Diabetes Run

Do you run? I only run if the children are in danger and I need to get there fast! My friend Nicole has recently started running. Her blogging about it has almost been enough to get me off my chair to try it out. But not quite. I admire her feet-filled adventures usually while chilling at my computer munching on something chocolate! =)

Uncle Patrick and Aunt Crystal also run. (And recently, Aunt Stacy has jumped into this insanity!) This fall, they will be running in a marathon in Chicago. Ok, the thought that anyone could actually run 26 miles (or 5 for that matter!) and LIVE to talk about it really really baffles me! They are running to raise money for diabetes research and education. Check out their site for updates and to donate!

Kid Chatter and Softball

Me: Julia, you are such a big girl!
Julia: No, Mommy. I am the baby!

Me: Julia, you are my favorite girl!
Julia: No, I am Daddy's girl!
Me: What? No, you are my girl!
Julia: No, I am Daddy's girl!
[It is this point I need to teach her that since she said this in the presence of her father she may now ask for nearly ANYTHING she would like and the result will be very positive for her.]

Glammie: Ryan, are you excited to go to the beach this summer?
Ry: Yea, and Tyler is going to come too. But not Lucas, because he will eat the sand.

I walk in Julia's room in the morning to get her out of her crib and the following convo takes place:
Julia (pointing): Daddy did it!
Me: Daddy did what?
Julia: Daddy did IT! (As if IT was something horribly major).
Me: He turned on the fan?
Julia: Yea (BIG pout!), Daddy did it!
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Softball season is back! The troops turned out tonight for the big game...Lucas has the most comfy seat in the stands! =)

Tyler plays on the equipment which the kiddos love, but it sure makes it difficult for us moms to actually watch any of the game!

Uncle Mat ordered a special shirt for Ryan (same number as Jeff's shirt) to sport to the games.

Pampering

This afternoon Ryan and I brought Julia to get her hair cut. I must say, in the last 6 mos, my baby girl has really gotten the hang of how this works. We have gone from her needing to sit on my lap for this process (a hairy mess!) while constantly sucking on a sucker, to today.

Where she walked all by herself back to the chair with the stylist. She was so good! She held so still, moving her head just the direction she was asked to. And then...I looked away...and back up..and saw her getting a blow dry! I was shocked. I mean, part of me was surprised she was sitting allowing her hair to be styled this way (I mean, this is the child who refuses to have a fan on her at night or the window rolled down in the car!), and part of me wanted to jump up and tackle the stylist for introducing my sweet baby girl's virgin-not-a-split-end-to-be-found hair to heat styling! (Gasp!) Thankfully, the rational side of my brain won out in this debate, and I remained glued to my seat.

...I must say. She is CUTE!

I think we'll hold off on the nail polish for a bit longer though... =)

Perfect Day

Today is laundry day. And I have loads and loads. But a friend called to say she was headed to the park and that if we wanted to break away from our morning here...and, gasp! take off the jammies she knew we were all still wearing!...she'd be at the park with her kids...her kids that my kids love to play with!
I debated...and jumped on the internet to check out the temperature...ksdk.com actually said "perfect" under today's forecast...I figured that meant we must be outside for as much as possible for this day being deemed as "perfect." (And I have a feeling the laundry will still be around later...)

The boys had fun racing up the tall tower...

And Julia made me laugh with her expressions coming down the slide...

What a perfect outside morning!

Happy Mother's Day!

Random

If I ride in the street with my eyes closed, it's okay, right?

If Ry is in the street, baby sister shall follow! =)

Our two tadpoles...still kickin!

A box...

A box came in the mail today...FedEx...and I opened it...

...and stopped when I realized maybe I shouldn't be opening it just yet...

...so at this point one can't wait until Mother's Day, right? =)
Thanks, Jeff!

Happy 31 Uncle Brian!

Julia decides this is the best seat in the house. While Uncle Brian would maybe like to think she's just very fond of him, we all really know what she's doing here. =)

Tyler hitches a ride from Grandpa Schuette in the swing.

Ryan and Julia take a ride thanks to Uncle Brian.
Ryan very sweetly asks down "You okay, Jew-e-a?"

Par-tay!

Perfect Timing

Look at who decided she'd finally like to start going potty on the potty...

...and who decided she never wanted to get off....

...even with daddy's gentle coaxing..."I'm NOT done!"

..30 minutes later (so not exaggerating here!)..."Bye, bye potty!"

NOT cleaning floors

Sunday at church, Ryan's teacher asked him what his favorite thing to do with his mother was. Any guess what he said?!?

"Clean the floors."
Which shocked me. Not because I don't clean the floors often...I think I've blogged before about my little love affair with our vacuum cleaner. But because I don't know if he's ever really helped me. And because I was expecting something more, uh, fun??! Not an answer which could easily have the Division of Child Labor knocking on my front door!

SO...today, there were NO floors cleaned. There was LOTS of play.
(Ok..and some laundry..today is laundry day, afterall!!!)

Towers were built...and knocked down.

Paint brushes were uncovered in the cabinet...

And the kids had a BLAST!
Just to top off this day I was determined to make FUN,
we went out for ice cream after dinner.
...and the floors, well, they are uh, still dirty. =)

6 years!

The day I married my best friend...May 3, 2003.

On Facebook a few weeks back, a friend tagged me on this note that I thought would be appropriate to fill out for this special occasion! Here goes...

1) When was your wedding day?
May 3, 2003

2) What day of the week was it?
Saturday

3) Did you get married in a church?
Nope, The Sheldon Concert Hall


4) How many in your wedding party?
4 bridesmaids, 4 groomsman and
8 "Pink Girls" who helped with guest book, readings, etc. --
They wore whatever dress they wanted, as long as it was pink! And they looked amazing!

5) How many guests were invited to your wedding?
Um, 400 something I think.

6)How long where you together before the engagment?
Well, we knew each other since sophomore year of high school. We dated about a year before we were engaged 8 or 9 years later.

7) How long did you wait to Tie The Knot after your proposal?
11 months

8) Did you register for gifts? If yes, where?
Target and Pottery Barn

9) Who did you hire as your photographer?
The amazing Will Jackson.

10) Did you have a DJ or a band?
DJ Jeff McMillian...and had to hire him to stay on an additional 2 hrs because our guests weren't ready to stop dancing! =)

11)What was your First dance to?
At Last by Etta James

12) Did your father walk you down the aisle?
Yep, down and then up all the stairs in the concert hall to the stage...I still can't believe we didn't trip!

13) What color were the bridesmaid dresses?
Bridesmaid dresses were black with a white sash. Very classic.

14) Did you have a bridal shower?
Several, thanks to fantastic family and friends and coworkers!

15) What type of limo did you get?
None...After the wedding guests mingled in the attached art gallery for cocktails and then headed up the steps to the ballroom. It was wonderful everything was under one roof!

16) What where your flowers?
Dozens and dozens and dozens of red/hot pink roses.

17). What Flavor was your cake?
Traditional white with real buttercream icing...my favorite!

18) Where did you go for your Bachelorette / Bachelor Party?

The girls went to a little winery in St. Charles and the Guys played paintball.

19) What type of wedding gown?
Strapless, A-line. I saw it in a magazine and had to track it down. =)

20) How was the weather?
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!!

21) Did you have an open bar?
Yes

22) Where did you go on your Honeymoon?
The Adventura Spa Palace

23) What was your favorite thing about your wedding day?
Marrying Jeff and being surrounded by family and friends.

24) Did anything go wrong?
Sorta...as some of the wedding party had already started to walk down the isle, my sister dropped Jeff's ring..and it bounced, and bounced, and bounced...right down the air conditioning register. I love this photo, because it was taken right after this happened and was fortunately retrieved by the photographer's assistant (who way earned his salary that day!), and it shows such emotion!

25) How long have you been married?
6 amazing years!!!

Ry Wants To Marry Mattie

Our New Pet(s)...for now.

Ryan works on creating a habitat for our new "pets"....

They will need some spring water....

Look closely and you shall see our tadpoles! =)
(We starter with 3 and one didn't survive the night, so we're at 2...for now!)

Soccer Star!

Ryan's excited fans gather...
(Uncle Mat came today too, I'm not sure how I missed getting a pic of him!?)

Ryan's coach, Tripp, tries to reinforce to the kids which direction they are trying to head with the ball. Note how Ryan is not paying attention...

Daddy congratulates Ryan on his score...for the other team,
while our little man stops for a water break!

And quite possibly his favorite part of the morning are the drinks/snacks provided after the games. Julia doesn't mind this part either! She scored a donut..thanks, Kristin Pfund! =)

Happy May Day!

Dear neighbors:

I really hate to break the news (really, I do!) that I am not the sweet and organized person that delivered May day treats at 8am this morning. First of all, if the children are awake at that time, I am already frazzled. (I really pull for 8:30 at the very least!) Secondly, I didn't even realize May was already here -- which would have been super helpful had I pulled out my planner to at least have noticed I'd planned two things for us this evening at the same time.

I really love my neighbor Laura for assuming it must have been me!!! Sorry, I so wish it were true! Truth be told, just this week Ryan asked if we could make some Valentines, so..uh, maybe we can deliver May Day treats in um...late June? =)