30 May 2006

Blog Challenge

Join us today if you blog.

Challenge:


  • Special family plans this summer, we all have them. We are going to the Dells. (I know BORING and TOURISTEE). The girls really want to go and I honestly have never been. It's suppose to be the "family" thing to do around here and FAMILY is something we are focusing on right now! We also want to actually SPEND time in Chicago around the Fourth. We never get to go to Taste of Chicago - (well the last two years - the first two that we have lived here) - so we are hoping to partake in that this year. We also want to see more of the festivals that are going on. They are always fun but I always feel like I am sandwiching them in between work shifts......
  • What are yours? REST and RELAXATION. It seems like all my summers fly by and I forgot to do anything.
  • What are you doing that you consider SPECIAL this summer? Nat and Rowan are in a wedding this summer in Grand Haven, Michigan (eeek Michigan). That is what is special. I am so exicted for them. I just got an email today saying their dresses were on the way. We are spending a few extra nights in Grand Haven just HANGIN.
But you know how best laid plans go........... I am hoping that we actually ENJOY this
summer......
  • What are you anticipating? Rest and RELAXATION!!!!!!!! I really really need this! As well as family time!!!!!

Happy Birthday!

My blog is officially a YEAR old!!!!!!!!!

My last day......

My last day of Memorial Day Vacation for me..... BIG pout!!!!!

Nat was back in school and had Second Grade Olypmics. As you can tell from the look on Rowan's face - we were wilting. It was rather hot out.





The pictures are not blurry - it was hazy out! I welcome this weather.... Only this was 0800 in the AM - at about 31c.





Nat was so excited that I could actually make it an watch her run and compete. I am usually not available for school things... it made me feel good as well.




She had a blast eventhough the group she was in got fourth place out of FOUR! LOL! It's not about competing is it.... it's about having fun!





I love Nat's school. We were truly blessed when we moved here and accidently fell into this school district.






After the olympics - I had a meeting at work. Does that count? On my day off? To still have a day off? I think so.... I didn't have to don scrubs or actually do patient care.... AND Rowan came with (dangling participal). Norm had to work. So - as a reward for her stellar behavior during the meeting (two hours of reading her starter books and drawing with not a peep out of her)... we went to Clarks' for a Break-unch.

SHE WAS HUNGRY. She orderd funny face pancakes, hash browns (which were on my plate - but I was tooooooo hot to eat them) and a english muffin. I thought this picture was CLASSIC!!!!!!

As you can tell..... she pretty much cleaned her plate. Since the girls have been outside DOING things - their eatting habits have SOARED!!!!!! It's rather scary. I thought only BOYS cleaned your fridge out daily..... They are going to greatly increase my grocery bill this summer.

THEN there is me......

It was tooooooo hot to eat my omlet (what was I thinking?) so I just sat and knit while Rowan ate. She decided to take these pictures... which made up SPT post. I am obsessed aren't I!!!!!!!!!

Self Portrait Tuesday

SELF PORTRAIT TUESDAY

getting to know me??????


This is me.... scary isn't it......

I now am obsessed about sock knitting and carry them everywhere I travel. You never know when the opportunity may arise that I can knit a few rows...........





These pictures courtsey of Rowan who uttered the "Oh brother" when I pulled out my sock at the diner while waiting for our food.......








It was REALLY hot today and my hair is wilted as is my appetite. I ended up taking a few bites of my omelet while Rowan chowed down.......




I knitted away til the bill came and then we left...... It is so relaxing and compact project to carry around. Rowan and Nat both say.... we see socks mom - we think of you.... knitting away. I think they are afraid I will try to knit socks when I ride my bike (which will be here in a week.... heee heee).......


























Get on your bike and ride......

Natalie shocked me a bright shade of fuscia this morning........


SHE RODE HER BIKE TO SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!
Not by herself.... but she did ride her bike, lock it up AND ride it home...... she was so proud of herself!!!!!!!! (and so was I!!!)






She tried to con me by telling me it was illegal to wear a back pack and ride your bike????? I did not buy it for one moment... as you can tell in this photo!!!!!!









Rowan eagerly wanted to get her bike out again today - so that she could master the unmasterable.


There were wobbly times.... We would shake it off before getting on and chant... We are one ONE with the bicycle.....








I got a kick out of her trying to start on her own.....









There was one mishap..... one fall...... she came running and a person on the sidewalk felt sorry for her and helped return her bike.... The fact that she was running towards me told me she was okay. This picture reminds me of those bandaid commercials I grew up on and so wanted to do so I too could get a bandaid......




See - a lil road rash... nothing major. We shook it off and surprisingly SHE wanted to get back on the bike before I recommended it.

That's my lil girl!!!!!




And then there is Nat - getting better by the day.... Dells' and Grand Haven here we come!!!!!

She did try to show Rowan how to start off on your bike and coast.... Rowan took notice and tried to immitate.... I think it helped!!!!













She spent alot of time focusing on her pedals and the exact location of her feet!




IT wasn't long before she was getting it down well!!!!!!!





In the end she mastered what, just yesterday, she thought would be the most impossible thing in the world.... starting, stopping and coasting as well as just plain ole riding her bicycle BY HERSELF!!!!!!

She did many tours up and down the sidewalk.... each time getting farther and farther away from the house....

One round - I had to ask Norm if she took off for starbucks on her own.....

She even crashed a few times and fixed the situation on her own.... That's when you know you have mastered the task at hand...... my lil grasshopper!!!!!!


Whatever the case - fast asleep they fell as I was reading this cool new book to them. Nat and I took turns. A cute lil book it is..... I miss being a young teen (Nat is AHEAD of her time.... trust me.... she is no where near being a teen... no no no no no I will deny deny deny....)

Between the increase in sleep and the increase in eatting this should be a FUN summer!!!! I am all about looking forward to biking alot this summer.... now if I just had my own bike..... I am told a week and it will be here.... Currently my cool cool bike is somewhere in the exburbs......

29 May 2006

WHAT a GRAND weekend!!!!!

Can you say
MUCH NEED RELAXATION
and
REST!!!!


Usually - usually Memorial day weekend is wet, cool or cold and dismal. It's not the first choice for me to have off and usually one that I don't mind working. A lil while back I made a deal (with the devil as I call it) to work ONLY the Fourth of July (my first requested holiday) in order to get all the other summer holidays off.

When it came time for Memorial Day to come I was looking forward to a much needed three day weekend. I am just exhausted.... pure through and through exhausted. I could use two weeks off just to sleep in, orgainze and de-clutter the house and just rejuvinate. But I was going to be happy with my three days AND the holiday to boot.

Saturday (as you already know from my previous Snap Shots of Saturday) I worked. Not a big deal. It was 7A to 7P (yes I worked a day shift) and it wasn't bad. It went quickly and I was home with my fam in no time. Be all that it may I was EXHAUSTED and fell right to sleep in the middle of my dinner - I was home. The girls didn't miss me either - they were at the lake.....
Then they met me at work for lunch. That was a real treat.


After visiting me they went to the zoo and hung out at the lily pond.


We were worried that moving to Chicago would take a lil "nature" out of the girls but there is SO much here to do.


Sunday proved much different. I was exhausted and slept in. My girls and hubby were actually QUIET! I was shocked when I woke up. I felt very refreshed even though we were facing 31c degree weather. We tried to stay cool and play down any and all activity. We spent time in our back yard..... (?YES we DO have a BACKYARD?)

We got the hammock up so that I could lay back and read.... but as soon as I plopped down in it I crashed down onto the patio.... OUCH!!!!!! Between you and me the only thing that was hurt was my pride - but for the sake of the "the hubby who put it up." I am in EXCRUCIATING pain! LOL!!!!



Natalie set up home on one of the tables and preceded to draw pictures of outfits she thought would make GREAT summer wear for me and Rowan. She came up with some good sketches. She does not want me to scan or photograph them for fear someone might steal her idea. She is so cute how she puts detail into her clothes down to lace on the end of sleeves and drawings on the front of her shirts. She can not wait for project runway this fall.

As you can tell both girls got their fill of sun on Saturday eventhough they were bathed and rebathed in sunscreen. Gotta work on the application of said lotion with the hubby.

After a while - we ventured out for "movie time." We went to see HOOT. AWESOME movie. I mean this was a GREAT movie. It looked cute to begin with but within thrity minutes the girls and I were riveted at the screen. For me it was a trip down memory lane. The movie was filmed in Florida (where I grew up) and Jimmy Buffett (BIG Jimmy Buffett fan - grew up on his music, went to several of his concerts AND going this summer to Tinley Park for his concert with the Hubby - the hubby's first Parrothead concert!!!!) wrote the score as well as stars in it. Will Shriner directed it and half way through the movie
Ken Shriner (Scotty Baldwin) was in the movie as well.

Thank goodness we were four of eight people in the theatre. Bellowing out "Scotty" in the middle of the movie would have a made a stink in a more fuller movie theatre I think......

Highly recommend this movie if you are five years old (Rowan loved it!) or 99 years old. So cute.... So wholesome too.... and the music was the bomb.....

Afterwards we discovered a bike shop with people test riding bikes - that later got us in trouble (insert note from hubby... there is no "we" involved.)

At home we all curled up and READ. Natalie started "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" (a movie we had watched together the night before - well I attempted to watch in a coma on the couch - but we were all curled up watching it. Rowan was reading some starter books and I was reading "Devil in the White City." So well written... a breath of fresh air after trying to get through "Demons and Angels" as well as "Davinci Code (still can't get thru completely)." It's also a REALLY good book.

MONDAY - ah Monday - the last day of everyone's three day weekend (the middle of mine - I am off till Wednesday - I might forget what I do for a living). Today was grand. In addition to learning how to ride a bike without training wheels.....



and Natalie with the new super chick bike.....

and I anticipating the arrival of mine..... (big pout) Nat and I got our Pedicures, we spent time talking about Girl things AND spent some time picking out flowers for the backyard. I actually picked up a few at the nursery and put them on the deck tonight. As anyone who knows me knows - I am a horrible gardener..... I have a black thumb (as my hubby would say). Black for death that is....

We are all exhausted but happy and relaxed. Nat curled up with me a little while ago and mentioned how much fun this whole weekend was. IT was a very nice family weekend. I am looking forward to more this summer.

This picture says it all.... Rowan fell asleep mid bite of her after dinner snack. I think we will all sleep well tonight.

Oh - feeling a lil broke too. I planned and paid for our trip to the Dells, Planned and paid for a trip to Grand Haven AND made sure we were all "bike ready." We are planning on taking our bikes to these places as well as around town. So - back to work I will go.......

Ministry in the Park

This past week our church had some missionaries here. Part of their outreach involved Children's Ministry in the park. They were awesome. Setting up headquarters at Oz Park (just nearby) the girls joined up with them on Thursday.

Obviously - if you take a look at the pictures, the hubby was taking them. I was in my deadly Hazmet class at the time. It was beautiful out. I think Spr-ummer has finally sprung.


The missionaries were from Arkansas but they acted like they were right at home here. They spent time playing and talking with the kids as well as talking and spending time with the mom's/nannies.




They set up a portable stage and had "theatre" time with the puppets. As you can tell they are holding the children very captive.


When I heard they were doing this I was like - "well duh!!!!" I am more into "ghetto" areas (for lack of a better term) for this ministries target - but there are kids right here who need the same message delivered to them......



Oz park is a good locale - it's right in Lincoln park but on the edge of the now vanishing Cabrinia Green and other needy areas.



The fact that they took time to not only do a ministry but talk to the kids AND play with them was the key.



I wish there was some way to keep this going now that they are back in Arkansas.



This is something that I could see my children being totally immersed in and helping out. They did it in Michigan and I know they miss it. We sometimes get so busy worrying about the people we think are in so obvious need of help that we totally overlook the ones that are standing next to us screaming for attention!!!!

I want to..........



RIDE MY BICYCLE..........





Okay the beginning of the story....












What's wrong with this picture???????


THERE ARE NO WHEELS ON HER BIKE.... TRAINING wheels that is.....



Rowan - took her training wheels off her bike this weekend. (Actually DAD took it off.... but she wanted them off.) So that meant she needed help learning to ride the bike. NOT a problem. But then that sparked Natalie to want to ride her bike which is WAY to small for her.... Then Natalie realized that if Rowan got expert at riding the bike without training wheels - she would get Natalie's bike....

SO - that meant it was now time for Natalie to get a bike.....

Living in Chicago - not wanting to drive.... leads one to walk or ride a bike...


HERE we are....


What's wrong with this picture....


and no I am not NOT riding a bike because I am taking the pictures.....


As you can tell from this picture -my choleric child is upset that I DON'T HAVE A BIKE!!!!!











So off we went (or Dad and the child) to get her a bike..... and home she returns with....





The helmet is a bit big and that caused MAJOR issues with my choleric child... but she loved LOVED loved the bike!



She couldn't wait to get it out and ride it!!!!

















I started with ROWAN while dad and Natalie were away getting the bike (they snuck out.) I knew when Nat returned with a new bike it would be all over... so I wanted to get Rowan psyched that she could WOULD and (spoiler) did ride a bike without training wheels.


After Norm got home he helped her as well.... she really didn't need much coaxing... I just had to keep reminding her that she KNEW how to ride a bike now she had to learn to balance.








At times she would get a lil emotional. We wouldn't let her give up though (or I should say I wouldn't.) What isn't picture here is the horrible crash onto that fence where she tried to impale herself (or rather the bike did if she told the story). I quickly wisked her up and did some TLC and secret Nursing assessment. THEN we got the bike back up and got her back on it. She was glad afterward. She said that she wasn't scraed anymore.....


















The end result...






LOOK MOM NO HANDS!!!! I am doing it myself!!!!



She was quite proud of herself and couldn't wait to call Grammy to tell her!!!!

So what does this do with me wanting to ride my bicycle???????

I got a bike today - only they shop had to ORDER it because they didn't have it in stock. I was going to buy a Schwinn Cruiser - LIME GREEN... it was really sharp. THEY Would have HAD to order that as well..... So the owner (of course) suggested the Giant Crusier with 7 speeds. I asked why? I would want 7 speeds and I tried one of the Schwinn 7 speeds. It was nice..... BUT I wanted it today and I wanted a WOMAN's Cruiser so I would be sitting more upright (I am getting too old to lean forward... kills the back you know....)


The end result is this cool lookingt Giant Women's Crusier - I can't wait to get my hands on!!!!!! ONE WEEK.... I am dying here.... I am so much into instant gratification I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!! AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH