The Today.

Loves Math. Is happy to be back at school with Coley. Thinks his new expander is torture.

Is playing fall baseball and soccer. Loves the neighbor's trampoline and wants one at "our next house". Would eat chicken and mashed potatoes for every meal. Is so slow in the mornings he may cause Colten to have a nervous breakdown. Likes his new teacher. Has his best buddies in his class. Is thoughtful. Not a fan of washing his hair or reading for fun. But loves when I read to them before bed. Drinks water like his momma. (all the time) Loves the cooler weather. (80s) Is anxious for soccer to officially start. Titans football fan. Axe hair gel. Very much likes to be early. (see above) Loves Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory. Thinks he's a teenager. Facebooker. Steals my Junior Mint stash. Can be sweet one second, and completely sassy the next. Always needs a hoodie for class. First year with lockers at school. Likes his teacher. Not a lot of good friends in his class. Beastie Boys on his IPOD. Loves to read. Does not like the "little kids" from Jack's class saying "hi" to him in the halls. Eats chocolate ice cream with lots of whip cream (almost) every night. Ridiculously tall. (6ft and growing) So smart. Unbelievably so.

(Just don't quiz him on common sense) Loves soccer. Such a devoted friend.

(Has a great group of them) Loves his youth group. Can drink more juice than any person should. (Ditto that for eating chips) Is taking his drivers test soon. Has the best sense of humor.

Can make me crazy mad when he talks back. Wants a weight bench in a bad way. Loves smoothies. Calls me "Mommy" when he wants something, and "Mother" when he's trying to be funny. (and "Mom" the rest of the time) "Y'all" is definitely part of his vocab. Hollister cologne.

So happy it's Friday.

Hopefully sushi for lunch with the husband.

Pizza/movie night with the boylies.

Guitar lessons tomorrow after a little summer break.

and

*A school dance for the J which I forgot about....

Sunday is a ref class for Jared, and ball-boy duty for Coley at the ASU game. (wink)

Happy weekend!

My spider senses telling me Spiderman is nearby...

"You find me offensive?
I find you offensive
For finding me offensive..."
-Eminem

Tuesday.
I found it hard difficult nearly impossible not to swear while driving.
I don't normally swear a lot, so the boys found this hysterically funny.
(they're boys...bad words are a riot)
"Sorry boys. SORRY. Ok, I'm not going to say that again, and you should never say it"...
10 minutes later...
"Sorry boys..."
Ugh. Bad momma.
The boys decided that I should come up with a word to use instead of saying....well, that word.
They chose rhyming words....like...er....duck...
I said it should be something wonderful and happy, like rainbow, or glitter, or cupcake...

Enter stage right....

My Cupcake of a Day Yesterday.

I woke up with the kind of headache that makes it feel like you stuck your head in a vice...

I had to take Jack to the orthodontist for his expanders.
(I thought he was getting them a few weeks ago, but those were just spacers...Silly me)
They told me to get there 30 minutes early if any of the spacers had come out...
which they had.
So, cue me, picking Jack up 45 minutes before his appointment from school.
One hour later.
We hadn't been seen yet.
Two hours later we left.
Me and a teary eyed Jack,
with a mouth full of metal,
and a horrible speech impediment that must go away...

We went to Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
I took him back to school.
I went to the grocery store.
I picked them all up from school.
And we went to Walmart.
The only reason I mention this part of my day is because throughout that...
I was unaware that...
well...
Something else humiliating happened...
which would involve way too much TMI for my blog...
but suffice it to say...
it was a seriously, are you kidding me moment...
I went in four different places....

I shall move on...
When I picked Jared up from school...
He told me about his two high school teachers.
(He is a freshman, but 7th-9th are in the junior high building, he takes two classes at the high school however...which is RIGHT next to the jr high)
One informed him that he was causing her more "work"
and he should just go back to the jr. high.
The other told him he was lying about doing the math problem in his head.
Excellent.
(For the record he did it in his head...and got the answer right)
Meeting with the school tomorrow....oooh yes. I am.

Later
I got lost taking Jared where he was going...
blahblahblah...
poor me, I know.
Just the normal "bad" day...nothing major.

then...
Just as all was almost right in the world,
Boys were clean and jammied...
I was rockin my sweats....
stories were about to be read...
and Colin was due home in the not so distant future...
I noticed an email

Anonymous had commented twice on my blog.

And that my friends...
was the straw that broke...
well,
it was the icing on the cupcake.
Right?!?
I mean.
Come on.

The end.

(exit stage left, curtains fall)

Soccer makes for a Good Weekend

ASU sponsored a little 3v3 tournament Sunday,
a fundraiser for their women's program.
Coley played from noon-6pm.
For the record I took no photos of him actually playing...
I was too busy cheering...
but I took lots of random photos.

Like of Jared...being tall. And Jack being goofy. (I SO need a 50mm fixed lens)

Good stuff, huh?!?

The best...

Colten getting his medal...for winning the tourney.

Hope you had a nice weekend!

Colten is so handsome...even with his mom casting a shadow on his head.
(I'm very professional first thing in the morning)
Colin took the two older boys to get haircuts last night.
I took Jack to his baseball scrimmage.
When the rest of the crew arrived at the game,
Coley went over to the dugout to show Jack his haircut...
Jack said "I didn't even recognize you....I thought it was Beckham!"
Which of course thrilled Colten...and was such a sweet brotherly moment for me.

A few thoughts on the first (half) week of school:

Waking up at 6:30 has already become waking up at 6:45...
place your bets now on when I will try and make that 7am.
I guarantee it won't take long.

I'm driving the boys to school this year and picking them up.
For several reasons.
I can this year.
Last year I couldn't get three of them to three different schools at the same time,
without one of them being ridiculously early,
or in my case absurdly late...
The other main reason, after having Colten ride the bus for the first time ever last year,
is the unwanted crash course on sex education he received...from very uneducated children.
Enough said.

However, I have no doubt the drop off and pick up line will cause me to have a nervous breakdown in the not so distant future.
Why do adults not understand the concept of taking turns?

The nice lady that came around to the cars waiting in the pick up line
to write the kids names on cards to place in the windshield,
wrote COTTEN for Colten....
making me giggle the entire way around the loop,
because when I got to the front I knew that on the megaphone
"Cotten" was going to be announced,
and Cotten would be none too happy about that one.

The little ones are so chatty when they get in the car after school.
Non-stop chatty.
It is hysterical because they both have conversations with me, at the same time.
Even Jared is pretty chatty about school when he gets in the car.
I like this.

As you can tell by the first day photo...
My boys didn't want new clothes for the first day.
Not even a shirt.
and trust me...
I asked.
Several times.
(Just to be sure)
The day before the first day,
I asked them to start "thinking about what they wanted to wear"...
They looked at me like I was speaking Russian.
They woke up on the first day, and like it was any other morning,
they just grabbed something and threw it on.
When I was little I remember being so concerned about the "first day outfit"...
not so much my boys.
I guess that's a good thing.
However.
They have more than made up for the lack of back-to-school shopping with
soccer-is-starting shopping...
and have earmarked almost every page in the Eurosport catalog.
Priorities.

I admit, I did order a few things for the littles from MiniBoden...
for fall...
(or whenever it will start to feel like fall...December maybe?!?)

funny story:
When I saw the monster applique shirts I KNEW Jack would lose his mind in love...
so I asked which one he wanted...
He replied "OH, the dog and the rabbit!"
Ha.
(the dog = the blue shirt, the rabbit = the red)
The dog and the rabbit.
Love that kid...

This weekend:
Jack has a baseball tournament.
Colten has a 3 v 3 soccer tourney.
and Jared has a movie date with a bunch of friends...
Happy Friday!!!

I am not a morning person, and 6:30 came much too quickly...
but they're off
it's the first day of school.
and so,
because it's tradition...
I give you the obligatory first day shots.

(the fingers represent the grade, not which gang they're members of)
I can not believe my BABY is in the third grade.Coley the 5th grader. (haircut tonight)love that smile...and last, but not least....
my...
wait for it...
FRESHMAN!
my first born is a freshman.and a smartass that didn't want to participate in first day photos...
so you take what you can get.

I love you so much my boys.
I can't wait to hear about your day.

"Use what talents you possess: The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." ~Henry Van Dyke

"Then all around from far away across the world
he smelled good things to eat
so he gave up being king of where the wild things are.
"Where the Wild Things Are" - Maurice Sendak
Someone was a little overtired after their youth group retreat...
Someone let their mouth get the best of them...
Someone was sent to their room until dinner...
and that someone was found like this when they were called for dinner.
I think someone was a little sleepy.

Teens need sleep.
or they get cranky.
and just because lack of sleep makes one cranky, that doesn't excuse the behavior or make it acceptable...
Hence the room time yesterday.
(Today seems much better)

"Vamp club not all it was made out to be huh? Lots of freaks I hear... and people from Arkansas."
-Arlene, TrueBlood Season 1 Episode 5

Do you know how much that quote made me laugh?! Answer: Lots.

This weekend:
GI Joe at the theater
Sushi
Ice cream for dinner
Barnes and Noble
Cornhole
Season one of TrueBlood on bluray
Fun mail from Gabby
the yum Mexican restaurant
and
Lots of playing outside for the small boys
*Youth group retreat for Jared

"This was a fun day" -Jack(on Saturday)

Tonight is open house for all three. Only two schools this year, instead of three.
Colten and Jack have their school supplies and are ready to go.
Jared finally gets his list tonight...
Which means back-to-school-shopping round two tomorrow.
Oh Joy.

Colten is getting his haircut...like the end of the mohawk haircut.
He decided that it was getting much too trendy (especially around here),
and that trendy just isn't his style
so hopefully he likes his new do,
he has had a mohawk for five years.
(aka half his life)

Tomorrow we must institute "back-to-school-bedtime" again.
I fully intended to start last week,
but of course I've put it off,
and now it just makes sense to let them finish enjoying late nights and late mornings...
in exchange for the struggle tomorrow night will bring.
I'm going to start reading The Lightning Thief outloud to the littles which may help the transition...
slightly.
I tried to convince them to read Harry Potter, but they refused.
Funny how that that series really sparked Jareds love affair with reading,
and I can't get the little ones to touch it.

Lastly.
My new banner.
Colin's sister and BIL got him fancy-schmancy beer for Christmas. Cork in the bottles fancy.
Thick beautiful bottles...
I have a thing for glass bottles.
I had this vision of a red-and-white checked table cloth & the brown bottles filled with daisies.
The above photo was just a trial run sans the table cloth/daisy combo.
Jared is really not a fan.
He claims that my beer-bottle-as-vase idea is one of the "most hillbilly things" I've ever done.
and that it is a "terrible concept"...
(did I mention teenagers are also brutally honest?!?)
Well then...
Just try to ignore my hillbilly banner y'all...

the boys REALLY enjoyed the Harley-Davidson museum.
they had a scavenger hunt for the littles that kept them thoroughly busy and happy.
bikes to sit on and computers to "build your own harley"...
very cool.

Coley even found his must-have-helmet on one of the bikes outside.... seriously, even the restaurant was cool.
the boys highly recommend it,
if you're ever in Milwaukee.

and I'm done for the day.
sorry to bombard you all with posts ;)
the one about the lake will have to wait until tomorrow....
we are off to the bookstore.
happy thursday!

Brilliant

a few of my favorites from Alex's Run.
which had a great turn out, and awesome weather.
thanks to everyone that came out to support it...

We went to the Milwaukee Art Museum after the race because Jack desperately wanted to see "art by famous artists"...
I discovered that Jared really doesn't "get" modern art.
especially the "rocks in a box".
he did however make me laugh the entire time.
Colin remarked several times that it was SO much better going to an art museum with my dad.
apparently he is really knowledgeable or something
(he's an artist)
Jack thought the bright colored blown glass installation was made up of balloons at first.
love that.

Also please note that going to an art museum with boys is challenging
because they really
really
reallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreally
want to touch everything.

a few more because they're cute

today:
I'm sorting through photos from last month.
I'm still in my jammies.
the littles are outside with the neighbor boys
jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler on.
(yes...I sort of want to join in)
Jared is asking to go to Barnes and Noble, and the guitar store.
grilling chicken kabobs for dinner.
and pineapple.

yesterday:
the computer didn't work most of the day.
we had to get up early for Jack's orthodontist appointment.
we went to Target.
Jack said "this is sooo much better than Walmart"
(thank goodness I've trained them well)
I made homemade mango salsa. yum.
we had tostadas
and ate breyers cherry vanilla ice cream with hot fudge for dessert.

tomorrow:
starts the last weekend of summer break.
we will get Jared packed,
he leaves for a youth group back-to-school retreat at 6.
we will have movie night.
and figure dinner out on the fly...
because I have nothing planned (shhhh... don't tell Col)

ok...
get ready for a photo recap of July.
only because I want to document it.
no matter how late the documentation may be...
darn computer.

the above is the very darling evansen...
blowing bubbles with the boys before we left to come back to Arkansas.

banana pancakes...

We decided to go check out Hardy, AR and do a little antique shopping.
I don't really understand how people find great deals on amazing things when antiquing,
because I really just find expensive things I'd love...
or
junk.
but it was a cute little town, and we had fun.

the plan was to go without the boys,
but then I found out it was over an hour away...
and since about a third of the time they stay home together
I get a phone call involving someone in tears...
we decided to go on Saturday, and take the littles.
it was over 90 degrees, and the humidity was really absurd,
but they were good.
dare I say cute even.
(bribery with extremely large sonic drinks = always a good idea)

after hardy we went to mammoth spring state park.
jack very much wished he had his fishing pole.
(as he longingly stared at the guy fishing...)
all and all...
just a really nice day.

it was the kind of day one tries to remember while tackling back to school shopping at walmart.
that was my today...
we would not refer to that as a nice day.

propped up next to my computer
Southern Living magazine...
as I debate
if 3 hours is really too far
to drive for the state's "best burger"

the waffles were delish.
and.
gluten free.
will wonders never cease.
by far my favorite GF discovery to date is
Pamela's baking and pancake mix.
ridiculously good.
I've been trying this little GF experiment since May...
with some cheats along the way...
(like in Racine. Hello pizza, fried cheese curds and kringle...soooo naughty)
but overall I feel much better eating this way.
and now that I've found a good pasta (Tinkyada), and a baking mix things are looking up.
lets just say I'm quite glad we don't eat a lot of processed foods...
makes it much easier.

Funny story-
A bunch of guys my husband works with are doing this master cleanse.
essentially you drink a water, lemon, maple syrup,
and cayenne pepper concoction.
for like 10 days.
without eating.
they have been trying to convince Colin to do it, and emailed him the directions.
(Colin for the record said, hello? no food...are you crazy nuts?!?)
I read it, and noticed that you needed to use "grade B" maple syrup.
We use real maple syrup, but I never realized it was graded...
so I checked and sure enough ours is "grade A".
(ours is just a little bit smarter I guess)
So, Jared and I were at the grocery store....
on a very busy Saturday...
we passed the syrup,
and out of curiosity, I checked for grade B...

Jared "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for grade B syrup"
"Why?"
"It's for a cleanse"
he then says in his SUPER loud teenage voice.
"YOU ARE GOING TO SHOWER IN MAPLE SYRUP?!?!"

i
could
have
died.

that's all I've got on this rainy wednesday.
i suggest you go make some waffles with blueberry sauce.
just don't get confused and start showering with the syrup.

trying to post about the past month...
before it's September.
so in reverse of how it actually happened...

Jack's baseball team played in the state tournament.
it was five hours away.
it was expensive (hotel, gas, food...times 5)
in one of the last games Jack hit a homerun and caught a fly ball playing second.
(is that what it's called Col? a fly ball?)
it was totally his game.
and made the weekend completely worth it right there.
the look on his face after that game was priceless.
they went on to lose the tournament, but they played their little hearts out.
it was awesome.

tonight is his end of season swim party at the country club.
vom. it.
Colin is out of town,
which means I have to attempt to be social.
*that said please note...
we ran into one of the team moms at the movie theater the other night...
and to really sum up my issue with the women here,
she said
and I quote...
"did you see The Hangover yet? it's so funny. I went to see it really late at night so no one I knew would see me"
are you kidding me?
(answer. no she was totally not kidding)
because image is everything you know.
and no one is actually who they appear to be.
nothing annoys me more.
hypocrites.
guess what?
I saw The Hangover.
it was a riot.
and if you don't like me because you know I saw it...
so. be. it.
at least I don't pretend to be someone I'm soooooo not.
ahhhhhh... I'm excited about hanging out tonight.
should be fun fun fun....

Sorry.
I'm having one of those days...
focus on the handsome baseball player in the photo above...
ignore me.

Sticking with the Blog as Card Theme...

Happy Anniversary to you...

Happy Anniversary to you...

You look so cute in this photo...

even with birds on your boobs...

(or something like that)

happy anniversary.

love you both!

xoxo

ok...so...

we went with the red.
contrary to the overwhelming response of red is a bad idea e....
we went with it.
such rebels we are.
and hey...
don't you hate it when people ask for advice and then ignore it?
I know. me too.
but I love red. and I think it suits us.
however... it is slip-covered.
(brilliant with three boys)
so we will also be getting a very neutral white for when red seems like a bad idea.
although...
clearly I never think red is a bad idea.
so.
I may only use the white for special occasions.
like when we get a puppy...
or babies are involved.
then I hear white is a smart option.
(kidding...I just obviously have lost all practical sense)anyway. our new sofa.
it's really the highlight of my day today.

The really fabulous thing is,
when we get rid of the old sofa and the chair.
(yes. they're still hanging out in the living room. we're classy like that)
I will officially only have a sofa.
one place to sit. in all of the living room.
eventually I hope to purchase a chocolate leather chair...
and maybe a funky second chair...
in the meantime,
I'm thinking carpet squares.
like preschool style.
friends come over...
and they can just pull up a carpet square.

hot pink and orange hugs and kisses...

Happy Anniversary Gabby and Mikey!

I fully intended to send a card...but it didn't quite happen.

So I vote that blogger is the new anniversary card.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Your wedding was so much fun, I wish we could re-have it every year...
love you guys!

xoxoxoxo

Pretend that it's Tuesday. Except tomorrow is still Friday....

Dude.
Did I actually say I would be back tomorrow on Monday?
Silly me.
I have no good excuse.
I am a bit of a creature of habit...
and not having a computer at home for over a month...
well,
I have to remind myself I can actually use the computer now...
(duh)
and I've sort of fallen into a pathetic little morning routine that involves coffee
and watching the dvr'd reality shows that Colin refuses to watch with me...
in my pjs.
(delightful)
Now I'm trying to work back into the coffee/computer routine...
or at least the blog routine.
some of the computer time can just end.
permanently.
seriously...not necessary.

Also,
I've not had a ton to blog about...
it's been rainy...
and we've been inside.
I shall blame the rain for my inability to prioritize what I should do around the house....
like for instance....
the house is a pit of disaster?
How about I WASH and sort the legos.
all 750 million of them.
Logic. Where has mine gone?
Also please note that in my mind this would just take a minute...
2 hours later...
with a kitchen table full of legos...
and nothing to PUT the freshly WASHED and sorted legos in...
I decided, this was not my best idea.
(and who washes legos anyway?!?)

Legos though are in fact fabulous.
One of the few "toys" I do not regret buying the boys
they still play with them.
They better still play with them
they're all clean now...

It feels so good to be baaaaaaaaaaaaack...My husband fixed the computer.
and then.
I was sick.
but now I'm better.
and my computer is too.
and things are happy.

I sorted through over 1000 photos today.
posted some,
unedited,
straight from the camera,
photos on facebook...
and that pretty much was my day,
leaving no time for a proper blog post.

I have a vegetarian curry cooking...
and some brown rice.
(and some brownies because I'm already anticipating the protests over the meatless meal)
and...
I'll be back tomorrow.

Happy Monday friends.

"Hey Mom...those brownies smell great! THAT (curry) looks disgusting though"
-Jack exactly 4 minutes ago

well. alrighty then...

almost a month later.
and the computer is
still
broken
...
grrrr.

colin is in the process of "fixing" it.
shouldn't be much longer now...
cough.
cough.
cough.

so I'm online sporadically.
missing my blog reading.
and facebooking.
and blogging.

i figured while jared was at soccer,
and colin and jack at the ballfield,
i'd just stop in and say hi.

we got back from our 10 day whirlwind tour of the midwest on sunday.
munster (indiana) for a wedding.
then to the lake for a few days.
and to racine for the race and to see my folks/gabby/mike/evan.

(a few) highlights:
seeing our family(s) and uncle mikes (who we like to pretend is ours as well)
evansen's superstar blonde curls (he has the BEST hair ever)
watching jack banana fish. he loved it. such the fisherman.
my husband driving the boat. oh. so. sexy.
watching the boys tube.
jared water skiing and driving the waverunner sans an adult.
the harley museum (like i didn't want one before. can a harley be a need?!)
the milwaukee art museum (banana wanted to see a "real" art museum)
meeting becky (small shout out)
kringle.
cheese curds at the yardarm (yUm)
while i'm on a food kick Racine pizza. seriously. good. and really un-gluten free...
watching my boys run the race (minus jack he helped w/ the video-ing)
listening to ev say "Dack"(jack)...unfortunately not so much AuntE.
drawing together in the car. (draw and the pass to the next person to add to...very fun. try it)
the fart machine. funny.
my dads breakfast burritos. i'd like another now. please. (darn it. i'm back on food)
chicago radio stations. getting to hear the gufs. on the radio.

lowlights
the car ride home. how can 3 boys be fantastic the entire trip and then make me want to jump from a moving vehicle during the trip home. so. naughty.
the mosquitoes. blood sucking bastards. hate them. (don't worry. we have them here too.)
not getting to see some friends.
feeling like we didn't have enough time any one place.
Colin crashing roxy. aka the truck. (we won't dwell on this one. k?)

i took SOooo many photos.
which of course i can't show you until someone...i won't mention any names...fixes the computer.
it will be fabulous to relive my vacay later...in photos.
but for now.
pretend you can see us boating. running. and obviously eating.
i'm the fat one with the ridiculously long hair...

and a story.
without a photo.

i might have slammed jack's foot in the truck door the other day.
yes.
it hurt.
i felt horrible.
i apologized.
he said. still crying a little...
"it's ok. i forgive you."
then
a few seconds later.
"you know how when you break a mirror, and you have seven years of bad luck? well. there should be something like that for people that slam their child's foot in the door."
ha.
excellent.

ok.
hopefully it won't be a month before i'm back.
but.
you
never
know.
xxxx