The Fam

Just a guess....

This:


plus this:


Even if it means this:

Equals FUN! Rugby and Riley were playing outside after school with Tanner (the boys I babysit for) and they were covered in mud. They were having a ton of fun, even if it was a bit messy. I hated the thought of sending Tanner home like that, so I called them in early so I had time to wash and hopefully dry his coat, hat, gloves and snowpants. Wowie were they ever muddy! Another joy of springtime in Wisconsin!

WHAT A LONG DAY!

It was fun, but LONG!


Thursday, Rugby's friend Brandon and his grandpa and I took all the boys (my 4 and Brandon) to the St. Paul Children's Museum. There were some great exhibits! There was a giant ant hill that the kids could climb up and under and through. There was a water works thing with bubbles and using water and pressure to move ping pong balls around, boat races, another area was set up for construction, there was a kiddie factory that the kids could move the conveyor belts with cranks and there are jobs for lots of kids. There were even magnetic gears on a wall that the kids could move around to explore how they work (big are slow, little are faster, etc). It was a ton of fun! We got there around 1 and had to beg and plead and promise dessert to the kids to get them to leave at 4:30ish. We didn't get to go into the Run, Jump and Fly thing, but TJ, Tucker and I did play in the Sesame Street area and had fun. There was the Sesame Street stairs that were on camera so that you could see yourself on a TV screen. We also had an on-camera puppet show. I've attached a couple pictures. I'd love to take the kids back again. I think Rugby would've had more fun if he were able to have a little more input what we did instead of following Brandon the whole time, but they did all have a good time. There were some very tired boys last night! Enjoy!






Jaimie has more pictures of R&R with Brandon, so if I get some of those, I'll post them later!

A Study Of Opposites

Today was the Glenwood City wrestling tournament for the youth wrestlers. The boys both asked last night if we could go, so we did. Riley and Rugby wrestled their first matches at the same time, so Tim watched Rugby and I stayed with Riley. Rugby got pinned :( so there was time for them to come cheer for Riley. It was a good match. They were pretty close the whole time. Riley lost by 2 points! SO CLOSE! The next two matches for Rugby went the same as the first. From what I could tell, the other boys had more experience and more aggressiveness. I think the 2nd two watched the first match because all 3 boys pinned him the same way. So sad to watch. He wasn't too thrilled that he took 4th (of 4), but was glad that he got a trophy and said he tried his best.

Riley, on the other hand, is a BIT more aggressive. He was doing takedowns and half nelson's and reversals left and right. His next two matches he won by points. One he even skunked the other boy! He was thrilled with his second place trophy.


TJ wasn't too happy with watching, he wanted to be out there with Riley most of the time. I hope that as he grows he'll like wrestling. If not, that's ok too but it sure would be fun to have another wrestler to watch. I think that wrestling will go by the wayside for Rugby in a few years....once he discovers something that better suits him. Like track or cross country. The kid LOVES to run....I have NO IDEA where he gets that from because it wasn't me!! The coming years are sure to be interesting.

You could win!

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While you're there, why not browse through all the articles they have. There are some great bloggers blogging about some great topics....some "fluffy" and some controversial. There's a lot of really good information and discussions going on. Check it out!!

More from Chula Vista

It really was a great place to stay!

TJ with Lexi's glasses... Views from the room....See the river?

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! A bear!

Another Critter

Checking out my backyard today.


So far, since we moved we've had:
*Deer
*Turkey
*Muskrat
*Bobwhite (we think)
*oodles of squirrels
*massive amounts of birds, many varieties
*Raccoon
*Cats
And now....this....whatever it is....a grouse?

Mama's New 'Do!

Time for a change...again! I love my hair red. I love my hair short. Since I haven't had a haircut since October, it was time. I couldn't do much with it anymore it was just TOO LONG. So, I colored it one day and my friend Julie cut it the next and I LOVE IT! I wish the bangs were a bit longer, but they'll grow.

Viva La Chula Vista!

Blogging LIVE from the couch in our hotel room. YES! I am that addicted to blogging! We're at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells and it's BEAUTIFUL! I'm telling you it's amazing!! There's REAL granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, 2 fireplaces, a hot tub in the room and an amazing view from the window. There's an underground tunnel from our building to the indoor waterpark...that even has a water rollercoaster! The kids are in heaven. TJ was having fun splashing in the kiddie pool area and almost fell asleep on my lap as we were coasting down the lazy river. Tucker even had his own inner tube that Jen brought along for us to use and he floated away on the river. We made 3 circles and he was happy and smiling the whole time. I think I'm raising fish the way these boys like the water!!

Here's a few pictures of the room:

Excuse the mess, the babies were sleeping so I wasn't cleaning to take the pix...

My babies the fish...

PSA from Tucker and other odd n' ends

We're heading out for the weekend, so I thought that I'd give you a picture laden post to get you through until we are back on Friday night...

Yesterday, I heard a crunch-crunch-crunching in the kitchen and went to investigate.....I found the little TJ mouse eating the raisins out of the Raisin Bran. Goober!
Here's my little linebacker and his big brother. I swear Tucker is getting bigger by the day! And Riley takes ANY opportunity to have his picture taken. TJ was standing next to me trying to see it on the LCD.
Too Cute!
Tucker actually enjoying what is usually "Bumbo Seat Torture"
And now, Tucker has an important public safety message for you:

DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE....he's even demonstrating!

WFMW: Backwards!

Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer has this thing she hosts on Wednesday's called Works For Me Wednesday. It's a great time to post little tips and hints of things that WORK FOR ME (get it? LOL!) Anyway, today is backwards. How fitting that my first WFMW is backwards....everything I do is backwards! So, today we ask a question and beg for suggestions. So, I have two questions....

First: How do you get the creamy filling from a chocolate covered cherry off my keyboard? TJ dripped it in there and the F and G stick together. It's been driving me crazy for weeks. I think I heard that I can put my keyboard in the dishwasher (for real!), but I'd have to wait for it to be completely dry to use it again and I just CAN'T be offline that long. Fire away......

Last: I have a shower with some nasty mildew stains that I can not scrub out. I've tried all kinds of cleansers: Kaboom, Soft Scrub spray, comet, straight bleach, NOTHING is working.

Ok, so (for now) that's all I have. PLEASE let me know if you have any suggestions!! Thanks!

Book Reviews

I have a couple of these to let you know about. Both are EXCELLENT reads! The first is fiction, the second is a biography.

First up:

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen

This is the story of a man in his 90's recalling his days in the circus. It's an amazing tale of bravery, loyalty, love and survival. It's such a touching story. Here's the "official" synopsis from the author's website:

"As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie.

It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival."

Next up:

ESCAPE by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer

This is another survival story, but in a completely different way. She was fighting for her life and the lives of her 8 children from her abusive husband. She was part of the FLDS and was wife number four for Merril Jessop.
The book details her youth, the arranged marriage, the birth of her children and getting out and adjusting to life on the outside. A must read!

The "official" synopsis:
From Publishers Weekly
Seventeen years after being forced into a polygamous marriage, Jessop escaped from the cultlike Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints with her eight children. She recounts the horrid events that led her to break free from the oppressive world she knew and how she has managed to survive since escaping, despite threats and legal battles with her husband and the Church. Though sometimes her retelling overflows with colorful foreshadowing and commentary on how exceptional she is, the everyday details she reveals about this polygamous society are devastating and tragic. Frasier delivers Jessop's words in a soft voice that develops intriguingly from an innocent and naïve tone into a more assertive and self-confident one that mirrors Jessop's journey. She maintains the same rhythm, but through the inspired words of the text, she really embraces Jessop's persona. The bonus telephone interview with Jessop on the final disc suffers from poor sound quality and, unfortunately, doesn't add any new information. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

OH HAPPY DAY!!

Though my mother must be heartbroken....

Favre has decided to call it a career

by Jay Glazer

The most storied quarterback career in NFL history is coming to a close.

Brett Favre, the NFL's all-time career passing leader, has decided to retire. It's believed he informed the Packers of his decision within the last few days.

Hanging them up

Brett Favre Green Bay Packers Quarterback

---

G	GS	Comp	Att	Yds	TD	Int
257	253	5,377	8,758	61,655	442	288

Barring an unforeseen last-minute change of heart, Favre leaves the game after a 17-year career in which he built himself into a household name and a figure synonymous with grit, toughness and perseverance.

"Brett Favre has informed us of his intention to retire from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL," Packers GM Ted Thompson said in a statement released by the team. "He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms — not many players are able to do that.

"The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude. He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever. ... The uniqueness of Brett Favre — his personality, charisma and love of the game — undoubtedly will leave him as one of the enduring figures in NFL history."

After flirting with retirement for the last few years, Favre will finally go out on the heels of one of the best seasons of his career.

He led the Packers to the NFC Championship Game after passing for a stunning 4,155 yards, looking very much at times like a younger version of himself. In addition, he threw 28 TDs — including an overtime Hail Mary pass to beat Denver in front of a national audience — and had a 95.7 quarterback rating. He was also voted into the Pro Bowl, but declined to go.

Favre leaves the game as the all-time leader in wins, passing yards, touchdowns and consecutive games started by a quarterback. A three-time MVP, the southern swashbuckler won fans over with his carefree style that epitomized the "gunslinger" moniker and made fans out of everyone from the guy next door to those already enshrined in Canton.

If in fact Favre does not have a change of heart, his final pass of a Hall of Fame Career was an interception by the Giants' Corey Webster, setting up New York's overtime win in the NFC title game.

For the last few years, the question of whether or not Favre was going to retire has been the most debated topic during the off-season. Two years ago he let his decision linger as reports both that he was returning and that he was retiring emerged. In fact, at one point he was supposedly going to announce his retirement at his charity golf tournament. Of course, those reports ultimately proved to be false.

After his final game of the 2006 season, a tearing and emotional Favre appeared on national TV and seemed to be bidding the game adieu. But once again, he had a change of heart and came back for what proved to be one heck of a final hurrah.

This time, Favre appears to have made his final decision. However, like in the past, Favre could wake up any day now and decide to change his mind, although that doesn't seem likely at this point.

The team will now shift to Aaron Rodgers, a former first-round pick, who has had few opportunities to play since being selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 draft. But when Favre was injured in a Thursday night game against Dallas this past season, Rodgers looked pretty good in relief. The former Cal star completed 18 of 26 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown — the first of his career — and nearly rallied the Packers to the win.

Hooray for March!

In like a lamb! The weather was BEAUTIFUL here this weekend. About 37 degrees...at least that felt warm compared the cold we had before it! Here's some random pictures and a cute video from the other night. TJ loves his daddy!

Look what Tucker can do! He just moved into 12 months clothes. Can you believe the little MOOSE?

Tucker loving on his daddy

Riley and TJ after we spent all afternoon making cookies

Here's TJ loving on Tim: