{the friday five}: August 2010

27 August 2010

1. Party time at the Newmans'!! After our basketball party last week, we had a week to prepare with the Hoves for Jackson and Beckett's birthdays this past Saturday. Jack's birthday was early August and Beckett's is late September, so we decided to throw it towards the end of August so I could be done before school started and somewhere in the middle of the birthdays. It was quite the Monster Bash and they were beyond thrilled!

{Full set of color photos HERE!}

2. After that was over, I had three days to prepare for the third annual Newman Ice Cream Party on Tuesday. We had 25 kids in attendance not counting our three. Lots of ice cream floats, lots of water, lots of fun! We are so grateful to have such wonderful neighbors and friends for our kids!

{Due to a minor incident at the party I didn't get as many pics as usual, but there are some more HERE!}

3. In the middle of partying, CJ and Paige came to spend the night for our Back to School sleepover on Sunday night. We did this last year and had so much fun we decided to do it again! We ate pizza, watched a movie, slept in sleeping bags, and then headed to the waterpark/pool on Monday.

I still giggle thinking of Paige yelling "Ave-RAY!!!!!!!!" I love how well those two get along!

4. We finally got to meet Callen Richard Olson, son of Molly and Rick. Mol is one of my very best friends from college. Cal was born August 11th, but because of party prep we just finally ventured to the other end of the earth, A.K.A. White Bear Lake.

It was only after we'd been at Molly's house for two hours that she told me she had actually left me a message on my cell {you know, the one that's ALWAYS either dead, in my car, or lost} that she was too tired and didn't want me to come today. FAIL. So sorry Mol, but was good to see you anyway!

5. I would like to send a shout out to the lady at Gap today that caught me whisper screaming {if you are a mom, I am guessing you know what whisper screaming is...if not call me and I will demonstrate...PSSSSTTT...BECKETT JAMES...GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW OR ELSE!!!} and then proceeded to go and tell my two year old he should really stop hiding under that display that his mom keeps telling him to stay away from or he'll be in trouble. I didn't know whether to hang my head in shame or hug her. He did, however, stay out from under the tower of perfectly folded jeans. She said some days are just like that. She's so right and today was DEFINITELY one of those days. God bless her. And I'll take my Whisper Screaming Mother of the Year trophy now, thank you very much.

20 August 2010

1. Last Friday we had the annual basketball party for the team that Eric plays on and sponsors during the winter months. It is fun to see them all when its nice out for a change. There was no shortage of kids running around, which is always a joy for us! Even a few neighbors joined in the fun by the end of the night. Here is the NSH team with E's idea of a themed cake {BAHAHAHA}...

2. She did it. She acutally did it.

Kasey moved out.

Goodbye to guacamole. Goodbye to giggles at 1 AM while watching stupid YouTube videos. Goodbye to running with a partner. Goodbye to an extra set of eyes and the 19 year old energy to keep up with my kids. Goodbye to watching Design Star on Sunday nights with someone who likes HGTV as much as I do. Goodbye to abnoxious laughter in public places just to embarrass my little sis. Goodbye to writing to each other on FB when we're in the same room just to hear the other one laugh.

What a great summer. Avery kept busting out in tears on Monday saying "But I didn't WANT her to move out." What do I say to that? I just bust out into tears too and said "Me either!" and gave her a hug. We are all adjusting. Miss you already, Lucy Lyssa.

3. This is making me crazy this week...

It is actually a pic of our office...I am in the process of redecorating and moving into E's office with him. He doesn't work from home anymore so it has been kind of a place to throw everything we don't know what to do with, which we both hate. Plus, we have grown tired of going to our respective computers on different floors of our house after the kids go to bed. We don't get to see each other enough the way it is, so it would be nice to talk as we worked when the kids are sleeping!

If the stencil and all the touching up I have to do doesn't send me to an early grave I will post pics of what it all looks like when it is finished. It will be worth it, right??

4. Tate and I got to meet his teacher yesterday so that he could read to her before school starts. She is very nice and of course Tate had no problems jumping into conversation with her. He is relieved that a couple of people he knows are in his class this year. I can't believe that school is coming so fast!

5. Although Beckett's birthday isn't until the end of September, his party is this weekend. We decided to combine my nephew Jack's and Beckett's party this year so people didn't have to travel down to Shako quite as often. Jack's birthday was a few weeks ago, so this is sort of in the middle of their birthdays and I have the added bonus of getting it done before school starts.

Beckett told a cashier at H & M this week that Rachel Golden {my Etsy BFF} was making him "a monstew shewt for his monstew pawty." I'm sure they really cared. Ha! He watches for the mailman every day to see if anything has come in the mail for the party and no one has escaped talking to him about his party that has come within 50 feet of him...speaking of...I need to get back to working on party decor while he is sleeping and not obsessing over everything I bring out! Lots more pics next week!

13 August 2010

1. The SSS {Shakopee Sister Summer} is almost over. Kasey moves out on Monday morning. I can only bear to type this. If I say it out loud my entire household will surely burst into tears.

We decided we needed to take one last opportunity to go out all together. So Friday night we dropped off the kids, loaded up the boat, spent the evening on the lake, and finished with some cards at the Hoves'.

We decided to bring the boys along, too...mostly because we can't load the boat in and out of the water ourselves. Just kidding, boyeeez.

Your boyfriend's so hot, Kas. Get a room. =)

2. Saturday it was off to Balsam Lake for CJ's birthday. We were happy that Balsam Lake didn't care that weather.com said it was supposed to storm ALL DAY and decided to have beautiful blue sky and sunshine all day instead!

We finished the night off with dinner and a few cocktails, dice, and laughs at our usual BL establishments.

3. Sunday I was in three states between breakfast and supper. We woke up in Wisconsin, I dropped E off in MN and picked Kasey up and headed up to her new apartment in Fargo to drop off some furniture and do some decorating. I think Kas and I might just be funnier in North Dakota. Or maybe WE just think we are...but we laughed A LOT. MAN I'm going to miss this girl. *tear*

{P.S. This pic is not from our trip. One of my kids hijacked the camera and took this of her this week. But it makes me laugh just like she does. I know she'll be so mad, but what is she going to do, move out? Oh...that's right.}

4. 7 kids + Cold Stone + McDonald's Play Place = The most delightfully disjointed conversation ever!

Tammy is a friend of mine from grade school/middle school/ high school. We haven't actually SEEN each other since I was pregnant with T and she was pregnant 1with her 2nd daughter, Emma. We now have a total of 7 between us that range from age 1-8. We've talked so much over email and facebook that it doesn't seem like it could be that long. It was so good to see her in person again, even if every conversation was interrupted by someone needing to go to the bathroom, being stuck at the top of the play place, a dirty diaper, etc. etc. etc.

5. My parents made this pic their wallpaper on their computer for a while this year. I love it. Then yesterday Rach used it on her blog. I thought it only appropriate to include it here today, too.

Dana Alyssa Peterson
9/23/77 - 8/12/87

How can 23 years seem like a lifetime and just a few seconds at the same time??

6 August 2010

1. I am not much of a camper. I mean, I did it with my church group a few times when I was younger, but beyond that I usually prefer a bed to an air mattress and tent. E grew up camping {mostly in a camper, but let's face it, we're not going THAT far as of yet} and really wanted to try camping for a weekend. After a successful Father's Day tenting episode in our backyard, I agreed. E broke out his 22 year old trusty tent last Friday and away we went!

We headed to Diamond Lake with the tent and the boat. The only thing I was worried about was how sleeping in the tent would go with the kids. Apparently that was the only think I SHOULDN'T have been worried about...that part was actually really fun. We laughed a lot while trying to fall asleep. The rest of the weekend however...well...yuck.

Friday night was really good {see below}. But Saturday/Sunday was kind of a disaster for three reasons.

ONE. We put the boat on Green Lake. Too much traffic. Too many waves. Kids didn't want to tube or ski. We swam a little and did manage to get the biggest wave we've ever had over our boat and soaked EVERYTHING in the boat, which was kind of funny. Except for the no dry towels part. But then...

TWO. Beckett took a nap on the boat and when he woke up he was acting extremely weird. He looked out of it and said he wanted to "fro up in a bag." Then he started to kind of pass out and his eyes were rolling in the back of his head. We couldn't keep him awake {and he couldn't have been tired because he had already had two naps that day}. E was worried he had sucked in carbon monoxide or something back by the motor where he was sleeping. Needless to say we got the boat out of the water ASAP, made a few frantic calls to my sister {sorry Rae for the scare!} while she googled and tried to figure out what was wrong with him, even made a 911 call when he got REALLY weird, then made it to the Willmar ER where they figured out he had dehydration and heat exhaustion. He perked up after they gave him some fluids and cooled him off, but he was pretty sick for the rest of the weekend and even into Monday. Here he is sleeping in the tent with his hospital bracelet on Saturday evening...

THREE. We decided just to make dinner and go to bed after the exhausting day. E and I did each drink one of the two beers we brought for ourselves as well. We even had a couple s'mores ...

After E made a 5 AM run to get Tylenol for Beckett, Beckett woke up at 7 the next morning and was hungry because he hadn't really eaten the night before {except for one bite of that s'more he's holding!}. I took him out of the tent with me only to discover someone STOLE OUR BRAND NEW COOLER along with all our food, and much to Beckett's disappointment our breakfast. I hope those underage idiots enjoyed the two beers they got from us.

Time to pack it up and call it a weekend.

2. Friday night being the only good night to speak of, we took our kids to the Little Crow Ski Show for the first time. This was a favorite thing to do growing up as well as a favorite date E and I used to go on when we first started dating.

Tate was especially enamored by the whole thing. He was amazed at the skiers. Avery loved the outfits and practiced "swivel skiing" all the way back to the car. E and I were most impressed with the drivers of the boats...they are talented!

After the ski show we topped the night off by trying the new "mini blizzards" with E's parents, Lindsey, Addie, and Livi. Um...why did it take 25 years to come up with this, huh Dairy Queen? Yum and genius.

3. Tate lost his first tooth at the end of the school year. My dad pulled that one out when Tate said he wanted it out...but it might not have been quite ready to come out yet. So now that he had a second loose tooth he was less willing to let someone pull it out. Namely not Grandpa Keith.

He thought about it all the way home on Sunday and even called Rachel, who LOVES pulling out teeth and asked if she'd pull it out for him later in the week. Monday during the day, Kasey and Kara were hanging out at our house and couldn't stand the tooth hanging out of Tate's mouth. So Kasey held him down and yanked it out.

He pleaded with her to stop. She said to stop saying her name so that she didn't feel so bad. He actually bit her thumb and punched her...but I think I would have too. But she quickly yanked it out. He was FUMING. I told him to relax and go up to his room to cool off. After about 30 seconds I decided to go up and talk to him. I found him smiling at himself in the bathroom mirror. So all in all, he was mad at Kasey for about 1 minute total and then said he was glad to have it out.

The girls each paid him a dollar, too, which didn't hurt. That in addition to the 50 cents that cheap tooth fairy paid him made him one happy kiddo. =) And yes, this face is because he thinks that is his new smile so that people can see the "double hole" better.

4. We started the week bright and early Monday morning with Vacation Bible School. Tate and Aves are both attending and Beckett is my little assistant as I teach. The kids in my group have adopted him like a little mascot. It is pretty funny. The kids have had a great time...the only thing they have complained about was when we ran to the mall after we were done and Tate said "Why didn't we go home and change before we came here...we look ridiculous with our matching shirts." Ha! I didn't know that first grade boys were so into fashion. We had our program and ice cream social last night and will finish up with class today!

5. Monday night was Jackson Pete's birthday. We went to their house for pizza and a water fight to celebrate. I love that kid...he is spunky and hilarious. Here he is "gently" jumping into his sister's pool as he's been told to do...