UGH

Yep, that pretty much sums it up. I've got several posts I've attempted to put up, but *&%^$@# blogger doesn't want to upload my photos. And really, what's a blogpost without photos of my darling children?
So please be patient (you know how I am) while I keep trying!!!!!

Arthur Christmas

Kurt has three 12 hour shifts this weekend, so rather than stay cooped up all weekend long missing Daddy, I took the little boys to a movie this afternoon. I had it narrowed down to the Muppet Movie or Arthur Christmas. AC won out =) It was a very cute movie and we enjoyed it. I'll bet we would have enjoyed the parts we missed during 2 separate bathroom breaks too....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

To you all! I hope yours was as wonderful as ours was. Yummy food with loving family. And none of this "sitting around the table checking emails, sending texts or catching up on facebook on either laptops, blackberrys or iphones". Heavenly.

Five days? No new post?

Well that'll get you a text from a reader!!! I could think up all kinds of excuses as to why there's been a 5 day drought, but I've got nothing! I even had a birthday in the middle of those days! Kurt took me to a Japanese place where our dinner was cooked in front of us and we had yummy sushi =) The only picture I took was of the dude starting the grill, LOL.
So until something more interesting happens, here's some pictures of Arielle and Beckett being goofy. Ok, mostly Beckett...

There's an APP for that....

Before I went to Boston, I bought an iPod Touch. For a variety of reasons and I love it!!! Internet access wherever there is a WIFI signal (yes, I know a "smart phone" will do the same thing, but I'm too cheap to pay for a montly data plan--HA!) Anyhow, just like an iphone, you can download an app for practically anything! Her are some that I'm enjoying =)




This one is da bomb!! You can scan the UPC code of ANY product and it will pull up what that item costs are area stores! For example, if I see a lego set at Target, but want to be sure that the best deal is in front of me, I can scan the UPC code on the box and it will show me what those legos cost at Walmart, Shopko, Kmart, even online options! I am going to LOVE this one with upcoming Xmas shopping!!



This one is a "knock-off" version of Scrabble. I usually have several games going at once with many different people. Did you know "xi" is a word? Or "qua"? "Jo" is a great way to offload that J!



And this image is apparently shy! It's an app where you can make lists of gifts you need to buy, or have bought and keeps track of budgeting too!! I'm excited to play with this one b/4 I head out for my big shop trip in a couple of weeks =)

Wordless Wednesday

Buffalo Phils

So, turns out, these kids still want to eat even though we're not at home!!! I always pack a cooler and a big canvas bag of munchies and sammie fixings, but we usually do venture out of the hotel for one meal a day, last night it was supper.
My sister and her family live very close to the Dells, and USUALLY one of my nephews come up to spend some time at the water park so Parker gets to do some rides without a squealing girl sitting across from him, HA! Turns out, he's grown accustomed to eating as well. Kurt had a dinner meeting so it was up to me to take 5 of them out--we chose Buffalo Phil's (not to be confused with Buffalo BILLS, which may cause some sore of copyright infringement issues). They have a room where a model train will "deliver" your meal, but wait-time was over an hour and seeing as we couldn't get good WIFI connections, keeping the boys entertained on iTouches was not going to happen, hence "regular" seating for us =)
Regardless, kids meals come with "buffalo horns" and the 4 boys at the table happily wore them, even is posing for a pic was NOT done happily...

Great Wolf Lodge

Kurt has his semi-annual union (for all that means in WI anymore) meeting here in the Dells, so we are taking advantage of some family time at the Great Wolf Lodge! Who doesn't love a little time at a water park? We certainly do =)

Some that didn't make the cut....

As you saw a couple of weeks ago, it was Christmas card photo time. And while some of my favorites make the cut because they are acceptable to be sent through the USPS and possibly hang on a fridge or two across the nation for 11 months, some of my favorites DON'T make the annual card, for various reasons. And some don't make the card for OBVIOUS reasons. These are some of each.... (please to note the one with Beckett spitting chewed up leaves out on Arielle's head. She's smiling SO sweetly while her brothers have an eye on Beckett and what he's up to.)

I see a pattern.....

Today when I picked up Beckett from Grandma and Grandpa's, I noticed a wider gap in his smile. "Beckett!! You lost your other loose tooth!". "I did?!" he said, completely puzzled. "Where is it?" ask I. He smiled and said "I think I swallowed it"!
Yes folks, TWO teeth down the hatch. At this point I think he enjoys the reaction he gets when he does this and now I'll be very surprised if I see ANY in his little hand after they exit his mouth....

All Dressed Up

Yesterday Kurt and I had the pleasure of seeing two super sweet people get married =) Nathan was a college kid here who joined EMS when Kurt and I were active there. He met Megan who was an Xray tech at our local hospital and those two crazy kids fell in love and got married yesterday =)
He went and graduated, got a "real" job and moved a couple of hours away. They got married "here" though so we got to spend their special day with them without the hassle of travel--HA!
It meant we "got" (Kurt never LOVES wearing a tie!) to dress up and spend an evening without our adorable moppets--and yes, we enjoyed it...

What I'm Reading....

Several months ago, I came across a blog (shocker, right?) about an anonymous teacher who was eating the school lunches being served to the students in her school and was blogging about it. Mostly how NASTY it is/was. Fillers, over-processed junk, stuff that has sat on shelves for Lord only knows how long. I'm not a fan of school lunches: They are disgusting and I don't like that my kids like them. Well, to a point. Parker is not a fan, but it's not cool to be 17 and bringing a lunch from home---go figure.
Anyhoo, "Mrs. Q" was approached by a publisher and her wonderful blog and all her research and thoughts associated with it has been turned into a book. Which I had to have. And now do.
Fed Up With Lunch. By Sarah Wu. I highly recommend it. Just saying....

Calling the Tooth Fairy!!

So while I was away for those couple of days, Beckett lost his first tooth!!! It's been loose (just like it's neighbor!) for a while, so I knew it was just a matter of time =)
BUT, there was nothing to leave for the tooth fairy. He was at Grandma's and in Beckett's own words: "a chicken nugget grabbed it and took it down!" There are hand motions to go along with it, mostly him showing the path that little bitty tooth took from it's nesting spot in his mouth, down the GI tract and landing in his belly.
Luckily, ol' TF is a VERY understanding gal and accepted the reasoning behind no tooth in the pocket of the pillow. Plus, if TF reads my blog, she can see the gap in the 6 year old's smile, HA!

Halloween 2011

And another Halloween is in the bag--along with a butt-load of candy! The boys/firefighters didn't really go to THAT many houses, but boy oh boy are their bags weighty! We hit the "loop" that my parents live on, another street with a cul-de-sac off of it and a short blip of a street and then headed out to the IL's. (they were disappointed that Brian's light was off--in case Brian is reading this).
On the home front, it was a VERY differnt story. IF I buy candy, I buy way too much. And this year, since we had NO trick or treaters (unless you count the HS girl that came for candy specifically from Parker, and NO that is not a metaphor for anything), we have another butt-load of candy here!! Guess who is going to be voted "most popular" tomorrow at work?