Road Trip

Here is a little proof that I alone took my four girls on a road trip to Indiana. It was a miserable,long ten hours but luckily the kids were all so good. I did not get any other pictures besides the ones I took in Cincinnati in a two hour traffic stop, and icecream at McDonalds for a much needed break.

Good Bye Summer

We timed it perfectly and hit the park on the last day of warmth. Bossy and her bud Sharlie had a blast running around, and posing for the camera! Oh and you can't forget Baby Debbie, Our awesome yard sale find named after my Aunt Debbie!


I totally love this girl! She cracks me up. She has such a fun, playful personality. Loves to pull faces and dance around.
She was going down a tube and every little hole she went past she would say "cheese, take a picture" and i would, because you can never have too many pics of this cute little face peeking out at you.

Today....

Ave has had the craziest thing on her ankle. It has just been getting bigger, leaking fluid, red, and super itchy. My only thought was bug bites. (Only because Punky got eaten alive by ants in her sleep a few months ago) So after the school nurse told her no it was not bug bites, I had a Dr. friend come check it out. He said it could be bug bites or poison ivy/oak, which would be weird cause she has not been near places that would have it. He also said if it got worse to go see her Dr. So we did that today and sure enough poison ivy/oak. What? Weird. The Dr said that even mulch can have it in it! So could have been from the school playground for all we know. Ave also had a more severe reaction than usual so she was very uncomfortable for a week! Poor girl. But nothing makes it feel better like hanging out in Target eating a brownie and slushee!

And off that topic and onto another one.... I love days like this. For some odd reason we all end up hanging out in the kitchen. We love the sunlight through the windows, the open space, and since I am always in there they follow me. So mark my words I will have a couch and hang out area in my kitchen one day.

And don't worry, sometimes they read too, not just play ipods. Oh and Ry wanted me to add that her ipod touch was acting up so they took it into the geeks who gave her a new one today and she is thrilled. (I am just thrilled that I got her in a good mood and in a picture!)

Upstate New York

Jesse was going to go to New York to revisit one of the programs there so I thought it would be fun to tag along. The older two girls did not agree so they stayed with friends so that they did not have to miss school.
Jesse was gone for two days so the little punks and I just hung out. It was seriously SO beautiful! I love fall.





Long story about this kayaking experience. I will try to keep it short.
So.. little ones wanted to go in the boats and talked me into it. We were told by our friend that there was a river down the road he would drop us off and pick us back up in forty minutes. Also the water would be so shallow like knee deep that the kids would be fine with us.
So we get going about 6 pm but the water is so shallow in spots that Jesse and I have to get out and pull the kayaks and kids about ten times. I weigh less and could make it over more shallow areas than Jesse so I got up ahead of him. And once I noticed the sun setting I went into panic mode and got way ahead of him. Bad idea. I figured after an hour in the water that we were getting close to the end and he and Ani would just meet us.
Well, it got REALLY dark like pitch black and I could not see anything in front of me so I decided to wait for them. After they caught up we decided to take a left and of course bad idea. We were in a crazy maze of turnoffs and ponds. Remember- we are in the dark! We could not find our way back out. At this point I was almost at my breaking point, I had sang enough "row row row your boat" and "if your happy and you know it" that I was going to scream. Actually I wanted to cry. My hands had blisters, my neck back and shoulders were so sore, we were lost in the dark with our two little ones and I did not want to get out and walk, I did not want to paddle, okay you get the point, I was DONE.
About that time we saw lights and a road, decided to paddle over there and get out and call our friend and have him find us. Two minutes into it we heard him yelling for us and he guided us out. Thank YOu Marshall you saved us! Or was this your fault to begin with? I cant remember.
We made it back, only took us two and a half hours. On our way home Ani told me "Mom, sorry for getting you into this". That made me realize that we had a blast and I would do it again. Maybe next time during the day.

Baby Got A New Do

Finally after 27 months we gave this cute girl a haircut. It was getting long and thin and not so cute...so we cut it off!

Before:

After:

She loves her new hair. All day she was posing for me saying "take a picture mom".
Here she is posing on the grass

And sitting on her dog


She looks so grown up, sad.

Skater Girl

Punky thought she would give the skate board a try. And what do ya know, she is a natural just like her dad. I remember in junior high school grabbing my lunch and heading outside to sit and watch him skateboard- every single day. We loved the skaters! They were so hot and cool and had those awesome baggy pants.And of course Jesse was by far my favorite:) I never would have thought that 17 years later I would be sitting outside watching OUR daughter skateboard!


This is my favorite, she is so proud of herself. Good thing she has on her bike helmet and some soccer shin guards!

Back to School Flashin Show

Ry started the sixth grade this year.

Ave started the fourth grade. And they both really like their teachers this year. That is such a relief!

We had our annual back to school fashion show so the girls could try on their clothes and figure out what to wear on the first day. Ry was too cool to dance or pose so she stayed in her room and had her own private party I guess. Ave ended up getting mad at Jesse and I for laughing at her and cried in her room and Punky was just mad and crying so that night we were so loving being parents of FOUR daughters. Boys would be so much more fun sometimes! Okay maybe not but less moody.

Punky came in and asked Jesse if he was ready for the FLASHIN show, and he told her no way no flashin shows around here.
She also got some new glasses and looks so dang cute in them!