ABCs

Pause the music at the right so you can hear these two cuties.

Random March Pictures

Well rounded...Indiana Jones meets The Little Mermaid

I don't care what the commercials say, moon-sand is messy! The kids can only play with it outside so it's a good thing the weather has been so nice.

Sometimes you just need a nap.

Lake Pueblo. Our favorite place to hike and throw rocks into the water.

The kids really like skin stickers (tattoos)

Happy Birthday Mike! The kids made a surprise party for Mike. When he came home from a trip, the house was dark and we were hiding in the front room. There were balloons everywhere. Tommy and Katie each bought Mike a bionicle. They think he is 11.

Garden of the Gods. Another favorite place to walk around.

The gerbil.

Is today Monday?

It sure feels like it. While Tommy was at preschool, I tried to feed Katie lunch. She took one look and said, "I'm not eating that" and ran off to play with the gerbil (We recently got a gerbil, because we were afraid our house was smelling too good). Anyway, I went to check on her and give her an ultimatum about lunch when I saw a pretty scary sight. She was holding the gerbil by his tail and gently rocking him back and forth. I told her that she couldn't hold him that way and that it would hurt him. Then I had to run out of the room and laugh, not because I think torturing small animals is funny, but because I was just so surprised to see that Katie does.

Speaking of the gerbil, he had red around his eyes today. I was certain he was bleeding out of his eyes and Katie was my number one suspect. I ran to the computer and googled "bloody gerbil eyes" and hoped I didn't find some kind of band. I learned that gerbils mucous is red so he may just be allergic to his bedding or us. Hopefully it clears up soon.

Next, Tommy came home and after playing for while, we were headed upstairs to see something on the computer. As I passed the bathroom, I noticed that an entire roll of toilet paper was piled all over the floor and partially in the toilet. I asked Katie if she had done it. She said she hadn't so I asked Tommy. He admitted that he had done it. I asked him if he thought that it was ok, to put so much toilet paper on the floor and then leave it. He said he was hoping I would clean it up. Hmmmmm. Needless to say, he cleaned it up. His future wife can thank me later.

Then we were all in the basement playing. I was trying to get a workout in on the elliptical trainer and the kids were in the inflatable bouncer. Well, Katie has been pretty congested lately and the coughing got the best of her and she threw up all over the floor. So now, I knew it was a conspiracy.

Well, as I type this, my computer is narrating. Not to lay blame but someone (Katie) configured the computer to narrate every mouse click. I don't know how to turn it off. The constant inputs from this random voice are getting very annoying. I could just turn down the sound but then I would miss the things I want to hear.

Now I am just waiting to see if Mike will make the flight back home which is greatly delayed and oversold and if he does make it, he has to turn around Friday and go back. Tommy just asked me if I have something to hang from the ceiling so he and Katie can swing from it. Seriously, is it Monday?

So even though I am just venting, I am thankful for my two beautiful children who make me laugh with their antics. I am thankful my husband has a job even though it keeps him away a lot. I am thankful for Google which answers every question I come up with and I am thankful that the gerbil is not, in fact, bleeding out of his eyes.

Too funny to keep to myself

I just got back from taking the kids to the store. As I was driving through the parking lot, Katie said, "Out of my way sonny". She said it a few more times. At first I thought she was talking to the pedestrians all over the parking lot. Then I thought she was talking to me. I said, "Are you talking to me Katie?" She said, "No, I'm talking to the sun".

Christmas 2008

This year we decided to go to Utah for Christmas. We left here on December 15th and just got back on Tuesday. We had a great time and were able to spend a lot of time with our families.

Tommy and Katie did a great job of decorating Grandma Janet's tree.Aunt Kathy let all of the kids help her make sugar cookies for her neighbors. She is an amazing lady! Katie and Stockton played beautiful music on the piano.Saturday Knight FeverWe took the kids downtown to see the lights. This is my favorite part about Christmas in Salt Lake. We rode the Trax and all of the kids loved it, even though it was cold!This view continues to amaze me.Christmas morning... otherwise known as December 23rd since Mike had to be back in Chicago that night and wouldn't return to Salt Lake for 5 days. Katie said, "this is just what I wanted" to every gift she opened. What a sweetie.My mother had her knee replaced on December 9th. She stayed in the hospital for a few days and then moved to a rehabilitation center. It was beautiful and everyone who worked there was so nice. Of course she made many friends while she was there. She hoped to be home for Christmas but she had to stay until the next week. She got fabulous therapy there and she is getting around much better than before the surgery. The kids opened some of their presents there with her. And then she got to come home!We had such a great time with Mike's mom, my sister and her family and my mom. I got to see some old friends and eat way too much really good food. We went sledding and had more snow than I have seen in a long time. I was snowed in at Kathy's house for two days. Mike was able to come stay with us two days of every week we were there. I hope you all had a great holiday season too.

And then we came home.