Wordless / Wordful Wednesday - Homecoming

Wordless Wednesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom – check them out for more!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And now the wordful part! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s Homecoming at our alma mater.  I plan on taking the kids to the homecoming parade (to see the band) and then a big “feed” (to hear the band).  Then we’ll take our sugared out kids home.  No tickets for the game, besides I wouldn’t take the kids just yet, they’re a little too restless.  They all recognize the team logo and can yell “Go Bison!” My husband and I met as part of the marching band.  Yes, we’re band geeks!!

Wordful Wednesdays are hosted by Angie at SeVeN cLoWn cIrCuS.  Please don’t forget to stop by her place!!

  PS – It’s my mom’s birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!  I love you!

Friday Fragments / Friday Freewrite

Got lots of little things you need to get off your mind, but can’t NOT mention them? Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissing Time and Sarah at Ordinary and Awesome  give us the chance to get it all out there!

• I started using my phone to take notes for Friday Fragments/Freewrite.  It has a little note pad feature I can keep adding on to.  There have been plenty of times I have thought I should remember this for Friday and then can’t think of a thing to say by the end of the week!!
• Have you ever brushed your teeth in the shower? I had forgotten how satisfying this really is.  I know it sounds weird, but I think my teeth get cleaner! My room mate in college used to do it all the time and I thought it was totally strange.  Then I tried it, attempting to save some time.  I don’t know if it's the inhibition of making a complete mess or what, but I swear I do a better job in the shower.  Seriously. Try it.
• *Potential TMI alert* I caught a cold the beginning of last week and my right ear felt a bit closed up.  I chalked it up to the congestion and let it go.  Then I woke up one morning and my ear was completely blocked.  I realized it wasn’t my cold.  I have always had problems with my ears getting plugged up with wax, but its really been years since this has happened.  Having been to the clinic many times in the past, I figured I could take care of it myself.  I dug out the largest syringes I could find (kid’s oral meds) and fashioned a loop out of craft wire.  I flushed my ear and eventually got out the big cork of wax.  It was as if someone had turned the volume back on in the world.  But now my ear hurts….. I may need to go in anyway. sigh.
• It has been so chilly in the mornings these last couple of days that I actually busted out a pair of socks to wear in the house.  My feet haven’t seen socks outside of work for about 4 months.
• Max received a couple of turkey feathers during the trip to the orchard Wednesday.  He took it upon himself to learn how to fly.  Good luck, there, Max…

A Thousand Word Thursday - A Trip to the Orchard

Max’s class got to take a field trip to an apple orchard on Wednesday.  I was asked to help and I said I could as long as they didn’t mind a few little people tagging along.  With JC on my back and Piper at my side (and a camera around my neck) I helped wrangle kindergarteners to the orchard. 

We got to pick apples, make apple stamps, and go on a scavenger hunt. We read stories about apples then took the picked produce to the pail.  After a quick wash they were ground up and pressed to make fresh apple juice.  (Nevermind the bees we may have squished into the press, they were everywhere! Hope you’re not allergic!)

A Thousand Word Thursday is the brainchild of TheMomJen at Cheaper Than Therapy.  Please head over to her site to see more great shots that are worth a thousand words!

Wordless / Wordful Wednesday – Parade Time

Wordless Wednesday is brought to you from the gals at 5 Minutes for Mom.  Stop by their site to join in or read more!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And now for the Wordful Part~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The big kids got to ride the Lions float in our hometown parade.  The route goes right past our house!  Our neighbor just happens to be the guy in charge of the parade float, so they were IN!  They got to throw candy and were promised the leftovers, but they ran out even before the hit the end of the route.  Not to fear Piper (with Grandma’s help) caught plenty for all!!!

And for your viewing enjoyment, Grandma taking a picture of Grandpa with her camera phone.  After she called me with it to ask how to work the camera (again).  I love old people and technology! I’m sure that’s exactly what my kids will be saying of me someday!!!

Please stop by Angie’s SeVeN cLoWn CirCuS for more Wordful Wednesday!!!

It’s Over.

It’s over.  I guess I knew it was coming, but I’m sad nonetheless.  I was really hoping to give it a little more time but it has been made clear to me that I no longer have a say.  I’m done.

Breastfeeding.  JC has decided he’s done. I’m done.  And for all the wishing I could take aspirin again, I am sad.  He somehow heard the chimes of his 1st birthday ringing and decided it was over.  I have made offers to no avail.  Sure, I could be happy to relieve my migraines with fantastic medicine.  I could be glad to be rid of the breast pump I carried to work, or to overnight stays where I might be away for several hours.  I should be glad to use up all the frozen stores of milk taking up space in the freezer.  I should be celebrating with a beer (or several).  But I’m just not in the mood.  I’m feeling a bit sad. Nostalgic.  All of my kiddos nursed until 14 or 15 months.  JC has asserted his independence and caught me a bit off guard.  This probably won’t be the last time he does that.  I really assumed I was calling the shots and would be weaning him when I was ready.  No, I wasn’t planning to be feeding him during his kindergarten milk breaks, but I thought I at least had a few more months.

It’s not just that I was feeding him.  Breastfeeding is bonding time.  Quiet time.  It was the few moments in a day where I was forced to NOT do something, no multitasking.  I liked it.  Even when I complained that I can’t get everything for everyone else and nurse the baby at the same time (well, most of the time).  I will miss it.  This is the last baby, so this is really the last time.  My breasts have retired.  According to me, anyway.  Apparently my husband disagrees.

Friday Fragments & Freewrite

          

It’s time once again to purge your mind of all those little thoughts, too small for their own post, too cool to forget about… Please drop by Mrs. 4444’s Half Past Kissing Time and Sara’s Ordinary and Awesome to see more!!

• I can not believe how fast these last weeks have gone!! The kids are back in school and when I asked Max how Kindergarten was, he proceeded to tell me there were Legos and what ones he played with this week!!! Every day I ask about school and I hear about Legos.
• I am not usually a freak.  Yesterday I was.  I took out two big bags of garbage and as I was coming back inside I felt something tickling my leg.  I glanced down to see a HUGE insect on me.  I yelped and stomped my foot to shake it off.  IT FLEW off my leg and into the living room. Did I mention it was HUGE?? I stood in the door way debating whether to continue what I was doing or hunt down the thing.  Then I heard it.  Bumping and buzzing along the ceiling in the living room.  Smack, smack, smack.  It was the biggest wasp-like thing I have ever seen.  And it rode in on my leg.  I ran out of the room.  We aren’t in there as much, I’m hoping it will just die…..
• I am trying to clean out that toy room. Still. (I posted a picture back in JUNE about it!!) It’s only gotten worse.  My motivation, besides giving JC his own room, it that there is a city wide garage sale this weekend and there’s a ton of money sitting in this room.  I collected almost 100 happy meal toys and divided them into 20 gallon size storage bags, all marked 25 cents. I’ve also gathered most of the baby baby toys that no one will use anymore and stickered them….. now to haul it all to the garage!
• Aria participated in the Lil’ Miss Sunflower Pageant Wednesday night.  They interview each contestant with 2-3 questions from a list of similar questions we were given about a week ago.  I was really happy to hear Aria answer so well.  What do you like to do in the summer in your town? “Plant flowers” (crowd awwws) What do you want to be when you grow up? “an archaeologist” (crowd oohs and aahhhs more – secretly I had hoped for this question, I mean what other 7-year-old wants to be an archaeologist??) None of the other kids got the reaction she got for her answers.  It was cute.  She did not, however, get the crown.  They actually draw the names from a bucket.  I’m quite happy with that, I think its much more fair.  It’s a good lesson for her to compete and not win simply on luck of the draw, not because she didn’t do her best.  The crowd reaction was good enough for me ;)

• I really need to learn how to cook.  It’s becoming painfully obvious I am lacking in that department.  When Steve is home, I don’t even get up to stand in the kitchen.  I depend on him to make me good food.  My attempt at stroganoff the other night wasn’t bad, but I was embarrassed to let Steve eat it when he came home.  I open a mean box of Hamburger Helper, but the kids are getting tired of …. well, actually they’re tired of everything that isn’t Mac and Cheese.  Maybe its not me.
• I mentioned to my husband what a good cook I thought he was.  He replied: “Anybody can be a good cook with enough butter!”
• I was watching “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant”….I laughed every time these re-enactment moms gave birth to a 3-month old baby!
• How do you fix a sad Piper?………………candy

A Thousand Words Thursday – Party?

A Thousand Words Thursday is hosted by TheMomJen at Cheaper Than Therapy!! Please stop by to see more pictures worth a thousand words!

JC’s birthday was Saturday and I had planned to have a party.  Unfortunately things didn’t go that way so he really didn’t get one.  Daddy came down with strep throat and I came down with a case of procrastination (surprise surprise) that lead to no cake or clean house.  I called everyone and postponed to a later to-be-announced date.

I guess we’ll just have another get-it-all-over-with-at-once Fraase Family party in October.  It covers everyone but Piper. I find it easier this way, we’ll just invite all the out in-laws for one party and then we can call it good until next year!!

Since we didn’t have a party, we gave JC a cake.  Aria and I decorated it and we used the extra batter to make a few cupcakes.  I had everyone eat in the studio so I could take pictures!

                              

 

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy

It’s Jackson’s 1st birthday.  I really can’t believe this day is already here, it seems like I just had him.  I’ve really tried to savor the “last baby” as best as I can, but he just keeps getting older *sigh*.

          

     

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

Becoming BFF IRL – part two

Continued from our story yesterday (which you  can read HERE)… OR read HER side of the story HERE!
The RaMbLeR: As if we hadn't already had so many road blocks. But we were determined to make sure the kids were gonna go home thinking of how fun it was in Oklahoma! Instead the stupid water park (the REAL one, not just my little makeshift backyard water park) was closed. (see this to find out why)
Luckily, I searched my brain and after a couple of phone calls (my first friend call advised her pool was not open either) we were able to take the very disappointed kids (except Roo, who was back at school and BA, that had been at band camp all week) to my friends neighborhood pool.
What did you think of that?
Mel: That was awesome. And as far as my kids were concerned, we went to a pool and swam.  That's what they wanted.  Your friends were so nice to let us crash their neighborhood pool, and very nice in person, too!  It was a really beautiful setting.  I was sure that before we left Aria would head down to the little stream in back and try to catch wildlife.  I laughed at the thought that perhaps for the second time that week we were about to load up the kids, promise them pool time, then turn around and go home!! It was probably easier to drag them from this pool than if we HAD hit the waterpark.
The RaMbLeR: I'm so glad they were satisfied with this pool since that was the best we could do at the time. As it was I know SM was NOT happy and did not want to leave when Hubs came to pick him up for football practice. He was having too much fun playing in the water.
If I recall right, we didn't do much else that evening except my Hubby was starting his plague decline about that time so he offered up the big screen and we tried to relax while the kids watched a movie. What movie was that again?
Mel: Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix! Of course you and I were sitting side by side on our lap tops discussing the finer points of the iPhone vs. BlackBerry, so I don't remember much of the movie.  But at least no one was puking!
The RaMbLeR: Oh yeah! That's right! I hadn't had my iPhone for very long and you had literally just gotten your Blackberry RIGHT before you left.
It was the next morning that was so fun!

I loved watching the kids play in the rain! By the way, I was pretty sure that North Dakota had some pretty bad rains not too far back??
Mel: This was a better day, and most memorable because after that quick downpour we let the kids run around in all the water on the street.  I've never seen so much water disappear so fast.  In ND that water would sit for days and breed mosquitoes. OR fill my basement...this year was exceptionally bad for that. Why do you ask?
The RaMbLeR: Because the excitement on the kids faces was as if they had never seen rain before....
I loved watching them play "Follow the Leader"...even if it WAS in the middle of the road!
And to see JC's reaction when I put his sweet little hands in the rain dripping from the roof of my house.
Mel: That was pretty darn cute! I think the shock the kids experienced was that it was still so warm, even soaking wet.  It cools off so fast here!!! They all loved being allowed to march through the puddles all they wanted.  I was doing laundry anyway! I hated to pack up!!!
The RaMbLeR: Yeah, I guess the temperature was really strange to them!? I remember when they wanted to ride bikes/scooters but it wasn't long and they were running back inside to cool off for a bit...while SM remained outside.
Mel: And they were all red-faced and panting, SM probably wondered what the heck their problem was?!
The RaMbLeR: LOL....I'm not sure he realized they were so hot. He loses track of time (not sure where he gets THAT from...it has to be his father!) so he probably just thought they were getting drinks. haha
I know I sure hated to see you leave! It seemed like you had just gotten here and I still had so much I wanted to show you. I wanted to show you the riverwalk in our downtown area and we missed the zoo and I would've loved to take you over by the lake...it's beautiful there!
So, I think we have plenty of things to DO for your next trip to come see me again!  But can you be sure you leave the plague back home or where ever...as long as you don't bring it here again?
Mel: I will promise try hard not to get anyone sick again.  All told, when our trip was over (I went to WI next) 12 people ended up getting sick.  I'm pretty sure the CDC is well aware of my movements now.  I still had fun.  It was awesome to talk to you without typing or video delay!!! I really wish we lived a little closer. My hubby thinks I'm cracked for travelling alone w/ 4 kids for that distance! Maybe that's why we get along so well....we're both a little crazy, hee hee!
The RaMbLeR: I'm not sure I know what you are talking about - crazy - I didn't drag 4 kids clear from one end of the US almost to the opposite end! CRAZY LADY!  But, I am SO glad that YOU are crazy! It was awesome to meet you IRL! It would be wonderful to have you as my neighbor....that friend that could come in my open door and it would be no big deal, just to chat with a cup of coffee in hand. I could see that happening....IF you lived closer! Oh, and I appreciate that your hubby was willing to give you up for all that time so you could come meet me. I guess maybe we ARE both crazy! A lot of people were amazed that I would let an EBFF some stay inside my house for almost a week (cause you could've been some crazy psycho lady). Haha!! I said I already knew you were!
Mel: Hey, I think we got to know each other better than if we'd spent all that time sight seeing!  Nothing says TMI like admitting I just peed my pants throwing up in your toilet and changing in the same room together.  Really, who does that? Us, I guess !!  I truly had a good time despite the plague. I was sad to go and sorta wished I could postpone the rest of my trip to stay longer, now that we were healthy!!  My friends said some of the same things... you're driving where to meet who?? Are you sure about this?
The RaMbLeR: ROFL...PMP...Oh, no that was YOU! I was SO glad we clicked IRL just as well as we did online. That could've been a disaster if it had been otherwise. And, despite our illnesses, I also enjoyed your company and honestly can't wait until the next time. Thank you for trusting and making that trip!
Mel: Thanks for taking us! I'm really glad we did it!