Memorial Day is my new favorite holiday!

Memorial Day is years past has really just been a day off. But this one? This weekend? It's been the best ever!

First, my true Memorial Day story. We went to dinner at a true Wisconsin bar/supper club on Saturday, and there was an older gentleman eating there with three older ladies, and the man was wearing an "I fought in WWII" hat. So, before we left, I had the kids go up to him (we were sitting right next to him) and tell him Happy Memorial Day! He then told us that he served under Patton, from the Battle of the Bulge to Czechoslavakia. Wow! I couldn't imagine. I said he must have the stories to tell, but he said nah, he was too young to remember (he was 19). He just thought he was out to see the world. At that time, Max was getting a little restless, so I took the kids out and Dave was talking to him. The guy said that Saving Private Ryan was a good movie, but it was inaccurate. I think Dave would have talked to him forever if he could have. Very interesting! So, for all of you who have fought in any war, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm, Iraq or any other, and to the families of all, HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY and THANK YOU!! It's a sacrifice I wouldn't be willing to make.

The rest of Memorial Day was just filled with beginning of summer things. Friday, we had a company come out and put concrete edging around our house and I love it! Dave's parents also helped plant azaleas and hostas, Dave planted a lilac and another bush, we dug up sod for the kids to plant a flower garden, I put in some creeping phlox, and now all we need is a ton of mulch to fill in everywhere! It looks really nice, and I'm excited. I've already mowed the lawn this year instead of Dave, which I actually enjoy. It's funny... now that I have time, I'm actually enjoying yard work and don't think I'll kill anything. Last year at this time, I wasn't yet done with work and the prospect of planting, mowing, weeding, watering or anything else just made me tired. This year I think I'll actually like it!

We also put our boat in the water this weekend. First time in three years! Yeah!!! The kids loved it, and even though it was a little chilly, they still jumped in the water. More power to 'em! I don't think I will even when it's the middle of summer. But, I'm excited just to have the boat close and docked, so we can go out on a moment's notice and only stay for a short time and not feel like it was a wasted trip.

Another Memorial Day weekend thing... we camped! Ok, just kind of. Our neighbors camp at the same place where we put our boat, so we stopped there to hang out with them. Campfire, kids running through the woods, bugs. It was nice to visit, but I don't see us being a camping family anytime soon! All the work packing it up an cleaning it all? Not for me! Then last night, Abby slept in their camper too. (Nolan tried, but just got too tired and came to his own bed instead.)

And, essential to Memorial Day, we relaxed, kids played, those who could, drank and we had a cookout. What gets any better than that? It's nearly full on summer and I'm EXCITED! I can't wait for Abby to be done with school, no more schedules, just relaxing and enjoying the days. I'm going to look forward to Memorial Day every year!

Maybe it won't be so hard after all...

Tonight, Abby asked to change Max's diaper! She was putting on pjs, and was going to get Max's on (which she does from time to time) but I told her he needed a new diaper first. So, she got one, laid him down, and put a new one on him. Then she took him up to bed and read him some books. Hey, who am I to complain??

Let the naming begin!

So, now that we know it's a girl, Dave and I sat down and made a list of names. Well, I made the list, Dave crossed them all out. But here's what we're left with so far:

Paige
Elena (maybe Elaina?)
Ava
Corinne
Christine
Coraline
Evelyn
Holly

That's it! Anyone have any I should add? Or remove? :)

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

Not to be left out, baby #4 wanted to give me a Mother's Day present, too. So, she gave me this great picture of her...


And she let the tech see that she's a GIRL!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm a day late on this, but the sentiment is still there. Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there. Mother's Day in our house was low-key but nice, as always! It started a little early since the kidlets got up at 6:45 and came into bed with me right away, but there's really nothing better than waking up and having them all there, all hanging out with me. It's hard to believe that next year at this time, there will be another one, too!

We've never done big gifts for Mother's Day (or Father's Day, or birthdays, or Christmas for that matter!) but I got great gifts from the kids for sure. They were so proud of what they made. Nolan gave me a card he made, a ticket for a present and a handprint butterfly. He asked if it was ok that he didn't make the present yet. Of course, Nolan! No problem...


On his card he thought it was so cool that he learned to draw hearts and that the Os doubled as faces for the drawing of him and me together.

Abby's stuff that she made from school was really neat. There was a boquet of flowers, a picture holder with an old-fashioned picture of her, and a book all about me!

The part about me saying Darn it is especially funny and I'm glad they didn't do this for Father's Day (yet!). On our way to Minnesota last week, the kids were playing Simon Says... Simon Says act like Nolan... Simon Says act like Abby... When they got to Simon Says act like Daddy, Abby said "Damn it! You spilled another ranch dressing?" Which is exactly what Dave said at lunch that day. It was pretty funny, but I'm not sure her teacher would have appreciated it!!

And this is from Max. It was really cute, but what was even cuter was him, at 6:50 in the morning, taking out the flowers and eating half the M&Ms in the bottom! Breakfast of champions!

Other than that, Dave made me breakfast (and it wasn't in bed this time, which was good, because it just gets too hard with all those kids there, too!), I got Dave to go to church with me and then we headed to Costco. Dave was good through church, but Costco? Not so much... too much shopping and trying to corral the kids! I came home, read the paper, took a nap, watched tv, went outside for a bit, Dave made steaks for dinner, and I took a bath before bed. Can't beat a day like that!

Saturday we had a good time this weekend, too. Abby had a birthday party to go to and then her friend Reagan came over that afternoon. It's funny seeing Abby with her friends because it's like I just really want her to fit in. And yet, I want her to have a mind of her own. And luckily, she seems to have both. I asked Dave on Saturday morning if I should start going to PTO meetings. It seems like all of her friends' moms do, and I worry that if I'm not friends with their moms, maybe she won't be friends with the kids. It's stupid, I know... it's all my own insecurities and worries coming to the limelight. Next thing you know, I'll be one of those crazy moms in the news who would do anything to have their kids fit it! I guess since Abby seems to be doing fine on her own, I'll pass on the PTO...

They had a lof of fun with the window markers...

And I promise if you ever let your kid come to my house, I'll take the plastic bags off her head before I take a picture!

While Abby had a friend over, the boys built castles with cups...

Look out for Max!

There it goes!

And finally, a picture of Nolan, who Dave has taken to calling Hitler. He's had such a runny nose, and now it's all raw between his nose and his lip. I think he looks more like he's trying to grow a moustache while going through puberty, but either way, he looks kind of funny!

Happy Monday to all!

I'm THAT mom

You know when you're in the store and there's some mom, letting her kids do something, an dyou think GEEZ! What is wrong with that mom? Yeah, well, that was me today. I went to the grocery store quick after dropping Abby off at school, and about halfway through Max decided he just wanted to run. Everywhere. And, since there weren't many people around the store, I let him. Once we got to frozen foods, there was an older lady there, so I caught Max and carried him the rest of the way. As I got to the checkout, I told Nolan to take Max to the drinking fountain, mainly to get him away from the candy and gum. They went over there while I was chit chatting with the cash register, and then went out to the carts, came back in, and then pretty soon Nolan comes running in, "Mommy I need you!" Uh oh. Yup, Max went out into the parking lot by himself. Ugh. One of the managers ran out and got him for me. Fortunately there weren't any cars around, but still. I was quite embarassed. Then, after getting everyone to the car, I was putting the groceries in and Max didn't have his seatbelt on yet. SO, he jumped out and ran out into the parking lot again. Man! You would think I would learn, but I guess not today. Tomorrow is another day!

MIA!

When you have a blog, there's just so much pressure to post. I mean, all those people (my mom and sister, at least!) just checking in, seeing if I had anything interesting, or even mundane, to post. And I do! I have many mundane things to post! And yet, sometimes it's just hard to make it to the computer. It's not that I don't have things to talk about... I mean, Nolan turned five, for goodness sakes! But we were busy, with birthday celebrations, with a visit from Gram and Grumpy, with a trip to Minnesota, with soccer, tball and softball. Lots of things! But what I do like about a blog is that people read it! It is pressure, but it's good pressure! If this were my own personal journal, it would now be sitting on the table next to the bed, pen on top, gathering dust. Much better to let a blog go for a week or two and continue it, than to journal for a day and give up!

So, with all that, here's what's going on in our lives lately. The biggest thing is that Nolan turned 5. FIVE! Can you believe it? I sure can't. I just wrote about him turning four and I couldn't believe that, and now here it is another year later. Five-year-olds can talk clearly (mostly, anyway), they go to school, can read, have their own interests, a sense of humor. And Nolan's there right in the middle of all of that! His celebration lasted for at least a week, with several events to commemorate...

To start it out, we made our annual trek to Stonefire Pizza to meet Aunt Jen and cousins to celebrate both Nolan's and Chad's birthdays. Stonefire is a cross between Chuck E. Cheese and Dave and Busters. What was really neat this time is that they had a special going where you purchase a card to use, and you got to play unlimited games for an hour. I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or Jen and me! Here's some highlights...

They have a paint your own face station, and the kids love it. Even more fun is trying to get it off once you get home and the kids are tired.


Erin and Max riding in the car and below in the train... it was cool because with the unlimited card for an hour, they could ride these as much as they wanted and I didn't have to pay for it!

They don't let you bring presents inside the restaurant, so we always open them in the back of the van and open them afterwards. It's kind of funny, we have three years of pictures like this, I think!

Here's Nolan's actual birthday... he woke up to balloons, streamers across the door to his room, and got to open his presents in the morning.

We celebrated that night with neighbors Cody, Kyle, Jenny and Rocky.

Nolan loves his roller skates, but I'm not sure his butt and knees are so happy with them after he took them outside. He could use a little practice!

This is apparently the birthday cake pose. Not sure what that's all about?

Unfortunately, mid-day, Nolan looked a little like this. He spiked a 102 fever and was a little out of it. But, with some rest and some drugs, he was ready to play tball for his first practice that night.

The next day, Gram and Grumpy came to celebrate with Nolan, too. He really wanted to go back to Stonefire Pizza, but we talked him into Family Funland instead. It's not better, just 30 minutes closer! Then Friday we headed up to Minnesota to Aunt Lisa and Uncle John's house. Saturday we celebrated Nolan's birthday and Sunday was Megan's First communion. We had a ton of fun up there, but the drive. Ugh! The drive. I just can't do it. And I'm not even sure who's the worst in the car, the kids or Dave!!

John and Lisa have a karaoke microphone. Here's Dave and Jake, who never met a microphone they didn't like!

More presents!

The girls...

Happy birthday dear Nolan, Happy birthday to you!

Abby calls this the bird cage chair.

They look so peaceful! :)

Abby has decided to let me get her bangs cut. After this picture, I'm especially thankful!

All the kids. Well, all the kids that I'm not carrying around with me.

The boys...

No way would Max sit for another picture. I'm just glad you can't see all the gray in my hair! It's getting bad... to color or not to color. THAT is the quesiton!

It was a long and hot mass, but the kids did really well.

And that's basically it, other than some random pictures. Here's Max. He likes sitting on the potty. Won't go, but will sit. I guess I'll take what I can get!


And here's a nice day, although windy. We decided to get the kite out (I may have posted these already... if I did, forgive me!)

Max thinks he's big...

And Nolan, who can now do the monkey bars alone, really is big!

The great thing about Nolan turning five is that I totally exploit it because he's so proud of it. "Is that how a five year old acts?" "A five-year old would help me." "Five year olds can run faster, go get that ball!" I'm mean, but I'll take it for what it's worth!

Happy week!