Go Twins!

NYC!!

New York Trip!

What I loved about NYC:

1. The great food and desserts you could find anywhere
2. The History
3. The buildings—feeling like you were in a different country
4. The Broadway Shows
5. The famous sites
6. Taking a Taxi
7. At midnight, the town was a hoppin’
8. The air conditioning on the subways
9. Buying purses for cheap at 11:30
10. Having a plan and having Kris taking us everywhere we go. He is a great tour guide.

What I didn’t like about NYC:
1. HOT! It was F*%@&ing Hot!
2. Dirty
3. Crowded
4. Waiting for a subway in the sauna underground.
5. Expensive
6. Lines
7. Not enough celebrities out
8. Being hot and sweating nonstop 24/7 for 5 days.
9. Sun country airlines and their stupid “arrive 45 min. before your flight,” policy.
10. Carrying a bottle of water with you 24/7 and buying a bottle of water when you run out.
11. Walking 40 miles in 5 days
12. People knowing I’m a visitor and trying to sell me things on every corner.
13. Public bathrooms
14. Freakin' Pigeons

What I missed from home while in NYC:

1. My kids
2. My house
3. My yard
4. My bed
5. Kleenox
6. A clean towel after I showered
7. My van—driving myself
8. DVR
9. My kitchen—eating out every meal gets old.
10. My couch
11. Reading my blogs everyday
12. Computer

Family Photos

We had a photographer come out to the lake this weekend to take some family pictures. We hope the large one of all the kids/grandkids turns out. But here are a few for you to preview.

Ella's 5th Birthday

Ok--Ella turned 5 on April 1st. I'm getting to this now.

May is here!

1—May Day—Went shopping and had a BBQ with Friends.

2—Went shopping with the kids and cleaned the house.

3—Ella has dance—I am observing for the morning a student coming in next Fall. Trevor has tennis.

4—National Teacher Day—staff breakfast—meeting at 3:00—Trevor has tennis.

5—Cinco de Mayo—meeting for me in the morning and possibly going to a school board meeting.

6—Trevor has tennis but Ella and I have a Kindergarten meeting at Westwood.

7—?

8—Shower for my cousin Alison—Trevor has tennis.

9—Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Birthday Grandma!

10—Tennis for Trevor.

11—Tennis for Trevor—I have a meeting after school—Ella has dance.

12—Observing all day a student at Clearview—Happy Anniversary to my in-laws—My sister’s garage sale.

13—1/2 Co-teaching seminar—tennis for Trevor

14—Ella has a hair appointment

15—Family here for Ella’s dance recital.

16—Dance recital again (sshhh..I think we are skipping it)

17—Ella has dance

18—Ella’s program at her school

19—Ella has a dentist appointment—I have a meeting

20—Trevor has tennis—Ben has his 15 month check up and shots.

21—Retirement Party at the Martini Bar (Yummy!) also the daycare picnic.

22—?

23—?

24—Ella has dance.

25—?

26—?

27—Ella’s last day of preschool.

28—8^th Grade Spring Fling and Recognition Assembly.

29—Lake—Warren’s B-day—Johnny Holms (maybe!)

30—Lake

31—Memorial Day—No School

Scrap Happy!

Last year I put the bug in Trevor's ear that I wanted a scrapbook room. A place to organize my things and occasionally use it to actually scrap. After we sold all of our baby girl items and got rid of all the tubs in our storage closet, I thought "what a perfect place to scrap." Trevor was not very excited about the idea needed to be persuaded. I ran the idea past Kristi months ago. She of course was on board and had many ideas. So I began to talk about it more and got no where with the hubby. I emptied out the closet and put in my tubs and dresser of scrapbook supplies. I layed in bed at night thinking of how I would organize my room. I'd go scrapbooking and dream of having my own room. Today I went scrapping and came home to find my dream come true. Kristi and Trevor had been planning behind my back on fixing up the room for me. Kristi "happened" to stop by today just before I got home from Creative Escapes (my favorite place to scrap). Ella called me to the room and I screamed and couldn't stop jumping up an down. I was so excited. I have my counter height table, my storage bins, and baskets. Kristi did a great job starting to organize for me. I'm thinking she enjoyed every minute. She donated many things to my room to help with my future scrapping! Now I just have to prove to my husband that I will use it. Next goal--I need a Cricut.

Ben's Birthday Party!

March Madness!

March is not as busy as February was. In fact, we don't have much going on at all.

1. No daycare...Ella has dance.
2. Trevor home playoff game.
3. Cohort after school.
5. Boys home game against FERGUS FALLS!
7. Off to Florida
8. Spring break--no school!
10. Back from Florida
11. M.O.A. maybe with the kids.
12. Scrap booking
13. Megan's 5th b-day party.
15. Back to school.....Meg's b-day....dance.
17. Trevor going to watch girl's state tournament.
22. Nurse Jacki season #2 starts! I have an all day meeting. Ella has dance.
23. 2 hour early out.
25. Training after school
27. Jordan's b-day.
29. Dance
30.Chaperone the Spring party

He's 1 today!

My baby boy is one today. The year has flown by. I really do feel like I just had him. I am also very sad today knowing my last baby has turned one year old. So here he is tonight in the bath, still with his black eye, hoping it goes away by Sunday. And there he is right after his first bath and shampoo. All 9 lbs 11 ounces and 20 inches of him. Love you Benny, Ben Ben, Punk-a-doodle, Nutter-Butter, Benj, baby boy!

Idol!

This woman is my new Idol. I am not jealous of her being a stay at home mom or home schooling he children. I'm not against any of it and props to those who do it. My sister and my cousin Sarah...very compassionate and brave souls. I like this woman because she is creative, she is organized, she has given me a great amount of free downloads for my classroom, and she finds time to Blog all about it. I like her!! I am making work boxes and work folders for my students right now in my class. This woman knows what she is doing. And I love her for allowing me to take her ideas. Enjoy!

http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com

What's up in February 2010!

I have been really bad at posting this month. Not much to say I guess. Always busy and I just post on Facebook. January was basketball...basketball...and more basketball. I registered Ella for Kindergarten, Ella lost her first tooth, daddy was sick...mom was stressed....and it was cold.

Here is what February has for our family!

February 2010!
1. Dance...daddy at Little Falls (Start of Catholic School's Week!)
2. Hat day at Ella's school....daddy has conferences until 7:30.
4. Daddy at Monticello....Beach day at Ella's school
5. Daddy home game with Sauk Rapids
6. Ella's friends b-day party in Becker
8. Dance...Uncle Lance's b-day
9. 2 hour early out....daddy home against Alex.
11. Daddy away in Willmar
12. Pay Day!! Trivia weekend starts
13. Daddy home against Cathedral...Trivia
14. Valentine's Day...Trivia
15. No school and no daycare...Dance
16. Home game against Rocori
17. Ash Wednesday
18. Mommy has conferences 4-7:30.
19. BEN'S 1ST BIRTHDAY!! Daddy in Fergus Falls
20. Daddy in Elk River
21. Ben's b-day party
22. No dance...taxes at 7:00
23. Mommy conferences 4-7:30
25. Daddy plays APOLLO!! Ben has his 1 year with Dr. Lee
26. Pay day!
27. Dance Pictures at 1:30...Joshua's b-day


Only 5 days I didn't put something down...and it's a short month. Imagine if I would have added my work calendar to this..meeting after meeting, after meeting.

Have a "hearty" month.

Two days left to finish.

This is what I want to get done during the next 7 days.
1. bank
2. Grocery store.....at least 2 times. (One so far)
3. Target (once done....one more to go.)
4. The Mall
5. Clean the tub
6. Clean tub in laundry room
7. Clean Vents (Trevor can do this)
8. Put away Christmas
9. Organize under steps
10. Organize toy corners (one done)---I am just giving up on the other so....done!
11. Craft corner (done!)
12. Once upon a child
13. Goodwill (before the 31st.)
14. Floors
15. Grades
16. Make a cd for my friend Sarah
17. Aldi
18. Clean Microwave
19. Buy cord for video camera to go to computer (I think it's called a firewall cord) Too expensive for now.
20. Take more naps (one done today!)
21. Haircut for me and kids (tomorrow)
22. Chiropractor for Ben (He's fine!)
23. Alvin and the Chipmunks with Zack and Ella (Friday I'm hoping)
24. Buy Ben new shoes
25. Buy a shoe rack for Ella's closet.
26. Go to Crafts Direct(Bad store!)

Out with the old and in with the new

*Note* This is copied from Andrea’s and Holly’s blog.....and they are much better writers than me.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
I had a boy....but that is about it.


2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did make one last year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Many people near to me. My sister Krisit especially comes to mind.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but I was crushed over Michael Jackson and Patrick Swayze.

5. What countries did you visit?
None....I don’t think we even went out of state.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
More time to scrapbook, more money, less weight on my butt and waist.

7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 19th, the day Benjamin was born. October 21st, the day Sullivan was born, August 31st, the day John and Andrea found out that they would get a boy in two days.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Keeping Ben inside of me until the actual C-section date.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not exercising at all from Aug-Dec.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No...but Ella had H1N1.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Trevor’s Santa Fe and our used Sit-n-stand stroller.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Ben...he is such a low key baby.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Tiger woods

14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage and the kids.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing Ella so excited every time I pick her up from school.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
“All the Single Ladies.” Beyonce

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner, but need to be thinner.
c) richer or poorer? Poorer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Cleaning.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Facebooking and eating out.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At my in-laws.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
With Ben!!

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Glee, Big Bang Theory, Brothers and Sisters, and Young and the Restless.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
No

24. What was the best book you read?
I do not read.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Acquisition still amazes me! And Darius!

26. What did you want and get?
A healthy and adorable baby.

27. What did you want and not get?
Scrapbook room.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Gran Torino and Hang Over

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 32, I went out for lunch with my mom and sister. I can’t remember anything else.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More money, less paper work, being able to cook better.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
I need a free shopping spree.

32. What kept you sane?
Ben and Ella.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don’t know.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
I don’t keep up on politics.
35. Who did you miss?
Andrea when she was on maternity leave.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Some of our new Paras at school.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Stand up for yourself, and words can’t hurt you if you don’t let them.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
“My life would suck without you.” Kelly Clarkson