Graduation Cookies!!

I found the pictures of the cookies!! These were the ones we had made for Parker's graduation party---aren't they adorable?! Of course, I had her make up some in UW-P's colors, because at THAT time, that's where he was headed to college!!!

Our Baby is SEVEN

Beckett is seven years old already =( I honestly don't know where SEVEN years have gone. He is the funniest little guy and makes us laugh a million times a day (making Paxton mad several times a day is also on his agenda). He's our little performer and while Paxton loves to watch train videos on youtube, this kid is playing music videos of every genre, but usually with a heavy dose of Chippettes--at least until I tell him I can't take it anymore. His birthday was probably the lowest-keyed ones we've ever had a Casa de Tuescher. I've scaled back immensely from the Sunday afternoon munchie fests and have just been having Grandparents over for dinner, cake and ice cream. Beckett was going to wait until the weekend to do his, but on Tuesday night he announced he wanted it ON his birthday. OK, can't fault him for that, but his meal choice was frozen waffles!!! I just couldn't do THAT to family! So it was some veggies, fruit and cheese and crackers to go with cake (of which there was a CRAPPY selection, but he picked what he wanted and was happy, so Momma has to be happy too) His main request for a gift was a sno-cone maker. I was sweating it, but the USPS came through and it arrived on our doorstep while he was at school =) He also got an Innotab 2, some legos, clothes, some CD's, a microphone, DS game and a Spongebob DVD. He was thrilled with everything =)

One of Parker's Biggest Fans....

Throughout Parker's entire 4 year "career" playing golf in HS, he had at least ONE person following him on the course for every single meet except his Freshman year playing at Whistling Straits. Usually me and/or his Dad, Grandparents, etc. MANY times, his sweet sister walked those courses too, usually in flip flops, and a time or two, she did it alone. These were taken at his final trip to WS, it was FINALLY a nice day weather-wise and she got sunburned nicely. At most of the holes she "acted" out what was written on the sign. She's just the first in a long line of goofy kids that I've birthed....

Meal Planning Monday

Well, last week went MOSTLY according to plan. We ended up grilling at my parents house one night and then the football game fell into our laps, so that ended up being a night out (Texas Roadhouse even!) Once again, I'll be joining in the linky party hosted each week by Laura at where lots of great menu ideas are shared by lots of great bloggers! For us this week: Monday: We worked on leftovers Tuesday: Kurt's working the grill--brats, potato salad Wednesday: Pork Tenderloin, sides Thursday: beer can crock pot chicken Friday: Beckett is planning on his Birthday dinner, meal to be decided Saturday: Steaks on the grill, potato packets, corn Sunday: Not entirely sure yet, the sale flyer comes out tomorrow =)

Big 10 Football

This is us at an Iowa Hawkeye game!! My Boss has been a season ticket holder for as long as I've known him, and I'm certain before that. They were unable to use their tickets for the game on Saturday and offered them to us =) I'm not a die-hard football fan, that is for sure (gotta own some Badger apparel though! Pro football I couldn't give 2 licks about) but it was a BEAUTIFUL day to be sitting outside, AND the home team won. At halftime (it was homecoming, so lots of activity) they introduced the man who had coached gymnastics at Iowa for a few years, who then went on to coach a certain little girl named Gabby Douglas---she made kind of a splash in London if you followed the Olympics at all.

Library Time

Som This summer meant many trips to the public library. Usually Beckett and I went on Saturday mornings, or else Grandma took the boys on Monday evening while I rested between my "day" job and "night" job. Now that the boys are back in school they're utilizing their respective libraries at their schools, but Beckett still likes to check things out at the public library. I'd like to point out that he usually picks out 2 books and 2 movies, either VHS or DVD--USUALLY movies that we already have at home. Yah. Sometimes on Saturdays I would drop him off and then drive to the post office to mail things in the drive up box, which is approximately 6 blocks away and then come back, which meant he was alone for about 4 minutes inside the library, but oh he felt like such a big boy when I'd do that =) This week he wanted to play on the computers for awhile, which was a refreshing change from him watching Victorious music videos the way he does at home (insert eyeroll)

St Patrick's Day

See, I TOLD ya'll I missed posting about a whole bunch of stuff!!! WAAAAYYYY, back in March, I went to my BFF's house for the weekend (she lives in the Quad Cities, I made the mistake of introducting her to her husband and his job has a stinkin' residency requirement!) I'm able to make it down to stay for a weekend a few times a year, and one of them happened to be over the big Irish holiday weekend. Davenport/Rock Island host a big parade every year, it starts in Illinois, crosses a bridge over the Mississippi river and ends in Iowa (it's the only parade in the nation to utilize an Interstate!) Well, this year it was UNSEASONABLY warm. Like 80 degrees warm. In March. In Iowa. Needless to say the turnout was incredible. Most of the parade entries have beads (think mardi gras) to hand out and the people lining the street to get neck-ful's of beads were in the tens of thousands. Patti's hubby is a firefighter in Davenport and we walked with their entry and passed out beads. I don't even know how many thousands of strands we had to hand out, but we got rid of them all---and that was just the one entry! The sight that greeted us when we crested over the bridge was unbelievable: people as far as you could see. They were on rooftops, parking garages, vehicles--anything to make themselves a little higher. Beads were hanging from tree brances (no leaves on the trees yet!), street signs, power poles and lots on the necks of little kids =) We had a wonderful time (and yes, the celebrations continued in an adult fashion afterwards). I think it'll be a LONG time before the stars align again to allow for such a gorgeous day.