoes. I'm also wearing "hoop earrings" (said with a Jersey accent a la my sister Cassie).

I am creating...a plan for a 4-year old Strawberry Shortcake birthday party.
I am going...to the community center to do Yoga (hopefully) after supper.
I am reading...the Harry Potter series still. I'm on book 7 now...almost at the end.

I am hoping...to go to Chicago someday. We were supposed to for our anniversary, but, alas, everyone was sick...including the babysitters.
I am hearing...the buzz of my computer.
Around the house...the bathroom is clean! Yeah!
One of my favorite things...Coffee. Coke. I have decided I am so much more fun on caffeine.
A few plans for the rest of the week...Bible study tomorrow (I've missed the last 3), library storytime on Wednesday.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
If you'd like to do your own "Simple Woman's Daybook" list, check out this website

Snow Fun

For some reason, unknown and un-understood by me, Greg was fixated on taking Sophie out in the woods to roast hotdogs while we were visiting down south for Christmas. She was all for it, especially when marshmallows got involved (no graham crackers though, she made a point of telling me...Daddy didn't think of that!). Thankfully, Grandpa tagged along. He kept cooking food and feeding Sophie while Greg continually collected dry, fallen branches to burn on their fire. They returned home with rosy cheeks, cold toes and smelling like smoke, but they had a good time. Later that night while changing into pjs for bed, Sophie said, "My underwear smell like roasted marshmallows!"

Zoom in...that's a hot chocolate goatee.

A night later, Greg and Sophie went outside to play in Grandma C's yard. She lives in farmland, so there were huge drifts in her backyard. Greg dug a cave out of one, and he and Sophie crawled inside. There may have been talk of sleeping in there, but nothing too serious.