I Feel Pretty....

Whitney is my stinker...she likes to do things she knows she shouldn't. If she sees that I might catch her, she kindly asks me to go away.

She and her friend Abby were together the other day and it was double trouble. I realized at one point that I hadn't seen them for a few minutes and I heard talking coming from the bathroom (behind closed doors of course). I found 2 guilty looking girls with my make up all over the floor... and them.

This picture is post 'time out' and post emotions of knowing one is in trouble. The smile came back quickly when the camera came out--they knew they looked amazing!

I think my favorite part is that Whit's head is like 3 times larger than Abby's!!

Welcome to Music Makers...Hello, Hello, Hello

We had our last Music Makers of the year this week. This is the 3rd year we've done Music Makers here in Connecticut. We did it for 1 year in NC before we moved. Andrew was a wee baby when we began. It is now in my blood. :) We get together once a week and the kids do fingerplays, sing songs, have instrument/marching time and movement time followed by stories and a snack. The kids love it. I finally remembered my camera.

Some of the boys actually caught doing some of the movements. Oh how we love our buddies!

Annie appears to be belting it out...I do believe, however, it was a yawn.

Getting ready to sing. Apparently, from the sideways looks, there is action on both sides of the camera screen!

Annie loves helping put the chairs away!

Annie does not love when I let go of her hand during marching time so that I can take a picture.

Andrew...the hokey pokey master. :)

Since it was our last week we had a little lunch afterwards. Something about a 'kiddie' table brings out the happiness in all!

There are actually moms who attend too but I feared their wrath if I put any more of my awesome pictures of them on the blog.

Would you like to start a music maker group in your area? Check out http://www.musicmakersforkids.blogspot.com/ or get in touch with me.

Do I sound like an infomercial or what?!?

Ha! You would think this blog is reaching millions, or even thousands, or even 16.

You've Had a Birthday Shout "Hurray"

Happy Birthday Mary! Mary turned 7 this week. 7!!!!! I can't believe it. The wierdest part for me was that she was off at school and I didn't feel like I really got to see her on her birthday. She had a great day though.

Any guesses on this gift? Her siblings got her a hula hoop!

Grandma and Grandpa got her a potholder maker and a loom for making hats and scarves. She's already envisioning the sweaters and mittens she will be making everyone she knows for Christmas. :)
Mary also got a Razor Scooter and birthday $$ that is currently burning a hole in her pocket.

The cake theme for the year? Magic Tree House! If you don't know what that is, just have an early elementary aged child and you will--it's a book series that Mary absolutely adores. I think there are around 40 books and Mary's read them all. She loved her cake and I actually did too. It turned out pretty well.


Jack and Annie are climbing up to their magic tree house.

Whit loved the cake too!

Happy Birthday Mary. We are lucky you're in our family!

I Like it, I Love it, I Want Some More Of It

Whitney is crazy.
Love her out the wazoo? Yes.
Am I wrong using this description of my own child? No way Jose.

We had sloppy joes for dinner on Monday. She came in to the kitchen and saw hamburger buns and french fries and got excited. Then she saw the sloppy joe meat and had a meltdown tantrum of the universe. I had to force myself not to laugh because she was SOOO ridiculous--shaking, crying, unable to breathe, etc.

Once she was calm, and after she had made and eaten a french fry burger (yes, 4 french fries on a bun; thought she could fool me, but unfortunately for her, I know the difference between a french fry burger and a sloppy joe), I put a small amount of sloppy joe meat on her plate and told her she had to have a bite before she could get down from the table. She finally did take her bite and then immediately grabbed another hamburger bun. Whit stood up in her chair and said she wanted me to put sloppy joe on it for her, singing the song "I like it, I love it, I want some more of it." She ate the whole thing.

I repeat...Whitney is crazy.

It's Up to You New York, New York!

I went to NYC to visit Megan this past weekend. The trip was pretty spur of the moment and a lot of fun. We had no real plans and I had no real needs to do big important NYC to do things, like bus tours and climbing to the top of famous buildings. In fact, after meeting up and dropping my stuff off at her place the first thing we did was go to Target. It seems like everytime we are together, we end up at Target. This was my first experience at Target in the Bronx. Kind of fun, and wierd taking a subway and then walking there...walking to Target.

I only wish we would have bought more, for the true experience, ya know. Walking back to the subway and then her apartment with our bags and big jumbo pack of Lysol wipes was fun in itself. It reminded me of grocery shopping in Argentina. I was worried about how I would get my groceries home when I had walked to the store until I learned that you could have them delivered. Oh the fun perks of big cities.

Restaurants of the weekend:

• Topaz Thai (oh yummy Thai food that is so peanutty delicious)
• Vynl (good burgers)
• Indian Taj (delish!)

When we got to Topaz Thai, this was the type of shirt the waiters were wearing:

I'm a Singer, or as I like to say..."Singha". My St Louis sister is now a Beer. And no matter how you say her name, it's still just Beer. It must have been destiny that we ended up at that restaurant. Gratzi Destino!! (this line's for Megan...thank you Letters to Juliet). FYI--we went to the movies and saw Letters to Juliet while I was there too. Fun movie...funny to laugh at/with too.

We decided to try the Wicked Lottery while I was there. 2 1/2 hours before show time, you can go to the box office and write your name on a card. 2 hours before show time, they draw like 12 or 13 names and if yours is selected, you can purchase front row tickets for only $25 (actually $26.25, thank you processing fees). We tried on Friday night...no luck, hence going to the movies. There were about 200 or so people trying so chances are slim. We tried for the Saturday matinee and guess who's name was called 3rd? If you aren't sure, check out the picture below!!!!!!!

I'm standing in line with all the other winners--don't they all look as thrilled as me to be winning?!?! Also notice the crazy amount of green clothing in that line. People were trying to be lucky and I guess it worked for them. I really lucked out, brown and all. If you ever try the Wicked lottery, green clothing can't hurt.

Here's Meg and I preshow in our $25 FRONT ROW seats. (plus Megan treated, so I should be saying 'my FREE front row seats.' Thanks Meg!) It was absolutely amazing. I loved every second of it (and I knew I would too). I've been singing the songs all week. Plus being so close, I do believe that we forged a bond with the orchestra and a few of the ensemble cast as well.

Later Saturday, we went to see the Highline Park, Chelsea Peirs, and Chelsea Market. I hadn't been to any of them before. A cool area of the city.

We hit church Sunday morning before I hit the train station and headed home. A great trip with great company. Thanks for having me Megan!!!

For the Beauty of the Earth

I love spring. I think I could spend every waking moment outside. I love weeding my flower beds, I love checking on my garden, I love digging, I love flowers. I sound like an idiot but I love it.

I'm not good at it either, that's the funny part. I'm trying though. I decided to take some picture of the yard now so that I can see progress and see how the blooms change (or, better said, actually occur, later in the season). I realize that I have no real 'spring' bloomers. My yard still looks green instead of colorful. Like I said, I don't know what I'm doing.

We built a new raised bed this year to add to our other small ones. I even managed to get a cool weather crop in (see, I'm learning). For Christmas, Matt got me the stuff to make a trellis for my garden. I was so excited to cash in this weekend when we built it. It looks great! Now it just needs green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. I probably need to build another one. :)

The best way to work and keep Annie happy is to let her play with water. It didn't hurt that it was like 80 degrees here yesterday!

I built a well over my, well....well. Yup, I built a well over the well. That's what us country folk do, I guess. We had to replace our well pump about 2 years ago and to get it up to code part of the pump outside had to stick out of the ground. We were stuck with this:

So at the end of last year, I used the rocks that grow in my yard and built a well around it. I've added some plants and mulch and it's looking better. The well still needs a top, but I don't know what I'm doing.

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I also ripped out the grass along the top of our rock wall along our driveway. I've planted a bunch of stuff along it but most of it is small or blooms later so there isn't much wow to it yet. It will get mulch this week. I'm excited!

A front shot. Seriously...it needs some pink or yellow or something out there.

Got Milk?

We've found a new model for the 'Got Milk?' ad campaign:

Old MacUCONN Had a Farm...

A week off school in April means-- Pre-school spring break field trip!

We had a 'farm' theme in preschool for the month of April, so a field trip to Horse Barn Hill just couldn't be passed up. UConn is so beautiful in the springtime!! It's an agricultural school so there are tons of farms and fields and barns and animals. We got to see quite a few baby cows and sheep but were bummed the 2 new foals didn't make an appearance.
We went with preschool friends and a few other tag along friends too. Our spring break didn't coincide with the other towns so Mary was actually at school and missed out on our fun day. :(

You need to see the hill we climbed up so that you can appreciate the picture at the top! It was a reminder to me that I need to be in better shape!

We made it!

I just love this picture of Whit. She looks like a midget with all the big kids. A happy midget at that!

At one point Whit was watching out for Benjamin and went and held his hand.

Andrew trying to smile.

By the way...we did see animals on this outing, I promise.

A post-picnic pose. Say that 5 times fast!

The three pre-school buddies. The only way they aren't attached at the hip is when ice cream and swivel stools are involved.