Our Weekend

We had lots of fun this weekend. Liam competed at State for DI. He did really well. His team faced a lot of problems during their competition, but you wouldn't have known it by watching them. I'm very very proud of them.

Here they are with their team manager in the middle. They are a bit goofy because they just finished their Instant Challenge and were pretty much done with the brain work for the day.

They didn't finish in the top 3 so they won't be advancing to globals, but they did so brilliantly. I am hoping to find out the overall place tonight.

On Saturday we were lucky enough that all of the cousins on my side were able to come watch Liam and see us. We had a lovely time at the park together after lunch and before the awards ceremony.

Here is a very rare picture. They are all together, all relatively happy, and all looking in the same direction.

After the awards ceremony on Saturday, the boys and us spent the night at a hotel, where they got wet and wild and had a really fun time. On our way home the next day we stopped at one of our favorite parks in Oshkosh and had lots of fun by the beach.

It was a wonderful way to end a perfect weekend!

Sweet things for the road

**I thought I posted this on Friday on our way out, but I must have closed before it saved, so this is Friday's post =) **





We have been super busy with Di preparations. We go off to the state competition this weekend. Everyone is quite excited. I made some mini eclairs for the team and their families. They are so easy to make, and oh, so yummy!!




Do you notice the empty spot in my pretty cupcake courier? That would be my husband snitching one before we leave!

Favorite Mama EVER!

Again, this blog isn't political, and I certainly don't endorse any particular candidate. Having said that, Lore's adoration for Obama is unyielding. I found this site and printed (cut and folded) out an Obama for Lore to play with. It was waiting for him when he got home from school. He came in, normal.
"Hey Mom, can I have a snack?"
I reply, "Sure, oh, hey I have something for you today, it's on the printer."
Lore grabs a snack wanders over to the printer, DROPS his cookie onto the printer top (it's ok, it's sort of a catchall at times anyway.) And picks up Senator Obama, cradles him in his hands, and asks, "is this for me?"
I say "Yep, I thought you might like him" He runs over to me, gives me a huge waist hug and, I think, with a tear in his eye exclaims "You are the most best, favoritest mama EVER!"

Yep, let's hear it.... AWWWWWW! His huge 7 year old heart was so full!

He then proceeded to go show his brothers who were upset because I didn't have a new tagboard folded toy for them. So we had to go to Custom Paper Toys and The Toy Maker sites and make something from there.

Paper toys never last terribly long in our house. And I honestly feel quite guilty sometimes printing them out, wasting paper, etc... but the joy it brings them is quite amazing. Plus some of their favorites do get saved in a place of honor on the shelves in their rooms.

Here's a bunch of other paper folding toys sites that snuffykin has already compiled link. Via

Tea Towel Tour (are you sick of it yet?)

I have been quite busy, but most of the things I've been working on have been for swaps, so I don't want to post here until it is received. So those pictures are coming soon.


I did finish the next towel on the tour.

Parts of her I love other parts, I probably would change if I had more time. Overall she looks like old tattoos which was the goal.

A Chuck in your Chair Dear?

*** LONG RANTY EXPLAINATION AHEAD***

This is really only for my own amusement. We currently have a woodchuck residing in our basement. We have a dirt floor basement, and honestly never go down there unless there's a tornado warning. It serves it's purpose. Well, it seems like last fall sometime we must have had someone decide it was a pretty nice place to stay and he moved in. We have a huge mound in our basement where he must have decided to build his den.

We can not get rid of this thing. We have done tons of research, we have a trap with all of their supposed favorite foods, etc... It won't come near it. We're stumped and probably going to have to call a professional. We have a lovely place picked out for him to roam free, if he would just get his butt in the cage!

Well, he's sort of the bane of my husband's existence at the moment, he's taking this extremely too personally. So last night, I joked that the woodchuck and I just sit around laughing at him, (my husband,) all day while he's at work. I was given sort of a "very funny" glare. Well, that's when my mind was trying to figure this out. I executed it in about 5 minutes including my snapping a picture and finding one of a woodchuck. So it's mediocre at best, but I'm sure hubby will get a chuckle out of it. I know the boys will!

That is my husband's fav chair, with his fav (horrible) blanket.

The explaination on the wall is, since we moved in that wall needs to be torn down and put up drywall. I was trying to force husband's hand at getting it done and had the boys paint whatever they wanted on the wall next to Tim's chair. Well, it's been there for 2 years now, it obviously didn't work. It will be painted over later this spring or summer.