Winter is coming

Well, Halloween is right around the corner and of course I am not ready for it. I have watched Halloweentown and Halloweentown High way too many times for an adult to see those movies but I love it. We are still busy all the time it seems like but nothing seems to be going on. Hunting season is starting also. That means that I will try to get my house cleaned and will be cooking way too much wild game. Pheasant noodle soup is on the menu for tonight. Actually, I already made it but am going to send it up North this weekend. Next thing will be Christmas. Where has the year gone? Anyway, I haven't written in awhile so I thought I would just babble.

New Kids on the Block Tuesday. I am really excited. You got the right stuff, baby!!
Hasta!

Oh yeah, by the way, I volunteered to be cookie mom for Girl Scouts this year so Kaitlyn will not be selling to anybody this year. Ha ha. Just Kidding.

Truck

Okay, so my husband may cry today. We leased a truck 39 months ago in preparation for the new baby (Ava) and he was convinced we needed a bigger vehicle. So we traded in the 4 door pickup for an extended cab. As the mother of 3 girls, I am pretty much convinced that this had more to do with what he wanted and not what was practical for a family of 5 with a dog but there wasn't much arguing. I went with him to pick up the new truck and drop off the old one. All good things come to an end though. The truck is going back to the dealer today. We are going to try our hand at no car payment for a few months at least and just use my car and Travis has a work van for his job. Wish me luck!! My sister in law pointed out this weekend, if he has to haul stuff, you can use a trailer with a mini van!

Sick of summer!

This should actually be sick in the summer. Kaitlyn is feeling much better now. Strep didn't travel through my house but I have a summer cold right now. Just a heads up to everyone about my doctors visit. I didn't find anything out but do need to go back in 2 weeks and hopefully will get an answer of nothing wrong. It causes me to stress for a couple more weeks and go in for probably the most uncomfortable appointment ever for me but I need to know what is up.

I love food!

It is fair time. And I love food. This whole week I have been thinking alot about it. We went to mom and dads for his birthday on Wednesday. Mom made homemade eggrolls and crazy cake. Yum. Then last night, I worked at the fair and had a hot dog from Greg's Meats with a Mountain Dew. Double yum. I forget how good that meat is until I get to eat it again. Plus, their buns are fresh bakery buns and they are awesome!! Travis and I are going to the casino and planning on getting ruebens to eat and I am thinking about the state fair already. Plus, I love to cook. I love to try different recipes and see what I can add to them to make them my own. Look at my blog list! It is mostly food bloggers. So, that is all I wanted to say today. Now I am going to run and get a snack cause my big butt is hungry.

update, parties

Okay, so Favre is traded to the New York Jets. It was fun to think about while it lasted.

It was my dad's birthday last night. We went down for egg rolls and cake. Or, if I put it in the order my kids prefer, cake and egg rolls and Grandpa's popsicles. They were wild as usual and Grandma says yes to alot more than I do. Between my dad, brother and myself and all of our issues, it was not a huge night of excitement but I told Dad we would have a birthday cocktail once he is feeling better. Mom fell on the deck but didn't break anything. Chris said she saved the cake. Ava was right there waiting though. Someone set the cake down and Ava was all over it. Reminded me of Dad's 50th birthday. I went to the local bakery and got him a cake with that good sugary frosting that we both like so much. We walked into the kitchen to find Emma with a chair pulled up to the counter and alot of frosting missing from the top of the cake. Fun stuff. Happy Birthday dad.

Go Vikes!

Okay, so this Friday the Vikings season starts with their first pre season game against Seattle. My hubby and I are going to the game. Should be fun. There is alot of talking going on right now about Brett Favre being reinstated for the Packers and the rumor I have heard is that he wants to be traded.....to the Vikings. Holy bleep! I don't know if it is true or not but I am thinking, come on over! I am just curious to see what other people think about this. Fill in the comment section and let me know!! In case you are not familiar, the Vikings and Packers are big rivals in the division and they are our neighboring state. Could be funny if it were to ever actually happen. But, I will not hold my breath!

Where is summer going?

I can't believe we have already passed mid July. School starts again here on August 25. Summer is just flying by. Proof that life doesn't seem to even slow down is our schedule for the rest of summer. This past weekend, I spent Saturday night doing something I have wanted to do for a VERY LONG TIME!! I went to see.....NEIL DIAMOND with my mom. It was fabulous. That man can sing!! He did Sweet Caroline and then encored the chorus not once but twice after and I told mom that was worth admission. And he ended the show with Coming to America which is a great song!! I couldn't keep it a secret cause I didn't want her to buy tickets as well. I figured it was a good Mothers Day present and his new cd came out right before Mothers Day. It was fun. A memory I will always have.
So, back to the rest of the summer. This weekend is my mom's party. It is a no miss event for me. I am not sure about the rest of the weekend yet but I am sure we will hang out around the house and try to get something done. I think Travis and his sister might be planning a camping weekend and then the next week is the Vikings game and Bone Lake for the day. Sister in laws baby show the weekend after and then we roll right up to family vacation and school starting.

Just as I think a busy stressful summer might be ending, I have given myself a quit date to stop smoking. that date is August 31 and is looming closer and closer. Wish me luck that I make it past day one.

Then we start over again with soccer and dance and all that fun stuff.

Last night of soccer

June 25, 2008 was the last night of spring soccer. Both girls went to their games and were very excited. Grandma Pam and Uncle Chris along with Cookie and Sam split their time so they could watch both the girls in their last game. They got to see more of Emma playing than I did all year. I can't wait til they can play at the same place so I can watch them both. Oh well, I guess there is always fall soccer. Kaitlyn's Grandma Annette and Grandpa Bob came up to watch her as well. She played great. It all comes together at the end. She went after that ball and kept going. Red faced and sweaty, she was a sight to see. I was proud of her. They grow up so fast. At the very end of the game, she went after the ball along with a member from the opposing team. Kaitlyn blocked to ball with a very loud, hard hit to the back of her hand. That is where her season ended. She is fine now and no swelling or anything. I hope she wants to play again. It is fun to watch them. I just wish we didn't have to sit through the cold and the rain as often as we do. So, now summer is just summer. Until school starts again. And dance. And soccer. And girl scouts. I don't want to think about it right now!

I am SO excited!!

Okay, just a quick little note on what happened to me today. I thought my day was going to start out bad since I got pulled over on my way to work. No front license plate on my car. The police officer was very nice, didn't even give me a written warning. So, I continued on to work. I listened to KDWB this morning and I heard one of the dj's say that they would be giving away New Kids on the Block tickets during his show. Well, I heard those touchtones, got through once. Wasn't the winner. Called right back a few times and then I heard it ringing. I WON NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK TICKETS!!!!!!!!! I called my good friend from high school/middle school when they were the "it" group for young girls our age and told her we were going to fulfill the dream that we never got to then. We are going to the concert. 16+ years after we begged our parents to let us go with friends that obviously had way cooler parents then we did. Mom, Dad, you are forgiven. Anybody know where I can get a topless hat like Joey always wore?

storms, kids and my hot bed

There have been quite a few storms around here lately but we have been very lucky. Last night, soccer was cancelled. Travis took Kaitlyn to her dads house. We came up with a plan to have her go down there for today and tomorrow so then she doesn't have to miss out on the fun stuff we do on the weekends since he still isn't working. So, Travis and I had some burgers for supper. Ava WOULD NOT go to bed. She kept coming out and saying "hunder, hunder" every time she heard a rumble. It was cute but it was like 10 o'clock before she finally went to bed. The a/c was turned off and my husband opened a whole 1 window so it was hot in the house last night. Last thing I want is the two girls crawling into my bed when all I am using is a sheet to cover up since I am already steaming in bed. I heard some commotion during the night and Travis talking to Ava. Wake up this morning and here she is, on the floor, next to the bed. Thank goodness. She was close enough to not be scared but she wasn't heating us up all night.

Sun is shining today!!

Time for soccer!

Okay, we had the dance recital for the girls on Sunday. They did awesome. Kaitlyn had a small hiccup in hers and poor Emma! They all have their own "number spots" which is where they are supposed to stand during the dance. Unfortunately, someone else ended up in her number spot for part of the dance. She had a look of terror and confusion on her face and there was a little bit of crying but then she kept going and did great. They were both wonderful and I was so proud of them. I had to miss the finale when little miss no-pants (Ava) decided she had to go potty when all she really had to do was get out of her seat and run around. We had two dilemmas. We realized when we got there that the girls forgot their light up sticks for the finale (they were able to borrow them) but that wasn't a big deal. The other dilemma.....Ava. No pants. Literally. She had to go potty before we left the house and since she is potty training, go for it. Great! She has a habit of taking off her undies when she goes. and since I was loaded down with my purse, camera, make up bag and jazz shoes, I didn't grab the diaper bag. All my fault huh? Especially since my lovely husband didn't grab anything except the kids! So, we got to the auditorium and he informed me that Ava had a bare butt. She was wearing a dress. Luckily, she was very good and because she pottied before we left, no accidents. But, she did moon a few people on purpose including grandpa more than once. What a cutie?

So, now we are just focusing on soccer. That ends at the end of the month but the summer is already filling up with amazing speed. Can't wait to see what happens! And cross your fingers that it is always nice on Mondays and Wednesdays. Ava and I sat in the rain watching Kaitlyn play soccer for an hour last night. We were all wet when we got home.

I survived!!

Okay, I know I was dreading this weekend and truth be told, I am SO GLAD to be back at work. Sad isn't it? This morning, as I was contemplating playing hooky and convincing Travis to do the same, I realized that I really wanted to get back to a little bit of normal and come to work today. We have a beautiful new front door that was installed yesterday thanks to my husband and father in law. I moved some of Emmas furniture into Ava's room and then later this week, we are getting new carpet installed in her room and the living room. Halleluia! Of course when Travis is out there working on the door, I am really trying to get stuff done inside. Which is difficult as long as Ava is awake. She is non stop on and I am relieved when she falls asleep. So of course, we got in a yelling match (in front of his dad) because he thought I should be outside playing with the girls and inside doing stuff around the house. HELLO!?!? I know I am magical but can't be in two places at once. Well, I took the girls to get their dance pictures done (and left Ava at home!) and when I got home, I had a husband that apologized because he didn't realize that I had moved the furniture out of Emma's room yesterday. Duh! Don't assume that I am doing nothing because that is what it looks like to you. The upstairs mountain at the Johnson house, otherwise known as laundry, was folded. Most of her room was cleared out. At least what i could move with Kaitlyn's help. Girls ate and got all prettied up for pictures. I even had Kaitlyn go make our bed (cause I am not so good at that) and hung up some of our clothes. I deserved that glass of wine with dinner last night! It was an early to bed night and I wish it was a stay in bed and play footsie morning but I am here, hard at work. Wish me luck for the rest of today!

TGIF

This has been quite a week. Started off with a nasty bug at 3 am Monday morning. I got out of bed to call into work and then went back to bed except for the constant bathroom breaks. Not pretty at all. Weird thing happened though Monday night. Travis is coaching Emmas soccer team so I was forced to go to Kaitlyn's game with Ava and I think she tuned in on mommy not feeling well so she cuddled with me the whole time. As I was spacing out, I noticed 3 police officers walking across the field next to Kaitlyn's. They walked up to a guy and eventually he got out of his chair and they took him away. Handcuffs and all. Through my neighbors great investigating, we found out that he showed up to his daughters soccer game....DRUNK!! And he was abusive to the coaches. Nice. Anyway, Travis took Kaitlyn to dance after soccer and Ava and I had a salad and cuddled.
Tuesday was pretty low key and not much going on. Then Wednesday came. We had to work overtime so I was at work til 6:30 pm. The neighbor took Ava. Grandma took Emma to her dance class. Travis coached Emmas team and I got to go get Kaitlyn from soccer as soon as I got done with work. Wearing 3 inch spike dress shoes walking across a soccer field where you sink in constantly is not something I would recommend to anyone. I went home and ate some enchiladas and went to bed super early.
Yesterday, I was supposed to work til 6:30 again but they let us go an hour earlier so I only stayed til 5:30. We had Kaitlyn's spring program and it was great. I tell you, I have one talented kid. I think all my kids are talented. But she looked so cute up there playing her recorder. The other too sat with dad and grandpa and their two grandmas and were super good. We hung out later that night and talked with the neighbors.
This morning, I did NOT want to get out of bed but here I am. I get to go to Emmas program at school today. The weekend is jam packed. Kaitlyn has her girl scouts outing at Carleton tonight. Tomorrow are soccer pictures and Emma has a birthday party to go to. Sunday Travis and his dad are putting in a new front door. (Thursday I get my new carpet!) Sunday we also have dance pictures. Anyone up for a vacation?

It is about time

Well, I haven't done this for awhile. Finally got the password thing figured out. This is going to be about time. Why don't we have enough of it. I seriously feel like I have lost touch with my life. I just got to spend the evening with an old friend talking and taking our time at Chipotle and it was great because we didn't have our kids. I hadn't seen her since my birthday party on September 1 2007. Sad huh? I have another friend like that. I can't even keep up with my emails. And the nights where I used to go out dancing, doesn't happen anymore. My single friends don't ever ask me to do anything and if I don't plan something in advance, it doesn't happen. I do have the time though to go get groceries and diapers. I do have the time to go to dance and hopefully will have the time for soccer in another month. I make the time to get my kids if daycare is closed. We do have time to take family outings to the zoo. I do have time to visit with my mom from time to time. So, for all of my friends out there that I don't seem to have time for, I love you and I hope you bear with me but......if you are anything like me, you understand why I don't have any time. Let's make a date! Sometime in the next year......

Why do kids fight sleep?

Okay, so, last week I got a phone call from my husband telling me about how he was painting his parents laundry room. Just the fact that he called me randomly and wanted to talk was amazing but since I was working, I asked him if that is ALL he called for. Much to my happiness, it wasn't. He said he got a sitter (Grandpa and Grandma) for the 2 little kids on Saturday night. Kaitlyn was going to be in Hastings and they said that they would keep them overnight. Woo hoo! So, Saturday came and we dropped the girls off. We went and saw The Bucket List. Great movie and it wasn't something my kids would have picked to see. Last show I saw before that was Alvin and the Chipmunks. Big difference. We left the theater to go for dinner at the Olive Garden. We were able to wait patiently for our table without worrying about kids running around and actually had a conversation. I even got to order a glass of wine with my meal. After all that excitement, we ran to Target. Travis had bought a waffle maker and some mixes but no eggs to make waffles so that was the main thing we went for. Well, 30 minutes and $50 later, we left Target to head for home. My hubby and I, a dvd and a bottle of wine sounded really good! Now, I don't know exactly why but Travis and I settled in to watch the movie Suberbad and I fell asleep. I don't do that....ever!! He is the one that always falls asleep. Well, long story short, I missed the whole movie, wine was chilled but never opened and I finally went upstairs and climbed into bed. What a GREAT night! Thanks honey.