Weekend of Friends...

We had a wonderful weekend!!!!  My weekends really "kick off" on Wednesday.... well, work-wise anyway...  ;-)  It's hard once you've been in the working world to not think of the last day of your "office working week" as your Friday... but in all reality, there is much "work" to do on my days off.  Maybe more!  ;-)

So, we kicked off the start of the weekend with a morning at Auntie Kristen's house.  I volunteer in Ally's art class one Thursday morning a month... so Kristen offered to watch Luke for me... and after class, I got us sushi and Luke and I hung out for the day until it was time to get Ally from school.  The two second commute from Kristen's house to school sure is nice!!!

Rhen and Luke had fun playing together... although Rhen has a funny idea of "play!"  Look at how he made Luke slave away doing dishes....  :-))))))

 

 

Rhen loves to "clean"... seriously, the kid is obsessed with the vacuum cleaner, brooms, mops, doing dishes, kitchen appliances... you name it!  It's hilarious!!!!!  He loves tools and cleaning supplies!!!  :-)  You can tell he lives in a very clean, and always "fixed up" household! As opposed to my kids... who don't know where the cleaning supplies are kept... and well, we own NO tools... so they don't know how to use those either.... it's good for Luke to get exposed to diversity! :-))))

It's also good for him to play with other kids.. especially boys as he is surrounded by girls on a daily basis!  He needs some rough and tumble BOY time!!! So... as Rhen gets older, the two of them play better and better together!

Friday.... Luke and I had lunch with a whole bunch of girls that I work with and our friend Kate who is on maternity leave... we got to see baby Leo and enjoy some yummy food and wonderful conversation!  Luke and I ran a million errands after lunch and before we picked Ally up. I was feeling SO GOOD and accomplished.  I had all these returns piling up... and decided Friday was the day to check them off one by one. So.... that's what we did.  We returned items to Michael's, Best Buy, Dunhams... picked up our wine from the tasting and delivered what wasn't ours to our friends... tried to have the car looked at (OnStar tells me my tires need air) but Luke isn't a fan of such things... so we pulled out.  :-))))  Then, we picked Ally up and headed to Ann Arbor where I promised her she could hit Barnes and Noble and exchange her books...

That we did... Ally loved the Barnes and Noble there because it was two stories!  Luke loved the toys they had... and we spent some time there reading books we didn't buy... and playing with toys.  Luke can be so cute... he kept bringing me things and asking if we could buy them... and one by one I would say "no Lukie, we can't buy that..."  He would just shrug and say "okay Mommy."  Just like that. He would put it back and that was the end of it.........

Then there was Ally.... who wanted half the store... and had three books to return, so therefore three books I allowed her to get.  Any other time of the year, I would be fine with buying more. But... we are coming off birthday WEEKS here and a whole lot of getting and "me, me, me" for the Ally-Roo. So, I stood my ground.  She wanted a hard cover book and I showed her the price difference and said she would have to trade two soft covers for one hard cover. She handled it all really well... even if she didn't like it exactly.  ;-)

From Barnes and Noble we went to Whole Foods... something I try to do anytime we are in Ann Arbor and I have the time.  It's definitely not the kids favorite past time... but I couldn't pass it up since we were right there!  The kids were really troopers.. and I let them choose a lot of items... we get up to pay, and I do not have my debit card. I realize I have left it in another coat.... no worries, I amazingly have a check book!  And then, I discover that Whole Foods does not accept checks.............. WTF???????

So, the lovely check out lady tells me I can call my husband and he can give them a card over the phone. Problem solved. No worries. I call Scott. No answer.  Call again.  Still no answer. Hmmmm.. that is curious. We don't have a home phone anymore... so he is sure to keep is iPhone on him.  He knows I'm in Ann Arbor... and wouldn't leave it for long.... right???  ;-)

They put my food in some giant fridge to store it... and I go sit down in the Cafe to continue to call him.... for about half an hour.... I then, give up and decide to go do some other things and come back. At this point, Ally is having a mini-meltdown because she wants the food that we "bought".  Luke picks up on this and decides to join her. I drive through town, all the while calling Scott... and finally, an hour later, give up and decide he better be dead on the side of the road somewhere.. or have lost his phone.........

He finally calls when we are at Zeeb Road... apologizes profusely... left his phone in his work bag. Ugh.  So, I decide to still go back and get the food..... I call him when we get there, they punch the credit card numbers in and we're on our way!  The kids really were troopers through all this....... we get home and have a very late dinner... and we all fall into bed.

Saturday, all our very best friends come over... my girls and their hubbies and kids... and all our kids have become the best of friends... and it's just such a fun, relaxing time all around when we get together. We drink wine and eat lots of Mexican food.... and laugh and talk and just "be" together.  We stayed up super late and the kids still get up around 8... but it is always worth it for the time together.... my girls and my hubby and I just had the best talk Saturday night. We didn't solve the world's troubles... but we always talk about life, love and the pursuit of happiness... and all seems right with the world when we have one another....

The kids enjoyed some time outside in the sun and snow the next day... and then, our friends drove off and we look forward to seeing them again soon!!!!!!!

Scott's Birthday Night Out...

Scott and I had a wonderful night out in Ann Arbor a couple weeks back, to celebrate his birthday... and it's a good thing, since I had the flu for his actual birthday "day."  What a bummer!!!! But our night out was awesome!

We love, love, love Vinology and even though I saw my meal twice... I still can't wait to go back soon!!  Here is our night, in pictures... (Scott was given a lesson in drinking scotch correctly.. you are supposed to hold it below your chin to sniff it... I stuck to my wine...)

Ally's Slumber Party...

Just a bit delayed... but I wanted to blog about Ally's slumber party before I forgot what went on!!!

I picked up seven little girls after school last Friday.... with the help of another mom because I couldn't fit them all in the car.  Just when you think you have a car big enough.. YOU SO DO NOT!!!!!  I could make it work if I didn't have Luke and one of them rode illegally in the front seat... but when another family live in Concord too and have to drive this way anyway... better to play it safe!

So... the girls get here and we bring in all their stuff.  HAHA!  I love little girls... Scott's comment "what - are they staying for a week???" Their bags were all huge... they had pillows, special toys and blankets that they still sleep with, sleeping bags, gifts and backpacks." There was a LOT of stuff everywhere....

They all run downstairs cuz they think it's just way cool that they essentially have a level to themselves. They kick off the party by playing Daycare. They've started making signs and hall passes and all sorts of crazy stuff... and they want Luke to come to their daycare. They also ask me if I can have more kids over. HAHA!  Um... no!

Then, some girls decide they don't want to play daycare and other still do... of course, girl drama!!!  So, I intercede - and pull out a giant playhouse for them to color and assemble. I have a few "pre-planned" tricks up my sleeve for just these occasions!

The girls forget their argument and get to work....

They worked on that for a while.... and then, Ally came up and wanted to do gifts... but it just wasn't time yet... so I let them do the "craft" I had gotten for them to do. I bought unfinished frames for them to paint and decorate with fun stickers and then, in their thank you note, we gave them a picture collage for the frame.  Each of the frames turned out really cute...

After the frame making.... the pizza had arrived... so that allowed dry time!!!  We ate lots of pizza.... but not too much. The girls had already gorged themselves on oreos, doritoes and fudge cookies!  So, three pizzas was FAR too much!!!!  

We went right into gifts after eating.... girls are funny... I love how they all crowd around during gifts... I guess all kids do that though. ;-)

Even Luke got in on the action. Poor Luke... most of the time, Ally didn't want him down there at all with her. I can understand that. All her friends are more than happy to play with Luke... and she feels slighted instead of proud. She has moments of proud... "this is MY little brother and everyone loves him..." But those moments quickly give way to "okay, you're not here to play with HIM!!!!"  ;-)  Ahhh... the loving sibling relationship.....

I was amazed overall, at what a great group of girls this was. They were all so well behaved.  Polite. Respectful.  Crazy at times... but they are kids. Exhausting FOR SURE... but good, good kids.  A joy to have around really. I am proud of the friends Ally has made at Queens.

They played a lot more... finished that playhouse!!!!  And finished up their frames..... Then, it came time for JUST DANCE!  A WII game that is a RIOT!!!!!!  Scott and I were hysterical watching them all dance... and then.... we turn around.... and behind us, so no one can see, Luke is dancing away too.  So freakin' cute...

Cake was up next... but we didn't have traditional cake... we had brownies... but we put candles in them so the birthday girl could blow them out. All the girls sang Happy Birthday at the top of their lungs. They might want to work on that.  ;-)

And... wouldn't you know it... those girls were up until one.. giggling and doing what girls do.... and then, up bright and early at 7 am.....

A crazy bunch... a crazy... but wildly fun night for all!!

Two Scotties, Free to a Good Home...

Ugh.... woke up this morning, got Ally dressed.... and she walks out of her room only to come running back in, crying and heartbroken.... saying... "I hate the dogs!!!!"

I run out to the living room, because this can only mean one thing... and even before I see it... I know what they have done. They have eaten her brand new Little Pet that is a one of kind that only comes in the hospital set that she bought for herself with her OWN money.  It's not her fault that the Pet was in the living room. Luke took it out there. It's not her fault that Scott and I left the dogs alone in the living room last night while we chatted and watched MSU suck it up...

I start crying myself I feel so bad for her. She is just beyond any consolation......

Scott is angry with himself and the dogs... but it's not their fault either. We don't work with them appropriately. We barely have time to keep ourselves and children alive, let alone train our dogs. We are terrible dog owners and they are terrible dogs as a result.  We love them, but we probably don't give them what they need......

So, I joke... the dogs are not free to a good home... but we all have our moments.  ;-)

What a way to start a Friday!  She pulled it together... just in time to realize they ate a bunny too.  I'm sure I will be cleaning up dog vomit later today that has tiny plastic pieces in it.  Looking forward to that.  Luke gags now when they throw up... it's kinda funny.... but it makes me gag... so one day, we are all gonna end up barfing all over... and that won't be a pretty sight.

Looking forward to lunch with the girls today... work girls and girls that are off on maternity leave.... and their babies too.  Luke loves all the girlie attention. He's such a ladies man. ;-)

Gonna take a trip to Ann Arbor with the kids after work and take Ally to Barnes and Noble to exchange a couple books that she got from Grandma Geri and Boompa that she already had.  I think she was just as excited to get books she already had as she was to get brand new ones... she instantly said.... "AWESOME!  We can GO to the bookstore and pick new ones!"  She is a funny girl sometimes. So, a trip to B&N it is..... I can't help but feed her love for reading! That's the one thing Scott and I will always spoil her with... books!!!!

Yesterday was the book fair at her school... and she was giddy!  She bought a couple books and spent the ENTIRE evening last night reading one of them. She finished it. All. She is so my daughter in that respect.  I remember staying up half the night as a teenager (maybe high school age?) and reading.... I had such a hard time putting a good book down. I still do, I just read less it seems cuz I'm exhausted at the end of the day. Vacations and times off are a special treat now days cuz I get to really read!

So... here's to hoping the day doesn't bring any more pet trauma.... but honestly, I'm not holding my breath!

Adding to the Challenge....

So.... I am using Project Life to document this year, 2011. That you know by now. I've talked about how excited I was to order it.  I had no patience and ordered the turquoise edition on eBay.  You've heard this all by now.  ;-)  And so far, it's going really, really well and I've kept up... invested in a printer to make things easier and just feel all around GOOD about documenting what we're up to in our everyday lives and the special times we share.

As I sit and work on my current year's project, I cannot help but MOURN the previous years that I have done nothing at all.  The years that I have not taken the time to print pictures.  To journal. To document what we have done.

So, I am adding to my 2011 challenge.... I ordered the Amber Edition of Project Life and I am going to attempt to do one PREVIOUS year while I work on the current year.  So, this year... as I keep up with 2011, I am going to try to look back and document 2010.  Starting with the most recent year first... I think this might be a good way to play catch up. And, if it doesn't work... it doesn't work, but at least I can say I tried!!!

This is the first thing I have really started and thought "I can do this!" and I don't feel overwhelmed....... I hope by adding an additional book, I don't make it work and not fun... but if that's the case, I know myself well enough. I will make it work for me by quitting the previous year or something. Even if I keep it as simple as possible, it will be enough!!!!  It will be a hard book I can touch, feel and flip through and ENJOY!!!!

So, I am going to go through all my 2010 pictures over the next few days and try to order 400-500 of them to kick off my 2010 book!!!  I find that I not only do one pic a day (365)... but I trim down quite a few and make them fit in the 4x3 space... so I need an additional four or so per spread of 7....... 4 times 52 is an additional 200 pics... YIKES!  But.... fun...  :-))))  I won't have a lot of the memorabelia, but I will have the pictures.... AND my blog will help with the journaling!!!!

Don't you love that I share all my dorky plans with you?  :-)

Happy 8th Birthday Allison Jane...

Yesterday my baby girl turned 8 years old!!!  8 going on 18 most days it feels like!!!  :-) She is growing up so fast...and I am trying to remember to slow down and enjoy the good, the bad and the ugly moments as they pass me by...

Monday night, we made a zillion cupcakes for school for her to share with her class.  Luke was happy to help:

 

We baked and baked cupcakes for hours... and then, I was too tired to make her actual cake for the next day's party... so I had to put that off....  :-)

Her birthday morning, Ally woke up rarin' to go!  She was in a bit of a mood and didn't understand why she had to go to school on her birthday.  I told her "fine.. you don't have to go.. it's up to you..." A response she so did not expect... so she quickly changed her tune and decided she WANTED to go to school. I think sometimes, Ally just wants to pick a fight... so she is stunned when  I won't fight back.  I understand this feeling...  ;-)

She went to school and Scott took her cupcakes to the front office.  Mid-morning, I get an email from her teacher thanking me for the yummy cupcakes!  Ally said they were a big hit and even Mrs. Rice and Mrs. Hartley got to have one.   (school administrator and principal) She was very proud of this.

She came home very happy and VERY excited for the evening's festivities and, of course GIFTS!!  She could not WAIT for gifts.  She drove me crazy about the gifts. She made herself sick to her stomach anticipating the gifts!  Everyone finally got there... Nana, Papa, Aunt Jane, Uncle Adam, Grace, Jilli, Lyla, Auntie Kristen and Uncle Mark and "Baby Rhen" (as Luke will ALWAYS call him!).  It was finally gift time.

She received American Girl Scrapbook supplies from Aunt Jane, Uncle Adam and crew...

 

 

 And... a Peace Sign Pandora charm, cleverly wrapped in multiple boxes to disguise what it was from Nana and Papa...

 

 

And then... the gift she had been anticipating... bugging us for... wondering if she would get... the source of all stomach aches... her gift from Mom and Dad...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her iPod Touch!!!  :-)  I don' t think we could have asked for a better reaction...  :-))))  There are no words for how this girl has been driving us CRAZY with asking for this.  When she and Scott were at the Apple Store recently, she berated him so much about it that he almost bought her one just to shut her up!  She has been obsessing and talking about it forever.  Since way before Christmas... and the entire month of January.  Obsessive. Impatient. Sound like anyone else you know?  :-)))))  Yep... me... but you might be surprised to hear that Scott is the exact same way.  He hides it better than I do.  Our kids don't stand a chance....  ;-)

It was a very successful, happy birthday for the little girl... the "not so little" girl that is.  Grace and Luke barely watched or cared while she opened gifts as they were in their own little world playing with Ally's Littlest Pet Shop:

 

We enjoyed some yummy yellow cake with chocolate frosting... as this is the only cake that Ally (and really all of us in the McIntosh family of four) like.

 

 

 

 

 

A great, great party all around!!!  I am so thankful for those that helped make Ally's birthday a special, special day. The call from Grandma Geri and Boompa and the singing of "Happy Birthday to You!" left on voicemail... the giant box of books they sent as well... the Skype chat with Grandma Kathy...  the gifts of money and cards from Baci and Great Grandpa and Grandma Stone... not to mention the NUMEROUS gifts from her best friends.

AND we still have a party with our Chicago-land friends to look forward to this weekend.  Ally-Roo is one lucky little eight year old.... and we are lucky that she is ours.  

I love you Allison Jane... I am happy to bring so much joy to your face on your eighth birthday and every day!!!!!!