Reuter Vocab of the Day

dominate

Pronunciation: \ˈdä-mə-ˌnāt\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): dom·i·nat·ed; dom·i·nat·ing

1) to have or exert mastery, control, or preeminence

Or in several sentences spoken by our three year old.
1) Mom! Jilli dominated her fruit snacks!
2) I'm a dominater, I ate all of my waffle.

The DoMiNaTeRs!

Their Dad taught them this word, amongst other phrases

that I probably shouldn't blog about!

Wave Me

KU 40 Florida International 10

I had to miss the season opener because my LiTtLe JaYhAwKs were on the mends.








Also, they didn't even show the game on t.v. So I just read about it on my love LJW online. Never fear my flag(s) were flying at home and I was thinking of what I will bring to tailgate with next week.

Oh, speaking of tailgating, I was at Target today and saw this awesome stadium seat and it was only $12.99. After reading on LJW that backpacks are no longer allowed in Memorial Stadium I have been at a loss about how I will smuggle in my knives and swords. Ha Ha, more like diapers and wipes. Back to the seat, it was blue with a big Jayhawk on it, but on the back side it had a zipper compartment, a couple of mesh can (I mean sippy cup) holders, and various other gadgets. I didn't get it, but my buns (and ailing back) are just dreaming of it for next week...................

9:15

The time the clock said when I heard "Momma, it's morning!" Bradley let me sleep in this a.m.! It was MUCH needed and GREATLY appreciated due to the fact that.......

1) I started the week with a migraine
2) by Tuesday Jilli had a 104 degree fever
3) by Wednesday Jilli was only down to 103 and only slept 30 minutes during nap and woke up on the hour, every hour, pretty much through the night
4) by Thursday DITTO Wednesday
5) by Friday Mia Kate had a 102 fever!

They are MUCH better now, yahoo! Unfortunately, we had to cancel our lake weekend, plus miss our first Jayhawk game. Bummer.

I wasn't kidding

when I posted about Brandy's wedding and the Elvis performer.

Bikes -n- Trikes playgroup style

Bree, Ava, MK & Andrew
What a sweet group of kids!

Happy Birthday Bry!

Bry & David Jr. (old pic, Cam was 11 months in this photo)

Yesterday was my sister Bryanna's birthday! I hope she had a great day! I meant to post this yesterday, on her actual day, but was really, really busy with a sick one year old.........more about that later.


Bry & Godchild Of the Year....MK

Spoken like a true 3 year old.

"He probably got lost or eaten by a big SPIDER!"
Mia Kate age 3 on why her Dad was late home from work

Boots

I have been going through Jilli's clothes for this fall/winter (she is our little hand-me down diva) and couldn't wait to let her clomp around in MK's old pink cowboy boots. So at lunch today she surprised her daddy and strutted her stuff on the catwalk. Have I mentioned yet that she has her daddy COMPLETELY wrapped around her little finger now? He grabbed the camera and got this cute pic..................

Dear Mia Kate,

I love you because..............
you often pick out your clothes the night before and lay them out, with undies, on the floor.

it takes you 20 minutes to warm up to someone/someplace and then turn into a different little girl.

you say a million times a day "I am hungry Mom" when you really just want a piece of gum

you say "MOM, Jilli smells poop" each. and. every. time she really does poop

you play preschool and ballet class with me

when reading an Arthur book you say the title and then "By Marc Brown"

you say "Mom, aren't you going to wear pretty clothes today?" when I am still in my workout clothes at dinnertime

you want me to "tighten my hair ties" almost as much as telling me you are hungry

you are my first born and such a sweet, smart little girl, and a clone of your father.

Love,

Mom

Not the same...........

and you KNOW what I am talkin' about!


But..............Mr. Reuter was the closest I saw to the characters in the "dream " video with his crew cut and glasses. When I got in the truck to go and watch him I said, "Oh look, the camera is in my diaper bag." His response was just a little laugh.............hee hee.

A new low...........

Some of you may have "met" my other three children; Massa, Jada & Jennifer. Well, actually I don't know if they are my daughters, because sometimes they are my grandkids. They have been around at least since Mia was 2. So who do they look like you might ask...........wish I knew, they are Mia's imaginary friends. We have done it all with them, we have birthday parties for them, swing them, Mia Kate has breastfed them ("switched sides" too I might add), played tag with them, and often they are in the car in front of us while driving.

While cooking dinner today I hear this desperate plea "Mom, get Jilli, I am trying to hide (in the pantry) from Jada and Jilli keeps opening the door!" So I move Jilli, 20 seconds later Mia busts open the door and yells " Good Job Jada, now you go hide and I will find you." Yea, good luck kid.

Deceptively Delicious?

On the top of my to do list this week was to clean the homeade baby food out of my freezer. Yes, you can call me Martha, but it was really easy to make and I did it for both kids. Jilli hasn't touched it for months and Brad was starting to get annoyed. So, instead of wasting it, I decided to whip out my Deceptively Delicious cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld, which was a Christmas gift, and use the scrumptious (wink wink) stuff.

So, my first recipe was Banana Bread with cauliflower puree. I eagerly set a little container of cauliflower out to thaw, and laughed to myself that I was going to trick the fam. Well turns out the trick was on me............. I thought I would do a little taste test and see how nasty the cauliflower was, and was actually surprised that it was apple. Oops, forgot to label that one.

Brad claims that it is better than my old banana bread recipe and A LOT healthier too! My old one called for 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of sugar.....yikes. Stay tuned for the results of my future Deceptively Delicious treats!

While the cat's away..........

the mice will play! That is exactly what Miss Mia and I did for two whole days while our better halves were gone.

On a little side note.............I get the biggest smile imagining Brad cruisin I-70 alone with Jilli. Not to toot my own horn, but, I do travel hundreds of miles, alone, with both of them. So I had some words of wisdom for Brad (such as keep extra pacis in the front seat so when she chucks one, you don't risk your life trying to find it), but he said she "was perfect."

Back to our playtime.......we attended the birthday party, ate out for dinner, hit a fabulous boutique Targay for a new Tinkerbell shirt, went to church, met a friend out for breakfast, and then Mia's choice Deanna Rose! It was so fun to spend alone time with Mia Kate, she is such a treat.

But the best part was Sunday night when Mia Kate climbed up in our bed ( she really never does this) because she "couldn't sleep." After she lie there awhile, Brad says "Mia, did you sleep with your mom last night?" She just started laughing and Brad huffs " I knew it!" Busted........

Her favorite toy ever, she loves these springy things.
Yea, I don't think you are supposed to let your kids climb up the fence.....oops.

Happy Birthday Camryn!

This past weekend Mia Kate and I helped celebrate my niece/godchild Camryn's 2nd birthday. We had such a fun time and Mia just "knew Mom" that Camryn was going to have a princess party. Special thanks to Grandma Betty, Grandad, and Aunt for driving us all the way there! The Reuter's had to divide and conquer this weekend as Brad's Grandma had a big 90th birthday bash in Missouri. There was no way that Mia would miss Cam's party.

Mia Kate, Grandma Jan, & Camryn
My favorite part of the day was seeing all of Cam's hair! It has grown so much.
Lots of hugs!
Whoa there tiger!
Miss Mia & Great Grandma Betty

Why I don't go to the mall....................

In a previous post about crocs I stated that I was scared to go to Oak Park Mall. Today, Brad came home from lunch and was telling me this story. This could happen anywhere, but I still will not go there alone anymore. This is also why I walk out of all stores with my whistle in my mouth. Scary world and I worry, A LOT.

Suspects Shoot at Woman in Oak Park Mall Parking Lot

Last Edited: Friday, 15 Aug 2008, 2:03 PM CDT
Created: Friday, 15 Aug 2008, 1:23 PM CDT

Breaking News

OVERLAND PARK, KAN. -- Three suspects are on the loose after shooting at a woman at Oak Park Mall at 95th and Quivera in Overland Park.

Police said the 54-year-old woman was in the parking lot near Dillards at Oak Park Mall when the three suspects approached her.

The suspects ordered the woman out of her car around 1:00 p.m. Police said they were trying to carjack her high-end automobile. She refused and they fired a shot at her and cursed her.

She rammed their car and then they fired another shot at her and took off.

She was not hurt. She told police she was worried she would end up dead like Kelsey Smith, the teenager who was kidnapped and later killed from the Target parking lot across from Oak Park Mall.

The suspects were last seen in Kansas City, Kansas near 18th and Metropolitan. They were driving a red Intrepid with rear damage on the passenger side.

Playin' with the boys...........

So my hunk of a husband joined a sand volleyball team and tonight is his first game. I really want to go watch, but might be disappointed, as this is the only sand volleyball that I can visualize..............





Turn up the volume on your computer for a full effect!

Preschool Countdown

MK begins 3 year old preschool after Labor Day. I am so excited for her, as I know that once she braves the first day, she will love school. The teacher in me has her playing "school" and working on her letters and all sorts of other things. Not to mention working on playground etiquette, you know one kid on the slide, no throwing mulch, no tag on the playground.............wait a minute those are rules for 4th graders! Ha Ha.

Today I was the bearer of bad news and told her that at preschool she would only have one snack. (I am the enabler of multiple snacks, my fault). In typical MK fashion she thought about it and then proceeded to tell me "Mom, it will be okay. I will just eat my snack real fast and then get back to work on my homework." I love it! Yep, this is the little girl who came to her mommy's classroom 3 days a week, she knows what school is about!

Working on her patterns.

Q: What will I do while Miss Mia is at school?

A: Work on table manners with her lil' sis!

My FAVORITE birthday present!

Okay, so it takes A LOT to beat my husband funding a Gap shopping trip for my birthday...............but my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and kids did it! I am so excited that I can hardly type fast enough.


It is called a Zoingo Boingo, just a really fancy name for what us kids of the late 80's referred to as a Pogo Ball, minus the strap on feature. Emma and William had theirs at the lake earlier this summer and I spied it lying around. Once I realized what it was I IMMEDIATELY jumped on. Mia Kate was yelling "Mom it is MY turn!" I knew the whole fam was watching me relive my youth through the window, but I didn't care.

Brad was late coming home tonight to air up the ball, so hopefully I can do it tomorrow. Don't worry, I won't get hurt, I must admit that I am pretty stinkin' good at it. Too bad our video camera and our computer (who invented Windows Vista?) aren't compatible or I just might post a video, now that would be good!

Amateur Photographer

So the $1.99 Cinderella, "Pretty as a Princess," "Say Cheese" camera just isn't cutting it anymore for Mia Kate. Every time I get out the camera, she wants to take a "real" picture. During one of her stays with her Grandpa Frank, he let her take at least 20 pictures with his camera. Well, I have let her take a couple of pictures, but also let her know that it is NOT, and her father repeats, NOT a toy. Here is life through her lens...... warning, one shot may scare you.

Looks like I need to spruce up my decor.....
AAUUUGGHHH! I guess this is what I look like resting on the couch. Yikes.



Still working on making sure our subjects are looking at the camera.

P.S. So did you notice Jilli's hair color? That's my Jilli, pulling through with some strawberry blonde hair. Okay, so it isn't completely my color, but it is getting pretty dang close. Closer than when she was born with dark hair and I thought I was
going to have to convince Brad to let me try again for a red head.
I should have known it would turn, she has always had the temper of a true red!

Race for the Cure

On Sunday I participated in the Race for the Cure Breast Cancer Walk with my friends Cheryl & Laura and about 20,000 others. What a great cause......and it was very inspiring to see all of the pink shirts worn by survivors and all of the memorial badges other walkers wore.

Olympics

Have you been bit by the Olympics bug? Brad and I have been getting into the spirit after we missed the opening games. I heard they were great. I am a big fan of swimming and gymnastics, Brad has been watching mostly everything. He has been watching them in our basement, where he can watch two shows simultaneously on our big t.v., not picture in picture, but equal size. So never fear, he can still watch regular shows, but also the Olympics.

I am cheering for Shawn Johnson the gymnast, Michael Phelps the swimmer, and of course Dara Torres the swimmer. Have you seen her? Who wouldn't want to look like that at 41? Maybe I should pull out my old Wellington Stingrays swim cap and goggles and swim a few laps.

In conclusion, here are the Olympic moments that stick out the most in my mind.
-Kerri Strug winning gold in the 1996 Olympics and sticking the vault with her hurt ankle. Remember Bela Karoyli carrying her around?

-Sarah Hughes winning the gold in iceskating in the 2002 Olympics. She was by far an underdog and skated the best of her career. I remember her light blue sparkly get up and her innocent face. Good for her!

-Greg Louganis hitting his head in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. OUCH! Enough said.

Rainbow Fish

We had friends over on Friday and the kids enjoyed reading The Rainbow Fish and doing a little craft. The teacher in me really enjoyed reading to the kids and getting the craft together. MK proceeded to make three fish throughout the day. I can't wait to see her little crafts from preschool!

Tony Tony Look Around................Brad lost his phone it must be found.

This post is mostly for those who witnessed Lollapalooza 2006............the one where Brad got drunk at our church fundraiser and "lost" his cellphone in the bushes and in the rain. This was one of those stories where you just can't let him get away with it.

To bring all up to speed, Brad partook in the "all you can drink" beer a couple of years ago and was outside with some guys, it was pouring rain, and he slipped on a hill. I was FURIOUS, not about the phone, but about the fact that he was wearing a pale yellow button down shirt and it was now brown from the fall.

The next day he went back up to the school and actually found it in some bushes. Everyone we were with this night has made PLENTY of fun of him, and he deserved it! Well, the phone somehow survived the rain and worked until this fall. Now it has been replaced with some fancy pants phone.

The point of this post............tonight we walked (MK rode her trike and I pushed Jilli) down to an elementary school down the street to play. I guess he was expecting an important call (what could be more important than the 3 ladies he was with) so he brought it with him and put it in the trunk of the trike. On the way home it started to sprinkle, so we were hurrying down the street. We get in front of our house and he asked for the phone, ummmmm no phone.
So, he starts jogging, actually it was sprinting, back down the street looking for it. I go in the garage and start calling it, all the while praying to my favorite St. Anthony for intercession to find it. I am also visualizing it smashed to pieces in the middle of the street.

Apparently, Brad asked this guy who lives a couple of blocks down the street (who seriously hangs out in his driveway from sun up to sun down) if he saw his phone. The guy (who also doesn't speak the best English) looked at Brad like he was crazy, UNTIL it started ringing in the guys pocket! The guy started stuttering as it was ringing and reluctantly gave Brad back his phone. When Brad got back home he was soaking wet, but had recovered his precious phone! I guess the guy saw it fall out of the trike when MK hit a bump and picked it up.

Note to Brad, keep your phone at home, especially in the rain.

Brad and his old phone, the one that was lost in the bushes.

You know me, I like a good picture to add to my story.

Oh, and Brad you are a good sport for letting me tell your funny stories.

Mystery Mom

I received my first Mystery Mom gift yesterday! We are doing this with my moms group/playgroup and I am very excited. What should appear on my door step right before Jilli's nap....................

Wahoo! I think it is ridiculous that they got paid $14 million, but I secretly wanted to buy it for myself. To top it off, a sonic gift card was included, if you know me, you CAN'T get any better than that! Thanks to my mystery mom!

Crocs

Opening my email this morning I noticed this article http://www.newsweek.com/id/150240/&GT1=43002
which was pretty much an author making fun of those "clown shoes" and telling us that they should be banned.

I admit, at first I thought they were silly and ugly.................then I was enormously pregnant and trying to bend over and put shoes on a two year old, which proved to be quite tricky. So for MK's second birthday, she got bubblegum pink Mickey Mouse crocs, and I have been sold on them ever since. She could put them on by herself and the pink went with all of her clothes! Bradley even surprised me with a pair of blue Mary Jane crocs because my "cankles" wouldn't fit in regular shoes.

Well, I found them on 50% off last summer, so MK was good for this year and Jilli scored a pair too. Oh, you might say, what about getting their feet caught in escalators? To be honest I am scared to go to the mall (afraid I am going to be caught up in a shoot out, silly, but it happens, do you watch the news?). I even had a man at the library stop me and warn me about taking them on escalators, what a concerned citizen! So, this household is not boycotting crocs, heck, why would you get rid of shoes that you can just hose off?

The sailor said

"Brandy, your a fine girl, what a good wife she would be."

Mr. & Mrs. Derek Skaggs
Randy, Brandy & Candy
Sarah and I

(My lense had a smudge)

Freshening up for the reception.

She's married! Bran looked like the princess she has always dreamed of and everything was perfectly planned. Brad and I had a wonderful time celebrating the big day. Special thanks to my mom for staying home with the girls. It was really nice to have a weekend with Brad.

In my own words, we "Turned it up a notch" at the reception. I loved how the bride requested her own song "Brandy" to be played, her brother Justin performed as Elvis, and another bridesmaid rapped (with a mic) "Ice Ice Baby." I know, you can't get much better than that. I am just laughing thinking about it. Thanks for the memories guys and here's to your happily ever after!