Halloween 2009

(you can click on pics to enlarge)

Preston and his best buddy Riley trick or treating and eating smores that one of our neighbors sets out everywhere with fire pit, table and fixins at the end of the driveway for the kids.

We had our trick or treat night on Thursday (Ohio doesnt trick or treat on weekends). Great weather, family and friends, and neighbors pass out candy while sitting in their driveways. Gotta love it. Prestons preschool on Friday had a parade downtown Canal Winchester where store owners and employees pass out candy to kids while they walk down the sidewalks.

Prestons preschool class. The little girl on left hand side 2nd row dressed up as princess with tiara is Claire-Preston calls her "his girl". He said she doesnt know it yet but that its girlfriend.

Things I learned this week while visiting my family in TN..

1. Life is short and you should tell everyone around you that you love them.
2. You only see some family at weddings and funerals.
3. My sister always makes me laugh and its just what I need when Im sad or frustrated.
4. My brother and sister in law always have a theme for dinners. We had dinner one night and they had a bag of candy, Halloween toys and Halloween cupcakes for Preston. Not to mention the plates, napkins and cups were Halloween. So cute and so fun!
5. TN has some bad allergens floating around their state and I caught them.
6. TN leaves are just now turning while OH has already changed and fallen.
7. Cooking smores outside is always a good idea.
8. I do miss having my computer even if its just for a week. No internet or cable where I was.
9. My sister got my son hooked on mini Ben and Jerrys mint chocolate cookie.
10. My son looks a lot like my brother and is built like him....scary!
11. Santa Clause shops at Old Time Pottery. We saw him there shopping and because Preston and I were staring at him he came over and winked at us and said see you in about 60 days. He was the cutest Santa ever.
12. There is no place like home.

Sad news

Last night my Grandaddy passed away in his sleep. I can not think of more peaceful way to go than in your sleep. No more suffering, no more pain. I can picture my grandmur up in heaven now saying "shit, what took you so long". Shit was her favorite word. We are packing today and will be heading to TN tomorrow. Im sad and thankful all at the same time. Im so glad that we spent time with him each time we visited and Im so thankful that Preston remembers him. I will miss you more than words can say and you were truly a great grandfather.

Ladies night

Last night I had a girls night out with several other women and we had a blast at PF Changs. Im pretty sure they were glad to see us leave because we arent exactly quite. It was nice to get out of the house, wear something other than sweat pants and hang out with some wonderful women. Before you start feeling bad for hubby he had his own boys night out, granted his night out included 2 boys that were 4 and another friend but nontheless he got wings so his night was good as well. Last night I laughed my ass off with the ladies but when I woke up this morning it was still there, darnit. Good times, good times

Fall 2009 Decor

3 years

Dear Jennifer, its been 3 years today since the accident and I miss you just as much as I did the first year. You were such a great friend, the best of best friends. I know you and Hannah are looking down from above and watching over everyone. Still crying whenever this date rolls around each year, for some reason I can never seem to write this post each year without the tears. I miss you and love you and in my mind you and Hannah are living in heaven in a large pink barbie house with an elevator on the side and driving around in a pink convertible just like the one we used to play with at your house. Loving and missing you everyday for the rest of my life.

Today we went to Circle S pumpkin farm with friends and had a blast, especially in the hay barn where we had a hay fight.

Today while picking Preston up at school I recognized another lady picking up her child. I have seen her at the gym before. When we spoke to one another we realized our kids were in the same class. In front of her and her son I asked Preston if he plays with her son. Prestons response was "no, he is mean". Silence.....the only thing I could say was "well OK, see you at the gym on Monday". Kids can be brutally honest.

Why is it that I can spend several hours of time in the same room as Preston who barely even acknowledges that Im there however I step out of the room to take potty break and suddenly he is yelling and needing me. I wonder when I will get to pee in privacy without urgency again? Atleast I have something to look forward to....unfortunately its potty breaks.

False advertisement

Hanes Wedgie Free Underwear.....my ass your wedgie free. I have a pair of you on today and you were creeping and crawling where you shouldn't of been by the time I made my first run around the track. Do you know how hard it is to pick a wedgie while running? Don't claim to be wedgie free if you cant handle a jog or a run. No where on the package does it say "wedgie free but only if you walk very slowly and no sudden movements". Im just saying....

Preston is finally starting to feel better, after his stomach virus he got a respiratory virus. Is there anything else this kid can catch in pre k...better not ask that huh.

Preston went to the firehouse yesterday for a school field trip and had fun. He told me several times that if the door knob is hot then there is fire behind it. He said this morning that he thought that he should open the door to the garage to see if there was a fire. Good idea and good thing there wasn't.
In other news I went to a village council meeting last night to discuss and express my concern over solicitors in our area, long story short we are being sued because of the laws about solicitors in our town. The town then decided to change solicitors times from 9am-9pm, it wasn't that late before, in order to please the company that is suing us. I have an issue with that and let them know.
Today our cabinets for our kitchen finally came in. YEAH, only 5 days late. Good thing I didn't owe them any money otherwise they might of been here on time. I finished painting the family room where the pony wall was taken out. We had to put a new piece of sheetrock up to fill in the hole so patching it took a while. Patch, sand, patch, sand, patch, sand, prime, sand, and finally paint. Next project countertops. To be continued....

Relaxing Thursday

Preston is over the stomach virus but is left with a cough right now. He missed school yesterday and today is laying on couch eating popsicles and resting. I'm hoping he will be well enough to go to school tomorrow for picture day.

On another note I'm once again baking cookies for hubby's work. Whenever it is someones birthday in the department everyone brings in goodies...I swear I think someone has a birthday every 2 weeks. Either that or they just tell me its someones birthday to get me to bake something. Today I'm making peanut butter cup cookies. Its refrigerated cookie dough (my choice was peanut butter) cut it into an inch to inch 1/2 slices and then cut that slice into 4ths. It slices better if placed in the freezer for a few minutes before opening package. Place each wedge of cookie dough into its own greased mini muffin pan hole. Bake a few minutes (about 6-8 min,) until slightly golden but not completely done, remove from oven and place miniature peanut butter cups into each cookie immediatly, dont push down too far or you will have a mess of chocolate on bottom of cookie. Let stand for a while to harden and remove with spoons. Taste at least 4 before serving to others just to be sure that everything is good.

Food + sick=a lot of spot shot carpet cleaner

Today Preston came home from school not feeling well, honestly he has been coughing for a week but that was about it and he has been saying that he doesn't feel well for a while, apparently tonight he meant it. He now has a fever and his food decided to leave his belly and land all over the floor. Not sure if its flu but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that its not.

Today we went to look at granite countertops at a warehouse and it was a bit overwhelming and exciting. Ive always wanted granite and I could of stayed there all day looking and touching each piece of granite they were all so beautiful. Here is a pic of the color of granite that we like its called New Venetian Gold and it has specks of golden color, brown and black. Im keeping my fingers crossed and wondering what is is that Im going to have to do to get this granite......

Kitchen quotes

I have a chalkboard in my kitchen that I like to put cute kitchen sayings on, I try and change it up about once a week. Some of my favorite are:

• BAM doesn't mean the same thing in my kitchen as it does in Emeril's
• Candy solves everything
• Kiss my Grits
• If we are what we eat, then I'm easy, fast and cheap!
• My next house will have no kitchen...just vending machines
• If you don't like my cooking, lower your standards
• Open the fridge and take a look - first to complain is next week's cook!
• Everytime I cuss I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
• Yes, Grandma cooked 3 full meals from scratch 3 times a day, 7 days a week. That was in 1935, just before she left the family. Now, do you want those full meals, or do you want to keep me around?

Sneak peak

This is the only spot in our family room that is actually clean from the renovations, we still haven't moved the furniture back in but somehow Ive gone ahead and decorated for fall...my priorities are so right on.
.

Here is a pic of our new kitchen table. Ive been looking for a gathering table for a while now but didn't want to pay the price, even on craigslist they were a bit much. I found this at a yard sale this past weekend for $85. Right now its just kinda hanging out in the middle of the kitchen till we figure out where we want everything to go.

I am plumb tuckered out. Over the past week we have been working on the house. The pony wall that separated the kitchen and family room is gone and the hardwood floors are down. Today I took Preston to school, went to home depot, went to walmart, went to bootcamp, picked up Preston and then spent the next 4 hours painting the family room walls. Bootcamp kicked my butt, painting after bootcamp kicked everything else. We are 95% done with just a few minor things to finish up and then I will post pics. I hear Aleve calling my name.

This is my favorite picture of Preston: Even though someday he will kill me for showing this, it is well worth it. It was taken about 2 months ago as he fell asleep on couch while sitting up eating popcorn in his underwear.

Lithopolis Honey Bee Festival

Bedtime stories

I told Preston the other night that God helps little boys grow in their sleep but only in their own beds. This was my way of talking Preston out of sneaking into our bed at night. Tonight he asked if he slept in our bed would God let him grow, of course I said no (yeah I so lied but you would to with a 40 pound boy kicking you all night) that God only helps you grow in your bed. He then turned around and said I guess I will always be small then.

Preschool drop off

Just dropped Preston off at his first day of preschool . While in the car we said a little prayer that God would watch over him and let him have a good day while playing and afterwards Preston said God is going to play with me like he is playing with Taz (my sisters dog). A little difficult to explain that God and Taz would not be joining him on the playground but that they would be watching him from above. When we got out of the car he did great, he went right in, hung up his bookbag and said bye mommy. Oh if only I were that brave because I turned around walked out the door got into my car and cried.

We celebrated the first day of preschool with eating at McDonalds.

First day of preschool

My little boy, you are still asleep upstairs and soon I will wake you up for your first day of preschool. I'm trying my best not to cry and instead think about the 3 hours a day, 3 days a week that I will have to myself but I cant seem to get past the fact that I will be without you for 3 hours, 3 days a week and tears are already hitting the keyboard. Did you have to grow up so fast, do you have to be such a big boy? Don't you want to stay here with mommy and play with me instead of going off to school and learning new and exciting things, we have snack time here, we read books, we play, we....OK I know you need to venture out on your own. My camera is ready to take lots of pictures, your vitamins are on the counter ready for you to take, your breakfast is awaiting you along with orange juice so you will have lots of energy for your day, your backpack is packed with an extra pair of clothes, and now Im thinking that someone should be holding my hand to get me through this day. Preston, we are so proud of you and we know that big things await you. You will make lots of friends and have so much fun. I promise not to embarrass you to much this morning and to be on time each day to pick you up. I promise that this is just as hard on me as it is you and just as exciting as well. I love you son and remember your manners, give your teachers a break, try not to fart or burp and for goodness sakes when you do don't announce it to others like you do at home, have a great time and be kind to the little girls. I love you and I'm proud of you, go out there and give em' hell son!!!

Labor Day weekend

Living in Canal Winchester during Labor Day Festivities is awesome...Im just saying and I may be slightly bias. This is the one time that our little township puts on a weekend of festivities for the entire family. They have kiddie carnival rides, carnival food, great food from local restaurants, beer tent, games, pageants, car shows , parade and much more. In fact I can smell the kettle corn cooking now from only a few blocks away. We dont usually take the kids to the county fair because lets face it, its a bit scary around all of the people that only come out of their houses once a year to attend the fair, I would literally have to put a leash on Preston to keep up with him and carnie people freak me out. We hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.

Bolin house changes

Kitchen and family room redo: Changes are coming our way soon (not soon enough) and I cant wait to get started on them, only I cant start on anything it all comes down to my husbands schedule. Man I hate having to wait. I have no patience when it comes to projects, once its in my mind I have to start right then and there. The new projects are:

• Put in new slider door that was taken out of in laws house because it is much nicer, sturdier and better than the cheaper one that came with this house. Out with the old in with the handmedown.
• Pull up existing carpet in family room
• Take out pony wall that separates kitchen and family room
• put in a new section of lower and upper cabinets in kitchen
• put down hardwood floor throughout kitchen and family room
• replace counter tops with granite or other kind of stone
• have sister come up and teach me to tile fireplace and back splash in kitchen

Picture to come soon.

prepping for preschool

Today was Preston's preschool orientation for kids, parents and teachers. He starts on Wednesday so it was good to meet the other kids before the big day. He has 16 kids in his class and only 6 are boys and 10 girls. Girls definitely rule this class but Im sure that our son will fit in just fine since hubby has taught him dialect with the ladies such as hubba hubba, how you doin'. Preston had a good time and played with everyone, before going in he asked if I was going to go in with him and stay and I said yes today but not next week. He dint say much but I could see the wheels turning. I also discovered this morning since he has to wear tennis shoes and not crocs like we have been wearing all summer that his tennis shoes didn't fit him. Size 12 people, the 4 year old boy is in a size 12. He is growing up so fast.

Friday happenings:
Went to gym-painful
Rain-nice
Haagen Dazs pineapple cocunut icecream-yummy
Friday night pizza with the kids-so much fun
The fact that Lowel has to ask me what time his daughter gets out of school when she gets out of school the same time that she has the past 2 years-funny

Project 2

We bought this coffee table from craigslist for a cheap amount of money. After sanding, priming and painting black here is the before and the after pics.

Project 1

My inlaws passed down some outdoor furniture which I love but it was a little worn so I covered the cushions and painted the furniture. Its like having brand new outdoor furniture now !

The morning after

Last night was the Jo Bro concert and let me just be the first to say it was actually really good. I shook my booty and sang along with all of the other little girls, tweens and moms. About an hour prior to the concert you could text a message from your phone that would show up on the jumbo tron and most of the messages said something like this "if you love the Jonas brothers let me hear you scream" which is exactly what they did for an hour straight before the concert even started. Trinity had a blast. After finally getting in around midnight, ears still ringing from being 20 rows away from the stage (thank you hubby for such wonderful seats) and humming Jonas brother songs in my head all night I was glad to hit the sack and go to bed. I woke up this morning feeling as if I had partied all night and drank to much only there was no alcohol just a bunch of screaming girls which is just as bad as a hangover. Here is a clip of just how loud it was. My hearing finally came back around 10am this morning. Good times...good times.

Jo Bro

Trinity and I are Jonas Brothers concert bound....all those screaming little girls got nothing on me. I can scream with the best of them!!!

Trinitys 8th

Dear Trinity, its your 8th birthday. You are such a little lady. In another 8 years you will be driving, wow. Many changes have come your way this year. You went from playing with dolls to drawing designs. You like makeup, finger nail polish, hanging out with your friend Hope and riding roller coasters. Ok maybe not the last one but you survived riding the Magnum XL200 and Cedar Point...you said never again but I'm proud of you for trying it. For your birthday you received lots of school clothes and I'm taking you to see the Jonas Brothers in concert. This will be your first concert other than when we took you to see the Wiggles Live when you were 3. This year you saw the beach for the first time, rode a big roller coaster, went to the circus, you are perfecting your dive and went to cheerleading camp. You love to help me bake and the eye rolls are growing on me.... I remember doing that to my mom as well. Im looking forward to taking you to your first tween concert and I will try not to embarrass you...I said try I didn't say I promise. We love you

Before kids I enjoyed long showers ....now I usually have a 4 year old and sometimes the dog in there with me. Boy times have changed.

Busy bee today. Today after the gym Preston and I stopped by his school where he will attend preschool in a few weeks and we walked through it again. I thought us visiting it a few times before school starts would help him get comfortable in this transition. We met his teachers, there are 2 teachers and 16 kids in the class. Im so glad we got him signed up early because they only accepted 16 kids and then had to turn away the rest. Since preschool is not offered in schools here it is done privately and you have to pay but it is also very competitive to be able to find a spot for your child before the classes fill up. We walked around and saw the cafeteria area where he will eat snacks, saw the playground outback and pointed out the bathrooms.....all the important things to see. Im going to do it once a week for the next 3 weeks and lets face it this will help both of us feel more comfortable.
I also decided to paint the metal outdoor furniture that my in laws passed down....what was I thinking.
3 loads of laundry, a full dishwasher, baking brownies for my husbands work, and a meeting tonight to pick up the Jonas Brothers tickets that we purchased to take Trinity to for her birthday and its become a full days of work. Im exhausted and still have more furniture to paint and its only 2pm.

Am I the only one on earth that has no idea what Twitter is, have no idea what Twilight is nor have any interest in it and doesnt text?

I got tagged so I thought Id do my answer here instead on facebook;

50 Things you've NEVER been asked

1. What is the color of your toothbrush? pink
2. Name one person who made you smile today? Trinity making up cheers about Preston
3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? laying in bed watching tv
4 what were you doing 45 mns ago? cleaning
5. What is your favorite candy bar? almond joy
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? yes-sorry mom and dad
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? Lowel come listen to the kids playing together and not fighting.
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Maggie Moo's cheesecake with black cherries.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? smoothie
10. Do you like your wallet? love it, its lime green.
11. What was the last thing you ate? dinner last night
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? yes school clothes for kids.
13. The last sporting event you watched? Does pig nascar count?
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? jalapeno
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? dont text
16. Ever go camping? yep
17. Do you take vitamins daily? nope
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? no
19. Do you have a tan? only in the summer
.20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? yes
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? no
22. What did your last text message say? no answer
23. What are you doing tomorrow? going to pool
24. Look to your left, what do you see? kids playing with building blocks
25. How many e-mail accounts do you have? 2
26. What color is your watch? I dont wear one
27. What do you think of when you hear Australia? Toilets flushing the opposite direction
28. Do you go in a fast food place or go through drive through? mostly drive thru
29. Have you ever done any drugs other than marijuana? no and what kind of question is that.
30. What is your favorite number? 12
31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone? mother in law
32. Any plans today? shopping
33. How many states have you lived in? 2
34. Biggest annoyance right now? Trying to decide on kitchen design
35. Last song listened to? Whatever the country station in my car was playing.
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? very slowly
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? Yes her name is honey, mom, and Heather
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? flip flops!
39. Are you jealous of anyone? Sometimes.
.40. Is anyone jealous of you? i dont think so
41. Do you love anyone? lots of peopple
42. Do any of your friends have children? most do
43. What do you usually do during the day? What dont I do in a day.
k44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? no but I dislike someone
45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? yes
!46. What color is your car? silver
47. Are you thinking about someone right now? my pregnant cousin
48. Where was the last place you went for vacation? Sandusky last week
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? yes
50. How did you get your worst scar? accident