picture courtesy of foodiewithfamily.

Merry Christmas to all and to all...
hot chocolate on a stick? (complete with homemade marshmallows)

I found this recipe on the two peas message board. Riles and I are going to make them for her teacher, the principal, and Pam (secretary). I figured I would put them in a cute mug I saw at Michaels and voila..fabulous gift. Now, how many should I include? I was thinking six..

Recipe can be found here

Crazy Kiddos...
The kids are going crazy lol. We have been busy, busy, busy. Keeping Riles busy during the winter is a high priority. This child has so much energy and is constantly on the move. She is active and loves to play in sports. Danny on the other hand is so easy going and is content to just lay around. I wanted to get them both involved in something ongoing, not just a seasonal sport. So we signed them up for Tae Kwon Do. I have never seen a happier child than Danny. The absolute delight and joy I see on his face at practice makes me wish I had done it sooner. I giggle every time I see Riles' stubby little body trying to do her kicks. She is not very coordinated, but gives it 110%! (She is also in girl scouts and basketball.) As soon as I take some pics of karate I will post them. :)
Meanwhile, here are some pics of Riles directing "traffic" on the road in front of our house. (Remember, it is a private lane and we can see up and down the lane)
whimp

Finally, it's Fall..
and that means it is time for Vala's Pumpkin Patch. We haven't been to Vala's since 2005. FIVE years! So, yesterday Danny, Riles and I spent the day together exploring all the attractions new and old. We had an amazing time. For once, I let them navigate where we were going and what activities to do. It was stress free and fun for all of us. We didn't have an agenda or time limit; however, after 4.5 hours we were done, physically and mentally. They were tired, the crowds were getting heavier, and they wanted to buy their pumpkins. I took pictures sporadically, mostly of Riles (for some reason, Danny has developed an aversion to the camera..wonder why?). The highlight of the day? Eating the huge turkey legs and mining for gemstones.
Soon, I hope to get our family pictures taken while the leaves are still ON the trees and beautiful in color. I love this time of year, the leaves changing, the crisp, cool mornings, watching the kiddos exhale heavily, just to see their breath in the cold. Most of all, I love the excitement of hot cocoa on the way to school, comfort foods baked in the oven, and the anticipation of family holidays and time spent with our loved ones. I love this time of year.
Here are some pictures of the fun we had. :)

whimp

A boy, a girl, and a love for music....
My kiddos Loooove music. All types. Be it country, rap, hard rock, heavy metal, new age, and Kid's bop...they love and listen to it all. It has been amazing to watch this fascination grow. Yesterday, Riles "reminded" me the new Zac Brown Band cd was being released. So, being the "good" mom I am, I stopped and picked up the cd for her and one (from a different artist) for Danno. It was (kinda) quiet in our house for at least 30 minutes while they listened to their new "tunes" with head phones. I love how diverse their interests are.
whimp

Last trip of Summer 2010...

The kiddos, Angela and her son Randy, and I all loaded in Angie's van and went to Kansas City the first week in August. We had originally planned to see some museums in St. Joe, but discovered some were closed due to remodeling. In impromptu fashion, we drove to Kansas City to visit the WWI museum. However, we got sidetracked at Union Station. They have the BEST science/children's museum. Chris and I are planning a trip in October to take the kiddos again.

Here are some pictures of the fun we had. :)

Enjoy.

whimp

(crime lab) (Dinsoaurs Unearthed) (tree house in Science City) (music area)

Cards

New cards...just been playing and using up some scraps. Enjoy!

wendy

scrapift back of CK jul/aug 2010

(happy face card scraplifted from a blog..sorry! don't remember who)

whew...just found the blog i lifted the happy face card from..lol.. www.beecraftee.com

Ponderings from my scattered mind...
why do you think relationships and friendships deteriorate? I know these relationships need nurturing. I try. I really do. I don't always have the time, energy or money to participate in activities, parties, or weekends away. It doesn't mean I don't want to participate or spend time with my family or friends or nurture these relationships. Sometimes it would be nice to just hear "hey come over for a cup of coffee and visit with me for awhile." I know in my relationships with people, I could be a better wife, mother, aunt, sister, and friend. As I have said before it is something I am working on. I am a work in progress. Please be patient with me as I try to become the person I dream I can be.
wendy

We went to the beach....

this past Monday, Danny, Dude, Riles and I hopped into the car, bought the essential "beach" items at Dollar Tree..(thank goodness for $1 trees!) and headed to Lake Manawa Beach. We were there for 3.5 hours and the kids were in the water the entire time! They loved it. We got some sunburn, not too bad, and made some great memories.

whimp

The Seizure

It is 3:58 a.m. and all I hear is a blood curdling "Ahhhhhh, Ahhhhhh, Ahhhh, " and then he is silent. I jump out of bed, saying "danny, danny what is wrong?" as I hurry down the hall, through the dining room, and into his bedroom. I see him, lying on his bed, gasping for breath as his body seizes. I try to stay calm, calling to Chris "He's seizing." He asks me "do you want me to call the squad?" I say "No, he will come out of it." All the while, thinking to myself, "OMG this is taking to long..will he come out of it?" He slowly starts to take deeper breaths and his body starts to relax. He makes moaning noises now, and slowly tries to raise his head. I rub his arms and legs, talking to him the whole time. Telling him how brave he is and he will be fine. I always talk to him while he is having one. I want him to know I am there. I don't know if he hears me, but I just want him to feel safe. It is 4:00 a.m.

After about 5 minutes he looks at me and can talk again. He is weak. He needs help scooting up in bed and asks for a drink. He asks me to wipe his face and "can I have a hug?" It takes awhile for him to gain his strength and he then moves to the couch. "Can we rent a movie? I want to watch Percy Jackson." "I'm hungry now." So it begins. A new day. Just as we were getting too comfortable with his seizures being controlled, it sneaks back up and makes us aware.

Makes me aware how very much I love this boy.

whimp

The Riles' Express...

This bike. This tree. This place. This time. It's special. Special to a little girl who dreams of being a "fiderfider" (fire fighter) and growing up to help people. "I just want to help people, mom."

This bike takes her places. Places in space, far away lands, and to her very best friend's in the whole wide world, Grandma Pat's.

At least three times a day, I cannot find her. I hear her call "I'm gonna go ride my bike, ok?" and then she disappears. Disappears to a place where ice cream before dinner doesn't matter, a place where someone is willing to put everything aside and give her their undivided attention, a place where tea parties are held, pretend fires are put out by the fire truck (it's ladder goes up, it's soo cool!) and a place where being 7 and asking a million questions is simply ok.

All of these things happen at home, too, just not as often as she would like them too.

This place

is magical.

RAINBOW Cake

Riles, Danny and I made this cake today. (Recipe and photo courtesy of Whisk Kid...see side bar for her blog). It was a very long process, but the kids absolutely loved mixing up the colors, baking them, and then assembling the cake. I recommend doing all the prep work before you begin. It made mixing it a lot easier. (Also, this cake took me from 11:30-3:30 today)...not a quick and easy dessert. Hopefully the next time it will go smoother :) We are thinking of making a red, white and blue one for the 4th.

Here are some pics of the finished product before and after we cut it.

Danny, Riles, and whimp.

Nothing says summer like....

corn on the cob, best friends, bike rides, and walks down a country road. All with your favorite people in the world... :)

have a safe and happy summer

whimp and co.

TEAM HADLEIGH we love a broken heart...

Yesterday, my children and I participated in the Heart Walk in honor of Hadleigh. We all gathered in our red and white shirts that read "Team Hadleigh, we love a broken heart" on the front, and on the back, words I could barely look at "In memory of Hadleigh Ann Griffin Oct 12, 2007-Oct.16, 2009." It was a bittersweet day honoring someone so young. While on the walk, Riles and I had a conversation yesterday that absolutely broke my heart. She wanted to know why Haddie left a piece of her heart in Heaven with Jesus. It astounds me how much children comprehend the world around them. I don't remember sharing this story with Riles. We talked about it and then she said "I wish Haddie was still here." I believe we all made that wish several times. I know I did.

My children have always been diligent supporters for Hadleigh. They asked me one morning while driving to school if I would call in to the radio station and sign them up to be KAT BANDITS. There was a radiothon for children's hospital, and they wanted to raise money for Haddie, since she spent time there. Riles jump roped for heart, so she could "support kids who have heart stuff like Haddie does," and they walked almost 4 miles yesterday to honor her. Proudly wearing their red and white shirts.

Here is Haddie's Team. I was honored to walk with them in Haddie's honor.

Support Heart Disease. It knows no age.

whimp

(Team Hadleigh)

(Mike and Dude)

(the kiddos)

(waiting for the walk to begin)

(on our way to the event)

Rainbow Cake...

I want to make this cake. I don't have enough gel food coloring colors (and probably should replace the ones I DO have...lol..) I also cannot find my two 9 inch cake pans. I know I have them. I used them for my wedding cake..but that was only what..8 years ago? lol.. I will find them. Then I will make this cake. So I can see the excitement in my kiddos eyes.

I have been sick for almost 2 weeks now. I haven't been any fun. Tired, sick, cranky. I wish it would go away so I can enjoy my kids.

Thanks to aunt brammy and uncle mike for taking my kiddos last night so I could rest. That was sweet of you, thanks.

whimp

(photo uploaded from whisk kid).

Where has the time gone?

My children are now 7 and 13..It dawned on me today, I will only have him (Danny) in my care for 5 more years before the world sees him as an adult. Have I done enough? Have I done my part as a parent to ready him for that big ole world? Have I taught him enough about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and the power of peer pressure? Where has the time gone? I thought for sure just yesterday he was a little thing following me around asking 100's of questions (at least he taught his sister well ;) My heart just aches thinking how fast time goes by. The same with Riles. She will be entering the 2nd grade in a few short months. It doesn't feel like too much time will pass before I will be saying the same about her.

whimp