Queen of Burger King

So it has been a crazy week of getting ready for dance to start up again. Flyers, flyers, and more flyers! It doesn't help that I have not done one thing for dance since I unloaded my trunk after my last recital in May. That's the beauty and the curse of being the boss.

Today we tried to go to an indoor playground and it was C-R-A-Z-Y so we ended up at the ever fancy Burger King instead. It was actually really fun for the kids and Maria was cracking me up in the high chair. I have had to play referee all week because Maria has discovered that she can tackle, bite, and push and really piss Julia off. Julia is learning quickly that she can no longer steal toys from Maria without their being consequences. I am confident that Maria would win a cat fight with Julia, no question. It's just starting to get interesting around here in the sibling department....

Um, I am pretty sure Maria would eat a Whopper right now if we gave her one!

I thought I would have some philosophical post today because it is the very last day that I can check the 25 to 29 box. I don't. Everyone is happy and healthy and that's all I can ask for.

Plus, 30 is the new 20 right?

One night, Thirty candles...

My sister Missy, Brother Joe, and Me

Last night Andy and my sister threw me a 30th birthday bash! It was soooooooooo fun! We took a close group of friends and family to Wildfire in Eden Prairie for dinner and drinks (LOTS of drinks!) and then they had a party back at our house with a larger crowd. It was so fun to see people that I don't get to see very often and to let loose with those I do. I am only posting a couple pictures because as the night went on, I got less and less attractive and the camera seemed to get forgotten as the booze flowed, so if you didn't make the photo cut it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the amount of wine I consumed. A heartfelt thanks to Andy and Missy for all the hard work, expense, and planning and to R, K & T for bringing stuff and helping out, like you always do. Thanks to everybody else for the gifts, the fun and for celebrating this milestone with me!

Andy and I at dinner - what a husband! How did I get so lucky?
My sister Missy and I

I love this picture and my sister more then anything.

Thanks for all you do and all that you bring to my life.

Melanie, Me and Nikki

Melanie and I have been friends since grade school and went to college together too,

and Nikki is a really good friend from college

Kari, Me, Tarah and Robynn

This picture is awesome! These three ladies are a constant source of friendship and laughter, and my life is richer and my world brighter with them in it.

Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Andy's Birthday

10. He likes to travel even more then I do
9. He is a saver (I am a spender)
8. He is seriously funny
7. He lets me sleep in on the weekends
6. He deals with some serious PMS issues with a smile (usually)
5. He is the best father ever. My girls are very lucky to have him in their life.
4. He does dishes and laundry and even cooks sometimes
3. He is so darn attractive
2. He puts us first
1. He picked me to spend forever with

Happy Birthday Andy! I Love You!

For Andy's birthday we went out for dinner with his mom and aunt and uncle tonight and are going out with my family on Sunday. We also had a dinner on Wednesday night with some good friends. Andy has decided that he wants some custom made running shoes (I will NEVER understand this. Shoes, yes, but to wear running, no.) and I got him some clothes. Another gift highlight is a Wii Fitness, which we have yet to try because we are obsessed with the Olympics. Next week maybe...

Squeeze It All In... (and I am not talking about pants of any kind)

So the summer's end is quickly approaching and I find myself trying to squeeze in one more of everything. Last chance to go the zoo, the beach, the pool, and any other outdoor, warm weather activity. I actually enjoy living somewhere where the weather changes - I like getting new clothes a couple times a year, the fact that my children go sledding in the snow and then a few months later are frolicking at the beach. It keeps things interesting and although I might grumble a bit when it hits -25 or 95 degrees, I wouldn't change it for the world. So, in that spirit, and before we break out the snow pants and mittens, we have had a busy week, and only 2 more to go before I head back to work...

In other news.... we had a bit of a breakthrough at the pool Monday... Julia jumped in all by herself, submerged her head in water, and didn't scream bloody murder! Seriously, this summer, every time we have been at the pool, she is practically ripping my swimsuit off trying to hang on to me and it is not a good thing for me or anyone watching. Monday I was not allowed to touch her as she swam free (in her swim vest though...) all over the pool. It made me so excited. I always felt so bad when all the other kids jumped in and swam and she was hanging on to the edge for dear life. We start swimming lessons back up in a couple weeks and it couldn't be better timing.

Ready! Set! Jump!

Wednesday Julia, Maria and I took a trek to the Minnesota Zoo with two of my friends and their kids! We had so much fun despite the heat and incredible number of field trip groups. It was extra fun because for the first time, Maria was really having fun looking at the animals. Some highlights were the camels, grizzly bears, sea otters, and oddly, the little prairie dogs. Apparently one of the dolphins is preggo so we didn't get to see them, much to Julia's dismay, and the zebras and giraffes are visiting another zoo, also disappointing. Over all the kids were well good and it was a super fun day with really great friends!

Hey Mom! Look! It's a Sea Otter!
Camels are silly!
The Pack of Wild Animals

Yesterday we had a park day and today I went shopping with a girlfriend. Tonight we celebrated Andy's birthday. Whew, what a crazy week!

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Baby No More

I had a little emotional episode this morning as we packed Maria's bottles away. She hasn't had one in months but I just couldn't bring myself to put them away for good. For me it marked the end of her babyhood and I just wasn't ready for that. I still am not, but need the cabinet space so away they went. (In a bin for the next baby?) The tears are welling as I write this, but it's time to face the facts - Maria has turned into a toddler and her mom has turned into a cry baby. It has also shown me that my two beautiful daughters are growing up so fast and I need to slow down and enjoy them a little more. I will be sure to add that to the to do list...

Maria the New Baby

Maria the Toddler

All sorts of FEVER

We had a crazy weekend. Julia got strep throat and we ended up at Urgent Care on Friday afternoon with a 104+ fever, so there went our evening plans, and we missed a birthday party Saturday because we didn't want to chance anyone else getting sick. Andy did run the Turtleman Triathlon in my hometown of Shoreview on Saturday and did awesome! Sunday we layed low and then I went to dinner and Mama Mia with some girlfriends. I really liked the movie but it was pretty lame. (Does that make me lame that I liked it?) Monday the girls and I headed to the pool for a chilly dip. It was so cold that we didn't last long.

PLEASE don't tell me that hot summer weather is already over.......

The rest of us aren't sick but WE HAVE OLYMPIC FEVER! We are having so much fun watching the USA go for the gold. Even Julia is in on the action. Any male competitor is a "Daddy" and any female a "Mommy" - pretty funny! She like "banastics" and swimming the best. I think all projects and house work will be at a stand still until they are over. Women's banastics team competition is tonight - yipppe! I am going scrapbooking but my friends are just as in to it as we are so I am guessing there will be very little scrapping going on..... GO TEAM USA!

A New Roof Over Our Heads

Top Ten Things That Suck About Getting A New Roof

10. They JUST started - I'll post an after shot if they ever finish

9. Noise & Mess

8. Invasion of strange men everywhere

7. Thinking how sad it is that I was hoping one of them would be smoking hot

6. The roof crew showing up at exactly nap time. Thanks.

5. Julia says "What they doing?" then Mommy says "Fixing our roof." then Julia says "What kind of roof?" then Mommy says "A big roof" then Julia says "What kind of big roof?".....and so on many many many many times...... Then "What's his name?" and it all starts over and over again......

4. The giant dumpster on our newly refinished driveway that is going to leave a huge mark

3. Being told we can not throw ANYTHING in the dumpster. Yeah, right.

2. Anxiety over our choice of color

1. Headache caused by combination of items 10 to 2.....

Thank Goodness (do not say the other word or a certain three-year old will tell you that is not o.k.....) it only lasts one day - we hope! Have a good weekend everyone!

A Nose for Naughtiness

Today we had our first foreign object up the nose incident. The girls and I went to dinner with a friend and her kids, and Julia decided to take one macaroni noodle and one corn kernel and shove them up her left nostril. It was quite the fiasco. I did manage to get them out with my fingernail (gross!) but not before giving her a bloody nose. I am sure the people sitting next to us enjoyed the show as they tried to eat their supper. Poor people. And this was after Maria decided to do some crazy macaroni and corn abstract art on the table and floor as the kids laughed her on.... I have gotten to the point now though where I just laugh it off. What else can you do? I am hopeful that Julia learned her lesson and her nostrils will be object free for the remainder of her life but I think I still have quite a few abstract food mater pieces in my future :)

In other news, I bought a bouncy castle today! Impulse purchase from the clearance section, but I can already tell we will get our money's worth out of it. We had a little impromptu jump fest with some of the neighbor friends, fun though short lived- notice threatening skies in photos, and I think my niece and nephew are coming over this week to check it out.

Kendall, Maren, Julia, Bailey & Ethan

Hope you bounce on through the rest of your week!

Happy 7th Anniversary Missy & John

My sister Missy and her husband John celebrate seven years of wedded bliss today. Two adorable children and yes, a minivan later, they are still going strong. Cheers to you both and may your best years be still to come! We love you!

Julia is at YMCA day camp this week from 9 to noon everyday so it is a little quiet around here. Maria and I are enjoying some quality time and I have a date with the wash machine. Seriously, how is that much laundry even possible?

The Place for Fun in Your LIfe.....

This weekend has been a little crazy and whole lot of fun! Friday night I went out with the girls and had a blast, Saturday was a birthday party bonanza (happy 1st Emily & 30th Melanie!) and today we spent the day with our good friends at the Mall of America. Julia got to meet Dora and some other friends. (Maria is not such fan! She DID NOT want to have her picture taken with them...) We went on some rides and even did some shopping. Hope your weekend was a fun one too!