Busy, busy, busy!!

Here we are, the last weekend of summer! The last weekend before school starts, before Zoe begins FULL DAY school! Yikes! She's very excited...asking me for WEEKS how long until September 2nd. Her classroom had an open house yesterday, so we were able to meet her teacher and see her classroom. She found her desk (a real desk, not a table that seats 4-5 kids!!!) and see who else is in her class. I didn't know more than half of the kids, which surprised me a little bit. So now she can't get there fast enough!
We're going to keep her plenty busy this weekend to make the time go quickly for her! We were hoping to make it to our high school's first football game tonight, but it's been pouring rain all day, so I doubt it's going to happen. Which is fine by me, as I have to get us all packed up and ready for tomorrow! What, you may ask, are we doing tomorrow? Allow me to tell you. Penn State's football season starts tomorrow, so we're taking the kids for a fun day in Happy Valley! The kids are jumping straight out of their skin with excitement! It will be a long day, but very much fun and something we look forward to all year. It's a noon game, so we'll have to get on the road at the crack of dawn. Last year it took us about 4 1/2 hours, when it should take us just under 2. So I'm sure I'll be up before the sun. I'm sure the fun will be well worth it!
Here are a couple of pictures from last year's game...the kids had SO much fun!!!!
Have a fun and safe holiday, and I'll post pictures from this year's game in the next post!










Poor baby...he just couldn't make it through the 4th quarter! Can you believe he fell asleep in all that noise?!?!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!

Thanks to all who made my birthday very special! It was a wonderful day...couldn't have asked for anything better! I'm especially excited about the teapot that Frank and the kids gave me. We often go to a local restaurant called Asian Bistro. Frank and I love the sushi rolls, and the kids are SOOOOO adventurous with food, I give them so much credit! I am still, as an adult, not as brave as they are with food! (They definitely got that from daddy!) They love to eat edamame, roti, malaysian noodles (or something along those lines)...can you imagine 4 & 6 year olds eating that stuff?!?! But I digress...back to the teapot. At Asian Bistro we always get a pot of Pouchong Tea to share, and it comes out in this PRECIOUS little cast iron teapot. And every time we're there I say, "That darn teapot is so cute, I would LOVE to have one of those for all those long, cold winter days!" And don't you know my darling husband and children went to Asian Bistro and got me one for my birthday?!?! (And of course Frank had a little sushi for lunch while he was there...can't believe he had a Spicy Santa without me!) Anyway, here it is...try not to be too jealous.




The little tin in this picture holds some loose pouchong tea. And Frank brought the lilys home for me after work.
Again, thanks to all who made me feel oh so special. Mel, I really loved what you and the kids did! To everyone else, check out my link to Mel's blog (Crazy Beautiful) and see the Hallmark Schmallmark post.
On a completely separate note, I must say thank you to Abbey and Emmy for giving Zoe the pancake puff maker for her birthday. We have pancake puffs for breakfast several times every week, and I must tell you that I'm becoming quite the pro! Check these out...but please do ignore the stove. I scrub and I scrub, but I think that stuff is just too burnt on. I've even tried oven cleaner...anyone have any other suggestions?

Here are a couple of cute shots of Harry, too. He's doing REALLY well! It's as if he's been with us forever!


My boys.



I came upstairs and found Harry asleep with FH...too cute!


He REALLY loves that bone! It's so funny to watch him carry it around!

Please do enjoy these last days of summer...fall (my favorite time of year) is right around the corner. The cooler days are on their way, so get outside and soak up the sun!

The Olympics

I have to say that I am completely mesmerized by the Olympics. Michael Phelps is a wonder, but so are many other athletes who fail to get the recognition that he does. As of this afternoon the US has 29 medals!!!! That is AMAZING!!! And more than any other country, including China. They're not all gold...China seems to have that market cornered...but medals nonetheless. I am fiercely proud to be an American. I think that, though this country certainly has problems, it is by far the best there is. I am eternally grateful for the wonderful life that I have and all the freedoms that come with it. But as I watch our athletes compete against the best in the world, my heart can't help but swell even more with pride. I am glued to the TV every chance I get, and I'm staying up WAY TOO LATE at night to watch!
So now I'll simply share with you a couple of picture that I think are cute. No special occasion, just pure and total cuteness!


A lizard at Grandpa Bob and Grandma Elizabeth's house.



Blowing bubbles with Grandpa Bob.



A self-portrait.


No explanation necessary!



It's got wheels...the boy doesn't need anything else!

And another...

This is another cute one that didn't make it into the last post...just too cute not to share!

Harry

Well, after a week of having Harry in our house, we have decided that it feels as if he has been with us forever! He is an amazing dog, and I can't imagine that someone isn't missing him terribly. He is friendly and outgoing, if not a little excitable. (I think his excitement may scare some of the smaller dogs on our street!) He loves to play with the neighborhood kids, and thinks that "fetch" is the greatest thing in the world. He responds VERY well to all kinds of commands including: sit, stay, come, bring, give, and down. He pretty much does whatever we tell him to do! He does have a little issue with running out the front door, especially if someone is outside. But I think that's just because he loves to play and wants to see his friends. At any rate, the electric fence that's being installed on the 22nd will help with that!
Here's a funny story for you. Yesterday Frank and I were out back helping FH learn to ride his bike without training wheels. (Which is also VERY exciting!!!) We had Harry tied up to the deck on his leash so he could be outside with us. FH went down the hill in our back yard into our neighbor's yard at a pretty good rate of speed and got pretty nervous. So Frank and I both ran down to help him, and the next thing I know, Harry is running around my legs. In about 2.2 seconds that dog chewed RIGHT THROUGH HIS LEASH!!!! Thankfully that was the one that the Humane League had given us and I had bought an extra one. Everyone who hears that we have a Lab says, "Oh, they're big chewers!" We haven't seen any of that until the leash incident. (Yea for that!) And the 2 foot long bone that the kids picked out for him should help out a little, too! So here are a few pictures from this weekend...lots of fun for us!
Enjoy!!!

Wow, what a weekend we're having!!!

We really started our weekend off right...at least for us. On Friday afternoon we officially adopted Harry, a 2 year old Chocolate Lab. We found him at our local shelter, and he is an absolutely perfect fit for our family. We didn't tell the kids, though we told almost everyone else that we knew! So when Frank came home from work a little early on Friday (with the dog), they were completely surprised and 100% delighted to meet Harry! He is a dream dog. So well behaved and so affectionate and so willing to love and be loved. And he is just that...very much loved already! He did come home with a little kennel cough, which is like a cold. But he's on meds and hopefully that awful runny nose will go away soon. He's even great about letting me wipe his nose with a paper towel...he could teach my kids a thing or two! Anyway, here are the pics of our beloved Harry.


And on another very happy note, Zoe and I both tested (and received) our yellow belts in Tae Kwon Do this morning. I don't think Zoe was nervous, as she's been through a couple of tests in the kids classes. (Though this class is different for her--once kids turn 6 they're in the same classes as adults. Her and I are in the same class, and there are some awfully big [yet kind] men in our class!!) Anyway, she didn't seem nervous at all. I was trying very hard not to be!!! But this pushes me so far out of my comfort zone, I can't believe I actually do it!!!! I've wanted to study martial arts for a VERY long time. But I was never able to get over my own anxiety about doing it in front of other people. I guess it's that whole "shy" thing coming back to haunt me. Well I've found that I LOVE that class! I come home from every single one wanting to go right back for another. The instructors are fantastic, and obviously love what they do because it really shows in their teaching. I could go on forever, but here's a couple of good pictures instead.
For those of you who have been waiting for this post (you know who you are!!) my sincere apologies for not getting it to you sooner. With Harry and testing and the 101 degree fever I've been running, I haven't had the energy to post. Please forgive me, and enjoy!