Three Bears and A Buckeye

Reading Time

2011-10-07T14:29:00.003-05:00

Evan has to practice reading for at least 20 minutes a day. Usually, Jon reads with one of them and I read with the other. This night, I ended up reading with both of them. It really is the only time of the day that they are quiet and still!

State Fair of Texas

2011-10-07T14:21:00.003-05:00

After living in Texas for 6 years, all of our friends were so appalled that we had not been to the State Fair that we were coerced into going this year!

We went the first day of the fair after we got Evan from school....he had a half day for "Fair Day".

Our friends, The Gambles, were wonderful tour guides and we all had a great time! I got to ride all the roller coasters with the kids and Jon got to eat fried food...a nice balance for us!

Luke love the animal exhibit...and nothing else. No rides for my munchkin.

Evan rode everything and is totally ready for Six Flags!

We met up with lots of Evan's school buddies.

Big Tex

Very Belated First Day of School Pics

2011-10-07T14:16:00.001-05:00

Luke, is not interested in these at all!

My handsome first grader:)

Cheese!

More Maine

2011-09-22T08:58:00.003-05:00

Maine

2011-09-22T08:49:00.002-05:00

Maine

2011-09-22T08:42:00.003-05:00

Better late than never! I have been working on a continuing ed class that has a 600 page textbook and of course dealing with back to school/sports craziness. Such a slacker...:)

A happy day in the Hutcheson garden

2011-06-12T20:50:00.003-05:00

After 2straight years of no tomatoes due to blight and bugs, our cherry tomatoes are the first to ripen. The boys were eating them right out of the garden. I am very happy that all my hard work this spring was rewarded with tomatoes:)!

Go Mavs!

2011-06-12T20:43:00.001-05:00

Suited up and ready to cheer the Mavs to a championship...look at the game faces!

Sports Dilemnas

2011-06-09T21:29:00.002-05:00

My kids have this annoying game where that continually name two teams...in a variety of sports...and ask us if they played each other who would we cheer for. This is the result of growing up in a household that has allegiance to Reds, Cubs, Bears, Bengals, Buckeyes, etc, etc.

Sometimes the questions are nuts: "Who would you cheer for if the Reds played the Bears?"

This week Evan asked me, "If the Cowboys played the Bears in the SuperBowl, who would you cheer for?" I told him that they couldn't play each other because they are in the same conference. He said, "But if they could, who would you cheer for?". I told him, of course the Bears. He said, "What if I cheered for the Cowboys?" I simply told him, "I would find you a nice new place to live". He said, "Mom you are crazy! I would just go live with Grandma and Papa".
I told him Papa probably wouldn't even answer the door....little does he know that crazy is passed down from fathers to daughters.

I did let him wear a Mavs shirt to camp this week....I am not totally nuts!

When Mommy is sick in bed...

2011-06-09T21:25:00.002-05:00

Daddy lets us play on the iTouch as much as we want!

Look Mom, I Passed!

2011-06-09T21:19:00.002-05:00

Last day of Kindergarten
Posing with his certificate of completion...don't get me started on the #%#)$% Minnesota Vikings shirt Uncle Hutch and Aunt Susie sent him. It has since been "lost".

He passed!

Summer So Far...

2011-06-09T21:04:00.002-05:00

I have been severely neglecting blogging. The end of school is always very chaotic...fun, with lots of events, but very time consuming.

Then for a little end of the year gift, I got knocked on my rear with a horrible sinus and ear infection that landed me in bed and down for almost a week. I was nice enough to share this with the boys and so they were sick their first week out of school.:(

We have managed to really enjoy our pool as we once again embrace another hot Texas summer!

This week Evan has sports camp at Jesuit high school and it exhausts even him...not complaining.

Lukey has been in swim lessons and we just signed up for another session because he is absolutely loving it. He is swimming a little bit without any floaties and I am hoping we won't need them anymore after the next session.

Evan is still playing baseball and after a rough start, has moved up to 4th in the batting order and is hitting .750. His fielding is also getting much better. My timid little person has also developed a bit of an aggressive streak and he has really blossomed on the basketball court and soccer field.

Both boys have been very into the NBA playoffs and we are actually grateful that the Bulls are not playing the Mavs in the final....there may have been some hard feelings here;).

Jon and I are treading water keeping up with everyone...trying to enjoy all the moments and also perhaps occasionally sit down and breathe.

Family Pictures

2011-06-09T20:43:00.005-05:00

We recently had some family pics taken by our favorite photographer...Ms. Chera:).

The boys were mostly well behaved, but I am always amazed she ever captures anything with 2 little boys goofing around....3 if you count Jon!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T20:53:00.002-05:00

I know I have posted this before, but Anna Quindlen always seems to say it best when it comes to motherhood...I always love to revisit this on Mother's Day because I just love it!

All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast. Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like. Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past. Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now. Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, have all grown obsolete. Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories. What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations --what they taught me, was that they couldn't really teach me very much at all. Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything. One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2. When my first child was born, parents were told to put baby to bed on his belly so that he would not choke on his own spit-up. By the time my last arrived, babies were put down on their backs because of research on sudden infant death syndrome. To a new parent this ever-shifting certainty is terrifying, and then soothing. Eventually you must learn to trust yourself. Eventually the research will follow. I remember 15 years ago poring over one of Dr. Brazelton's wonderful books on child development, in which he describes three different sorts of infants: average, quiet, and active. I was looking for a sub-quiet codicil for an 18-month old who did not walk. Was there some thing wrong with his fat little legs? Was there something wrong with his tiny little mind? Was he developmentally delayed, physically challenged? Was I insane? Last year he went to China . Next year he goes to college. He can talk just fine. He can walk, too.Every part of raising children is humbling, too. Believe me, mistakes were made. They have all been enshrined in the, 'Remember-When- Mom-Did Hall of Fame.' The outbursts, the temper tantrums, the bad language, mine, not theirs. The times the baby fell off the bed. The times I arrived late for preschool pick up. The nightmare sleepover. The horrible summer camp. The day when the youngest came barreling out of the classroom with a 98 on her geography test, and I responded, 'What did you get wrong?'. (She insisted I include that.) The time I ordered food at the McDonald's drive-through speaker and then drove away without picking it up from the window. (They all insisted I include that.) I did not allow them to watch the Simpsons for the first two seasons. What was I thinking? But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get onto the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less. Even today I'm not sure what worked and what didn't, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I'd done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top. And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That's what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.

A Little H-O-R-S-E anyone?

2011-05-05T21:08:00.002-05:00

Evan is really into shooting baskets right now and Luke has his own little basket so he does not get too frustrated.

The boys think it is mildly amusing that Jon and I frequently play late night H-O-R-S-E tourneys on the weekend after the kids go to bed. Now, it is Jon and I so there is always a little vino involved, so it gets amusing.The boys always ask us in the morning who won....I think we are dead even right now.

Jon always comes up with clever testosterone induced shots. One night there was a small piece of dog poop on the driveway, so he called one of his shots, "the dog poo bank shot".

So, now the kids know about this shot and they call for a "dog poo bank" whenever we play horse. Yet another moment in which the male fascination with bodily functions enters my very girly lifestyle;)!

Muffins With Mom

2011-05-03T10:36:00.002-05:00

My sweet boy was feeling well enough to go to school today. This morning, we had Muffins With Mom before school and then went to Mass together. Isn't he handsome?:)

My poor Evan

2011-05-01T21:53:00.002-05:00

We made it 6 years without Evan having strep, but we ended that streak this weekend. He came home Thursday feeling yucky and stayed home Friday. He felt great Saturday , but after his baseball game, he asked to take a nap on the couch...so not like him. He had a fever and felt awful. We took in him in today and had a feeling he had strep. Hopefully, with antibitoics he will feel better soon.

Despite the strep, my little guy had a hit at his baseball game. I do find some humor in the fact we made it through cold and flu season with no illness for him and ended up sick in May. Such is life.

Flank Steak with Spicy Cream Sauce

2011-05-01T21:50:00.002-05:00

The cream sauce had chives and parsely from the garden and that's my lettuce!:) The spcie in the sauce was horseradish.

Hutcheson Upgrades

2011-05-01T21:42:00.002-05:00

Our new Keurig

My anniversary gift....with its cute pink case!

Generally, it takes Jon 2 years to buy anything digital/electric without doing tons of Consumer Report driven research:). He surprised me with a Kindle for our anniversary. I LOVE it, it is every readers' dream.

We have been discussing a Keurig forever. Jon has one at work and lots of our friends have one. I have been hesitant, but everyone I know that has one, loves it. So, I surprised Jon with it for our anniversary. It is better than I could have imagined. I love that I can just have one cup if I want. Jon and I also like different types of coffee on the weekend, so this solves the problem. I cannot say enough good things about it.

Lettuce!

2011-05-01T21:40:00.004-05:00

My first lettuce harvest....so exciting and delicious! Even my, less than organic hubby, thought it was amazing!

We are officially in the "asthma" club

2011-04-22T21:11:00.002-05:00

After many episodes of breathing, coughing and wheezing issues even with several allergy meds, Luke is officially on an inhaler. This has been an ongoing issue during allergy season and whenever he gets sick since he was about 18 months old. After being treated with oral steroids last month, we were back at the ped today after 2 straight days and nights of wheezy coughing.

The upside of the inhaler is that a year of the inhaler equals the amount of steroids in 4 days of oral steroids. Less steroids in his system=much happier mama.

We chose a less time consuming method of med delivery and he did great with it tonight. He has felt so crappy with the cough that I think he is more than happy to do whatever it takes to feel better.

The downside of starting competitive sports at 5...

2011-04-22T21:06:00.002-05:00

Icing ankle inuires at 6! Evan has soft tissue injury on his ankle and icing a 6 year old even when Mommy is a veteran of sports injuries, is challenging.

Easter Egg Extravaganza!

2011-04-22T20:59:00.002-05:00

The best egg of the day...according to our vote! It was a neon green Luke creation.

Evan hard at work

Luke creating egg masterpieces

Love the smile from my first baby boy!

How fake is that face?

Adobo Chicken Tacos

2011-04-22T20:54:00.002-05:00

This was from May's Cooking Light. Adobo Chicken Tacos with Avocado Cream, Slaw and Mexican Rice. It was really good. Jon really liked it and the kids thought it was too spicy. It is sometimes hard cooking for people who think that all Mommies whip this kind of stuff up on a weeknight, but my saving grace is I love food and in the long run, I think I am creating food lovers...we shall see!

Broccoli from the garden

2011-04-22T20:51:00.002-05:00

We harvested our first florets and enjoyed them as an appetizer with ranch....everything just tastes better when you grow it yourself!

Natual Birth Control

2011-04-21T16:34:00.002-05:00

Don't worry, I am not risking my sanity by trying natural family planning. I have a 3 year old and these days that is enough birth control to last a lifetime.

Aside from the newborn stage where you never know whether you will sleep again, 3 year olds are one of the most difficult stages of parenting for me and Luke is a raging 3 year old.

Three year olds are very difficult to reason with and Luke is no exception. Today, he told me that he didn't like me because I refused to let him wear his Batman raincoat out and about with nothing but Batman underwear underneath. He told me that EVERYONE else does this!

At least I know it's a phase...if he wants to wear the raincoat with underwear for his wedding, that will no longer be my problem.

What is on your bucket list?

2011-04-19T21:09:00.003-05:00

I am currently trying to convince my Dad that on his bucket list, is going to London to watch the Bears play with his daughter...of course this is if the powers that be decide there is an NFL season.:)

The NBA will be thrilled...

2011-04-19T21:04:00.003-05:00

that we are able to get our kids into a quick bath after dinner with the promise of at least 1 quarter of NBA playoff basketball. They love ending the day snuggling with Dad and watching basketball.

Dinner Tonight

2011-04-19T20:57:00.002-05:00

I know it seems like a cop out with little kids and a hectic schedule, but I really have come to feel that really simple food with amazing ingredients is so much more flavorful than a complicated 50 ingredient dish. I do love making intricate recipes for special occasions, but at the end of the day I will take something that is simple with very few fresh ingredients.

Tonight, we had soccer practice till 6:30, so I was looking for something easy. This is from Ina Gartens' new cookbook How Easy Is That. She was inspired by the simple food in Belgium for this one. It is tuna in toasted sourdough with hummus and radishes. The tuna is made with Italian tuna in EVOO...such a huge difference.

It was light and delicious, but still filling enough for a warm spring night.

April In Texas

2011-04-19T20:55:00.003-05:00

That's the sprinkler on behind them...

It was snowing in the Midwest this weekend and so is why I live with all the downsides of Texas! I love warm weather:).

Zoo Trip

2011-04-19T20:44:00.002-05:00

We have been to the Dallas Zoo more times than I can count, but each time we go the kids find their favorite animal of the day. Last Tuesday, we went with Luke's preschool for a field trip. His favorite for day was the giraffes. The new exhibit lets you get up close and personal...and feed them. Luke somehow decided that the giraffe was named GoldBug(from one of his favorite books).

The weather was perfect and we had a lot of fun hanging out with preschool friends. We somehow ended up in the "Dad Group", that is the group of kids that had Dad with them at the zoo. It was a lot of soccer dads. I really love men and quite honestly they are much easier to get along with than women sometimes. However, it is like leading the blind in situations like this. None of them were quite sure how to manage whining 3 year olds, meal times, potty breaks, etc. By the end they were asking me what we should do next to make the day go better. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. It really is shocking that we have not had a woman president yet...

As The Garden Grows...

2011-04-12T21:08:00.003-05:00

Jon created a new "seating area" by the pool, so I had to add some color.

My tomatoes are doing good so far and growing well....still crossing fingers.

My good friend Carla made me want to try asparagus, so I got these 2 plants.

I planted Italian Flat Beans from seed under this tepee...not sure if I was more excited about the beans or the tee pee.

Look at my happy little broccoli making its way into the world....

More Adventure Guides Pics

2011-04-12T21:01:00.003-05:00

Evan is really starting to look old to his Mama....how time flies!

Adventure Guides Campout

2011-04-12T20:48:00.002-05:00

Evan and Jon spent last weekend on their Adventure Guides camp out. Their group is great; the boys go to school together, play baseball together and soccer too. There are some Dads that on on their 3rd kids and many like us our on this ride for the first time. They had an amazing time!

Luke and I had a nice little time ourselves and has some of the other Moms over to hang out on Saturday night!

The Dads typically have a huge bonfire tradition after the boys go to bed that involves lots of burning...luckily, there was a fire ban so none of our coolers or chairs got lost as collateral.

We feel very lucky to have found such an amazing school and community!

Just wanted to say that...

2011-04-06T21:21:00.003-05:00

I am now the mother of a boy who needs to wear deoderant. Jon brought this to my attention and I swear it is so hard to come to terms with. Granted, Evan is a bit ahead of the curve and will probably have facial hair by 12. Is it any wonder that I sniff Luke for the sweet smell regualrily before it goes away?!

Car Shopping...

2011-04-06T21:17:00.001-05:00

Jon is FINALLY looking for a new/used car. The 98 Jetta was swell for awhile when I wanted to listen to Bob Marley, smoke pot and make out on the cloth seats, but really... He is a big researcher so we may have the car before 2012, but tonight he called me from Atlanta and told me he had gotten an upgrade for his rental car...to a Mustang. You should have heard the excitement in his voice. I have nixed the Mustang, but can not wait to ride in a slightly more adult car....call me snobby!:)

Sins of the Father...

2011-04-06T21:08:00.002-05:00

Jon has been traveling more lately and last week he was in Minneapolis. The upside of this was that he got to have dinner with Jeff, Sue and Phillip...can you tell when we don't get to see family much;). If it was not enough that I fly solo when Jon is traveling, he occasionally brings home gifts for the boys...thus enhancing his Disney Dad status. This time he made a DIVORCE worthy purchase...I mean did we not have a marital agreement. He brought Evan a Vikings helmet cutout for his wall. I mean REALLY, I about died. Evan claims to like the Vikings, just to annoy me. However, this took it to another level. The boys are free to cheer for other teams...just not in the same division. Don't worry Dad, the helmet is in the back of a closet and payback will be bad....look for a Michigan paraphernalia to appear at our house right before the Michigan-Ohio State game!

The Garden Expansion

2011-03-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

Strawberries

Sweet Mint and Oregano

Broccoli and Red Potatoes

Porter Tomatoes, Grape Tomatoes and Big Jim mild peppers

The view of the whole garden

We began our major garden expansion today. We ripped out the remainder of the bushes and tilled all the grass. It is officially all garden space now. We planted quite a bit today, but have much more to do. I spent 2 hours at Northhaven Gardens browsing and getting advice on what will work in the newer unused soil. I bought a ton of acid compost to get things started.

We have had major tomato issues tha last 2 years, so I spent quite a long time with a garden consultant trying to figure out my best options. We went with small to med fruit size(grape and porters), soaked the roots in seaweed and fish liquid emulsion and put phosphate into all of the soil and holes. I am hoping this works....it was very discouraging last year.

I plan to add basil, thyme, parlsey and cilantro for sure. I also need to add a few more pepper varieties. I am trying to do less and do it well!

Spring Is Here

2011-03-19T20:47:00.003-05:00

I just tolerate the winter because I know spring is coming. One of the most wonderful parts of living in Dallas, is that Spring comes in March and the flowers are already everywhere.

Just a few from our yard...

Tomorrow we are working on the veggie/herb garden.

Tonight we went to one of our favorite restaurants for tex mex and had a lovely meal on the patio....it is beautiful here high 70s and sunny!

More of E's Birthday

2011-03-19T20:38:00.003-05:00

Ready for his favorite part of the hotel....the breakfast buffet! They had one of everything.

Getting ready for bed with Lukey. Luke ended up with us after Evan soaked the bed with pee....he was well hydrated for soccer;).

Looking like a big, bad 6 year old. Yes, he is that tall...my bet is 7th grade for when, he is taller than Jon.

I can hardly believe it was 6 years ago, that I sat watching March Madness while "resting" between contractions. I am so blessed to have this special little guy as part of my life now and cannot imagine what life was like before him. Thanks for teaching me how to be a mama Evan Bede!

Evan's Birthday

2011-03-19T20:22:00.003-05:00

Playing with molding sticks while waiting for dinner at Fireside Pies, Evan's birthday dinner request.

Brownie sundae shared with his little brother...we even had a candle.

Evan had soccer camp all afternoon and his big birthday request was to stay at the Embassy Suites down the street from our house, so here are the boys in front of the fountain.

Opening gifts...an iPod touch from us, Star Wars Encyclopedia from Grandma and Papa. He has wanted a touch for SO long and all his friends have them(frightening, I know). We got it for free with American Express Points, so we finally gave in. He was very excited!

He also wanted a hamster, but had to settle for a card with a singing hamster....nothing else that poops is allowed in my house till I am no longer in charge of peoples' bodily functions.

"Jon" Travolta

2011-03-17T22:15:00.002-05:00

Need I say more...

My Crazy Corgi

2011-03-17T22:12:00.003-05:00

This is Payton's typical post dinner, evening relaxation spot! You noitce how far the chairs are moved away from the table and still he finds a way!

The Birthday Monsters....

2011-03-17T22:09:00.003-05:00

have been here tonight! Six years ago tonight, Jon and I were watching March Madness, when Evan FINALLY decided it was time to start working his way out. I can hardly believe my little tiny baby...okay he has rarely been tiny...is almost 6!

Happy Leprechaun Day!

2011-03-17T22:00:00.003-05:00

My very tasty corned beef and cabbage....I feel I should get extra wife/mom points for cooking after a minor household disaster;). The horseradish crust made the corned beef extra delicious.

Crazy day here...I should have videotaped it for further hysterical review. I walked by the boys bathroom this morning and heard running water. It seemed to be from the toilet, I checked and was concerned that it seemed to be rushing. I bent down to turn off the water to the toilet and the attachement from the toilet to the wall broke away and a geyser of water started spraying.

I could not get the water turned off..we have to turn it off in the front of the house in the yard..because it was turned so tight. I ran down the street in boxers, a tshirt and bare feet to get a plumber at a neighbors house to help me shut it off. Seriously, I felt like I was on hidden camera.

All is mended and cleaned up. Have I mentioned it's spring break...

Evan's Birthday Party

2011-03-17T21:49:00.003-05:00

Luke and his crew. The little girl on his right is Keira, his friend Joshs' sister. They will be in Kinder together. The other 2 little girls are sisters of his friends and they will be the year after Luke.

Evan and his friend Ben had their birthdays together at an indoor soccer place on Sunday. It was SO much fun and really one of the best parties we have ever had. My girlfriend and I did snacks and each boy had a cake. It was so low key and just 25 smelly, sweaty boys playing soccer for 2 hours. The boys had so much fun!

I'm Here!

2011-03-17T21:45:00.002-05:00

Since my babies were little, I always thought I would have more time once they got older....it seems that other things seem to spill into my "extra time". We have had lots of practices, school functions, baby showers, birthdays, games, etc, etc. I do think about posting for the few people who check this, but something always seems to outweigh the task...like sleeping;)!

Trying to be a bit better...so at least Grandma and Papa can keep up with the life and times of the Hutcheson boys!

The Millenium Falcon

2011-01-09T18:02:00.002-06:00

in peanut butter and honey form!

Grandma got Star Wars sandwhich cutter for Luke this Christmas. Tomorrow is his first day back at school after Christams break and being sick last week, so we decided to break them out. Of course, Evan had to have one too!

Snow!

2011-01-09T17:55:00.003-06:00

It snowed here this morning and the boys were so excited! It was about an inch on the ground, but since they don't get to see snow much, it was enough to cause hysterical excitement here.:)

They played outside in in and then came in for hot chocolate....we have to fake our winter wonderland moments here in Texas;).

Hoping the roads won't freeze and cancel school tomorrow!

Evan Reads To Luke

2011-01-09T17:48:00.003-06:00

It was just as cute as it looks!

Evan is in a "I want to do things by myself" stage. He has started showering in his Jack and Jill bathroom by himself. After soccer yesterday, he insisted he was stinky and needed to shower and then showered again before bed. We still have to supervise, but still...very happy about this stage.

Jon and I were getting our dinner started....a fake date night, when we have dinner after they go to bed. After they were bathed and we were busy, Evan decided he would do stories for Luke. He read him 4 books by himself. Notice, Luke has to be snuggled under his arm for stories.:)

We are so proud of Evan's reading progress.

My week....in picture form

2011-01-07T17:39:00.002-06:00

Yep, that's it! Luke has been sick since Monday morning and I have been in the house all.week.long. He has a virus with fever, congestion, cough and general yuck! My poor little man ventured off the couch a little more this afternoon and proceeded to puke after working himself into a coughing fit.

I have watched so much Max and Ruby and Star Wars that I am starting to dream about it. On the upside, the house is as clean as possible, my underwear and sock drawers are organized, I have read 2 books and every single shred of laundry has been washed. I knew insisting we get a treadmill would be good for times like these, I would never have remained sane without it this week.;)

15 minutes till cocktail hour...

Lost Message

2011-01-03T08:35:00.002-06:00

Somehow my little Hugh Hefner didn't get the message that vacation is over.....Luke is still dreaming away at 8:30. This is my kid who would stay in his jammies all day and a just have me bring him snacks and such to his easy chair! All he needs is a smoking jacket:).

Lucky for him, he isn't back at school till Wednesday!

Short Rib Tacos

2011-01-02T17:26:00.003-06:00

Jon flipping tortillas

Short Rib Tacos from Brigit Binns Slow Cooker book...I bought it for myself for Christmas.:) They were absolutely delicious and Jon raved for days about them!

Christmas Day

2011-01-02T17:06:00.004-06:00

Evan being silly with Jesus' Birthday cake

Dinner at the Stouts

Mmmmmm......cake!

Riding the world's smallest bike

We had a fabulous Christmas! I need to make a note to take more pics. We have the habit of doing all video on Christmas morning and then Jon never gets it edited so it can be posted.

The boys made out very, very well! Luke's big gift was his Imperial At-At Walker and Star Wars Sheets for his bed.....plus the smallest bike I have ever seen. Evan got his Nintendo DSi, games for it, a new bike from Grandma and Papa and lots of Super Hero stuff. Luke also got a Star Wars apron and cookie cutter from Grandma and Papa. Both got sleeping bags and lots of Legos.

Jon got me a electric air pump for my car. Isn't that romantic?

We had a very lazy day, a delicious breakfast and lots of coffee. Both Jon and I ran so we had room for a delicious dinner:).

We packed up and headed the our friends, the Stouts. We spend Christmas with them every year and alternate who hosts.

Holly had a wonderful menu that included: pork tenderloin with a yummy sauce, salad with roasted beets, roasted veggies(including sun chokes which I had never had), cheese grits, deviled eggs, homemade rolls and peppermint red velvet cake. It was so delicious and I could have had 5 servings of cheese grits.

We played a fun game that added some humor to the day after the kids went to bed. After breakfast, Holly and I headed out to go shopping and have a wonderful lunch together....another great Christmas tradition.

Christmas Eve Food

2011-01-02T16:51:00.003-06:00

Party Cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking.....the boys favorite part of the meal:).

Meat Lasagna from Lidia Bastiniach's Italian American Kitchen

Tomato Basil and Mozzarella

My meat sauce...it was SO good. I made it on Thursday.

Jon took the boys out on "errands" Christmas Eve. I had already made my sauce and lasagna, so I baked my cake. It was a huge victory for me, because I am notorious at having huge baking failures. It was white cake with lemon flavor, buttercream frosting, raspberry jam for the filling and coconut on top. It was a party cake because according the boys it was Jesus' birthday party.

We went to church at 4 and sat with friends and then headed home for a nice meal. Jon and I had already done all our wrapping, so we watched It's A Wonderful Life and just enjoyed the evening!

Jon and the Chimpanzee

2010-12-21T20:44:00.002-06:00

The first picture is the boys on the fake turtle at the zoo. It was 70 degrees on Monday, so Daddy decided to join us at the zoo.

Jon fashions himself as a bit of a showman. So, he decided to try to communicate with this chimp at the zoo...we were in the observation deck without the glass. Jon decided to make chimp-like sounds to be funny. I am not sure if the chimp found it funny or annoying...I guess annoying...so the chimp walks down the ravine and picks up a piece of something and throws it at Jon. Then he stands up tall and watches us, picks up either poop or dirt and throws it at Jon.

The kids thought it was hilarious and we had a very nice time! The weather was amazing, it wasn't crowded at all and all the animals were out.

Santa Pic 2010

2010-12-21T20:38:00.002-06:00

I think it's priceless. Notice how large Evan looks compared to tiny, weeping Luke;). Within 2 minutes of getting off Santa's lap, Luke was no longer crying and concerned Santa had not heard his request for an At-At Walker through his sobbing. If he has to talk to a therapist about how we forced him to sit on Santa's lap one day, at least he will have the At-At Walker to ease his sorrows.

Holiday Adventures

2010-12-21T20:24:00.003-06:00

After Luke's holiday show, we picked up Evan from school and headed to lunch....the boys chose Einstein's Bagels. After lunch we headed to the Galleria to see Santa. I will upload a picture, but let's just say Luke was less than enthused. The good news is that last year he was crying and picking his nose, this year just crying...surely that's progress.

The boys picked out a Christmas cookie and we tried to enjoy the very busy mall;).

The boys voted to go see Yogi Bear. Honestly, it was less than entertaining. Okay, I could have taken a nap if I were not responsible for rationing out gummi bears and popcorn.

We had a really fun afternoon and let the boys talk us into looking at Christmas lights after dinner and baths!

An old friend returns home

2010-12-21T20:15:00.003-06:00

This is enough for a CSI episode. Right around Thanksgiving Luke's special brown dog disappeared. We looked everywhere, called everywhere we had been, asked at school and promised to get him a new one. There were lots and lots of tears. Brown dog had been bought by Jon at the hospital gift shop for Evan after he was born. Evan never really attached himself to him, but he was adopted by Luke.

When we went to congratulate Luke after his holiday show, he casually told us that brown dog was safely in his backpack and had simply gone to visit Lila(his classmate and friend) at her house for awhile. We thought he was kidding, but Brown was in his backpack and had been found in Lila's backpack. Lila's mom had no idea and Luke was sure, he just wanted to have a sleepover at Lila's for awhile.

We are very happy to have our Brown Dog back home with us....his brother "Tan Dog" will be appearing in Luke's stocking(as close to a replacement as I could find):).

Luke's Holiday Program

2010-12-21T20:04:00.002-06:00

Post performance euphoria

He's in there somewhere...

There he is in the reindeer sweater!

Warm-up!

Luke did a great job at his holiday show....he sang every song and danced with lots of enthusiasm!

Evan was a school, so Jon and I got to show up extra early to get front row seats. He was absolutely adorable. Well, he was adorable for a 3 year old...my most favorite age ever (can you sense the sarcasm):).

Jon did lots of video and he will upload it in the next couple days.

Luke and Mommy have a sick day...

2010-12-16T20:07:00.002-06:00

I felt under the weather all day on Wednesday...well all week really. Last night it hit me with a sore throat, fever and just general yuck.

Evan went to school, but Luke and I were together all day. When Evan was this age and I was sick with him(or both of them), it was a disaster. I would count down the moments until Jon came home or he went to bed. Luke is my cuddle bug and movie lover. So, we laid on the couch for most of the day watching movies and snoozing. Of course it included the 50th go-round of Empire Strikes Back, but we also did Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book and Toy Story2.

I am still feeling run down, but much better after napping most of the day. Being sick AND taking care of kids is not one of the best parts of being a Mommy.

Evan's Christmas Show

2010-12-16T18:15:00.004-06:00

Evan's Christmas Program was Wednesday at church. It is quite an improvement...my parents would agree...on the old Catholic school Christmas Shows. They have it split so Kinder-2nd goes on one day and 3rd-6th on another day. Our show was at 1:15 PM so there were no overtired, cranky 5,6,and 7 year olds. It was hard to get pics or video because the whole church was filled with parents and family.

They show was a fabulous. Evan did a great job. As you can see, he is in the back row...a status I believe he is going to keep for the duration. It is such a nice school and church community and it is at moments like the Christmas show that I feel so blessed and thankful we found such a great fit for our family!

Our Elf Buddy

2010-12-16T17:54:00.002-06:00

...is clearly in his 2nd career after his career as a pole dancer.....disturbing!

More cookies...

2010-12-16T17:47:00.002-06:00

My food pictures never turn out great or do my food justice....it may because my camera isn't so great.

The top ones are iced molasses cookies....they are one of my favorites and the bottom ones are chocolate crinkles. At this moment, the crinkles are already gone. I guess they are everyone's favorite.

I made another batch of Chocolate Chunkers from my new Baking bible:). They are so good, that I may freeze half of them or at least hide them. The have baking chocolate, semi sweet and white chocolate along with raisins. Really amazing!

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-16T17:39:00.002-06:00

The 3 boys worked on icing sugar cookies and a Gingerbread house on Sunday. There was lots of crying and fussing...all from Jon...regarding the house so it fell down and I have been told we will never make one again.

The boys had a great time with the cooking. I am pretty sure they licked every single utensil used to out the icing on the cookies, so I will "save" these particular cookies just for them.:)

Beef Barely Soup

2010-12-04T16:26:00.003-06:00

I made this soup last week. It is from the new Barefoot Contessa book. I know it seems that I am obsessed with her, but I love her cooking and I love that there usually are not 85 techniques involved to get a super yummy dinner on the table. This one used oxtails for the beef flavoring. I think Jon was a little disappointed there was not more actual meat, but such is life.

I also made the Italian Wedding Soup this week. I loved it, but I am not sure if anyone else did. The meatballs were a little extensive to make since they are so small, but it was delicious. I forgot to take a pic because it was a post soccer rushed dinner. The natives were restless:).

Luke and Mommy's Excellent Adventure

2010-12-04T16:20:00.002-06:00

Jon and Evan are off on their first Adventure Guides campout this weekend....hopefull Jon will get some pics I can share. They seem to be having a great time...they left Friday and get back tomorrow.

Lukey and I are having "girls" weekend...teehee.

We got pizza and watched Shrek the Halls last night. Today we went for a run, went to lunch and saw Tangled. We are going to go to dinner with friends this evening.

I got all my Christmas cards done last night and watched one of my favorite movies, Love Actually.

Jon was out of town for part of the week, so Luke misses him. I am used to solo duty, so one less kiddo=a lot easier. I am not going to lie, all male peoples are hard to clean up after, take care of, etc. They are generally messy, not extremely grateful, smelly and they loathe cleaning up after themselves. So, though I miss them, being down to 1 boy has made keeping the house intact, MUCH EASIER!

It's been a month...

2010-12-04T15:57:00.004-06:00

Evan doing his perfromance at Granparents Day

Grnadma and Evan weaving a vest

Cutie Evan

Papa and Evan

since I have posted. Lots of interesting happenings here, but mostly we had a fire at the house on Friday, November 5th. Everyone who reads this already knows the details, but it took us a few weeks to get everything taken care of, cleaned up and mostly back to normal. All of a sudden it was Thanksgiving, so that's my excuse.

Grandma and Papa came for Thanksgiving and were here for about a week. The boys love having them around and for the most part, I think they enjoyed themselves.

The pics above are Evan at Grandparents Day with Grandma and Papa. I think they all had a FABULOUS time!

I have absolutely zero pictures of my food...not sure why. The Barefoot Contessa Truffle Butter Turkey was a huge hit.

Jon, Papa and I headed out to do the turkey Trot in the morning. It was cold, but we were all happy that we did the race.

We have so many thing to be thankful for and we were very blessed to have Grandma and Papa join us for Thanksgiving!:)

Bridget's Pedicure

2010-11-04T20:52:00.003-05:00

Bridget got groomed this week. They LOVE her there and they had some extra time so she got her toenails painted purple and pink. Who needs a daughter for all the frilly girl stuff!;)

Luke's Birthday Part 3

2010-11-04T20:40:00.003-05:00

A little soccer and silliness after dinner.

Evan being a little gross.

Having birthday cupcakes....he was feeling a little embarrassed about us signing to him.

Look at that sweet baby boy.....very Ermilio looking in this picture;).

Birthday boy is very tired after a very busy and fun birthday.

We had a nice dinner and then celebrated with cupcakes....his Star Wars cake will be for his party on Sunday. Hard to believe that my little tiny guy is 3!

Happy Birthday Luke Halas!

Luke's Birthday Part 2

2010-11-04T20:29:00.003-05:00

Having a little rest time with Dad watching Empire Strikes Back

Checking out the Dallas Aquarium with Mom.

Snooze after lunch to regain some stamina before hitting the Dallas Aquarium with Mom.

Lunch with Dad at Jimmy Johns....this is the best pic he would allow me to take.

These are in reverse order...I was too lazy to fix them. Daddy worked from home so he could go to lunch with Luke on his birthday. Luke chose Jimmy Johns. After lunch we dropped Dad off and headed to one of our favorite places, The Dallas Aquarium. We had a ton of fun and he was particularly fascinated with the sloth today. He went home for a "rest". This meant snuggle time and a movie with Daddy.....Star Wars of course.

Luke's Birthday Part 1

2010-11-04T20:16:00.002-05:00

Playing with his Batman Cave

His yummy birthday donut...the boy has not met a donut he doesn't like!

Sharing his new toys with his brother.

Driving the new Riddler car that brother picked out for him.

His new Buzz Ligthtyear Gun.

Luke is a little camera shy these days, but I did the best I could to document his birthday. He got up a little early so he could open gifts before Evan went to school. Mommy picked up a birthday donut yesterday and he was VERY happy....totally has the Hutcheson sweet tooth!

No school for him today, so we had to come up with some things to do...

Birthday Monsters!

2010-11-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

It looks like the birthday monsters have come and cast their spell....

Everything is ready for the big Lukey Birthday Celebration: balloons, gifts, birthday donuts, birthday cupcakes...

I can hardly believe that 3 years ago at this time I was in labor with my peanut. I am so blessed and grateful to have my Luke. Little did I know that his name would be perfect as 3 years later he would have a full blown Star Wars obsession!!!

Happy almost birthday baby boy!

Batman fights the rain

2010-11-02T17:46:00.003-05:00

So, I was going to wait till his birthday on Thursday to let him open his gift from Grandma and Papa, but it was POURING rain all day today and we had a few things to do.

This is an actual raincoat he was coveting from Nordstroms, but I decided that only Grandparents should spend $40 on a rain coat.:) He loves it and he was a big hit everywhere we went today. The coat has an actual cape on it. He is now begging for the matching boots, so I might let Santa know.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-11-02T17:43:00.001-05:00

I made these yummy chicken enchiladas for my mexican food loving husband. They were really, really good! The boys devoured them and asked for more.....always a good sign at this house.

Halloween!

2010-11-02T17:34:00.002-05:00

I really have almost no pictures, but Jon does have some video he may upload. It was a very busy day with soccer, a birthday party and then we were graciously invited to a neighborhood Halloween party by a friend with a kiddo in Evan's class. They have a cute neighborhood and all the boys had a great time!

Luke was really into the whole TOT thing this year, so that was fun to see.

You will notice that my extremely cost conscious husband bout a $30 adult sized Mario costume so he could match Evan. I wasn't sure whether to be happy he is so into it or completely disturbed.

BTW, Luke was Anakin Skywalker.....a little hard to tell from the picture.

Charlie's Visit

2010-11-02T17:25:00.003-05:00

Luke and Charlie

Charlie and the boys out on a nature walk.

Charlie

Evan was Bearcat of the week last week. This was a BIG at our house. He got to be line leader all week, we made a poster for school all about him (well, I made it), we brought snacks all week and he got to bring home the class mascot(Charlie) and Charlie's journal.

We had a lot of fun taking Charlie on our adventures and writing about it!

Family Pics

2010-11-02T17:11:00.004-05:00

Here are some of our fall family pics.....we decided to go with the relaxed 3 Bears and Buckeye theme;). Looks like we were so relaxed but in all honestly, adult beverages would have helped ease the tension of trying get the natives to cooperate!

I know, I am a slacker...

2010-10-18T16:40:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted anything for a long time. The truth is, never would I believe how busy 2 kiddos can make you....another wonderful reason to stop at 2;).

Evan is doing wonderfully in Kindergarten and his handwriting is improving dramatically and he is really close to reading on his own. He really loves school and has met some great kids and we have in turn gotten to know some wonderful new families! One of the blessings...and challenges...of St. Monica's is that they really expect parents and families to be involved. It forces you to get to know people, which is really good.

Jon has become and active member of the Dads Club and has met some great guys. He and Evan just joined an Adventure Guides group with most of Evan's soccer buddies. I am not sure if Jon is more excited about the campouts or the beer consumption with a bunch of other guys, but I think they should have a lot of fun. We just had Autumnfest at Evan's school over the weekend. It was lots of fun. I worked his class booth for some of the day and got to meet a few of the kindergarten girl moms....I mostly know the boy moms. It was a huge event with a love band and lots of food....and adult beverages. They even had flat screens of the Rangers game so everyone could watch.

Evan is doing really well in soccer and has really had a "lightbulb" go off in the last few weeks. He has a natural draw to defense....coaches think so too, not just Mom;)...and his skills are getting really good. He plays on a school team through the Y and also does a skill clinic with some of the Jesuit(high school) coaches on Sundays. It has dramatically improved some of his skills.

Mr. Luke is doing great at school as well. No more fussing when I leave him and he loves his teachers and all of his friends. It is fun to see him in a more independent situation now that Evan is no longer there. We have lots of events with his school too and I am the treasurer so it is a little more time consuming then I had planned but still fun. He is also playing soccer and sometimes he likes it and sometimes, not so much. He is on a 3 yr old team and I think he is a bit young,but Jon assures me it is a good experience. He has his birthday party coming up the first weekend in November...a Star Wars theme(shocking, I know!).

Luke continues to love all things Star Wars and now has a vintage metal lunch box he totes to school. He is hoping to get some cool Star Wars figures for his birthday. Hard to believe the tiny baby is about to be 3!

As for Jon and I; between school, soccer, school events, work, football games and birthday parties, there is NEVER a dull moment. The slow cooker is getting a nice workout this fall for busy nights when I have no time. Jon is currently sick for his bi-annual sinus/cough/fever illness that lasts for 40 days and 40 nights. He is grumpy about the Bengals and the Buckeyes. I am grump about the Bears and wish that Jay Cutler would get a positive attitude. I am running a half marathon the first weekend in November so I have been diligently training so I don't die during the race.

We had family pics taken over the weekend, so I will post a few when I receive them.

We are having visitors over the weekend: Amy and her friend Jen are coming down to cause a little racous in Dallas. It should be great weather and I am looking forward to hanging out!

This is what happens...

2010-09-21T20:48:00.003-05:00

when I am away from the house for long periods of time! So glad they are at least getting a healthy meal!

Da' Bears!

2010-09-21T20:38:00.003-05:00

Papa came to town late Saturday night....after going to the NIU/Illinois game in Champaign...just to go to the Bears game on Sunday with me at Cowboys Stadium!! Well, I suppose he wanted to see the boys too!:) We had amazing seats in the Club Section...thanks to Jon's boss! We had a got to hang out at the full bar before the game and we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the game. My Dad and I were both physically and mentally stressed by the end of the game....I suppose we are related!:)

Luke's First Soccer Gamre

2010-09-21T20:24:00.003-05:00

Luke had his first game on Saturday.....he loved it for 3/4 of the game and then was DONE! This was partly because it was at 3PM and he was tired from a long day. He looked too darn cute and it is so fun to see these little guys playing! He was annoyed his shinguards kept falling down, so Mommy got him some socks for this week and some tiny little cleats(he was mad he was wearing running shoes and Evan gets cleats:)).

Evan scored his first goal of the year on Saturday at his game. I was running in a race so I didn't get a picture, but I am very proud of him!

Really?

2010-09-13T20:59:00.001-05:00

I watch the Bears game and find myself on the verge of stroke and this is Luke and Jon at the end of the game...

And they say women are moddy people...

2010-09-13T20:55:00.003-05:00

I am sure in the crevices of his thoughts my husband tells himself frequently that I am moody, high maintenance and have my own agenda frequently that I don't let him in on.

Some of that t is true....though in Texas I am about as far from high maintenance as you can get.;).

However ,I find it mildly amusing that his Monday mood now depends on: if Ohio State won, if the Bengals won, how the Reds are doing in pennant race, how he is doing in his fantasy leagues, how work is going and of course what I am serving for dinner(fish tonight, so he was not exactly thrilled).

Just saying...

Evan's First Soccer Game

2010-09-13T20:48:00.002-05:00

Evan had his first game over the weekend....at 8Am on Saturday morning. Jon was less than thrilled that we were up at dawn to get ready for a 5 year old soccer game, but this is from the guy who wants more kids to transport here and there.

His team is REALLY good and I had forgotten that Catholic School parents( I had 2 so I can speak from experience;)) are very competitive early on about sports....okay, maybe just my Dad. So, I am looking into getting Evan some skill coaching....no, I am not kidding. If you think I am being uber competitive, I am on the tame side. It doesn't help that the high school that all these kids will be going to, won the state championship in soccer last year. I really love his coach, so as good as the kids are, he really focuses on being good sports and teammates.

He has another game this weekend....at 8AM again....I will be running a race so Jon will be in charge.

Luke has his first game Saturday afternoon....should be cute to watch:).

To Infinity and Beyond!

2010-09-13T20:39:00.003-05:00

Luke received a package addressed to:

Captain Underpants

Luke Hutcheson

It was from Grandma and Papa. Grandma always promises special something when the boys finish potty training. Evan got a few Thomas cars for his train when he finished potty training and Grandma found Luke these awesome Buzz LightYear pajamas! Luke is all about Toy Story and Star Wars right now so this made his whole universe better. We got them Thursday and he has worn them to bed every.single.day since.

He requires us to address him as "Buzz" when he is wearing them.

By the way, yes that is a pink pacifier in his mouth. And no, I feel no shame. He wont be three till November and he has potty trained and moved to a big bed in the last month, so the kid still gets his binks to sleep. It looks a bit silly, but it creates some peace and harmony in my universe and really, there isn't much of it so I will take what I can get.

Luke's First Day of School

2010-09-13T20:21:00.003-05:00

Okay, I have these pictures backwards. The first is the wake-up for school pic, the breakfast pic, the I am excited for school pic and finally the I don't want to go to school pic and this is the best you are going to get.

Luke had a love-hate relationship with school . He loves it when he is there, but hates when I drop him off. Sometimes there are tears, but mostly lots of protesting and pouting.

I didn't do a great job of pics, but in my defense this was the day that I woke up to a torrential rain...in my kitchen. The roof was leaking and there was a huge puddle of water in the middle of my kitchen.

Talk about wanting a do-over for the day!

Luke had a great day....was a little afraid of sitting on the mini preschool potty, but we have since overcome that fear. Basically, I bribed him with copious amounts of treats. Mommying 101 is not always pretty, but it gets the job done.

His teacher is Ms. Kelly, the same one from this summer, and he really does like her and all his classmates....one of his favorite girls, Sarah is in his class so that makes his life very happy!:)

You know you are raising a Texas football fan when...

2010-09-03T21:44:00.002-05:00

they wake up in the morning on a Friday and ask about the football game that night! Seriously, we picked the right state to live in to be rabid football fans!

Sweet Lukey!

2010-09-03T21:38:00.002-05:00

Luke and I have had lots of together time this week with Evan in school and being very close together while we are potty training.

He is pretty much done so we went in search of a Star Wars shirt for a mini-celebratory gift. We ended up at Old Navy and found several shirts. Luke was so excited he wanted to wear the shirt out of the store....really, he is in full on Star Wars obsession.

When we checked out the cashier was asking him if he was going to school and we told him that he was starting next week. He asked Luke if he was excited and Luke replied, "A little bit, but not really." When he was asked by the cashier why he wasn't excited, he said, "Because I like being with my Mama, she is my favorite person".

I mean, how can a girl not just melt on the spot...occasionally it is worth all the toils:)!

Food for Thought...

2010-09-03T21:27:00.002-05:00

Luke and I have been hanging around the house a lot this week....he has a cold and he is potty training. Thursday is started to actually cool down so I got overzealous and did some baking. I made a few loaves of banana bread, out.of this.world chocolate chip cookies and pasta fagioli in the crock pot. My dear Auntie Lu recommended an Italian Slow Cooker cookbook and it has been fabulous!!! The chocolate chip cookies are from Dorie Greenspans Baking cookbook (also a Lu recommendation). I love the layout of the book and how every recipe is like a little story....cannot wait to use this often as the oven comes back into use after semi-retirement this summer;).

The fagioli was outstanding...one of the best I have had. It was so cheap and it was very well received by my family..even the husband who grumbles over the lack of meat.

However, I do think I am going to right a book called, "How To Know You Are NOT Married to an Italian". How does someone not know what pasta fagioli is? Really?

What we have been up to...

2010-08-31T16:50:00.002-05:00

Let's see:

*Kindergarten is going really well and Evan seems to be right where he needs to be in terms of his writing, math and reading skills so we are happy about that. He has made lots of new friends and of course loves PE and Art the most....well except for church with Father Jason(our cool, hip new priest.). Who knew that cool, hip and Catholic could be in the same sentence.;)

*Luke and I (well not really me, but I am along for the ride) are in potty training boot camp since E is gone all week and Luke doesn't start school till next Wednesday. We started Friday afternoon....this was after he realized that most of his class(we were at a little class party) were in underwear. I didn't mention that he was in an older class because I need all the help I can get...snicker, snicker. It is going really well and unlike our last few attempts, even when he is annoyed that I force him to sit on the potty he does not ask for a diaper. He has been totally dry with one small accident for the last 2 days. Anyhoo.....crossing fingers that after 5.5 years straight, we are close to being done with dipes.

* Jon and I are gearing up for fantasy football: He is in a league at work, I am in a league with some girls and we are in a couples league. I am sure we will lose at all three, but it should be fun!

* We are "stretching the truth" so Luke can be in a 3 year old soccer league this fall. He is so excited and has lots of friends on the team....it will be too cute to watch him play:). I wanted to get him started early so when we start playing 95 club sports in the next 5 years, I will already be acclimated to shuffling schedules. And, no I am not exaggerating.....sports in Texas amaze even athletic me!

Just sometimes....

2010-08-23T21:03:00.002-05:00

the sweetness can make you cry! I didn't tear up over Kindergarten or the big boy bed, but I came upon this as they were watching a movie.

As a mom of little kids, there are so many things that can try your patience....so many things. Everyday is about constant battles, negotiations and meltdowns, but really the love they have for each other and the special relationship makes all of it worthwhile.

The Hutchesons/Pocrnichs Come to Town

2010-08-23T20:55:00.003-05:00

Well, originally Jon was taking the boys to Ohio for a long weekend and I was going with Amy for a nice weekend in Lake Geneva. The plans changed, I still went, but The Hutcheson/Pocrnich clan descended on Chicago. Not many pictures...Jon was in charge;)...but they had a wonderful time. They had Giordano's pizza, hit Brookfield Zoo and played silly games with Uncle Steve.

I would love to see some more pics...Cheryl, Susie???!!!:).

Visiting Auntie Lu

2010-08-23T20:44:00.004-05:00

A cute group photo...a very skinny Colleen in is blue and Katie is in the pink top.

Awww...look at those Ermilio girls(okay, I have Jenkins feet but all else is Ermilio)

Aunt Lu found some of Kevin and Colleen's old Legos and the boys LOVED it!! We have made 2 trips to the Lego store since just to stock up...we are Lego obsessed right now.:)

We had a great time, we got to see the Garden of Love and it has been WAY too long since I saw Auntie Lu. I am trying to get her to come visit Dallas so I can show off my cooking skills....hope she takes me up one of these days.

The boys were smitten with Katie(Kevin's wife)...Evan still call her the "other girl". Though it has slowly evolved to "the pretty other girl".

I warned the boys before we got there that Aunt Lu had no little kids or grandkids so she wasnt used to whining....they were on their best behavior;).

Cousins

2010-08-23T20:40:00.002-05:00

Gorging themselves on Grandma made sundaes....there was fruit in them of course because Amy is nutty! I gave Grace an organic MINI blueberry scone for breakfast one morning...with fruit and organic yogurt...and she told me that scones are only for dessert. I guess that's what Aunties are for...:)

Go Cubs!

2010-08-23T20:26:00.003-05:00

Grandpa graciously treated us to a Cubs game while we were in town...and he even arranged for them to beat the Brewers(very difficult for the stinky Cubbies!!!)!

The boys loved it. Luke sat still and enjoyed himself. Papa took us to lunch right across the street from Wrigley Field and the boys....Evan, Quinn and Luke (Grace was having her nails done)....then ate 2 hotdogs each, peanuts and Papa managed to work in an ice cream sundae in a plastic Cub hat.

No one puked, cried or did too much complaining...except for me because there was only crappy beer! So much fun!!!

Big Boy Bed.....Finally!

2010-08-23T20:09:00.004-05:00

So, we have been asking the Lukey man if he is ready for his big boy bed....and he routinely says "NO"!. He had already picked out the sheet s and comforter himself, but he decided on Friday he was ready. We headed to Sams Club to buy him a mattress on Saturday and after many 4 letter words and several beers, Jon had his crib converted to a nice double bed.

He was a little unsure right when he got in, but then he fell asleep immediately and he now goes in there several times per day to check on his bed.

Evan was about 2 yrs, 4 months when we switched him because baby was on the way...he was not ready and we had weeks of bedtime battles. Luke is about 6 months older and the timing was awesome. He was ready, we were ready and very few battles...what more can we ask for!:)

First Day Of Kindergarten!

2010-08-18T20:31:00.002-05:00

That last picture was my little guy, first thing this morning....a little groggy, but ready to go! He had a good breakfast and then was acting silly and posing with his muscles before he left!

He was all smiles when he got in the car and was so excited...he wanted to know if he could do the after school program and how long till he went back. I am sure some of the excitement will wear off, but I am happy he seems so excited about this new adventure.

A small side note is that he "couldn't find" his lunch in his backpack so he bought lunch...Kindergarten teachers keep their dining credit cards with them so the kids just tell them if they are buying lunch. I was a little upset he misled the teacher, but all his new buddies were buying lunch and I was pretty impressed he felt confident enough to do it. Wednesday is pizza day. He got pizza with whole wheat crust, milk, a small salad and fruit. Not too bad:).

I bought him a special cookie for after school...and he got to play some with Lukey before we dashed off to our first soccer practice.

The coaches are awesome and his team is all St. Monica's kindergartners.

I used to think my life was so boring when I was staying home with a baby and little bitty toddler....now we have activities and things to do non-stop. Not complaining, makes our days full and fun.

Luke missed brother but we had some fun today playing together...they both crashed HARD tonight!:)

We made it through the first day....of many to come!

Kindergarten Eve!

2010-08-17T21:03:00.002-05:00

I know, I am totally behind on posts and need to post some pics from out trip to Chicago, but we have been busy getting ready for school....and entertaining very energetic boys! More to come...

So, tonight is the night before our first day of Kindergarten for my first born baby boy! I haven't been very good with baby books, I suck at scrap booking and I am not overly touchy feely....but tomorrow is a bittersweet ending and beginning for Evan.

I am ready, he is ready, but I still cannot believe it! We went to orientation on Monday and he got his teacher..Mrs. Ayers...and one of his new buddies from Kindergarten camp is in his class, so he is thrilled.

I feel so excited for him. A new adventure, new friends, a school both Jon and I really love and so many new paths for him to explore. I have always been the kind of mama who loves milestones, I love when they move onto the next thing, grow, change.....okay, I admit I LOVED when they slept with me so I was not ready to move on from that:). I am not sad, so much as thrilled at the opportunity to recognize how far he has come and how many amazing things he has ahead of him.

So, I may not scrapbook, I may not tear up, but I am so very proud of the little person he has become. Now, please just all say a little prayer that he can undo his belt in time to go to the bathroom.;)

Nice Try Mama!

2010-07-29T15:52:00.002-05:00

Luke is REALLY into Toy Story right now, so I bought him some Toy Story undies today thinking, I would suprise him and my stubborn baby would consider giving them a shot.

He told me they were "awesome", then said"Nice try Mama, but I still want to wear diapers"!

Have I mentioned that vomiting children and potty training are up there on my list of least favorite parenting duties!;)