'Twas the Night before Christmas

And all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except Kassie, who climbed into bed between Mike and I in the wee hours of Christmas morning and said in a whisper "I peeked, he (Santa) Came!" before snuggling back down for a "long winter's nap. (Thank you Lord!) Amazing but true, a 7 year old who saw the bounty under the tree and still managed to GO BACK TO SLEEP! That's my girl! And just another reassuring (and sure) sign that we definitely brought the right baby home from the hospital.

Nine

'Twas the night before Christmas ...

 

Sometime in the wee hours of Christmas morning our girl climbed in between Mr. Wonderful and I, stopping only to whisper excitedly "I peeked, he (Santa) came!" before snuggling back in for more sleep! Amazing, yet true. Proving that in valuing sleep above nearly all else - we definitely brought the right baby home from the hospital!

I will not make fun of the third grade science project ... I will not make fun of the third grade science project ... I will not ...

By popular demand,

The column that almost landed me in 3rd grade detention

Seriously, I got called into the Principal's office and everything!

Fortunately, I shared this story and received a source for the following shirt which I promptly ordered.



 We'll let you know how that homeschooling is going!

Clearly it was my keen fashion sense that set me apart at an early age.

Any Way You Look At It

Soccer: it's not for sissies

Seven & Seven?

Or seven months later I I finally complete a layout of Kassie's 7th birthday. I was just waiting for that "perfect moment" which was, apparently, December.

Soccer girl strikes again!

More pics from late Fall (see ... I'm not as far behind as I could be!) Photos from Kassie's soccer season.

Big Surf Lake Erie

More belated Summer '06 vacation pics ~ Note the life vests on MY kids in the upper left photo. Can you say "overprotective mom?"

Hey, you can't be too careful with that awesome Lake Erie riptide.

Like a little July in Christmas ...

... rather than Christmas in July? Proof that a) summer was real; and b) we enjoyed it immensely.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good December!

 

SK8ER BOY

I like to call this Sk8er Boy at 9.

Surprise!

  Well, it's really NO SURPRISE that it's taken me two weeks to the day to upload photos from Grandpa's (Howard's) 80th Birthday party on November 4, 2006.

Special thanks to all who came from far and wide to share this special day with all of us.

He's a loveable guy and was truly surprised so it was certainly a success. You can view more photos by clicking on the party photo album to the side. 

Book 'em Danno

One photo of Matthew on a Cub Scout field trip last night to the Columbiana Police Station. We can only hope that this is the first and last time he is fingerprinted in this manner. I'd hate to think some otherwise successful cross-country crime spree will end when he is nabbed solely on the fingerprint card obtained when he was 9 on a Cub Scout field trip.

Many pumpkins were harmed ...

Many pumpkins were harmed in the making of these jack o' lanterns. Very belated scenes from the Pumpkin Party '06. They came, they saw(ed), they made crazy pumpkins at our very much PG13 Halloween Party.

Meanwhile,

You know how in the movies there is always that scene with the wild, out-of-control party with people in various stages of disrepair and horses and assorted livestock wandering through the scene and you think to yourself "nobody really has parties like that!" - well Moose does.

"Moose" and his Halloween parties are legendary and distinctly non-fiction.

Raising Savages

  <- Just because I love this picture of Matthew lying in wait for his prey. In this case, his cousin Kayla and sister Kassie (as well as any unsuspecting grandmother, aunt, or others who might come his way).

He's armed and dangerous with a nerf bow and the armband tattoo is a real nice touch :)

Score!

  Sometimes I have nothing to say (and yet, inexplicably, still say it). Today is such a day. I have a deadline tomorrow so no one is safe. Be warned.

Just a quick page from the album to show that soccer isn't all kicks and glory. Sometimes it's just standing around waiting for the action to come your way. Matthew did get a chance at some action and can kick that ball out with the best of 'em.

Otherwise, though, it really is true that goalie always seems like a good idea and then ... isn't.

Nothing

I've been kind of down lately and it has been suggested that I'm having a mid-life crisis? Um, what???

Don't I get a Corvette and a comb-over or something with that?

I'd hate to think I'm at some half-way point and don't know it but then, maybe I passed it years ago in which case I DEFINITELY don't want to know. (Really, there's a bright side in there somewhere). Oh well, I guess the way to look at it is the only alternative to getting older is NOT getting older - and who wants THAT?

Just to prove that I really WAS young once, here is me at age 6 (just, y'know, 24 short years ago ;) ) with my baby sister, Cara. I'm sure, at the time, I thought she was my own personal doll and I got to keep her. Sadly, no. Probably for the best, however. I did have a propensity to cut off all my doll's hair and paint their lips and cheeks with permanent marker. That might not have looked so good on her.

Manly men

So the manly men are back from the "Lad n' Me" cub scout campout. First, kudos to the Cub Scouts for coming up with the most emasculating monicker imaginable for an otherwise cool enough event. Lad n' Me? Seriously?

I still can't really say it with a straight face.

A good time was had by all - but yet again it rained. This prompted Brett and Kevin (former survivors of the much touted "rain camp Labor Day '06" to call me throughout the evening and chortle "it's cold, it's raining, my sleeping bag is WET! -- all that's missing is YOU KYM!!" and then hang up.

Funny guys. Good dads. :) They sucked it up (soaked it up?) and spent the night - all except for K. (you know who you are Kevin!) who slunk on home.

Not sure if that makes him a quitter - or just smarter than the rest of my friends :)

Rain rain go away

I suspected I wouldn't be much good at this blog thing and darned if I wasn't right!

Just a quick and pathetic recap so that August 24 isn't the last thing herein.

Spend Labor Day weekend camping with friends. I use the term "camping" very loosely here, mostly to describe standing in a cold, driving rain while huddled around a fire and under a canopy for warmth. Yes, we did have the canopy OVER the fire. At that point, I was figuring that if the canopy went up in flames, at least we'd be warm, however briefly, when the fire was burning above our heads.

We spent Saturday through Monday believing in our hearts that CNN was right and the weather would clear.

It sure did - on Monday. Just in time to pack up all those wet clothes and go home.

This is our weekend.

Friday - set up camp in rain.

Saturday - 3:00 a.m.-ish - wake up soaking wet as tent dumps gathered water on my sleeping bag.

Saturday - all day. Huddle in rain (see above).

Saturday night - A FIRST: travel to laundromat and spending evening drying out sleeping bags which, as it turns out, won't dry when hung out in driving rain. (See above).

Sunday: See Saturday, rinse, repeat. Brief flurry of activity when friend's child falls from scooter and breaks collarbone. Dustin (breakee) notes wryly that "I'm always with the Seabolt's when I break something."

Who says we bring nothing to the party?

Monday. What is that bright golden orb in the sky? Could it be? Is it sunshine? We recoil in horror unsure of ourselves. It's been so long. We don't really recognize the sun. Children take brief, one hour tour in pontoon boat. We all race to the docks to watch Coast Guard oversee recovery of a mini-van that has been completely submerged in the lake. This was terrifically exciting for quite some time. It is sad that this is so. Van is recovered without incident (or anything really interesting happening).

Come home. Do laundry for ten days straight attempting to catch up.

Repeat to self: "I love camping. I love camping. I love camping."

Happy (Almost) Birthday To You!

Happy (Almost) Birthday To You Dear Granny!
I'm sure all the family joins in wishing you a happiest birthday ever tomorrow (with plenty of cake and "Granny's Frosting" to boot!)

We love you!

P.S. You know you can add "comments" (readable by all) by clicking on that link below. Feel free to share a good "Granny memory" if you wish :)

Happy (Almost) Birthday To You!

Happy (Almost) Birthday To You Dear Granny!
I'm sure all the family joins in wishing you a happiest birthday ever tomorrow (with plenty of cake and "Granny's Frosting" to boot!)

We love you!

P.S. You know you can add "comments" (readable by all) by clicking on that link below. Feel free to share a good "Granny memory" if you wish :)

I've been told that if I were a cartoon character ...

I've been told that if I were a cartoon character, I would probably look a lot like this

Honestly, I think it would be more:

Isn't my best friend beautiful?

Love this pic of Dawn and Kayla taken in Erie, PA (That's by LAKE Erie by the way!) in July '06. Isn't this just a great shot of my beautiful best friend (and cousin) and her equally lovely daughter? I can post this because I probably won't see her for a few days and by then the urge to throttle me will have passed (for the most part).

If anyone should doubt the wisdom of being best friends with magical people let me tell you, I highly recommend it. Saturday afternoon Dawn and our respective children and I were at Boardman park sighing because we didn't want the day to end, but we couldn't think of a thing to do. Dawn said idly "if only there was something DIFFERENT to do, and wouldn't it be a great night for a drive-in movie?" Yes, it would be, but alas, there are no drive-ins anywhere near Boardman, Ohio. Sigh. Minutes later a hayride- and honest to goodness HAYRIDE in the buroughs of urban Youngstown Ohio happens by. We followed it and just around the bend happened upon, I kid you not!, a clown, balloon animals and a Beatles concert (yes, really). Asking the nearest park employee, incredulously, "how long does this concert go on?" he responded "oh, it's almost over, and then we'll have the movie!"

Yep, an outdoor movie for free on a Saturday night in Boardman Ohio shortly after Dawn said simply "if only ..."

Yep. If only she'd wished for a lottery ticket! :)

Okay, Elmview is up!

Elmview photos are up and running (knock wood!) See photo album at the side.

As you can see, Kass is real excited about this :)

Love ya all!

Okay, Elmview is up!

Elmview photos are up and running (knock wood!) See photo album at the side.

As you can see, Kass is real excited about this :)

Love ya all!

'Cause they're cousins ... (non)identical cousins all the way ...

Okay, at the risk of severely dating myself that is supposed to be the theme to the Patty Duke show. Yeah, I know, if you are under 35 and/or don't remember when Nick at Nite was still GOOD - you just went "huh?" Otherwise, just smile at the pretty picture of the pretty children on the pretty blanket and be happy.
!)

So, how cute ARE these kids anyway? :) Photo from Elmview '06 and GREAT NEWS FAMILY -- I have my CD - it was not blank (thanks Dawn for telling me to actually CHECK it before I had a breakdown over it). Will be posting more Elmview '06 photos shortly.

Sadly, while Jake could be bribed to cooperate with a juicebox, Meg was much more reluctant to pose. Thus, she is not pictured and sorely missed. Better luck next time (or better juice boxes to be precise

Just call me June ...

Just call me June ... Cleaver that is! I feel oh-so-1950's housewifey right now - and not in a good heels and pearls and sexy apron way. Just in a "I'm way too excited" about my no wax floor finish way. I have recently discovered this

http://www.methodhome.com

Better even - they sell it at Target! Now I have an iron clad reason to spend more time at Target! I've been going steady with WalMart for quite some time now, but I think I'm going to need my space. Not that WMart and I can't still be friends, but I'm feeling some serious Target crush right now.

My whole house smells like fruit (cucumber melon and mint to be exact) and all is right with the world. Knock wood!

Off to waltz with a swiffer ...

Hmm... I'm not sure I see the point but ...

If I write here for FREE when do I have time to write for PAY? There may be a flaw in this blog thing.

Anyway, just trying out random nonsense to see if I can post pics for family and friends to see.

I like to call this one "when good pinatas go bad." The kitty cat pinata for Kassie's birthday started out lovely but then went oh so horribly wrong. Note to self: do NOT hang pinatas by the neck. Got it!

The "Your Mama Dresses You Funny" Hall of Fame

Need I say more?

The groovy jacket, the stellar shades ...

Testing 1, 2, 3,

Is this thing on?