Saturday, August 29, 2009

Team Caleb



A dear sweet little man, named Caleb, is in the Sunday school class I teach. I can't tell you how much this little boy amazes me. He is just the cutest thing...can you tell I'm a little sweet on him?

He has autism. I can't imagine how difficult is raising an autistic child. The outbursts, difficulty is learning, understanding and all of those little everyday things many of us take for granted.

Caleb's mom is a friend of mine- she's also known as super crafter blogger mom, Christy. She was in charge of recruiting volunteers for Autism Walk at Haymarket Park. Heck ya- sign me up!

John, the girls and I spent the day helping out with the event. It was so much fun! The twins and John helped with tattoos and I helped with face painting. The weather was perfect...the proof can be seen on our rosy cheeks.

As a family, we are working on serving others. John and I both strongly feel that children need to learn to serve other selflessly- not hoping for anything in return. That love and charity will make a world of difference as the next generation grows and takes charge.

I have to admit, though...I was repaid in full for my volunteering today. It was about time for us to leave, when I hear "Sister Kelly! Sister Kelly! Sister Kelly!" being yelled from a beaming Mr. Caleb as he ran towards our station. He was so excited and I was excited for him. He let me give him a squeeze and we tried out the obstacle course in the station next door. And the bubbles....I definitely know what to get that guy for Christmas!

Here are some pix from the superb day!







































Sorry for the butt-shot, Carl! :)

Ode to my sore back

There was a crooked old lady (actually I'm only 29....but feel much older)
who lived in a crooked old house.

Who wished the pain would go away
more than anything else.
(even more than all the chocolate cheesecakes in the world)

It has me feeling like a big fat whale
and it wouldn't surprise me at all
if I was passed by snail
(I move so slow that an old lady with a walker passed me at the store)


slow and steady won the race
but who cares about that- Anyone have a back brace?
(or heard of a spinal transplant? anything along those lines...)

I moan and curse
as the pain gets worse
(I didn't know I knew so many bad words!)

A string of naughty words I mumble
As I stretch out in yoga poses- trying not to stumble
(and say a silent prayer that I don't get stuck on the floor)

I'm up to my ears in hot pads and ice packs
waiting for my dr to call with some medical facts
(mri done on Wed- just waiting on the results)

I've been wanting to write a new blog post
but the sitting position seems to hurt the most

So for all of you, I'm fighting the pain
me, the crooked little lady that lived down the lane
(well actually it just a street...but that didn't rhyme)


Monday, August 24, 2009

He's 2!




Our nephew turned two this last week...and we celebrated with him and the family last weekend. Remember this...amazing what a difference a year can make!


He's onto spoons...

and sharing!


Growing up so fast! Happy 2nd Birthday to our red headed charmer!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Remember these?


The girls and I were busy making book covers this morning. I can't believe I still know how to make those! Then again I had to cover my books from 7th grade on...what is that like 100 book covers or something?

It was fun teaching them how to make them. Although they do make these cheesy slip on bookcovers that are made out of plastic. They remind of those saran wrap stretchy lids you can buy that will fit any bowl- but not really and in color.

No no no. That just won't do. Old school brown grocery sack book covers are the WAY to go! There are so many benefits to going old school...

First of all - it keeps things uniform, organized and tidy. Texts books look great with their neatly labeled spines all line up. And you know me and organization...yep yep yep!

Secondly- easy access doodling space! You know when the teacher is going on and on and on about something- you can keep your hands busy by drawing little hearts with boys' initials in them...or some random pattern of shapes!

Thirdly- it gives you space to write down notes or important reminders. Post its can fall off and get lost- but if you write it down directly on the book...what are the chances of losing it then? nada

Also- its very durable! I never had to recover a book in the middle of the year! Those things last!

Oh and- its eco-friendly because your recycling/reusing!

And lastly- its cool! Its the way I did it, the way my mom did it and the way my grandkids will probably still be doing it!

I think the girls finally agreed just so I'd quit giving reasons for them to have paper over plastic. They did enjoy labeling the books with bubble letters. Although- I'm still not sure they are over the initial shock of me using grocery sacks to cover their books...they found it quite appalling! Especially when I forgot to flip the first one over and HYVEE was showing in big red letters across the front of the book. Kwynn immediately started shaking her head..."this isn't going to do, mom! I can't have a hyvee book!"

Such cute little middleschoolers!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

First day of school 2009

ITS HERE! ITS HERE!

As excited as I am for the first day of school...my mommy heart strings were tugged on this morning. My twinnies are off to middleschool. My baby is a first grader.


I woke up early this morning and made the girls a special breakfast... bear pancakes and hearts. Bear pancakes are a Kelly family tradition. Grandpa Kelly (John's gpa) would make them for the grandkids on special occasions- like Christmas morning. This morning felt deserving of such a special treat!

The girls all picked out their own outfits...weeks ago. Its cute to see their individual sense of style start to shine.


The twins were a little apprehensive this morning, but as soon as they saw some of their friends- they were off and running. Literally!


Pucca was nervous too. There are only 4 girls in her class of 20...and she's taller than all of them. She held onto my hand until the last possible second.



Can't wait to hear how the day went! Much love to my girls and their day of school!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

still counting down

22 hours 11 minutes and 53 seconds...oh now 51 seconds...48 seconds...

Sunday, August 16, 2009

mush


That is what my brain has turned into. mush. ooey gooey lumpy mush. These past 73 days of summery goodness with the girls -24/7- has turned me into a cranky moody zombie without a brain. How does that happen?

I love my kids. really. I do. (that may sound like it lacked enthusiasm, because- well it did. I do love them- I'm just too tired and annoyed to gush about them right now.)

My brain is fried. Today was not good- all the pent up frustration that has been building all summer long came out. I threatened to take them to their schools with their backpacks and let them camp out there until school starts- so start packing, ladies! Obviously school can't start soon enough for me! :)

Now that everyone is in their bedrooms and I've had a moment or two to reflect and calm down... I see that I may have over-reacted. Like I would really let them pack themselves...

Here's a little peek into just how fried I am and my super lovely hellish week:

  • This morning I made toast- peanutbutter toast made with 7 grain healthy bread. YUM! I usually get up earlier than everyone else on Sundays...eat breakfast and enjoy the quiet morning. This morning was especially enjoyable! Later in the day when I go to put away the bread and toaster- I notice the bread has mold on it. GREAT- my super yummy healthy breakfast that was so stinkin enjoyable- was contaminated with green fuzzy mildewish mold. UGHHHHH!

- I haven't died yet- and still have yet to feel ill. But if I die tonight- blame the damn moldy healthy bread!

  • For dinner I was making bruschetta, a super yummy concoction made of tomatoes, olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, grated garlic, balsamic vinegar and a dash of honey. Mixed together and served on crusty toasted bread and wet mozz- superbness! Anyway...I was making this and I must not have gotten all the garlic off of my hands- because later when I was helping the girls make dessert and I licked a bit of chocolate syrup off my finger...it tasted like chocolate garlic...and that's not a good taste. I gagged.

  • Not to mention that earlier in the week I got stranded...in the bathroom. No toilet paper...anywhere. I made the girls check and they came back with a papertowel. lovely. I checked in the hall closet and low and behold I found 12 rolls of soft cushiony goodness just waiting to be opened.


can you see why I might be at the end of my rope? Because I am...dangling by the bare threads with my fingertips!

Only 2 days 10 hours and 57 minutes! wooohooooo!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

My friend

One of my oldest friends, Ms Katie, is having a baby! A GIRL baby! To celebrate- we (me and some friends) threw a shower! I was in charge of location (DAVEY), party favors, and decorations.



We had a little station set up for personalizing onsies- soooooo cute! They were darling and so sweet!






I decorated glass milk jars with pink baby scrap book paper...













Filled little tins with pink and white jelly bellies- so sweet with the little daisy!




To personalize the flower arrangements- I went out into the pasture and picked some wild flowers to stick in amongst the roses and carnations.







I used the same vintage servingware from Pucca's bday tea party- it was perfect for the occasion. Dainty, frilly, girly.






food line- minus the cake. I forgot to take a pic with that out. Yummy spice cake, fruit salad and super awesome beverage pitchers I got on sale...$5- total score!






We also had banners, balloons, and streamers- although I can't seem to find a pic.

This is my friend- Katie. She's due in 5 wks...she's not even wearing maternity jeans. GAG! She is too cute!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Run, Forrest, run!

I feel like Forrest today- run run run run! We took Ems to the vet, me to the chiro, went to the bank, dropped off some movies, took John breakfast, picked up Pucca's friend and went to the zoo- all before NOON!

The kids have colds- so its quiet/nap time at our house right now! Its so nice! Not them having colds- but the silence and peace! ahhhhhhhhh!


The twins, pucca, her friend TJ and I went to the Lincoln Children's zoo this morning. We love it there- its the perfect size for morning activity- you don't have to invest a whole day in it and the kids like it!

Pucca and TJ have been friends since the moment TJ was born. They are five months apart. They are so funny together! Like an old married couple!



Here was a conversation from the zoo today:

TJ: Hey look! There's a panda!

Pucca: Uh, that's a lemur.

T: Oh ya! I knew that!

A few exhibits later...

T: Hey look at the eels!

P: Those aren't eels- those are otters!

T: Oh ya! That's right!

A few exhibits later...

T: hey look a the giant iguana

P: That's a monitor, TJ (in a slightly mocking tone).

T: Ok, jeez! Why do girls have to act like they know everything?

P: Because APPARENTLY we do! duhhhhhhh!

Three minutes later- they were sharing a dish of icecream, pointing and giggling at the overly friendly peacock roaming around the food court.

Three minutes after that- they had this conversation:


Pucca: Stop eating so fast- your eating it all!

T: Its melting - why don't you eat faster!

P: Because that's not how ladies eat!

And as we were leaving the zoo- they begged me to let TJ come over for a playdate because they can't bear to separated.

Kids!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Girls Night Out



For the girls bday last month, John and I got them tickets to see Taylor Swift! FINALLY- last night was the night! My mom came with us (didn't think there was anyway I was going to get John to attend with us...15,000 screaming girls from little kids to grown women. The theme of the night was mother/daughter- lots of them! It was really sweet to see so many together and of all ages. I did see a few dad's- always with a beer in their hand!).


Here the girls are decked out in Swift shirts and blinky strobe light sticks waiting for the main act! Thanks gma ski!

Before we left town - John had me run and get some ear plugs for the girls. They love music- but LOUD music not so much. So just some plugs to mute it down.

I kind of rolled my eyes at the thought! What's the point of going to a concert if you can't feel the musical beat vibrating your bowels and pounding in your head!? But as a good wifey and mother- I did as I was told! 4 pairs of earplugs- CHECK!

I gave my mom and the girls each a pair. Somewhere during Kelly Pickler, Kwynnie lost one of hers. So I gave her one from the left over pair in my pocket.

Soon after Ms Swift started I was really hoping I had that one back. NOT because the music was loud- but because of the screaming! GIRLS CAN SHRIEK LIKE THE BANSHEES OF HELL! I kept checking to see if the ear piercing screams and shrills had broken the screen on my phone and camera. My ears are still ringing...or is that the phone? Just a sec while I check...

Here's just a little taste of what I'm talking about- ignore the picture...its all about the sound. Oh and turn down your volume a bit- not responsible for any temporary deafness this may cause!




The girls were super cute and had alot of fun! I sent John a pic of them from my phone while we were waiting during a stage change. And then I thought it would be fun to send Jeff and Nancy (John's parents) one...they would get a kick out of it. I included the pic in a text. I was a little worried he wouldn't know how to open it or download the pic. So it was probably a lost cause. I almost fell out of my chair when my phone beeped indicating a text received from Jeff! Holy crap he texts! And pretty fair too! He even used text slang! Will wonders never cease!? He definitely earned some COOL GRANDPA points with the girls on that one!

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

blue-hairs

The neighborhood party lastnight was...er...uh...interesting! Now I KNOW we don't live in a 'young' neighborhood- at least not directly. Its kind of nice...quiet and the homeowners are older and have time to invest in their yards. There are kids in the subdivision, but not within the immediate two blocks- which must have been the only blocks invited to the get together.

I think the median age before we showed up was like 76...we brought the average down considerably! John's out of town and I had to do this solo- which I hate doing! John's the social one- the talker. I felt my insides cringe...what the heck was I going to talk to these people about? The girls must have felt the same way- because they all three instantly shot me 'what the heck are we supposed to do' looks. I smiled at them and then pushed/nudged them through the gate.

In all, the evening didn't end up being a total loss. We met some of the neighbors- we had only previously known in passing. Which is always good when your kids are riding bikes and running around the neighborhood. More eyes watching out for their safety.

The kids were well behaved and politely excused themselves about 30 minutes in. Their exit allowed for the spreading of neighborhood gossip! And if there's something older neighbors are good at- its gossip! I got the low down on everyone within a three block radius. And WOW the stuff they knew! Even the men got in on the action- sharing what little golden nuggets of hidden secrets to which they were privy.

And it was all spoken so innocently too...not vengeful or mean. Kind of like it was all common knowledge...for example:

Me: I love how nicely they keep their backyard (the people who back to our backyard on the south and weren't at the party) I wish I knew them better...or even their names. I'm sure John probably knows them.

J: Oh, do you mean Alice*? Or the one next door whose husband ran off with his secretary? That was 5 or 6 years ago, before you moved in I believe.

T: I think she's talking about Cindy*. You know the one with the daughter whose husband is in jail for drugs and had a daughter with someone else.

I unknowingly started shaking my head trying to figure out what the heck they are talking about

T: Oh, your right! That's Alice's backyard- it is pretty! And she does all that work herself. You wouldn't even know her backyard was burned. (noticing the confused look on my face) Oh, about 10 years ago when her son was teenager, he got mad and poured lighter fluid all of the grasses and bushes and set it on fire.

UH ya! And those kinds of stories went on for a good hour and a half. Interesting evening to say the least!

* Names changed to protect my dear sweet innocent neighbors with the pretty flowers and well kept lawns!

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Busy Busy

I can't believe how quickly the summer is winding down! In our efforts to enjoy the last of the lazy summery days- we have been spending some time out at Davey! The girls and I headed out yesterday, spent the afternoon at the lake and then relaxed the evening away with some wii golf... and a little bowling!

We went back to the lake first thing this morning...and loved having the whole beach (and practically the whole lake) to ourselves. The storm and rain last night made the sand perfect for building a sand castle and the northern breeze cooled the humidity! It was a great morning! and NO SUNBURNS! YAY!


Back in town tonight- to celebrate Lincoln's block party night. Each neighborhood is encouraged to have a block party or get together with neighbors...and so we are! Not at our house...but at our neighbor's (the compulsive mower guy). They're good people -should be fun!