Our Day at the Amusement Park: Part One

I'll admit right now that I have very pictures of the boys; they were often off on their own having a blast.  Plus the water park doesn't lend itself to many photos; the waves are too high.

I'll admit that I'm not a roller coaster girl. Never have been.  Miss M and Miss A are our thrill riders in the family. In fact, Miss M has ridden roller coasters and rides that would have resulted in either my death or losing of my lunch had I been brave enough to try.

However, I'm all for a day adventure, and when some friends asked if we would be interested in joining them for a day trip to a small family friendly amusement park/water park I was fully in.  Miss A could not be more excited as the friends had three girls  (just perfect company) and she's been wanting to go to Adventureland for her "entire life."  Who knew? 

Mr C who tends to be a little more like his mother when it comes to rides brought along a friend who shares our dislike. In fact, Mr A told my husband that some of the rides concerned him that they might result in a "serious brain injury."  A boy after my own heart! 

I'll admit that I was very impressed with the park and its amenities. It was clean, a perfect size for walking, giving kids a little freedom, and the water park was a top ten.  The wave pool was huge and according to Mr C and Mr A the best waves in this part of the country. The boys claimed that the waves were so big they could knock them over; and they are not "little boys" anymore!

We had a great cabana that gave us a little shade, but after a week of 100 degree temps the weather was perfect with temps in the 80's. In fact, after spending the whole morning swimming, we decided to try a few of the rides. After a few little rides (which I stood outside waiting), I finally gave in and decided to try the White Water Rafting.  You know the ride that you get either a little wet or soaked on.  Let's just say that I got soaked; thanks mostly to my friends Mr C and Mr A who took it as a challenge.  Sadly, as we disembarked, the Heavens opened up and it no longer realled mattered if I had been a little bit dry.

However, the little "shower" that drenched us didn't stop our fun.  The kids were dancing in the rain, running down the "river" and enjoying some hot chocolate and fresh donuts.  Gotta partake in some of the carnival food.  Thankfully, since we were wearing our swimsuits under the clothes, we didn't even notice the wet!

We were having a great time and in some ways the fun was just beginning!

Checking Items off the List

The girls' list for Spring Break was 10 items long and I'm happy to say that we completed 8 of the ideas listed. By Thursday night, it appeared that we would do all but one of the items on the list; the Flower Garden This was primarily because it's still too early to really look at any live flowers.  However, we decided to postpone Friday's trip to the Zoo and take a trip to Charming Charlies instead.

The mother needed some jewels to wear for the fancy fundraiser on Saturday night and that need trumped the trip to the Zoo. I don't think the girls minded the delay too much, as they both walked out of the store with new "bling" too.  Come to think of it their items cost more than mine did.  I'm not doing this right!

Of course, you can't really decide on the perfect piece of jewelry or fancy flip flops without first making a trip to Krispy Kreme for "Hot and Now" Donuts.  I know that the list only asked for donuts for breakfast and not a trip to the donut store, but we figured "go big or go home."  Miss A claims she's never been to a Krispy Kreme store before.  She might be right, we do deprive our children of these rites of "donut" passage.  Now, she can say she's not only been there, she's worn an awesome hat to celebrate all things donuts.

The rest of Friday was spent waiting for the arrival of the grands from Chicago. We called this week our grandparent bonus week.  First my parents returned from two months in the sunshine, and now P's parents were coming in to celebrate the boys birthdays!  Yeah.  The girls have really missed having these special people around to share secrets, give hugs, and enjoy the spoiling they give out freely.

Winter Time Fun: Visiting a Museum

Winter boredom can arise even when the weather outside is mild and your plate of "to-do's" is long.  There is just something about being trapped inside most days that makes you feel a little stir crazy.  To conquer that winter dull, we try to break things up a bit and take family outings. 

Saturday, after a morning of rearranging M's room (more to come), we snuck the kids out to Chick fil A and a visit to the big city Museum that had traveling exhibit of costumes from the Movies.  Real Movies. Epic Motion pictures.  Miss A had been begging to go see a stunning Red Ball Gown for months. Miss M, who loves to doodle and sketch, thinks fashion design might be cool to look into as a career. Mr C, well he doesn't share any of his sisters' interest in costuming which is why we "whisked" the kids away without telling them our destination!

We figured that lunch at Chick Fil A would buy us some time at the Museum.  We know the way to a teenage boys heart!  Thankfully, Mr C is such a good sport.  He found his own fun at the Museum.  He not only dressed the mannequin. but also tried his hand at the old ties; everyday experience of tying a necktie really helps. Mr C also talked his sister into buying some candy at the Old Fashioned Soda Fountain.  You see, food really is the way to a young man's heart.

We had a fabulous afternoon outing at the Museum and finished our day with the girls watching "A Tooth Fairy" while having a sleepover and the big kids watched "Moneyballs." Perfect.

Love a boredom buster day!

Sisters Sledding

The title sounds likes an 80's Hard Rock Band, but in actuality, it's just two sisters having a blast at sledding down the hill at the school yard.  Dad took the girls up to the school on Sunday afternoon and there was much rejoicing in the land!

Miss A and Miss M had a wonderful few hours of going up and down the hill at the school yard sleds in hand.  According to P, there was much giggling and screaming and jumping of moguls.  The girls were thrilled to see that a group of boys who had been there earlier had set up a fabulous "jump" on the hill.  According to A, the "Air" you could get was out of the world.  Miss M might have even tried skiing a little bit. 

Maybe we should take these kids skiing!!

As a bonus while Dad was keeping an eye on the girls, he cleaned out the inside of my van and even found my sun glass clip!  Of course he also found the battery charger for the camera that I had lost last month.  Sadly, I'd just replaced it days before!

Snow Day: Wait It's Winter? Who Knew

It's been the strangest winter in these parts. In fact, it's barely seemed like winter at all.  Last Monday, it was nearly 70 degrees so Miss M and I walked to the elementary school and picked up Miss A after school. By midweek, they were forecasting a "winter storm event" even though we were setting another record and we were playing outside.

Thursday when I went grocery shopping for the weekend ahead, it was as if the world was coming to an end. The Grocery store was packed at 10:30 a.m. Really.  I've never seen so many people at Trader Joe's either.  I told my husband all I wanted was some wine for the Super Bowl.  I'm thinking that the grocery stores were paying off the weather forecasters telling them to illicit fear in the people and send them shopping for supplies.  Wouldn't it be a shame to run out of Wheat Thins?

Friday night, they were forecasting anything from 12 to 24 inches of snow and something very "dangerous" called Thunder Snow!  Really scary sounding, isn't it?  Of course, it didn't happen.  We ended up with a measly 10 inches of snow. Nothing really.  Way more than we've had lately, but not a blizzard or Armageddon.

That didn't stop the kids from having a blast playing in the snow on Saturday afternoon.  It really was the perfect snow for playing and the temps were warm enough that you could actually enjoy some time outside making snowmen (that is Walter with the girls), sledding, and even shoveling the driveway.  Mr C even trekked through the neighborhood to a friends' house to watch movies.  We told him to put his name in his pocket in case he got lost in a snow bank, but he didn't!

It was a great snow day with tons of homemade hot chocolate, no plans forcing us to venture out of the neighborhood, and time to start some new knitting projects while watching movies! 

If this is winter, it's not too bad.  Of course, those 70 degree temps are welcome to return anytime.

Beginning of Girls Week

My husband is already feeling a little outnumbered and it's only been a day.  Mr C left for a week of church camp in the Colorado Mountains leaving P back at home with just the girls.  He thinks we are a little too chatty, giggly and much too worried about what we wear.  Sunday morning when we left for church with a picnic basket packed for a trip to the Zoo along with spare clothes for the experience, I think he thought we were nuts.

Church was contemporary and casual so P just wore shorts while the girls and I changed from our church appropriate skirts and nice shoes to shorts and flip flops.  Girls. Of course, if we'd left the boy in charge, we wouldn't have had a lunch packed, so he should just be thankful we over plan.

Rumor had it that it would be a cool afternoon and a nice change from the 100's of the week so the Zoo seemed like a perfect idea. The weatherman lied.  Shocking, I know. However, we obviously weren't the only people to buy the lie as the zoo was packed. Thankfully, P was able to talk the girls out of the petting zoo in the heat, but he did make us climb Pachyderm Hill (the furthest place in the zoo, far far away) just to see the Rhino.  Boys!

I've never been more grateful that we have so many indoor exhibits at the zoo as I was Sunday.  Even if my glasses did fog up coming in and out, at least I was able to cool off.  The best part of the trip of course was the IMAX movie "Born to Be Wild" about the elephants (which we didn't see at Pachyderm hill, since there aren't any anymore) and orangutans orphaned in Borneo.

It was a stellar movie, beautiful, touching, adorable and heart tugging. Plus, it was air conditioning and 3D on a huge IMAX screen.  Miss A loved the 3D glasses and couldn't believe how it "even starts out as 3D, wow!"  Miss M not as easily swayed by red plastic glasses has decided that she might just movie to Asia to help with the orphan orangutans; she's always wanted one as a pet.

I'd say the beginning of girls week was a success.  Hot, sticky, and exhausting none the less, it was perfect.  The fun as they say, has only begun!!  Don't tell Mr C.

Farmers Market a Perfect Recipe for a Summer Saturday

Our garden plot is coming along.  We've enjoyed some zucchinis and cucumbers but as of yet, no red tomatoes.  However, we have faith that this hot weather will be producing an abundant harvest soon, at least that's what I've told my trusted garden helpers.  Mr C is already dreaming of BLT sandwiches!

We do not have pickling cucumbers planted this year so off we to the Farmer's Market to get our July fix of those small little green babies.  I'm not sure if the kids like going to the market for the fresh produce, the free samples, or the people watching, but I think the homemade Root Beer might be a key reason.

Saturday was perfect for strolling among the booths and dreaming of making salsa, pickles and grilling up some sweet corn.  Mr C wasn't so thrilled when I made him carry the heavy bag with new potatoes, but he likes to eat so he was willing.  Miss A and Miss M's hands were already full with balloon animals and we didn't want "them" to get hurt.

I put the pickling cucumbers to use immediately and, with my husbands expert chopping skills, we now have both fridge pickles and bread and butter pickles stashed in the fridge.  I have the feeling I'll be needing to restock soon; they are yummy.

Of course, when you are already downtown in the big city, you might as take in the sights and enjoy lunch out. Maybe that's only what I told my husband so I wouldn't have to cook.  We did stand in amazement at the mighty river that's overflowing it's banks. Wow. 

I've never seen the river with actual rapids, but I'm sure that's what I saw.  It's fast and furious and does not care what's in it's way.  Looking at the pictures, you can see the big patio umbrellas that used to be in the middle of the riverwalk, but now are actually part of the river.  Miss A thinks that we shouldn't plan on taking a walk there anytime soon.  Miss M just hopes they remembered to empty the trashcans along the way or they might get stinky before the river retreats.

Summer is Almost Over: Say It Ain't So We've Got Plans

If I wanted evidence that school is almost back in session, a trip to Target yesterday confirmed it.  There were "signs" everywhere that summer is almost over.  In addition to the huge clearance section of rafts, pool toys and summer fun items, there might have been a big school supply session.  Not to worry, we ignored the signs.

July is the month in which Mr C is gone more than he'll be home. He leaves this weekend for a week long trip to Colorado for church camp and then after his arrival he goes straight to camp at his high school.  I hope to get some of his laundry done in the short time between engagements as it's less than 24 hours!  He's going to have a blast white water rafting, rappelling, growing his faith, and seeing the mountains (His order, not mine).  The second camp is all boys; swimming, outdoor games, lots of food and of course bonding with other incoming freshman.  Maybe there is no need to wash those clothes from camp, he'll probably not change his clothes the whole week anyway.

We still have things to cross of our Summer Wish List so to keep myself accountable, I'm going to list a few here.  A few will be a girls only event with C gone, but we hope to cram in a few of these as a whole family things too....

1. Trip to Laura Ingalls hometown in SD
2. Pedicure at a Salon (NO BOYS ALLOWED - OK, that was pretty obvious)
3. Homemade Ice Cream and cookout with friends at the Lake
4. Bowling
5. Nighttime walk to catch fireflies
6. Pool swimming with friends
7. Sand Mountain with friends
8. Picnic at the Park
9. Miss A's Birthday Party
10. Boys Campout at the Lake
11. Dining al fresco on the deck
12. Eagle Scout Playground Installation
13. Miss A and Miss M play dates with friends
14. Movie Night with Popcorn
15. Water park

Now, I know that this is an adventurous plan for a few short weeks, but I'm willing to carry a few over into September and live in summer mode until then. School starts in Mid August and I know that I can't avoid the school supply aisle forever, but I like to pretend that it's still summer for a little bit more.

The fact that it was 103 degrees yesterday confirms my faith in summer.  Here's to making the most of the summer days ahead.

Ready to Root you on to Victory!

Even though my husband favorite team was eliminated from the CWS early on (I'm sure they will be back next year), we still love to watch the games, experience the ballpark, and take on Fan Fest and all those crazy challenges. 

Friday afternoon, while Miss M was still at camp, we went as a family of four to the afternoon game between Florida and Vanderbilt.  With a packed picnic basket, Mr. C's wallet filled with umpire money, and a beautiful afternoon breeze, we were having a blast before we even entered the ballpark.

Miss A is easily swayed with mascots and cute color combinations and quickly decided she was  a Gator fan.  It is hard to beat those blue and orange colors and the adorable Alligator.  Even if her brother was doing his best to talk her into rooting for Vandy's black and yellow so there would be an extra game this weekend, she's not easily persuaded.  I think the fact that most of the Florida fans were sitting in our section might have had something to do with her loyalty and the fact that she got to love on the Gator too!

Fan Fest had everything that a kid could want; a soccer kicking game, which A is sure she had the highest score, a home run derby game where Mr C proved that all that weightlifting has produced stronger arms than he thought, and of course the chance to "slide" into home plate and try to beat both mom and dad in a running game.  Mr C thinks that next spring he'll be joining the baseball team in High School since he was a champ at Fan Fest.  I think we should just get through football camp first.

There is something fun about going to a game in which you have no real personal "investment" in the outcome or the teams.  You go for just the pure joy of rooting for the "home team" of your choice and, of course if you are my kids, for the snacks too.  I thought it was hilarious when Miss A returned to the seats with her snack choice for the day only to be shunned by her father and brother for daring to purchase Nachos and not have the jalapenos thrown on top. 

Maybe that's why Mr. C threw out his idea of having a ice cream treat and ended up with nachos smothered in jalapenos.  Guess you could say he's easily swayed too!

New Digs Same Old Game

CWS 2011 at TD Ameritrade: watching the game on Father's Day;  Dad and Mr. C at the opening game of Texas and Florida on Saturday.  I think Mr. C's face was in sorrow over the Horn's loss. 

I've been attending College World Series Games for nearly all of my life.  As a young child, I was even in command of the binoculars when a "streaker" ran the bases.  Now, I'll admit that there were years that I had my head buried in a book while the action happened around me (There was netting to protect me, I'm a book nerd, and I'm fine with that) and then there were those years when I had a huge crush on the cotton candy man.  I might even have written him a love letter!  Thankfully, my aspirations for a "boyfriend" got  a little higher and my appreciation for the game grew too.

Now, I have the pleasure of watching my kids gain a love for college baseball and experience all that is the CWS.  I tease my husband that he might have married into the family for the CWS season tickets, but in all honesty, he just loves his "Horns" and even I'll admit they make the Road to Omaha more than anyone else.

Spending Father's Day at the new ballpark was my husband's favorite gift.  He even was willing to cheer for that other team from Texas.  Miss A was very confused that not all Texas teams wear Burnt Orange and she wondered if maybe they were sponsored by a bank since their shirts all said ATM. 

I'll admit that I actually spent "game time" at a nearby hotel lobby knitting away. We only have so many tickets to go around and having Nana and Papa share this father's day with the kids and hubs was more important than me watching another baseball game. 

I already have my "cotton candy man" and it's rude to knit while watching a "real" game.

Celebrating Mid Summers Night: Early

We are trying to pass along both a Norwegian and English cultural heritage to our children.  When opportunities to impart some traditions from our backgrounds to our children whether in the form of a Royal Wedding or at a Mid Summer's Celebration, we dive in fully.

Mid Summer's is a big deal in Norway. Bestemor has stories from her childhood celebrations in Norway and she and Bestefar had often participated in a Mid Summer' s Celebration in the states.  When we heard that the local Scandinavian clubs were uniting to put on a local Mid Summer Festival, we decided it's something we just had to try out.

It was a perfect evening for the event, except for the crazy Chicago-type winds.  The poor May Pole took a little bit of a hit with the wind, but the Scandinavian Flags were waving proud.  Miss M and Miss A loved seeing the festive native dancers, they enjoyed the kids activities including the face painting, and the fishing for "Swedish fish."

Mr C was most excited to see the Viking Reenactors duke it out and we all enjoyed learning about the various weapons and uniforms the Vikings wore based on their status and wealth.  It was amazing to watch them battle.  Miss A said that she's just glad no one was actually injured in the process.  I love that Mr. C is not afraid of a little Troll.  I'm not sure his youngest sister was so easily convinced he was a good troll.

I think my Norwegian husband loved singing the Norwegian National Anthem in Norwegian and meeting the Norwegian Consul who lives in his hometown Houston. What was most impressive of the ceremony, however, was that while we celebrated the culture and the countries of our "homelands," we also sang the US National Anthem and the American Flag was prominent in the festivities.  . 

Because the Swedish meatballs looked somewhat dry and to continue our cultural experience, we had dinner out at Qdoba and ate fajitas and tacos.  Just call us the multicultural family! 

Final Days of Girls Only: We Add Dad!

With only two days left before Mr C returned and the days of just being the girls went away, we decided we needed to pack in all the fun we could.  Thankfully, Dad was able to join us for the final day of fun though, as he likes to point out, he is not a girl.

Friday, the girls and I got our hair cut which, for Miss M, meant cutting 4 inches off the bottom and for Miss A it means, for the first time in a very long time, she's sporting bangs.  A few months ago, we switched our hairstylist and we now go to a good friend from Dance who cuts hair in her home.  What a fun way to support a mom who wants to stay at home with the kids.  Both girls are loving their new cuts and they look adorable.

The weather was perfect for a trip to the Zoo so we packed a picnic basket and took in a few of the highlights of the zoo.  The joy of Zoo membership is you can come and go for a short time and not feel bad if you spend more time on the Carousel and feeding the fish than actually looking at the animals.  Just saying.

Saturday, after Miss M's softball game, we decided to capitalize on the perfect weather to go to an outdoor art festival.  While we aren't really in the market for Art, we love to wander about looking for deals and will take any opportunity to have some fun.  That's just what we did.  Have some fun. We made our own "art," enjoyed a snow cone, and, of course, did our favorite thing; people watch.  The most unique part of the whole show had to be the Quick Artist who made a "masterpiece" in five minutes time. 

Now that's talent.

All in all, we had a great time just us girls and dad, but we were thrilled to welcome Mr. C back home on Saturday night.

Horns and Huskers No More

The rivarly is offically over. My alma mater will not be playing my husbands team any longer. Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 and the Longhorns will no longer be on our schedule, so after almost fifteen years, we won't be fighting during football season.

To celebrate the end of an era, our whole family went to the NU/Texas baseball game on Friday night. It was a big event and one of the most challenging aspect was deciding which t-shirt the kids would wear to the game. Would they make dad happy or mom? Let's just say that my favorite child is now Miss A.

It was a perfect night for baseball. We tailgated before the game with KFC in honor of Grammy whose 99th birthday would have been the day before. It was a great way to honor her memory as it's a meal we often shared with her during our visits. Of course, we ran into many Longhorn fans who had journeyed up from Texas one last time.

We had perfect seats, behind the Texas dugout and even got to see the leading pitcher in the bullpin with pro scouts snapping pictures. Of course, I was cheering for the Huskers in the midst of Longhorn fans. Sadly, there was little cheering on my part as the Longhorns outplayed us.

Mr. C was totally in his element and he and Dad watched every play on the field while the girls and I "played" on the playground. Miss A did tell me that it was her favorite day ever, but I'm not sure if maybe the snacks had something to do with the fun. Miss M said it was fun to be a part of History, and loved watching the crowd. Of course, she was wearing burnt orange too so I didn't really trust her opinion!

To cap off a perfect evening, every child slept on the long car ride home! There is nothing like a quiet car ride with sleeping children and a happy husband!! Guess this means that I'll be cheering for the Longhorns come fall, and P will be wearing Red on Fridays to work.

Let's not get carried away!

Spring Break : The End

.

Spring Break was starting to feel a little bit like Winter Break, what with the SNOW and all! Really. Snow in late March. Now, I'll admit it was the pretty kind that only stuck to the grassy surfaces, but it was still snow. Thankfully, we had Bestemor and Bestefar to help us get over the chill in the air and add a little sunshine to our day.

I even tried making a cake to celebrate the March Birthdays and added strawberries to make it more "springy." Of course after I frosted it, I realized anew why my friends don't let me bring the cake to celebrations. Baking is not my thing.

Mr. C was thrilled to stretch his birthday out a few extra days, and the "vat" of ligonberries he got as a present will hopefully last for awhile. We hope, but are not optimistic. Of course, we put the grandparents to work hanging new draperies and entertaining stir crazy spring break children, but we tried to pay them back with a trip to the Art Museum and lunch at a local Tex Mex Restaurant. The girls even found a cute little gift shop (that I'll be going back to solo) and we all fell in love with some adorable home decor items. Miss A would have really liked me to buy her a $225 purse. It was of course 1/2 off so how could I say no? NO.

While our Spring Break might not have included a trip to sandy beach or even days of sunshine, we had a nice relaxing break from reality. We didn't even mind a trip to the Pediatrician to recheck A's ears since we got a great report. Of course, we are not going to talk about Miss M's first ever strep throat found on that same day, no we are going to just thank Jonas Salk for some great drugs!

Sunday night tears means you've have a great break and visit, at least that's what we told Miss A as she shed tear after tear about B & B leaving. Now, she's just waiting for Nana and Papa to come back to town this week after a long absence and hope they bring a little sunshine and warm temps with them!

Happy Birthday Mr. President

It's not often you get to celebrate a President's birthday with real cake and a party. But that's just what we did on Saturday afternoon when we celebrated President Abraham Lincoln's 202nd birthday. Our local history museum was sponsoring an all out Lincoln Birthday Party in honor of a traveling exhibit they are hosting about Lincoln.

.

Mr. C is in the midst of a Social Studies report on Jefferson Davis (the Confederate President) and his best buddy is studying Honest Abe. What better way to get a feel for the "man behind the beard" than to see some of his memorabilia up close and personal. Poor Mr. C said there wasn't much about Davis, but what would you expect we live in the midst of Lincoln Country, the North.

.

I joked with P that even though he's a Civil War buff and a good old southern boy, he really should not call Jefferson Davis a President. I think he still calls it the "War of Northern Aggression." Hello, have you heard the north won!
.

Miss A was far from thrilled with the Lincoln exhibit, but did enjoy making a Log Cabin out of Popsicle sticks and eating fabulous white cake with real frosting. OK, the cake might have been my favorite. I'm a sucker for "wedding cake." She was, of course, thrilled to ride the Street Car, walk through the trains, and just wander about with Mom and Dad.

.

Mr. C and Miss M were busy trying to win the scavenger hunt for Lincoln facts. What a great way to learn while having fun! We didn't win the prize, but you can ask us anything from where did the phrase "with malice towards none" come from to how many states Lincoln's funeral train went through on the long trip back to Springfield. Important things to know and they might come in handy next time we play Trivial Pursuit.

.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President. Now, we just need to go to your hometown and we'll feel like real Lincoln buffs.

Musings of a Weekend

I love weekends. Only thing I don't like about them is how quickly they fly by. It seems like one minute its Friday afternoon and the next thing you know it's Sunday night.

Miss A said that last week was one of her favorite weeks "ever". With two play dates at our house and a play date at a friends house, how could it be any better. The fact that Friday's play date included twins means that it was almost like a "double playdate."

Friday night was Family Fun Night at church with jumpers, volleyball, Blimpies sandwiches, a fabulous magician, and friends. Oh my! All three kids had a chance to burn off some energy before Mr. C's 9:00 p.m. basketball game. Good thing P was willing to take him.

Saturday, we all got to see Mr. C in action at his basketball tournament. He was a rebounding machine and at one point got more "air" than Michael Jordan. Not that I really know anything about basketball. I did however enjoy knitting while watching and only had one "yarn offense" as Miss M called it when my ball of yarn escaped my lap and went across the court!

After a hectic Sunday, with more events than people, we decided it was time to "cash" in on the Amazing Race dinner out. Miss M's team of Lady Doc's had won meaning we were heading out for Mexican. A perfect way to end a weekend; chips, salsa, queso and tacos. Now we are strategizing how best to determine teams for the upcoming Amazing Race "unfinished business" Edition that starts on February 20th. Will we keep our "old" teams or will it be a random drawing? Decisions, decisions.

Can't wait for next weekend, or as Miss A called it the 2nd Holiday of the new year; Superbowl Sunday!

Fireworks and Eighties Music Oh My!

.

I'm not one to love crowds. In fact, I try to avoid them at all costs. Realizing that I live in a smaller sized city, I don't come in contact with crowds all too often. My husbands laughs when I cringe driving in "rush hour" traffic and wonder where "all these cars are coming from?"

.

Call it crazy then that my little family went to a huge outdoor concert and Fourth of July celebration that drew 80,000 people. Yes you read the number right. That's huge (at least around here)! Tons o People! Everywhere!

.

My brother and sister-in-law take their family every year to this celebration and we normally sit at home and laugh at the craziness. This year, when my husband heard the name of the bands at the event, he decided we should give it a shot. My sister-in-law even got up at the crack of dawn and set out our blanket at 5:00 a.m. so we've have a great spot. (thanks !)

It was a perfect night. Not too hot, not too buggy and the our "spot" was perfect. It was in the shade, on the edge by the kiddie park, and close enough to be part of the action. We had found a perfect place to park not too far away and had a great exit strategy in place after the fireworks.

The kids loved hanging out with cousins, friends and, of course, Miss A and I found our way to the playground and Porto-potties numerous times.

.

Now I will admit I don't listen to classic 80's music anymore. In fact, I'm not sure I listened much in the 80's either. What I was doing back then I'm not sure, but it might have involved soccer, school, reading, babysitting and watching 16 Candles and Mr. Mom hundreds of times. Music just wasn't that important to me. So when Kansas, Styx and Foreigner played I probably knew all of 4 songs. Some sounded slightly familiar, but not enough to sing along to.

Proving that Mr. C is his mother's son, he was ready to boot out soon after dinner and few songs. There were too many people. Miss M and Miss M, however, were busy playing with a baby, laughing, hitting beach balls, and drinking Gatorade.
.

We decided that we should probably sneak out a little early to avoid the rush so we gathered our stuff and walked through no less than 10,000 people's blankets and a Porto-potty line 500 deep to our car. We then watched the fantastic fireworks show across the street from the park and were in our car and home about 1/2 hour after the grand finale.

Perfect. Only sad part is that my husband's favorite band was the closer and their best songs were in the last 1/2 hour that we missed walking back to the car. Honey, thanks for putting up with my fear of crowds. I promise we can buy the songs on Itunes and you can listen to them whenever you want.

Seasons End Well

Dad and Mr. C at a game on Saturday. It was super hot and Dad watched to make sure "blue" stayed cool and had plenty to drink.

Some people mark the seasons by the weather and calendar, but around these parts we also mark them by the sports.

Thanks to some friends for getting this great picture of Mr. C in action behind the plate.

.

This week marks the end of Baseball/Softball Season. You might have heard me yelp a little last night when Miss M's team lost a nail bitter to the "mean girls on the block" or at least that's what I call them. We were robbed of a victory and a chance to comeback in the loser's bracket for a shot at the championship.

Go Reds! Acting Crazy on the field before a game. What a fun group of girls.

However, the loss was also a victory in that we get our evenings back. Hooray!

Mr. C's baseball season ended on Thursday night and as a special treat his Bestemor and Bestefar were in town and got to see the game. While they lost, Mr. C had some good at bats and the temperature for the first time in over a week was tolerable. We missed out on Norwegian Meatballs as result of a dinnertime game, but can't wait to dig in this week to the frozen bag they left behind.

Mr C has been playing baseball since Kindergarten and this was the first year he got to be Cub his favorite professional team. Go Cubbies!

.
C still has a few more umpire jobs to do this week so it's not officially the end of Baseball Season, but I'm counting down the days.

To mark the "end" of the Season here are a few things that will be changing around the Faithful Household.

1. No more snack shack trips. Don't tell Miss A, she'll be disappointed, she loves her some snack shack trips.

2. No more Gatorade and Water Bottles sitting in door of the fridge to get a little chill before game time.

3. No more late night wash loads to get the uniforms cleaned before a game.

4. No more dinners of sandwiches at 4 p.m. for ballplayers and at the game for parents and fans.

5. A full fridge again. I'd given up buying fresh meat and veggies that would rot in our fridge while we were at a game eating #4.

6. Cleats will no longer fill up our garage and hats and gloves will not be found under seats in my car.

7. Dad will no longer will taking clothes to work to change for the game in order not to coach M's team wearing a suit.

8. No more watching Mr. C behind the plate calling strikes and balls. He's really enjoyed umpiring and the teams and coaches have been very complimentary to him. That's why he's umping a few Championship Games this week!

9. Empty Calendar. Plenty of Free time for the Lake, Pool, Movies and Summer Fun just in time for the 4th of July.

Here are a few of the things we'll miss however...

1. Seeing friends at the ballpark and hanging out on lawn chairs watching our kids have fun.

2. Watching the joy on Mr. C's and Miss M's faces when they have a great "at bat" or make a great catch on the field.

3. Watching Dad coach Miss M's team and cheering them on in victory or defeat. He's a great softball coach and the girls love the team.

4. Knowing that these "seasons" at the ballpark are slowly coming to an end. Mr. C won't play forever and Miss M, while committed for one more year, isn't going to continue her softball career much longer either. Miss A of course likes the green grass of a soccer field much more than the dirt of a ball field.

I'm happy to see a new "season" around these parts, but this has been a great one! I think from now until school starts we'll just call it Happy Season.

Who Says Family Reunions Can't Be Fun?

Cousins along the St Croix River

We just got back from a Family Reunion of sorts and I must admit my kids had a blast. (the Parents did too!) With both of us having very small families, we don't get invited to many weddings, baby showers or graduation type events. No big family reunions with matching shirts or entire hotel floors filled with cousins upon cousins along with those weird uncles and crazy aunts. We barely have enough people at a holiday dinner to justify a "kids table."

This weekend, however, we were thrilled to go to a second cousin's wedding and whoop it up on the dance floor just like a big "Greek wedding." Without the Greek Festivities of course, but it was in Minnesota so that's pretty exotic!

Miss M and Miss A dancing

Our entire Family took a road trip to the Twin Cities and got to see "family" and celebrate a wedding. We even took up a few hotel rooms and, on Sunday morning, the Breakfast Buffet at the Hotel was beginning to look a little bit like a real Family Reunion (but still no T-Shirts). I'm so happy my kids got to experience this, as Minnesota and our "Minnesota Family" hold some fabulous memories of my childhood. In fact, I can vividly remember dancing at the Bride's Mother's Wedding 30 plus years ago! Wow I'm getting old!!

Family Weddings are fun.

Nana & Papa with A and C

Miss A and Miss M danced their hearts out at the reception. Miss A was beyond worried before the dance that she didn't have a "partner" to dance with and was actually scoping out her 1 1/2 year old third cousin as a potential dance partner. Sadly, Mr Ben went to bed before the dancing began!

C and A Dancing


Dad and his "Girls"

Not to fear, however, as big brother, Uncle S, Papa and of course Dad were around to dance with her along with the big cousins and finally Mom! Miss M was whooping it up with Cousins N and the Minnesota Cousins and soon the shoes were ditched table side. Poor Mr C soon decided that the "guys" should head to the hotel room for a little PlayStation. Thank goodness for boy Cousins to hang with as you wouldn't want to put that "Cotillion Dance Lessons" to work would you!

Mr C and his Boy Crew- "When Can We Leave?"


Really Can We Leave Now?

Miss A and Her Uncle S twirling

Finally, it looks like we need to be planning our own wedding around here as Miss M caught the bouquet! Yep, our almost 10 year old daughter strategically planned to get in the middle of the group and used her softball instincts to catch the flowers. It was hilarious to watch the young single women look at her in shock. According to M, they should have known better than to stand in the front row," you knew she could throw farther than that." I'm just hopping she's OK with an arranged marriage and very, very long engagement.

Get Ready Miss M it's almost Tossing Time

Miss M with her prized bouquet
Family Wedding Trips now rank up with our kids' most favorite vacation ideas. Of course, we did more in Minnesota than just dance and eat wedding cake so I'll post on the rest of the fun next time!

Preparing for the Storm: Taking it Serious

I'm a planner by nature. In fact, as a child, I usually planned my next year's birthday party shortly after the conclusion of the current one. Guess I might be a birthday girl, but I love to plan ahead.

Living in the Midwest you get accustomed to preparing for storms. With the potential for large amounts of snow, winter storms require planning so that you have plenty of food, milk ,and of course, Reddi Whip ready for hot cocoa emergencies. Spring Storms mean you need to have a tornado basket ready with flashlights, batteries for a radio, and blankets for protection and comfort.

Having survived a tornado as a child, I don't really mess around with Watches, Warnings or Weather Threats. I've seen close up what a tornado can do. It destroyed my house while my mother and I were at a Girl Scout Meeting at the Elementary School a few blocks from our house and my father and brother were huddled up under a chair in our basement.

I was a 2nd Grade Brownie Girl Scout and my mother was the Leader. It was right after school on a clear May afternoon. There was no time to think about what to do. My father, in an attempt to come to the school to bring us home, had seen our neighbors roof fly off their house and he quickly decided to stay home.

My mother, the ever prepared GS Leader, happened to have a flashlight in her purse and huddled all of us girls in the school hallway between two huge steel doors. I don't remember being scared or nervous; just confident she could handle it. After the storm, the Principal took my mother outside to survey the damage. The neighborhood was destroyed. Many homes were leveled. Amazingly, all the parents arrived to pick up their girls that day. No one had been harmed.

Once everyone had gone "home," my mom and I walked the few blocks to our house. Everywhere, there were houses with roofs gone, windows gone, and debris littered the streets (thus why we walked). We had no idea what we would discover once we got home. My mother prayed that we'd find our house OK, but most of all she prayed that my brother and dad had been spared harm and that we'd find them alive and well. I remember being scared.

When we finally saw our house ahead and my dad and brother standing in our driveway, I'm sure my mother and I both cried. God had protected them and, while our house was "destroyed," our family was intact. Really that was all that mattered.

Since that day in 1975, I've taken Storms seriously. I heed the warnings and take precautions when there is the potential of a storm. I've seen what it can do and, while I'm not afraid, I believe in being prepared. I've been known to grab sleeping babies out of their cribs when the sirens go off. I've told baseball umpires to call games when I've seen dark clouds, strong winds, and lightening nearby. Lastly, I'm training my children to listen for sirens and head downstairs right away. I know the lessons have been heard when last summer, when I was at the store, the sirens went off and Mr C. gathered his sisters and went to the basement,

Last night, we were prepared for the worst. We had our shoes ready at the basement door. I had my purse and my keys to the car sitting there with the camera as I had pictures I'd yet to download. The batteries were in place and we had Mr C's trusty Camp Lantern all ready. The kids had even picked up the basement. It was waiting for us in case we needed it.

Thankfully, it was just a false alarm. The storm passed us by to the North and we didn't even get any rain. I was thankful. Thankful that we were prepared and that we didn't need to put our storm plan into action.

However this morning when I realized that the "no storm" meant no rain outs for our concert, softball, baseball, and soccer games I might have felt a little unprepared to leave. All things considered, I'll take a calm night weather wise even if it means a jammed packed morning.