Adventures in Putt-Putt, As Seen Through Patch, Future PGA Master

You know the experience will be good when there's a giant giraffe.

Patch, ready to go. He loves any sport involving balls.

But, on hole 18, he could not find his ball after it went in the hole.


Huh.

Where could it be?

"What are you doing, Patch?"

"Move over. Let me see."


Another arm reaches in.

Trying the club. But no luck! That ball is gone. It's a mystery.

Just go put a diaper on your head. It helps the world make sense.

Road Trip, Part 2

We stayed in South Bend for one special reason: free accommodations. My sister-in-law's brother runs a website called "Gameday Housing," so we stayed in one of his rental properties.

The house was just blocks from Notre Dame University. We spent a day wandering around the campus.

The most anticipated sight on campus: Touchdown Jesus. It's actually a mural painted on the side of the library. It really has nothing to do with football at all.

Mini-me really enjoyed making the "Touchdown!" sign, and continued it, much to the annoyance of Flower.

Flower in front of the stadium. We couldn't go in because it was all locked up. Curly really wanted a peek at the locker room.

Things got a little silly while in South Bend.
We were also a few blocks from a park with a water feature. It was very mild while we were there; it barely made it to 80* while we were there. The kids braved the cold and ran through the water and had a great time.
See you tomorrow when we will discuss the finer points of putt-putt golfing.

Road Trip, Part One

Please enjoy the next few days while I share pictures from our road trip. We went from Maryland to Wisconsin, stopping for a few days in South Bend, Indiana and taking two day trips to Chicagoland.

First stop was church with Grandma and Grandpa, followed by dinner at the Andersons. We had a delicious lasagna, accompanied by some amazing salad. Yum. The girls had fun playing with all the toys, Patch had fun playing with Uncle Doug.

Flower brought her guitar, and sang us a song she wrote, called "That's How Families Are."

While en route to Chicagoland, Curly lost his cell phone. We couldn't find it anywhere, until we realized it had probably dropped on the side of the road while he took a pit stop. After dinner, we drove back to I-55 to the underpass and miraculously found it. Unharmed. A mere 3 feet from the road. I have to admit, I cried a bit.

The second day trip was to spend some time with Great Big Grandpa Neil and Great Grandma Jeanne. He sang the Princeton fight song to Patch, hoping to inspire the next generation of collegiate athletes.

The kids had a blast in Great Grandma Jeanne's toy closet. There is something for everyone in there. We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Oak Brook Center. Grandma gave the kids some spending money for the mall. Flower bought a stuffed animal and some glasses, Mini-me bought scented nail polish, and Patch bought a Dora doll.

Come back tomorrow to see pictures of Notre Dame and putt-putt golfing!

Road Trippin'

We left Saturday morning for our Summer road trip. Our first stop was South Bend, IN, home of Notre Dame University. We were a mere two hours from my Grandparents and my Aunt and Uncle, so Sunday was spent with them. The only drawback to our trip was that the house in South Bend did not have internet access. As one who is used to checking email several times a day, this was a hardship indeed. I have a new appreciation for the Pioneers.

We are now in Lake Geneva, WI. We have internet access in our rooms, which already makes this the best place ever. Mini-me is not feeling too great. She had a slight fever and was up most of the night coughing. I was up with her. Then Patch woke up way too early. So today, we are laying low. I have been catching up with my internet friends while Mini-me watches movies and drinks juice. Curly took Patch and Flower to the indoor water park. Between that and the internet, Wisconsin is pretty much heaven on earth!

I'm Just Wild About Harry

Last night, we pretended to be young and carefree and went to the Harry Potter midnight movie. I have been looking forward to this movie for so long, I didn't want anyone to tell me about it before I saw it. Lauren and I arrived at about 10 and quickly found our line. It was showing in 15 out of 16 theaters, and was completely sold out. Our plan was to save a place in line, and then our husbands would join us after Lauren's babysitter arrived and Curly got off work. Imagine our blissed-out joy when our theater was the first to be seated at 10:12. During our next 2 hour wait,I got to use the term "Dumbledork" a few times. Pretending to be young is very fun.

Here we are in the theater. It was late, and I can't remember if Lauren said to post this, or not to post it. So, I'm posting it because I look cute. And tan.

Finally the men arrived. We were just about the oldest people in the theater, and definitely the only ones who had to get sitters. I don't look as cute in this one, but Lauren looks adorable. Her husband has freaky red eyes.

On the way home, our friend Colleen (who was in theater 11), sent us a text message saying: "Dumbledore dies?!?! Totally didn't see that coming." It was very funny.

2 Down...

10 to go!

Photo Friday

Baby Quilt

I made this quilt for my friend Starr. She just had her 5th girl. Of course, I chose ultra-girly fabric and made star blocks.

Holiday Hangover

We are all in a bit of a hangover state today. So tired, and not feeling quite our best. But man, what a 4th!

It started with breakfast at the Olson Ranch.

Curly showed up in costume. This year, he was Benjamin Franklin.

The M. Lee's came up for a delicious lunch (if I do say it myself).

PT and Marianne were a little nervous at our house. Why? One word: Gracie.

We then walked to Baker Park, and rode ponies.

We also went in Moon Bounces and climbed up inflatable structures.

Dinner was at the Country O'Kigin's house. It was also delicious.

For dessert, Flag Cake.

Photo Friday

Big Oops, All the Time

I make a lot of mistakes when I'm pregnant. From typos to tripping, I just cannot help myself. I blame the baby. This morning, I thought muffins would be tasty. I had a mix that I got at the store which calls for just 1/2 a cup of milk. Silly me put in 1 1/2 cups. Oops. That doesn't work, and it's a mistake that just needs to be thrown away. Remember my hurt finger? Yeah, I was pregnant then, only I didn't know it. My ankle? Pregnant! Forgetting to wash Patch's clothes last night so he's wearing dirty clothes today? All together now in a sing-songy voice: Preg-nant! The next few months better go fast. I'm getting really tired of all the mistakes!

We are just a few short weeks from our fabulous mid-west getaway. I like to have a little needlework to take with me on the road, even though I rarely get the chance to pull it out. This year, I am taking my block of the month I've been working on. It's called Be Attitudes, and is really fun. I have all 12 blocks sewn together, and I have fused the applique to 2 of them. My machine does not do a blanket stitch, so I am stitching them by hand. It is fun and relaxing, but also very time consuming. My friend and I were supposed to be done with them by September, but that's just not going to happen for me. Maybe by October :)

Perfect Shopping Trip

In the midst of some lovely morning sickness (that has lasted all day), I took the kids to the grocery store after lunch. Mini-me and Patch had been fighting most of the morning. I needed some relief, and leaving Mini-me in the in store babysitting seemed to fit the bill. Patch was chatting the whole way there. When I pulled into the parking spot, I turned around to see a sleeping Patch. Nothing could wake him. I carried him into the store, got a cart, checked Mini-me in at the Eagle's Nest, and then made my way to the back of the store to meet Curly. He handed me a fountain Coke (for my tummy), and I handed him a sleeping boy. He slept in Curly's arms for the entire length of my trip, waking up as I was checking out. While I'm sure it was less than ideal for Curly to have a slumbering toddler as he tried to work, it made my trip delightful. I only forgot one thing!

Photo Friday

I have worn him out.

Swimming

Growing up, my mom would take us to the Dunn Loring Swim Club. We arrived in the morning for swimming lessons, and stayed all day long. There was a fabulous snack bar which had candies galore and nachos. Twice a week they had Raft Day, where the life guards handed out inner tubes. Sometimes I got in line early enough to get one, but not always. I loved going to the pool. I was brown from June-September. My toes were always scraped from the pool floor. I could swim like a fish, or a maybe even a mermaid. One of my proudest moments was earning my "patch," which I could pin on my swimsuit and announce to the world that I passed a strenuous life guard test and could jump off the diving board.

These happy summer memories are the main reason I get a family pass to our city pools every summer. (Would you believe that our city website does not have pictures of its pools? Sad, but true.) It's not as fancy as Dunn Loring, and the snack bars don't have those delicious nachos, but it is hours of fun every day. I try not to be as brown as I was growing up, but it's impossible not to tan when you're in the sun for 4 or 5 hours. My kids toes have scrapes, and they are turning into great little swimmers. Patch especially is fearless and really doesn't want me to hold onto him anymore. Sadly, his wish is not granted, because he sinks like a stone. I get why my mom would take us every day; it's fun, it's exercise, and it's not wasting a day away inside in front of the TV.

Sights of Summer

Homemade blueberry pie.

Whoops

Last night, I sprained my left ankle and have a possible fracture on my big right tow. I am a mess. My mom came to the rescue. Hooray for moms!

While Curly is pretending to be a cat this afternoon, I thought I would take a moment to elucidate on some of his finer qualities.

First of all, Curly is the best dad. I know some people think their spouses are, but I think if we were to have some sort of contest, we all know who would win. There is a reason the kids are so excited when he comes home and cries when he leaves. And, no, it's not because I'm mean. He's just that awesome.

Secondly, Curly is really good at his jobs. He really likes working with people, and being a customer service manager is right up his alley. He is also a fabulous actor, and he loves interacting with audiences at the dinner theater.

And now he's walking in the door! Complete with makeup. You have to love a man who can drive home with a face full of makeup. At least, I love a man who drives home with a face full of makeup!

My Dad

This is my Dad. I have no pictures of him without kids surrounding him. This one was taken Halloween '07.

Growing up, Dad had a mug. It was huge, glass, and had "Bet You Can't" written in big red letters on the side. On Saturday mornings when he was out doing heavy labor in the yard, we used to love taking him water in the mug to see if he could. It wasn't until about a week ago that I realized the challenge wasn't for water drinkers, but for drinkers of the harder stuff. I remember a lot of yard work Saturdays. Dad loves to beautify his spaces, in and out. He has a beautiful yard and a beautiful home as well. He's got an eye for those things.

Growing up, I'm not sure he knew quite what to do with us. It wasn't until we hit teen years that we began to all have a good time. That's when we all discovered his college passion: Skiing. When I was in college, I took a ski class just so I could keep up with him a little better. The other thing he's really good at is working out. Right after I graduated from college, moved home, and started my first job, we joined a gym together. Every morning at 6am, we drove to Evolution Fitness together. From this I learned that most of life's problems can be solved or lessened through exercise.

My dad had a lot of busy callings while I was growing up. He was at church meetings several nights a week, and most Sundays, too. He taught me that if you serve the Lord as He has asked, your family will be taken care of.

Thanks, Dad, for all you have done for me. I couldn't, and wouldn't, ask for a better one.

Photo Friday

This is Patch, the best party-goer you could ask for. He is available, for a small fee, to come to your party and have the best time out of anyone.

Half Birthday

Today we partied it up in celebration of Mini-me's half birthday.

We had a huge downpour of rain, even though weather.com assured me that the rain was done by 9 am.

We made half pizzas, otherwise known as English Muffin Pizzas.

We drank half cans of soda.

We played fun party games, like musical chairs,

and hot potato.

We also ate half birthday cake, which, I must confess, was my most clever idea.

I will show Mini-me these pictures in December, when she asks for a whole birthday party. The answer will be "no."

Summer is Officially Begun

I cried today as we walked Mini-me to her last day of school. She was super-excited, but I was a little nervous as I thought that in just 2 months she'll be starting her first day of all day Kindergarten. It was too much for my pregnant hormones to handle.

I have been reading Pride and Prejudice again. This book is about as good as it gets. I checked Sense and Sensibility out of the library. I have never read this one, but have seen a lot of the movie adaptations. These are not quite "beach reads," but since I'll not be stepping foot on a beach this summer, it's okay. What is nice is that Mini-me and Ro include Patch in their playing, so I have time to read.

We spent a little over an hour at the park today after picking Mini-me up from school. The clouds have moved in and the temp is in the 70s, which made it a comfortable outing. We would have stayed longer, but tummies were rumbling and it was time for a potty break. Hopefully the sun will peak through for our pool visit later this afternoon, but if not, we'll just stay for a short time.

Love/Hate Relationships

I love my internet, and hate when it's not working. I went on an internet fast for a week. It was imposed on me by Verizon. Our awesome neighbors are letting us use their internet feed until we get ours figured out. All I know is, it probably won't include Verizon.

I wish I could say that I got a lot done while my internet was down, but that's not so much the case. I am still waiting to be done being sick. It takes awhile.

Patch has a new favorite word. It's "awesome." We go to the pool, and he says, "Oh, awesome." I give him a fruit snack package, and he says, "Oh, awesome." He is also without his binky. The Binky Fairy brought him a new car as a reward for one week without a bink. That's awesome.

Mini-me is almost done with school. Tomorrow is her last day. She will miss it. I will miss it. Her friend will be with us for the summer, and they are as thick and thieves.

Flower is enjoying the summer dance between two houses. When she comes back on Wednesday, the pool will finally be open full time.

Baby is also fine. We heard the heartbeat again this morning. It sounds good and strong.

Dirty Clothes

The campers returned with 2 bags of dirty clothes. I started a load today and was glad I didn't put it off until tomorrow! They stank. They are wet and filthy dirty. And they smell really bad. They all had a really good time. Patch loved sleeping in the tent.

Flower drew a map of Aunt Becky's land, called Streamy Hollow. It is not to scale.

It rained and rained. And then it rained some more. Aunt Becky bought ponchos for everyone. They saved the day.

When the sun finally came out, so did the butterflies. Mini-me spotted the elusive and rare Blue Morfall Butterfly. They only exist in Streamy Hollow and live near the magic stump.

Now That My Room is Clean...

I really would like this chair. Orange is my favorite color, and my room has a lot of green and orange in it. It sounds like Ireland threw up in it, but it is actually quite modern. And not overtly Irish.

Now I am going to take a shower and go get some Chipotle.

I'm All Alone, All By Myself

At 11:30 this morning, I kissed the kids and hubby goodbye and sent them camping. I am alone. Blissfully alone! I have huge plans. I am tackling some organization projects that have needed to be done for quite some time. I am going to Chipotle for dinner as a reward for that tonight. I have book group tomorrow. I have 2 quilt tops to be quilted and bound. See? Big plans!

In other news, The Ex has a little foster baby at her house. He was born with drugs in his system and has had a tough life so far. His mother has several other children, and has no custody of any of them. Today, the case of the little boy is in court. They could decide to terminate parental rights and make him adoptable, or they could take him and put him in a different foster home, since his mother is from a different county. If you could say a little prayer for this little guy, it would be greatly appreciated.

Anyway, it is now time to stop wasting time and to start "Operation Organization." Have a great rainy Thursday!

Thunderstorms

Tonight there is a chance of massive thunderstorms. The wind has picked up and the leaves are inside out. I can't help but think we're in for a big one. Last night at about 12:15, the skies opened and we were treated to a long and loud storm. The lightning was very bright and very close together. Even the cat was freaked by it. The wind blew like crazy and the gutters overflowed onto the sidewalk. It was, in a word, nuts. A smaller storm came through about an hour later. I am not a fan.

Patch has been very needy lately. He wants to sit on my lap every time I sit down, or be carried anytime we go anywhere. It's fine for now, but soon there won't be much lap and he'll be to heavy to safely carry. While he sat on my lap this morning, I told him there was a baby in my tummy. He said: "A baby? Cool." Then he tried to see it. Rookie mistake.

I have read a lot of books in the past week. Since the new Harry Potter movie will be out in about a month, I decided to read The Half-Blood Prince again. Then I read the seventh book; The Deathly Hallows. I wanted to continue with my escapism, so I read Twilight, followed by the other 3 books in the series. Each of these six books took me less than a day. Then I read by book club book, The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton. It was fabulous. Now I making my way through My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman. When I am not feeling well, I love to escape in a good book. The first 6 of the past week helped me escape without thinking much, which was sorely needed. My book group book got me thinking about who I am as a mother and the things I do for myself. My current book is witty and insightful. I would not be making it through 1st Trimester sickness without being able to go into another world for even a short time.

Last May Finish

Well, I only got 2 things finished in May, and none of them Halloween. Boo. This is the second of the two cowboy quilts for my parents Sun Valley retreat.

I went up to our attic room to take the picture. It has great light. It also has a great old door that has not been hung. We are pretty sure it used to be the door to the girl's closet, but it could be the door to the kitchen. Both spaces have hardware for a door, but are empty.

I love the pony print. It makes me want to go out and rope and ride broncos.