Adventures in Apple Picking

So we picked apples...again! This time it was golden delicious, and yes, they are delicious!! I never bought them from the store, but ripe off the tree...just soo good! It was Friday, and we met Sean and his crew there...good times...

Poor Alex couldn't eat them off the tree...his has to be cut up since he has braces- and he just got a new red "chain" across the front to bring in that gap- thank heavens!! After the expander opened up the gap, it was WIDE, but it looks better, already!

My nieces had a blast too- it was a little cooler than I had expected, and I had taught all day, so I wasn't prepared with jackets, so I heard a little complaining, but other than that, it was great. Then we hit Wendy's for dinner- I didn't have to go home and cook- whoo hoo!

So now, what to do with 20 more pounds of apples...the kids have been eating them like crazy, so I will probably only get a crisp or pie out of all of them!! Oh well, it was worth it anyway!

We Match!

For six whole weeks every year, I am older than Dana- but then, we match...we are exactly 6 weeks apart in age- and now, he is....

too! The kids and I baked him this yummy chocolate chip cookie cake- more cake than we need- but too yummy to resist eating day after day....

His day was just a regular day- that happens when you have to work on your birthday, right?! He had school, then soccer practice, where his girls' soccer players decorated his car with shoe polish and silly string for him to drive home in! Fun, fun...

We had chicken cordon blue waiting for him, and the kids gave him new ties and clothes for his birthday, along with cards they lovingly made the night before- oh how they loved doing that! He is saving for his flat screen, so adding money to that fund is his other gift from us!

These kiddos really love their dad- Happy 34th Birthday, Daddy!! We love you!!

2009 Our Crew

Thankfully we only do this every other year....once again, trying to get 5 people to look good all at the same time is challenging, to say the least...but here we are...

Here is a great example of Celeste's 3 year old "smile AT the camera" face...too sweet to resist- we bought the most of this pose!

These collages are all the ones Target did up...I didn't order any of them...but they gave me free downloads of them since they cropped out my kiddos in a few poses to pacify me until they reprint 6 pages for me!

Leah still at 7 has a hard time giving a natural smile, but she is doing better...

Check out her eyes in the first one- so her!
Alex is too much- he just stood where she wanted him to and smiled- easy!

We didn't order this shot- I just think the pose is cute.

This we HAD to order, because it was a cute shot, despite Celeste's face- plus it was the only one of the 3 of them that was even half way decent...see above!

This is my personal fav- one they are reprinting to include more of Leah...we bought this one in a extra large size, though I have no idea where we will frame it...hopefully at a new house...

We got a few of these, but everyone looks sort of "posed", and a little "unnatural", but it is still good...

We didn't get this one...not sure what it is even about, but she told us to look down at Celeste as she looked up at us- I think this would be cuter if she were a baby, well, she's our baby, but you know what I mean!

So, for $4 a sheet, you can't really go wrong- it just took us forever to coordinate and get a date to have them taken...all in all, I am glad we did, and glad they turned out great!

Finally her turn!

Celeste started dance!! She is thrilled- can't you tell?! She is in a combination class of ballet, tap and tumbling! She is ecstatic and every Tuesday can't come fast enough- she could go everyday, and I have that chat with her everyday!! Isn't she a cutie?!

Her BFF's Emma and Abby are in her class too- that is a real treat! Here they are during the tumbling... I just noticed that she is scratching her bum, but otherwise, all of them lined up is super cute! Ready to tumble!
I didn't get any pics of them tapping or doing ballet yet, but when they have watch week, it will be easier- these are through the glass on the door...

What a big girl she has become- but no matter what, she will always be my baby!

Terrific Tailgating...Despite the Loss...

It was a beautiful day!! The sun was out and it was really getting hot- add hundreds of thousands of screaming Buckeye fans, and it was REALLY REALLY hot! A perfect day for tailgating, though not a perfect night...

Ohio State played USC at 8pm- the kids and I headed down to tailgate around 1:30- we left at 7:30- we were exhausted!! A full day in the sun, eating, walking, playing cornhole, talking...it wore me out!

We had fun...the kids loved it and I love it when they love it! There is nothing in the world quite like being at a OSU game, and being around these kinds of fans- the best in the land! We love going and will continue, no matter what the score- though it is more fun when we win!!

Dana worked parking, of course, so he had to be there at 5am!!

Don't look at my stomach- I ate too many chips and salsa!!

Alex's friend Sam came with us, and my Aunt Trudy too!

All the kids gather for a cute shot!
Here's part of the crew- the rest stayed at the tailgate before heading to the Shoe.
I ended up watching the game alone- probably a good thing! I was busy checking out my new blurb book that arrived right on schedule yesterday- it is wonderful!!

Honeycrisp...mmmm....delish

Today, Celeste and I, along with Suzanne, Ashley and their crews met and picked the yummiest apples ever at the apple orchard! Honeycrisp-need I say more?!

They only pick these apples for two weekends- and the always run out the first- and this year, it opened at 9, we got there at 9:30 and it was super packed!! There were only 4 rows of them, and man, were they going fast...

I picked 20 pounds- they won't last as long as it sounds, I promise!

Celeste just loved it- here she is, enjoying it down to the last bite...she ate on one apple for over a half hour, and it was still not gone!!

Life is good!

Workin 9 to 5

Well, 8:20 to 3:20, anyway! So, today I was hired by our school district to be a part-time substitute teacher at my kid's Elementary School!! I love subbing...I have been a sub before- I worked a few days a week when Alex was about a year and a half; my sister in law, Esther graciously watched him for little money (always grateful for that!)- then I took a year off when Leah was born, and then went back the following two years, just barely part time - a few days a month...but now...
I will be working about 2-3 days per week! It is exciting for me- I am anxious to get back to teaching, (what I love), it's been a long time, but also nerving because I am so used to not working at all!! I sort of do my own thing, and now, I am losing that luxury! Don't get me wrong, I am extremely grateful to be able to work, and work where my kids go to school is truly a blessing. They are excited that I will be with them too- for now anyway!! Wait till I get their class!
It is a great job and I am more grateful to Suzanne for volunteering (and making some cash on the side) to keep Celeste at her ultra-cool house (on the way home from her house today, Celeste said, "I wish I was Abby, so Suzanne could be my mom!" )- OUCH!! No, it is a great compliment, she treats Celeste as her own, and I am very blessed to have that. This is the first time I have really had to leave her for a period of time, but seriously, she is nearly 4- she loves time away from me!!
So, my blogging and facebooking will probably not be as frequent...sad, huh?! I am kidding...this is a great time- I feel very happy to be in this position- and let's face it- I love school- I love the kids, (most of them know me by now), I love the staff at our building, and it is a great school district- it is going to be great!

Family Fun Day!

Today was a great day! It was the first day we have had together, all of us, in a while! With school in and Dana doing soccer every night, it has been a long time coming...

We have our family picture taken every other year- so, since it was two years ago since we took them, it was needed! I had picked out and planned what everyone was going to wear back in June- needless to say, we ran out of time, lost some of our tan, and had to wait until today...but, we did it, and thankfully we could still wear our summer clothes! The kids did well in the process, Celeste is probably the most difficult...we found her with her eyes looking the opposite direction of the camera, (a common for her), and also with a cheesy grin...but we were able to get a couple good ones, relatively speaking, so I will post them soon.

After that, we headed to COSI, for the last day of our free pass that I got a few months ago! It is so hard to find time to go!! It was open, thankfully, and we got free parking, since the meters are on holiday!! Ha! I took a few too many pictures, as I know you know, so I put them in collages, since it makes it easier when I make my blurb.com book- which shipped Saturday- whoo hoo!!

Anyway, it was a great day, topped off by a really wonderful FHE with orange sherbet for dessert!

Here you go:

Alex

Leah

Celeste

The couple responsible for all this madness

Here is the funniest pic of the day- this was total Celeste- total impromptu at dinner tonight:

Just could not love her anymore...she takes the cake- and the grape!

Another one on the way....

Bet you thought it was about another kid, huh?!
Well, think again!!
Ha ha!
I just finished my second blog book from blurb.com!
It is 320 pages and is being published as I write this!
I will give pics and details when I get my hot little hands on it!

RAINgutter Regatta

So, it was the Cub Scouts' Annual Raingutter Regatta on Thursday....Our second year participating- Alex was very excited, since last year his boat didn't do too well- so he was hoping this year would be more favorable for him....

It was interesting, that's for sure...the weather seemed to be the UN-favorable part, with it raining the ENTIRE time of the races! We were soaked: translation- I was semi-soaked, since I stood under cover for most of it, while the Scouts and all the children and other not-so-smart parents were entirely soaked!! I would creep out to take a few photos when Alex was racing, but stayed somewhat dry besides that!

Alex's boat took 3rd place! He was ecstatic about that! Here are some pics of the drenched night of boat racing:

It wasn't just raining...it was POURING!!

When it was over, this was what my children looked like:

Oh well, at least they had fun! I am happy Alex loves Scouts- he has great leaders and great friends in the program...they serve so wonderfully! I hope he continues with fun and success!