Here are a few more camping pics!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Heading to the Farm Today
Happy Friday! What a beautiful day here in Iowa. High of 70. The sun is shining. The sky is blue. And Bo is playing hooky today from daycare and joining me and Violet for a trip out to the farm! Just talked to my mom and she is heading to town to buy flowers and other plants so we can help her plant a bunch of pots for her deck.
Here are a few more camping pics!
Here are a few more camping pics!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Score: Breast Cancer 0, Mom 2
I'll admit it. I've been kind of dragging my feet about writing this post.
My mom has breast cancer.
It sucks. Cancer sucks. But it really sucks when it is happening to someone you love. Especially to your mom. I love my mom. She is awesome. And today she started kicking cancer's ass. She had her first chemo treatment.
And then she went shopping for new shoes.
That's one of the many reasons I love my mom. She's not going to let something like breast cancer stop her from shopping. Or from calling me to see if I could meet her at Nick's for supper. Nick's is one of our favorite restaurants. It's the place we go when it is just the two of us. We go there to celebrate and to talk and to discuss life and family and work and Republicans and anything else that comes up.
Tonight we went there to drink and eat a great meal and say, "Hey cancer, fuck you. You might be interfering with our summer, but you're not stopping us from doing the things we love." (Sorry for the f-word there. But I think it is appropriate to use it when you are talking about cancer.) Tonight we both breathed just a little easier because her fight has officially begun, and we've all been waiting for that. You can only hear the words "aggressive cancer" so many times before you start to get antsy for treatment to begin.
As far as I'm concerned, today was the beginning of the end for her breast cancer. She's already two points ahead: one point for detecting it early and another point for starting chemo. This cancer doesn't stand a chance. Because my mom is awesome. And awesome people beat cancer all the time. Love you, Mom.
My mom has breast cancer.
It sucks. Cancer sucks. But it really sucks when it is happening to someone you love. Especially to your mom. I love my mom. She is awesome. And today she started kicking cancer's ass. She had her first chemo treatment.
And then she went shopping for new shoes.
That's one of the many reasons I love my mom. She's not going to let something like breast cancer stop her from shopping. Or from calling me to see if I could meet her at Nick's for supper. Nick's is one of our favorite restaurants. It's the place we go when it is just the two of us. We go there to celebrate and to talk and to discuss life and family and work and Republicans and anything else that comes up.
Tonight we went there to drink and eat a great meal and say, "Hey cancer, fuck you. You might be interfering with our summer, but you're not stopping us from doing the things we love." (Sorry for the f-word there. But I think it is appropriate to use it when you are talking about cancer.) Tonight we both breathed just a little easier because her fight has officially begun, and we've all been waiting for that. You can only hear the words "aggressive cancer" so many times before you start to get antsy for treatment to begin.
As far as I'm concerned, today was the beginning of the end for her breast cancer. She's already two points ahead: one point for detecting it early and another point for starting chemo. This cancer doesn't stand a chance. Because my mom is awesome. And awesome people beat cancer all the time. Love you, Mom.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Campground Memories
We spent Saturday with Shawn's parents and family at Hickory Grove Park, which is about 5 miles east of Nevada, Iowa. It is a beautiful and fun park with a great campground, lake, playgrounds and beach. I remembered some photos I took when Mazy and I spent a couple nights at the campsite when he was two-and-a-half years old. It's fun comparing Mazy at 2 to Mazy at 7.
And finally, our sweet little Violet Betty, who turns 8 weeks old TODAY!!! Can you believe it's been two months?!?! I can't. She's growing so fast, especially those cheekers! I have lots more photos from the weekend that I will share this week. Theron and Hudson's birthday at the farm was a blast on Sunday and I got quite a few photos from it. And then we took some of the grandkids to Morrisburg Cemetery to visit all the Wirt gravestones. There are some good photos from there, too. Have a great short week, everyone!
Isn't he a cutie! Then and now!
| The photo above has always been one of my favorites of Mazy. It was early in the morning, like 6:30 or so. He and I were up and went for a walk down by the lake. The water was so calm and the sun was just coming up. Mazy has always been an interesting kid -- one who seems to appreciate nature and quiet moments like that. |
There is something about little boys in white t-shirts that I just love.
And this was Bo at his first trip to Hickory Grove when he was only 2 weeks old! He was a pretty little baby, too.
And now look at my rough-and-tumble boy! In this photo he had just kicked the soccer ball. I don't know anything about soccer, but it looks like good form to me!
Friday, May 25, 2012
A Violet in May
If Violet does not have a four-foot dollhouse, an army of American Girl dolls, a motorized pink Barbie convertible and a pony by the time she is 8, I will be disappointed in her.
You see, this little girl has us all wrapped around her finger. When she learns to talk and ask for things, something tells me that none of us will be able to say no to her.
Next week, I will pick a day and count how many times she gets kissed by our family. Between Shawn and Mazy it is easily in the triple digits. We just can't resist those chubby cheeks! And if she smiles and screeches in delight at one of us, Katy bar the door!, because there's no stopping us.
Anyway, here are a few recent pics of our Violet Betty:
I LOVE the flowered shirt she is wearing in the above photos. My Aunt Jean bought it for her, along with the little denim jeggings and two other adorable shirts and the cutest little crocheted hat you've ever seen! And what's really cool about this outfit -- my sister bought her the exact same one in a larger size so we'll have it again for this fall and winter!
OK, time to get to bed. Here's the weekend plan:
You see, this little girl has us all wrapped around her finger. When she learns to talk and ask for things, something tells me that none of us will be able to say no to her.
Next week, I will pick a day and count how many times she gets kissed by our family. Between Shawn and Mazy it is easily in the triple digits. We just can't resist those chubby cheeks! And if she smiles and screeches in delight at one of us, Katy bar the door!, because there's no stopping us.
Anyway, here are a few recent pics of our Violet Betty:
OK, time to get to bed. Here's the weekend plan:
- Saturday morning -- meet Heidi, Steve and Theron at the farmers market for breakfast and veggie shopping
- Saturday lunch and afternoon -- join Shawn's family at Hickory Grove campsite east of Nevada, Iowa, for lunch, swimming and fun
- Sunday morning -- go to Morrisburg Cemetery to leave flowers for Grandma Betty, Great Aunt Ermadale, Great Uncle Gerald, Great-Grandparents Alva and Angie, and the rest of the relatives who are there. Let the boys decorate soldier's headstones with plastic army guys.
- Sunday noon and afternoon -- Theron's 7th birthday and Hudson's 5th birthday party at the farm!
- Monday -- home, sweet, home! We need to pull weeds in the landscaping, mow and maybe take the boys for a picnic at a park.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
"Is This Levitating?"
The Checkers Champ
Early out today so Mazy, Violet and I went to the downtown library to return some books and check out new ones. Mazy saw a large checkers game set up in the children's section and asked if I would play with him. I said sure and proceeded to teach him the rules of the game. It's been awhile since I've played checkers. First, I told him you could move several spaces at once as long as nothing was blocking your path. Later I remembered that's actually a chess rule. I also told him you could move backward on the board. Later I remembered you could only move backward if your piece had been kinged. Poor kid -- I was not a very good teacher. But he picked it up quickly.
Since it was his first time playing, I coached him a lot and pointed out ways I could take his guys but didn't so he would begin to learn the strategy. He ended up winning. As we were walking toward the check-out desk, he said, "Let's play that again at home. You can try your hardest but I'll probably still beat you. I'm pretty much a master now." Oh Mazy....
Levitation
Now here's my favorite story of the day. We were riding the elevator down to the parking garage and he said, "Is this levitation?"
Me: "No, not really."
Mazy: "What is levitation?"
Me: "Well, it's when an object just floats in the air by itself. With no strings or ropes attached to it."
Mazy: "Is this a levers and pulleys system?"
Me (a bit surprised by this question): "Yes, actually. It probably is."
Mazy: "Are there any inclined planes?"
Me: "Umm, I don't think so."
Dinner and Shopping
We met my mom tonight for supper at one of our favorite Thai restaurants, The King and I. It's delicious. After supper, we all went to the mall. I needed some new shirts for summer and mom needed some new comfy pajamas. I also found an outfit for a wedding we're attending in early June. Following the mall, we all went to TCBY for tasty frozen yogurt. It was a fun evening!
We're looking forward to the three-day weekend ahead. Not sure what we're doing on Saturday yet. Sunday is Theron and Hudson's birthday party at the farm. And not sure what Monday will bring. I want to take the boys to the cemeteries on Sunday to leave flowers for our relatives. We do it every year and I love it -- it teaches them to honor their relatives and learn about our family history. Mazy likes to take plastic Army men to leave on the gravestones of soldiers. I think they would appreciate that. Plus, I like walking around the cemeteries -- they're beautiful places and very peaceful and interesting.
Well, that's all for today. Have a good Thursday!
Early out today so Mazy, Violet and I went to the downtown library to return some books and check out new ones. Mazy saw a large checkers game set up in the children's section and asked if I would play with him. I said sure and proceeded to teach him the rules of the game. It's been awhile since I've played checkers. First, I told him you could move several spaces at once as long as nothing was blocking your path. Later I remembered that's actually a chess rule. I also told him you could move backward on the board. Later I remembered you could only move backward if your piece had been kinged. Poor kid -- I was not a very good teacher. But he picked it up quickly.
Since it was his first time playing, I coached him a lot and pointed out ways I could take his guys but didn't so he would begin to learn the strategy. He ended up winning. As we were walking toward the check-out desk, he said, "Let's play that again at home. You can try your hardest but I'll probably still beat you. I'm pretty much a master now." Oh Mazy....
Levitation
Now here's my favorite story of the day. We were riding the elevator down to the parking garage and he said, "Is this levitation?"
Me: "No, not really."
Mazy: "What is levitation?"
Me: "Well, it's when an object just floats in the air by itself. With no strings or ropes attached to it."
Mazy: "Is this a levers and pulleys system?"
Me (a bit surprised by this question): "Yes, actually. It probably is."
Mazy: "Are there any inclined planes?"
Me: "Umm, I don't think so."
Dinner and Shopping
We met my mom tonight for supper at one of our favorite Thai restaurants, The King and I. It's delicious. After supper, we all went to the mall. I needed some new shirts for summer and mom needed some new comfy pajamas. I also found an outfit for a wedding we're attending in early June. Following the mall, we all went to TCBY for tasty frozen yogurt. It was a fun evening!
We're looking forward to the three-day weekend ahead. Not sure what we're doing on Saturday yet. Sunday is Theron and Hudson's birthday party at the farm. And not sure what Monday will bring. I want to take the boys to the cemeteries on Sunday to leave flowers for our relatives. We do it every year and I love it -- it teaches them to honor their relatives and learn about our family history. Mazy likes to take plastic Army men to leave on the gravestones of soldiers. I think they would appreciate that. Plus, I like walking around the cemeteries -- they're beautiful places and very peaceful and interesting.
Well, that's all for today. Have a good Thursday!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Polkadot Princess
Violet Betty is seven weeks old today.
Her brother Mazy picked out today's outfit -- he loves her in onesies and thought this hot pink one suited her well. I love the polkadots and the little butterflies on the socks that Shawn bought her.
At seven weeks she is smiling at us, cooing and making occasional happy screeches at ceiling fans and windows. She sleeps a lot. She goes through 10 or more diapers a day. And she passes a lot of gas and burps loudly -- much to the delight of her big brothers. She recognizes my voice. She likes to sleep on our bed with my pillow on one side and Shawn's on the other. She's a sweet companion in the wee hours of the morning.
Tonight I separated out her newborn-sized clothes and put them away. She's finally outgrown them. It was kind of sad. They were the last newborn clothes that will be worn by a member of our family. I want to save them all! And I want to spend every day with this adorable girl and not think about returning to work.
As I type, she is sacked out on Daddy's chest in the recliner. It's hard to decide who looks the most content.
Her brother Mazy picked out today's outfit -- he loves her in onesies and thought this hot pink one suited her well. I love the polkadots and the little butterflies on the socks that Shawn bought her.
At seven weeks she is smiling at us, cooing and making occasional happy screeches at ceiling fans and windows. She sleeps a lot. She goes through 10 or more diapers a day. And she passes a lot of gas and burps loudly -- much to the delight of her big brothers. She recognizes my voice. She likes to sleep on our bed with my pillow on one side and Shawn's on the other. She's a sweet companion in the wee hours of the morning.
Tonight I separated out her newborn-sized clothes and put them away. She's finally outgrown them. It was kind of sad. They were the last newborn clothes that will be worn by a member of our family. I want to save them all! And I want to spend every day with this adorable girl and not think about returning to work.
As I type, she is sacked out on Daddy's chest in the recliner. It's hard to decide who looks the most content.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Weekend Wrapup
Mazy is back at school this week. Bo is back at daycare/preschool. Violet is sleeping. I need to write fast so I can get some cleaning and laundry finished!
After Friday night's punishment, the boys did improve their behaviors, for the most part. :) Shawn and Mazy went out Saturday morning for groceries and thrift shopping. I finally almost have the front porch the way I want it! I'll get pictures of it this week so you can see it! I didn't take a "before" photo because it was so awful I didn't want you to see it. But just trust me when I say it is a huge improvement! And the boys just love playing out there! We organized all their toys in big bins and labeled the bins -- both with words and pictures, so they know exactly where everything goes. They've been really good about putting toys away when they're done playing. I just need to find some containers for a bookcase I have and create their art center, and then the porch will be finished!
Sunday was our nephew Maddox's 1st birthday party at a restaurant at Lake Panorama. We had delicious pizza and salad and breadsticks, and then cake and ice cream for dessert. Violet slept through the entire party. Then we went back to the farm for awhile, and then Violet, me, dad and uncle Doug went to a graduation party for one of our relatives. Violet slept through that as well. Then back to the farm to relax and grill burgers for supper. We didn't get the boys home until nearly 9 so I am sure Bo will have a rough day. But sometimes that can't be helped. He will survive, and hopefully so will his teachers. :)
OK, I'm off to clean. Here are some pics from the party:
After Friday night's punishment, the boys did improve their behaviors, for the most part. :) Shawn and Mazy went out Saturday morning for groceries and thrift shopping. I finally almost have the front porch the way I want it! I'll get pictures of it this week so you can see it! I didn't take a "before" photo because it was so awful I didn't want you to see it. But just trust me when I say it is a huge improvement! And the boys just love playing out there! We organized all their toys in big bins and labeled the bins -- both with words and pictures, so they know exactly where everything goes. They've been really good about putting toys away when they're done playing. I just need to find some containers for a bookcase I have and create their art center, and then the porch will be finished!
Sunday was our nephew Maddox's 1st birthday party at a restaurant at Lake Panorama. We had delicious pizza and salad and breadsticks, and then cake and ice cream for dessert. Violet slept through the entire party. Then we went back to the farm for awhile, and then Violet, me, dad and uncle Doug went to a graduation party for one of our relatives. Violet slept through that as well. Then back to the farm to relax and grill burgers for supper. We didn't get the boys home until nearly 9 so I am sure Bo will have a rough day. But sometimes that can't be helped. He will survive, and hopefully so will his teachers. :)
OK, I'm off to clean. Here are some pics from the party:
This wasn't from the party, but she's so cute in this little dress that I had to put it on. :)
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