nice weather

We went to the KU/KSU game Saturday and really enjoyed the weather. The score, not so much.

cold turkey

Tonight at dinner Brad said "Stace, you drink to much Diet Cherry Coke, I think you need to cut back." Well, I should. I know. In high school and college I never drank soda. It started when we started remodeling this house, started teaching, and was planning a wedding. Well, 9 years later, I know the carhops at Sonic by name and give them Christmas gifts. 

So I said that I can't just cut back, it has to stop. No more Sonic, no more Coke Cherry Zero in the garage fridge. A little incentive might be involved. After I said I would do it, I really got kind of sad. I really don't even know if it is the soda that I crave, or maybe it is just the push of that red button at Sonic. I used to go there when I was at home 100% of the time and that is the only thing we did on cold winter days. I told Brad that going to Sonic was kind of just "my thing."

I know I can do it, pack a few Ibuprofens for my headache tomorrow and I will be okay.  November 23rd is my goal. I seriously think I need to stop at Sonic just to tell the girls that I am alive. They might worry.

*getting things straight.........

1. Brad only suggested that I "cut back." I took it to the next level to prove a point to him.
2. The girls can still go to Sonic and get treats, they were worried.
3. This whole deal is crazy.
4. I also gave up DCC when I was pregnant and nursing M.K. However, I didn't when pregnant and nursing Jillian. Interesting......could possibly explain her behavior. :)

spooky prayers

Sometimes when we pray, Brad likes to keep us on our toes and says the Sign of the Cross in Latin. This is normal. However, tonight he threw in a "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost" instead of the Holy Spirit. Well, of course both girls have Halloween on the brain so they both looked at me with their shocked faces. We are trying to teach them to be reverent no matter what happens during prayers/church, so I just kept on praying. Before we knew it, Jillian's prayer went something like this......

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. The witches watch me through the night and keep me 'til the morning light. Amen.

pumpkin patch

We made our yearly trek to Schaake's Pumpkin Patch this morning. A great time was had by all!

On our way to the patch, Brad and I were talking about why we chose this patch. Our main reason was that we like the experience of picking them off the vine. You nearly trip over all of the vines. This was our choice as opposed to a place where the pumpkins are just sitting there, clearly delivered, instead of grown. That being said, we were both bothered when we started noticing a few really round, orange, clean pumpkins, with stickers on them. :) Either the crop was affected by the heat of the summer or we came later in the season than normal and they needed a little pick me up. After this, we made it our goal to find ones that were obviously grown here. So we came home with some orange/green varieties, some misshapen, and an awesome gourd. Well, the birthplace of Mia's choice was questionable, but she was determined that she wanted it. With a quick wink between Brad and I, we decided that "sure, it was grown here." She is happy.

We found this hilarious because at the Weston Apple Festival, Brad noticed the people selling "Weston Apple Cider" covering the sticker of a name brand and putting on a "Weston Apple Cider" sticker. Do what you have to do, times are tough....... but if it was me, I would have either been up all night taking the stickers off the pumpkins or using a bottle of goo off and taking it off the cider jug.

Of course Jillian brought her whistle along,

 just in case we lost her we could have definitely heard her.

How Tall This Fall? 2011 Edition

mia kate.........age two
mia kate..........age three

mia kate.......age four

mia kate......age five

mia kate.....age six

jillian.......age 5 months (and already on her toes!)

jillian...age one

jillian.......age two

jillian......age three (same height as M.K. at age two!)

jillian.....age four

It looks like both girls are growing up too fast!
Despite several inches of growth, last years' shirts still fit. :)

weston apple festival 2011

on the right track

 I have had the unexpected pleasure of being Mia's teacher for the past week. It won't last much longer, but what a blessing to be able to see how your child interacts at school. I could absolutely not be anymore proud of this child. Mia has handled this situation perfectly and is really blossoming into a fine young lady. I love you Mia Kate! Love, Mrs. Reuter :)

down at the QT

Jillian has found a friend at preschool. She is maybe borderline obsessed with her. At the end of last year she started telling me that she had invited some kids from school over to play. What? Just telling kids they could come over?? Well, now we have one serious friend. She knows the days that her friend goes to school, how many siblings she has, and low and behold, the friend even has a Grandma Jan! Do they interview each other at recess? They have a sleepover planned. Brad and I told her that Mia hasn't even had a sleepover yet. Her friend's mom must have told her the same thing, because soon they decided to wait until they were 5. Earlier this week she told me that they have a new plan, for when they are 5.

Jillian: Mom, this is serious. Since we don't know where each other's houses are, we decided we are just going to meet up.

Me: Really? Where?

Jillian: Quik Trip

working jilli

Jillian refuses to smile.

 Brad started tossing Kettle Corn at her.

 I will not smile. Don't you know I am in charge?

 Well maybe it is funny.

 Do it again.

 There's our girl.

true jayhawk & the runaway

 This Saturday as we were walking up the hill to watch the band come down, we encountered Big Jay. We walked over to him and Mia was very excited to take her picture with him. Jillian didn't want her picture with him so she stood on the other side of the sidewalk in the picture below. Brad, Mia and I were all over by the Jayhawk. After several kids got their pictures taken I said "Jillian, come here and I will be in the picture with you." She shook her head and turned around and started running away from us, like on over the hill. I was running as fast as I could to catch her. Finally I caught her and she was almost in tears. No pictures.

trapped

Brad is trapping chipmunks, they are messing up the landscaping/yard. I know they are a nuisance, but those little guys are so cute. Anyways, the minute I saw this guy in the dollar aisle at Target, I knew he was coming home with me. I was laughing aloud in Target thinking of Brad checking his trap, finding joy in seeing a capture, then finding a fake rat. Ha. Later when I saw Brad he was watering the grass and just said "Nice one Stace."