Colorado

I don't care how well you've planned, the location you are going, or the number of gadgets you bring along, vacations with kids are a lot of work! Nevertheless, the kids are what made the vacations memorable. We had a great time in Winter Park, Colorado and the kids are skiing machines now. I can't wait for the day to come they're going down blues with me. (Or maybe I can wait, I can't decide.)

Grandma Green

My top ten list of what will always remind me of Grandma Green

10. Special K Bars

9. Pleasures perfume

8. Toliet paper on seats of public bathrooms

7. Solitaire 

6. Homemade applesauce

5. Beanie Babies

4. Gold Coins

3. Stamp collections

2. The smell of perm solution

1. The song, "Unforgettable" 

Advice

I've been coughing all week long. One day as I has hacking in my bathroom getting ready for work Laura said, "Mom, if need to cough, cover your mouth so you don't spread germs. And if you need to throw up...(sigh)...just swallow it."

If you need any advice, just ask Laura. She's full of it.

Long Grove Christmas

My sister, Heidi put together a little video montage of Christmas in Long Grove and I can't top that. See below. Here are the top 5 things I will remember about 2014 Christmas in Long Grove.

5. Sam packing his clock and toothbrush 2 days before heading to Long Grove.

4. Sam and Laura's squeals when they recognized we were in Long Grove.

3. Laying in GG's bed watching Toy Story  3 with GG.

2. Getting sick and thinking to myself, When was the last time I puked at Mom and Dad's house?

1. The kids playing in GG and Papa's bedroom and wanting "privacy". 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg1dQDgVMMA

Joseph and Julia

Eric and I have season tickets to the Civic Center Broadway Series. Five Wednesday evenings a year we have "date night" and go to a show. This past Wednesday we had tickets to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In 1994, Joseph was my first Broadway experience when Heidi, Cousin Shane, Aunt Judy, and Grandma Julia saw it in Chicago starring Donny Osmond. I was excited to see it again even if Donny Osmond wasn't in it this time.

THEN...

On Wednesday at 2:30pm I received this text from our babysitter:

"Hey Heather, I am so so sorry for the short notice, but I think I am coming down with something and I do not feel good at all. I'm so sorry for the short notice, I feel terrible." 

I frantically called and texted other babysitters looking for a quick replacement and they all had church, dance, or were ill. I was coming to the conclusion that Joseph wasn't in the cards for me. Then an unavailable babysitter sent me this message:

"If you still need someone you could call my friend from church Julia 515-XXX-XXX!"

I felt like an insurance salesman, but I made the cold call and church friend, Julia could do it!

We went to the show and the music, lights, costumes, and set took me back 20 years to the Chicago Theatre, It was everything I remembered and a little more.

Grandma has been gone 6 years now, but on Wednesday she was with me. I was reminded of that when I took Julia, the new babysitter, home. 

Three

Sam is three! He spent the weekend at Papa & GG's which is his favorite place on earth. He drained Power Wheels' batteries, played with his cousins, hung out with Papa, ate tractor birthday cake, and said good-bye to wearing diapers. Life is good!

One of my favorite conversations as we were getting ready to go to Papa & GG's.

Laura: I'm going to play with Maisie and Molly when we get to Long Grove.

Sam: I'm going to play with Papa.

I don't have many pictures of the weekend at GG and Papa's, but my sister put together a slide show from the weekend which captures the weekend perfectly. http://boydbabes.blogspot.com/2014/11/squirrel-hunt-2014.html

Below are some pictures from Sam's birthday party at our house with one of his favorite gifts, the fireman's outfit!

Half Marathon

I completed a half marathon today with a person record of 1:48. It was a great day for a race and thanks to all the scotcheroos I was hammering down over the weekend, I had a lot if fuel. Eric and the kids made posters for me which I treasure more than my finisher's medal. What a great guy I married.

Birthdays!

Laura has been asking for the past 6 months to celebrate her birthday with Papa as he shares a birthday with her. Laura got her wish and we went to Long Grove to celebrate her 5th (cowgirl themed) birthday with Papa, GG, and all of her cousins. What a lucky girl!

Laura's wearing a Farmall hat. When Eric's away, the mice with play. ;-)

Cousin Zach and Laura made a fort on the front porch. It was a chilly morning!

Sam drained a lot of batteries driving around the Power Wheel vehicles. 

This vehicle ran out of juice at the bottom of the hill. 

Supper was served in a pie pan to compliment the cowgirl party theme. GG is so clever!

I wish I had a picture with the birthday couple. Rats! This picture isn't perfect, but still shows that Sam really likes his Papa. 

Five

The past five years have zipped by...I can't believe she's five!

 

The Tot Clock

We started with the Tot Clock in Laura's room when she was two. We swore by the clock magic of the wake time yellow and bedtime blue for her and eventually the clock worked its way over to Sam's room. Sam is finally figuring out the clock, but he's not a fan of it. Here is a recent conversation.

9:30pm
Sam: I'm up!
Me: No Sam, your clock is blue. You need to go back to bed.
Sam: Clock not working...It needs batteries.

Tri Wife

Being a triathlon wife is not for wimps. I'm pretty sure I deserve a medal after this weekend. College friend, Matt Freyer and Eric competed in the Hy-Vee Triathlon on Sunday. Matt's wife, Molly, and I were the supportive wives that brought along 4 children to cheer on Eric and Matt.

While the triathletes were preparing bikes, energy bars, and timing chips; the tri wives were waking up and feeding the kids early on Sunday morning and packing tons of peanut free & egg free snacks.

While the triathletes were warming up and stretching for their race; the tri wives were cleaning up vomit off a car sick child and looking for the nearest Walmart to buy another outfit.

While the triathletes were swimming, biking, and running; the tri wives were finding a parking spot MILES from the course, reassembling a stroller that had to disassembled to fit in the van, & running to the race with two double strollers and one mom in flip flops.

While the triathletes were being cheered on by spectators and downing cups of Gatorade; the tri wives were getting stroller wheels stuck in mud and slathering kids with sunscreen. Amazingly enough, nobody had to go to the bathroom the entire morning!

Would we do it again, just to cheer on our husbands for a total of 30 seconds? Absolutely!  That's what love is all about. 

Preschool

Look out preschool, here comes Laura!

Santa?

My conversation with Laura last night.


Laura: Mom, is Santa real?
Me: Of course he's real.
Laura: Well I'm just going to ask Daddy too (in a whisper voice) because he's a little smarter than you.
Me: Speechless...

Sayonara Summer

Summer break 2014 was one to remember. The highlights included neighborhood "school"/play dates, The Strawberry Festival race, buying a pontoon boat (with two other families), the Boyd girls sleepover, Green 4th of July party, Honey Creek Resort with the Illinois Schulzes, and endless picnics and park outings. This past weekend GG and Papa visited after Laura had her first slumber party at Maisie and Molly's on Friday night. Laura came home Saturday evening looking exhausted and dishelved. At her very first sleep over a bat came to visit the party too. The party was moved to M & M's other grandparents house that "had a bed inside of a couch" and all was well. Laura told me she's not afraid of bats and she is also not afraid of vampires either. She's a brave one!

School is back in session and the transition of laying out clothes at night, making sack lunches, and feeling famished after school has begun. This will be the last school year that doesn't include a child going to real school as well for the next 20+ years. What? Can that really be true?

Nevertheless, enjoy the pictures of our last summer break weekend. 

Eric took Sam on a Father Son Adventure on the Neal Smith Trail. Eric was able to rig up a way to bring along Sam's bike on the trailer so Sam could get some riding in too.

Sam rode 2.5 miles with Eric and wanted to keep going!

This contraption cracks me up!



Look at these young pups a week shy of their 41st wedding anniversary!



I think they're talking about bats.