We are offically moving to........

http://myfamilyof4in04.blogspot.com/

see you there!

I just wrapped up my 4 wk class! Which I am a little sad about... I REALLY enjoyed myself! Now I remember why I started out as an art major many moons ago! So this is for fun, but it is prompting me to find a way to turn this into a hobby! I have asked DH to make me a kiln, so I am doing some research on that! I am taking another art class in the fall. It is a 3 media class; sculpture, ceramics and painting... I am super excited for that! I love all three! My professor liked my work quite a bit and even took a few pics of my work for his portfolio (he has to have student work as well if he would ever leave the college for another college).  He told me as he was taking the pictures he was very impressed at my skill, espeically since I hadn't touched clay in 10+ yrs.  He thinks I should keep up with it. Which made me feel really good.

I won't bore you with all the pieces, as in total there are 21 (yes 21 pieces in 4 weeks = 8 classes-- that is a lot)!

Friday I watched Mason do his little songs and such at camp, and then we toured the area, with him showing us all the fun things he did during the week! He LOVED camp! And I am sure will be bummed next week when Lauren heads off for the same camp!

Friday night Mason crashed... I think the week caught up to him! He was out by 7pm and stayed that way for the next 12hrs!

Saturday we bummed around, did a little fun shopping, and a lot of grocery shopping (our regular big trip thru- that happens every 2 months).

Sunday we headed to the lake to visit Paul's parents and family. Which was a nice relaxing day-- came home and baked Paul a great lasgna that he had been craving and requesting for a while! (opps)

Monday we hit the gym, had a fun picnic, hit the neighbors pool in the afternoon... it was a busy but relaxing day!

Tuesday the kids had Tot Lot and I hit the gym... ran home did a quick cleaning of the house and packed up another picnic... picked up the kiddo's and suprised them with the park and picnic! That night we headed down to the airshow and fireworks. Our fireworks are on the 3rd of July (and the 4th, but smaller version) ... it was great... the kids enjoyed the other kids, the loud planes (they were really loud-- and really fast).  At about 8:30 ish it looked like it might rain, but it held off-- and they did move the show up 15 minutes which was good, since as soon as it ended the rain came, and it came and it came! Thankfully we did not get caught in the rain, as we were parked abotu 30ft from the area we sat in... but I felt bad for those who did get caught-- you couldn't avoid it if you didn't make it to your car before it started, as it rained for hours, hard and then steady after that!

For the 4th we had a lazy day-- Lauren played with her niece who had spent the night... and then at about 3:30ish we head to the neighbors to swim and watch the neighboor firework display (which was really good). It was a great night... lots of refreshing fun! And some intense water volleyball!

   Today is the last day of Mason's Y camp. He has a little skit time at the end fo the day today... I am excited to see him preform!  He is such a little peanut, but it is so cute to see him being such a big boy while at camp. He has been a trooper-- no crashing after a full day of camp, which when lauren went she was wiped out by the time 4pm rolled around! She would conk out the moment we started driving away from camp-- no Mason, he chirps about his day!

This weekend we are hoping to take advantage of the great weather and head to the farm to do some camping- rough it style (yes that means a tent! no electricity, no running water, nothing... yikes)!  Next week I'd like to pack some fun events in, since we are off all week, but have no big plans-- just to be with the kiddo's and then obviously do something for the 4th (or should I say the 3rd)... possibly head to the lake to be with the family.

Hope you all have a good weekend and holiday week!Take care and be safe!

Well summer was offical last week, but it started at my house this week!  Mason is off to Y camp today! Gosh he seems so young to be going there... but what is kind of sad is he is going on his own. When Lauren went she went with her cousin Macy... it will be just Mason on his own. My little boy! Lauren is off to VBS this week with her cousin Macy - they do everything together! lol!  Sadly both Mason and Lauren will miss Tot Lot tomorrow, but that will be ok. 

I am half way thru my ceramics class, which is hard to believe.  I was nervous to take it, but I am loving it now, and wish it was longer! I remember now why I started out my college life as a art major! I am going to take another class this coming semster with the same teacher, it is painting, ceramics and sculpture and it will be 8 wks! I have been on my final project for the class; my narative piece, which actually will consist of 4 pieces... but I have, what I think is a wonderful idea, and when I have them completed I will share pics as well as the thought behind the pieces-- let's just say it has to do with my family and the 4 of us!

I recently started a blog for our homeowners group-- I am really enjoying being so envolved with so much lately. I feel like it has been my calling. I am working really hard with a group of neighbors to develope our park, and that is finally coming to happen; I wrapped up a very sucessfully lunch and learn at work, in which I organized with a few others, and then there is my small group thru church, and i have found a wonderful group of women in that- everything is coming together. I feel like a better Mom, wife, person because of that group it has really inspired me to really look at myself, my beliefs and life-- it has been awesome!

Since this is such a rambling- all of the place post, I will recap my weekend and then call it done. Friday we were supposed to go to a pool party for church, but it was chilly out-- so we skipped... instead I took the kiddo's to McDonald's (there choice) and then we played games at home (paul was at a golfing tournament), Saturday I worked out, and then we putzed around the house, laid out a little landscaping in the backyard, and also roughed out some ideas for out patio area (which will be pavers as well), and then we had planned a great dinner, but just before I put it in the oven Paul decided he wanted to go out for dinner... so the kid's picked mexican-- which was wonderful! Sunday was church day and then Paul headed out to golf (twice in one weekend is a  lot for him) and we headed to Galena for a play and dinner with my Mom and Macy.  It was a fun weekend, with just the right mix of nothing to do but hang out, and fun activites! 

So a busy week ahead, actually a few busy weeks ahead... this marks busy for the next 3 weeks! lol! Good thing we had a relatively relaxing weekend!

We had a fun weekend. Great weather always makes for a nice few days! Friday night we took the kids down to a river festival to watch the dock dogs jump, listen to some music, and get a few treats. We ran into several friends and had a good time! Saturday we got up early, I worked out, the kids played at home while Paul worked on the yard… we then packed up a picnic lunch and headed to the park, and then off to the festival again to watch the timbersports and do some inflatable fun!  We stayed just a few hours, and then bopped into the river museum; which the kids love and it is nice to go in for an hour or so and peek around. We walked thru the boat, which we don't often do and peeked at the cabin and hut.  The kiddo's feel asleep on the way home (which never happens) and slept for about 45 minutes, enough to recharge their batteries! We grilled out that night and had a bonfire! Sunday was beautiful too… we went to the pool, and had it to ourselves, as the person on the phone told me incorrectly that the kiddy area opened at 11am (same as the waterwalkers) on Sunday—not true, as we found out when we got there… but the head guard let us swim anyways… so it was great for the kids.. when the main pool opened the kids headed to the bigger slides and pool, and our neighbors showed up, so Lauren was in heaven with her pal there!  We stayed till about 4 then went home for some homemade pizza and ice cream cones! It was a great night; we took a walk before bedtime and snuggled in bedtime! Monday was a long day. I started a ceramics class that is 4.5 hours long (it is only 8 classes) and I love it! It has been years since I had my hands in clay (play doh doesn't count) and I loved it! I can't wait for Thursday and these classes are going to fly by! I am hoping to get some time on the potters wheel to throw at least one piece!

I am updating my blog! LOL!  I know that is probally considered slacking a bit, but I think it is really that I am so busy!

No really I am not even sure where to start… my last entry was April 2006!  Let's see since then we have: Celebrated Mason's 2^nd birthday (2006), and 3^rd birthday (2007), celebrated Lauren's 5^th birthday. Lauren has done gymnastics and placed 3^rd in her competition. Mason started preschool and both he and Lauren wrapped up classes a week ago at Montessori.  Lauren went to kindergarten round-up where she meet her teacher and fellow classmates. Mason was enrolled in preschool for the coming school year… and both cannot wait for that time to roll around! We went to Disney in November 2006.  We have been to the Wilderness on the Lake twice; once last year with friends in June and once this year with friends and family. There have been a few camping weekends, fishing,  trips to the pool, BBQ's, campfires with friends have taken place, a few weekend trips to Chicago and Des Monies. I joined a wonderful bible study—and am finishing up reading Jesus the One and Only (great book)! I also went to my first (but far from last) Women of Faith Conference Weekend. Paul finished the basement. Hmmm…. I am sure more has happened, but that is what sticks out!

The kids are looking forward to a fun summer. They are both signed up for Tot Lot, VBS at two places. Lauren is going to do Y camp again this year, and they both are looking forward to library time and camping weekends.  We also have a Chicago weekend planned, and hope to make it to Adventureland for a weekend, Lake Okoboji for an extended weekend.  We are skipping the swim lessons this year; Lauren is a good swimmer and Mason wants to play more than swim which is fine!  We are hoping to finally get a deck on the house (we need more time in a day/week) and also build a swingset for the kids and do some more landscaping (the sides and back area, maybe a burm or two).  Again we need more time to fit this in—but we are hoping it happens atleast by the end of the summer!

Here are a few pics of the kiddo's

It has been a long time since my last update, not sure where to even start at, so I won't recap to much since then!

New with me: I started walking 4 miles, nearly every day… plus I am "trying" to eat much healthier! Or atleast at most meals! This past weekend I went to church for the first time in a long time! A friend invited me to try her church, so I thought sure. I loved it! It is Christian based (a bible church), so it was not a huge jump away from the Catholic church that I have always gone to! But it was just what I was looking for: childrens programs, less ritual and more focus on spirituality, friendly, contempory (or atleast more 21^st century). I was really moved… normally I would not share such information, but I think it really made a change in me. No I am not going to become a nun or anything, but I think I ready to have something like this in my life and the kid's lives! I think I have been lacking this for my entire life. I always went to church because that was what we did… now I can see myself going because I want to.

The kids:

Lauren isin her last 6wks of of school this year. She is signed up to play T-Ball and take Hip Hop dance class this summer. She will also be going to Y camp this summer. 

Mason is plugging away… he SUCH  a little boy, and man he has me wrapped around his little finger! Ugh I could just eat him up! He is getting ready to turn two a month from today. Although he seems so much younger to me than that! Lauren always (still does) seem old for her age, but not Mason. I cannot imagine him potty trained anywhere close to 2! He is on the 4yr plan I think—lol!  At this point Lauren knew her colors and shapes, Mason- nope, partial b/c he is not interested, and partial the time wwe do sit to play something with colors or shape, Lauren blurts out the answer… lol! I am not worried in the least bit, I am pretty sure it is just second child syndrome, and that he is fully capable of learning!  I am hoping to get him in some swim classes this summer—now I just need to find them.

Around the house: we are starting our landscaping project. Hope to have them wrapped up by mid May!  We are also looking to get a dog. Timing wise I hope it works out… we want to get a Yellow Lab, but we want to get past the house projects before getting one… as we know it will mean lots of time spent training, etc!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET LAUREN!

We had Lauren's first school conference last night… and it went wonderfully! Lauren is a bright little girl (we kinda thought that already, lol!).  Her teacher said she is doing great for a first year Montessori student and for her age. She is doing well with all the work presented thus far, she enjoys class time, is very friendly, very polite and is eager to learn! She is proficient in many of the skills/presentations that they have had so far.  I have to admit I really like the 2yr program, I know we didn't need to start her at 3.5 yrs old and actually we struggled with sending her or not, since we didn't really know if she would get much out of it, and we knew she was social not going to be affected if we waited a year. But she has blossomed there, and it has been great, it also works perfect for our family as Lauren will leave summer of 07 to head off to Kindergarten and Mason will start there that fall (07)! We have really noticed so many changes in her. She is becoming so independent and eager to learn new things, try new things, and be a helper! Montessori was a great choice for us.  I did get a good tip: teach her the lower case letters first (a little late since she knows all bit a few of the upper case letters, and she only knows a few lower case). I never even thought of it! But most words are written in lower case letters. It is important to teach them their first letter of their name in both lower and upper and then focus on lower case first. When I told my mother this (who was a 1^st & 3^rd grade teacher for 39+ years) she said, that makes sense… so many kids would come to school knowing their upper case and none of the lower case and it took them awhile to learn the lower case, and it made it harder for them to learn to read, until they knew the lower case!!! DUH why didn't I think of that? So up went the Upper case letter flash cards, and down come the lower case ones!!!! We will make the switch tonight! 

OK so I just wanted to *brag* a moment about my little girl! Ugh I love her to death! Last night snuggled in bed I was telling her how proud we were of her, how bright she was, intelligent, that she could do anything she put her mind to, etc. She then proceeds to tell me that she thinks "I am bright, smart and all of that too"! (Yes I know—who do you think you got it from lol) and then she adds "and you're cute Mom"! I just melt when she says adorable things! 

Below is a picture of Lauren workign with shaving cream at school!