The frog that ate yogurt.

Hmmmm...did you know that frogs like yogurt?

Raspberry yogurt, if you want to be exact about things.

Did you know that you can use a hammer to eat yogurt?  

...some prefer a spoon....but..

...then it wouldn't  produce the same results....a very happy ( an messy ) little boy.

xoxo

This is how we roll...

Our pool......daddy style!

Our "Jamba Juice"...Mama style...

.....and Our "Fantastic Sams"...aka Mama-givin'-kids-new-haircuts-in-the-backyard-kinda style!!!

and that's how WE roll...:-)

A sign of summer...

Hmmmmmmmm.......what could this be......

Turns out it is was the remains of a Sponge Bob Square Pants Popsicle! 

( courtesy of one of the FOUR ice-cream trucks that make their way down our street EVERY night! ) 

xoxoxo

The claw is our master..

If you are a Toy Story fan you will love these....

my mom made them for Finn and his cousin Micah's birthdays...

they are really too cute for words....

and boy-oh-boy did the kids LOVE them.....

Happy Birthday boys! 

xoxoxoxo

Midwest Journey 2010

We try every year to make it back to the MidWest..Chad has family in Illinois ( where he was born) and I have a ton of family in Wisconsin ( where I was born).  Sidenote:  Chad and I were actually born about 70 miles apart from one another...he at Great Lakes Naval Base outside of Chicago and me in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Anyway,  this year Chad's dad's family had a reunion planned in Chicago and so began our midwest journey 2010.

We flew into Milwaukee on a Thursday..stayed with my dad a night ( he lives in Oconomowoc..about 45 min. from milwaukee)..and then on Friday drove down to Chicago for the reunion.  The next 3 days were spent with family..BBQ'ing, swimming, enjoying a boat ride on the Chicago River, and listening to an actual thunderstorm!! whoo-hoo!!  After the reunion was over on Sunday we drove to Chad's aunt and uncle's house ( on his mom's side) and stayed there until Wednesday.  It was during this brief stay that my darling Finn decided he needed to turn 2 years old.....boooo!  I really wasn't ready for this...he was just born wasn't he?    We took him to the Field Museum in Chicago ( natural history) and he was thrilled with all the dinosaurs...so fun.  We followed up with a trip the next day to the Lincoln Park Zoo ( which btw was FREE!)..and time with cousins....:-)

The next 8 days were spent enjoying time back up in Wisconsin with Grandpa and all of our other lovely relatives....my dad has 11 brothers and sisters..most of which live in and around Oconomowoc...so there was no shortage of people to visit and cousins to play with.  Olivia and Finn were thrilled with catching fireflies, playing at the city beach ( on Lake LaBelle), visiting Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa ( my dad's parents), and listening to MORE thunderstorms..:-)

The highlight of the trip was a visit to the new Brewers stadium in Milwaukee...it was the kids' first professional baseball game and they very well behaved...well...that is...until Olivia drank 10 ounces of lemonade....yeah....then barfed all of the place....prompting sympathy vomit from Finn....yeah, and then....well....we got them cleaned up and found better seats.  hahahahah!  It was definitely an experience I don't EVER intend on repeating...*sigh*.

All-in-all a great trip ...we can't wait to return next year and make more midwestern memories....the kids are still talking about Grandpa and Olivia's new favorite expression is " Well, Grandpa would probably let me do that..."   Nice.

xoxoxo

Two years and counting..

My darling son is now a big two year old boy!  I cannot believe how the last few years have honestly flown by.   What can I say about him?  Here are some adjectives that best describe my darling little monkey.

Curious,  Snuggly,  Stubborn,  Joyful,  Exuberant,  Cautious,  Playful, and last but not least.....

Happy.

Happy Birthday my Finn...your mama, dada, and big sissy love you so much!

xoxoxo

Ode to a Dad

I think that this was the best Father's Day that Chad has had to date....and I must admit that the day was really one, big, huge blessing. We started the day by me and kids bringing a "lite" breakfast in bed ( because we were heading for brunch later) , watching a bit of soccer, and presenting Dada with his gifts, a leaf blower ( yes, he really wanted that ) and a pair of camo colored shorts.  Then we leisurely got ready and made our way to Malibu for brunch at Dukes!  It was so much fun...lots of good food and after a few pep talks even Finn enjoyed himself ( he's not much for restaurants these days...).  After stuffing ourselves at brunch we headed to Zuma Beach and played for a couple of hours in the surf and sand...the kids slept soundly on the way home and we ended the day with beers,home-made fries, and veggie burgers in our backyard...

It was a really good day.  :-)

Tired ( actually more like exhausted...)

This morning ( for some reason), i woke up feeling very tired.  Not i went to bed too late tired, but honestly and truly TIRED.  Physically, emotionally, and spiritually...all wrapped up in one neat little package. 

I thought the coffee might help. 

It didn't.  ( well, maybe just a little bit).  I try very hard to wake up in the mornings and be present for my family.  I am admittedly not an "early" morning person which generally does not mesh well with having two children under the age of 4.  Try as I might, i will NEVER be a wake-up-at-5-am-exercise-then-read-the-paper-before-the-rest-of-the-house-wakes kind of gal.  I am very jealous of people ( or moms for that matter) who can do this.  But I digress.....

So, the coffee didn't work.  The cold water splashed repeatedly on my face didn't work. I think i maybe I'm just TIRED.....

I am so grateful for all things in my life...wonderful husband, healthy children , great family...but i wonder sometimes where "I" went in the process. 

Maybe I just need a nice, long, nap....or maybe I am just anticipating my 2 week vacation with my husband and kids...the good parts of that , and the bad ( uhhhhh...come on, who doesn't like riding in an airplane with a screeching 2 year old.?).  OR, maybe it's packing for 4 people that's got me feeling "tired". Or maybe it's the MOUNDS of laundry waiting for me...did I mention that they were MOUNDS?  *sigh*.

I'm not complaining...really i'm not...( ok maybe just a little). 

How do you ( doesn't matter if you have kids or not) ladies deal with feeling "tired"?  I KNOW you all know what I mean...

xoxoxoxoxo

ice-cream

Joy.

Sweetness.

Laughter.

Family.

xoxoxo