‘Twas the night before Christmas …
Sometime in the wee hours of Christmas morning Kassie climbed in between Mike and I, stopping only to whisper excitedly "I peeked, he came!" before snuggling back in for more sleep! Amazing, yet true.
Seven & Seven?
Or seven months later I I finally complete a layout of Kassie's 7th birthday. I was just waiting for that "perfect moment" which was, apparently, December. 
Soccer girl strikes again!
More pics from late Fall (see ... I'm not as far behind as I could be!) Photos from Kassie's soccer season. 
Big Surf Lake Erie
More belated Summer '06 vacation pics ~ Note the life vests on MY kids in the upper left photo. Can you say "overprotective mom?"
Hey, you can't be too careful with that awesome Lake Erie riptide.
Like a little July in Christmas …
... rather than Christmas in July? Proof that a) summer was real; and b) we enjoyed it immensely.
Surprise!
Well, it's really NO SURPRISE that it's taken me two weeks to the day to upload photos from Grandpa's (Howard's) 80th Birthday party on November 4, 2006.Special thanks to all who came from far and wide to share this special day with all of us.
He's a loveable guy and was truly surprised so it was certainly a success. We love you!
Book ‘em Danno
One photo of Matthew on a Cub Scout field trip last night to the Columbiana Police Station. We can only hope that this is the first and last time he is fingerprinted in this manner. I'd hate to think some otherwise successful cross-country crime spree will end when he is nabbed solely on the fingerprint card obtained when he was 9 on a Cub Scout field trip.
Many pumpkins were harmed …
Many pumpkins were harmed in the making of these jack o' lanterns. Very belated scenes from the Pumpkin Party '06. They came, they saw(ed), they made crazy pumpkins!
Raising Savages
Score!
Sometimes I have nothing to say (and yet, inexplicably, still say it). Today is such a day. I have a deadline tomorrow so no one is safe. Be warned.
Just a quick page from the album to show that soccer isn't all kicks and glory. Sometimes it's just standing around waiting for the action to come your way. Matthew did get a chance at some action and can kick that ball out with the best of 'em.
Otherwise, though, it really is true that goalie always seems like a good idea and then ... isn't.
Nothing
I've been kind of down lately and it has been suggested that I'm having a mid-life crisis? Um, what???
Don't I get a Corvette and a comb-over or something with that?
I'd hate to think I'm at some half-way point and don't know it but then, maybe I passed it years ago in which case I DEFINITELY don't want to know. (Really, there's a bright side in there somewhere). Oh well, I guess the way to look at it is the only alternative to getting older is NOT getting older - and who wants THAT?
Just to prove that I really WAS young once, here is me at age 6 (just, y'know, 24 short years ago ;) ) with my baby sister, Cara. I'm sure, at the time, I thought she was my own personal doll and I got to keep her. Sadly, no. Probably for the best, however. I did have a propensity to cut off all my doll's hair and paint their lips and cheeks with permanent marker. That might not have looked so good on her.
Manly men
So the manly men are back from the "Lad n' Me" cub scout campout. First, kudos to the Cub Scouts for coming up with the most emasculating monicker imaginable for an otherwise cool enough event. Lad n' Me? Seriously?
I still can't really say it with a straight face.
A good time was had by all - but yet again it rained. This prompted Brett and Kevin (former survivors of the much touted "rain camp Labor Day '06" to call me throughout the evening and chortle "it's cold, it's raining, my sleeping bag is WET! -- all that's missing is YOU KYM!!" and then hang up.
Funny guys. Good dads. :) They sucked it up (soaked it up?) and spent the night - all except for K. (you know who you are Kevin!) who slunk on home.
Not sure if that makes him a quitter - or just smarter than the rest of my friends :)
Rain rain go away
I suspected I wouldn't be much good at this blog thing and darned if I wasn't right!
Just a quick and pathetic recap so that August 24 isn't the last thing herein.
Spend Labor Day weekend camping with friends. I use the term "camping" very loosely here, mostly to describe standing in a cold, driving rain while huddled around a fire and under a canopy for warmth. Yes, we did have the canopy OVER the fire. At that point, I was figuring that if the canopy went up in flames, at least we'd be warm, however briefly, when the fire was burning above our heads.
We spent Saturday through Monday believing in our hearts that CNN was right and the weather would clear.
It sure did - on Monday. Just in time to pack up all those wet clothes and go home.
This is our weekend.
Friday - set up camp in rain.
Saturday - 3:00 a.m.-ish - wake up soaking wet as tent dumps gathered water on my sleeping bag.
Saturday - all day. Huddle in rain (see above).
Saturday night - A FIRST: travel to laundromat and spending evening drying out sleeping bags which, as it turns out, won't dry when hung out in driving rain. (See above).
Sunday: See Saturday, rinse, repeat. Brief flurry of activity when friend's child falls from scooter and breaks collarbone. Dustin (breakee) notes wryly that "I'm always with the Seabolt's when I break something."
Who says we bring nothing to the party?
Monday. What is that bright golden orb in the sky? Could it be? Is it sunshine? We recoil in horror unsure of ourselves. It's been so long. We don't really recognize the sun. Children take brief, one hour tour in pontoon boat. We all race to the docks to watch Coast Guard oversee recovery of a mini-van that has been completely submerged in the lake. This was terrifically exciting for quite some time. It is sad that this is so. Van is recovered without incident (or anything really interesting happening).
Come home. Do laundry for ten days straight attempting to catch up.
Repeat to self: "I love camping. I love camping. I love camping."
Just a quick and pathetic recap so that August 24 isn't the last thing herein.
Spend Labor Day weekend camping with friends. I use the term "camping" very loosely here, mostly to describe standing in a cold, driving rain while huddled around a fire and under a canopy for warmth. Yes, we did have the canopy OVER the fire. At that point, I was figuring that if the canopy went up in flames, at least we'd be warm, however briefly, when the fire was burning above our heads.
We spent Saturday through Monday believing in our hearts that CNN was right and the weather would clear.
It sure did - on Monday. Just in time to pack up all those wet clothes and go home.
This is our weekend.
Friday - set up camp in rain.
Saturday - 3:00 a.m.-ish - wake up soaking wet as tent dumps gathered water on my sleeping bag.
Saturday - all day. Huddle in rain (see above).
Saturday night - A FIRST: travel to laundromat and spending evening drying out sleeping bags which, as it turns out, won't dry when hung out in driving rain. (See above).
Sunday: See Saturday, rinse, repeat. Brief flurry of activity when friend's child falls from scooter and breaks collarbone. Dustin (breakee) notes wryly that "I'm always with the Seabolt's when I break something."
Who says we bring nothing to the party?
Monday. What is that bright golden orb in the sky? Could it be? Is it sunshine? We recoil in horror unsure of ourselves. It's been so long. We don't really recognize the sun. Children take brief, one hour tour in pontoon boat. We all race to the docks to watch Coast Guard oversee recovery of a mini-van that has been completely submerged in the lake. This was terrifically exciting for quite some time. It is sad that this is so. Van is recovered without incident (or anything really interesting happening).
Come home. Do laundry for ten days straight attempting to catch up.
Repeat to self: "I love camping. I love camping. I love camping."
Happy (Almost) Birthday To You!
Happy (Almost) Birthday To You Dear Granny!
I'm sure all the family joins in wishing you a happiest birthday ever tomorrow (with plenty of cake and "Granny's Frosting" to boot!)
We love you!
P.S. You know you can add "comments" (readable by all) by clicking on that link below. Feel free to share a good "Granny memory" if you wish :)
I’ve been told that if I were a cartoon character …
Isn’t my best friend beautiful?
Love this pic of Dawn and Kayla taken in Erie, PA (That's by LAKE Erie by the way!) in July '06. Isn't this just a great shot of my beautiful best friend (and cousin) and her equally lovely daughter? I can post this because I probably won't see her for a few days and by then the urge to throttle me will have passed (for the most part).
If anyone should doubt the wisdom of being best friends with magical people let me tell you, I highly recommend it. Saturday afternoon Dawn and our respective children and I were at Boardman park sighing because we didn't want the day to end, but we couldn't think of a thing to do. Dawn said idly "if only there was something DIFFERENT to do, and wouldn't it be a great night for a drive-in movie?" Yes, it would be, but alas, there are no drive-ins anywhere near Boardman, Ohio. Sigh. Minutes later a hayride- and honest to goodness HAYRIDE in the buroughs of urban Youngstown Ohio happens by. We followed it and just around the bend happened upon, I kid you not!, a clown, balloon animals and a Beatles concert (yes, really). Asking the nearest park employee, incredulously, "how long does this concert go on?" he responded "oh, it's almost over, and then we'll have the movie!"
Yep, an outdoor movie for free on a Saturday night in Boardman Ohio shortly after Dawn said simply "if only ..."
Yep. If only she'd wished for a lottery ticket! :)
Okay, Elmview is up!
Elmview photos are up and running (knock wood!) See photo album at the side.
As you can see, Kass is real excited about this :)
Love ya all!
‘Cause they’re cousins … (non)identical cousins all the way …
Okay, at the risk of severely dating myself that is supposed to be the theme to the Patty Duke show. Yeah, I know, if you are under 35 and/or don't remember when Nick at Nite was still GOOD - you just went "huh?" Otherwise, just smile at the pretty picture of the pretty children on the pretty blanket and be happy.
!)
So, how cute ARE these kids anyway? :) Photo from Elmview '06 and GREAT NEWS FAMILY -- I have my CD - it was not blank (thanks Dawn for telling me to actually CHECK it before I had a breakdown over it). Will be posting more Elmview '06 photos shortly.
Sadly, while Jake could be bribed to cooperate with a juicebox, Meg was much more reluctant to pose. Thus, she is not pictured and sorely missed. Better luck next time (or better juice boxes to be precise
!)
So, how cute ARE these kids anyway? :) Photo from Elmview '06 and GREAT NEWS FAMILY -- I have my CD - it was not blank (thanks Dawn for telling me to actually CHECK it before I had a breakdown over it). Will be posting more Elmview '06 photos shortly.
Sadly, while Jake could be bribed to cooperate with a juicebox, Meg was much more reluctant to pose. Thus, she is not pictured and sorely missed. Better luck next time (or better juice boxes to be precise
Just call me June …
Just call me June ... Cleaver that is! I feel oh-so-1950's housewifey right now - and not in a good heels and pearls and sexy apron way. Just in a "I'm way too excited" about my no wax floor finish way. I have recently discovered this 
http://www.methodhome.com
Better even - they sell it at Target! Now I have an iron clad reason to spend more time at Target! I've been going steady with WalMart for quite some time now, but I think I'm going to need my space. Not that WMart and I can't still be friends, but I'm feeling some serious Target crush right now.
My whole house smells like fruit (cucumber melon and mint to be exact) and all is right with the world. Knock wood!
Off to waltz with a swiffer ...
http://www.methodhome.com
Better even - they sell it at Target! Now I have an iron clad reason to spend more time at Target! I've been going steady with WalMart for quite some time now, but I think I'm going to need my space. Not that WMart and I can't still be friends, but I'm feeling some serious Target crush right now.
My whole house smells like fruit (cucumber melon and mint to be exact) and all is right with the world. Knock wood!
Off to waltz with a swiffer ...
Hmm… I’m not sure I see the point but …
If I write here for FREE when do I have time to write for PAY? There may be a flaw in this blog thing.
Anyway, just trying out random nonsense to see if I can post pics for family and friends to see. 
I like to call this one "when good pinatas go bad." The kitty cat pinata for Kassie's birthday started out lovely but then went oh so horribly wrong. Note to self: do NOT hang pinatas by the neck. Got it!
The “Your Mama Dresses You Funny” Hall of Fame
Need I say more?
The groovy jacket, the stellar shades ...
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