A Cat's Life~

Tashi is the epitome of laziness...she will spend the entire day sleeping, usually in our room, since it's the only safe spot away from Lumpy. Today I found her quite comfy, snoozing amongst the pillows on our bed. Her favorite appears to be Clyde's bolster pillow...when I show him these pictures, I'm sure he'll be less than thrilled. :P

Happy Easter ~

Happy Easter, from our family to yours! =)

Easter Bunny ~

Let me preface this by saying my son is fascinated with keys; big keys, little keys, car keys, tractor keys, skeleton keys.

So here was our conversation today:

"I want to be the Easter Bunny."
"Why, buddy?"
"Cause he has lots of keys."
"Keys, for what?"
"So he can get in our house and give us candy and Grammy's house too. He have a key for everybody's house, Mom?"

Apparently, he envisions the Easter Bunny as a high school janitor.

One Fish, Two Fish, Three Fish, Four~

I'm so loving all the fish stuff from Gymbo...and it's Gymbuck earning time, which makes spending so much easier on your conscience. (or at least that's my rationale!) ;)

WeeGo ~

Because of the recent concern over leaching chemicals in plastic baby bottles, Babylife is reintroducing glass baby bottles, but with a new design and safety twist: the bottle is covered with a modern sleeve that will help protect the bottle from breakage and also prevent bumping into other articles in your diaper bag. The sleeve is free of plastics and is 100% non-toxic.

And because they're so stinkin' cute, I want one in every color.

John the Schwan Man ~

Camdyn loves seeing John the Schwan man, she gets all excited and yells, "John's here, John's here!" The two of them have quite the ritual, she brings him a ball and they play catch, while I put my order together. Once he brings the food up, she pays him and gets a sticker from him that she puts on our calendar. There's a Schwan truck on the back of the catalog that she always has to point out as "John's truck".

I was telling Clyde about how the two of them interact and he made some crack about what's John doing while he's here so long. So, me being the smart ass that I am, replied that we aren't sure that this baby isn't John the Schwan man's baby. Haha! Clyde laughed and asked Camdyn if John was in mommy's room. Camdyn replied, "Uh huh." Which, of course, got a laugh out of both of us...and Clyde said he now has his proof and Cam would testify in court for him. I told him we better see what kind of witness she is, so I questioned her myself.

"Camdyn, was the Easter Bunny here today?"
"Uh huh."
"Camdyn, was Santa Claus here today?"
"Uh huh."
"Camdyn, is Dora taking a nap in your room?"
"Uh huh, Dora sleeping on me bed."

Case closed. ;)

Super Babies: The Embodiment of Evil ~

What was Nick Jr thinking when they decided to air Dora the Explorer: Super Babies? I'd like to ask the author what would inspire him to make Dora's twin siblings capable of super powers? I now have a 2-year-old that thinks she's 'super'; she scales tables, sofas, chairs, beds, the hearth, raises her arms in the air, jumps, and yells, "SUPER BABY!" She has zero fear and even less common sense. Let's hope she doesn't think her new sibling is born with the ability to fly or we could be in some serious trouble!

The Bump ~ Who we now officially know is a girl (I called it!). Here was our 3D from our 24-week appointment, the mess on the left side is actually the umbilical cord. So, I have roughly 15 weeks to figure out a name for this little princess...yikes!

The Naked Chef ~

I found this apron and hat at Target for $5.99 and the kids love it! Camdyn decided to make eggs for me this morning. Apparently, she had to take a call from her agent amidst the meal preparation.

Valentine's Day 2008 ~
I got a surprise, early Valentine's gift from Clyde and the kids today...M&M's that say 'Love Always' and 'Ri, Coop, Cam, TK' (TK is nickname I've called Clyde since we were first dating). Riley picked the colors, red and blue. What a cute and yummy idea! =)

Cooper's Romance ~
Cooper was in our bedroom playing Zelda on the xbox with Riley, they were quiet and staying out of trouble...or so we thought. Clyde went down the hall to check on them and, as soon as he entered the hallway, it struck him. There was a strong, overpowering smell emanating from our bedroom. He took a few steps into the room and about fell over...there Cooper sat at the edge of our bed, with a cloud of Ralph Lauren Romance hanging above his head. I'm not quite sure how many squirts he used, but from the strength of the smell coming from him, I'd guess he bathed in it.

We got him in the shower, where Clyde washed him with soap and shampoo and soap and shampoo...meanwhile, I cleaned up the bathroom. I found a hand towel that he had obviously used in an effort to erase the evidence...as if that was possible. Needless to say, the towel is now gone. Even after the shower, he still reeks. I have to say, I feel sorry for his teachers and classmates, he's going to Peppy La Peu them tomorrow, no doubt!

Snow Tunnels ~
Mother Nature just dumped a foot, plus of snow on us...I haven't heard the official amount yet; schools were canceled, a snow emergency was declared in Asbury, banks were closed, my work closed early (no work tonight, bonus!). Everyone and everything stayed inside waiting out the storm...well, everyone but the kids! Riley and Cooper were dying to get outside since they woke up this morning, but they didn't go out until late this afternoon when the snow finally subsided. I'm quite sure they would have stayed out till dark, had we let them. They had shovels and a broom (not sure what good that did, but whatever) and they were busy making snow tunnels through the huge piles out front. I remember making them as kids, loved doing that! It's funny, now I can't spend 5 minutes out there without thinking how fricken cold out it is...but as a child I don't think the cold even registered. In fact, I vividly remember getting frostbite on at least 2 occasions...nothing a little warm tap water from the kitchen sink couldn't cure. I managed to get two pictures of them while standing on the threshold of the front door...that's as far as I ventured out.

Personal Growth ~ It became very evident today how much Riley has matured in the past year. Riley's class has a guest reader every Tuesday, parents or grandparents usually volunteer, but apparently on Monday, Riley asked her teacher if SHE could be the guest reader. Her teacher agreed and today Riley brought Arthur's Underwear from home to read outloud to everyone in her class. For a girl who not two years ago wouldn't even participate in her Christmas program, I'd say she's come a long way! Way to go, Riley Breck! =)

Need I say more?

Mmm, Martini ~

Since I'm having a hankering for a Vodka & Cranberry, I decided to list some yummy Martini recipes for June 2nd...or whatever day I get home from the hospital. ;)

POMEGRANATE MARTINI – Simply sophisticated! Absolut Citron Vodka, triple sec and pomegranates. (I definitely want to try one!)

WASHINGTON APPLE MARTINI – Want an Appletini that’s a little sweeter...and tart I would imagine. Try this blend of DeKuyper Apple Pucker, Smirnoff Vodka and cranberry juice.

COSMOPOLITAN – Absolut Citron Vodka, Patrón Citrónge Orange Liqueur, a hint of lemon-lime and a splash of cranberry juice. (Classic fav)

FLIRTINI – Flirts with your taste buds. An icy cold blend of Ketel One Vodka, Chambord (a yummy French black raspberry liqueur), and pineapple juice. Mmm, sounds delish!

RED, WHITE & BLUEBERI MARTINI - Stoli Blueberi Vodka and pomegranate juice are shaken together and served straight up in an icy cold martini glass.

The Name Game ~

For some reason, I'm about 90% convinced this baby is another girl...Cooper and Clyde don't want to hear that, but what can you do. Anyway, I'm at a loss for name for this baby if indeed it does turn out to be a girl. I just haven't found a name I completely love. I'm obviously partial to unisex names, but haven't seen any that jump out at me. So I need suggestions, help a girl out!

Some unisex names that are out: Dylan, Logan, Dakota, Tyler

Baby It's Cold Outside! ~

It's currently -14 degrees outside with a -30 degree windchill...that's just not right. If I were independently wealthy, the fam would currently be waiting it out on a beach in Fiji. In fact, if you look really closely in the picture, you can almost see me getting a drink from the uber hot cabana boy. A girl can dream, right?

Anyway, back here in arctic Dubuque, Clyde was finally able to feel this little bambino kicking or karate chopping its mother.

Baby's New Ride ~

Since our last two strollers bit the dust, we had to break down and get a new one for this little wee one. I found it at Albee Baby for $140 off with free shipping, not a bad deal, eh?

We just have to trick this ride with a new carseat and we'll be good to go. Now to find a good price on a Chicco Key Fit---if you know of any deals, holla at me!

Update on Lumpy ~

We wound up taking Camdyn into the doctor to be seen, she just wasn't getting any better and we weren't getting any sleep. Turns out she has a sinus infection and an ear infection...which surprised me since she wasn't complaining about her ear at all. Anyway, she's on an antibiotic and hopefully on the mend. She scored Dora stickers while there and promptly adorned my refridgerator with them. Post for another day, but have you ever tried to get those Medibadge stickers off of a refridgerator?? Good God, you'd think they used Gorilla Glue for the adhesive.

Love me some MB ~

I just got an email that some of my Mini Boden preorder is shipping...cannot wait! I love the quality, the style, colors, it's a good thing there is no store anywhere near me! ;)

Couple of sneak peeks of what I ordered

Riley Breck ~

Yesterday we got a letter home from Riley's school. She was tested by the Gifted and Talented facilitator using the BRI (Basic Reading Inventory) and she did an excellent job. She actually scored at a 3rd grade level. Since she did so well, the teacher will now meet with Riley a couple of days a week, to enrich her reading skills. Riley's teacher also said she just got her updated ELA test scores back and they are near perfect. Man are we ever proud of that girl! Riley LOVES reading and she loves reading to us before bed...she tries to read to Cooper, but that kid is all about I SPY books right now. ;) WTG Riley Breck, Mommy and Daddy are SO proud of you!

Rough one for kids ~

I worked this weekend and it was a rough one for little kids. Several cases of pneumonia, RSV, Influenza A & B, even two cases of mono. It is so hard listening to those poor babies scream through xrays and labs, I hate hearing them wheezing and gasping for air. I want to be able to snap my fingers and make them better! In most cases, the parents seem very responsible, loving, and caring...but there are always a few times when you can just tell the poor baby doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell. One that stuck out this weekend was a 2-month-old that absolutely reeked like smoke, it was emanating from his blankets, car seat, clothes, everything. He sounded horrible, gasping, coughing, trying to catch his breath. He tested positive for RSV. I heard his mom bitching about how she didn't want to have to 'deal with no damn nebulizer'. I have to give our Acute Care doctor props, because he pretty much laid into her and basically let her know how sick her little guy was. It's times like that, that I wish DHS could get involved for mandatory drop-ins to make sure she's following through with his medical care.

We've got some sick ones here at home, Cooper is just getting over a nasty cough, Riley has a 'terrible stuffy nose' as she will tell you, and poor Lumpy is just miserable...a cough, constant runny, snotty nose, runny eyes, rash around her mouth, even her voice sounds funny. If she's not better in a day or so, I'm going to have to bring her in...there's too much nasty stuff going around not to!

The Final Installment to the Kay family ~

Apparently, we have one relaxed baby in there...and quite possibly a future gymnast. Here is our little June bug, hands and arms behind its head and feet stretched up over the top. How can that be comfortable? ;)

Lumpy the Mermaid ~

Camdyn is all about independence these days. Her favorite saying, "My do, my do!" So, she put her own pants on today...in full Ariel fashion.

Christmas Eve ~

We went to St. Patrick's Church this evening, instead of Nativity. What an experience, now I know why we don't make it to Mass every Sunday like we did when it was just Riley. Cooper does not grasp the concept of whispering...he spent most of the service asking me how many more minutes until it was over, while driving Cars up and down the wall.

Camdyn was busy going through my mom and Caitlin's purses. When we gave her money to put in the collection basket, she tried taking more out instead of putting hers in. Riley, whom I expected to be good, wasn't. Clyde finally wound up taking Camdyn to the back of the church where she worked her charm on the ushers. She also, apparently, became the official greeter...waving and telling everyone 'hi' and 'bye'.

Sad to say, but we won't be making it back until Easter. Yep, we've become Chreasters...families that make it for Christmas and Easter. :(

Foghat's Slow Ride ~

Catch this---Cooper comes flying out of his room with his radio in tow SCREAMING. I imagine Camdyn in his room on the top shelf of his closet or something, so I run to his room, heart pounding as to what I'm going to find when I get in there. Not only is Lumpy not in there, but Cooper is still yelling out in the living room. Want to know what the craziness was about? Foghat's Slow Ride was on the radio and he starts screaming that it's on Bubba's Guitar Hero. Oh my addict!

Cooper's Christmas List ~

Cooper spent the afternoon at Grammy and Grandpa's house yesterday and when the girls and I got there, my mom told me Cooper had told her his Christmas list. She wrote it down just as he told her:

1. John Deere gator
2. Star Wars TV game
3. light sabers in every color
4. glow-in-the-dark underwear
5. table for my room (as long as Dad's truck)
6. TV remote
7. Polly Pockets for Riley
8. 2 lamps for the living room
9. 3 pillows - 1 big straight one like Dad's
10. a 'mote control John Deere tractor
11. a scary mask
12. a lock for my room so Camdyn can't get in when I'm gone
13. a wooden reindeer
14. stuffed fawn
15. kid cookbook
16. kid craft book
17. Night Before Christmas book

I believe 13-17 and the 2 lamps came from him looking around the room while talking to Grammy. haha He's original, but come on, who really asks for a stuffed fawn? :P He then proceeded to circle every toy in the toy catalog Grammy got in the mail. 'Cause a kid can never have enough toys, right?

Phobia ~


pho·bi·a (fō'bē-ə) n.
1. A persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous.

2. A strong fear, dislike, or aversion.

I've come to the conclusion that I have some yet unnamed phobia of opening these unostentatious roll containers. My husband thinks it's darn right humerous, but one of these days when I'm blinded or maimed whilst preparing a breakfast of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, he'll understand my trepidation.

The Surprise Party ~

After waiting for months it was finally here, the surprise 60th birthday party for my mom. We had the party at 180 Main in Dubuque, the neatest old building that has an irish pub in the basement with live music, a restaurant on the main floor, banquet room, and another loft upstairs. You can check it out at http://www.180main.com/ , the food was wonderful and the banquet room was just perfect for us.
My mom was absolutely, without a doubt, clueless about the whole thing---she was SO incredibly surprised and seeing her so happy made it all worth it. It was so nice having our family together, I wish everyone lived closer. So I leave you with a picture of the fam...

Photoshop Actions ~

I'm just figuring out how to work actions in Photoshop, the whole thing is still really confusing, but I'm working on it. This action is vintage, it obviously does something with desaturation and texturization...beyond that, I have no idea! :P

Ratatouille ~

Clyde bought Ratatouille today, so we had family movie night tonight. What a cute movie! The kids loved and we adults enjoyed it too. Thumbs up from the Kay family! ;)

I remember reading that rats make wonderful pets, but after watching the bonus feature on the dvd---I'm not sure so it would be the best for us. It said a male and female rat can produce 15,000 baby rats in a lifetime. Holy babies batman...er, ratman!

Mountain Cabin Revisited---

I posted earlier about Gymboree's new line and how much I loved it, well, we got our first shipment and oh how I love it! I got the girls matching sets of the outfit Riley's wearing in the picture, it has the matching sweater I posted earlier too. Riley loves it when she and Camdyn match and well, I think it's pretty damn cute too. I'll have to try and get a picture of the both of them together. This week starts Circle of Friends sale at Gymbo for 30% everything---uh oh! ;)

You know what irritates me?

How is it that there is an entire generation of young people that have not one shred of common sense? One of my jobs at work is to check in new patients, update their demographics and insurance information, and determine what concerns they're having. The easiest way to start the process is to ask for a date of birth. Step two, ask their name. I cannot even begin to tell you how many young people I've checked in and when asked their date of birth they have no issues, but it all goes down hill quickly after that. I ask their name and get the answer, "Jennifer." or "Mike." Does no one in high school and college have a last name? Do they think they're the only Jennifer or Mike EVER born on their same date of birth?

Happy Halloween ~

Happy Halloween from Cooper the Contractor, Riley the Princess, and Camdyn the Piggy!

Hutch~

Sir Hutchinson Braveheart, more endearingly known as Hutch or Bones, was a college graduation gift to me from Clyde. He got Hutch from a town in Minnesota called Hutchinson, hence the first part of his AKC name. Braveheart stems from Hutch's fierce battle with Parvo Virus as a young puppy.

We took Hutch to see Dr. Stark today, because he hasn't been using his back right leg. The news was bad, Hutch tore his cruciate ligament in his knee. As Dr. Stark put it, "Damn, double damn, triple damn!" He did go on to tell us that it is completely fixable, but both cost and Hutch's age will play a part in our ultimate decision. Hutch is a 12 1/2 year-old Siberian Husky that is not new to the veterinarian's office. Along with the Parvo, Hutch had a rod put in his front left paw due to a fracture he received after running into a moving car. At just over a year of age, Hutch was showing the signs of juvenile cataracts in both eyes. We opted to have a rather costly surgery to replace his cloudy lenses with artificial lenses, enabling him to see again. So, since he was a puppy, he's been an expensive dog...I sure wish he would have qualified on our health insurance policy, since he is after all, part of the family.

So we're faced with deciding if we spend the money on the surgery to repair his knee and hope he's still got a few years in him, or if we feel he's just too old and may not recovery well, then we need to put him down. I have to tell you, I don't want to have to make this choice, it's just tearing me up.

Mountain Cabin ~

Gymboree's new line is tdf, love it. I'm going to either have to start donating plasma or else I'm going to have to sell a kidney to afford what is currently sitting in my shopping cart. *sigh*

Bahl's Pumpkin Patch 2007

This was our 3rd year of going to Bahl's pumpkin farm with the kids, they've been looking forward to it for weeks now. It was in the 50's, so a little chilly, but fun nonetheless!

The kids went in a SpongeBob jump house, they had a corn maze, a hay maze, slides, pony rides, petting zoo, corn box, rope swings into hay, and a wagon ride. Camdyn had her first pony ride today and she LOVED it, she was however, mortified when the pony in front of hers took a big dump!

Each of the kids picked out a pumpkin, some cotton candy, and some hot chocolate, then we headed for home...lucky for us it's only 5 minutes away! :)

Upper Case Living

I was invited to an uppercaseliving party next week. Prior to today, I'd never heard of it. They have a website, http://www.uppercaseliving.com/ so I checked out what they had to offer tonight. Cute stuff!! I definitely will be getting something, I just don't know what. I'm thinking of getting, "Firecrotch" to put on the wall above where Clyde sleeps, but aside from that I'm struggling for ideas! I do like this Irish blessing for the entryway:

May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.

or maybe

May you live as long as you want,
and never want as long as you live.

Exchanging Digits

Riley came home from school today and informed me that she and Luke had exchanged phone numbers today---so they could call each other. Um yeah, about that---don't think so. Clyde said when he calls he's going to give him the 'Big, Scary Dad' talk, I had to remind him that Luke is 5.

Homespun Style

So I've been introduced to Janie and Jack's October 2005 line, Homespun Style. Those that know me, know of my addiction to kids clothes. Well, I'm head over heels for this line right now. I'm a woman on a mission---Camdyn will have this line---period.

Guitar Hero 2

Cooper was introduced to GH2 this past weekend. My brother, whom we call Bubba, showed Cooper how to play it. To say Cooper was engrossed with it would be an understatement...the kid straight up would have taken it home if given the opportunity.

They played two player and Cooper had to have the guitar with the skull and crossbones---duh, as if a 4-year-old boy would choose otherwise? I have to admit it was pretty funny to see him jamming out to some of the songs I listened to as a teenager, like Sweet Child O' Mine.

When we got home, Cooper was turning other toys into 'guitars' and running around the house like a crazy fool. Perhaps his aspiration to become a 'diggerman' will now be replaced by a rock star?

You can find me in St. Louie...

We just spent the last 6 hours in the car with the kids. I'm quite sure if I ever decide to make the trek to St Louis again, it will only be after I've added Valium and Xanax to my itinerary. Love my children more than life itself, but a 22-month-old that doesn't sleep a wink, a 4-year-old that keeps asking if we're there yet, and a 6-year-old whining about what movie they're watching is enough to drive me to drink.

It was awesome visiting my brother, I really miss seeing him. We went to see his new apartment, which was not only huge, but also new and bright! He had sunrooms that flanked both ends of the unit, complete with french doors, wood and ceramic tile floors. The most impressive thing was the video game console he made from scratch, complete with all the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and arcade games EVER MADE! He never ceases to amaze me!

So, as much as I may bitch about the drive time with the kids, it was worth it. In fact, I wish we had more time there. The kids LOVE spending time with Uncle Bubba and he quite obviously loves spending time with them (even though they wear him out!).

Why do dogs smell so stinkin' bad? One of our dogs, not sure which, has gas bad enough to initiate any one's gag reflex. Honestly, worse than rotten milk mixed with garbage that's sat in the sweltering heat, sitting on top of a dead, maggot-ridden rat. There is now a quite flammable, putrid cloud hanging over the living room. Whatever crawled up and died in their anal fissures needs to find it's way out, and fast!

I ordered this shirt today---guess who it's for?

A Riley Brag ~

Riley and her class were tested for an early literacy test...the class scores ranged from 33-124...except for Riley who scored a 162! We are so stinkin proud of her!

Tooth Fairy

The tooth fairy has a date with our house tonight, Riley lost her first tooth today! She was beyond excited, I'm pretty sure she called everyone she knows to tell them the big news.

Billy Bob Binky

Betcha you'd have to look twice if you saw this in her mouth out in public! Rest assured, I will never let that happen! ;)

Morgan and Milo

How cute are these shoes?! I was so stoked when I found out they come in Cooper's size---he LOVES his flame shoes! Now I'm on the lookout for other styles for the girls!