Blogging=Scrapbooking

I use to scrapbook. Notice the past tense in that sentence. I would enjoy it if I had 1) more time 2) more money 3) a nice organized room where it could stay out all of the time. Well, I have none of those three things right now. The past year I have made several photo albums online and have loved them!!! I can do an album in ALOT LESS time and for ALOT LESS money. What I really wish is that I could take my blogs and print them off into a scrapbook. Someone recently sent me a link for blurb.com. On their website you can make what they call "blog books". On their site they say..."Your blog. Automatically slurped into a real book". Bingo...thank you. Finally! Blogging is easy and usually fairly quick. Blogging is basically scrapbooking on the computer. Now I have a way to get a hard copy. So if you notice an increase in posts or wordiness of posts...that's why. I am now blogging with more of a scrapbook mentality (I will occasionally do a photo album online for those special occasions). So now you can pretend that you are sitting with me on my couch looking at the latest scrapbook laying on the coffee table (well... if I had a coffee table...maybe someday). So enjoy and let us know your favorites! Then someday when I am old and gray, no one can accuse me of doing great scrapbooks for the firstborn, okay scrapbooks for the next born, and none for the baby. They will all be the same! Enjoy.... my children, my family, and my friends!

Memorial Day at Home...part 2

Love this sleep position! I always like sneeking in to see what new position I will find.

Nate grilled burgers and made homemade (healthy) french fries. Yes, he is drying the french fries (before going into the oven) with my hair dryer. He was trying to speed up the "drying" process because we were all getting hungry. They turned out very good!!! Thanks for a great supper!!!
Nobody would dance with HK at one point of trying to get supper ready and feed Nolan. So her monkey Coco joined her in dancing.

Sure is easier to do lifts with Coco than it is with Daddy!

HK has always been a good helper with Nolan but is wanting to do even more. She enjoys holding his bottle for him even though he is just on the edge of being able to do it for himself. He still needs some help to get the job done. She would love it if I would let her feed him his cereal or veggies. I have told her she can when he gets just a bit better at eating with the spoon. She takes great pride in being able to help Nolan, entertain Nolan, and probably harassing Nolan. As she lovingly refers to herself..."Mommy I am Sissy".

Just Wait Until I Get Bigger

This was completely supervised...obviously since I was taking pictures.
The pictures stopped when it got out of hand.
It was pretty entertaining to watch the whole scene unfold.
Nate was on call tonight. So it was just me and the kiddos hanging out in the floor...literally. Nolan spit up everywhere, but since it was so close to bath time I just left him naked.
HK seized this opportunity to...well I'm not really sure what was going through her mind???
In sequence, here it goes...

Yes, that's a yellow burp cloth around his neck...maybe a scarf?

Broken arm?

Broken leg?


The green band???...it's my exercise band. I'm sure the pillow was for comfort....ha!

HK is just preparing Nolan for his future wife someday...she'll (his future wife) be lucky if he stays this patient with females!

Now 3/4 surrounded by pillows and a green sheet....hmmmm??? Still not upset.


The first signs of fear...or perhaps confusion...or perhaps betrayl as to why I am letting her go this far?

Okay...I will draw the line now...even though you are still smiling beneath the blanket.
I'm pretty sure beneath that blanket he is telling HK, "You just wait until I get bigger!"

I finally asked her what she was doing.

"He is cold!"

Off to the bath tub.

Go Cubs Go!

A new generation of Cubs fans...

Go Cubs Go...Go Cubs Go...Hey Chicago Whadda ya say...the Cubs are gonna win today!


Yes, I have taken the oath to be a Cubs fan til death do us part.


Say whaaaaat? They've lost how many in a row? Curse? Where are you getting your information? Have you checked this out on Snopes? Now ya tell me. Thanks a lot. Well I've already taken the pledge. A Cubs fan doesn't break his vow. We Cubs fans are fans for life...well that's what my Daddy says.So.....

The sun'll come out

Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!

Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!

When I'm stuck a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh!

The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!

That's right...I will be submitting this as the new theme song.
You can't take a man's hope away.
That's right...hope: to wish for something with the expectation of its fulfillment.
I can always hope that tomorrow will be a better day!

Memorial Day at Home

We decided to stay home this holiday because Nate has been exhausted with his schedule this month. We also needed some time together, just the four of us.

The morning started with HK and Daddy riding her bike outside and visiting the playground before the rain hit.
Then they snuggled and watched Sesame Street.


After Nolan woke up from his nap, we went to Gatti Town. We had some game cards left over from a residency event there back in the winter.
HK loved it. This was her first time. She was so excited the whole time. She ate an excellent lunch...no surprise. Then we headed off to the game area.

This ride was hysterical. It drops and goes up and down several times before it's done. At first she was going to back out until Daddy agreed to ride it with her. At the first drop I thought her eyes were going to bug out of her head! She yelled, "Daddy!" Then he held her hand and they both started laughing. Then she was just laughing the rest of the ride. It was hilarious!!!

Then we played the mini-bowling lane. She loved this too.

This was also pretty funny...you just sat in these seats. In front of them was a big screen. The sound was behind your head and your seat shook and vibrated. It was simulating riding a roller coaster and flying through the air over all kinds of different terrain. She just laughed and laughed. Then she would be real serious again before she would start laughing as her seat was shaking. I laughed pretty hard at this one.

Then HK and I tried our feet at Dance Revolution. Neither one of us were very good.

Yet she still enjoyed the calm little merry go round...she got to ride Marty (zebra's name from Madagascar).

Nolan: I can't believe you guys brought me to this place....totally unfair. All I get to do is watch her have all the fun...but then again I guess she is pretty entertaining. Yeah, yeah, I know...I have to get bigger. You all just wait...I WILL get bigger one of these days. Then watch out!

Nolan: You goofy girl...hold on or you're going to fall off. I really don't want you landing on me!!

Then there was skee ball. Nolan and I needed hard hats to protect us from HK's throws. Again, I was rolling with laughter. The balls went everywhere except where they were suppose to!!! Poor Daddy tried very hard to help her, but it was pointless!

HK: Everybody duck....heeeerrreeee iiiittt goooooeeessss!!!!

After leaving Gatti Town we rented a movie.

Naps for everyone. Then burgers, movie, and popcorn.

A day spent together needed by all!

New Wagon

Nolan is staring to move in on HK's territory...it's my turn to sing!

Daddy snuggling with his babies!

HK and Nolan were given a new Radio Flyer wagon as a gift. It's very nice and fancy. It even has a canopy over the top. HK was so excited to get it out and put it together. Unfortunately, Nolan "has to get bigger" before he is really going to be able to ride very well in it.

Nolan helped too by staying out of the way.

Where do these go Daddy?

The finished product!

A Fun Saturday

Friday evening Grampy came to get Nana. They stayed until late Saturday afternoon. Daddy was on call all day and night (but only one more of those calls left in residency)!!! That morning we went to the riverfront and took a walk.

While on the walk HK had to get a close up of the fountain across the street.

Then we stopped at the park to play and have a picnic!

Grampy and HK up in the fortWe also took time out to go see the train. HK got her Grampy to take her inside of it. Mom, Nolan, and I waited outside because Nolan was snoozing.

All Aboard

Sorry HK...don't think turning that wheel is going to get you anywhere!


We also stopped at the Dairy Queen on the way back home. Nolan was happy even though he didn't get any ice cream..."He has to get bigger".

Thanks Nana & Grampy for a great day. Sorry Nana that you took all of the pictures this time and we didn't get you in any of them!

Paso Doble

As many of you know from previous posts, we love to watch Dancing With the Stars. HK loves to dance. Recently she has had a little bit of a desire to fight which I have not been to crazy about. So I turned that into dancing the paso doble. If you have ever seen that dance on DWTS, you know they have a "mean" face and dance with real sharp movements. HK loves making her paso doble face and dancing that dance. It has to be music with a driving beat. On the finale of DWTS, all three couples did a paso face off. Now none of us can get the song out of our heads. Unfortunately I could not get my video of them dancing to upload!!!
They watched it on youtube first to learn some of the dance moves.


Please welcome Jackson Matthew Ford and his partner Hallie Kate Oldham dancing the paso doble.




The morning, still in pjs, is the best time to give a paso doble face!