Pefect Pictures?

I have said before how frustrating it is to me that I can never get a good group shot of my kids. Someone is always looking away, or has their eyes closed, or on a really bad day... pouting. Why is this?

Here is a picture of the kiddos on Easter, that I never got around to posting.

This was the best one I got. I know it isn't horrible. Jack looks great, and at least Reagan is smiling. I have no idea what is going on with Kennedy!

Sometimes it seems like you can have this image of the perfect shot in your head and when it doesn't translate to the camera it can be frustrating. My problem is that I have managed to get those perfect shots before. But, I can only seem to get them when someone else is behind the camera. This picture was taken when Jack was just two weeks old and four days out of the hospital (story here). It was the second week of December and we used it for our Christmas card that year. I know this is a bad scanned in copy, but at the time it was perfect! It was exactly what I had in mind, if not more.

This one has made an appearance on the blog before. Also a Christmas card picture... you try getting a 3yr old, an 2yr old, and a 9 month old who is crawling to sit still long enough for this one! It was a miracle. It is still my favorite picture of the three of them.

So for now, I won't complain if this is the best I can do on my own...

But... Leah do you think you could give me a call? Its time.

The story behind the picture...

Sorry to keep you all waiting! I'm sure the suspense must have been killing you. There were quite a few guesses as to why I had this picture taken...

But only one of you was right. If I was awarding a prize, it would have to go to Toni. I have no idea how you knew, but kudos to you! Yes, this picture was taken as a professional head shot for my little aspiring superstar! A couple of weeks ago Reagan stood on a stage in front of a theater full of people and sang her little heart out!

Our local Cancer Care Foundation hosted an American Idol night at the Wagon Wheel Theater. I know, I know she's a little young to be an American Idol. But, they had a special category just for the "future idols". Turns out she was the youngest one of the night and she had to go first! She sang Tomorrow from Annie and even though she forgot some of the words, she did amazing! I was just so proud that she had the courage to get up there and do it. I tell you this girl is not afraid of anything! She didn't raise the most money, but she was a winner in my book!

So, I have to give another little shout out to my friend Leah, who took the head shot. It was a whirlwind of events around here last month! We found out about the show on a Wednesday, auditioned that Thursday, and on Friday got the call that she had made the show! We had three weeks to get her ready for it! When they told me they needed a good picture of her I was afraid I would have to use her horrible school picture from this year. I called Leah and she came and took this photo on Saturday. I can't thank her enough!

So, this may have been the most exciting event of the month, but rest assured it was not the only event! I have many more pictures to post and stories to tell, so stay tuned!

Reagan's headshot

I know it's been to long... and I know you all deserve an actual post with real information. But, its been a crazy month and I just don't have the energy. I finally have pictures uploaded and ready to go, I just don't have the time to write about it all. So I decided to leave you with this small teaser...

Isn't my friend Leah amazing? She took this headshot for a very exciting event around here that we spent the whole month of April getting ready for. Anyone care to venture a guess as to what this picture was for?

Believe in Spring

Today is the first day of Spring Break around these parts. It is also the first year in a long time that we haven't gone anywhere to celebrate. More specifically, that we haven't gone to Florida. So of course, what could be a better way to start my non-vacation, than to wake up to snow on the ground. Isn't that just lovely. (said with a sarcastic deadpan tone) So, today in my usual tradition, as I look forward to the next season I can't help but think about a certain moose. I wonder what he would say about this morning's snow?

Oh, and I must leave you with one gratuitous "cute kid picture". Yesterday we went to my mom and dad's for pancakes. Reagan is always excited to do this because Grandpa lets her help flip the pancakes. I didn't have my camera, but my brother snapped this with his fancy schmancy iphone. I guess she's learning young...

A Conversation About Cupcakes

The following is a conversation that took place yesterday in my van. Please try and remember that as it took place, JoJo's Circus was playing on the T.V., Jack was trying to wiggle out of his car seat, and Reagan was screaming MOM at the top of her lungs from the back seat. She was attempting to be heard by said mom in the front seat who was driving her to school with both hands on the wheel and one ipod earbud in her ear.

Dee Dee: Hey, Shannon(who was sitting in the passenger seat)I like cupcakes!

Shannon: Really Dee Dee, I like cupcakes too.

Dee Dee: Hey, Shannon, cupcakes have sprinkles!

Shannon: That's right Dee Dee, cupcakes do have sprinkles.

Dee Dee: Hey, Shannon, cupcakes have icing!

Shannon: (trying to contain her laughter)Yes, Dee Dee cupcakes have icing.

Dee Dee: Hey, Shannon, guess what? I like cupcakes!

WHERE, is ask you, WHERE do they come up with this stuff?

Old Friends Are the Best...

This is by far, one of my favorite pictures from high school. Even as I type that it is hard to believe it was actually taken over 10 years ago! It seems like it was yesterday. In reality, it was a gorgeous sunny day, at the end of the summer, right before my senior year. My best friend in the world, Shannon, was having her senior pictures taken and wanted to include this group shot. I am so happy that she did.

What can I say about my best friends from high school? Ten years later, we are all different people. We are all married, some of us have kids, some jobs, some of us have both. But, I find myself looking back a lot lately on what my life was like ten years ago. It was fun and carefree. I was more worried about what part I was going to get in the fall play than I was about how I was going to pay to put gas in my car. Yes, I thought my life was going to end when my boyfriend went off to college that fall, but it didn't. I had some great friends to lean on. Friends like Megan, Shannon, and Tiffany.

Shannon has been my best friend since we sat together in English lit. freshman year. We did theater together, we did choir together, we cried over boys together. Even through college and into my married life she remained my best friend. She stood next to me at my wedding, and I stood next to her at hers. To this day, when I need a shoulder to cry on or a brain to bounce an idea off of Shannon is who I call. She may live four hours away, but she is always there for me.

I may have mentioned Tiffany in passing before. She just happens to be Reagan's voice instructor. She has always had a beautiful voice and a passion for singing, and I am so happy that she channeled that into a career. Although we kept in touch that first year of college we drifted apart after that. Then when I heard she was back in town, and had opened her own studio I decided to give her a call. Since then, we have reconnected and we try to have lunch about once a month.

As for Megan, we haven't stayed in touch as much. She did stay connected with Shannon for a few years and then things kind of fell apart. Its a long story... one that I don't think I should share here. But all in all, two out of three ain't bad right?

Today I had lunch with Shannon and Tiffany. It is amazing to me how I can fall right back into being that person I was back then. Today, I wasn't just Reagan's mom or Chris' wife, I was just me. Sometimes, it seems so easy to forget that I need to be me. I need to remember who I am and where I came from. I was reminded of that today, and I hope I don't forget it again. These are the people who helped make me who I am, and I am so grateful for that!

The Post Office... Revisited

Anyone remember this post from last year? Well, I took another trip to the post office last week With Dee Dee's class this time. I find it very interesting to be doing the same field trips over again with a different child. Each experience is different. For instance, last month I went with Dee Dee's class to the dentist. Now, I also did this with Reagan. Re-reading that post, I am reminded of just how different my two girls are! I obviously didn't post about Dee's trip to the dentist. Why you might ask? Well, because I had no pictures, and because I spent the entire field trip with her arms wrapped around my neck! At least the post office was a more fulfilling trip for her. Though she was still very shy, she at least walked and listened, and even participated.

See, she was all smiles!

But, for this moment she was right by my side...and hence, not in the picture

Buying her stamp all by herself...

putting it on her letter...

and finally mailing it!

She was so excited when it arrived at our house the next day! She ripped into it and showed me the picture she had drawn and sent to herself. Next up, Reagan's field trip to Arbys!

Student of the Week

Last week, Reagan was the student of the week at school. Even though I took this photo last Monday and never got around to posting it, I didn't want to miss out on sharing it. As part of being student of the week, we had to make an "all about me poster" to hang in the hallway of the school. Then on Tuesday, I went into her classroom to read a book to her class. She chose "How I Became a Pirate". For the first time in five years I felt like I put my college degree in theater to use. I did all of the voices and everything, it was fun for me, if not for anyone else! Getting back to the poster, I would like to think that even though her Nini is her teacher, she learned something new about her from it's contents. Here they are:

All About Reagan

I am 5 years old.

My favorite color is red.

My favorite animal is a horse.

My favorite food is asparagus.

This is what I look like.

My Family.

Nini's House is my favorite place to go.

When I grow up I want to be a Dentist.

My favorite thing to do is Cook with my mom and play with Dee Dee.

If I had one wish, I would wish to go to DisneyWorld.

I didn't have pictures for the last two, so we just cut pictures out of a magazine and put her face on them!

As I stopped to take that picture of Reagan with the poster,next to my van at the school, one of the other moms stopped me. She said,"Oh, you are always so good with the camera!" I don't know if maybe it is because Reagan is my oldest, and her daughter(the one in Reagan's class)is her youngest of four. But yes,I do happen to take my camera with my most of the time and if I have it I am always taking pictures. I don't develop a whole lot of them, and I certainly don't do much else with them other than post them here. But,I am glad that I have the blog to be able to post things like this, that might not otherwise get scrapbooked. And I have a lot more pictures from last weeks events that need to be posted, so stay tuned!

Trivia Tie-Breaker

Okay, this post is specifically for Sara, Kameron, and Kate. Please take a moment to view the following invisibles. If you can correctly guess all three of them, along with naming any of the actors (a point for each one) you shall be the winner. In the case of another tie, please pick an number between 1 and 10 and leave it along with your answers in the comments. Thank you.

#1

#2

#3

I'm having a bad week... Trivia

*UPDATED* The answers have been posted and we have a tie. 3 people have 7 out of the 9 correct. And not a single one of you correctly guessed #4, and it is one of my all-time favorite movies! So, to solve this problem, very shortly I will be posting a tie-breaker quiz.

In other news, I need to give credit to the FilmWise website for creating these fun little brainteasers. If you are not involved in the tie-breaker, go check them out.

Ever just have one of those weeks, that it seems nothing can go your way? Well, I am having one this week. So rather than sit here and brood about all of the things going wrong, I am trying to stay positive. For instance, I got a phone call today from one of my oldest friends. It is so nice to talk to someone who really knows you. There is something to be said for someone who has been there with you through everything, all the high school and college crap and knows your history. That being said, I wanted to do something fun tonight. But, alas I am at home being mom. So I decided to play a game. Those of you who are regular readers will know that every Tuesday I play trivia over @ Sara's blog. Well, maybe she is having one of those weeks too, because she was too busy to get trivia posted. In her absence I have decided to play trivia here on my blog, again.

Here is the deal. These images are called invisibles (thanks Sara for the idea)

Here is an example.

All you need to do is tell me what movie this image comes from.

In this case the answer would be Pretty Woman

I would reference their website, but I don't want anyone cheating. Feel free to ask the people in your house/workplace for help, just no Internet cheating. I will be sure to give the creators full credit when I post the answers, which will probably be on Friday night. Until then I will leave comment moderator on. So, just leave your answers in the comments. Normally when I do trivia no one plays. Is this because my questions are too hard? Well, I hope that these are a little easier, and fun. So, even if you don't know all of the answers, please play anyway and just answer the ones you know. Have fun, if for no other reason than to humor me. Or, you could play simply because I will be sending the winner a $15 Starbucks gift card.

#1. 50 First Dates/Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore

#2. When harry Met Sally/Meg Ryan

#3. Good Will Hunting/Matt Damon

#4. The Way We Were/Robert Redford and Barbara Striesand

#5. Sex and the City:The Movie/ Chris Noth

#6. Forrest Gump/ Tom Hanks and ?

#7. Back to the Future/Crispin Glover, Micheal J. Fox, and Thomas F. Wilson

#8. Juno/Ellen Page and Micheal Cera

#9. Driving Miss Daisy/Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman

For bonus points, name any of the "invisible" actors and which # they appear in.

Thanks for playing!!!

The Aladdin Song

I know I have been MIA this week, and to be honest I don't even have much time this morning. But, I wanted to try to upload this video of the kids singing. I took it last Thursday in the parking lot of Reagan's voice studio. This is the song she is learning to sing right now and all three of the kids love it. Dee Dee always asks for "the Aladdin song" when we get in the car, and when it is over Jack always says, "more, more"! If you listen carefully you can even hear the little man chime in on the parts that he knows. Maybe it is just cuz they are mine, but I think this is super adorable!

Well it Wasn't Vegas, but...

Yesterday was Chris' birthday. And of course I feel terrible because, I didn't schedule a Happy Birthday post for him. But, I have a good excuse. We were out of town this weekend in Michigan City @ The Blue Chip Casino!

On Saturday afternoon we divided up the kiddos and headed out. Thanks by the way to the wonderful friends and family that kept the kids so we could get away. Reagan went to stay with Gina and Matt, Dee Dee went with my BIL Miah and SIL Rachael, and Jack went to my mom and dad's. We went with some friends of ours, Ben and Jill. Now, keep in mind that Chris and Ben have been friends since they were little. Seriously, they went to elementary school together and have stayed friends all these years. I just think that is amazing! Ben's birthday was last week and the boys always try to do something to celebrate together. This year us wives tagged along. Here are Ben and Jill enjoying some shrimp when we stopped to get lunch after we checked into the hotel.

After lunch the boys headed to the poker room and Jill and I went to the outlet mall. Wow, did I get some serious shopping in! Let's just say the kids are pretty much set for spring/summer clothes. After our shopping adventure we went back to the hotel and I enjoyed a nice long uninterrupted shower. Who would have thought that this would have one of the highlights of my trip. Those of you who have or have had young kiddies realize what I am talking about. I can't remember the last time I had a relaxing shower when nobody was screaming at me to hurry up or wanting to stand there and talk to me! I dried my hair and did my makeup and was ready for the party to begin. I met Jill downstairs and we headed to the casino (where we got carded :) thank you nice security guard for making me feel young!) and we hit the slot machines. I must say at first I found it pointless, but once you get the hang of it and figure out which ones you like, slots can be really fun!

This was Jill's $5, which she turned into $75. Not bad for a night's work. I was down $47 and then hit on some fruit machine for $47.22, I cashed out and called it a day!

Unfortunately the one similarity with any casino is that it is very easy to lose track of what time of day it is. We ended up eating dinner around 10:30 which was actually 11:30 to us. I of course had a few drinks and maybe sent a few drunken texts to some friends, sorry guys! This is Chris and I at dinner, drink number one...

This is drink number two... I don't remember what it was called but boy was it strong!

Drink number three was a green shot that tasted like mouthwash and drink number four didn't get a picture. By then this momma need to go to bed. I stayed up while Jill made some more money on the slot machines and then hit the sack.

The next morning we did the buffet breakfast and the boys played some more poker while Jill and I went back to the outlet mall to spend her winnings! All in all it was a very nice weekend. Some good time away, with good friends. Of course by the time I got back into town and picked up the kiddos I had a major cold coming on. I crashed in my bed fully clothed around 6:30 last night and slept straight through till 11:30. My hubby even managed to tuck the kids in @ 8:30 all by himself, on his birthday. Thanks, babe! Hope you had a wonderful birthday, as for Ben and Jill... we are so on again for next year!

Mommy's Little Helper

Most little boys aspire to be daddy's little helper. Not mine, he loves to help his mommy. Especially in the kitchen. One of his favorite activities is helping unload the dishwasher. Its a daily activity. Lets face it, with five people in the house and all those sippy cups the dishwasher gets run at least once a day. The funny thing about Jack helping to unload it is that he really does know where everything goes. I took this little video of him the other day. It is short cuz the memory on my camera was full, but it is still really cute. Please excuse the fruit snacks, hair tie, and other crap on the floor. Hey, we're just keepin' it real around here.

Haircut, Shmaircut

Don't know why it seems that a haircut is always deserving of a blog post,it is just a simple haircut. But around here it is big news. I have been growing Reagan's bangs out since the beginning of last summer and they were finally long enough that I felt like it was time for her to have a actual hairstyle again. So last week I made an appointment with my hairdresser and took her today. I love it! I thought I would miss all of the length, but I really don't. I have a feeling it will be much easier to manage. I took some before and after pictures. Then tonight I decided to take a picture of the side view, sorry if the exposure is a little off. Hope everyone else thinks it is as adorable as I do!

Before

During

After

the side view