To be a kid!

Oh, to be a kid again. To have not have a care in the world, to only worry about who your going to play with, what the next snack is going to be, and to resist a nap? As adults can you imagine having these concerns?? I wish! Summer time is here and the kids (for now) have no worries or concerns! Only what is on the agenda for fun! Life is so ironic- as a child you just want to grow up and as a grown up you yearn to be a child ! This week so far has been a typical week with work and keeping up with the kids. I want to head out of town this Friday and go camping for the night, we will see if that happens. The circus is coming to town this weekend! On Friday morning the elephants are gong to be pulling up the big circus tents so we are going to check that out at 9:00 am . I am really looking forward to that. It should be really cool to see them do that. The elephant is one of Madison's favorite animal. And to see the 2 boys and what they think of them will be great. I will shoot some pics and share!

Splish splash!

Happy Memorial day! We went with some friends to Cherry Creek Reservoir today and had a blast! We went fishing, played in the lake, and went boating. We had a BBQ there and just hung out with some friends and played with the kids! There were 4 families there and 9 kids , give or take. The picture of Carson is him eating a bag of REALLY good cherries! The day was great!

Fun in the Mountains

We went up to Johns parents cabin in the mountains on Friday. We only went for one night- John had to work on Sunday morning and Monday morning:-( We made the most of the time we had! It is always so great to go to the hills to get away from the phone, computer and the city things! We got up the mid day on Friday and went for a hike with grandma Debbi. The kids had a blast! On their property the have an old mining shaft and a stream the runs through it- with all the snow this year there is a lot of rushing water running. Grandpa Kyky (Kyle) has made little walk ways across the water in several different areas. The kids had a blast crossing them and throwing sticks in the water for our dog Aloha. There is also a make shift sauna we call it the "sweat lodge". We did not get the rocks hot or a fire started- maybe next time. After the hike we went back to the cabin and made chicken enchiladas, hung out and went to bed. We hung out on Saturday morning, went to a Rotary sale? (sale o' junk) The kids of course find treasures and there were some cool finds, but the most part...junk. Then in the mountains a nap is always calling. So we all listened and enjoyed it!!!! So quite! We grill dinner and just as we sat down to eat it started to sprinkle- we sat in the sprinkle and enjoyed dinner! The mountain neighbors were having a 40th birthday party, they had a big bouncing castle for the kids ,clowns snow cones and face painter. We missed some of the festivities but were able to meet them. Nice family with 5 kids! Here are some pics of the hike and dinner. Cant wait to go back up!

IT'S OFFICAL!!

Madison in not in kindergarten any more! I GOT A FIRST GRADER! That school year went by so fast I can hardly believe it! It just seems like yesterday we went to her the school for the tour... I am so proud of her and all she has learned in that short time. She starts 1st grade in 5 shorty weeks and is very excited about it! Hope the excitement last for the next 20 years!! Tyson wishes he was in school also- he turned 3 in November but tells everyone he is 4 ' cause he wants to go to school too. For Tyson being done with pre-school and Madison with Kindergarten I took the kids to Shrek the Third and Mc Donalds. (Shrek was great!) After the popcorn and the Big Mac I feel rather ill! Any one know what I mean? We had a good day and are looking forward to a great long weekend.

Potty Talk

I got this email from me sister this morning! I can totally relate. It had me ROLLING with tears streaming down my checks! Enjoy!!

Potty Talk
A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall.
By Shannon Popkin

My little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves
to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to
people constantly, whether we're in the library, the
grocery store or at a drive-thru window.

People often comment on how clearly he speaks for
a just-turned-3-year-old. And you never have to ask
him to turn up the volume. It's always fully
cranked. There've been several embarrassing times
that I've wished the meaning of his words would have
been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never
have I wished this more than last week at Costco.

Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called,
so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd
been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening,
this is what you would have heard coming from the
second to the last stall:

"Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you
putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You
gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what
are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on
the potty?"

At this point I started mentally counting how many
women had been in the bathroom when I walked in.
Several stalls were full ... 4? 5? Maybe we could
wait until they all left before I had to make my
debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.

Cade continued, "Mommy, you ARE going stinkies
aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you
gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the
potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh ...
Mommy! I'm trying to see in dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat
is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some
candy!"

I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the
stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming
newborn when you need her? Good grief. This was
really getting embarrassing. I was definitely
waiting a long time before exiting. Trying to divert
him, I said, "Why don't you look in Mommy's purse
and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have
some!"

"No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies. Oh!
Mommy!" He started to gag at this point. "Uh oh,
Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze
stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!"
As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles
outside my stall. I quickly flushed the toilet in
hopes of changing the subject. I began to reason
with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I
count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that
those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will
be long gone.

"Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want
you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!" He
grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I could hear
full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet
outside my door.

"Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You
wooking under da door? What were you wooking at,
Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?" More
laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried
to assess the situation.

"Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have
to go out now, Mommy." He started pounding on the
door. "Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I
want to go out!!"

I saw that my "wait 'em out" plan was unraveling.
As I sheepishly opened the door, and found an open
sink, I thought, Where's the fine print on the
'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit
of my privacy?

But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin
while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby
little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again,
just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.

(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother
of three. She lives with her family in Grand Rapids ,
Michigan , where she no longer uses public restrooms .)

2x2 do you know me better?

Kristen from Plano momma tagged me to do this! So here it goes...

Two Names You Go By:

1. Mom
2. Stacy

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:

1. My favorite flip flops- they are almost dead:(
2. My favorite lounge pants!

Two Things You Want in a Relationship:

1. Trust
2. Love

Two of Your Favorite Things to do:

1. home remodeling projects
2. Taking pics

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:

1. RELAX
2. To lay on the beach in Mexico

What 2 pets you had/have:

1. Chocolate lab- Aloha
2. Painted Turtle - Soda

Two people who will fill this out first: I'll tag...

1. Wendy
2.??
Two things you did last night:

1. Went to dinner with Wendy
2.Went to a movie "Distrubia"

Two people who live at your house:

1. John
2. 3 kids

Two things you ate today:

1. Turkey Burger
2. Bowl of Coco Vanilla Rice Krispies

Two people you talked to last:

1. John
2.Tammy- sister in law

Two things you're doing tomorrow:

1. Working
2. Cleaning

Two Favorite Holidays:

1. Thanksgiving - it's always at my house
2. Easter

Two favorite beverages:

1. Coke
2. Water
That was fun! Thanks Kristen!!!

A SPECIAL WISH

Saturday night we went to White Fence Farm to celebrate me sisters 30th birthday. We had a great time at the restaurant, they serve the meals family style. Great fried chicken! There is lots of fun things for the kids there. You can feed a pig, sheep and chickens . With a big indoor slide. Drawn carriage ride. Cool country store to shop in with lots of old fashion candy. After dinner we were blessed to have grandparents watch the kids and we went downtown and did a little bowling! John and me and Wendy and Bart. ( I beat them all in the 2 games we bowled:) We had a blast!! I know Wendy is having a hard time turning 30 tomorrow. I want her to know that I see this birthday as a blessing! I have been able to spend the last 30 years laughing, crying and sharing great moments with her. She is my best friend, and I love her very much. Thank you for always being there for me! There is nothing in the world like a sister. Here is a poem for you....

My Bestfriend© By Lola A. Buonomo

Our friendship is an ocean, stretching
Far and wide
Never ending-
Filled with memories-
That last a lifetime

You've always known
Just what to say

You were always there,
When I needed you the most

When I needed-
A shoulder to cry on
Yours was always waiting

When I needed-
Someone to talk to
You were there
Just listening

When I needed-
Someone to hug
Your arms were
Doors wide open to me

Our friendship's
Just like the
Stars-
Both go beyond
Man's reach

All of the giggles we shared

Let the salty taste of tears
Run down our cheeks

All the Laughs,
The smiles,
The hugs,
The inside jokes,
The hours online,
And
The eighty minute phone calls

Just because

You were the sister that
God gave to me.

Happy birthday Wendy. I love you very much! Can't wait to see what the next 30 years bring!

4 More Days Till...

I really can not believe that Madison only has 4 more days of Kindergarten! This year has flown by. She is going to be switching school district so she has 5 weeks off school and then she will be in first grade! Her first full day is July 11th. Just 2 days before she turns 6. She is very excited to go to her "new school" she is excited to make new friends and to meet her new teacher. With the 5 weeks she has off she will be in 2 swimming lesson sessions, and a soccer league for the month. Tyson is also enrolling in 2 swimming sessions. That should be interesting, considering he is scared of water, he does not mind the baby pool but the big pool is another story! He nearly drowned last summer, so I imagine that could create fear in any one!I am sure the time will fly by!I can't believe how time has flown by already. Just last week she lost her 3rd tooth and has 2 more that are really loose. For her birthday maybe she will want her two front teeth!

WHO AM I GOING TO MARRY?

Tonight over dinner Madison and Tyson wanted to know who they were going to marry, and they were very insistent that we tell them who it was going to be right then. Our reply was they will meet a very nice person and they will be able to chose who they want to marry not to mention they have plenty of time to figure it out. They were quiet for a minute and all of a sudden Tyson says, " I am going to marry my Grammy!" Madison quickly replies she is already married and you can't marry her. He was a little hurt and but very sincere in his statement. Their little brains never stop! It seems like everyday that say some thing that brings a smile to your face and makes you laugh. Children truly are a blessing! As a parent I wish I could capture all the sweet things they say on tape and remember it forever! I know there will be things I forget, but I hope my heart will remember the feelings of those moments!

FIELD DAY

Today Madison had field day, and let me tell you if you ever get the chance to go to a kindergarten field day- do it! They had so much fun and so did the parents and relatives watching them. Madison is 5 and going to be turning 6 in July, so she is on the tail end as far as age for her class. She does really well in school but as far as sports and coordination, lets just say it's not completely there yet! Carson was there to cheer on his big sister! She even shared her medal with him! She was so proud that she got a medal. She told her dad, " I got a medal for coming in last place!" All children got a medal some gold some silver and some bronze, she got the bronze! We are going to have her join a soccer league next month, that should help with coordination some what it will not hurt .

GOT IT

I got my template up! I am excited to meet other mothers and to be able to share my life and pictures with my close friends and relatives that are out of town! I will post more tomorrow- just playing around with this and seeing how everything works! Talk to you all soon!

Welcome!!

Hello! I am starting a new blog here. We are trying to change around the template, and then I will begin posting! Please check back next week! Thanks!