The grossest thing ever!

While getting something that Silas had dropped under the kitchen table, I happened to catch a look under Si's booster chair. What I saw was so incredibly disgusting that I about barfed right then and there. Things have been so busy and crazy lately that I honestly can't remember the last time I took his booster seat off and wiped the chair down - I did take a picture but I'm too ashamed to post it!!

Child labor laws?

Miss Ella has a natural talent for folding clothes. She folded 2 loads for me on Sunday. She does an awesome job with hers and Si's. Is it only subject to child labor laws if I were to hire her out to friends and neighbors?

A rare kodak moment of these 2 NOT fighting!Si fought and fought falling asleep and then I took him someplace with me and he fell asleep in the car.

Just-a-swingin'

Weather had been gorgeous so the kids are outside a lot - yippee!!

Ella can now get herself going and get pretty high (in case you couldn't tell by her hair!)

Someone escaped out back this morning in his pj's

Soggy Sunday Soccer (say that 3 times fast!)

It was barely 40 degrees today and raining like cats and dogs...but we STILL had a soccer game! The girls were real troopers! Mason went and sat in the van, and poor Si was sitting there freezing and getting soaked with me, until I put him in the van with Mason (duh!).
Melissa (our old sitter, now wonderful photographer) has a sports project due for one of her photography classes this week so she braved the weather as well and snapped some pics of the kids.
Here are a couple pics from one of the soccer moms and Melissa

Warming up - starts to rain hard!
Game time! Ella, the hooded wonder!
Towards the end of the game, the girls (and parents) were getting really cold and wet!

We were frozen (and soaked) to the bone after the game. Ella took a nice, hot bath and I took a very long, hot shower.
Then it was over to the neighbor's for a nice, impromptu dinner (pasta entree and bread on them, salad and dessert on us). And I'm so excited that it's getting to be grilling season - that makes the dinner menu planning more fun!

Earlier this week was beautiful - we got to have lunch outside on Tuesday and Si played quite a bit in the sandbox - barefoot!

How's that for a "cheese"!?

Margie update - she will be having surgery on Wednesday to remove a hunk of her colon. Please keep her in your prayers for an easy recovery - Sarah's wedding is only 6 weeks away and the MOB needs to be at her best :)

Oh, how I love Fridays!

Yippee, yahoo! I love Fridays. Most Fridays in our house are "pizza days" and we usually make our pizzas (w/Aldi pizza crusts for the kids and DiGiorno for us :).
The kids usually make their own

Silas looks like he's been involved in a bloody pizza massacre

Ella says "cheese" and Si crams cheese in his face

I've had several people (friends, family and even my MOM) ask me this week what the hell I do for a living - I work from home and I'm on the computer all the time - I talk to A LOT of people across the country and as often as possible avoid seeing clients in person (especially now that I have these braces!). So for those inquiring minds: I am career counselor - I work with folks who are in some stage of career transition (what do I want to be when I grow up, I just lost my job, I hate my job, I need a resume, I am getting my degree but don't know what to do with it...etc.).
I got this email of funnies about some interviewing no-no's:

Career Change - Top Twelve Interview Lowlights!

"She wore a Walkman and said she could listen to me and the music at the same time."

"A balding candidate abruptly excused himself. Returned to office a few minutes later, wearing a hairpiece."

"... asked to see interviewer's resume to see if the personnel executive was qualified to judge the candidate."

"Stated that, if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm."

"Interrupted to phone his therapist for advice on answering specific interview questions."

"When I asked him about his hobbies, he stood up and started tap dancing around my office."

"At the end of the interview, while I stood there dumbstruck, he went through my purse, took out a brush, brushed his hair, and left."

"... pulled out a Polaroid camera and snapped a flash picture of me. Said he collected photos of everyone who interviewed him."

"Said he wasn't interested because the position paid too much."

"During the interview, an alarm clock went off from the candidate's brief case. He took it out, shut it off, apologized and said he had to leave for another interview."

"A telephone call came in for the job applicant. It was from his wife. His side of the conversation went like this: "Which company? When do I start? What's the salary?" I said, "I assume you're not interested in conducting the interview any further." He promptly responded, "I am as long as you'll pay me more. "I didn't hire him, but later found out there was no other job offer. It was a scam to get a higher offer."

"Candidate said he really didn't want to get a job, but the unemployment office needed proof that he was looking for one."

Prayers, Pictures and Playlist

2 prayers - my sister Margie is in the hospital and most likely needs to have surgery and 2nd, our B Team friends meet with the doc about clinical trials today so we pray for good news all around!

Playlist: I've added one at the end of the blog. It doesn't automatically start but it's down there with some tunes that I've added if you want to check it out.

and Pictures - here are a few more soccer pictures and a couple others

Taking a break at the game

My best action shot - the girl in white getting knocked down
Running through "the tunnel" after the game
Si acts like a goof during the game


I mentioned that Si is very fascinated with dog food these days..
Ella looking cute before school yesterday morning

WOW, what a gorgeous weekend!

Spring has sprung! It was beautiful this weekend! It was packed full of so much stuff - we can't even begin to get it all down...working around the house, washing cars, Ella's first soccer game, bike riding, grilling out, book group, running errands, bumps and bruises...the list goes on.

I have to say, if my husband ever leaves me, it (probably) won't be because we fight about money or sex...it will be because of the state that I sometimes (regularly) leave the counter tops...
After a VERY full day of running around, washing cars, soccer, iPoding - I also had book group tonight ( and we had a wonderful, fun book group tonight!) and it was my night to make dessert. So I made dessert and then looked at the MESS of a house I was leaving my husband to deal with (and his MAJOR pet peeve is mess/clutter on the counters).

I felt really guilty (but was running late) - of course when I came home, he had them cleared off (kids were still awake but hey, I'll take that trade).

I have about 145 pictures of mostly soccer to post but here are a few of them:

Warm-up (one armed push-ups)

Ella was a big grump before the game

Silas practices his "Word-up" pose

Ella gets her feet on the ball and does a little dribbling

More tomorrow :)

The Boogie Blog

The conversations that occur among my children, I KNOW are happening among all ya' all's kids too....no wonder Bill Cosby had a "Things Kids Say" series!

Ella: Mom, I need a tissue
Me: Here you go (Silas and I go upstairs to get ready for bed)

Ella: (Yelling upstairs) Silas! Want to see my boogie?!?!
Me: (Yelling downstairs) No honey, I'm sure he doesn't!
Silas: HUH Ella?
Ella: WANNA SEE MY BOOGIE?
Silas: YES, I SEE!

Ella: See Mom! (now upstairs showing her boogie) - I told you, Silas DID want to see!
Me: Wow, (actually impressed), that is quite the boogie.
Silas: Ewww

Lucky for you....no pictures!!

Kindergarten screening

What a busy day for Miss Boo! She had preschool today and it was the field trip to the police department. I had to pick her up a few minutes early from there to get her to kindergarten screening. She did awesome! The principal asked all the kids to line up and she got right up and went. Then they marched off to another room to do the screening stuff, while the parents filled out papers, watched a video, listened to the principal talk a lot (really liked her - she is new since Mason was there, or maybe came in his last year).
Ella was so excited afterwards and told me how much fun it was.
Mason's kindergarten teacher was there and saw the last name so she asked Ella to make sure she told Mason HI for her. It made me teary-eyed to see her, especially after finding those pictures for Mason this week...my (hairy, smelly, goofy, almost teen) baby! :)
It was also Ella's first night of soccer practice - with Daddy as the coach again this year. Nothing cuter than seeing Justin out there with eight 5 year old girls - Go Cinderellas! (that is their team name :)