harmony stables

2011-10-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm on a roll, people!!!!!

My mother in law, Nancy, was in town this weekend. My co-worker told me Hocking Hills was a great day trip, so we went for it. Caves, waterfalls, trails, hiking....a good time had by all.

Viv found a big caterpillar, and of course, had to touch and play with it. Ew.

There was this ADORABLE miniature dachshund that we kept running into. I finally asked if I could take it's picture. Did I mention how adorable this pup was????

Max "planking" on a very high and scary overlook rock. 60+ feet in the air, I made him crawl on his belly.

Beautiful waterfalls. Ash Falls.

The bats in this cave were so friendly!! Just kidding.

These bozos were jumping off everything. The park ranger's nightmare, I'm sure :/

2011-10-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

I know! I know! I'm extremely neglectful! You would think I would welcome the distraction of sitting down to update my blog. I can usually find many distractions from cleaning, de-cluttering and such. This working thing has really invaded any "free time" I may have had. But, I will try to do better. *I promise

* Clearly, means very little

So, it's football season again. This year is Max's first year playing for Highland. He is the quarterback, again. The position may be growing on him a little. He's been eating, sleeping, and breathing football. <shocker!!!> He is really happy when he gets to catch as well as throw! He's had a few bumps and bruises as well as a concussion scare. All in all, it's been a fun season so far.

The cowboy mounted shooting was also a great season. Eric and Ally have been able to do some father-daughter bonding. They are the ones who will typically spend all weekend in Wooster, OH- riding, shooting and socializing. Watching Ally ride is a thing of beauty. She is such a natural.

Vanilla is holding her own as well. She's getting up there in age, so we were considering "retiring" her to a family who will let her eat and rest out the rest of her days. But, aside from her inability to "play nice" with other horses, she is a fabulous pony. She is awesome with kids and we are very comfortable with throwing just about anyone on her and knowing she'll be gentle. She may just retire at Harmony Stables :)

2011-07-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Viv holding a crawdad. Yah, it pinched her. We told her it would, but she had to hold it, just like the big kids did. She didn't even care that it pinched her. She always went back for more.

Funny story. Well, kinda funny, if you think nearly drowning is funny. Max and I swam out to this floating raft. It was kind of a haul, but for a decent swimmer, it can be done. Viv sees that we are out there, and wants to go too. Because Vivian always (almost) gets what she wants, I swim back, put on a life jacket and swim back out to it, with her on my back. We decide to swim back to shore, but Viv is pissed about it, and halfway to shore, pitches a fit. She is grabbing around my neck, trying to get me to swim back to the dock. This makes it almost impossible to breathe. Since breathing is kind of important to the swimming process, I am struggling. As soon as Eric could touch bottom, he grabs her and I drag my tortured body to shore and lie there, gasping for breath. * This beach is also where Jay and Eric nearly drowned last year.

2011-07-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Viv LOVES her cousin, Jax, but I'm not so sure he is of the same opinion

Ya know how I mentioned that Viv is a wild woman? Well, this beloved activity pretty much demonstrates that. She couldn't go high enough- even when Max gave it his all. Crazy, I tell you.

2011-07-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

Washington Island, WI - 2011!!!!

One of my favorite things to do. Jay and Max got to help "drive" this time around. What goes around, comes around, mom.

Viv was all about touching the snakes, crawdads, bugs, etc. She would scream bloody murder when we had to release the critters back into the wild.

Our traditional ferry photo.

Or course she went wave-runnin'. She's a wild woman!

2011-04-17T05:07:00.000-07:00

It's the newest installment of .... Some of My Favorite Things! I noticed there was a new party store going in beside our mall. It wasn't until I went in to grab some items for treat bags, that I was introduced to the wonder and amazement of this store. Colors, party supplies, candy.....not my usual draw. But, this place makes me happy because I love to throw parties (aside from jewelry ones...;) Backyard BBQ's, Cinco de Mayo, Superbowl.....it's fun, right? There is anything and everything you could want,to throw such functions. Because we don't use paper products so much, it's the extra accessories that really float my boat. *The treat bags were for Ally's teacher. Because the kids have had to work hard for the OAA tests, she likes to put together treat bags to reward them. Some of you may have heard of the less than acceptable attempts at gardening I've encountered. This year will be different. I started my seeds with this little contraption. They took OFF! I've had to replant them, and am anxiously awaiting the day that I can put those suckers into the ground! Spinach, okra, peppers, tomatoes, peas........yummmmm!!! Not that I have a hard time getting Viv to eat fruit, but when she wants a "Popsicle", this is a great alternative to the pure sugar ones. They come in tubes and freeze just like a Popsicle.

Thank you, Mom, for teaching me to sew. And, for getting me a sewing machine. In addition to the curtains that can be whipped out in an hour, I have also been burning up the 'ol Elna with Dylan's baseball pants that needed hemming and taking in Jay's tuxedo shirt.

2011-04-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

Vivian's 2!!

Notice the wardrobe change?? Our neighbor, Micki, got her a dress and Dora sunglasses, so of course she had to change! Then, she proceeded to go catch frogs and fish while wearing the pretty dress. After that, she stripped it off and tried to jump into the pond.

All of Viv's best friends in the world were at the party....Max, Jay, Ally, Dylan, Triston, Brylinn and Satchel(not including cousins). She was princess for a day and loved every minute of it.

2011-04-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

And so it begins................

The coronation of my princess and her potty.

I wasn't really ready for this. It's not good timing, you see.

Too much going on right now, to start the potty-training process.

And yet, here we are - in the midst of the potty, the treats, the big-girl pants......damn her and her independence.

Since Viv's only turning 2 on Sunday, I wasn't in a hurry to get this started. I figured summer would be a good time to increase her awareness to the joys of peeing in the potty. However, little miss "I'll do it myself", began taking her own diaper off several weeks ago. It's now become a game -an obsession, is more like it. After having my sweet toddler bring me turds, in her hands, three times in one day, I made a rule. If you take your diaper off, you have to sit on the potty. That goes for anyone in my house. But, for now, it's just Viv who is abusing it. Several times, there is an effort made to "go" on the potty, only to, then, pee on the floor- 2 minutes later. But, within the last several days, most of the pee-pee is going into the potty, where it should be. Yay!

The thing is, there are some big changes coming to the Schreiber household, soon. I am afraid this new venture will get lost in the shuffle of parental roles and schedules being shifted. I suppose we will do the best we can and let nature take it's course. I'm just hoping nature doesn't end up on my kitchen floor, anymore.

2011-03-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

*Bear with me- I am having problems with the blog design, not recognizing my paragraphs. Bullet points? The only way to get it to work for now :(

Update: The jewelry party I stressed about, earlier, went well. I had 6 people show up- soooo appreciative of their willingness to give up a Friday night. There was good food, conversation and I was able to help another mom make a little money. Was it worth the turmoil, emotionally, that I put myself through? No. But, life is about a constant stream of lessons learned. I'll chalk it up to that.

Revelation #2

I am a bad wife. I'll come back to this, later.

For our kids' birthdays, we have a healthy dose of their "special day", while still keeping things real. Yes, we've done the parties, roller skating, renting a gym, etc. Once they turn 10, we scale it back. For one, parties are expensive! By the time you rent a place out, buy a cake, cups, snacks, food, etc. you are talking a big chunk of change. There's hardly any money left to buy a gift or two. Also, the option of having these big parties at our house, is out. Do you realize how much room 10 -12yr old's take up? Our house won't fit that measurement. Outside parties are fun, but Jay is the only one who can take advantage of that. The other kids are winter/early spring, so the weather is, at best, a crapshoot. There's always a cake or dessert, gifts and the effort to make them feel it's their day. We try to make sure the kids feel they are getting some special attention on their birthdays, whether it's a small group for an overnight, or going out to eat.....it's a day for them.

For Eric and I, we have never done anything big. Let me take that back, Eric did get a surprise birthday party for his 30th. He ruined it for himself, by being so freaking attentive to details. After weeks of secret phone calls to his friends, the hiding of plates, cups, food and drink in the garage, and the clandestine plan for how to get him out of the house, he notices a familiar car, parked along the street.....3 minutes before he gets to the house and hears, "SURPRISE!" He also got a larger party last year, when we combined his 40th with Vivan's 1st. We may exchange a little gift, maybe breakfast in bed. Sometimes there's a handwritten card, or "coupons". Even if there's no cake, there' some desired dessert and/or a special-made meal of their faves. Whatever the acknowledgement, there's always something that signifies a special day for the birthday mom/dad. This year, do you know what Eric got? Nothing. Nada. Zero. He woke up, yesterday, got dressed, had coffee, discussed the day's events and went to buy tags for the vehicles. All that, and not one of us said , "Happy Birthday." I didn't even realize it, until he was gone. I called him, to admit my shame over not acknowledging him. He assured me it was ok. He wasn't upset. I was. How could I not even say the words?? It wasn't until we were getting ready for bed, that I realized, I didn't even get him a cake!! No card?? No special meal! He spent his day, transferring an RV title at the DMV, for pete's sake! He didn't even get an Oreo cookie, since we had 3 extra kids here and those suckers were gone within the first hour. The only rectifying part of the day, was that Eric was genuinely happy about a slow, relaxing day. Given that we are in the beginnings of travel baseball, we will have FEW, if any, slow and relaxing weekends from now until.....well.....November, to be honest. (Baseball runs into football) It's not that I forgot about his birthday. His co-workers/friends had a little get-together on Thursday, so I was well aware of it. I guess the week just snuck up on me. This is really unacceptable. Sure, as adults, we don't do big things, but to have a day for you, and your family does NOTHING, is not cool.

I will not make this mistake again.

Happy Birthday, Eric.

2011-03-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

I am lucky. I realize this. I absolutely love my kids' friends. Sure, there have been a few over the years that were super annoying, or just downright a bad influence. But, either these annoying kids have done some "growing up" and are a joy to be around, or my kids have decided to "unfriend" the ones who don't treat them (and their siblings) well. I watch, especially, the 10-12year old boys, play with Vivian and truly watch out for her. There is no embarrassment when Viv asks for a hug and kiss. It's reciprocated with enthusiasm. Many of these kids watch out for her better than her own siblings(which is saying a lot). I pray that these kids will be in our lives for a very long time. I also hope for lifelong friendships that overcome the test of time. I want to go to their weddings and watch their own families grow. It's the same dream I have for my own kids, which are mine biologically, but the last headcount I had for the ones I consider "my" kids was at ...let's see......3+ 5+ 2+ 2+,.....equals.....um....well, let's just say I have quite the brood. *Yes, I realize the inconsistency between my "I hate slumber parties" post, and this one. I love Al's friends individually- but in a group, they lose their minds. :)

2011-03-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

We had just watched "Secretariat", so Ally's cake reflected her love for that movie.

I said I would never again have a slumber party of girls. They are really no fun at all....for me. A couple girls, sure. Even then, it's risky. But, what else do you do in February for your daughter's birthday? Within an hour of getting these girls into my home, there was drama. I knew I couldn't take another 24 hours of this. I told them that they needed to figure it out and get along. I also said that I could have 8 boys in my house for an entire weekend, and there would be not ONE fight. No drama. No arguments that they couldn't deal with on their own. But, I get 4 girls for an hour and they couldn't handle it???? There wasn't another fight the rest of the time. I am not a good "girl mom".

I don't know how THIS started. Oh wait, maybe it was me. Yes, good move, mom, start a frosting war. Niiiiiice.

2011-03-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

Revelation #1

I have been sulking and complaining for months.....ok..years, about being lonely. I live in rural Ohio, have no (outside) job, spend my days with my toddler, and have no close friends within a 300 mile radius of me. Boo Hoo, woe is my life.

Recently, the mother of one of Ally's friends asked me to host a jewelry party. Since my ability to say no rivals only that of my ability to whine and complain about being lonely, I said yes. My first thought was that I really don't know a lot of people. I didn't grow up here, I didn't go to school here. I moved here 5 years ago. Sure, there are people I know, but do they like me enough to come to a party?? Well, I certainly have a handful of people I can send an invite to, right? Ahh...but wait....here's where the revelation comes in - I don't WANT to. I don't want people I don't really know in my house, or my life, for that matter. Aha. There it is. I typed it out loud. It's out there. I am somewhat anti- social. I always knew I was a homebody (hence my user name for twitter), but it never dawned on me that I was anti-social!!! But, there really is no other word or phrase for it. I don't like people all that much. Once I get to know them and find out how witty, pleasant and sweet they are, sure, I will socialize. But, do I want a house full of acquaintances? Not so much. That stuff tires me out. While I am pretty adept at lying to my children about the tooth fairy and maybe fudging the truth to Eric about who keeps leaving the computer on all night , I suck at faking that I'm enjoying myself, when I'm not. I am perfectly happy staying home with my family who loves me no matter what. Trying to hold conversations about my numbingly dull life, while having no interest in others', equally, dull lives is torture. I can have a house full of kids, but grown-ups scare me.

Ya know what else? Now, this is gonna blow your mind. While I don't want to be around people a lot, I do care what they think of me. Some of the people I'd invite to the party have nice houses, more money, and will see my "safe place", flaws and all. I have a house that's way to small for our family, who's carpet needs to be cleaned, walls need to be painted and stubborn dirt to be rid of. I don't want to stress about making it presentable. I don't have the money for new throw pillows or frames to adorn the walls. My decorating skills are fine for my family, who doesn't know any better, but isn't for the likes of fancy people. We live with cables running along our living room floor, spider webs in the corners and curtains that hold 2-3 pounds of dust. It's ...HOME. To the untrained and more sophisticated eye, that's unacceptable living. Crap. Do you see my dilemma?? I will hold this party, because I am a person of my word. Just wish my anti-social-self, would alert my need-to-please-self, before my blabber-mouth-self, says yes.

:)

2011-02-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

This is what Daddy and Viv did while Mom was gone. It was a great father/daughter day. Vivian asks to ride the pony and daddy does what she asks. Sucker.

He also lets her climb up to the hay loft. Umm....good idea, Dad????

Argh- lets get rid of the binky, shall we?????

2011-02-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

Ally's birthday present!!

Al decided awhile back that she wanted to "redo'" her room for her birthday. I was all for it, since her room was a little dated. When I asked her what color she wanted to paint it, she said, "HOT PINK!". I asked, "Hot pink like bright and bold, or hot pink like soft and elegant". (There was no leading in that question, right??) She said she wanted it bright and bold. I told her that that color was hard to pull off, so we would have to see just how bold we could get it. We, then, went to visit Al's cousin over Christmas break, and she had a hot pink room!! It could be done without blinding whoever dared to enter!! So, we picked a color called, tropical smoothie, and went to town......

LOVE IT!!!!!

When I was checking out at Home Depot, the cashier asked me, "Are you painting ALL the walls that color?" I took that to mean it was too bright and overwhelming, in her opinion. I did get a little nervous at that point, but there was no turning back. I was so pleased with the outcome! And, yes, that IS the desk I refurbished. I finally got those "after" photos posted - only 5 months later......

I think I have a picture of Al's bedroom, before the transition. Our digital photos are a freaking mess, all unorganized on two different computers. (Anyone as unorganized as me????) If I find some, I will post before and after.

2011-02-15T05:34:00.001-08:00

I will NEVER say that my husband is not romantic, ever again. (Well, at least for awhile :) For Valentine's Day, he took all the old, dusty disposable cameras we've had in our basement, from our wedding 12 years ago, and had them developed. I had long given up on those cameras. It was popular, then, to put these cameras on the tables - to let the guests help document the reception. We had some of them developed, but had quickly moved on from "honeymoon stage", to "new parents" very soon after the wedding. They got lost in the shuffle of life's transitions. We moved those cameras to 5 different houses since then. Imagine my surprise when Eric shows up with 13 packets of photos, last night!

As we were looking through some of the pictures, laughing at how young we all were, and remembering some of the people that we haven't seen in years, we came across photos that brought tears to our eyes. We've lost several people in the last 12 years, and there were their smiling faces in those photos!

I will share some of them, just because I want to. Very, very happy memories of the people we love so!

Here is a great picture of my beautiful sister in law! I love this picture of her.

This is McKenzi. She became my "mother's little helper" once I had the kids and Eric was off to Marine training. Her dad was also a Marine(you all know Jeff :), so she would come stay with me and help me. She is now driving and will be graduating from high school soon. WHAT?! But, wasn't it only yesterday, that she was dancing around at my wedding reception, wearing my veil????

Here is another they-grow-up-too-fast, baby. Payton is a toddler, here, but is now getting his learners permit and dating girls(sort of). Really?! Not even a little bit cool, him growing up like that. How dare he???? ;)

This is my friend, Katie, and her mom. MaryAnn is one we lost way too soon. My heart caught in my throat when I saw this picture.

Grandma and Grandpa. I was lucky enough to have them around, still, when I got married. Sure, there are photos in my wedding album, of the whole family. But here, they are dancing!! :) This is a very sweet picture - what a gift!

Thank you, my love, for not listening to me when I said, "Geez, I'm sure those cameras aren't even salvageable, anymore. Just throw them away." There is nothing money can buy that would be more special than these memories.

* But, don't let that stop you from surprising me with a Jeep Wrangler one day. Ha Ha!

2011-01-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

So, here it is. The Beast. The Grizz. Pig. Haven't decided on a name for it, yet, but no matter......here it is. Sitting in front of our house. Yay..........

All kidding aside, I think this new family addition will be fun for us. We haven't been much of a "camping" family - I guess I still don't see the attraction, but it will come in extremely handy at the Cowboy Mounted Shoots. It's rough on the outside and rough, but not without potential, on the inside. Once it warms up a little, I can start cleaning!!!!

2011-01-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hey!! Remember me??
I have severely neglected this blog, lately. It's not so much that I don't have the time, but more about me not having a whole lot to say or share. Crazy. I know, right? We are busy enough with basketball and guitar lessons, but I am so enjoying the peace and quiet for a while, that I'm a little afraid to talk about it, for fear it will go away.

I will spare y'all from the obligatory Christmas photos of the kids opening gifts. I think we all were very pleased with the holiday.

I did want to share one photo, though. This is Vanilla sporting a beautiful, new, hot pink, blanket!! This is what was on Ally's wish list for Christmas. We don't normally put blankets on our horses, so we told her Vanilla probably didn't need one. Well, Vanilla is getting old and has also developed some skin issues, so it turns out, Ally was right. Vanilla,the diva that she is, seems very happy in it.

2010-11-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

Volleyball!!

I know, I know....more photos of my kids playing sports. This is different. This was my sport, when I was in high school. I was able to help Ally, giving her pointers and advice. It was something I knew about and didn't have to keep leaning over to the person next to me, asking questions. You'd think I'd be more knowledgeable about baseball and basketball by now, but somehow, I am NOT an expert. Anyway, Al had a lot of fun and says she wants to do it again next year!

2010-11-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

Mavericks Football.

This year, after the regular Highland football season, the coaches all voted for 3-4 players from each team to play for an all-star team. I distinctly remember talking to a dad whose son did this last year and being very grateful we were done, while they still had 3+ weeks of football. Don't call me a bad mom just yet. I realize this is a great opportunity for Max and would never interfere.....however.......it was A LOT of football and a part of me was mourning the loss of freedom I had been dreaming of. Of course I'm being dramatic. After all was said and done, Max has a blast, Eric and I were very proud, and the kids got to swim in a hotel pool. It was all goooood.

2 weeks of practice and two tournaments. Max was able to hang with the guys he pounded heads with for 2 months.

The kids had a blast playing in the hotel pool. Eric's mom was in town, so we all headed to Troy, OH for tournament # 2.

The best part of this experience was that Max was able to play receiver, instead of QB. He isn't in love with the QB position, so when the opportunity arose for him to get back to catching and running, he went for it. He ended up with 5 TD's throughout the Mavericks play and loved every minute of it.

The boys seemed to all have a good time and will call each other friend......until next September ;)

Great action shot, right??? Eric took about a bazillion photos of the two tournaments, so trying to weed through all of the shots was excruciatingly slow. This one stood out, though.

I do a lot of grumbling about how much time, energy and money Max's sports require. I should really stop, because he may end up paying for some college with this stuff.....God help us. He's a great athlete and a great kid- a perpetual biological ball of energy. I'd much rather him be involved in sports than riding the streets getting into who knows what. So, I will vow to complain less - out loud, anyway. If you see me muttering under my breath, I am not talking back to the "voices", I am grumbling to myself. At least that's what the voices told me to do.

2010-11-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

Oy.

I submitted my paperwork to get my LPN license transferred to Ohio. I checked the website yesterday, and I am listed as licensed. I (think) it's official. I should be getting notification in the mail within the next several weeks.

I'm excited!

I'm nervous as hell!

This is huge for me and this family. The plan is to work part-time at first, until I decided if I've made a huge mistake....or.....this rocks finally having money after 12 years of not. It's not only about the money. It's also about NOT feeling worthless. Don't get me wrong, raising a family- and some pretty awesome kids at that, it VERY worthwhile. However, as I have stated before, this is not where I thought I'd be at this point in my life. Viv needs to be around kids her own age and I need to be around other grown-ups.

So, the next step is to begin looking for a job. Easier said than done. I have a couple good leads, so we'll see. If and when I am fortunate enough to find a good fit, we'll look in to who will be competent enough to look after my baby. That may be the hardest part of all............ :)

Just a little icing on the cake - My kids will see me do something that scares the living shit out of me, but I forge ahead, anyway. Sure, it's taken me years to get to this point, but I'm doing it. I want them to see me set a good example, instead of sitting back, complaining about how I never got to do ________, I didn't have the opportunity to try__________, or I was too scared to________. No. I want them to see that it's ok to be scared (terrified is more like it). It's ok to change your mind and go after something you really want. I want to better myself, in this way........ for now. I may go back to school or find a completely different career path. Who knows? I do know, however, that it won't be quite so scary next time.

2010-10-31T08:25:00.000-07:00

This is a freaky mother/daughter costume duo. Those masks, while very simple in their design, were probably the scariest of the night.

Out of about 50+ people, there were maybe 3 or 4, who didn't have a costume on. Everyone gets into the spirit and as the years have passed, the more people who attend. At one point in the night, I had trouble maneuvering through the crowd....and NOT because I was intoxicated ;) I spent most the night chaperoning kids. We have decided to hire a babysitter for the entire month of October next year. Any takers???

Eric's co-worker got in on our theme, too. She was Max, the dog. This was SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!! Have I mentioned, recently, how much I love Halloween????

2010-10-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here are the boys in their perch, overlooking the party.

Vampire princess, Ally.

This is Eric and I as the Grinch and CindyLu Who. I think we'll have our photo in the Fredericktown newspaper, since a lady took our names. Either that, or our witness protection gig is up. We had about a half dozen people get our picture or stand with us for a picture while trick-or-treating. WHO knew our costumes would be such a hit? Get it? WHO???? Who-ville?? Maybe I'm just sleep-deprived.

Jeff is a zookeeper, trying to tame this lion and keep control of the cheetah. Good luck, Jeff. Although, both of these lady jungle creatures adore him.

2010-10-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

Fredericktown is an awesome place to trick-or-treat. They have a gazebo in the middle of town, where you can get a steamy cup of cider and a donut. Kenz and Viv are doing just that.

As if she hasn't already had enough sugar.......oh well, it's once a year, right???

Wright's Halloween Party!!!

This year was the biggest ever. It's also Mark's 50th birthday, so it was quite the celebration.

Zombie Abby. Talk about freaky....I couldn't stop staring at her eyes. Love it!!

Vivian was tearing up the dance floor. She danced until she nearly dropped. Anytime she heard music, her body started to boogie. It was like she had no control over it. Hilarious.

2010-10-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Tirck-Or-Treating!!

This year, Kenz, Jeff's daughter, flew in from Iowa for a visit. She dressed up as a cheetah and helped us out immensely with the weekend festivities.

This decoration is up every year and as a special treat, (we) proceeded to trip over the extension cord, thereby deflating it after this picture was taken. You're welcome nice family who pretended to not see us fumble and panic, trying to get it plugged back in. Thank you for not adding to our humiliation by freaking out. Has anyone ever been banned from trick-or-treat festivities??? There's always a first.

The cutest little lion I ever did see.

Viv's first candy nugget. She said trick or treat all the time, in the days prior to the event. However, when it came time for the big show, she kinda froze. It's ok, they gave it to her, anyway.

2010-10-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

*First of all, I want to post photos of Al's finished desk, but she hasn't been able to keep her room clean for any length of time, so my "tidy" windows of opportunity are severely limited. Maybe today. Or not.

HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!
I have said this a couple times in the last few weeks......our Halloween season is as busy, if not busier, than Christmas. It's crazy, hectic, chaotic..but fun. This year, Viv was such a trip. She really got into Halloween - wanting to see all the decorations at the stores, ,having no issue with putting on a costume, and of course, the candy.

Viv was treated to all sorts of goodies at Al and Jay's school. Here, she demonstrates the two-fisting of sugar delights.

Max,Dyl and Grant dressed up as the "Three Stooges" for their Halloween dance. I was very proud of them. Only a hand-ful of kids dressed up and the dance was for grades 6-8. I figured they'd be too embarrassed, especially being with the older kids. Of course, I did have to hear the downloaded soundbites of "Wise Guy, eh?" and "Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck" for days prior.

Here's Max and his "special friend", Rachel. I remember the days of wearing boy's jerseys,well. I don't remember doing it in 6th grade, but still. It seems remarkable how much the hormones seemed to have exploded upon entering the 6th grade. Will I really have to be dealing with boyfriend/girlfriend issues while enduring the terrible two's and independent threes????? Oy.

2010-10-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

Labor of love.

Ally put "desk" on her Christmas list. We looked into some that Value City had, (employee discount!!!!!) but I didn't like any of them. I had one in mind, I just had to scour the Internet to see who had one and who had it the cheapest. However, Eric saw this beauty by the side of the road with a price of $40. We went to take a look, and I fell in love. It's almost exactly what I had envisioned. It's beautiful in my eyes. The detail, the mirror, truly one-of-a-kind. Of course, it needed a little TLC, so in my spare time, I sanded, puttied, primed, taped and painted. The only thing left to do is to find/order drawer knobs and haul it up to Ally's room. I will share the pictures once it's all done and in place.
Now, after looking at a ton of different knobs to replace the ones that were on the desk, Ally decided on some she insists she likes. I don't. There were so many pretty horse pulls, running horses, rod-iron, hand-painted, pretty drawer pulls/knobs and she picks pink and purple Pegasus knobs. *sigh* My dilemma is whether or not I lie to her and say those knobs are no longer available, or go with her choice and turn my nose up at the knobs that made my pretty desk ugly?
Oh yeah, and if the child wants to do her homework at this desk, we will supply her with a blanket to put over the mirror so she doesn't sit and stare at herself for an hour. You think I'm kidding? Nope. She'll do it. "Ally, are you done with your homework?" "Ummm............no, but I've learned that my face has 1, 042 different expressions! "

Before

2010-10-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

Awesome fall......

My brother, SIL and nephew came for the weekend, to compliment Grandma's stay. We had planned to go to the orchard, but the weather had something else in mind, namely, rain and cold. Oh well, we still found stuff to do here.

Not sure who loved this more, Kyu or George.

I think Kyu had a good time on Vanilla. I wasn't sure he would actually get up on the saddle, but he did (without even a hesitation).

Of course he had to fight THIS one for all the riding time.

Our October is such a crazy, busy month. Football certainly takes a huge chunk out of our days and weekends. However, there is so much we WANT to do that it is difficult to squeeze it all in. There are parties, costume preparation and haunted houses. Last year we didn't get to a single one, which is a travesty. This year, we will try harder. Where does all the time go????? How is it that we only have a few weekends left in October? I don't have the answer, so if any of you know how to freeze time, please share!!

2010-09-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

I am truly grateful for a couple of girls who seem to love watching after Vivian at football games/practices. The above picture is Viv and Rachel. Rachel is awesome, as is Kasi. Are these girls helping with Viv because she's cute and funny? Perhaps. It could also be that both these girls crushing on Max, and what better way to win his heart than to get "in" with his baby sister? No matter the reason, there are some pretty awesome girls for Max to be surrounded by. This is quite the relief for me, since I will be screening and choosing the suitable girlfriends for him soon. As I'm sure my mother can attest to, teens ALWAYS listen to their parents regarding who is best for them to date. (Ok, Mom, you can quit laughing hysterically at that comment. Breathe. )

2010-09-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Highland Football year 5. I am bound and determined to keep a positive spin on this season. Last year ended with drama. This year began with drama. We'll put all of that aside and focus on these teams. Jay's team (JV), has over 30 players and 13 parents offered to help/coach. Max's team (Varsity), has 18 players and the coach resorted to begging for parent volunteers. Eric offered his services as an assistant coach for Max's team. So, basically, my whole family is involved in Colt football in one way or another. (We'll get to Al, later).

Max is not a huge fan of the QB position. He'd rather be a receiver or running back. However, last year he was put in this position and it's a lot like a bad rash....once it's there, it's hard to get rid of. Oh wait, that wasn't the positive spin I was just talking about, was it? Ok, I'll try again....being quarterback is like those pretty, yellow flowers in your yard, no matter how hard you try to get rid of them, they just keep multiplying and returning. I know that wasn't much better, but I did say "pretty, yellow, flowers", so it counts. He doesn't like being quarterback, but he's good at it, so he'll get this position until he really effs it up, or, someone comes along who's better.

Eric is having a great time coaching. He takes it seriously, but realized these boys are out to learn the game and have fun, too. Two of our key players are on the injury list due to sprained ankles and broken arms. With all that, these boys came out last Sunday and played an awesome game. The other team has gone 4 seasons having had no one score on them. No kidding. They had 40 guys, we had 18. The final score was only 12-0. Not bad. There was no shame in the way they played and given that one of their players weighed in at 245, we were ecstatic we didn't have anyone else to add to the injured list!!

Here's Al cheering for her brother. She enjoys cheering for games, but is not such a fan of going to practice. Lucky for her, they will go down to only one practice a week. This will allow some more time to start volleyball at the end of the month. Al can also entertain Viv with cheer after cheer when the maniac is getting restless in the truck!

Jaybird. This kid has heart. He has been playing football for 4 years, now. Every year, he says he won't go out next time. Each year, he changes his mind. He is fast and knows the game. He doesn't have that "killer" instinct to want to rip the opponent's head off, so he's not as aggressive as some of his teammates. However, I wouldn't want it any other way. He's a sweetie, and I'm happy to keep it that way. I tell him to imagine the other team as Max at his most annoying or Ally at her whiniest. It helps.

2010-09-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Eric didn't want any photographic evidence of his apple eating/stealing.

If anyone did their share of eating/stealing, it was this one. I couldn't keep up with finishing off all the apples she took one bite out of. I'm not sure I could really pass it off as taste-testing, either.

2010-09-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

We just couldn't wait until October...........
LOVE the apple orchard! We normally go in October, but this year we are going to get two visits in. Viv is slightly obsessed with picking apples off the tree, so we thought we would introduce her to a lot of apple trees. Besides, by the time we got there last year, much of the apple crop had already peaked.

Peek A Boo!

Leave it to Viv to find the small, rotten apple and attempt to eat it.

This girl was in heaven with All. Those. Apples.

Noooo, not a form of torture, he asked to do this. Of course, when he started the journey there were a total of, maybe, 5 apples in the bags.

2010-08-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Mutt training.....week 2

The pooches are doing really well. They have their moments when they forget where they are supposed to sit and stay, but for the most part, they are eager to please and are doing what we ask of them.

Boo, aka; the runner, is really responding to the off-leash walks. Today, I took them to the barn and Boo stayed with me the entire time. Normally, he'd have been gone within the first 30 seconds. I see the joys of this already. Sometime soon, we will be playing and enjoying the dogs' company anytime we go outside. This is good.

All the great outcomes of the training isn't without it's challenges. They need exercise, and while I wholeheartedly agree, time and upcoming Ohio winters are not on our side. Once Max starts school, he will be getting on the bus or I will be driving him to school anytime between 6:50 and 7: 20 am. Then, Jay and Al will need to be heading out to the bus between 7:50, or we'll be piling into the suburban around 8:30. All this while getting breakfasts, running after the maniac, dressing, organizing lunches, homework, etc. I get up at 6:00 to start my day and although I will gladly take the dogs for a run with me, come winter this chick will NOT be running in 20 degree weather. Do I bundle up Viv so that I can walk the dogs in freezing temperatures? No. I'm contemplating training the dogs to run on the treadmill, but I'm not sure that's the best plan, either. As much of a challenge exercising the dogs is, and will be, especially with a toddler who cannot be left alone for even a minute, I'm sure this is one of those things that will work itself out. My "planner brain" has a hard time not stressing about how I will figure this out, however. I am grateful that this is all taking place at a time when the kids are home to help out in these early stages. They have been a huge help, as usual!

2010-08-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

And so it continues.............(Mutt training week 1)

Like I need MORE responsibility in my day. That being said, I know that the dog training will pay off. I really do. The whole family is excited for the days when the dogs are very well behaved and we can do so much more with them. However, I struggle to get through a day with just the kids and horses, so the added time and energy for dog training can be almost overwhelming.

Tuesday night, we got them home and I immediately started to work with them. Recognizing the bugs and working through them is half the battle. That night, all I wanted to do was go to bed. My day was sooooo crazy that I realized I hadn't even had time to eat or....well, use the "ladies" room all day. I wanted so bad for the day to be over. Jay is still having problems falling asleep and that is a whole other issue for another day. But, I didn't lay down in bed until 1:00 am. Then, Gracie starts barking. She's in her kennel and with the new environment, she was letting us know she wasn't happy. She barked every 30 seconds - 1 minute for a good half hour-45 minutes. I eventually fell asleep, only to be woken at 5:30 am by...............................you guessed it, Gracie. I thought, maybe, she needed to pee, so I got up and let the dogs out. I was up, so I took them on a run. That afternoon, I tried to do a little one-on-one work with the dogs, so I left Gracie in the kennel and started throwing the ball to Boo, outside. He was doing fine, until he caught sight/smell of some critter in the bean field. He took off. I started to shock him via his collar and kept turning up the heat. I'm calling, "Come!" and he's ignoring me. Soon, Ally comes out of the house and tells me that Gracie is yelping in her kennel. I had the collar turned to the WRONG DOG!!!!!!!! I immediately yelled for Max to go get Gracie out of her kennel. (He was closer, and I just wanted her OUT, so I could apologize!) I was weak in the knees. Max brought Gracie outside and I melted on her. I kept saying how sorry I was and that I was sooooo stupid. She politely agreed, but seemed to accept my love and apology. It was then, that I burst into tears. How on earth can I manage these dogs, the kids, the horses and the house every day, all by myself??!?!?! Things will continue to change around here once the kids go back to school and those left behind start to figure out how the routine works. I don't mind getting up at 6:00 am to start my day, as long as the bumps and bruises are kept to a minimum. I'm sure it will all get easier. We learn new things every day. I learned today, that Gracie cannot handle a 2 mile rollerblading/jog. She has been gimping around all afternoon. Why is it that Gracie is the sole beneficiary to all my mistakes?? It's because she is loving and merciful. She's my "grace from God", hence the name. She was given to this family to serve a purpose and she has far exceeded her mission. This whole experience reminds me of an email I got a while back. It was from a vet who had made a house call to a home where the dog was to be euthanized. I am paraphrasing in my interpretation, but it went something like this; The vet asked the young boy of the family if he understood what was happening today. The boy responded by saying that he knew that dogs were sent to earth to learn unconditional love, just like humans. But because dogs learn it so much faster, it means that they die sooner. The email is so much more poetic, but the message is so profound. Dogs know the kind of love that many humans never get. They are so happy to see you each and every day, no matter if you ignored them the day before or pissed them off 2 weeks before. They don't hold grudges and their whole purpose is to please you. This is why we are spending the money and time on our precious partners. They deserve it.
I'll keep y'all posted.

2010-08-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

How about a summer recap? Too bad, here it goes.

We had two wonderful vacations to places that were both islands. No Bahamas or Caymans, but islands nonetheless. We did a little camping, which brought out the realization that I am not the camping kind of gal. Maybe one day we will want to pack up a small house worth's of stuff to go sit by the water, somewhere, only for me to still have to cook and clean and run after a baby. But for now, we'll stick to traveling for our getaways.

Max has a decision to make about baseball. This summer was fun because he was playing a sport, but he also missed out on quite a bit, having to attend a game, tournament, etc. He loves baseball, but doesn't LOVE baseball so much that he's willing to give up 75% of his summer for it. We'll see what happens, but he may decide the local rec ball is a better fit.

We didn't get in on any cowboy mounted shooting this summer due to above commitments. Each weekend there was a shoot, there was also a planned vacation or baseball tournament. Maybe next summer, we'll have a better schedule.

We spent a lot of time outdoors, as you can tell by Vivian's tan lines. The girl loves to pick apples off the tree, ride in the EZ-Go and run around the yard. We'll see if the snow is as much of a draw for her. What will I do with this girl all winter???

We got Boo and Gracie back from the trainer yesterday. They were there for 19 days! Why so long? They are old dogs and the trainer was attempting new tricks. The trainer has worked with Cesar Milan and Cesar's right hand..lady. He was offered a job with Cesar, but opted to stay in Ohio. He's extremely good at what he does and if anyone could get through to my two mutts, it's him. We felt we were really doing them an injustice by having to cable them when they were outside. We couldn't take them anywhere, they'd jump on people who came to the door....blah, blah.....good dogs with bad behavior. Now, we can take them outside, to the barn, for walks, all without leashes. Inside, they have their own "place" where they sit and stay so that there's no funny business going on while I'm bathing the baby or doing laundry. We have some bugs to work out, but we are confident that this will provide them with a better quality of life.

Now that school is getting closer, I am seriously considering going back to work and putting Viv in daycare part-time. We'll see how she and I do on our own without her favorite toys, Max, Jay and Ally. When the older kids were babies/toddlers, I stayed at home with them, and there was nowhere I'd rather have been.....most days. Now, I am less patient, more mournful of a life I looked forward to leading, and no longer in "mommy-only mode". Viv will be fine. She needs to be around kids her own age. Aside from one other person, I know of nobody that has a toddler. My friends, here, are either working full-time or have kids who are at least school age. So, once the Ohio Board of Nursing grants me a license and I find a daycare that I am comfortable with, things around the Schreiber home may become vastly different. I am growing more sure of this decision, but once the day arrives for me to drop my baby off at the house of a stranger, you can call me, puddle, I'm sure. This new venture may not work for our family, but we'll never know until we try. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. For now. Unless I change my mind. ;)

2010-08-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

One of the first things on the schedule after vacation was Ally's horse camp. Our realtor Becky, has a teenage daughter who, along with a friend, put together a wonderful camp for kids. I was proud of Al, because she is cursed with a sometimes debilitating shyness. She was nervous at first, but since she was "in her element" around the horses, she did very well. The first day, she informed me that she didn't really learn anything because she already knew most of it(shocker). However, she did get first place in the horse show which was basically riding around the arena. She was the only girl to get the horse into a trot(Need for speed, that one). The next day when I picked her up, she began to cry. I knew she LOVED camp and thought she was sad to leave. Turns out, the kids were allowed to gather an egg from the chicken coop. The kids took care of the eggs the rest of the day, with Ally building it a nest inside her riding helmet. One slip of the elbow and the egg got, well, crushed. So was Al's spirit. She thought the egg would hatch if she kept it warm and safe. The hard reality was that since there weren't enough eggs for all the kids in the coop, Becky grabbed some from the fridge to set in with the hens. The eggs weren't going to hatch. Al seemed relieved that she didn't actually kill her chick, but was still very sad. Eric and I have talked about getting chickens for quite awhile, but never got around to the action of building a coop and researching how to care for chickens. Now, with the promise to feed and care for them, herself, Al may have started the ball rolling on the chicken adventure.

My brother offered up a couple design plans for a DIY coop.

LOVE this one, but since the kids have been begging for a tree-house, I think it would be unfair to build the chickens a tree-house instead.

Now THIS is more our style. Here in Morrow County, our ingenuity would be admired by all the chicken-owning rednecks.

We'll see what we come up with. Perhaps this chicken adventure will fade away as we realize we have more than enough to deal with with the dogs and horses. However, there's nothing better than farm-fresh eggs!!

2010-08-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

"Good morning. Got any carrots?? It's ok, you go find some, I'll wait here."

Cousin love.

While my brother and SIL claim they were delighted at the influence the older cousins had on their son, I fully expect a phone call. That conversation would start something like this, "Do you know what your kid taught my son?!" Just teasing. I think he had a blast, as did all the kids - there's just nothing better than hunting hermit crabs.

We are now trying to get back to normal. We drove through the night to get home and it wasn't as bad as we thought it might be, but it still takes a toll on the (aging) body. We now dive right back in to the routine, while still savoring the last days of summer. My BIL is an awesome photographer and I look forward to seeing some of the moments he captured. With his permission, I might be sharing some of them in the near future.....the beauty of the beach!!

2010-08-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the deer and crabs, but I can't forget the alligators. This was just a baby, so we approached for a better look. There were others that were much bigger. Since Viv would have been a nice little snack, we didn't attempt this proximity with the others.

This is the family on the way to get ice cream. We rented two golf carts this year. As the true men that they are, Dad, Eric and Dave tried to "soup up" the horse power, but it didn't work. We putted along as slow as molases. I guess speed isn't what vacations are all about, anyway, right?

Since the condo had wi-fi this year, the computers came ....OUT! You were hard-pressed to find an open area that there wasn't a laptop. I've heard of dueling pianos, but this is ridiculous!

Max and Nick cooking dinner. Each family had a night to cook. This year, since Max requested Toscana Soup, Uncle Nick enlisted his help in making it. I think Nick was impressed with Max's talents in the kitchen. Since Nick is a fireman, we had some pretty high standards set for him. The soup was delicious!!!

2010-08-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Fripp Island, SC - 2010

The Miller family got together for another family vacation on Fripp Island. Although Viv had already been to a beach, this was her first trip to the ocean. Other than a quick, spontaneous, dip under the waves, she had a blast running up the beach, tempting the waves and finding shells.

A jellyfish ball Jay found. Of COURSE Jay found it. A couple days after this beach trip, a lady at a local shop told us a horror story of a man-o-war attack on her daughter. Add that to the warnings of sharks and stinging jellyfish and it's a miracle any of us went back in the water!! The only casualty was my sister stepping on a crab. Oh yeah, and I slipped in the kiddie pool and scraped the shit out of my arm. Nobody got eaten by a shark, so you have to call it a successful vacation!

Fripp Island is a private island that's features are the golf courses and wildlife preserve. The deer will approach you like your friendly, neighborhood, dog. Now Viv will be confused as to why the deer in Ohio run away from you instead of coming up to your driveway to get a "treat".

This really is my daughter....a true water baby!! The ocean did not disappoint, it greeted me like an old friend. I truly believe there's a healing nature within it's massive power and although a family vacation isn't truly a "stress-free" vacation, I felt a fair amount of weight leaving the perch it had on top of my shoulders.

2010-07-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

** Follow Up to the night of babysitting***

On Sunday, Max was asking me how the day was going to proceed and what our schedule looked like. We had a friend of Jay's here, who we had to get home, plus getting Viv to the Tuggle family amidst their baseball tournament schedule, etc. I explained the plan to him and he proceeded to tell me that he wasn't all that interested in the movie we planned to see and wanted to stay with Vivian and the Tuggles. I explained to him that I would never, ever ask him to stay behind to help with the maniac and that despite our nervousness, I'm sure Viv would be fine. He said he understood, but would rather stay with Tuggles (who's son is Max's best friend) Well, I tried to convince him that I didn't think he needed to stay because of Vivian and he tried to convince me that that wasn't the only reason. So, as we were transferring Vivian's car seat into Tuggle's van in the parking lot of the baseball tournament, Max walks to the field with Vivian in one arm and the diaper bag in the other, alongside him is his best friend who is making silly faces at Vivian and explaining to her what they were going to "play" today. Oh, and that their dog, Chloe, was excited she was coming. Really? Could this child BE more loved? Could she HAVE a more awesome big brother? (who's friends love her to death, I might add). Max could have tried all day to convince me that he wanted to stay back to hang with his friend, but he wouldn't have succeeded. He is a "mother hen" and wanted to make sure Vivian didn't freak when we left her. I have amazing kids....................now, how the hell did that happen?!

2010-07-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Jay's 10th birthday party!
It's the last hurrah for parties, once you reach your 10th. After that, it's scaled down!! Jay's are usually a whole lot of fun and not too difficult to plan, so it's kinda sad to be done with them. Summer birthdays are way easier than February!
How many kids can you fit in an Ez-Go? Well, apparently, about 10. Yes, that's including the big one.

Silly string! (And I DO feed the child, despite what the protruding ribcage says)

This game was "Find the Correct Lego Piece in the Kiddie Pool". Yeah, totally made up. But fun.

This one is "Find the Lego Brick In the Whipped Cream". Again, made up. This was fun, also, but much shorter than I anticipated. The first kid found the brick in less than 4 seconds!!!

This weekend is Jay's actually birthday. Today, in fact. We usually go out to eat as a family, but Jay has been saying he wants to see the movie, "Despicable Me" since the first commercial. I found some very brave souls to watch Viv for us so we can go.

*This past week, I had Abby watch Viv while I took Max and Al to the dentist. (Our last experience when Jay went, was NOT good. The maniac was not easy to contain in the small, not-so-toddler-friendly-waiting room.) So, Vivian went down for a nap and we went to the dentist. Jay stayed with Abby because I was nervous about how Viv would do when she woke to find us all gone. My fears were validated. Abby said she walked into Viv's bedroom and the child frowned at her and laid back down. She wouldn't stand up so Abby could lift her out. Then, once out of the crib, she wiggled to get down, ran to the corner and glared at Abby. She then proceeded to cry and carry on while Abby changed her diaper. She was comforted when she saw Jay, but made it clear Abby was NOT welcome to retrieve her from her nap. Vivian is familiar with the family who will be watching her, today. I just hope she is good for them. I don't worry about Viv when I leave her, I worry about the person who has to deal with her. Godspeed Tuggle family!!!

2010-07-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's time for the "Favorite Things" Edition.

First of all, I vowed this year we would take advantage of the pool some friends took us to last summer. Last year with Viv being only a couple months old and needing to be shaded, we didn't do much of anything outside. This summer would be different. We've been there 3 times and have a blast! Vivian loves the zero entry side with the little water slide. Up and down, up and down.....she could do it all day. Thank you Jack Florance Pool in Delaware!

Quick potato side dish!! There's really no easier way to cook potatoes (or faster). Quarter 4-6 potatoes and toss in a big bowl with olive oil. Add salt, pepper, chili seasoning and wrap up in a a foil rectangle. Put it on the grill or about 20 -25 minutes. Once you take it off the grill, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top and fold the foil back over until you've wrangled the kids to the table, then made them get up and go wash their hands -which usually takes about another 15-20 minutes. By then, the cheese is melted and the potatoes are cooled to the perfect eating temperature. YUM!

My new favorite drink is the Vitamin Water Zero. I typically stay away from the Gatorade/Powerade kind of drinks. They are too sweet for my taste and why waste the calories?? When I'm thirsty, I want plain 'ol water. However, since I've given up (For the most part) drinking Diet soda, I wanted to replace it with something a little more exciting than plain 'ol water. I can only drink one about every other day, but I do enjoy the taste - and knowing I'm not drinking a whole lot of corn syrup.

My new favorite shampoo! Yes, it's for me-although it does leave George's mane quite manageable.........I tried it when we were camping with the Wrights and it left my hair so soft and wavy.

Finally - my new phone. I waited a long time for a phone like this. Since Verizon wasn't going to get the iphone anytime soon, I went with the droid. Well, initially, I got the ally android. It was a little more compact, so I opted to go that route. However, being an LG phone, it didn't have the antenna that the motorola has. It's amazing what you learn when you spend hours on the phone with Verizon support. And since I didn't feel like running out to my driveway every time I wanted to make/take a call, I was told to go get a new phone. So, the droid and I have become fast friends.

Top 5 Reasons I Love My New Phone:
1. I no longer get lost going to the ballparks around Columbus. Mapquest has failed me more times than not. GPS, LOVE you!
2. Has my sister tweeted recently? I dunno. Let me check. Oh, drat, I'm stuck here at the doctor's office. Oh wait. I CAN check!!!
3. The home computer is slower than dial-up right now and the prognosis is not good. It's faster to grab the phone than start up the Dell.
4. On the last road trip, we weren't sure if there was a decent place to stop and eat (and by decent, I mean NOT McDonald's). My new app let us know that there was, indeed, a Quizno's in 6.3 miles...awesome!
5. And last, but certainly not least...........Ricky Bobby and Dumb and Dumber ring tones!!!!!!!!! "Help me Oprah Winfrey", "We got no food, we got no jobs, are pets HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!" Oh yeah, we can't forget the title song from Glee.

2010-07-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

Let's bury Ally!!!!!!

I got more comments this weekend about how much these two look alike. It's true. I hope they are as close as my sister and I are when they are older. Of course they adore each other now, but there will be days when Viv is into Al's stuff and Al ignores Viv when her girlfriends are over. Makes me tear up just thinking about it. Instead, I will hang on to the present and the sister love.

Eric, Jay and Al one one jet-ski and Viv, Max and I on the other. So. Much. Fun. Love 'em. My kids will soon refuse to go out with me, since I like to run fast and furious. Come ON............

It was great timing that some of the children/grandchildren of neighbors were in town the same weekend. Al had a couple girls to hand with and so did Max and Jay. They haven't seen these boys for about 4 years- Didn't seem to make a difference, though.

The kids decorated their bikes and rode in the parade. There was a lull, then, before the fireworks, so the kids got a little restless. It was past Viv's bedtime and she was letting us know it. Once the fireworks started, she was intrigued by the first 3 or 4. Then, the lack of sleep and loud booms got the best of her. She sat in my arms with her head buried the rest of the time. We headed out early and all was well.

It was a great time had by all and we are already looking forward to next summer!!

2010-07-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Vivian LOVES the beach! Then again, she is MY daughter!!! This was a different beach than Schoolhouse with the rocks. The sand was warm and inviting......

2010-07-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

This was Schoolhouse Beach . I love the rocks and the super clear water!!

The water was frigid, but the kids got in anyway. Max convinced Jay to swim out to a floating dock. About midway, Jay realized he could not longer feel his legs and panicked. He started yelling for help. Eric and another guy jumped in and both swam for him. Once he was on the rocks and began to warm up, Vivian shared some body heat. She was worried and laid next to him or on him for several minutes. Even Eric commented on how quickly the body loses feeling in that cold of water. Jay has VERY LITTLE body fat, so that contributed. Kinda scary.

This was actually taken before he began swimming - all smiles :)

Most years, we are able to spend some time with Eric's brother and his family. Unfortunately, this year our commitments kept us from having more than one afternoon together. The kids love their cousins and have so much fun together. I guess we have been lucky to be able to swing it so far. The older the kids get, the busier the schedules. We will try for next summer!

2010-07-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Another vacation to Washington Island, WI!! And so the journey started......15 minutes into our 12 hour trip, Ally barfs - and continues to do so until around Chicago. After that, the trip went smoothly. We arrived at the ferry dock and boarded. It was now time for the traditional photo on the ferry with the flag.

Viv seemed to enjoy the ferry, although her favorite part seemed to be going up and down the stairs.

Jay taking some of his own pictures.

2010-06-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Our summer has been flying by. Baseball/softball has been taking up so much time that we rarely have time on the weekends to do anything fun as a family. The house needs work*, the lawn needs mowing and the garage needs de-junking. However, for Father's Day, we decided to go to the local water park for the afternoon. It was a great success. So, the kids expressed interest in heading to a nearby (sort of) bike trail for some more family fun today. Viv had a long nap, so by the time she woke up and we got the bikes loaded and ready to go, it was getting close to late afternoon. It was near 90 degrees and the threat of pop-up showers was looming. We figured we'd beat whatever rain was headed our way as the sky was clear as crystal as we drove. Once we got to the trail and were nearing the turn-around point, a call came from Jeff, who was at the house. He said it was raining hard and lightning. We made the decision to turn around right there and head back to the truck. We didn't make it. We still had about a mile to go when it started to rain. The kids and Eric were on bikes, Viv was in the trailer behind Eric's bike and I was on roller blades. By the way, roller blades have little traction on wet pavement. It didn't just rain, it poured. There was lightning and thunder that is a whole lot louder outside - or at least that's what I told Ally as she began sobbing as she was trying to see and steer her bike toward the parking lot. The girl gets very nervous when storms hit, anyway, so she was really not having any fun at all. We made it back to the truck and loaded everyone in. It was quite the rush and will live fondly in my memory as a fun, yet unpredictable, Schreiber family outing!!

*Of course there's always things to fix/build/maintain in this house. The latest project was not necessarily planned. The fridge we brought with us from Georgia via Wisconsin did not fit in the space allotted due to the location of the cupboards built around the existing fridge. We put our nice, spacious fridge in the garage for overflow. The fridge that was in the house started to freeze food that got pushed past the midway point and then began freezing fruits and veggies in the crispers. After deciding to re-do the cupboards instead of buying a $1000+ NEW fridge, when we had a perfectly good one already, the renovations began. Let's just say that the man who built this house has been cussed out numerous times amidst the projects attempted here. I think it has come down to more of a shake-your-head-and-find-the-humor, acceptance. Eric knows what's in store when he starts tearing apart cupboards, walls, floors, etc. Jeff, on the other hand, hasn't accepted the haphazard ways of the builder. He will. We all have. Needless to say, the cupboards had to be rebuilt and will still not fit correctly. I could give a flying fig newton, but my anal retentive husband and dear friend are still bothered by the non-flush cupboards. Hey, it holds shit and won't fall on my head......I'm happy.

2010-06-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Max's baseball team camped near where they were playing their tournament. As of Thursday of that week, the weather was looking good- warm, dry and clear skies......not how it actually turned out, which was rainy and overcast. You'll see how the boys adapted in the last pictures.

Even though this season isn't as successful as we would have liked, the boys have fun together and continue to learn.

After a loss in their first game, they came back to beat the next team 16-0! There was a lot of smiles, hollering and thumbs up - as "J-Rod" is demonstrating here.

What do you do when there's more mud than grass beneath your feet? You spread the joy, baby. We found mud caked in the boy's ears, noses and eyes. I can only imagine there was caked mud in other places, too..........ew.

2010-06-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sweet Moonie Moonpie.......................
Another loss for our large horsey family. Eric got word that Moonie passed away. We were lucky enough to know him. He kept us company while Georgie was being trained by the Soehnlen family. Moonie was with them since their daughter was young. Ally loves Vanilla, but had recently expressed interest in getting Moonie back. Vanilla doesn't play well with others(horses) and it would be nice to be able to put all our horses together without incident. Al took it hard. So did I. Our hearts go out to the Soehnlen family - we know all too well how gut-wrenching the loss of a loved horse can be. Thank you, Moonie, for being gentle with us newbies. You will be greatly missed.

2010-06-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the horses. Mark's nephew put up two paddocks and a round pen (for evil pony). He did a lot of work to prepare for us to come. There are awesome trails around his house and we took advantage of them. I went on two different rides. One on Uno (Wright's horse) and one of my own George Monkey. Uno ran me into a tree which left a bruise (in his defense, the flies were horrible and he was pretty irritated). George trailed like a champion!! He was smooth and listened very, very well. We hadn't ridden him since we got him back from the trainer, so it was a crapshoot as far as how he'd do. I was so proud!! I was also proud of Ally for cowgirling up. As we were saddling up all the horses, one got too close to her pony, Vanilla(aka Evil Pony). She called out-we call it her war cry- and kicked at the other horse, while Al was on her. It scared Ally...understandably. She didn't want to go on the ride after that. Abby convinced her that Vanilla would be better behaved on the trail, so she finally agreed after tears shed. Vanilla DID do much better on the ride and Al had a great time. I truly understand her fear. I was afraid on George, with him being a still green horse, who likes to spook easily. I'm very proud of my little cowgirl!

Our set-up. Kinda looks like David and Goliath if David was actually a rusted, redneck, duct taped horse trailer. I have to say that it's nice camping with the Wrights since without them, half of us wouldn't have a place to sleep!! Eric, Viv and I were in ours, while Al bunked with Abby and Megan and the boys also reaped the benefits of lush living.

* On the way to Linton, Dawn drove the suburban with the 3rd trailer behind us. I decided I would have to learn how to do it, too, so I drove on the way home. The first 100 miles or so made me nervous, but after awhile, it got easier. If you are in Ohio and come upon a blue turd, make way, because it might just be me trying to maneuver our own trailer!!

If you look closely, you can see the toad Ally put in the truck. Poor traumatized toad.

Also traumatized? THIS toad. Viv was out of control with them. She kept picking them up and chasing them. The only reason she was able to catch them was the fact that they were so worn out from spending all that time in the truck............

2010-06-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend
Our friends, the Wright's, invited us to Linton, IN to camp on family property for the weekend. I was hesitant to take Viv on a 6 hr. trek to camp. I decided we couldn't always decide NOT to do things because it's challenging with a baby, so we went for it. We hauled 10 horses in three trailers for a total of 8 hours. Even though we got in at 2 am and didn't get to sleep until 3, the fun was yet to be had. Namely, sleeping.............
Did you notice Ally playing in the fire?? Fabulous chaperoning, guys!!

Viv was a maniac!!!! (as always) She didn't mind a bit, all the water in her face as each kid took her down the water slide.

Ticks, ticks and more ticks. All told, our family ended up with 13 ticks pulled off of us throughout the weekend. And that's just the ones we have found. This was one that we pulled off the dog.

What more could a little girl want?? I have candy (pilfered illegally, of course), sun, dirt, horse shit, dogs, water....heaven.

2010-06-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

SUMMER FUN!

Since Viv is drawn to the serious hazards of the yard...horses, pond, electric fence, etc. we had to start investing in some age appropriate activities. The kiddie pool proved to be just as much a draw to the older kids as it was to the baby!

She LOVES the swing!!!! Please do not look too closely at the swing, itself. I got this at a garage sale when Ally was 6 months old. It has sat, forgotten, in the garage and moved to 4 different houses since then. It's ugly, the ropes are ratty and pokey and it's faded, but functional!!!

We made a trip to West Lafayette, IN last weekend where we had a blast with all the cousins and my siblings. I had my hands full with Viv, so picture taking took a back seat. However, since Max was unable to go with us, I got him some fried (sour cream and onion) crickets at the zoo. I told my sister he'd eat them, but she was skeptical. Here you go, Meleah.

Yummmmmmm.........

2010-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna quit complaining about the less than stellar Mother's Day weekend I had. I truly am grateful for the fact that I have healthy kids to mother! But, let me just add the "Let me kick you in the crotch" beginning of the week around here. It kind of went with the theme of the weekend ....Eric and I both got the stomach flu which rendered me out of commission all day Monday. At first, I just thought I was getting old and the early mornings of the weekend had affected me more than I thought. Boy, was I relieved to know that I wasn't getting old, I just had a nasty virus! Tuesday morning, the boys were getting ready for school - and I use that phrase loosely- because they were more like horsing around. Max split his head open and bled all over while I laughed at him. Just hold on........I thought he was messing with me because he had a smile on his face as he was explaining what happened. We keep the craft paint downstairs, so obviously I thought they put paint on his head. Once I realized he was serious, I assessed the wound and luckily, no stitches were required. Crisis averted, but made for a quite hectic morning.

The kids have 3 days of school left and I'm ready for them to be home. May is always pretty busy with end of the year activities, awards ceremonies, luncheons, etc. This week, we were concentrating on the wax museum Max's class was performing. Max chose Albert Einstein and had been growing out his hair to look the part. The kids had recorded their information about their famous person in history. As the other classes in the school came through, Mr. Mosher played the corresponding bio as the museum "visitors" remarked at the uncanny resemblance to the likes of Neil Armstrong, Lewis and Clark, Rosa Parks and one of my personal favorites...Shirley Muldowney, among others. It was a lot of fun to watch, while Viv was confused as to the looks of her beloved big brother!

MY little genius!

2010-05-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

Oy.
I suppose it's my fault. I shouldn't attach such high standards to Mother's Day. It's a day where I can ask for almost anything I want - not to say I will get what I ask for, but I sure can ask. Who doesn't want a little pampering? I also look forward to the kid's joy in making me breakfast in bed and handing over the home-made flower cups they made in school. The debacle of a Mother's Day was not for lack of trying. Eric made dinner Saturday night and had the recipe and all the ingredients to make an egg dish and cinnamon rolls Sunday morning. What actually happened, was me getting up at 5 am to go to a baseball tournament. Once there, I sat nearly frozen for 14 1/2 hours...not including the one hour drive time to and from. Most the day I spent huddled up in blankets with only me eyes peeking out. If that wasn't bad enough, Max's team got run ruled twice. All games were delayed 2 hours due to wet fields, so by 7:30 I'd had enough. Nope. The boys played one more and won. Got home at 10:30 pm and ate that yummy dinner Eric made and prepared for the next day. Again, up at 5 am, only to have the boys run ruled again. At least that meant we got to go home. But, enough with the bad and in with the good. I love the Mom coupons the kids make. I will absolutely use the "Clean my room when Mom asks" , "Free cuddle" and my favorite this year?

Now THIS is a treasure, Jay!!

Maybe I'm getting old, but the early mornings and energy exerted shivering for 14+ hours, wiped me OUT! I took a 2 hour nap on Sunday, which is a rarity. Also rare is Max napping. Apparently, he was wiped too (of COURSE the kid was wiped!) He took a 4 1/2 hour nap!!

Happy Mother's Day, perfect or not!

2010-05-04T14:25:00.001-07:00

In Defense of Wanting What the Jones's Have

If you have never wanted what someone else has....you're a liar. It's part of our make-up, like flinching or contagious laugh. Sometimes you just can't help yourself. You read about how wrong it is to try to "keep up with the Jones's". I agree. Putting yourself into deep debt in an attempt to impress your neighbor with a new boat when you have no real desire to put it to much use, is wrong. However, is it wrong to want more for your children?

Recently, while attending my son's overnight field trip/camping outing, I felt that urge, the urge to play the lottery so that I had more money to buy a 5th wheel camper for my kids. My kids love to be outside fishing, hiking, exploring and on most days, our own backyard is just fine for that. However, Jay asked me if we could go camping this summer. Well, sure we could. (completely aside from the fact we have no empty weekends from baseball) We could pitch a tent and crap in the woods. That's all we have pertaining to camping, a tent and a couple rolls of toilet paper. Put that with some lawn chairs and campfire pokers, and we are off to the campgrounds.......I'm not a huge fan of roughing it on that level. Would it be a lot more fun to head to those campgrounds with a nice camper that sleeps 10? Absolutely. Do we have that kind of money? Absolutely not.

Of course these feelings of want are just magnified when a certain neighbor comments on their camper that sleeps 12. Or mentions, four times, the 20 acres of land to ride the quads, or the football field they are building on said 20 acres. It's not just a desire to invite friends to share in the fun of what they have, but more of a see-what-I-have-isn't-it-great superiority. Fine. Whatever. You have a lot of money and your kids are lucky to have you as parents, because of course, that means you love them more than we love our kids.

Why can't I give my kids an awesome summer of camping? Never mind that we are taking two awesome vacations this year to spend time with our families. Never mind that we have a roof over our heads and Eric still has a job in this economy. Never mind that even though money is tight, I am able to stay home with my kids to build memories I hope they will cherish. I want what my my neighbor has. It's a burden I bear with less and less guilt. It's ok to want what others have -it's human nature. But, when it overtakes your better judgement and pushes you to go after what others have, when you don't have the means, you may need a reality check. I've had to check that reality many times over. When it is all said and done, our family is having fun and building memories no matter how or when we go camping. We have a blast at the Cowboy Mounted Shooting weekends. We enjoy spending time watching baseball games (not for 14 1/2 hours in 40 degree weather, but that's another story for a later date). We cherish nights around the fire, roasting marshmallows, laughing at the dogs and still being able to sleep in our own beds that night. We love our kids and want the best for them. Is the "best" being able to buy a camper or put in a private football field? Perhaps. But for now, we'll be slumming it in our rolling turd (a rusty horse trailer) and backyard fire pit. I hope they will not be traumatized for life.

2010-05-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Do you want proof my son is growing out of control???

Here you go.

Max was fitted for baseball pants in February. The pants came in April. The kid grew at least an inch in that time. When he put his pants on before his first game, Eric and I both laughed. They are supposed to be the style of the pros with no elastic, just regular pants. His looked like capris!!! I took them to the place the team contracted with. Apparently, Max was not the only one to have this issue. I was told the 12u team had the same problem with a handful of boys. I don't think this particular style of baseball pants is a good idea for boys who like to GROW an inch in two months!! The next size up only adds a half an inch, if that, and the waist is 2 inches bigger. Not good for a boy who still wears slims.
My remedy? I cut up an old pair of pants (from last year) and sewed a piece to the bottom. It ain't pretty, but at least he doesn't look like he's waiting for the flood.......
*Thanks, Mom, for teaching me how to sew!!!

2010-04-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

For some reason I've been having some hormonal issues, lately. Maybe peri-menopausal, maybe stress related -whatever the reason, I know I've been prone to weeping at things that are sad, cute, disturbing, hilarious, etc. THIS photo falls into the cute category, for sure. Tears in the eyes, people. Nothing cuter than a little girl who loves her brother A LOT. And that big brother adores his little sister.

2010-04-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

Viv turns 1!!! We decided to celebrate Viv and Eric's birthdays the same day. Because we are crazy and don't think things through, we also decided to finish some home projects before the party. Needless to say, that was one crazy day. It was fun and I think Vivian enjoyed the attention. What am I saying, OF COURSE she enjoyed the attention!!

Aunt Crissy and Uncle Chris gave Ally these horse cake pans, and she agreed to let us use them for Viv's cake. Ally did get the privilege of decorating them.

This is what was left after the cake carnage. At first, Viv wasn't sure about diving into the cake - pretty sure it had more to do with all of us staring at her. We didn't realize until after the fact, that we took more video than photos. Haven't figured out how to get those off the camera, yet. All in all, it was a good time -my how the year flew!

2010-04-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

Viv's a maniac. She is a little "Hurricane Viv" as we lovingly call her. She has no fear and despite her exceptional coordination, she will fall....a lot. She already has 2 marks on her forehead from wipeouts, and yesterday added to the "owies". It started when she screamed bloody murder when I attempted to feed and water the dogs outside without her help. I was in a hurry, so didn't take the time to put her shoes on. Sure enough, she stepped on a rock/stick that was sharp enough to put a small cut on her foot. *Guilt!* Later that evening at the ballpark, Viv fell on the rocks and put another small cut on her hand. Then, not an hour later, in the bathtub, she fell and cut her mouth on a plastic toy. Now this one was bad. As she's writhing and screaming, I'm trying to assess the injury. At one point there was a line of blood about an inch long, which looked like the cut, itself. This would surely have meant stitches. After she calmed a bit, I realized it wasn't quite that big, but still ballooned to the size of a grape. All this was bad enough, but on top of it, we'd been to the doctor during the day because she has an ear infection! She has a nasty cold and there are 3 teeth coming in! Eeek!
The life of a toddler.........
!

2010-04-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's DONE!! I have been trying, in vain, to get Vivian's room done before the weekend birthday festivities. Once my mom got here and was able to watch the kids, I was able to finish it. I posted awhile back a poll as to what quote I should put on the wall. I decided that I couldn't pick just one. I ended up putting 4 quotes on the wall!! I had big ideas for fancy fonts and pretty pictures. This was quickly sidelined since I just wanted to get it done!! It still came out great and the obvious unprofessional and non-uniform letters are to make it look more "handmade". That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

This is how it turned out......

For you Gilmore Girl fans.....like the dragonfly??? :)

2010-04-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Max drew the firefly for me and was always there for me when I needed creative advice.

True.

Entire quote next to "Rosie the Riveter" says, Courage, determination, pride-that's what little girls are made of.

The frames to the left of the rocking chair are pictures Max and Ally made for Vivian. The picture of the horse is our horsey angel, Cody.

2010-04-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

Awesome Easter!!!

My brother, SIL and nephew came from Indiana to help us celebrate Easter along with Grandma. We had a blast!!
WooHoo!!! Q even got to drive!!

In the bucket is the first toad of the season. In addition to bucket fishing, toad hunting, horse grooming and EZGo riding, we had an egg hunt, Easter ham meal and plenty of chocolate consumption. Could it get any better?!

I have been trying to sign to Vivian for months now, with absolutely NO response. My nephew has been signing for a long time and knows many, many signs. Within a few days of Q being here, Viv signed "more" and "milk"!! Apparently, she thought I was full of shit, but since Q did it, he must know what he's talking about. She also said "mama" in the grocery store for Grandma while I was trying to track down french fried onions.....argh!!

Ally loves her cousin and I think the feeling is mutual. Undeniably adorable!!

2010-04-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Yummy cupcakes.............................................
April Fools!!!!

This is actually meatloaf with mashed potato frosting. Since my kids are on to me, I had to get really creative.

Grandma had just gotten to town the day before, so the next morning I told the kids Papa had called and Grandma's store had flooded and she had to go back to Iowa early. Max says he didn't buy it, Jay was on the fence, but Al fell for it. Sure, it wasn't a funny ..ha ha...kind of prank, but I'm getting desperate!!

The kids sure were surprised when the cupcakes were put on the table. I also had green, yellow and orange Skittles in a bowl made to look like peas, carrots and corn. It was fun to tell the kids to quit eating their vegetables and finish their cupcakes!!

2010-04-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Eric's 40th birthday came and went without much fanfare. We are doing a combination birthday for Eric and Viv this weekend, to truly celebrate the occasions.
This is Eric's birthday present. Mark had an opportunity to get Eric some pistols for the cowboy mounted shooting at a great deal. A bunch of people went in on the gift and they were presented to him at the practice shoot.

Slowly, we are attaining gear for the shooting club. Now, if we could only buy time......

Eric and Viv on Jack.

2010-03-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

WOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Can you even believe it?! I'm not much of a basketball fan, but this is very cool. Could you actually hear the shattering of, not glass, but brackets all over the country??? Max said most of the kids in his class had Kansas taking the whole thing. I love a good upset (except when it's my team getting upset, of course). Even if the Panthers don't win their next game, it was quite a ride to this point. Yay Panthers!!!

2010-03-21T07:06:00.000-07:00

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!

The leprechauns struck again, turning the milk and toilet water green. They left gold and green coins laying around to find. They moved furniture around and played with Jay's green Legos. And look what they did to Ally's hair!

Nooooo.....she always wakes up looking like that.

There was a great feast of corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and mint chocolate brownies. I could say that the leprechauns were the ones who ate brownies out of the middle, but it was, alas, my own little leprechauns.

This was a bitter-sweet St Patrick's Day for me. On the eve of the leprechaun fun, Max and I were discussing the holiday. He made a few comments leading me to believe he really ....didn't. I resisted a small temptation to confirm his suspicions.... for awhile. Finally, I really got the idea he wanted the truth. I thought about the times I had done this with my Mom for my little brother and had a lot of fun. So, I asked him if he wanted to help me play leprechaun. As we started putting food color in the milk, etc. I suddenly realized what just happened. What had I done?! I can't take it back. I can never take it back. It won't just be the leprechauns...Easter is coming up - no Easter bunny? Christmas?! There's no way he'll believe that I'm the leprechauns, but NOT Santa?! Here is where I lost it. I regretted confirming Max's inquiry. I cried for hours and woke up with a broken heart and swollen eyes. The next morning, Jay and Al had a blast looking for all the leprechaun mischief. Max, being the sweetheart he is, whispered to me, "It's ok, Mom, it was worth it. We are really good leprechauns". *sigh*

2010-03-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

Viv said her first word!! One guess what it was.........

HORSEY!!!!! Max said he knew she had said it the day before when she was looking out her bedroom window. However, if it were up to the kid's opinion on the matter, she would have already said the words....Jay, Bon Jovi, wow, Lego, Dora...the list goes on. For me, she pointed to the window and as I took her to it, she then pointed to the barn and said "horsey". It really was unmistakable. The next day, she said "Uh-Oh" when she dropped/threw her drink on the floor. The words may be a little sporadic, but they are coming. Come ON, she can't be expected to walk AND talk at the same time! :)

Here are the newest members to the Schreiber homestead. The geese seem pretty comfortable here, but I can't imagine our place is the most serene place around.....

Milton and Myrtle.

You KNOW I name all creatures who make their home here. I named the opossum in the barn, Pedro. He ended up having a little friend whom I didn't get the chance to get to know and name. Why? Hm. Because before I got to spend any time with Pedro's friend, I found their two dead carcasses hanging suspended in a barren bush across the street from the barn. Thanks, ERIC!!!! After realizing they didn't fall down into the bottom of the bush, he went and removed them. Nice.

2010-03-13T07:40:00.000-08:00

Ally: Mom, can Viv have chocolate?
Me: Ummmm...why do you ask?

Took a trip to the local store the other night. The bags were on the floor while I had 30 seconds of "me"time. Translation? I had to pee. Anyway, the above conversation took place.

There was a Bun chocolate candy bar in the bag. I did not buy it and I know Al didn't sneak it in, because she said so and she doesn't like that kind of candy. Anyway the chocolate must have been left in a bag that the cashier then put our stuff on top of. Viv had gotten into the bag AND got the wrapper off in the 30 seconds, and I do mean 30 seconds, I was indisposed. Well, I went ahead and put her in the high chair and watched closely while she nearly devoured the entire thing. I wouldn't normally let her chow down on such a blatantly forbidden food like this, but she had really outdone herself getting it in the first place, so I let her indulge. I took it away before she got down to actually getting any of the small, hard chunks, but she had a great time until then. Of course, I had to throw away the WHITE onesie she was wearing, but she had to have thought it was worth it.

*In case you were wondering, Al did not unwrap it for Viv, she was just as surprised as I was!

2010-02-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

I distracted Viv with a big pile of laundry - she loves to systematically pull out each and every piece of clothing in the basket - then put in a couple of pigtails. While they aren't the most polished looking pigtails, they are stinkin' cute. Just think what I could do with her hair if I had more than 2.5 seconds to do it in.

2010-02-23T14:05:00.000-08:00

If your name is Abby and you are getting married to a Marine....do not read this post!!!!!

Our friend is marrying a Marine this fall, so Jay decided he would make something special for them. He made a Marine Lego figure!! He painted it to look like the USMC dress blues which is what the groom will be wearing in the wedding.
How awesome is that?!

He also made a Lego howitzer scene. This is what Eric did in the Marine Corps. I tell you, this kid is talented.

2010-02-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

POLL!!!!!!!

Ok people, I need help. When we lived in Georgia, I wrote part of a poem on Ally's wall, which I loved. I want to do the same for Viv, but can't decide what to write. I found a lot of stuff on the Internet and have narrowed it down to these 9 quotes/sayings. Help me choose the right one.

1) Golden slumbers fill your eyes, Smiles awake when you rise, Sleep pretty darling, do not cry, And I will sing a lullaby -Beatles, 1969

2)With moonbeams in hand and stardust in eyes, you're a baby of heaven, drifting down from the sky - unknown

3) Courage, determination, pride...that's what little girls are made of - unknown

4) Daughters dance their way into your heart, whirling on the tips of angel wings; scattering kisses and gold dust in our paths - unknown

5) Girls are giggles with freckles all over them - unknown

6) May you touch fireflies and stars, dance with fairies and talk to the man in the moon. Welcome to the world, little one. It's been waiting for you.

7) Only a true princess would get away with as much as I do.

8) Someday I may find my prince charming, but Daddy will always be my king.

9) Last but not least, the lyrics to "Were You Lead", which is the theme song to Gilmore Girls. A song in which, when heard, Viv nearly breaks her neck to see the tv, dances and smiles to. I'm just sayin'.......she's my daughter. -Where you lead, I will follow anywhere you tell me to. If you need , if you need me to be with you , I will follow where you lead. - Carole King

I could also do a montage of different sayings, since I have a large wall to work with. I will post pictures when I get her room all done. It's so pretty, I wish I could sleep in it. Really. Eric snores.

2010-02-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

February:

Our February is just as busy, possibly busier, than the holidays. We have two birthdays in our family, plus many of the kid's friend's birthdays are this month. EEK! Basically, it's a carefully orchestrated dance of scheduling and chauffeuring each weekend. Oh yeah, I forgot about the basketball practices and games, too. The past couple of weeks have had a few "extras" thrown in for good measure.
1. I got a head cold/chest cold that knocked me on my ass. I don't get sick all that often, but when I do, that virus means business!
2. George also got sick. He stopped eating and was acting very depressed. We tried a couple different things to get him back to normal, but the vet finally took blood work to learn George has a stomach ulcer!! It could be the influx of horses in and out, the weather, his "grandma" Dixie going to a new home.....who knows. He is now on the purple pill for horses, as the vet called it. He is doing much better, thankfully. However, the process of getting him there involved a lot of extra trips to the vet, extra trips to the barn and worry.
3. We've gotten 62 inches of snow. Ok, so maybe not 62 inches, but it seems like it. We like to play, but enough already!! On the bright side, I'm probably burning 300 calories trudging through all the thigh high snow getting to the barn!

So much freaking snow!!!!

SOME of the food assembled for Max's sleep-over. 11 year old boys can eat GINORMOUS amounts of food!!!

Max's last classroom birthday celebration. In middle school, I'm pretty sure he'd be embarrassed to have mom come in with cupcakes and a camera. Was he embarrassed THIS year with the camera and cupcakes? Absolutely. I live to embarrass my children.

2010-02-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

Vivian is a walking fool! In one week, she's gone from 5-6 steps at a time, to walking anywhere her little heart desires. She especially likes to walk and hold things at the same time. She can also get into even more trouble than she did crawling. Go figure. So long baby, hello toddler :(

2010-01-29T12:31:00.000-08:00

Here's Jacky boy. Sweet & wonderful.

Jack and George.

George, Jack and Vanilla -separated, of course from the "Evil Pony" as Eric calls her.

2010-01-29T12:20:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love before and after pictures?!

BEFORE

AFTER!

It's absolutely amazing how much of a difference these new floors make on the kitchen/entry area. Who puts carpet in a kitchen, anyway?!

2010-01-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

Some Disney photos may be trickling in from other's cameras, so I'll be posting an occasional photo when I get them.

Here is Ally with one of the performers from High School Musical 3. These singers and dancers ride on a big hayrack/flatbed type of vehicle while they perform songs from HSM. Once they reach their destination, they jump off and continue to sing and dance on a stage. Fortunately for us, we were there fairly early, waiting for them to arrive. We got to sit in the front, which is basically just a crowd of people, no seats or anything. There are Disney employees who are guiding people around, making sure no one gets a) run over by the performing flatbed b) trampled by over-zealous HSM fans and c) a crazy idea to storm Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. Nooooooo, it was not really Zac and Vanessa. I told Ally before they arrived that it wouldn't be the real "Troy" and "Gabriella". Ally said she knew that because they probably couldn't afford them. Haaaaaaa.......

While we sat and watched, this girl kept looking at Ally. She must have been trying to make her day, knowing she was a fan. Good call to wear that jacket, eh?! So, it was no surprise when they announced the performers would be coming into the crowd to pick out some kids to dance with, that she picked Al. The bonus was that someone also grabbed Lainey (Ally's cousin). They both got to dance with the performers!! Yay!!

2010-01-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

RANDOM THOUGHTS.........(not to be confused with DEEP thoughts! :)

So the Vikings lost. It was heartbreaking. I was sad and disappointed, mostly for Brett Favre. The silver lining was that the team to beat them was the Saints. They deserve a Superbowl trip. I hope they beat the crap out of the Colts.
*Notice the silver lining reference? My New Year's resolution is to be more positive. So far, I'm doing a pretty shitty job. SOOOOO, that means there's room for improvement! See how that works?!

What is up with my body thinking that I'm freezing to death?! Every winter for the past 3 years, I've gained at least 5 pounds. I swear my internal thermostat is in panic mode, thinking I'm sitting on the side of a mountain in -5 degree weather, waiting for a rescue party. I'm NOT freezing to death!! I am always cold, wearing around my slippers, sweatshirts/sweaters and a cup of hot tea in my hands -but nearing hypothermia? No.

I've been a research maniac lately, looking for great last-minute recipes. Love the crockpot, but I'm also needing meals that I can whip up in less than 25 minutes. I'm enjoying these last few weeks before the shit hits the fan. Right now, Max has basketball practice on Friday nights, which is easy for me since Dad's the coach and I don't have to load up everyone to get him there. Starting in February, we'll have Bullets baseball Tues., Wed. and Thurs. We'll also have Jay's guitar lessons either Wed. or Thurs. Ally wants to start piano, so I'm currently working on a time machine in the basement in my spare time. Who couldn't use an extra day or even a couple hours in their week?!
*I was discussing piano lessons with Ally and Jay in the car the other day. I asked her if she would want ME to teach her piano...at least to get her started to see if she likes it. Both kids seemed completely shocked that I knew piano. I explained that I took piano lessons for many years when I was in elementary/middle school. Jay's response was this, "So, you got any other dark secrets you want to share?!" :)

We have a new member of the family! His name is Jack and he is about 1200 pounds with brown hair and calm personality. Yes, it's a new horse. We were told someone had a great horse for us and he was sorrel in color, with a history in barrel racing. Turns out, he wasn't sorrel in color, but chestnut with a white diamond on his forehead.....which makes him look exactly like.....Cody. It's a little eerie. We got him last Saturday contingent on the vet's ok and a couple opportunities to ride him. We rode him and he is very calm and sweet. The vet said he looks good and will be nearly perfect with a good hoof trim and ear cleaning. He and George are fast friends and inseparable. He won't replace Cody and although he looks almost identical to him, he is a different horse who will undoubtedly make his own mark on our hearts. I quietly told him to be gentle with us - we've had our hearts broken by another chestnut horse and we can't take it again. He quietly told me he'd be careful with himself and planned to stick around for a long time....then he kicked the shit out of the wall during the night. Ha ha ha..he was only letting George know he was alpha. Silly horses.
*They'll be pictures to come soon, I'm sure.

2010-01-24T15:35:00.000-08:00

So, it's 6:30 on Sunday night. I'm sooooo nervous for the game. I want the Vikings to win soooo bad. My favorite player on my favorite team - it just doesn't get any better than that. The catch? I like the Saints. That city has been through so much. But, I will route for the Vikings and probably cry if they lose. (You think I'm kidding.......) I love you Minnesota Vikings - you can SOOOO do this!!!!! Brett Favre, you rock and you brought this team farther than anyone. Please teach Tarvaris if you decide to go.................

2010-01-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

POOOOOOOR VIVIAN!!

I was making a noise she didn't like. By the looks of it, you'd think I was morphing into satan himself.

2010-01-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

Even MORE photos!!

The 3D movie/show Mickey's Phantasmic. At one point, Ally became obsessed with reading the Disney park maps. She got very good. This was one of those times.

Ally and Baloo from "The Jungle Book"

Beast, Jaxon, Lainey, Belle and Ally.

Vivian LOVED the Pluto characters.

2010-01-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

MORE DISNEY PHOTOS!!

Even in a hotel room at Disney, Jay can find room to build Legos. Yes, we did our research before going, looking for a Lego store.

Ariel was a statue next to the pool. Viv was happy to explore.

The pool was heated, so the kids were absolutely interested in swimming. Although the sun was out, it was still very cold. They didn't care until it was time to get out.

Breakfast with the Disney Princesses was in the Cinderella castle. All of the princesses showed up. We tried to coax the boys out of their booth to take a picture with Jasmine. Finally, she had to go to them. The were all in to it, as you can see.........

2010-01-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

We just got back from Disney!! My MIL and FIL took our family plus Eric's brother's family to DisneyWorld this past week. I gotta be honest, I was nervous about taking a good, but regimented, 9 month old on this type of vacation. By the middle of the week, I was able to relax a little. Vivian was really, really good and the kids had a BLAST!!!! How could you not? I'm hoping to get more photos from everyone else's cameras and post them. Until then, I will start with the unfortunate, but non-deterring hiccups....every vacation has them, am I right??

1. Some mild GI issues for a couple of people in our party.

2. Jay collided with the hotel....yes, I mean the building. He spent the rest of the week with a scrape over his eye as the swelling went down and the bruising colored his face yellow.

3. Even though I told the boys twice to pack trunks, they both forgot them. I distinctly remember it, because I also said I wasn't sure they could use them, but bring them anyway. (It was in the 20's when we got to Orlando!)

4. Jay made friends with the ice bucket on night 4. He only blew chunks the one time, but felt pretty crummy for the next 12 or so hours. We thought the fact that he rode the Mt. Everest ride 6 times in a row had something to do with it, but turns out it was a bug-maybe even the one that caused issue earlier in the week.

5. NOT to be outdone by Jay, Vivian had her own explosion, only out the other end. My MIL and I basically bathed her with baby wipes in a restaurant bathroom. Let's just say my first order of business on arriving home was to soak certain clothes.......

We had dinner one night at a restaurant in a ginormous log resort. I thought our waitress was from the Ed Debevic's school of waitressing. Turns out, I think she was just that way- a refreshing smartass. Loved her. At one point, Ally asked for some ketchup. We hear her turn around and yell, "ANYONE GOT SOME KETCHUP?!" About 5 people from a table nearby come bearing 5 bottles of ketchup. It was hysterical. Then, when the next person wanted ketchup, we got to return the favor. The kids got a kick out of that.

As you can see in the photo, Al was upset. Dad and Jay were in the car next to us, and Dad told Ally we sucked cuz they got in front of us. The combination of sleep deprivation and a sugar crash had something to do with the mood she was in for the next 25 minutes.

Jay loves anything military and was excited to visit Germany at Epcot. We had fun in Japan, Norway and only after we left Mexico did we notice that Jay was missing. I run back through South America and Europe and find Jay standing in the middle of the walkway right outside a Norwegian huset. His eyes were red and he looked like a lost puppy....as opposed to a lost child??? Anyway, we were reunited and grateful. It was difficult to keep tabs on 6 kids ages 3 to 11. We thought we did okay only losing one in 7 days.

The gift shop outside the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride proved nearly fatal for Eric as Vivian branded a deadly plastic knife. Although I enjoyed looking at 10 versions of Johnny Depp, Viv was less than impressed. She seemed to really like looking around, but was mostly "wowed" by the characters Donald Duck and Pluto.

I'm not even sure what building this is behind me, but the fact that it was sunny and I didn't have a hat, gloves and down vest on was worth a picture. Yes, we were disappointed in the weather. We were hoping for mid to upper 60's, secretly pining for low 70's. We got....brrrrr. It was in the 30's until Monday, then slowly warmed up to the low 70's by the time we left. ARGH! Oh well, it was still loads of fun.

Ally got an autograph book and hit up at least 15 characters. I'm hoping to get the photos from my SIL and MIL of Ally dancing with the "High School Musical 3" group. They performed several songs from the movie in the middle of the park. As we sat and watched, one of the performers came and grabbed Al to go out and dance with her. I know her adorable face probably lured the performer in, but what put her over the edge was the HSM coat Al wore almost every day we were there. I had 2 people ask me where I got it. They were disappointed to hear, "Target in Columbus, Ohio".

Look closely at this picture..........do you see it? Jay was really mad at Al. That wasn't a silly stick-your-tongue-out-face. That was a I-wish-I-could-really-shoot-daggers-out-of-my-eyes-face. The kids got along ok for the most part, but at this particular moment, there was definitely tension (times 10).

I feel like we have experienced a rite of passage going to Disney. The kids were at perfect ages. They were tall enough to ride any ride they wanted and will, hopefully, remember it. We decided we would go again when Vivian is old enough to experience it, too. It's definitely true that Disney is for people of any age. My favorite ride? The Rockin Rollercoaster, followed by the Tower of Terror :)

Watch for more pictures....there has to be hundreds of them between the three families and all the cameras.

*No, I will not post hundreds of Disney pictures, but there are more out there that will be fun to see. The best part? You are not sitting in my living room, watching slides of our vacation. You can choose to look away at any point. You also don't have to pretend to be enjoying the display. It's a win-win.

2010-01-04T16:47:00.000-08:00

One of the things on my nephew, Kyu's, wish list was a foam sword. His wish was my command.

Of course his Mom and Dad knew what it would be used for and delighted in it. Actually, we all delighted in it :)

Uncle Nick got Max Underarmour gear. Would you believe this kid goes through these wrist/head/arm bands like underwear? Ok, I guess that's not so impressive when you realize #1 - I throw them away if I've asked him to pick them up more than 5 times in a 6 week period and #2- Max doesn't actually go through underwear all that fast ( a funny story for another post)

It was a hard year for Meleah, Chris and my I and our pets. Chris and Crissy lost their dear Bella in August. We lost Cody in October and Meleah and Dave lost Clyde (dude) in November. Mom made us ornaments as tributes to our beloved pets.

Everyone enjoyed their gifts and spending time together. Eric ordered me a Vikings Favre jersey and although I was perturbed that he got me something when we weren't exchanging with each other, I was THRILLED to have it! I wear it all the time :)

The other gift I received was from Chris & Crissy. They donated money to the humane society in Cody's name. They said someone did that for them when Bella died and they thought it was a thoughtful gift. I wholeheartedly agree!! I love it.

Now we are re-organizing our stuff and re-packing for Florida. We leave for Disney on Friday and are super excited. We are hoping for some warmer weather and dry skies. Seeing as how it is now 3 degrees here and 12 feet of snow, I think we'll be in luck.

2010-01-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

Jay got the DSi that was all he talked about for months.

It's amazing how -the older the kid boys get, the smaller the gifts are in size......not so much in price.

Al loved her Horseland pj's, but also was very excited to get all the Lego sets she asked for. The ones with horses in them, so she can play with Jay.

Viv liked opening gifts, only to eat the paper. Still, it was fun to watch her among the boxes and mess.

2010-01-04T07:31:00.000-08:00

First snow of the season and from it, a dirty snowman....not "dirty", but leafy. Better.

Viv's first experience with snow and she loved it. Here, she's making a snow angel - or at least that's what Jay said she was doing when he laid her in it.

No, it was not yellow, just cold.

Happy to be outside!!!

2009-12-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

This is Eric's Christmas gift. I did this before he and I decided we would be foregoing gifts to/from each other this year. So, the kids and I gave it to him the other night. You can't really tell very well in the picture, but there's a braid of hair on the top and bottom. Horse hair is shockingly hard to work with. The vet gave us some of Cody's mane and tail and I knew we'd want to do something with it. The rest will go to the barn and hang in tribute.

I found it very hard to put this project together, for obvious reasons. I'm a little surprised how emotional I still get after over 3 months. Eric really enjoyed the collage and it will hang proudly in the Schreiber home.

2009-12-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

ARGH!!!! I'm tired of sweeping up glass! Two nights ago, while I was trying to get dinner ready, Max, who is in constant motion, tossed an orange up and hit the light fixture. It popped and basically, it rained glass. He helped me get the dogs and baby to safe places, but I spent the next hour or so tracking down itty bitty pieces of glass.
The very next night, I was cooking a pork loin and went to add a little more water to the dish. BOOM! This time it wasn't a pop, it was an explosion. I screamed and ALL the kids came running. I had a piece of meat searing on the oven rack, spaghetti squash next to it garnished with glass and chunks of sharp pieces all over the inside and outside of the oven. WTF?!?! Eric walks in the door only minutes/seconds? later, as I'm still standing in front of the oven, thinking, "I don't even know where to start." We were able to salvage the meat and squash. At least no one began bleeding from the mouth as we sat at the dinner table. I opted out of this clean-up fiasco and offered to muck stalls and feed the horses. I definitely got the better bargain.

This was the biggest piece.

Most were of this size or smaller.

I knew Eric would be better at this sort of thing, because he is so anal (ahem), thorough. He took apart the oven and cleaned it out very well. However, how well can you REALLY clean up minuscule pieces of glass? I will be sweeping up glass for months.

2009-12-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

Eric's company held a special celebration at the Columbus Zoo this past Saturday. The boys had a birthday party/overnight, so it was Dad, Mom, and the girls. Al got to decorate her own cookie after visiting Santa.

Columbus Zoo's "Wildlights" is awesome. New LED lights this year provided a beautiful scene. I think I heard over 2 million people visit Wildlights each year. Seeing how busy it was last Saturday, I don't doubt those numbers one bit.

Eric admits failing to read his email regarding what special shows the company had planned for Saturday. They rented a room for the employees and families. Zoo staff brought in animals for the kids to see and they had their own Santa. Cool, right? Yes. Very cool. Would have been even cooler if we had known about the Santa and didn't stand in line for 45 minutes waiting for the zoo Santa. But, whatever. We ended up getting the "Good Santa Photo" and the "Bad Santa Photo".

I sat Viv on Santa's lap and held my breath. She was mesmerized. She would have stared at him the whole time if it weren't for the photographer shaking a very loud bell.

Then, we went to the company Santa. Viv was getting tired and hungry. This Santa got the raw end of the deal.
Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!

2009-12-08T04:29:00.000-08:00

TIME FOR A POLL!!!

Viv has these long wisps of hair on either side of her head and a rat-tail in the back. I'm starting to think I should just cut these pieces.

As you can see, they are really long! Maybe a more clean-cut look? I already cut her bangs because they were getting in her eyes. So, obviously we won't be waiting until her 1st birthday for the hair-cutting to begin.

On the side of the blog, there is a poll. Vote!!!

2009-12-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

CHRISTMAS FUN!

This was a gift from my sister to Eric last year. Our annual tradition is to watch "A Christmas Story" on Thanksgiving Day. Last year we went to the Christmas Story house in Cleveland. Great movie. Now, we have our own Frajeelay leg lamp!

Uh oh. Look who found the Christmas tree!

Sure, this could be an old man with a long nose and googly eyes. OR...........

Yeah, the cookie making got out of control. Dad, if you're reading this, don't be mad. The kids didn't know cookie dough would make grease stains on the ceiling.

2009-12-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

More Viv pictures. It seems there's an uneven amount of photos of the baby, but she's a baby, right? :)

Look who found the dog's water dish! See the water splashed on the wall, her clothes, the floor.....

I could have stopped her, but 1. Why ruin the fun? 2. I was too busy taking pictures 3. Natural consequences, baby. She'll feel wet, not like it, then decide not to do it again......Wow, that was just as funny typed as it was in my head.

Meleah, Crissy, notice the babylegs? Love 'em. She thinks she's such a big deal.

2009-11-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

Vivian LOVES Elmo!! She hears the theme from Elmo's World no matter where she is in the house.

2009-11-29T17:52:00.000-08:00

I mentioned we got George back this weekend. The family did a wonderful job training him. George was a pretty calm horse for being green and the training helped his demeanor even more. Eric and I spent some time with him on Sunday.
Eric rode first and George was behaving....well enough. At one point, the saddle began slipping and Eric dumped off the side. This freaked George a little - ok, a lot. The horse takes off running. He misses the turn headed back to the barn and must have contemplated jumping the fence, but what ensued was a slider into home base-however not very graceful. He breaks the fence (which is an electric rope, basically), is up on his feet and at a dead sprint for the field. Eric is still lying on the ground, but moving. I call out to him to see if he's ok and he, well, kinda answers me. Hey, he was moving, ok!! I go after the horse, who has stopped just across the pond. I approach him as he waits for me. At the same time, the kids +2 are running out of the house, yelling. I'm not paying much attention to them, only to yell back."Shhhhh Don't spook the horse!" To which they reply....."Dylan cut his hand and is bleeding!!" Once I get George by the bridle, I turn to see that Eric is up and walking and the bleeding wound from friend, Dylan's, hand is only a flesh wound.

My turn out was a little less dramatic.

2009-11-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

A family from the cowboy mounted shooting circuit has been training George for the past couple months. On Friday, Eric and the kids traveled to their house in North Central Ohio to retrieve George and take in some pheasant hunting. You read right.

I was concerned that I made the choice not to go....the baby, her naps, the 2 hour drive, the weather, etc. I figured the kids would get cold/bored and sit in the house all day. Soooo not the case. They were out there hunting and loving every minute of it.

Ally. She ain't no girlie-girl!!

The group.

Um, yeah. I can't tell you if I'm proud or mortified.

Ally designated herself the official pheasant carrier. Eric said she cradled one and while petting it said, "It just looks so lifeless." I asked her later what she meant by that. I kind of expected a philosophical answer like she had just seen it flying and now it was still. She said, "Well it's head just kept flopping around all over." She's a maniac.

They came home from this trip with souvenir pheasant feet and blood all over their clothes. Their instructions were to.. ..go ahead and tell Mom how much fun you had...in VERY LITTLE DETAIL. Thank God.

*Oh, and about 20 yards from their destination, the wheel fell off the trailer!! They were able to scrounge enough parts to get it back on for the trip home. The rolling turd came through, I guess. I have never felt more hillbilly in all my life.

2009-11-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving at the Schreibers. Eric has taken over turkey duty for the past few years. He found a recipe on the Internet called "kickass turkey". We've been making it ever since. YUM!
*Notice Boo - you can't actually see the drool on his chops, but it's there.

The boys helped me out. Jay was in charge of the mandolin (I KNOW!! At least it's not a sledgehammer) Max was in charge of grating cheese for the turnip gratin.(recipe from pioneer woman's website). Oddly enough, Max grated his finger and Jay came out of mandolin slicing unscathed.

Even Gracie and Boo enjoyed the holiday!

2009-11-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

I can't even tell you why Max fell asleep on the stairs. All I know is that he hasn't done this in about 9 years. Kinda sweet.

2009-11-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

Ahhh.....ok, I feel better, now. Sorry about that bah humbug stuff. It happens every year. Thankfully I'm able to get myself out of it, thanks to the dedication of my wonderful and generous friend, Kim. She "made" me take steps to enjoy Christmas a couple years ago. Baking cookies, "Elf", candy cane cocoa, watching the kids enjoy the season, these are the things Christmas is all about anyway.

Before we get wrapped up in the Christmas holiday, lest we not forget Thanksgiving. OF course I am thankful for my family, friends, health, country, etc. Here are a few more obscure things I am thankful for:

1. Ellen Degeneres (because she makes me laugh every day)

2. The smell of horses ( not the shit, but their, ya know, horsey smell)

3. The brief time I had in my life when I could stand in line at the grocery store and NOT rock back and forth. Noticed I had really just stopped doing that before having Viv.

4. Ponytail holders

5. Grapes. Ok, what the hell, fermented grapes. Hee Hee Hee.

6. Odor eliminator garbage bags

7. Peroxide and vinegar (although I haven't tried them together). Who KNEW you could clean so many things with them!

8. That reminds me...occasionally an actual HELPFUL email comes my way. So, the Internet would be another thing I'm grateful for.

9. Elmo. 'Nuff said, right?

10. Coffee, chocolate and Johnny Depp

I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. Eat, drink, and be merry. I know I will!!! :)

2009-11-19T12:55:00.000-08:00

*Sigh*

It's a struggle every year. I want to be festive. I really do.

Why am I such a bah humbug?!?!

Whoever said money won't buy you happiness, never had 3+ kids with Christmas lists. One of those kids had his list made out long before Halloween. They've never had to explain why even Santa can't bring you the $200 item on your list, which, by the way, includes 12 other items. My dear hubby's solution seems obvious, right? "Well, we'll just have to come up with 3 or 4 items and they'll have to be happy with that." Uh....ok. So, since Santa brings 3 gifts each year, that leaves.....one, maybe two presents to open Christmas Eve???!!! Yeah, it's more obvious he's never had to do the Christmas shopping, organizing, hiding, or budgeting. ARGH! Yes, we will cut back even more this year, blah, blah, blah. I'm even considering reaping the savings on Black Friday. EEK!! I'm not quite that desperate ...yet.

Oh! And want to know what's even MORE fun this year?! Christmas shopping with an 8 month old baby with a rigid nap schedule! ............(yay.)

Inner scrooge, you persistent bastard, one of these Christmases you WILL go down! I WILL be filled with joy, dammit!!!

2009-11-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

And so it starts.................crawling...walking...the urge to move. Actually, Viv has little interest in crawling. She does, however, want to walk!! She's been trying to pull herself up lately. She usually is crawling up ME as I sit on the floor with her. She has gotten herself to her knees, mostly. Today, she got herself all the way up on her feet via the couch.

"NOW what do I do?!?!" The reason she is crying is because the only way down is to, basically, fall. OR, she can wait for mommy to come pick her up. It's a shame mommy is too busy taking a picture. WAH!!!!!!!!........

2009-11-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

Viv loves being outside. (Especially with Max)

Apparently, she loves grass, too!! :)

2009-11-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

Too tired to even lay down.......:)