Thanks?

As many of you are well aware of, the girls started off the school year with an immediate fundraising project.  They participated in their school's yearly magazine subscription sale, and they each managed to finagle convince us to purchase 5 subscriptions on their behalf.

Their main motivation?  The glamorous prizes that can be attained for each level of sales.  Last year, being the sole salesperson in our household, Jenna was able to score a singing/yodeling dodo bird.  The likes of which I have never seen before.  We created this video to send to our subscribers last year, just to give you an idea of the joy this prize brought to our household:

(I should point out that Jack has learned to "sing" the dodo song quite well ... he yodels like a champ, and I'm still trying to capture that on video because it's a riot!)

This year, we had to set our goals a little lower, since we now have 2 sales persons in the household marketing to the same crowd (aunts, friends, and grandmothers).  They were each quite happy to be the proud winners of 2 Nerd Rope candies, and 5 sticky bugs.  I didn't take a video of the prize, but did get some pictures.

Here's a sticky bug on daddy's office ceiling, where it has been for over 24 hours:

Yep, they stick.  That's for sure.  In fact, we have 10 sticky bugs clinging to various ceilings and walls throughout our house, thanks to your generosity.

We promise that the magazine fundraiser is the one and only fundraiser our school does each year, so we will stop bugging you now. 

Until next year. 

Unless, of course, you want to come over and help get the stains off of the paint which every sticky bug leaves once it eventually falls off.  But that's entirely optional.

Squirrel

So a little while back I was telling you about the squirrel, my nemesis,  that is haunting me.  That hisses and chatters and looks me dead in the eye every time I go outside. 

Well, tonight I was standing in the kitchen making dinner, and looked out my patio window.  The squirrel was sitting ON THE LAWN CHAIR, AT THE PATIO TABLE, nibbling on an acorn that he held clutched in between his tiny paws.  As he went about his work, he didn't lose focus.  On me.  He stared those beady little eyes right at me, as if to say, "yeah, I'm sitting at your patio table eating, what'cha gonna do about it?"

I immediately ran to get my camera, just so I could offer some proof that I wasn't crazy.  This squirrel really is the crazy one! 

Here ... look at the photo I snapped ...

Okay, so the chair is empty, the squirrel is on the ground, making a getaway.  But see that beady little eye?!  He really was looking at me!  I swear!

Undercover

One other thing that we had time to do yesterday during our "family time" was to shop for Halloween costumes. 

I wanted Mark to come with this year, just so he could see how hard it is to:

(1) have any input on what the kids want to be,

(2) stick within a reasonable budget.

Mission accomplished.  We went to two stores to browse, and all 3 kids came up with their own very individual ideas of what they wanted to be this year.

One child, in particular, chose the most expensive costume on display.  And had to have it.  And would not consider any other ideas or cheaper alternatives.

The thing is, Mark and I both agree that the costume is darling.  And our child is correct ... the cheaper alternatives of the costume aren't nearly as cute.

So, home we went with over $70 worth of Halloween dreams in a bag.

Halloween dreams that will remain tagged, with the hopes that mommy can find something cheaper on eBay and make the switch sometime in the next month.

Until then, the costumes will remain undercover.

Now THIS is more like it!

With our work schedules they way they are (conflicting), Mark and I rarely have the chance to be at home together with the kids, all at the same time.  I work on Monday, Friday and Saturday, and he usually spends most of the days mid-week traveling for his job.  That leaves us with Sundays.  Sadly, all too often we are spending those Sundays traveling up north to visit family or friends, or to attend an event.

But this Sunday?  Our calendar was wide open.  We had the whole day to spend together as a family, and I loved every minute of it!

It was a perfect fall afternoon.  Cold and crisp.  The kind that makes you want to cook and light the fall candles in the house.

The kind that motivates you to do some fall-ish baking with apples, like these delicious turnovers that I made.

An afternoon to light a fire,

watch a little football,

put your feet up, and relax.

I love Sundays like these.  I only wish we had more of them!

Farewell

Another sign that summer is over?  When the darling bedazzled flip flops that you bought for your girls in the spring start to look like this ...

Farewell, old flip-flops.  You've been like a dear friend, but it's time to say goodbye.

Welcome Fall ?

Today it's official, the first day of fall.  Fall is my absolute favorite season, which I wrote all about last year. 

When my plants outside start looking like this ...

... I'm aching to get the mums planted.  This year I couldn't help myself and had to buy a few plants a bit early.

It's also the time of the year when I need to replace this ...

... with this ...

Because really, there's a point when faith just starts looking plain silly. 

(Us Sox fans reached that point about a week ago when the Sox lost the whole series to Minnesota.  But how 'bout them Bears with a 2-0 start?!)

The time when I need to start cutting back all of the summer flowers, lilies and perennials in my landscape ...

... and start making big plans about the landscape areas that I am going to tackle next ...

Jenna has been asking begging to get out the fall decorations, and has requested insisted that I wait for her to get home from school to  help with the decorating.  My plan for this morning was to get the house cleaned and dusted, and ready for the new decor to go on display.  But for some reason, I'm just not feeling it this year. 

Something just doesn't feel right, it feels too soon.  I'm still in BBQ mode, not soup and chili mode.  I still feel more like letting the kids run in the sprinklers than jumping in piles of leaves.  I'm not ready for baseball season to end, and for football to be the primary focus of our sport-watching lives.  I want to hang on to the remaining bits of summer for just a while longer.

I'm not entirely sure why, but I believe it might have something to do with this.

Just a theory.

Irony

A few weeks ago, I decided that it was time to replace the front door mat, which the kids have been picking apart and unraveling all summer.  Jack and I were at WalMart one day, and I found a replacement that was on clearance.  Bonus! 

Ever since I put the rug out on my front porch, I can't stop smiling every time I see it.

Not because of it's beauty, or the inspirational message inscribed.  More because of the irony of ME having a doormat that tells OTHER PEOPLE to "Live Life Simply".

In the words of Phoebe Buffay:  "Hello kettle?  It's pot.  You're black."

Maybe I can find another mat for the back door that says "Eat a well-balanced diet and get plenty of exercise."

Weighing On My Mind

In recent years, much attention has been given to the obesity epidemic in this country, particularly the alarming rates among children.  Our diets are poor, we don't exercise enough, and today's children are exponentially more likely to have Type 2 diabetes or other weight-related health issues as they grow older.  Everywhere you look, there are articles, websites, and television programs addressing the issue of overweight children.  Plenty of resources to look into, programs to follow, and ways to get your kids up and moving.

Here in our house, we are dealing with an entirely different beast.

It just doesn't seem right that my almost-3-1/2 year old weighs 31 pounds

(please disregard how filthy dirty our scale is ... I had no idea until the flash hit it!  I would tell you that I immediately went and cleaned off the glass, but that would be a lie.  But I plan to.  Soon.)



My almost-5-1/2 year old weighs 38 pounds

And my 7-1/2 year old weighs 39 pounds.

That's right.  39 pounds.  At age 7.  And a half.



Will we ever be able to get Jenna over the 40-pound mark?!

The Elephant in the Room

(alternately titled:  Dear God, I think I'm raising a republican!)

On Friday night, I got home from work and surveyed the damage in the kitchen.  As usual, there were school papers all over the place, and I looked through them to see what came home from school that afternoon.  On the kitchen table, I saw this ...

Just in case you can't see it clearly, let me zoom in on the important information ...

It wasn't just this one poster on the table either.  There were at least 8.  Others had this to say ...

The spelling might not be perfect, but the point is loud and clear!

Curious, I asked Mark if he knew why our daughter had taken a sudden interest in politics?  I knew that she had recently asked me about the names on campaign posters around the town, but didn't think she had given it any more thought.  Mark guessed that she had gotten the message from school, and we both assumed that there must be some kid in her class with very Republican parents.  Very vocal Republican parents that have already rubbed off on their children.  I made a mental note to have a little talk with Jenna this weekend.

On Sunday, I came home to find more posters, and the little campaign manager Jenna herself busy at work at the campaign office kitchen table. 

I began to launch into my speech about how each and every person gets to decide for themselves which candidates they believe in, and you shouldn't form your opinion strictly off of the opinions of others.  To start, I asked her how she had decided that she didn't like Pat Quinn and that she was throwing her support behind Bill Brady.  I figured it was just the local hometown connection.  Or that Republican bully at school.

I was wrong.

Jenna informed me that she had decided after she "read an article online that talked about all of the things that Pat Quinn hasn't done well since becoming governor of Illinois". 

I asked her where / when she was doing this online research.

"One day when I went online to play on Barbie.com, I noticed the link to the articles on Yahoo! so I clicked on it and read it."

Oh.

"So I just think that Pat Quinn has had his turn, and now it's time to let someone else have a turn being governor."

Oh.

"Can you help me hang these signs up around our neighborhood?"

Um, no.

"Mom!  It's important!  I need 8 more people to join my group!"

What group?  2nd grade republican children of Illinois?

"Jenna, we're not going to hang up signs in the neighborhood.  Especially not signs with our phone number on them.  If you want, we can stop by Bill Brady's campaign office and get a campaign sign to put in your room."

"But MOM!"

(CUE TEARS, STOMPING ACROSS THE FLOOR, RUNNING UP THE STAIRS TO BEDROOM, SCREAMING "YOU'RE MEAN!", SLAMMING BEDROOM DOOR)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

20 MINUTES LATER:

I have Republican campaign propaganda stapled to me tree.  I think Mark did it just to spite me.

And I can't help but wonder if this is how my Republican parents felt when I decided that I was a Democrat.

And I'm trying to imagine how hard it will be to love my daughter if she turns out like Elizabeth Hasselbeck.

I just can't ignore the elephant in the room.

My Nemesis

Did you know that squirrels make noise?

Until recently, I didn't.  But lately, every time I'm out in the yard, this squirrel keeps chattering and hissing and making all kinds of noises while staring directly at me.  It's starting to freak me out a bit.

Do squirrels ever attack?  I don't think so, but then again, I didn't think they made noise until recently either.

But Mom ...

1pm:  "I don't NEED to take a nap.  I'm NOT tired!  I'm a big boy now, and big boys don't nap!"

2pm:

3 year old preschool!

Today was Jack's first day of 3 year old preschool.

Mommy took a lot of pictures.

Jack was more than a little excited to start school, and finally use his new backpack (which he picked out back in July)!

There were no tears, no clinging, no hesitation at all.

He happily joined his class, got busy playing, and didn't even look back after I kissed him goodbye.

  

I know he's going to have a great year, and I'm more convinced than ever that he is ready.  Ready to be away from mommy, ready to play with friends, ready to be a big boy in every sense of the word.  Funny thing is, mommy was ready too.  For the first time, both mommy and child began a new school experience without any tears at all!

A New Beginning ... and the End of an Era

Labor Day weekend 2010 has been marked on our calendar for about a year.  One of Mark's best friends from high school got married this weekend, and Mark was asked to stand up in the wedding as a groomsman.  We've been looking forward to this day for a while, and couldn't wait to spend an entire weekend in Chicago, sans kids (thanks mom and dad!) to celebrate with the bride and groom.

The weekend didn't disappoint.  Good friends, great weather, a beautiful celebration in a beautiful city.  The beginning of the happy couple's life together, a reunion of old friends that we don't get to spend nearly enough time with these days. 

We went from a phase in our lives where we had a wedding just about every month for a couple of years, to a phase where they became fewer and further between.  Now, instead of having the time to get together with friends on a regular basis, we rely on occasions like this to get the group together and have some fun!

We're so happy for the newlyweds, but can't help but feel a little sad as well.  This weekend we witnessed and celebrated the wedding of our final friend remaining to get married.  Now, each and every one of our best friends has found a partner to share their lives with.  Some are now celebrating their 12th wedding anniversaries this year!

The beginning of their lives together truly marks the end of an era for us.  Now we're going to have to focus on making the time to get together with friends and celebrate life ... without all of the fancy clothes.