Ack!

OK, so I really need to update this blog. Bad mommy, bad mommy.

For all those that haven't heard we're expecting another girl. Estrogen continues to reign supreme in this household. Poor Todd. I officially gone into nesting mania and I'm repainting half the house. I painted the entire kitchen yesterday. Looks great! I'm cleaning and taping off the downstairs hallway, stairway and upstair halls this afternoon. I've book a sitter tomorrow and Friday so that I can get them painted. Then there is the nursery (still undecided on how to decorate it) and Lucy is insisting on painting her room too. If anyone stands still too long I might paint them too. Watch out.

Lucy starts school next Thursday. Whoo-hoo! I'm looking forward to having a schedule again. I'll definitely get some first day of school pics. No big plans for the holiday this weekend. I think Todd is covering the service, but we do have a date night planned for this Saturday.

PGA 2008

We went to another birthday party this weekend. We celebrated Sean's 5th birthday with a round of putt putt golf, pizza, ice cream and cupcakes. Lucy loved it. She perfected the push and drag putting technique. Isabel gave up on putting and just went directly to the holes and slam dunked her golf balls. I only got a few pics because Isabel kept running off. Lucy thoroughly enjoyed the party and catching up with all her school friends. Several moms commented on how much she's grown this summer. She has shot up an entire size this summer. All that sun and fun I guess.

Awesome chicken salad recipe

I picked this up at a playdate this summer. It's an easy, too yummy chicken and spinach salad. I make a batch of the chicken/pasta, refrigerate and toss a spoonful of it with a handful of spinach for lunch and viola -- a quick, healthy and delicious lunch for several days.

6 oz. bowtie pasta cooked
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup EVOO
1/3 cup soy sauce (I tend to use more like 1/4 cup, start with less and soy to taste)
3 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups cold shredded cooked chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)
8 cups baby spinach leaves
Optional (1/2 cup chopped parsley and sliced green onion)

Cook pasta and drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again.

In small frying pan combine sesame seeds and 1/4 cup of EVOO. Cook over med-low heat, stirring occasionally until seeds are golden (several minutes). Let cool. Stir in remaining oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over cooked pasta, add chicken and toss gently. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or until next day.

To serve toss with spinach (parsley and onion)

Enjoy!

And exhale. . .

We just returned from a week in Wisconsin catching up with Todd's side of the family. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the visit, and Todd and I are exhausted from the traveling. Traveling with kids under five is an extreme sport. Mix in Chicago's notorious O'Hare airport, and I can tell you exactly why they don't allow families to sit in the emergency exit rows -- they know you'll jump at some point.

Here are some pictures from our adventures. Every visit to WI includes a stroll on the boardwalk through the WI preserved marsh lands. This is the old road the Grandpa Beyer (Herbie) used to brave to visit Florence when they were a courtin'. Al says he used to drive an old Ford model T down this very road.


Here's a little WI marsh scenery:



Lucy-Goosey and Grandma Beyer on the boardwalk:
This is Isabel's latest pick-me-up tactic. She's rolls up like a pill bug and refuses to move.

Outcome of pill bug tactic:

And they say two year olds are unsophisticated. Haha.

Alan and Heidi:

The other 6 citizens of Waupan WI:

Profile of my favorite 2 yo:

Then it was onto boat rides around Fox Lake, WI.

The captain:

The co-captain:

The first mate:

This is a piece of cake!

Hmmm...I knew the co-captain should have taken a nap.

Look out Lucy!

Yikes. That was close. Maybe you should actually drive with your eyes open. Something to ponder.

OK, now about that nap.

Then we headed to the WI dells to take a duck ride. It was one of those old WWII amphibious vehicles. We loaded up on lollipops and hit Lake Delton. The girls had a blast and I snapped some shots of the cool rock formations on the lake.

The jolly rancher lollipops lasted and distracted the girls for the entire hour ride. I give them a 5 out of 5 and would highly recommended them for duck rides with kids under 5.

This final shot is off of Al and Judy's back deck in the early hours of the morning. It gives you a feel for the peaceful calm that they wake up to each morning. Lucy caught the one and only cat fish but I couldn't get the picture to rotate and upload. You'll have to take her word that it was "this big" and "huge!"

I failed to break out the camera during the Kraus family reunion activities. Too busy eating roasted corn I guess. I'll paste some of Judy's pics when she sends them. The girls had a blast eating, swimming, roasting smores and we caught one firefly.

We're getting resettled and already looking towards preparing for school next month. This summer has flown by.

Everything looks good

Just got back from my Dr. appointment. Everything looks good and the big US is scheduled for 8.18.08 in the afternoon...

Betcha don't have a pair of these

Slick, huh?

Growing up is hard on the knees. You should see the other knee.

A rare shot of Isabel. She's hardly still long enough for pictures these days. Being two is very busy business.

I have an OB appointment tomorrow. 17 weeks. We're almost half way there! I started feeling little rolls, bumps and thumps last week. The big US will be scheduled for August. I haven't been able to get a clear feel for whether it's a boy or girl.

Ish

Ish is a children's book that we heard at a library art program about creativity and the art process. Ramon loves to draw. "Anytime. Anything. Anywhere." He draws a vase-ish and then a tree-ish. Very cute book about creativity versus exactitude. We have a deep appreciation for the ish art genre in this house. Lucy and I have been painting river rocks for her friends that the family hand selected at the five rivers this past weekend. This has been our "Isabel's nap" project of late. She's wearing her art smock (AKA dad's tee shirt) from her preschool class last year. I don't typically label my children at home...yet.




Ta-da! It's a frog-ish. Can't you tell?