This Is It

I'm finding it more difficult to get on the computer, get my crap together, and post a something worthy of your time! I don't want to half-a$$ it so....maybe our final post? 6 years...there's a lot of memories on this blog.

I'll cap it off with our trip to Florida. WHICH WAS FANTASTIC! Ya know how you don't want to put too high of expectations on your kids just because you're going on vacation but you spent hard earned money and started booking over a year ahead and sat in front of a computer (for more hours/days/weeks than you care to admit) planning, reading other families' do's and don'ts, how to prepare for the crowds - but you KNOW your kids and then it's the week before and you're packing. The lists, schedules, reservations are packed. You are on your way to the airport, everyone is EXCITED and you say screw it! I. WILL. HAVE. A. GOOD. TIME - regardless if I see my kid meltdown, throw a fit, or whine about something I can't control because we are hundreds of miles from home. But I think we prepared perfectly for this, something I don't say often. The kids surprised me, which made me think I didn't give them enough credit for growing up! These pictures are in reverse order (hey, I don't have everything in my life together!) and I'm missing a couple 100 that are on my camera, where I just conveniently yanked these off my phone.

Awe, Drew. Not my picture ready kid, as you'll see when we went to Legoland who was in all the pics!

On the way home

This was even first thing in the morning! Ha! Believe me, this was just his attitude towards photos, not the Disney experience.

Swimming at the resort pool

Napping on the way home from Cocoa Beach

Disney Springs. Drew and Craig went 400ft up in this balloon

We made it til 10:30 at Magic Kingdom! This was something I was trying not to make a big deal about, but seriously wanted to get every ounce out of our day. We left the resort at 6:45, made it to the front of the castle by 7:50, headed to the first ride at 8:00 and were on the ferry back to the parking lot at 10:20. Drew had fallen asleep already so we watched the fireworks as we walked to our car.

Resort pool day

Yay, Cocoa Beach! We went there every year I visited Florida as a kid. We walked the beach, had a picnic, picked up shells, crashed in the waves, and built sand castles.

Legoland driving school!

Lego Movie stars Emmet and Wild Style

Everything is made out of LEGOS!!

Best things we did on vacation: we did not over crowd the schedule. We went to 2 theme parks (Legoland and Magic Kingdom). We mixed up the week and planned one whole day at the pool - our first day to help the kids acclimate to being on vacation (it was their first time being gone for a week). We did the beach in between the theme park days to give our brains a stimulation break. When Disney says you can make restaurant reservations 180 days out, do it! Same thing for ride passes at the theme parks or you will not get on some "cool ride" without standing in line for 60+ minutes. We used strollers! At first I was like, really my 6 year olds need a stroller?! But I tell you what - it saved my sanity, my back, possibly my marriage! We never would have made it all day at Magic Kingdom, that park is just too darn big. And it was nice that the kids knew to go straight to the stroller after the ride. I wasn't looking for them in the crowds, they were always in front of me. Also, the kids had Disney gift cards so they knew anything they wanted had to be bought with them and when it was gone, that was it!

Things that didn't go so well (come on, you didn't think it was all sunshine and rainbows?): we didn't get to Orlando till 7, then you have to get luggage and pick up the rental and drive 30min to Kissimmee (where our resort was). So there was some hungry, ready to sleep people by 8:30. Kelsey got car sick on the 1.5 hour drive to the beach and I burned pretty bad. Drew fell asleep at Magic Kingdom in the stroller around 9 so he was crashed by the time we put him in the car and had a pee accident on the way home!

It really was a fabulous time; we didn't lose anything, it exceeded my expectations, the kids talk about it all the time so it was a big win;) The kids are already trying to plan the next vacation! (I'm just ready for summer to show up!)

Our Life in March

 Kelsey has started her dance competition season. Her first one was in West Bend and they took 2nd. The next competition was on her birthday in the Chicago suburbs and they took 1st! As far as I can tell, she doesn't get nervous before (like I do) and she really enjoyed herself. And Drew gets to spend all day in a dark auditorium watching dance! She has 2 more competitions before Nationals in June at the Wilderness Resort in the Dells. Right now she only competes in jazz but next year the teachers hope to have her ready to do tap as well!

The whole team - they dance to Vogue by Madonna

Snapchat fun with Auntie Tara after competition

Her best dance friend

I'm not exactly sure what her plan is here...

Dr Seuss week at school. This was TWIN day

Silly hat day

Their first Buck's game. Drew was totally into - Kelsey cared more about what kind of snacks we could find!

2017 So Far

Here's our start to the new year - These are in reverse order...

I found out at Parent-teacher conferences that these 3 K5 girls started a "book club". They picked out "The Princess in Black", a short chapter book and get together to read it during choice time or RtI. So the reading specialist at their school sent the author a letter and she sent them back Princess in Black masks and their own journal book to accompany reading. (Kelsey is on the left) 

Parent-teacher conferences...we never stay for less than 2 hrs! It's totally related to the fact that Dad is in the same school so of course we have to visit him and everyone else!
(Conferences went well too, no issues)

These 2 pics are in the music room during conferences - playing instruments and all the other fun stuff Ms. Satchell keeps in there.

Super Bowl spirit day at school. Kelsey received a *very* special Rogers jersey from friends of ours because she is the only Packer fan in the family!

Another year of Disney on Ice! Almost the whole second half was Frozen! 

Crocheted beer koozies! Drinking at Mittenfest in Bayview

Yay for getting together with friends! 2 of us have January birthdays so we make a yearly event to do dinner and cocktails ;)

I. AM. SO. BEHIND.

What the heck, hey? We've been going, going, going since December. The kids shared a cold in the beginning of December, which eventually turned into Drew's first ear infection. Poor kid was miserable until his antibiotic kicked in. Of course it had to be the day all of Craig's family was coming into town to celebrate Christmas. I was hoping he would jump on the upswing quickly because how much more terrible is to not be able to play with your cousins and have fun if you are feeling crummy?

All of our Christmases were fabulous:) It's cute to see the next generation of "cousins" now that all of MY cousins have a couple of kids, participating in their own little gift exchange.

Each kid got the 24hr flu - but in 2 different weeks. Craig and I did not get it (fingers crossed) but some weird germs are going around their school and at my job. We are at an all time high of hand washing/sanitizing in our house.

Christmas Eve morning at our house

Christmas Day at Grandma's

Well, now I'm certified as an Operating Room Nurse - basically this just proves
my awesomeness;)

Went to see Moana over the break - so cute!

Christmas with FRIENDS!! (this is all our offspring)

These 2 sweet girls (who will be seeing Disney on Ice together soon)

Santa and Snow

Here it is December and before we know it, we'll be ringing in 2017! The kids came down with a little fever this past weekend but that did not stop them from getting out in the first snowfall. It was perfect packing snow for a snowman unfortunately we did not get a chance to go sledding. We went up to my step-dad's fire house for a pancake breakfast with Santa. Drew was SO excited to see him but Kelsey waited til after she ate. (I don't know if that was a "hangry" thing or what - like she couldn't "people" til after she had some food in her.)

Now we are in full holiday swing! We have my brother's birthday, the kids holiday show at school and church, Kelsey's dance holiday party, we are hosting the Bonins for Christmas, then actual Christmas, and another Christmas celebration on New Years day.

October Tidbits

What did we do last month? I'm sure there were things...it just all goes by so fast! Kelsey is in full swing with dance practices. We just ordered her team jacket and will soon receive her leotard costume (I'm almost certain she is doing a jazz dance to Madonna's Vogue. It's all so secretive!) Drew's still doing a little gymnastics every week.

The kids had parent - teacher conferences and they were as we expected. Drew still pouts, throws a bit of a fit, and becomes stubborn and Kelsey is the teacher's pet! (School photos below!)

We had a great time celebrating Halloween again this year. We started by trick or treating at the farmer's market the weekend before and finished by strolling through the rural town my mom lives in. Drew again based his costume on incorporating his power wheels truck. There aren't any sidewalks and the houses can be pretty far apart, so the power wheels is a great way to prevent little tired legs:)

Serious concentration on his pumpkin 

In the lead, on our way to the next house

Candy break

Thanksgiving is almost here! We have some fun family weekends ahead - Auntie Cher and cousin Ella come every year on opening day of deer hunting for the Holiday parade downtown and a sleepover. We are also very excited to start decorating for Christmas - the most magical time of year!