The Ride Home

On the ride home we decided to stop at Mount Rushmore. That way we can check it off our to do list. Except we got there before it opened so we couldn't go into the museum. So if all you do is stare at it, does it count? The kids got to run around after all night in the car driving.

Spring Break - Marathon!!

Spring Break is probably one of the cruelest school vacations ever. It is way too short and just an exercise in staying motivated. We spent our scanty 7 days (stretched to 10) visiting family.
We left Milwaukee around 8pm on Saturday the 7 .
This was after Jason had spent the day facing his grueling CRDTS Exam (which he passed with flying colors - I think his low score was a 96 - smart and talented men are sexy!!).
We then drove straight through to Idaho, no breakfast, no lunch, no dinner, only potty breaks. We got there about 10pm on Sunday the 8. The kids were so great and easy in the car.


Jason spent the next few days finishing the Damascus Steel Knife I had given him for Christmas. We hung out and made memories. For my Brother-in-Laws' birthday dinner my mom fixed Romanian food - which was yummy. For Jason's birthday dinner we tried our hand at Sushi - really California Rolls. I thought the rice turned out a little too sweet.





After a few days we headed to Utah to visit the Geary's. We celebrated Jason's Birthday again (spoiled much?!?). We hung out, Jenny and Stacey helped entertain the kids - yeah for nieces.

This is a picture of Grahm just before dinner was served. When you are starving and waiting what else would you do?





After we had worn out our welcome we jumped back in the car and headed to Idaho - cuz' I always forget something. Pillows are very important (and I ended up forgetting my sweatshirt in Utah, too.). After eating dinner in Idaho we really headed home.

The Kitchen finished!

 

Milwaukee Renovation Revisted!!

I thought I would spend the next few posts - showing how far we have come. This is the kitchen. These pictures were taken during the home inspection (so the stuff is not mine!!!)

If You Really Want To Get Freaked Out, Open These Up and Zoom In!!!


You will see grease on the walls, massive spider webs a half century old and caked with grease covering the walls and corner, Cockroach poop and if you are really lucky you might even see a cockroach.
















In case you where wondering. Once we realized our new home was Roach infested and covered with roach poop, I decided I could not use that kitchen - no matter how hard I scrubbed. So I politely and ever so gently asked Jason if we could please just throw it all away.
Next time see what it looks like now!!

Milwaukee Renovation Revisited!!

We officially listed the house last night or this morning (I know bad timing with the economy). We now have a sign out front. Jason graduates in May and will be active duty in the Navy again. We still can not believe it has been 4 years. We have loved this house and I wanted to share how far we have come.

We purchased this house in May of 2005. In 2005 Grahm was 6 months old, Jayce was 3, Jason had just finished 2 years of service in the Navy in Great Lakes, IL. I was enjoying the extreme weight loss thanks to breastfeeding. Jason and I had less wrinkles, less grey hair (in Jason's case - maybe a few more), and a few less aches and pains.

Here is the house in April of 2005!














Here is part way through - small improvement. May of 2006!!



















Here is what the house looks like now, October 2008!! Wowee - super cute!!



















If you think that is impressive, you should see the backyard!! This is actually during the major part of renovation. We were playing hillbilly at this time. These pictures are from June of 2005. We had no kitchen (not even a kitchen sink), no bathroom (there was a laundry sink and a toilet in the basement - not a favorite place of mine), and no laundry facilities (Jason had not hooked up the water heater yet). This is also before we ordered the dumpster for all the yucky crap we were hauling out.















So a quick recap of what happened to the exterior of the house in the past 4 years!!

Took off plastic porch cover, new roof, poured concrete (mixed one bag at time - very dry- by me) along the south side of the house and driveway, sided the garage to match (it was brown), retaining wall, fence, garden fence, raspberry plants, privacy bushes, repainted some of the exterior trim, painted porch and basement, yanked out overgrown bushes in front, laid sod, planted perennials, swing set... More pictures to come of the backyard all done.

Cutest Pictures of Charlotte!!!

My friend Shalet took some beautiful pictures of Charlotte for her 1 year old pictures, you gotta document it. Go here to check them out. Here is a sneak peak.

Now to pick!! What to print, what to do, what to do?

My Neurosis

Okay, I have lots of hang-ups or whatever you want to call them. One that I was recently exploring is my need for attention. I personally do not like to have the focus on me. I don't tell people I am pregnant because I hate the attention. I don't change my hair very often for fear of everyone feeling the need to comment on my choice. That is why my hair is very long at the moment due to four years of fear.

One time during college I was away for 6 weeks at Geology Field Camp and my Birthday was during that time. We celebrated someones birthday while we there, this meant yummy cake - but I begged them to ignore mine. Thank goodness that they did.

Perhaps I don't like the attention because then someone will realize what a boring complete idiot I am. I do like to have attention for things that I have done. I had to get the best grade in the class (not always possible). I like to be the best at something and sometimes I would not try new things for fear of not being immediately great at it. So, I missed out on lots of things for fear of looking retarded.

Now that I am a mother and of course there is nothing more humbling than being a mother. I fill my need for attention by getting that attention for my kids. I love to sew Charlotte great clothes (I really love it when my Mom does) because she is then twice the show stopper (she has big blue eyes and curls). I loved getting stopped when Jayce was a baby, everyone loved the big blue eyes and the red hair and they still do. Everyone loved Grahm's big blue eyes and his snow white hair (my little Palomino) and now his fauxhawk.

I can only figure that my need for attention (and I love to make my kiddos happy) would cause me to do this to Grahm's hair right before we go to the mall. Attention Here We Come.

He got lots of looks, comments and giggles!!

Bucks Vs Bulls

We got to go see the Bucks play the Bulls at the Bradley Center. We went with Jayce's Basketball Team. It was lots of fun, we were in the nose bleed section - but the kids loved it. We need to do this kind of stuff more often.

The Side Lines!!!

I think blogging is great and I have become friends (the quiet, they don't even know I exist kind) with other bloggers out there. I have found that I have a list, a very short list of blogs I check daily and others more randomly.
Today I realized that I have not been blogging about my own life, but sitting on the side lines and reading about other peoples lives. Living through them.
When did that happen?

Valentines Day!!

Yay for Date Night!!! Last night as we drove to the restaurant Umami Moto (Yummy) and big fluffy snowflakes drifted down, I thought how perfect. Why does snow feel romantic? Is it because we are cold and have to seek body heat, or that it hushes all the craziness?
We enjoyed dinner - crab and avocado spring rolls, I had Salmon, and Jason had Beef and Rapinni.
Then we made a dash to the mall to look for spring argyle socks for the boys (so hard to find).
We then drove slowly back to waiting children, after Charlotte was convinced that I was sticking around Jason and I challenged eachother to Mario Kart (so romantic) and exchanged gifts.
It was a good Day.