Halee's Trip

Halee is staying with us this weekend. It's the end of the summer and we were pretty lucky she was able to fit us into her schedule. She is one busy girl with camps, practices, Y Ball, Sho-Me Games, and whatever else she has going on. So, we were glad to have her stay before school starts back.

Anyway, tonight we went to the Yard House at the Legends and ate dinner. I've been there a million times but I'm always fascinated with the sheer volume of beer they have on tap there. I think she was pretty surprised too. She kept naming them off and the good thing was she couldn't pronounce most of them.....

Here are the girls at dinner. After we left there we went to Dave & Buster's. It was a ton of fun. Both Halee and Dustin are pretty competitive so they battled it out at most games. I think they both won about equally. Just don't ask who won at skee ball, I don't think either of them were happy to get beat by the cheerleader!

We really had a pretty good time there, I think Reese enjoyed watching everything going on too. We decided to finally have a little flexibility with her bedtime and she did great. I think all the lights and noise kept her pretty entertained.
So, the first night of Halee's trip here was a success. We'll see what tomorrow brings, but hopefully we have as much fun as we did tonight!

Reese Crawling

The journey begins with a single step. We are so excited to get her very first forward movements on tape!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Not for the Faint of Heart

I am going to give you the disclaimer from the very beginning. Do not read this if you are the least bit squeamish. But if you think you can handle it, keep reading, it's really pretty funny.

Tonight was Reese's first time taking a bath in the big tub at our house. We've been doing the little baby tub for a little longer than we probably should have and tonight we decided it was time to bite the bullet and just stick her in the tub. She loved it! She rolled on to her belly and "swam" around like a fish in water. It was cute to watch because she enjoyed it so much and since I could control the depth and stuff she was able to really play around in the water.

But then her face started getting red and I had the distinct impression she was bearing down(I'm sure you can imagine where this is going). And all of a sudden a little surprise joined us in the bathtub. I could hardly believe my eyes when it happened. I don't know why it suprised me so much, I know kids poop in their bathtub all the time, but I just didn't expect it to happen the first time she was in the tub. Possibly it was the relaxed atmosphere of swimming around on her tummy, perhaps she just had to go. We'll never know for sure but it sure was funny.

Luckily she was done so we just immediately picked her up, rinsed her off really well and called it good. I never drain the tub until after she's dressed (I don't want to be distracted while she's wet and slippery) so as I was cleaning her up, Dustin came in and said; "How do you plan on cleaning this little problem up?" Guess he was counting on me to do the dirty work!!! I'm sure she will appreciate this story when she is about 15 but every kid has a story they'd like to forget!

Wordless Wednesday

Putting up Corn

After our trip to the Farmer's Market yesterday, we ended up with a bunch of corn (3 dozen) that needed shucked, cleaned, cut and cooked.

Early this morning we sat outside and shucked and flicked at silk worms and peeled silk off ear after ear of corn. Our little helper, looking cute as always, helped us by playing nicely on her blanket and watching the squirrels run up the tree.

Then we cleaned it and cut it all up. This is really the hardest step because it takes forever and it's hard to get down as far as possible while not sending it flying all over the kitchen. I've heard of using a bundt pan and putting the ear in the middle of the hole and cutting it. Maybe if I were a little taller and I could get on top of it it would work better for me. But I used a dip serving dish and it worked out pretty well. Here is all of the corn, seems like sooooo much, yet my grandparents used to do about 5 times this much. I can't even fathom it!

Once it's all cut up, it goes in a pot with some salt, sugar, and butter. I cook it for 5 minutes and then scoop it into snack size ziplock bags. (my grandma says you can ONLY use ziplock and who am I to defy 50 years of practice?) It makes about 10 portions that are just right for us and we'll be able to eat on it all winter. The rule is frozen corn isn't to be eaten until the first snow falls, but that is easier said than done.

And now we have lots and lots of yummy summer-fresh corn for the whole winter. And we might have a little for dinner tonight, there is nothing better than when it is still warm from being cooked fresh, yum!

Farmer's Market

It is hot out there, I'm talking H-O-T hot. I mean sweaty before breakfast hot. But yet, we are off on an adventure to the Farmer's Market this morning. For one thing, I need to get out of this house and go farther than the library. For another, the corn is good and ready to be "put up" and since I don't have my own personal farmer to deliver it to me I'd like to go to the farmer. And no matter how hot it is, the Farmer's Market is pretty cool. I love all the fun stuff going on down there and it makes me want to buy stuff I normally wouldn't; like purple peppers. I don't know what I'll be buying today, other than corn, but I do know that it should be a fun morning and I'll be out of this house for a couple of hours at least.

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We had a great trip downtown. We got a GREAT parking spot and really enjoyed walking around. Since we didn't go at the crack of dawn it was a little slower but still very crowded. I didn't mind so much though, Reese got a lot of smiles and lots of little kids came up and said hello. We bought some corn that was so big that I had to carry Reese in my arms and put the corn in the stroller. That is the LAST time I go alone because I am sore now, but lesson learned.... The live street music was great too. Here are a few pictures of our adventure. It was amazing to me to see all the beautiful vegetables and the people working their booths. Hot or not, I was glad we went.

These pictures are from my phone, hence the quality; but since I wanted to show what a fun morning we had I made it work.

Clap, Clap, Clap!

Reese has learned a new trick! I think it is so cute because it was completely unexpected. I didn't think clapping came for a while yet so I wasn't looking for it. One day I looked over and clapped with her and then thought, "Oh, that's new! Good for you, Girl!" Anyway, we've been doing wrestling cheers and playing Pat-A-Cake ever since. And since I am a crazy first time mom I thought I better share our new revelation!

Wordless Wednesday

Missing my Baby

Reese embarked on her first overnight stay this week. She stayed at Aunt Marsha's Sunday and Monday night and we are going to go pick her up here in a little while. To say that I have missed her would be an understatement. I woke up in the night thinking I could hear her kick her legs or I'd wonder at 4:30 if she was going to wake up soon. During times of the day when we usually eat or work on a nap I would feel a little nudge reminding me that I usually have something to do right now. It was pretty weird.

Now that isn't to say I didn't make the most of my time without her. I did a heck of a lot of sleeping, that's for sure. I haven't slept like that in months and I needed it. And I went to the pool taking only myself and a towel. That was double weird, I usually pack so much stuff I need a suitcase to hold it all so I felt extra light. We went out and had a few beers last night and I thought it was crazy that we could've left at 3:00 am since we didn't have to get up with a kiddo this morning.

But overall, I am very ready to get the call that it's time to meet this morning. I am excited to see her beautiful smile. I can't wait to give her a big hug and a kiss and if her dad even thinks about beating me to her he will fully understand the wrath of me! A break was great but having my baby home with me is soooo much better!

Alumni Weekend

This weekend was the first ever Brookfield High School Alumni weekend. It was also the hottest weekend I can remember for awhile. Hot, you know stick your head in the oven and turn it up to "Hell" hot. But that didn't stop us.

Friday we went uptown to the park. Yes, we say things like "Let's go uptown" or "I guess we can drag Main for a couple of minutes before we go" or my personal small town favorite; "Do you want to go to the show tonight?" Anyway, we went uptown to the park where there were beer and wine tents set up. There were TONS of people there, despite the heat, ready to listen to the bands that came out of BHS.

We heard a couple of bands, but I have to say, my favorite was Takedown. They are some friends of ours and we were very excited to watch them play. They were so great, I just can't say enough about how fun they were. We jumped up and down and screamed like teenagers.

We were able to see tons of friends who we don't get to see very often. We stood and talked and played with people's kids. There were some little boys in the park with air guitars that I took about a bajillion pictures of, but didn't think it was all that ethical to post them.

We really enjoyed seeing everyone and mostly just having a babysitter and getting out of the house. I would say that the first alumni weekend was quite a success, although hopefully next year my hair won't be wet for 2 days due to humidity and I'll be able to take my daughter to the park so she can hear the legacy that is Takedown.

On another note, Reese is staying at her Aunt Marsha's for a couple of days for her first overnight stay. I slept for over 12 hours last night. I am sure that by tonight I may be a crying blubbery mess but I think it was good that we waited for so long because I can REALLY appreciate having some time to myself.

My Favorite Book

Summer time is my gift of reading. I have very few cares in the world so I don't mind spending ridiculous amounts of time with my nose in a book. I take naps and I sit at the pool sipping Diet Pepsi and eating frozen grapes. That is, until I had a baby.... This summer on the other hand I have sat down maybe 5 times. And that, does not make life all that conducive to reading.

But there is one book that has my heart. One book that makes me laugh and cry and think. I can't get it off my mind and I feel like there is a hook behind my naval that pulls me through time and space to become a character of the story. I read it every summer. I can't actually remember a time when I didn't read it. And oddly enough, after 5 times of reading it, I still hear learn something each time I read it.

So as far as fiction goes, the best book(s) I've ever read is none other than Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I love it, I love her, I love Harry, Ron and Hermione. I love Dumbledore and the quest for love over darkness. I love getting all geeked out about the movies and the book premiere. I wish I could do it all over again so I could get up at midnight and go to Barnes and Noble with the rest of the crazies and buy the books and stay up all night reading them. But, I also love that I don't have to wait to find out what happens anymore too.

This summer though, like I said before, I scarcely have time to crawl around on my hands and knees and find a pacifier. So, how? You might ask, does she have time to read a 700+ page book about witches and wizards? Well, I have discovered a little joy called a book on tape. It has been my saving grace this summer. I can't even begin to describe how much I love listening to the story of Harry's victory over Voldemort. I find myself getting so in to the story that I drive around so I can listen further (okay, and let Reese sleep longer, because I am not above getting my peace and quiet from a car ride).

Books on tape are very underrated. I always thought that I was unable to listen to someone read to me. But I love it. It's exciting and best of all there are no pages to turn or words to look away from when the baby starts fussing. It's perfect for me right now and I am so thankful for the time I have to read and play with my baby!

Wordless Wednesday

The Bottomless Suitcase

We've been running a lot lately. A LOT. Living out of a suitcase really isn't always that much fun. And if you are me, you usually forget something. Heck, a couple of weekends ago we forgot our entire suitcase and had to go to the store and buy clean underoos.

In the past two weeks we have been home (Brookfield/Meadville), Columbia, back home, driven to our own home and then Brookfield/Meadville again this weekend. Seriously, it's a lot. Packing is a lot too. I pack so many of those little cups of baby food.... And let's just talk about phone chargers, baby sleep conditioning CDs, toys, books, swim suits, sunscreen, spoons, sippy cups, and bottle cleaning brushes. Who thinks about these things? Not me either.

Right now and I am thinking about trying to get my girl back into a semi-routine, knowing that we are just going to hit the road again on Friday, I am trying not to lose it thinking about the fact that my phone -with one bar left- is here and my charger is there. I am trying not to think about the fact that there are 5 days between now and Sunday but only 4 pairs of PJs for Reese, equaling another load of laundry. I am trying not to think about which toys have not overstayed their welcome in the rotation or of the massive amounts of baby food I'm going to have to get just to throw in the gigantic basket of random stuff Reese needs. And I am seriously not even going to go to that place in my mind that says, "what are you going to wear to this alumni weekend to cover up your baby weight that you still need to lose?"

Time to Say Goodbye

Today we are taking Maggie home, just as soon as I get off the computer and get all these people packed up. And I can say that I'm sad to see her go. As much work as it's been to have 2 kiddos it's also so much fun having her here. She is so excited about everything and always has a smile on her face. There is no doubt she loves her cousin and she could spend hours trying to cuddle and entertain her. We really had a great time.

But, it is back home today for her and we will wish for another time together when we can go on fun adventures. Maybe she'll come spend the day Christmas shopping again. I just hope we can do it sooner rather than later. She's a great kid and I love soaking up all my time with her.

So, Mags, I hope you had fun, because we sure did. And boy, are we all going to miss you!

Day 2: The Zoo

Today's festivities included making homemade pizza and heading to the zoo. And I'll be the first to tell you that the homemade pizza was the highlight of the day.

I feel like I could write an editorial for the newspaper citing all the ways the Kansas City Zoo is lacking. It was unbelievably heartbreaking to me what a letdown it really was. Upon walking in there are plants and buildings, a carousel, the birds, all kinds of things and then, that's it. I'm serious. It is a humongous walking trail with a wild animal here and there. At one point Maggie just looked at me and said, "well I guess at least we got some exercise."

Part of the reason I wanted to take her to the zoo is for the magic of seeing real, up close and personal animals. I wanted her eyes to light up and for her to smile and point and gasp. Maybe that would've happened, maybe it wouldn't have but to be honest there were never any moments of wonder or awe. It was boring and we barely saw a few snakes and a gorilla. Every time we passed a fan blowing water though, she squealed with delight and ran up to it. That was sad to me, that a wet fan could spark such enthusiasm at a zoo.

We got some great pictures, a little sun, and some good exercise. And maybe we learned a little lesson about paying for second rate attraction when there are two great ones (St. Louis, Omaha) a short enough distance away that we should've just saved up and used our fare for gas money.

Overall it was a good day, even if the zoo wasn't all that exciting. We stayed in our jammies until lunch time and we had some great pizza. We got to get ice cream and play with the cute baby (if I do say so myself). We enjoyed each other's company, played some Wii and had a nice dinner together. I just wish we would've gone to the dinosaur thing at Union Station; they had air conditioning!

Notice the elephants in the background? Yeah, that's as much as we saw too.

Here's Maggie at the end of the day. It was hot and we did a lot of walking. Can you tell?

Day 1: Clifford, Pool, Sleepover

Today started off great! Maggie and her friend, Dustin, Reese and I headed down to Crown Center to the Clifford Exhibit at Crown Center. Mostly it is just a Clifford-themed playground, but it was tons of fun. They climbed and played and posed for pictures. They colored pictures and "mailed" letters. Then we ate lunch at Fritz's, the train depot in Crown Center that delivers food by train to your table. We giggled and gabbed. Dustin just loved it! He he he....

Here's Mags being a goofball on top of Clifford's back.

And here she is in her cute conductor hat. I excluded her friend because I forgot to ask permission before blogging so I just thought better to be safe than sorry.

After lunch the girls went to the pool. We splashed and played but Baby Reese just couldn't hang for long so Maggie stayed and Reese and I headed home for nap time. When Reese woke up, I went to get Maggie and her friend for a sleepover at our house. So far tonight we've had a high heel fashion show, Wii play time, watched movies and had popcorn and now we are patiently waiting for the ice cream man to show up. Hopefully he will be here soon.

So, until tomorrow, when our next adventure begins...good night, I'm exhausted!

Weekend with Maggie

Today is the first day of our weekend with Maggie! We are all super-excited to have her stay with us because we always have a great time. In years past, we have gone to the Gladstone Community Center's inside pool, we have been to Kaleidescope, Legoland, the Wizard of Oz Exhibit, Air Zone, The Crayola Cafe, Fritz's Train Station, and tons of other places. We have fun pictures we've made and taken and we have millions of fun memories that I know we won't soon forget.

So, you can imagine why we are so excited for our weekend together. This weekend we are hoping to go to the zoo, see the Clifford Exhibit at Crown Center, and to hit the pool. Plus maybe get in a little hanging out time with the baby! She just got here and already we are planning out our schedule. First on the long list of events is to write this blog. Maggie is a beautiful writer who loves to send letters and write special stories for the people she loves. This is right up her alley! She even wrote a note today, but she forgot to bring it. I can just imagine the next generation of J.K. Rowling right here in my living room.

As we go through our weekend, we won't forget to post pictures and share our stories, so tune in next time to hear all about Emily Elizabeth and her Big, Red Dog! Love, Maggie and Lindsay

Wordless Wednesday

Nephew!

Yesterday I became the proud aunt to Deakan William Delaney. He was born around 9:30 last night and weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces and was 20 inches long! Wow, he was long, and has long fingers and toes. They look so cute curled around a finger! He looks very much like his daddy and is such a cutie I could just squeeze him for hours.

Lulu and Jason are doing great, hanging out with little Deakan until Friday when they will be able to go home and the real fun begins!

We are so very excited to have him join our family and look forward to lots of cousin wrestling sessions and rolls in the mud. And secretly I'm going to teach him how to cuss, but don't tell his Mama!

Welcome Deakan, we are so glad you are here!!

The Need to Babyproof

While crawling approaches, Mommy's fears begin to develop. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves....

The Big Girl Car Seat

Yesterday we installed our rear facing big girl car seat! Reese had been getting pretty heavy in the infant carrier and my back muscles couldn't hardly take it anymore. I had a lot of trepidation about the new one. First of all, Reese loves to sleep in the car, so I was worried about getting her out in the middle of one of her good naps. I also was worried about what we were going to do with her when we got to a store. She still seems so little to throw in the front basket and call it good.

But today we tried it out. She fell asleep but stayed asleep on Daddy's shoulder when she got home. And when we got to Wal-Mart, she banged around in the front a little, and I had to pick her up and hold her a couple of times when she got a little unstable. But for the most part it went really well. She was so excited to look out the window and to be able to look around at the store. It was fun but it's going to take some getting used to by Mom. I can't help but feel this is the first step out of babyhood and that makes me feel so sad.