Party of Four...and a half?

Well, ok, just "four" right now. But in nine months...we will have to up that to five. Yep. We are expecting another little one. I am still very "new" pregnant and due sometime in July. I think I am getting too old for this!

We leave tomorrow night at like 3am (so technically Thursday) for a giant drive to WV. Should take about 14 hours to get to my parents' house. I hope we pack enough snacks and DVDs. We are going to visit family. I am getting my hair done (bye bye greys and scraggly hair). Mom and I are going to be doing some holiday cooking. Martha and I are doing a 5k on Thanksgiving morning. Maybe I will even do some online Christmas shopping. Oh, and looking forward to some DiCarlo's Pizza...mmmm (I like inside pieces, Shawn likes the edges).

I probably won't have the chance to blog before the holiday so...Have a WONDERFUL and SAFE Thanksgiving.

Turkey Day Napkins

On Made By KateAnn blog. Go see.

Craft Related Joy

Click here if interested

Go Ugly Early!

Does that ring a bell with anyone? Wow! Suzanne sent this shirt to me for my bday last week.


I absolutely love it. Although I am a lifelong fan of chocolate...Harry's Chocolate Shop is a actually a bar. Harry's is the oldest bar at Purdue University. The story goes, that it was a chocolate shop during the prohibition. You can still see the hidden doors in their wood floor that led to the basement, where the partaking took place.

I never owned one of these shirts in college (maybe because I was unemployed) and didn't even really hang out at this bar (because it was always crammed with people- pressed against the window of the "fish bowl" and pouring out the doors), but I did go there a few times. You would ALWAYS see alumni-parents sharing a drink with their kids here. Harry's is a Purdue University historic landmark. And their t-shirt slogan is timeless!

Suzanne, thank you, I love the shirt and all the memories it stirred up!

Please don't pay any attention to my nasty hair. My sister Sarah is going to give me a new do next week. (Blue or Purple?)

The lost week

That was last week. I didn't blog at all. Shawn was gone. I don't get free time until I am just too tired to blog.

I will post pictures of Nick's bday. Here is one.

This is what he is looking at:


Last Monday, Nick had his check up. 75% height and 50% weight. Just like last year. Then he got four shots and the flu mist. He also got a fever and a cold.
Last Tuesday, I turned 29 (again). THANK YOU Dhana and Katie for a splendid birthday celebration. It was the best. Nick was too sick for school.
Last Wednesday, Nick was going to go to school on Thursday regardless of body temp. UGH!
Last Thursday, Nick went to school, Stella and I to the Y, celebrated Nick's bday with his class. Many of the kids in the classes went home with green teeth from the green Backyardigans cupcakes.
Last Friday, went to the Y, cleaned in between playing puzzles and trains and Backyardigans Memory game with the kids.

But tonight, I have been sewing. But I am stuck. Instead of boring you all with my craft-talk, I opened another blog site that is just for crafts and not family happenings. I have to keep them separate. People like Martha would be furious if she clicked here to see Stella and Nick, but instead found the latest homemade play do recipe. So, separate blog. The link is the same as my Etsy name www.madebykateann.blogspot.com. I don't promise to post there on a regular basis or anything. Just when I have some crafty goodness to share or, as in tonight's case, venting and opinion-requesting. I am trying to perfect my coffee cuff. Just as I did with my yoga bags, I am tweaking and tweaking until it is just SO. I would love any opinions/feedback if you are genuinely interested (That means you, Martha! No smart ass comments. Only value adding comments). OH and I can't wait to post pictures of our "new" family room. I REALLY took all the advice and we are working on the finishing touches.

Red Robin...YUM

Nick's Happy 4th Birthday Dinner at Red Robin. He figured out the surprise just as we got through the doors. I think he saw the Rs on the sign.

Don't worry, this is Stella *smiling.*

Complete with loud song and big sundae.

Pumpkin Patch #2

We spent all day Friday at a nearby farm. Nick's school went on a field trip to their pumpkin patch. There was SO much to do there- petting zoo, trike track, hay maze, slides, hay ride, duck pond, and a few other things that we opted not to try (in the interest of my sanity). The kids had a great time- we brought a friend of Nick's along with us so her mom could deal with movers all day. So she and Nick had grass-stained knees and boo-booed hands in the parking lot before we made it inside the farm. If you can measure fun by the amount of dirt on a kids' clothes and hay in their hair...then these kids has a blast! When I couldn't find a child, I knew just where to look. Our friend R was always on the big slide and Nick would just be running. Stella was always within my reach. The hay maze was the only thing that got tricky. Three kids. Three paces. Three agendas. Nick mostly just wanted to hide from me. R was always right behind him. Stella was slow and stubborn. "Walk, walk."




After we picked our pumpkins, I begged the teachers to leave early. Permission granted. Then back home for more toys, digging and running, popsicle eating, cartoon watching (I had to).

I thought for sure Nicholas and Stella had worn themselves out so much that they weren't going trick or treating, too. They changed their minds once they saw other costumed kids at our door. So I took them around to about 10 houses. That is plenty of candy. In fact I even took most of the candy they collected and added to our stash to hand out. And I still ran out 30 min early. Actually it was perfect because N and S were in bed and halfway to dreamland.