Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Ricky Bobby Wanna Bes

I don't know if you're see the movie Talladega Nights or not but the main character Ricky Bobby likes to go real fast. Well apparently so do two little boys riding tricycles. Last night we went to the local park with the 2.2 mile walking trail. For the most part it's flat without too many hills.

However there are about 3 places with some nice long slopes. Both boys go blazing fast on their tricycles (which don't have brakes)down the hills. All I see in my mind is them going off the edge running into a tree or down into the pond. Phil laughs. Logan knows to put his feet down to brake but Alex just waits till he eventually slows down. I think those two are going to give me a heart attack.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Ice Cream Cone Eating in the South

I learned a new way (or perhaps the kids invented) of eating ice cream in the south. It is sure to make for easier clean up for those who have some problems getting the ice cream into their mouth. It's naked ice cream cone eating. That's what our boys decided to do on Sunday as they enjoyed their tastey frozen treat. I'm not sure I'm ready to join in though because that would mean sitting outside sans clothing on our front porch!

I'm Cooking Pancakes

Saturday is the day the kids usually sleep in. By sleep in I mean we're lucky if they sleep till 7:30 a.m. or let us stay in bed until 8:00 a.m. This Saturday was no different. The boys got up between 7:30 and 8:00 and after a little coaxing went to play in their room. Not bad you say?

Well, a little while later Logan comes back and says I'm cooking pancakes! (Walmart makes great short stack pancakes you can put in the microwave if you're in a pinch.) Of course, we know Logan doesn't know how to correctly enter the cooking time. Phil jumps out of bed and runs downstairs to save the pancakes.

NOTE: Logan only set the time for 25 seconds longer than necessary - not too bad for a 4 year old!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

How well do you know me?

I was looking at a website for Paul Tate (very talented musician and Assistant Director of our church choir) and he had a "How well do you know Paul Tate" quiz on his website. I decided I'd try one for myself. Click below to take the quiz.

How well do you know me?

The Egg Hunt






Every year Phil's friend, Martine, has an annual Easter Egg hunt. This year it was supposed to be the day before Easter but it was cancelled due to very cold temperatures. The event was rescheduled to last Friday night. Obviously the turn out was a little less than usual but the event was fun for all who attended.

The kids(maybe 10 total) hunted for Easter eggs by flashlight and I still think there were eggs left. The Easter Bunny of course was there (see prior post). The adults even got to play the game Apples to Apples (highly recommended).

These are some photos from that night.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Do You Know Who This Is?


Do you recognize this bunny? Logan swears that he does. He says that it's not the real Easter Bunny that it's someone in a costume. But not just someone he says, "It's my Dad!" And of course he announced it to all the little kids at the party. What do you think?

The Wandering Child

It's funny for the longest time Alex would stay in his bed all night and Logan would be the one to come ask to get in our bed in the middle of the night. Then for a short period of time they both stayed in their beds (bribed to stay there by a promised visit to Chuck E. Cheese's). Now Alex constantly wakes up and comes to our room in the middle of the night and sometimes he's so quiet we don't even realize he's there. For some reason he says he can't sleep by himself.

Last night was the funniest though. Alex had fallen asleep in his bed and I was downstairs watching TV waiting for Phil to come home from his Masters class so we could visit. At around 11 p.m. I got up to go get ready for bed and I get in my room and who has wandered in there and made himself comfortable? Alex- yep - sound asleep on my side of the bed. I know darn well before Phil came home he was sleeping in his own bed.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Love You Forever

This weekend I shared some precious times with the boys. It's the same thing I used to do with Kayla when she was little. Saturday night Logan and I sat in his bed, read stories, cuddled and he fell asleep. I shared some of that same thing with Alex (when he wasn't feeling well Sunday night) in my bed. Just like years ago (I can't get in Kayla's mile high loft bed now) I did with Kayla. It's probably one of the best memories I'll cherish forever.

It reminds me of the story "Love You Forever" that we got when Kayla was born and a book I share with all new expectant parents. It truly shows the bond between parent and child. To my kids:

I'll love your forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be.

Keeping Families in Our Prayers

I was shocked today as I sat home with Alex, who wasn't feeling well, to see the news about the shootings at Virginia Tech today. When it was first announced only one person was dead and I said a prayer for that family and that the shooter would be caught quickly. Sadly, the death toll has risen to 31 victims. Please keep those who have passed, their friends, and families in your prayers.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

It Felt Like Spring

Tonight felt like the start of Spring. I know that Spring has already started but it truly felt like it tonight. The kitchen was cleaned and everyone was bathed. I went outside and sat in my rocking chair with a cool drink in my hand. I just listened and watched it rain.

Then the boys one at a time came out and joined me. For a while the three of us just sat there listening and watching the rain. Then the boys asked me to tell them the story of The Three Little Pigs. Of course they helped tell the story. It truly felt like Spring because I was experiencing the outdoors.

Tigers vs. Mets

Today the Tigers played against the Mets. It was their first game since they had a 2 week bye (Spring Break does that). The Tigers played a rough game. They were a little bit weaker than games in the past I'm sure due to the two week stretch without a game. However, despite their weaknesses they were still stronger than the Mets in hitting, catching, and throwing and pulled out yet another win! Go Tigers!

Friday, April 13, 2007

Kayla's Chorus Concert

Last night was the Spring 4th/5th grade chorus concert. The kids did a wonderful job! It was a joy to listen to them. Kayla got to play an instrument during two songs. The kids did a wonderful song that was a tribute to Parents and if I can figure it out I'll download a link to the video of it. Of course that was just one of the 12 beautiful songs they sang! Great job Kayla!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Toes, toes, toes


Sunday night while the boys were in the tub I was painting my toe nails as they played. Both boys asked, "Mom will you paint my toes?" I told them their Dad would be upset. Logan said, "Mom I'll tell him that aliens painted my toe nails." Who could resist alien toe nail polishing?

Dog Washing Reiniche Style


Last night was Mandy's (our dog)bath night. She usually gets one after it's been rainy or she's gotten wet because of the rain. We try to keep the smell of wet dog to a minimum. But as you can see washing the dog is a full family affair or at least it is for the boys.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Kayla's Church Easter Photo


Here's the group photo of all the kids that sang beautifully at the Easter Mass on Easter Sunday.

Bike Riding

One of the fun actitivities that the kids did over Spring Break was bike riding. There is a nice (mostly flat) park with bike/walking trails. Phil took the kids one day by himself and then on Thursday all of us went. Unfortunately the bikes Phil and I have are in major need of repairs so we didn't get to ride (another future purchase) but luckily the kids aren't so fast that we can't walk and keep up. You'd be amazed watching how fast the kids ride in the park. It was fun to watch and I got lots of fun video clips of the kids. I know we'll be doing that a lot more as the weather gets warmer!

You Should Follow Your Dreams

Whoever said you shouldn't follow your dreams and do something that you love is crazy. While it may be hard to do if you're just starting out it should always be your ultimate goal to love what you do and do what you love. Take for instance, a good friend of ours, our former neighbor in Illinois, Jeff Schiestel. He was working in a large corporation making a nice six figure salary but he was unhappy. His true passion lies in cooking.

He originally started out catering for friends and family. His business began to grow to the point where he had to make a decision. Do I continue to do this part time or do I jump out of my comfort zone and do what I truly love - cooking gourmet meals. I've tasted his cooking and I can honestly say it is true gourmet and I'd have him cater for me if I lived closer. So he and his wife Delaine finally agreed that going out on his own was the best decision.

At the beginning of this year, Jeff rented his own space and now has his own professional kitchen and tasting room. Go here to see photos of his new place. He offers simple meals for week night dinners, romantic dinners, business catering all the way up to large weddings. Although I'm sure he's not as busy as he'd like to be the business (just in the short couple of months he's been open) is starting to expand.

What an inspiration Jeff is to all to show that you should follow your dreams.

All I Need to Know I Learned from the Easter Bunny

I got this list from the Kim & Jason Escape Adulthood Blog and thought I'd share it. I really do think all I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny.

1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
2. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
2. There’s no such thing as too much candy.
4. All work and no play can make you a basket case.
5. A cute tail attracts a lot of attention.
6. Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
7. Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
8. Some body parts should be floppy.
9. Keep your paws off of other people’s jelly beans.
10. Good things come in small, sugar coated packages.
11. The grass is always greener is someone else’s basket.
12. To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell.
13. The best things in life are still sweet and gooey.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

What You Can Do With Peeps

I had to share this link with everyone. My carpool buddy's sister entered a contest in the Washington Post that had you put peeps in different scenes. Sadly she didn't win but thought everyone might enjoy the photos of the winners.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Sweet Kayla

Kayla was super sweet tonight. Mondays are crazy in our house. Phil has his Masters class in Gainesville at 6 pm. Then Kayla has gymnastics from 6:40 to 8:10 at night. Meanwhile the boys have to be entertained that whole time. Then it's a rush to get home and get everyone to bed. Logan doesn't like to lay by himself and neither does Alex. On Mondays I usually have them lay together and we read stories. Well tonight Kayla read stories to Logan until I got Alex to sleep. I didn't even ask her she just did it. What a sweet wonderful girl. She is definitely growing up too fast and is like a miniature adult!

Easter Photos




Here's a couple of photos of the kids dressed in the Easter best. Well Alex refused to get in the photo with Kayla and Logan so the best I could get was a photo of him chilling out with Phil after Easter dinner.

Look I'm a Pirate


After coloring Easter eggs Alex decided that he wanted to play Pirates. Of course we had no Pirate Eye Patches in our house. So he improvised, Ahoy Mateys!

Coloring Easter Eggs


Of course we colored Easter Eggs. We still have more than we can possibly eat. We made 30 eggs. We still have over a dozen left to eat. The kids had a good time coloring the eggs. We only spilled one container of dye.

Hockey Game - Gwinnett Gladiators



What's Spring Break without a little bit of hockey? We decided that we'd take the challenge of taking all three kids to watch the Gwinnett Gladiators play hockey last Friday night. This is the first time Alex has go to come to a game since he was a baby so we were a bit worried. Ah, but we should not have been worried. He had a blast! We had great seats ten rows up from the glass behind the goal. Alex loved standing down by the glass while the teams warmed up and his favorite part was looking for Maximus (the Gladiators team mascot). Logan had fun except for he thought parts of the game were TOO LOUD (yep the loud son said it was too loud). Kayla had a good time too.

Miss Nina's Last Day


Friday was the last day for Logan's favorite teacher, Miss Nina. Of course being Spring Break and all the kids were home with Phil (and me) but we made sure to take him in for the last day celebration. It's very sad that Miss Nina is leaving the teaching profession. It's not often that you can say someone truly has a gift to work with children but that definitely holds true for Miss Nina. We hope someday she returns to teaching. I have to say the favorite part of that day was listening to Miss Nina sing "Respect" with the kids. It really makes me wish I had brought in the video camera.

Gardening with Dad



Well before all the problems occurred with the garage, Phil and the boys planted some new Azalea bushes in the front little "garden island". The boys had the best time helping Phil dig in the garden. In fact, Logan has taken over Phil's rock shovel as his own and Alex is trying to take it from Logan. Looks like I'll need to purchase another shovel.

Survived Easter

Well we survived Easter Sunday. It was a crazy day but we made it through. We had to get up no later than 6 a.m. in order to accomodate looking in Easter baskets and searching for the colored Easter eggs. Then it was hurry up, eat and get dressed so that we could leave for church. Kayla was singing at the 9 a.m. mass for Easter Sunday and had to be there by 8:15. To make sure we got there in time we had to leave the house at 7:30 a.m. The music sounded beautiful and everyone looked nice. Kayla and the boys looked cute in the Easter clothes. Kayla was freezing because of the recent cold snap here. Then it was home to throw the ham in the oven and hunt for Easter eggs (candy filled of course) outside. The kids had fun doing that. Then it was back inside for more cooking. We had a delicious ham, cheesey potatoe, green beans, pineapple. and rolls for dinner with a delcious apple crisp for dessert that we shared with Carrie.

The kids played outside, despite the chilly weather, and jumped on the trampoline. By the end of the day (after baths) Alex fell asleep at about 8 p.m. while snacking on his fruit snacks. He just fell asleep mid bite. All in all it was a good day.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Everyone Getting Along

During yesterday's clean up the kids got along suprisingly well and really let us work on straightening up the garage. Alex played outside all day long and barely sat still even to eat. But one of the favorite things I got to watch was Kayla and Logan at the end of the day. The cleaning resulted in some boxes having to be opened because they were all wet. In the boxes we found a bunch of preschool aged games. Kayla and Logan (after Alex went to bed and some before) played a bunch of different games together. Even though Logan lost a lot he still had a good time playing games with Kayla (even the Pretty Pretty Princess Game!). I guess that means we can start doing game nights soon!

Monday, April 2, 2007

The Meter Man

Today the electric company came to read the meter. Our not shy boys were rather entertaining. Alex says to the meter man, "See my belly button (while lifting up his shirt)." Logan says "I know you I saw you on TV."

Uncle Tony

Logan and I were looking at a photo of him and Uncle Tony yesterday. Logan says, "I wish Uncle Tony lived here. We could build him a room and a bed and he could sleep here all the time." :)

Bathroom Woes

Warning - this is a sensitive subject.

In the midst of the water raining in the garage and 24 hours without running water - Alex had diarrhea. By the end of the day Alex says Dad, I pooped alot I pooped enough to go around the world! (I doubt that but in his eyes I'm sure he did.)

Raining in the Garage - April Fools?

We woke up on April Fools day to something that definitely was not a joke. Phil was going to let me sleep in but that lasted a whole minute as he yelled for me to come downstairs. Sometime in the early morning the pipe in the garage burst - flooding the garage and some into the kitchen. Sadly, his poor cousin's dog, Shelby, was out in the garage getting rained on. I'm sure she didn't expect that. Happily today the leak was fixed (although now there is a lot of sheet rock to be replaced in the garage) and the garage (after about 8 hours straight cleaning) is the cleaniest it's ever been. I feel sorry for the trash man on Thursday morning.