Pop Quiz

Q: How long before my kids start destroying their new home?

A: 5 1/2 months.

Tom has decided he was wants to further his career in olympic rings and needs to practice in our bathroom. =(

Hibernating Bear (Allie Bear, that is!)

It never ceases to amaze me where Allie can fall asleep. It's equally amazing that at bedtime she is impossible to get to go to sleep, even on days she does not get a siesta in.

I was sorting and folding our mountain of laundry yesterday and Allie was in the middle of the pile joyously trying on her favorite clothes. I realized after returning from putting some clothes away that it was too quiet and Allie had wandered off. I went downstairs and discovered Allie in the dining room (in her latest fashion ensemble).....

Book Club

I have no witty statements about the current political situation of our country, cute photos of my kids, or even a puppy update. I just want to write about my book club. I know it's dorky, but I love my book club. I love the people in it, I love that it encourages me to read books that don't have anything to do with real estate, and I love the evening out. Every person in our group is so intelligent and has a different perspective to contribute. There's also no catty competition, no large meals to prepare if you're hosting (just yummy snacky foods!), you can show up even if you didn't get a chance to read the book, and there's a perfect mix of book chat and life chat. I just think it's the bee's knees. I know I sometimes highlight the book we read but figured I'd highlight the girls this time. Here are my book club buddies (sans Sara and Alison). Pictured is Julie, Shelly, Ann, and Kristina (left to right).


BTW- The book we read was Escape by Carolyn Jessop. It was riveting and very disturbing that women (and children) in this country are being treated this way. It's a good read.

Pretzels

I was sorting through some photos and came across this one.... it makes me grin. The kids discovered the twister board and have had a bit of fun with it. For this game, Bobby was spinning and calling the colors. I remember as a child pretending the twister board was a disco floor with colored lights (!), did anyone else do that?


ps- No puppy yet. =(

Pokey Pokemon

Sorry it took so long to post Pokemon results but I had to organize the pictures and it was going to take a little more time than I had... until now.

So on Saturday we loaded up in our van and drove 45 minutes to a small town with a gaming shop. Here are the kids with their pre-game jitters....


The "usual suspects" were there and our kids made thirteen total PokePlayers. There were three divisions: youth, senior, and masters. Matt, Sam, and Tom were the only ones in the youth division and Pete was in senior division with one other kid. We were told they would be playing random players based on a lottery system. Each player played three rounds and their win/ loss record would also help determine who they played next. So here's round one....


Matt versus Sam....


And Pete versus Tom.

Uhhhhh.....So basically we traveled 45 minutes, paid money in entry fees and gas to have these kids play each other? We could have stayed home and had them pokeduel in their bedrooms! Meanwhile Allie was next door test driving the bikes at the bike shop.


Pete won against Tom in round one and Matt won against Sam. For round two...


It's Pete versus that kid (I forgot his name)...


Matt versus Tom....

And Sam versus Gary (?)...I'll have to ask my kids their names when they get home from school. I think the kids were excited that they got to play against other people besides themselves. Matt won against Tom. Pete's game timed out (didn't finish within 30 minutes) and the other player had more shiny jewels on his side so I guess Pete lost. Sam beat Gary in two turns. I asked Gary if he threw the match and he said he had let Sam evolve a player on the first turn even though technically they are not supposed to and on his second turn, Gary had an unexpected weak card and Sam then used his evolved card to destroy him. This is what it sounded like to me..."I let him evolve blah blah into blah which allowed him to blah me when I turned over blah."

So on to round three.... Matt was looking like a favorite for a win in the junior division but needed the win to eliminate the possibility of a tie from Sam. Pete needed a win to take the senior division. Here were the match ups....


Sam versus Tom and Pete versus "deadhead girl" (I promise I'll put their names in as soon as my kids come home- they'll remember).


Matt played "that kid". At the end of round three, Matt won, Sam won, and Pete timed out again! Pete must just play slowly. The "deadhead girl" had obtained one more shiny jewel than Pete just before the game timed out so she won.

So the final results...... (drum roll) the winner of the junior division was Matt!


He won a pin and three packs of Pokemon cards. Second and third prize also won a pack of Pokemon cards in each division so everyone won something. It was a lot of fun for them and although I joked about the other kids there, they were actually really quite nice and welcoming of our kids. We would definitely go again.

My latest obsession

I know that I have a weekend Pokemon tournament to update, but I don't feel like it now. I'm obsessing about my latest favorite snack. I bought lots of potatoes (buy one, get one free) but the only problem is that the people in my family are not huge potato fans (something I probably should have considered before the purchase... it's so hard to think rationally when faced with a good deal!). So I've been working on my potato snacks and I finally came up with one that works...it's been done before, but it tastes oh so good!

I "misto" spray a cookie sheet with olive oil, place thinly cut potatoes on the cookie sheet, then "misto" spray them again. Then I add salt, pepper, and oregano.


I broil them for about three minutes and this is what they look like.....

They come out crispy and delicious! The kids like to eat them right off the tray (when they've cooled a bit) and they make a great after school snack. As the clock ticks closer to 3pm, my mind has been wandering to my stash of potatoes. I might have to whip up a batch. Here's Pete and Matt battling yesterday over the last savory spud.

Doggy Delay

There has been a puppy postponement. "Fern" (that's her name this week) missed her vet appointment due to some unforseen circumstances. Her current cartaker injured her foot with a pitchfork (poor lady!). She is due here this week and the kids are literally climbing the walls in anticipation as demonstrated by Tommy below.


ps- I have a ton of posts to catch up on.... life just keeps getting in the way of my blogging!

pps- The picture is not of "Fern"...just one sad looking pug!

Puppies and Pokemon

This week's excitement is focused on the upcoming Pokemon tournament and the arrival of puppy "x" (we still don't have a name- I'm currently caucusing for "Fern", "Peaches", or "Buttercup"); we expect her a week from today. The day is circled on the calendar and the younger kids are making a countdown chart. We are also trying to get "Buttercup's" (maybe if I just start using a name, it will stick) space ready for her arrival. A trip to PetSmart is imminent. I'm sure there will be many more posts this week regarding "Buttercup's" arrival.

Our other source of action is Pokemon. Pete and Matt really enjoyed "Poke Dueling" over the summer and have decided to take it to a higher level. Pete found a competition about 45 minutes away. For a $5 entry fee (and $50 in gas) you get entry into a tournament, pizza, soda, and prizes for top finishers in their age category. I have never been to an organized "Poke Duel" in my life and know nothing about the format, but I guess I'm going to find out. The kids have been working like crazy earning money for entry fees, and to purchase booster packs to improve their cards. I love it when they have incentive to do their chores!

The tournament is this Saturday, and Bobby is learning how to play so he can enter and play with them (well, in a different age category. I believe it's the "You're really too old to be playing this" age category)! That's why I love Bob so much, he's willing to learn more about their interests and take a more active role in their life by going beyond most adult's comfort zones. On the other hand, I'm thinking of trying to schedule a spa day for myself, I figure there needs to be some ying for the yang.... no, just kidding (I wish I wasn't) there are no spa plans for me. I might take the little ones on a special outing or might just tag along. The boys are so excited for Bob to be playing with them. I'll be sure to take pictures (if I go) and post the results of the tournament.

The Name Game

Well, we finally found "our puppy". Her name is currently Mops and she's living on a farm in Northwest Michigan. Her mom is 50% pug and 50% Chihuahua and her dad is 100% pug. That makes her a "Chug". When my kids found out we were going to get a dog, they started jumping up and down screaming. It was really cute. I hope they don't do that when she gets here though, it might be a little overwhelming for her. She's six weeks old, a teeny two pounds and they expect her to get to about 12-14 pounds based on her parents size. She is being transported via plane. She passes the health requirements for air travel and the plane ride is short. It still makes me nervous for her though....


Now begins the name game. We haven't quite decided what her name will be. Feel free to chime in- we're taking all suggestions. I think we might wait until we meet her. Our names on the list are currently Yoji, Bubbles, Zuzz Zuzz, Tom (suggested by Tom), Mugsy, Beatrice (that's my idea), Bess (that's mine too), and Buttercup. The list is a bit longer, but not really of interest becuase each name then had a variation (Zuzz Zuzz then became Fuzz Cuzz, and Wuzz Luzz etc.). Exciting times here though.

We're not sure when she will arrive as she needs to obtain the health certification from her vet for air travel but I do expect her to arrive sometime next week. I'm feeling a little insane for doing this (buying a dog sight unseen, buying a dog at all) but this has been discussed for years, the owners were great and answered all our questions, and everything came together. I just mailed them a check so there's no turning back; here we go plunging into the great unknown. Wheeee!

....

Sometimes my kids defy words. A couple of days ago I was husking corn for dinner when my kids expressed interest in trying the corn raw. I let them, and they decided they really liked corn uncooked. Well, that saves me from having to cook it I suppose... less work for me! I figured I should take a picture to have photo evidence in case they ever denied it. I'm not even sure what to title this entry.... any suggestions?

ps- dog update soon to come.

Tommy's first day...

Tom started Montessori preschool today. It's hard to believe that from 9:00-11:30 Monday through Friday I will only have one child with me. It's funny the contrast between our first child's apprehension into the great preschool unknown and our current child's excitement to be going to a school like his big brothers. Even Allie won't leave the house without her backpack now. She would go to preschool now if I allowed her to do so. Here's the gang this morning as we headed out (Pete's school starts an hour earlier so he's not here)....


Here's Tommy waving goodbye....


He's a big boy now.... *sniff*

Puppy Love

Pete has wanted a puppy for years. The infatuation for owning a small dog started when we lived on Oakwood. We knew at that time we would soon be living in a rental house while our new home was under construction and would not have the capability to care for a dog. Plus, Bob has been a little apprehensive about dog ownership. Now that the kids are a bit older and we are a little more settled at the new home the subject has surfaced again. We happened to be scanning petfinder.com for a small puppy and came across this little cutey named Bella. She was rescued from a West Virginia kennel that gasses unwanted dogs. I know I was smitten, and when Bob saw her photo he asked why we haven't picked her up yet. That was all I needed to hear to get going! I'm still waiting for a call back from the adoption organization. I hope Bella's still available! *fingers crossed*

Update 9/8- Bella's been adopted =( but we are hopeful that we can find another dog just as cute as Bella. So if you come across any chihuahua/ pug puppies with a sweet disposition, send them our way (well maybe just one our way).

Clergyman Bob?

Bob and I were in Leadville, Colorado this past weekend. It was a little hectic leaving for the plane which made for some anxious times during the trip, but overall, it was a really nice trip (without the kids!). Bob had the honor of being the "officiant" at his childhood friend's wedding. I guess in Colorado they will let any Tom, Dick, or Bobby marry each other without any additional certification. The weather was beautiful, the setting was breathtaking and the altitude was high (10,200 ft.!). The bride and groom made a lovely couple as well. In addition we rented a house with a bunch of Bob's roommates from college (who were also mostly his high school friends too) so it was a reunion of sorts. They stayed up late, ate junk food, played cards, and stunk up the house with their gas.... ah good memories! Here are some picts....

The ceremony was held on Turquoise Lake......


This is the bride and groom (Rochelle and Mike) at their rehearsal dinner....


Here's Bob with Ryan and Morty (Mike's "best men")......


Mike with his old roommates....


Here's the ceremony.....


Thanks to Mike and Rochelle for being so hospitable and letting us share in your special day. I hope we see you soon!

Bob's new digs

A few months ago I attempted to convince the kids that we should release "Bob" our pet crayfish back into the wild. I reasoned that his living quarters were quite tight (I didn't want to pay for the upgrade) and he would be much happier living in the brook that runs through our village. Most of the clan agreed to the arrangement but Matt was the one holdout. He was devastated and immediately started talking about a new pet that we would get (hamster, iguana, pot bellied pig).

Suddenly a larger tank seemed to be a bargain. Last week while we were running around I found a tank on sale. We also purchased some guppies (I read crayfish like to eat them although I've seen no evidence), plants, and some more rocks with crevices for Bob to explore. I had everything all set up by the time my Bob came home. Upon entering, he set his eyes upon the tank and stated "well now there's no question as to which Bob you prefer."

Here's the tank....


Here's Bob checking out the peas I dropped in for a snack....


ps- Yes, we moved "Gary" the snail into the new tank too.

Haircuts

We just came back into town from a wedding in Colorado so I have a bit of blogging catching up to do. I'll start with the oldest pictures I have hanging out on my desktop.

My brother made a comment on a previous blog that it looked like Pete was wearing a wig. It must be Bobby's genes that make his hair grow up and out because he can get really puffy! Last week we visited our favorite hairdresser named Debbi who has the patience of a saint to cut all my kids hair at once. I don't have the cash to have Debbi cut their hair every time, but I like to start them off with fresh cut at the beginning of the year (note Tam's blog with her back to school hair mishap- sorry Tam, I don't mean to pour salt in the wounds!).

I've had fun this year documenting the back to school process, and boy, is it a process! I wish they were starting school next week. I think I'd be ready by then but delaying the clothing shopping for a bit will help take off some of the pressure. I still have to take inventory of what they need prior to a shopping trip. For now school supplies, new shoes, and a new haircut will have to suffice. Besides, it's too warm for them to wear anything but their summer shorts. Ok, to start.....Here's a picture of Saint Debbi cutting Sam's hair....


Here's Pete's before....


Here's Pete's after. It dried really nicely although I do have Debi cut it a little shorter than I normally would. It gets just the right length for school pictures.

Here's Matt's before....

And here's his after. I had the darndest time trying to get a picture without him pulling some sort of face.


Here's Sammy's before.....


Here's Sammy's after...


Here's Tommy's before.....


Here's his after...


Here's Allie's before....


Here's Allie's after holding her reward for a job well done (she mainly just had her bangs cut)....


Here's the goofy, misfit troupe's after picture....