bittersweet symphony

Ten on Tuesday 2013

1. Today is Riley's 9th birthday.  He is so very excited about turning 9. I have been teasing him for months that I wasn't going to let him turn 9. He has a good sense of humor about it. I just want to freeze these moments with him. I am excited to see what year 9 brings him. 

2. Need to dedicate a post to Riley's birthday with some baby pictures.

3. I miss blogging.  thank you Missy for inspiring me to log back on.

4. I still have a pending post about Brady at 4.  He is now 6. What the what!?

5. today, there was a bit of fall in the air. Love it. Looking forward to hikes, apple picking, pumpkins, apple spice candles, fall leaves, crisp cool air, football games to hear the band, opening the windows, sweaters, boots, baking,  crock pot  dinners and fall tv.

6.For my coupon friends, don't forget the first of the month, time to print those new coupons: www.coupons.com, www.bettycrocker.com, www.smartsource.com to name a few. And check out new e-offers at www.gianteagle.com

7.  Happy Birthday to Sue Morgan, who shares a birthday with our Riley.

8. Thankful for the time spent with the scrappy girls on Saturday.  So much fun. And I acutally scrapbooked. Time to dust off the craft table and print some pictures.  And jump on the Project Life train.

9.Man it's been a while since I have done this 10 on tuesday, can  i make it to 10?

10. Okay time for a poll: Maroon 5 or Mumford & Sons?

Ten on Tuesday 2012

1.  So blogging. What is good for? Besides a $7.95 debit to my bank account every month.  Figure I better start using this tool to keep track of life.

2. To record little moments, like Brady last week. He wanted to be rocked before bed. While Daddy and Riley played on the floor trying to construct all Star Wars Lego ships that we have directions for. As I tried to gather him up on my lap, tears began to sting my eyes. How did this kid get so big? Where is my sweet chubby baby with unruly hair? I started to hum the lullaby that we spent many nights trying to lull him back to sleep when he was that sweet chubby baby.  Remember he didn't sleep through the night for the first year of his life?  I kept rocking, aware of all the blessings in my life where right here in the play room. I must have stopped humming, as Brady said: Keep singing mama, I like that song. And then my heart exploded.

3. Legos. They are everywhere. In an effort to try to organize them, we are going to try to build all the ships that we have directions for. And not destroy them. Leave them intact until all the ships are built. Then we can store the extras pieces. We can store each ship with their directions in a separate bag. It might be an insane dream of mine to actually organize legos. Because I can't stand when the little guys are missing heads and hands!  At least we are enjoying the process and spending time building ships and guys! Riley says: Mama, I love legos as much as you love coupons.  You can't argue with that logic.  Riley is going to be a builder when he grows up.

4. August is almost as bad as May is in the Marquette household. This August besides marching band we have added 3-4 nights a week of soccer. Back to school for all boys. Eddie- band director to 500+  kids, not to mention the largest marching band in the history of Highland Local Schools. Riley - 2nd grade, Brady - kindergarten - full day (wahhhhh)  Soccer games on Saturdays. Football games on Friday nights. And soon we will add WNA to the mix. Piano lessons are on hold until October. And trying to squeeze out every last drop of summer in the free moments we have.

5. My to do lists are crazy.  I need to actually write them all down so I can get them out of my head. I think I am giving myself ADD.

6. Time to break out the crockpot - see number 4. We can't live on peanut butter, grapes  and go gurts for much longer.  Any crockpot recipes you want to share?

7.  Public Service Announcement: Never purchase an appliance from Best Buy. We are on our 3rd replacement order for a new refrigerator.  They brought a new replacement yesterday? Damaged in the same place. So now I have to calmly make a call to customer service and order yet another one or put in a service call.  Eddie says: Be nice, Miller. Oh I will be nice. After they give me a discount for keeping their defective product.

8. Fall is right around the corner.  Another season. A new beginning. I don't know what I am more excited for - crisp air, cinnamon candles,  apple crisp, a new yarn wreath, pretty leaves, new school supplies, hikes, pumpkin muffins, Parenthood, Grey's, Private Practice, sweaters, new boots, cleaning and organizing the busyness of summer...what is your favorite thing about fall?

9. So You Think You Can Dance. Catching up on episodes on DVR.  Did you see the one with all of Mia Michaels choregraphed numbers in one show? favorite.show.ever.

10. Savings at Giant Eagle today: Spent $3.98 saved $53.24. Got 12 free Crest Toothpaste, hot dogs, granola bars, reynolds wrap and cheese sticks. Riley is right, I do love coupons.  And I love sharing good deals and tips. Just ask my sister &  sister in laws ! They are good students :) And Cassie and Mandy, you too will be good students - it just takes time and deep breathing! Thinking about rolling out a series of "How to use coupon" classes...

10 on tuesday

1. Today is National Pancake Day...pancakes and bacon for dinner.

2. Don't really have a meal plan for this week. Wednesday is dinner at church, Thursday: meatballs and spag, Friday: homemade pizza; Saturday: roasted chicken. And we will be doing some baking on Saturday- looking forward to a Saturday at home.

3. Cleaning and trying to organize the house ! this is a never ending process, but it seems winter we turned into hoarders.  First to go - stockpile items. Donating tonight to our church pantry: 55 toothbrushes, 25 toothpaste, 2 shampoos, 2 giant bottles of hair gel, 2 mens body wash, 4 dish soap, 2 shaving creams and 2 deodorants. This doesn't include the random bags of groceries I have been giving away. Just this morning my mother in law got bacon, cinnamon bread and toilet paper.

4. Parenthood season finale tonight...I can't take it. The story lines are breaking my heart...don't even get me started on the Glee winter finale.

5. Thank goodness for Jersey Shore, it balances out the heartbreak from #4. Yes I watch Jersey Shore. I love those crazy kids.

6.

My boys: Brady and Riley on 11-27-11 at the cabin in Hocking Hills. How is it I don't have any current pictures from 2012 on my computer? means ANY pictures I have taken in 2012 are still on my memory card in my camera, in my bag. Must start taking more pictures!  They really are the best buddies. They love playing legos, star wars, transformers together.  Don't get me wrong, they do fight, tattle and try to tackle each other. But for the most part they are happy and get along so well. I hope they will always be close.

7. Miranda Lambert - got to see her a couple weeks ago in Youngstown with my sister. No, Blake didn't show up, but it was a rocking good concert. Reminds me that yes I do have country roots. My dad was born in the hollers of Tennessee in a small town of Elizabethen. I grew up listening to Slim Whitman, Merle Haggar, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Loretta Lynn to name a few.  I still hear the southern drawl in my dad's voice.  Note to self: Call your Daddy.

8. We spent the past weekend in Pittsburgh with 3 other couples. It was so much to hang out with just the adults. I kinda forgot who I am without kids around. I LOVE BEING MAMA. But do you ever have those moments of panic, like, wait who I am? Okay this isn't coming out right, but I hope you understand what I am trying to say. No I do not have amnesia. But as mamas and wives, we tend to put ourselves last. And when you have a minute to just focus and just be you or part of a couple it is an adjustment, you can order from the adult menu.  It was 27 hours full of laughs, cab hailing,  drinks, room cocktails, food, dessert, food, gambling, walking, driving, shopping, dancing, hockey watching, and facebook status updates.   And it was fun to bond with these couples who we are going on vacation with in June. Good people = good times.

9. There is a reason I don't watch the news. My heart aches for the community of Chardon.

10. Okay barely made it to 10, but off to flip my bacon and get ready for a prayer meeting at 7:00.

Happy Tuesday y'all!

10 on tuesday

1. happy march 1st! Spring arrives this month! yeah!

2. need a free gallon of milk? go to. www.coupons.comprint out the .55 cent off coupon of lucky charms & the .55 off coupon of cinnamon toast crunch. Print each twice. go to giant eagle. Buy 4 boxes - get a catalina (that coupon the prints out with your receipt) for a free gallon of milk! Giant Eagle on Norton road has cereal - 4 for $8.00 - even though it's advertised as 4 for $10.00.  Deal ends wednesday.  I might need to print some more (also available to print on www.smartsource.com and www.target.com) and go back. Can't beat .90 cents for a box of cereal and free milk.

3. Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week. I seem to accomplish a higher number of tasks on Tuesdays. At work and at home. Off my to do lists this is what I got done today so far:

1.  work - resolved lots of old items, planned a pizza party
2. renewed driver's license, got new tags for both Hondas
3. Stopped at giant eagle
4. Got Brady's haircut
5. Cleaned out the inside of the van while the boys ran around outside
6. cleaned out the refrigerator - leftovers & fruit for dinner
7. did a load of dishes
8. folded a pile of laundry
9. 2 more loads in the washer/dryer
10. baked cookies
11. bath night for the boys
12. blogging
13. cut out coupons

4. And catch up on some DVR'd shows tonight. Eddie is at Akron U with a group of band kids tonight - so I can watch my girlie shows.

5. Okay, boys are in bed now it's 8:38. We needed one more drink of water, train blankets and stuffed animals needed hugs too. Is it wrong that I put the boys in comfy play clothes after their bath? So in the morning - they are ready to go - no need to get dressed - just brush teeth and ready to go! I am always looking for ways to cut down on our morning mad dash out the the door.

6. I am running out of steam and i might now make it to 10 things tonight. Lame. Sorry

7. Bachelor: Chantal or Emily? I think he will pick Chantal. I think he just has a school girl crush on Emily and the kid scares him a little more than he is letting on. But I think Brad is the most genuine Bachelor ever.

8. Trying to book a beach vacation...hoping we can pull it off this year.

9. My taxes are not done yet- oops- my goal was to have them done by 2-28-11. Maybe I should work on 
them...next tuesday.

10. Received awesome news tonight: SGM Dennis Gerber returned home today after his year long deployment! So happy for the Gerber family as they get to be a family of four again. Prayers for all the service men and women still waiting to come home. Thank you Denny for your service & sacrifice. WELCOME HOME!

Random picture: I took some shots of this really old baseball for friends of ours that are going to sell it...look closely you might see Yogi Berra & Micky Mantle's signatures. it's a New York Yankee's World Series ball from the 1940's...I told them I would only charge 10% of the selling price for the pictures...

    

10 on tuesday

1. I love that the boys are still singing Christmas songs and it's almost March. favorites: jingle bells, we wish you a merry christmas, santa claus is coming to town. And Brady asks for Trans-Siberian Orchestra whenever the ipod touch is on. he loves christmas eve (sarajevo). He'll say: mama play the doot-dot-dot-dot-dot song.

2. I love that on Valentine's Day my boys surprised me with a box of chocolate covered strawberries, 4 heart shaped balloons, and a note: will you be our valentine? love the marquette boys.  We made a spaghetti & meatballs for dinner. And they found valentines candy & beef stick treats (what boy doesn't love processed meat snacks?!) at their places at the kitchen table. I am a very lucky girl to have 3 boys loves me so much. 

 

3. I am grateful for our wonderful neighbors Greg & Linda. not only are they the nicest people in town, they are always happy to see the boys, even brought them christmas presents. But Greg snow blows our driveway whenever we have a big snow.  A couple weekends ago - when it was kinda warm - eddie and riley spent 3 hours chipping ice off of the driveway. Riley then started helping mr. greg chip the ice off of his. I think Riley just wanted to climb the giant snow pile in their front yard-  but he really did some damage on the ice and is learning we should help other people because it's the right thing to do.  

4. Last night, I rocked Brady to sleep. This hasn't happened since he was 1. He was sad all weekend, melt downs about everything. We suspected he just didn't feel good. He was having a melt down after dinner, I scooped him up (despite his protests) and headed for our rocker. I turned off the light, and just started rocking. He immediately snuggled up and started those long, slow blinks. As we rocked, I could hear eddie & riley flying around their new paper airplanes - hoping to break the 23 second record flight for a paper airplane - and my heart just starting bursting with love for these boys. I looked down at brady's sweet long lashes as his eyes closed, taking in the chubby still toddler cheeks and button nose and sweet little mouth.  These moments are so precious and amaze me that I get to be their mama.

5. I know why I am so sentimental this week - sorry for the all the gooey love stuff. But I got to hold 2 newborns last week.  Emma Renee - just hours old. Proud parents: Big D & Tara. And baby Jackson - proud parents Marie & BJ.  Such sweet little reminders that God loves us. His precious pure gift of life. After I handed these babies back to their mamas, my arms literally ached to hold my babies. I never want to forget how it felt to hold their little bodies in my arms. From their tiny little newborn weights, to 6 month chubby weights, to toddler weights all wiggly. I want to remember how it feels to have the weight of their little body on my lap. To feel their little heads snuggle under my chin or their heads lay on my shoulder. Or even better when they hug back - little arms wrapped around my neck.

6. Does anybody think Lady Gaga's new song sounds like early Madonna? 

7. Ahh tuesday night tv: glee & Parenthood

8. My quick trip to CVS today: Spent $6.40, saved $26.62, got $5.75 back in extra bucks.

 
Purex $1.99 each - had 2 $1.00 off coupons. They didn't have the purex 3-1 sheets. 1/2 gallon milk $1.89 (i would have gotten a whole gallon - but this was a quick trip and I didn't have a cart) Starbucks $1.99 used $1.00 off cvs coupon, cadbury egg. 75 cents - got back .75 in extra bucks. colgate $2.99 - had 2 $1.00 off coupons -got back $ 2.00 each in extra bucks. Filippo olive oil - $3.99 - had $1.00 coupon and used $6.00 in extra bucks from a previous CVS shopping trip.   
 

9. Don't cook dinner thursday night - go here http://thejebbers.com/wp/2011/02/food-to-fuel-the-soul/  help support a local family and get your big mac fix. I know the boys and I will be going. Eddie works late on thursdays, and it might be my birthday and I know I won't feel like cooking.

10. Whenever I need some mindless celeb news I go to www.gofugyourself.com. I love Gwen Stefani - but she might need a new look- the harsh blonde hair, dark eye make up and blood red lips is so 1998. 

 

10 on tuesday

1. Out with the old, in with the new. Happy New Year!  I am looking forward to 2011 and all the possibilities. Hoping this 10 on tuesday will explain my lack of blogging...

2. The last 3 months of 2010 were full of  stressful, wonderful, difficult, take your breath away moments.  The biggest moment :To make a long story short - I was diagnosed with stage 1a1 cervical cancer- but it's gone. I didn't know I had it, until I had outpatient surgery to remove all those bad cells in November.  So the next plan of action - a partial hysterectomy in 6 months.  This brought on so many bittersweet emotions. We were done with having kids, but when that option is taken away from you, it makes your heart heavy. And suddenly everyone around you is having babies.  My wonderful doctor called me the day before thanksgiving break to give me the results of my surgery and diagnosis and a brief next step. I went into the thanksgiving holiday with a full heavy heart.

3. The next biggest moment: While away at our traditional thanksgiving getaway in Hocking Hills with wonderful friends, our dear friend JD called home to talk to his parents, only to receive the devastating news that his father suddenly passed away hours before from a major heart attack.  JD is the only child of Big Joe and Helen. And Big Joe was simply a gentle, kind man that took care of his family. He will be missed.

4.  I spent the first week of December in a blur. Just wanting to hibernate with my little family. But it didn't last long, thank goodness, with the holidays right around the corner, it forced me to move and cross things off my list. But I wasn't fast enough - I was out shopping on Christmas Eve morning at 6:30 am to finish up.  My christmas card barely made it out in the mail.

5. We no longer have carpet in our kitchen! In it's place - 4 inch all wood planks of birch or maple. I love wood floors. Now I can't wait to tear the carpet out of the whole house- but don't tell Eddie.  No more paneling, nice walls covered in drywall and paint. New windows and beautiful white trim with shelves on top.  Eddie amazes me with his home improvement skills. 

6. We did the Polar Express this year with the D'Amicos. When we pulled in the train station - Riley's response when he figured out where we were - is this for real? I hope he still believes a couple more years. I don't want him to lose the magic and wonder. Brady was happy to see Santa.

7.  I was surprised with my very own Kitchen Aid Stand mixer on Christmas morning. (Thanks to call from my mother in law to my husband months before - you need to buy your wife this - and she used a coupon and got a rebate!! yeah!!)  Now it's official, I am really a grown up.

8. So glad that my sister missy started me on this wellness journey. Working out is good. And even better we can do it together. Everything is better with friends. I love you girl!!

9. My word for 2011: Breathe.   Breathe in life, friends, family. Breathe out: negativity, bad thoughts and stress. I need to remember to breathe. Sit up straight, inhale and exhale. Notice what it brings to my body, listen to my body.  I might have to make a post it note at work - so I remember to breathe - work is one of my biggest stresses right now. You know you are stressed if you upload the same pictures to 2 different photo sites (because they keep sending you coupon codes) and don't realize it until you receive double prints in the mail!! Breathe. Just breathe.

10.  I thought about shutting my blog down, but realized this is the closest record I have of my life right now, details I don't want to forget. I had to get this 1st post out of the way with all that heavy stuff. Sorry for being so blunt. (PSA: Ladies, don't skip your annual gyno appointment. If you notice anything or just don't feel something is right - call your doctor today!)  

Now that I have gotten past this post, I hope you will come back and read more.  Lighter subjects: pictures of the boys, kitchen pictures, Riley stories, Brady is potty trained! coupons deals (recent deal: 7 loaves of Roman meal bread for $1.00 at giant eagle) and other stuff... 

 

10 on tues...well now wednesday

1.this is late because all the computers in the house were being used...fantasy football draft night.  It must be getting close to fall! Eddie is only in 3 leagues this year. He is quite serious with his excel spreadsheets and graphs. You think I kid, but it's all true.

2. Riley is now 6! hopefully I will be back with a birthday recap this week. We basically started celebrating his birthday Thursday night and wrapped it up Sunday afternoon with ice cream cake and presents.

3. We went camping this weekend - our church retreat. And Saturday was a crazy weather day - cold, cloudy, rainy, some sun and lots of wind. But that didn't stop the boys from having fun. We got there set up camp, next to grammy & papa. Everyone else stayed in cabins with indoor plumbing. We took a walk with the our charges - trying to keep them busy until lunch time. Lunch and then free time. Dinner, campfire then a hayride. Now the hay trailer was pulled by Farmer Bob and he wasn't driving a tractor - but a ford f150. More on that later. I don't think the boys have run so much. They had a blast. They even went on a snipe hunt thanks to mr. m, but the snipe got away.

4.Now I am more of a camp in a cabin with dish tv and a hot tub kind of girl, but growing up we did camp. Well if you call a tarp thrown over a clothesline, between 2 trees, by a river in a cow pasture in Shenandoah  -camping - then we camped. For as long as I can remember - all the men in my family would go to the river around the 4th of july for a week or so. My grandpa (before his stroke) my dad, uncles, cousins. Later on my dad would take my nephews and brother in law.  But when I was little-  I remember going on this camping trip. I know my mom was probably a nervous wreck all the time, and didn't enjoy it. But I remember it being fun. I remember my uncle denny catching an eel and trying to whack it before it squirmed back into the river. And that would become a yearly tradition - who would catch the eel this year.  I remember my dad's green coleman grill that he would cook eggs and spam  on the iron skillet in for breakfast. I remember catfish for dinner. I have so many memories, but I am sure I only went a couple times, maybe only once, and maybe those memories are the stories I have heard so many times. But I want my children to experience stuff like this, even if it is out of my comfort zone. I don't want them to see that. I want them to have happy memories, I want to be that mama that "does" instead of the "does not".

5. wow, sorry about that tangent up there. Thanks to my 2 readers if you are still with me. Hi Marie! Hi Missy!

6. Missy, I hope everything goes smoothly this week as classes start back. And I hope your new employee works out!

7. Now that the boys have bunk beds, Brady doesn't roll out of bed every night and come to my side of the bed. To tell you the truth, I miss it.  I miss his little face at my bedside, I miss the little snuggles and whispers. I miss the weight of his little body as I carry him back to bed.

8. Fall is in the air - which means fall TV. What are you watching? Me: glee, Grey's,' parenthood, heroes, private practice, modern family.  I need a break from reality tv.

9. The Hornets lost their game on Friday night. Hopefully they can keep this streak up. We are going to the game Friday night to see Daddy & the band. I don't want to see the home team stomp North Royalton. I would really like to see my husband in October.

10. Swim lessons and piano lessons will be put on the schedule this week. We didn't make the soccer registration due to a mix up with the spring team - but it's okay. Riley got a set of golf clubs for his birthday (and not the fisher price kind either) so I don't think he will be missing soccer this fall.

10 on tuesday

1.  do you love heluva good cheese & chip dip? go to www.heluvagood.com and print out 2 coupons for .50 cents off any heluva good product. giant eagle has cheese blocks on sale 2 for $4.00 until tomorrow. I grabbed some for $1.00 each.

2. Speaking of Giant Eagle - I spent $59.88 and save $70.91. ask me how: coupons

3. This week is beginning to have too many bittersweet memories attached.

4. Today would have been my parents 49th wedding anniversary.

5. Today we lost a member of our church. He was eddie's sunday school teacher and youth advisor in high school.  Wade will be missed.

6. Tomorrow is my dear mother in law's birthday! She is so precious to me. I really don't know where I would be without her. I love that she sends me daily texts, emails and pictures of what is happening during the day with Riley & brady. I love that she collects stuff ( stamps, dishes, cookbooks, to name a few) I love when she hands me a book to read, because I know it will be good. And I know she will have the others waiting for me if it happens to be a series. She is talented & crafty. She is passionate about life and her family. And I am thankful I am in her family. I am so thankful she was born!

7. Friday is Riley's 6th birthday!  What? I know. He keeps telling me he is 5 and 1/2.  He can't wait to be six - I think he's just excited for more legos! He is loving school so much! I am taking Friday off to spend the day with him and Brady. I think we will go have pancakes for breakfast, then maybe pick up some donuts with sprinkles for an after school snack.

8. Friday is also my mentor/guru Sue Morgan's birthday. I love that Riley shares his day of birth with this force of nature. Sue has such natural gift of getting to the good stuff. To digging in and finding out what's really going on. Sue asks the tough questions. She always makes me cry (in a good way) I love that our friendship has an ebb and flow - sometimes - life experiences bridging the gap and vunerabities leave space for breath and safe spaces.  Her whole family is going through such transition right now, jobs taking them far away from each other, waiting for word on job leads. And all the while she gives up her sunday morning and teaches us about faith, Jesus, and what was he thinking. I hope she has a wonderful birthday and gets to soak up her family this weekend.

9. Friday also marks the one year passing of our Meemaw. Oh, there are no words. She has left behind her legacy of love in her husband, her daughter, her grandsons, her granddaughter, her great granddaughters and great grandsons. ( I didn't put grandson in law & granddaughter in laws - because she never called us that). I miss her laugh. I miss her stories. I miss the way she would grab your hand when talking to you. And she never missed a chance to say I love you. I love you meemaw. I saw 2 dragonflies today, I wonder how many I will see on Friday.

10. okay, I didn't realize how emotionally loaded this week was! Sorry about that! I am editing some pictures from the 4th of July. The D'Amicos, The Lees, and 1/2 of the Gerbers came over for a very laid back picnic. I love that this year we have 6 and 1 on the way kids between us. How did this happen? I remember many a picnics before kids when our only goal was to make sure we floated the keg.  These are some of my favorite people and I love these kids like my own. I will be posting a lot more on facebook to Denny can see them - he is still serving over seas. 

this could be: anytown, usa.  

I love this snapshot of our picnic. The guys close to the grill, go browns, beer in hand, water in hand. american flag, lawn chairs, roller coaster.

my boys. I love that riley is squishing brady so close. I love that they look so completely different. I am so glad they have each other.
 
 

10 on tuesday - kindergarten edition

1. Today was Riley's 1st day of Kindergarten. I took the day off. We started the morning off with pancakes, after we slept in until almost 8am!

2. All morning - Riley kept saying how excited he was for school! I can't wait to go to school! I wonder if mrs. miller (his teacher) will be wearing a new shirt too?  I remember she was wearing that green dress last time (okay the one and only time he saw her at open house!)

3. Today was also the day bunk beds and the new love seat were being delivered.

4. So the boys and I spent the morning cleaning out their room, Riley helped me take down the crib. Brady helped carried the parts out the door, until he got hurt.  Tried to sort more clothes, put away the baby stuff still in their room. Their room is turning into a big boy room! We have a few projects to complete, maybe a canvas or 2.

5. Speaking of projects- eddie is probably glad garage sale season is over. 2 dressers stripped, sanded, primed, one painted & new hardware, the other waiting for color.

6. Time for lunch, getting riley dressed for school. New shirt! new shoes! new supplies! Take some pictures inside and out. Brady was just as excited as Riley. He had to have the Cars backpack and happily posed with pictures.

7. Early arrival! wait outside, line up. The bell rings. Time to walk to the classroom. This week - parents can walk them to their locker, next week parents need to say goodbye at the outside doors. Mass chaos, as students, parents & siblings walk to the 2 kindergarten classrooms. We find riley's locker (#157) hang up his backpack, time for a quick hug, and off he goes to his teacher. Just.like.that.

8. Brady and I walk down the long hallway, tears are already stinging my eyes. Getting brady buckled in the van, call my mother in law. She knows I would call. I choke back the tears as I tell her what happened. She laughs and remembers the day the twins were in kindergarten and kenny was out the door to the middle school. I don't think it will get easier when it's brady's turn.  I dial my sister in law, leaving a shaky voice mail. she calls right back. She followed the bus to school to watch her 1st grader go to her class.  I call Eddie, he answers I barely can speak with the lump in my throat.  But he reminds me I get to spend some solo time with Brady.

9. Brady and I head home to make some chocolate chip cookies. At 1:00- Brady says: let's go get ridey, mama. Yeah buddy I miss him too, but he is at school for a couple more hours. They have been playing so well together this summer. Riley is patient with Brady and even builds him star war's lego ships and guys.

10. Eddie gets home in time so we can all go to pick up Riley. We get there early. Wait on the sidewalk. The Kindergarten's come out and stand by their teachers. I tell eddie - go get him! Did he get bigger in the 2.5 hours he was away from us? Riley smiles big when he sees Daddy. We all get a quick hug, then hand in hand riley & daddy walk back to the van, already chatting about the days events. Gingerbread story and a cookie. No playground today. Had to learn first then they could play. I pull out riley's folder and see a pictured that has been colored by a professional!  We get home, I start dinner (turkey meatloaf, cheesy potatoes, green beans) while the boys start building their new bunk beds. They couldn't wait to go to bed!

Will come back and post pictures hopefully tomorrow. I just wanted to get this day down before I forgot the little details. I am so proud of Riley. He was so excited to go to school, no hesitation, no fear.  I hope he always enjoys school and is excited to go.  Next week he turns 6!

10 on tuesday

1. happy birthday sweet molly moe! I remember the day you were born, boy is your mama good at keeping secrets. We got the call you had arrived, but we had to come to the hospital to meet you and find out your name and details....until then you were baby farquar for 9 months. I remember how you would wind up your sweet little jaw before the "duh, duh, duh" sound would come out. Running water to calm you down. Oh how I miss you calling charlie "cha-chi". Fast forward  8  years and you are 9 today! And more like your mama ever day! It is such a pleasure to be your aunt and watch you grow up! happy birthday molly, we love you!

2. have you tried the new wonton pork tacos at applebee's? If not, order them curbside to go tonight. Crunchy little wonton "tacos" filled with sweet bbq pork, topped with a slaw of cabbage, carrots, red pepper, red onion and cilantro. squeeze some fresh lime and you are good to go. I will have to re-create these at home.

3. May is full of Marquette birthdays! molly,brady, sadie, maya and grandpa marquette. For the record,Mason would have been born in May, but he decided to come early and arrive a couple days before the april triple baby shower (nancy, missy & I were all pregnant at the same time).

4. I am going to a 12 hour crop this weekend. Will I be able to scrap for 12 hours in a row? Looking forward to the challenge. But not looking forward to packing up my stuff  - I am thinking the CM power sort layout box will come in handy now.

5. Tuesday nights our DVR is working double time: American Idol, Glee, Biggest Loser and Parenthood. I can't wait to watch it all...tomorrow!

6. I didn't take any pictures on mother's day. It was kind of a whirlwind day. Church, lunch at my mother in laws, late lunch with my sisters & mom, some speed shopping @ Target, Walmart & Home Depot. Then back home. I want to take pictures of my pretty hanging baskets with my boys outside, but it has been cold and rainy! Maybe this weekend.

7. I need a spa day!Who's with me? Need some fresh color and a pedicure & massage would be so nice right now. Might have to settle for 3 separate appointments, not the same, but still very much needed.

8. Going to try for family pictures of my side of the family on Sunday. The last full family portrait was attempted christmas 2006. And still 3 nephews were missing at that. Now we will never have a full family portrait again. So this will be the attempt with my mom, my sisters & brother in law and all the cousins.  Part of me doesn't even want to try, because then do we attempt the same with my dad? Ugh, divorce bites.

9. my baby is going to be 3 in 10 days. I can't take it. He is no longer a baby. I make him play the "sleep baby, awake baby" game so I can cuddle him for a minute or too before he runs off. He will always be my baby, no matter.

10.  my favorite new way to make grilled cheese! on my pampered chef stone! (pizza stone or bar pan will work) I make the all, buttering the outside of wheat bread with garlic butter, layer in lots of cheese american for the boys, sharp white cheddar for me. In the oven for 350 degrees until golden brown. they are so crispy and no flipping! and it comes in handy when you are making 3 or 4 or 10 at a time!