Thankful

I am a lot to be thankful for.... I am especially thankful for my husband and children. They are a blessing to me each and every day. I am thankful for incredible friends who accept me for who I am. I am thankful that we are healthy. I am so thankful that Glenda is out of the hospital and is doing well. I am thankful for the rest of my family. I am thankful for mild weather so far this year. I am thankful for Madison's teacher, who is such a blessing to her. I am thankful for the opportunity to be home with my kids and do fun mom things with them. I am thankful for all the blessings in my life.

The Gingerbread Man

Danny and I went on a photo tour recently. A friend from California's son started kindergarten this year. He made a gingerbread man and is mailing him around the US to have him visit with other people and learn about new places. Danny and I drove him to the the Illinois/Wisconsin border and took his photo on the Welcome to signs for both states. We also went to the Illinois tourist center and looked at brochures. It's funny how you never think to do stuff like that when you don't have a particular reason. We picked up a whole bunch of brochures and learned a lot of new stuff about our area. We found out there was a car museum right here in Roscoe. Dan took Danny to check it out. Who knew you could visit a Grateful Dead tour bus, a Richard Petty Race Car and the Flinstone mobile right here in little old Roscoe? Well we hope the Gingerbread Man had fun during his stay with us. He has left for his new destination. Run, run little Gingerbread Man.

Danny's 3rd Birthday

I can't believe my baby is 3. He is so big anyway that it is hard to think of him as a baby, but now he is also leaving his baby ways behind and becoming more like a little kid. I am sad to see that part go but I am also thrilled to see him blossoming into a little person. We took him to ride Thomas on Sunday and he didn't know where we were going. We were at the railroad crossing to get into the Railway Museum when the RR crossing bars came down and Thomas came chugging down the tracks. Danny started shaking with excitement. He couldn't believe he was seeing Thomas in real life. He asked if we could ride Thomas. Of course!!! He was so excited the whole time. The Illinois Railway Museum is pretty cool even without Thomas. They have over 2 1/2 miles of old trains. Danny wanted to climb on and touch every one. He was so thrilled when we actually rode Thomas, he had a look of sheer bliss on his face. We had a small dinner and cake at our house last night for his birthday. I made a Train cake with tracks and everything. Danny was so excited. All day long he asked "Can we eat cake?" and he was thrilled when the time finally came.

Thomas

Today we are taking Danny to ride Thomas, he doesn't know about it. He is turning 3 this week, how can that be? We decided to surprise him with the trip to Thomas for his birthday. I can't wait to see his face when he sees a "real" Thomas. His little buddy Zach came over to bring him a present on Friday and they were so cute. Zach is 2 also and he and Danny get along famously. Danny is so excited to have his own friend.

Success

We made it through the 1st week of 1st grade. Madison did great. She has a teacher she really likes and has even made a few new friends. She did better than I expected for being at school all day. She likes eating lunch at school. She only ate the cafeteria food once (she's so picky) and took her lunch the other days. She loves recess -who wouldn't. There were only tears once at school when she got nervous the first day after lunch and couldn't find her teacher. Daddy brought her home a new barbie for having such a great week. The other success this week is that Danny has actually used the potty a few times. These are our first successes with the potty so I am thrilled beyond belief. I can't wait to be done with diapers (it has been for the last 6+ years straight). Dan surprised me for our anniversary this week by coming home early with flowers and jewelry. Then he took me out to dinner while his mom watched our kids. We went to the Olive Garden and it was so yummy, we haven't been since before we moved. It was a nice treat.

Happy Anniversary and the 1st Day of School

Today is mine and Dan's 9th wedding anniversary. We are going out to dinner alone tonight. Today is also the first day of school. Madison started 1st grade. I can't believe she is growing up so quick. she was very nervous, but I am sure she will be fine. Danny and I drove up there after I put her on the bus and went and peeked in on her. She was so excited to see us.

Fruits( and Vegetables) of my Labor

Well all my attention to the garden is paying off. We had strawberries already and some black raspberries (Madison fell in love with these and would eat every last one right off the plant). Now my other raspberries are starting to ripen too. My vegetable plants have vegetables on them and they are beautiful. We picked the first cucumber the other day. It is really cool to have grown everything ourselves. I feel like a farmer!!

Pinata

Madison went to a birthday party yesterday for her friend Cassidy. She was so excited because she broke the pinata!! I never thought about how exciting that could be for a little one. Every birthday party since she turned 1 we have had a pinata for her, because she doesn't think its a party without one. When she came home from the party she had the pinata with her and she was beaming about how she had broken the pinata for the first time. It definetly is the little things in life that can make someone happy!!

Can it really have been a whole month since I posted on my blog???

Wow, I can't believe it has been that long. what have we been doing? We went to a strawberry farm and picked our own strawberries (my plants are babies this year so they aren't producing much). Don't ever take 5 kids under 10 when you want to pick alot of strawberries, they will be bored in 5 minutes. Danny ran all over the fields smashing strawberries in every row. The strawberries were delicious though. Dan made a surprise visit to CA to visit his brother for a weekend. He had lots of fun. The electric fence was turned off (by Danny I can guess) and the dogs left the yard. Chopper came home on her own but Kylie had to be picked up at the pound. It was a frantic day. I just finished 7 sets of borders for a border swap and they were exhausting but I think they were my best work yet. Madison went to Vacation Bible School with our neighbors and she loved it. I went to a Stampin Up party for the first time. I think it may be addicting. I had a great time. I also met some new people and that is a good thing. I am desperately lonely for my CA friends and while no one can replace them, I need to find some local friends. We are potty training Danny or I should say trying to potty train Danny. He is not so sure. So far it is not going so well. We also went to see the monster trucks. Danny really liked those. And we went to see the movie Cars. It was Danny's first trip to the theater. he loved the movie and I can't believe the little boy who can't sit stil,l sat through the whole movie fascinated.

Lightning Bugs

Today we saw the first lightning bugs of the season...in our backyard. We were all so excited. Dan was able to catch one in a jar for the kids and we sat outside mesmorized by them. The only time I have ever seen them before is when we have been on vacation in WI in the past. it is pretty cool to have them in our own yard. It was library day again today. The Discovery Center was putting on the program today. They are the local children's museum. The kids had a lot of fun trying pirate inspired science experiments.

Finally a New Update

Well it has been a while since my last post because Madison decided to get sick on Wed. She had a really bad case of strep throat and an ear infection. She ran a fever for a few days. Luckily she is getting back to normal. We did get to meet our new pediatrician. She is really great. I like her gentle disposition. I really liked the office we went to. It is nothing like Kaiser in CA (and that is a good thing). Madison attended Vacation Bible School for the first time today. She really liked it. I think it is going to be a very fun week for her. I spent the weekend painting the kids bathroom. I was so proud of myself. It is a beautiful color, it looks like chocolate to me. It's called warm nutmeg. The only problem is that I painted water based paint over oil based paint. So basically I made even more work for myself. It looked so pretty until we peeled the painters tape away and the paint started peeling right up with it. I was near tears. Lesson learned!!!

Ahoy there Mateys

Today was the start of the summer reading program at the library. They kicked things off with a pirate party today. The kids made pirate hats, colored pirate photos, listened to pirate stories and played pirate games. It was a lot of fun.

Peonies

I have to say I am loving these!! They are so pretty. They started popping up through the grass at the beginning of spring and luckily I noticed them. I made Dan promise not to mow over them. I had no idea what they were but figured they would be something nice. I didn't have any idea what a peony even was before. Now I have 14 peonies plants 7 in front an7 in back in 3 different colors. I am learning how to drive the ride on lawn mover. It is not that it is hard but it is stick shift of course. It takes about 2 hours to mow our lawn on a ride on mower. Thank goodness we have a ride on mower (there is no way it would get done otherwise).

Our Visitor

Anyone?

Anyone know what this bug is? He is visiting my home today and he seems fairly tolerant to people. I have never seen anything like him before.

I fought it really hard...but it happened anyway

I am officially a gardener. Mind you I still know very little about gardening and still can't tell you what half the things in my yard are. It happened without me even realizing it. I started spending more and more time out there as the yard kept offering me more gifts and now I am outside more than I am inside. I am always outside working on one of my 19 different flower beds , the yard, the trees and shrubs and now my newly planted pumpkin patch and vegetable garden. The former owner, I have come to find out through neighbors, was a gardener and he was retired. He spent most of his days outside planting and working. The fruits of his labors have paid off big time for me. All the presents I am receiving are coming from the hard work he started. I am amazed everytime I look at the flowers that this is actually my yard. I would have never gotten to this point on my own, now my option is to run with it or destroy it. I have run with it!!

Fish Tales

Dan took Madison fishing on Sat for her Daisy Scouts. She caught her first fish. It was a bull head catfish and it was just a little guy. She was reeling him in and he landed on shore, broke free from the hook and bounced himself back into the river. They would have had to throw him back anyway because he wasn't big enough. She was beaming from ear to ear when they returned. She earned her fishing badge, she was the only Daisy in her troop brave enough to even try for the badge. She made her dad proud. I asked him if he took a picture but he said it all happened too fast. Dan did catch a big, ugly catfish. We used him to fertilize the new garden.

Swap

Swaps

These are my latest creations. They are for a swap using non CM paper (oh my). It is my first shot at a non CM paper swap, but I think they turned out pretty well.

First Iris

My first irises are finally blooming. I am so excited. They are absolutely gorgeous. It is not the traditional purple that I originally guessed either. I believe this is a variation called " Earl of Essex".

Memorial Day

We spent the weekend helping Dan's mom move into her new place. Dan's sister and her family came too and the cousins had a lot of fun playing together. We barbaqued a lot and the kids had fun playing in the pool. It was my first really hot and humid weekend. We had a lot of fun but are glad to be home, relaxing and sleeping in our own beds.

Amazing Grace

I am not a perfume person generally. I am allergic to so many scents so it is hard for me to find something I can use that I actually like. I found the most wonderful perfume. It is called Amazing Grace from Philosophy (sorry Tracy). It smells so clean and nice. I find myself wanting to wear it all the time, even to bed.

Danny's Smile

I think Danny has the cutest little boy smile in the world. Of course I might be a little biased since I am his mother. This photo was taken on Sunday at "Danny's Park" (our backyard).

No Fences

I hope the photo works. I have been having trouble with adding photos for a while, so I hope this works. This is a photo of my large lilac bush. I love not having a fence. I can never imagine having said that in CA. I never know what will come wandering through the yard. Last week we had a dozen wild turkeys. Yesterday it was a deer. Of course they all seem to be attracted to my strawberry plants. It is so strange to just have things wander through. We also have had bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, every bird imaginable and a skunk. I am sure that there will be more. We are very close to a wildlife preserve. It is amazing how much our lives have changed and the things that are becoming normal to us. I would definetly say we are settling in nicely. Danny today asked if he could go to "his park". He meant the new swing in the backyard, but our yard is like a park in many ways and I love it. My peonies are about to bloom. I can't wait. I have been anxiously awaiting their arrival. It is going to be so cool to finally find out what color they are. I have a dozen very large plants of them. I also have irises ready to bloom any day, I am also anxious to find out what color they are. It is like waiting to have a baby and find out if you are having a boy or a girl.

Yard Sale Fever

One of my best yard sale finds is a swing set for the kids, it is one of the big cedar sets with a fort, slide, swings, etc. We rented a truck and picked it up yesterday. It took 7 adults to take it down, and reassemble it. But we finished pretty quickly and the kids couldn't be more excited. Danny figured out the swing really quickly and he loves it. He also loves the slide but the ladder is steep and hard for him to climb so we have to lift him still. We think we will make a stair like ladder. It was a great deal and such a good find. My husband thinks I have gone totally insane. I am still on the hunt for things for my MIL's house. I have widdled the list down to one more twin bed and a video game system of some sort reasonably priced. I can't believe the deals that I have found. The only problem is that as I yard sale I found great deals for my house too. When we moved we got rid of most everything so I am starting from fresh, but the house is filling up fast now thanks to yard sales. I have to say they yard sale very different from CA. Yard sales here start on Wed for one thing. It seems so strange but there are always a lot of people at them. Also they have evening yard sales, sometimes they don't even start until 5 pm. If the ad in the paper says subdivision yard sale you definetly want to go there. We went to one with 65 houses having sales, you can park and walk yard to yard. It is so cool. Then the next day we went to one with 50 houses. You can find good deals too since they are competing with each other. Lastly, no one yard sales on Sunday. It is reserved for church. The best part of yard sales: I am really learning my way around the area. It is so cool!!

Barbie Live In Fairytopia

Today I was able to surprise Madison with a trip to Milwaukee to see Barbie Live in Fairytopia. This is the first live Barbie show. I was excited because I surprised her (she didn't know where we were going) and we got to spend the day together, just the 2 of us. It was a lot of fun. She was so happy, we left the house wearing fancy dresses and a promise for something she would love. She loves it when I wear a dress. I did get a little lost in Milwaukee because they have the exit closed that mapquest gave me. But luckily I found our street and we were only a few minutes late. The costumes were gorgeous. Madison describes them as so "sparkly". The woman playing Alina has a beautiful singing voice. It was a great day.

Mothers Day

Today we finally had some sun for Mothers Day. That was my biggest wish after the last week or so of rain. Believe it or not I actually wanted to plant things. We planted 5 new rose bushes, petunias that we bought from the Boy Scouts and a whole flower bed of strawberries. I still don't exactly find it relaxing but I am starting to enjoy gardening more. My yard keeps giving me presents. I have more and more flowers and bushes popping up everday. I still don't know half the time if the plants are weeds or flowers but I am learning. I spent the majority of the weekend going to rummage sales. My Mother-in-law and I plus 5 kids and her significant other. I called her Thursday and said "what are you doing tommorrow, there's a subdivision yard sale with 65 yard sales tommorrow" So they all came to spend the night and we drug all those kids out at the crack of dawn and took 2 vehicles. We hit the mother load of yard sales. We filled both cars 2x and still have 3 large items to pick up. Then on Friday after she got home, she called me to say a subdivision by her was having a yard sale with 50 plus sales. So me and the kids drove down to spend the night and drive around to mega yard sales again. My MIL and her SO are moving to a much larger home soon. So we are filling alot of space quickly. We furnished a majority of it at the rummage sales and we had a blast doing so. We couldn't believe the deals we found. I also found a few great deals for our house including a large cedar swing set and a patio set. We even found Danny a power wheels train with 40 feet of track. I even set her up with toys, books, movies, bikes and a little tikes slide for the back yard. My kids will love to be there.

Dresses

I swear Madison would wear a dress or a skirt every single day if she could. Even during the snow here she wanted to wear a dress. Finally it is skirt and dress weather and she couldn't be more thrilled. We of course have been shopping to pick up some new dresses and skirts. The other day I got her up for school and got out a dress for her to wear. I helped her get her dress, tights and boots on. Then she looks at herself and says "Now that's what I'm talking about!!" Where did she come up with that?!! The little boy on our street that is in Kindergarten also couldn't stop staring at her at the bus stop. He told his mom that she looked beautiful-like a girl is supposed to. Oh boy!!!

Scrapbook Expo

I spent most of yesterday at a Scrapbook Expo in Chicago, that is after I spent 2 hours lost and driving around Chicago. It was my first time to drive there alone and it was a bit nerve wrecking. The Expo however was well worth it. I had a great time and took some great classes. I found some great new products too. The names of some of the brands: Daisy D, The Stamp Castle, Urban Girl and Kesslers Creations. Of course I found some products from some old favorites too: Basic Grey, 3 Bugs In A Rug, SEI. I am sure there are a few others too. I even won a prize at the Making Memories Vintage Hip Class.

Fancy Pants

Madison was invited to her first birthday party over the weekend. It was for 2 girls in her class. It was at a place called Fancy Pants. It was so adorable. They did all the girls hair and of course added glitter (which I am still trying to wash out) . They got their makeup done and their nails. They made bracelets and lotion. They did the limbo and had cupcakes. It was truly adorable. Best of all she made a new friend. Her and the little girl clicked right away. We came home with her phone number and she even has a 2 year old brother -how perfect could that be??

Lilacs

It is like Christmas here everyday except instead of presents it is the blooming of a new flower or tree. We still don't know what a lot of them are but I do know that I have a lilac bush in the front yard that is as big as an SUV. It is covered in beautiful lavender colored lilacs. They smell like heaven. Everytime I walk up or down the driveway the fragrance of lilacs overwhelms my senses. Sometimes I just stand there and drink in the smell. When the blooms open a little more I am going to cut some and bring them in the house. I love them.

You know you are tired when...

You know you are tired when you get up at the butt crack of dawn to take your daughter to the bus stop and you hear the trash truck coming , but you forgot to take the trash out the night before so you run as fast as you can down the longest driveway pushing the trash can and waving so the trash man knows you are bringing out the trash. Except for its not Friday and its not your trash man!! So back up the drive way you go pushing the trash barrell with your head hung down in embarassment. Then you back out of the garage to drive daughter to the bus stop because its raining and you smash your mirror into the side of the garage as you back out (it's a good thing its already broken). I'm nervous about the rest of the day!

The Hatfields and McCoys

Otherwise known as my hubby's family. Dan's step grandfather died on Friday night. The funeral is Wed. His grandmother left 3 of her son's names, their children and grandchildrens name completely out of the obituary. They are understandably hurt and here we are stuck in the middle. Danged if you do and danged if you don't. Dan is supposed to be a pall bearer, but he is upset with his grandma too because of what she did. If she denies that his dad exists, isn't she also denying him and our children. There is a long history to this squabble that led to them being omited and we have done are darndest to stay out of it. We feel like we need to go because it is his grandfather but the drama is horrible and we feel like we are betraying his dad and the others.

Gardening

Most people find gardening therapeutic. I am not most people... I don't like getting my hands dirty. I never have. When we lived in CA, I had maybe 3 rose bushes that I took care of, a tree that I on occasion trimmed and a lawn that I paid someone else to mow. I didn't even have 1 house plant. Well we live in the Midwest now and we have an acre of land. The people that owned the house previously definetly liked gardening. There are flower beds everywhere. Most are empty, except for the massive piles of leaves and sticks that I have been slowly cleaning up now that we have had a few days over 50 degrees. But of course there are quite a few flowerbeds full of bulbs. I have tulips, irises, crocuses and a bunch of stuff I have no clue what it is, coming up. So guess what I have been doing...gardening. No one lived in the house in the fall when all the beds should have been cleaned up, so they are full of dead stuff. I keep picking out dead stuff and uncovering more and more flowers. In the back of the field today while raking up massive piles of sticks and leaves we discovered wild strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Not just a few either... tons of them. Guess what I will be doing more of...yup...gardening. I have a dozen empty flower beds, so guess what I will be doing even more of.... yup...gardening. My daughter and husband want me to plant a pumpkin patch...so guess what I will doing even more of...yup...gardening. I guess I better figure out how to find gardening therapeutic or it might kill me!!

I'm a lazy blogger

It has been a while since I posted yet again. Part of it is laziness and the other is being busy. The time change this week is killing me. I am still having a hard time getting used to the time change from CA to IL but losing another hour this week has been brutal. It is especially hard when you have to be at the bus stop at the butt crack of dawn. I have been having to dress Madison and practically carry her there. She is getting really excited about her upcoming birthday. We ordered Little Mermaid party supplies since Ariel is her current favorite. She was also really excited to get her first bday invitation (since we moved) to a party. It will be at somewhere called "Fancy Pants"-can't wait to see what that will be. My 3 days of bliss was incredible. I had an amazing time. I love my kids but sometimes it is nice to just be Donnann and not mommy. I met some incredible people and was able to really relax. Cardinals on Cardinals CT. I probably sound ridiculous to the natives but we got really excited this week to spot Cardinals (the pretty red bird) in the bird feeder in our yard. I have never seen one before so it was exciting to me. We have a lot of wildlife here that we are enjoying watching. We have a chipmunk coming to eat out of the bird feeders too. He is so adorable.

3 Days of Pure Bliss

Tommorrow I will be leaving to Northern Wisconsin for a scrapbooking retreat with my friend Kim. I am so excited!!! I will have no kids, no animals and no house to take care of. I will be able to go to the bathroom without a dog, child or cat following me. I will be able to eat hot food without having to make sure everyone else is served and settled first. I will not have to prepare that hot food. I will be able to sleep without getting woke up repeatedly through the night by children or animals. We are driving to Minneapolis first to pick up our friend Stacy, who is flying in from Texas and to visit our friend Jenny and her husband James at the hospital. Jenny's husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had it removed today. We are all praying for him and their family.

The Darn Dog Finally Listened

Well tonight it finally happened.... Chopper finally listened to me. We returned from our errands and I let the dogs out to potty. I saw her run to the back of the yard and I saw something moving back there. I could tell it was limping and I wasn't sure what it was at first. I called the dog right away because I don't want her to catch it and get bit. She turned around and ran back to the house just as the varment raised it's unmistakable tail. Yup it was a skunk and Chopper just barely missed getting sprayed. I can't believe that when it was the most important time she actually listened. I can't believe the skunk missed her. What a relief... except of course the skunk was still out there. I called animal control because it was hurt and I don't want to worry about it being out there. They were on their way out when they called me back. The neighbor had just killed an injured skunk (I am assuming and praying it is the same one). That is one brave person.

Just Checking In

It has been a while since I posted and I thought I better sneak in and post. Dan's cousins stopped by on the way back from Florida this week and stayed overnight. We had a great visit and enjoyed having visitors. We are headed off to Dan's sisters wedding reception this Saturday in Sheboygan, WI. We will stay overnight. Madison is really looking forward to spending time with her cousin. They came last weekend and visited, Madison and Cheyenne barely left her room. They spent most of the day playing Barbies. We did get Madison's room painted. It looks kind of like an Easter Egg. It is 2 colors pink on the top and lavendar on the bottom. It looks beautiful and will look even better when I get the border put up to seperate the 2 colors. It is a really cute princess border. I just wish her bed would arrive and we could finish up her room. We are still waiting on our bedroom furniture and the formal living room furniture. Madison starts Daisy Scouts next Wed. and she is pretty excited about it. They didn't have a troop where we lived before.

Snow Day

It snowed aout 3 inches today. It was so beautiful. Me and the kids never even got out of our pajamas. We watched it snow through the sliding glass door. It was better than tv. I didn't even complain when I shoveled the walk (in my pajamas).

Why oh why?

Why do grandparents think that it is ok to cut their grandchildren's hair without asking their parents first? Today I took Madison to get her school physical so she can go to school here. Dan was upstairs painting while his mom was watching Danny. She decided to cut Danny's hair, without even asking his father who was right upstairs. Anyone that truly knows me, knows how I feel about Danny's hair. He has the most gorgeous blond surfer hair that I have ever seen and I can't believe that beautiful child came from me. It is long and a little unruly but it is beautiful and looks like he has been playing on the beach. I don't care what other people say I like it that way. I trim his bangs enough to keep them out of his eyes. Now the poor child has a very unstraight nerdy looking bowl cut. When I walked in my house and saw the plastic bag of hair sitting on my counter my heart sank to my knees. I just knew what happened without even seeing it. 2 years ago the same thing happened with Madison's hair. I had to have emergency surgery and my mom was watching Madison. While she was watching her she cut about 6 inches off Madison's beautiful long hair without asking me or Dan. Why do they think this is ok? Tonight I am mourning the loss of my son's beautiful locks and praying that they will grow back just as beautiful as before.

Race Car Bed

Before we moved we sold both of the kids beds. For the first time we are able to buy new furniture. For Danny we wanted to do something with cars and trains in his room because the boy is obssessed with them. We ordered him a race car bed. It is so cute. It is red and blue and twin size. He loves the bed. I found him some Nascar sheets and comforter plus a pillow that looks like a steering wheel. He sits and pretends to drive his bed. The first night that the bed arrived Danny asked to go to bed, after I picked my jaw up off the floor, I took him up to bed. He talks about the race car bed all the time and asks to go to bed in his race car bed every night now. We also bought him a train table for his room to mix in the other interest. The first day we got the train table he never left from it, except to eat. His room has became like heaven for him. He has all his toys, his race car bed and more Thomas trains than any boy could ever need. Now all he needs is for Tracie to come and play with him and his life would be complete. He sure misses her.

Ouch

Today I am in pain!! I was chasing the dog yesterday and slipped on a patch of ice in the backyard. It was cleverly disguised as snow. I fell and landed flat on my backside. It hurts to sit or lie down. I can't see the bruise thanks to a well padded backside but I sure can feel it. I am learning new things everyday: like the fact that snow freezes and is hard as can be when you fall on it. My dogs are bored being inside all the time and Chopper has taken to being a naughty dog and running off as soon as I open the back door. I guess I am going to have to take her out on the leash if she can't listen. The dog run will definetly be going up as soon as the cleverly disguised ice thaws.

Disneyland and California Adventure

Before we left California, I decided that the kids and I would have 1 more big Disney trip. All of our furniture had already left so I decided we would stay in a hotel which was different for us since we usually don't go 2 days in a row and we don't spend the night since we lived so close. We invited our friend Tracie and her kids to go with us. We rented a kids suite at La Quinta Inn -it was really cool because it had 2 rooms and 1 had a big bunk bed and the kids had their own tv. It was like a giant slumber party. On the first day we spent the day at CA Adventure. We had a great time. Madison is a little daredevil and went on the Tower of Terror twice (we did the rider switch since Danny and Talyssa -Tracie's daughter were too little to ride), once with Tracie and her son and then again with me. We went on the new Monsters Inc ride -this is so cute!!! We started the day at Paradise Pier Hotel for the Lilo and Stich Aloha Breakfast. The breakfast was really good-it is a buffet style breakfast with an island flare to it. The food was delicious and because we went on a weekday during the off season it was not very crowded. The characters paid a lot of extra attention to the kids and the kids ran around chasing Stitch and playing games with him. We also went to the Princess Lunch at Ariel's Grotto. The Princesses come around to each table and take photos and sign autographs for the kids. Madison was especially thrilled with this one but I left her with Tracie because Danny picked that time to have a complete melt down. I took him up to first aid and they gave him some baby tylenol and it helped him settle down quite a bit. He is going through another growth spurt and he is having a hard time with growing pains. We met ALOT of characters that day in the park and we were really excited about that. We rode everything the kids were big enough to ride and went to playhouse Disney so Danny could see JoJo (his secret girlfriend). We took the shuttle back to our hotel and ordered pizza for dinner. It was a nice relaxing evening except when I fell getting out of the shuttle bus and landed very hard on my backside. On Friday we went to Disneyland. We love Disneyland!! We had sooo much fun, the kids were daredevils again riding the Matterhorn and Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. Danny was especially thrilled with the train (of course-he is obsessed). We met a lot of characters here too, we even happened upon story time with 8 different characters acting out funny stories. We had really great seats for the parade and the kids loved that. We also took them to Fantasmic-this was the first time we had stayed late enough for the show and they loved it. The fireworks were cancelled due to wind though and that stunk. The best part of the trip was going with our friends though. We had such a great time. It was a perfect way to end our time in CA

Moving In

I will be working my way backwards in my story telling about moving. We have had quite the adventure so far. Our furniture (and computer) finally arrived today. I am so excited after being without it since Feb. 1st. It was very hard to watch our stuff (our whole lives) loaded up into a truck and see it drive away. It was like Christmas for the kids to get their toys back. Danny barely came out of his room today playing with all the toys. I am excited to sleep on something other than a stinking air mattress. On the day we closed on this house my husband fell down the stairs (this house is a tri-level) and sprained his ankle really badly. He is supposed to stay off of it and keep it elevated. He has not been able to work or drive. When he fell I had to call 911 because we could not get him back up the stairs to take him to the hospital and we thought he might pass out because he sure looked like he was about too. We had the sherriff , fire department and ambulance here our first day here. I am sure we are the gossip of the neighborhood already. I was concerned about knowing where the emergency room was because of how rough little Danny plays. Well I now know exactly how to get there. I will write more tommorrow. There are plenty of stories to tell.

Moving

Well the movers are coming today (since it is after midnight). I have very mixed emotions, it is my last night in our house. It is the only home my children have ever known. Our new home is going to be incredible but it is also sad to leave this one behind.

The kids and I are taking a mini vacation before we leave for Illinois. We are spending a few days down at Disneyland and CA Adventure for our last local trip. I have booked a Lilo and Stitch Character breakfast and lunch at Ariel's Grotto with the princesses. We usually don't spend the night in a hotel since we live so close but we are splurging and staying in a Kids Suite at a nearby hotel. I haven't told the kids yet. I am saving it as a big surprise. I hope it will take a little of the sting out of leaving their friends and family.
I am not sure what will take the sting out for me. The closer it comes the more emotional I am feeling about leaving my family and friends behind.

Dan has arrived Safely

Dan and the dogs have arrived safely. He made the 2000+ mile trip in 48 hours. The dogs are a little unsure of the snow still. Our lab/boxer mix Kylie is having the most trouble with it but I am sure they will both get used to it. We are getting closer to this house closing and I am getting excited and nervous about the move. We are having to have some major roof repair work done in order to pass the inspection here. I am packing still like a crazy woman. My friend Desiree is coming to help tommorrow and my sister is coming to help Sat. So hopefully I will be done before the movers come on Wed.

Wind

I hate the wind!! It has been blowing for days here and I am ready for it to be done. We have Santa Ana winds here, it feels like you are in a wind tunnel. Last night I was taking out the garbage when a big gust of wind blew through. The lid of the trash can (which is attatched) blew up and smacked me in the face. Right square into my nose. I fell to the ground of the driveway bleeding and crying. I thought I might pass out. It hurt so bad.
The wind has kept me up most of the night it rattles the windows and the house and both kids ended up in my bed with me because the noise was scaring them too.

The journey has begun

Dan started the long drive to Illinois today. He is driving 2000 miles with 2 very large dogs. I am nervous and scared. Me and the kids won't see him for the next 2 weeks. We have never been apart for that long before. He tried reassuring me today by telling me that it was the beginning of our new life and that it was part of the road we needed to take to get there. I know that in my head but my heart aches at the same time.

Dinner and a Movie

Last night was so great. I went to dinner and a movie with my girlfriends. This special occasion is usually reserved for our birthdays but they made an exception for me since I am moving away. We went to my favorite Mexican food restaraunt: Guadalaharrys and then to see "Last Holiday" (a very funny movie). Other moms understand how rare it is to go out.
I am really blessed. My friends are like sisters to me. I don't have a lot of really close friends but the ones I do have are golden. They have been there for me through really tough times and really good times. I don't know what I am going to do when I move. I talk to Tracie almost every single day and see her almost every day too. I don't know what I will do when I can't just pop over anytime. I lean on her alot and I depend on her. She is a great scrapbooking buddy too. I have scrapbooked with her more than anyone else. She motivates me to work, like no one else. She accepts me for who I am and I love her for that.

Teri and I met through our husbands and we turned out to be closer friends than our hubbies. She has trusted me to watch both of her girls while she worked since they were babies. We are like family, we accept each other unconditionally and we have been able to tell each other anything. She is a great workout partner and has motivated me to do things I never thought I was capable of. She also keeps my hair looking great and keeps me feeling good about myself.

Glenda is way too young to be my mom, but she is my surrogate mom. She loves me as much as if I were her daughter and I love her as much as if she were my mom. She is a great listener. With Creative Memories she is my other half. We are a perfect team. She and I motivate each other, bounce ideas off each other, share products, and keep each other on track. I can't imagine running my business without her to be my tag team partner.

I met Desiree a year ago through the internet of all places. With blind faith I drove to her house to scrapbook together. We hit it off from the first moment. She is kind, generous and has a terriffic sense of humor. She is an extremely talented scrapbooker. Her layouts are amazing. I hate it that I am leaving without having spent more time with her.

Thank goodness for the internet, email and the telephone. I am going to miss my girls!!!!

10 years in storage

My dad died in 1995 when Dan and I first started dating. He collected trains. It wasn't just a little hobby, he had ALOT of trains. After he died my sister and I packed them all up and put them in storage. Boxes and boxes of trains, tracks, buildings, cars, and every other thing you can think of having to do with trains. The trains have been in storage since. Since we are moving I decided I would like to go and take some of the trains for Danny. He LOVES trains. It would make my dad happy. So today, 10 years later, we unpacked all the trains and divided them among all of us. It was very sentimental. We all played with them when we were kids and we all have different memories of them. There were more than enough for all of us to come home with several boxes of them. I think my dad would have loved to see all 5 of his grandchildren (only 1 of which was born before he died) enjoying the trains together and his kids remembering them.

We won the bid on our house today in Illinois. There will be enough room for us to set up a track for the kids and us to play with.

What Heartburn is...

Madison defined heartburn at lunch today for us: According to her it is: "a bug flying around inside your head with a light that keeps going off in your eyes and it is bumping up against your head". I think she may have it confused with a migraine, but I loved her description.

What my underwear says about me

What Your Underwear Says About You

You like to think of yourself as innocent, even though you're not! You're sexy, in that pinup girl, tease sort of way.

The Underwear Oracle

I found this link on the Empress's blog. Thought I would give it a shot.

5 Stitches

Sunday Danny had to be taken to the ER. He fell in the front yard and bumped his head on the block retaining wall outside of our house. He was bleeding profusely and it looked awful. Dan was out of town but luckily Dave was here and he went with me. Madison's friends mother took Madison home with her. We walked into the ER looking like we had walked out of a war zone. Danny had blood dripping down his face and his clothes and shoes were covered in blood. I had it on my face from holding him and all over my shirt. The triage nurse looked at him and then told us to get back in line -they are so sympathetic (not)-that he was fine and would just need a few stitches. They should have to stand in line with a 2 year old that is hurt! After an hour of waiting we finally got in to see the dr. Danny needed 5 stitches in the middle of his forehead. They had to strap the kid down in a cocoon looking thing to hold him still. The whole experience was horrifying. Danny has been having nightmares since. He wakes up screaming "Hurt, Hurt". The poor baby.

Tag your It

[A is for age:] - 36
[Bis for booze of choice:] -don't really drink but if I am splurging it will be a frozen strawberry daquiri
[C is for career:] - Mom and Creative Memories Consultant
[D is for your dad's name:] - Dean (and Claude -he passed away)
[E is for essential items to bring to a party:] -
[F is for favorite song at the moment:] - I am so out of touch I can't tell you the name of a current song unless it is by the Wiggles or Barney , but I am enjoying the song that Garth Brooks sings for Chris Le Deoux and I don't even know the title-something like Good Ride Cowboy
[G is for favorite game:] - Skipbo
[H is for hometown:] - Fillmore CA is where I grew up but not where I live now
[I is for instruments you play:] -none
[J is for jam or jelly you like:] - Grape
[K is for kids?] - 2 kids Madison and Danny
[L is for living arrangements:] -with my hubby and kids
[M is for mom's name:] - Donna
[N is for name of your crush ] -Brett Favre (don't worry my husband knows)
[O is for overnight hospital stays] - I am not even sure I know anymore -2x with childbirth, 1x to have my tonsils taken out, and about 2 months worth of stays while I was sick with the mess with my pancreas
[P is for phobias:] -heights
[R is for relationship that lasted the longest] -my husband, although I do have a friend that I have been friends with for 15 years if that counts
[S is for sexual preference:] - my husband
[T is for time you wake up:] - as late as I possibly can
{U is for underwear:] - cotton
[V is for vegetable you love:] - Corn even though it is technically not a vegetable
[W is for weekend plans:] - go drop off furniture, pick up boxes and pack and clean
[X is for x-rays you've had:] - teeth, wrist, chest, abdomen, torso, -unfortunately way too many and I'm not even counting ultrasounds, CT scans and MRI's.
[Y is for yummy food you make:] -My chili is famous and so is my snickers cake
[Z is for zodiac sign:] - Cancer