Finally... A Post....

So... I've been thinking about blogging... I guess it is time that I actually do some writing.  So much time has passed since the last post... let me just get started....

1.  Life has been steadily moving along here.  The school year is flying by... but some times not fast enough.  The taste of spring last week makes me long for summer vacation..... OK... maybe just any VACATION.  We have been contemplating what we could do as a family.  It looks like we might try one of the indoor water parks one of these weekends.  In the meantime, we have had lots of homework and awful MATH.  It is like pulling teeth many afternoons to get the kids to do their homework.  We are usually off and running from the moment the kids get home from the bus.....tennis, gymnastics, catechism... there is little energy for homework.  Unfortunately, I have been called "the MEANEST  MOM" so I expect homework and studying to be done, neatly, correctly, and before TV or computer time. 

2.  In the time crunch.... I continue to have a difficult time coming up with new dinners that everyone will like.  I made this mushroom  pasta recipe and it was pretty good http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001559239  This was an easy meal to make and it is meat free so it is perfect for Lent.  You will have to let me know if anyone tries it. 

On a totally different topic... I was wondering what Nonna would think about my use of jarred pasta sauce.  She would probably cringe and say "Come on."  I have tried many of them on the grocery store shelves.  Could I possibly be a true Italian?  I make sauce every now and then.... but I just need to take the time savings in a bottle courtesy of Andiamo.

3.  Steve has become an e-bay selling fool.  He is FINALLY clearing out our office of tennis rackets (isn't that where you store your extra tennis stuff... in the office?)  I for one... did not think this little endeavor was going to fly... boy was I wrong.  There are people out there who want our tennis junk treasures.  He has sold a decent amount of stuff.  I can't wait to purge my basement of more goodies.  This has been a profitable endeavor and a good side job for Steve!

4.  I have not been working on any creative projects this last week.  I scrapbooked 2 weekends ago with Laura and Mo, and I will share some of my projects later.  That took a lot of my creative energy and I have been stagnant since.  (Unless you count my entry way decorating project..... I'll share those pictures later.)

I haven't been taking too many pictures lately.  I hope to get back on track this week.

Here's a cute photo of Gabby and Steve.  I never get the 2 of them together.

I purchased a new table for my entryway from Pottery Barn.  Steve and I were taking it out of the box to see how it looked in the hall.

The kids were having a great time playing in the box with all the packing materials.  Little did I know that those Styrofoam blocks can be shredded into thousands tens of thousands of little white Styrofoam pieces.  I took this picture before that nightmare ensued.  They were all over the house and had static cling that stuck to the furniture, carpet, floor, clothes, Gabby's hair (which I vacuumed), etc. 

Just a cute picture... Steve and I were looking at scrapbooks when Amanda was a baby... she really looked a lot like Gabriella....except she had lighter hair.  Can you see the resemblance today?

These were the cupcakes I made for Amanda's birthday celebration at school.  (Which I made at 8:30 at night.... which had to cool... so I frosted at 9:30... but then had to fancy them up.... because you know Amanda needs something special.... and because I'm a crazy mom... I stamped the circles and punched the butterflies and applied the glitter....)

I really like this photo of Gabby.... I wrote on the photo using photoshop

A collage detailing some of Nick's first grade moments....

The same photo....just tweaked a bit...

Well.....I'm off.  We have a really busy week so I'm not sure when I'll be back to blog.  Hopefully it will be before 2 weeks again.  Until later......

Randomness..... instead of Laundry

I should be doing laundry.... but since that is a never ending task in this house.... I'm just going to prolong it....
So here goes....

I can't wait for this upcoming weekend,  I'm scrapbooking with Mo and Laura for 3 days.  I'm trying to get organized and print lots of photos so I can be as productive and creative as possible.  I worked on this layout a few weeks ago.  After I finished and scanned it into the computer... I added a few more embellishments which aren't in the photo.  As Maureen can tell you, I never know when to finish a project or layout, I always think it needs one more thing!  (That is Gabriella)

 

Here are a few photos from our trip to Chicago.  Unfortunately the weekend was cut short, and Steve and I both did not feel well after eating out on Sat. night.  Earlier in the day we went to the Field Museum to see Sue the dinosaur.  Nicholas was very upset when we sent the photos, but I reassured him we would bring him soon.  In the meantime there is a great exhibit at the Detroit Science Center that might appease him.  Hopefully we will be able to check it out one of these weekends.  This skeleton was massive and so cool!

She is the world's largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex.

More fossils....

A Parasauralophelus.... thanks for the identification Nicholas

The Monday after winter break the kids had dentist appointments after school.  We stopped by Mom and Dad's to visit since we were in the neighborhood.  I kid you not..... this is the first thing Grampie offered Nicholas as soon as he walked through the door.... Sticky, Gooey, Jelly Beans.  Didn't I just pay an exorbitant amount of money to get Nick's teeth cleaned of goo and tartar in the hopes of preventing cavities?  I never remember my Dad offering me jelly beans after a teeth cleaning?  Grammie advised Nicholas to  brush his teeth well.  Grandparents.... got to love them!

During this same visit Grammie began teaching Amanda how to knit.  I'm working on a scarf project that has been sitting on my desk untouched for the last week.  Amanda had shown some interest in knitting so I figured
Grammie would be the perfect person to teach her.  (And this was much easier on her teeth and kept her away from the jelly beans in the other room with Grampie!)

I took this picture over winter break.  Amanda was at a friend's house and I was hanging out with Gabby and Nick.  I can't believe how big this little one is getting.  She is going to be 2 years old next month.

The self-timer at work....

I happened to be so much fun... playing with the self-timer and Gabby... that Nicholas fell asleep on the couch... in the middle of the day... that is unheard of in our house!

There was a lot of this...... during mid-winter break....

Keeping with my monthly creative goals... here is another one of my projects.  I took a frame I had laying around, added some scrapbook paper, some cute kids, and some rosettes and VOILA... new artwork for my entry table.  The creativity comes in because I made the roses.  They are made from paper that I distressed and inked and hot glued.   I think it came out pretty cute!

Awwwww.... I just love this SWEET face!

 

Remember this photo.....

if you want to see more of this cuteness... check out the link http://artislifej.blogspot.com/

Until Later......

Amanda's Birthday

So I said there would be LOTS of birthday photos.... so prepare yourself for an onslaught of pictures....
A few of our favorite guests......

How cute are all the cousins?  I can't believe how quickly they are growing up. 

This photo was actually taken at the very end of the party.  Amanda had changed out of her birthday dress and tiara.  She was very fancy for her party, but now she was ready to relax.  I snapped this picture right before Mom and Dad left to drive home in the blizzard.

These 2 girls always take great pictures together.

This girl can't seem to take a decent picture.... what the heck is sooooo funny!

Tyler was busy the whole afternoon.  He took an instant liking to Gabby's doll stroller and was able to walk around and mingle with the other guests.

Could be picture perfect!  What a nice family photo.  They all look great and they are such wonderful family!

The 2 G's.... Gabby and Grammie

Camo.... gotta love that face!

Saying cheese...

As you can see.... the cake was courtesy of Costco this year... after the garbage disposal incident I didn't have it in me to begin her 3 tiered delicacy

Be still my beating heart..... an i-tunes gift card.... what a perfect gift!

This little girl could not shovel in the chocolate cake fast enough.... she really does have my chocolate genes

The presents kept coming and coming.....

One of her absolute favorite gifts.... a new American Girl doll....now her other doll will have a friend!

So that brings me to the end of Amanda's birthday party photos.  I'm off to get the kids from the bus stop and wake Gabby from her nap.  Until later......

The Disposal Ordeal....

Ohhhhh.... it has been awhile.... not by choice... but blogging has dropped on the priority list.... it now resides just under sleep.  I have a lot of photos to share and a lot of things have happened over the course of 2 weeks.... let me begin with my garbage disposal.....

Now normally you find this lovely piece of machinery under the kitchen sink (unless you live in Canada where they are outlawed).  However this one has a crack in it... which caused water to gush out of it making a mess under the cabinet.  It also spewed water into the electrical socket....NOT a good thing.  Let me back up by saying this happened the Sat. before Amanda's birthday party.  I was a little stressed trying to plan her party for Sunday, make a crazy cake requested by Amanda, buy her a present, and finish all the decorations and preparations so we could meet our friends for poker.  After I worked, Mom stayed to help watch Gabby so I could begin the cake.  That is when the disposal broke.  Let me say....it had been leaking for months, and I was just waiting for the day when Niagara falls would let loose.... well it happened.... just not at the most opportune time.  Needless to say... I was not happy... in fact I was crying... on the kitchen floor just sobbing.... as Mom called Bradley and Dad to rescue me.  I was not in a good place.  

Thank goodness for my brother... and my Dad.... and my Mom.  They are always willing to help... especially when I'm crazy and crying and ridiculous.  (Of course Steve is at work avoiding all this drama.)  I must have been feeling better at this point because I felt good enough to take photos.  Here the guys are installing the new disposal.  This is the 2nd disposal I have replaced in this house, and Dad helped me replace one in the old house.  That makes 3 disposals which have broken in 10 years.  Dad advised me to stop putting tree branches down the disposal.  Honestly.... it was only a few carrots.  I have learned my lesson.... from now on I learned what can NOT go down the disposal.... broccoli, celery, corn husks, asparagus, artichokes, fibrous stringy vegetables, too much pasta/rice, etc.  In general.... use your garbage can or start a compost heap...then you will not find yourself out $180 crying on the kitchen floor!

 

My new disposal is more powerful and more SILENT than ever.  You can hardly hear the motor running.  Brad is listening....

The one good thing about a broken disposal and a visit from my brother is..... getting to see this little guy.  Isn't he a cutie pie!

After the disposal fiasco...I got back to decorating.  Amanda was so excited for her birthday the next day.

On the day of her party she couldn't wait  until everyone arrived to open presents.  We let her open her gift from us early.

She wanted a video camera so much.  Here she is with her new flip.  She has been making videos non-stop for the last 2 weeks.  I'll have to post some of her work one of these days.

I have lots more birthday photos to share.... stay tuned.  Until later.....