Frandom Frought Friday

1. Have you ever seen the Disney commercial where the parent is video taping the other parent telling the kids that they're leaving for Disney World RIGHT NOW and the kids are jumping up and down all excited? Those always make me tear up and think, damn, I wanna surprise my kids with a trip to Disney. I always think it but never say it and then the other day, the commercial came on Hulu and the Polack was all like, That'd be awesome to do sometime.

2. Seeger was not happy the other day when I brought my grapefruit to the table for breakfast. He doesn't like the smell of anything citrus. He held his nose for a while and then announced, "Well at least I know what the saw spoon is for."

3. I'm pretty bummed about the Cowboys losing in the Amazing Race. I'm rooting for Zev and Justin now.

4. My mother in law's lease is up on her car and I'd really like to buy it from her because the price is pretty good and it's been well cared for but I don't have a need for a new car and I sure don't want a car payment. But the Polack's car is 10 years old and I just have this feeling that it isn't going to last very much longer. I hope I'm wrong.

5. Speaking of cars, my male family members have been commenting on the fact that I need new tires for my car. I know I do but I'm not ready to shell out the money.

6. I miss the Swing movement a la Swingers. What fun music and the Polack and I love to dance like that. We only know three different spins but we still have fun dancing.

7. It is GORGEOUS outside today. After a week of steady rain, it's definitely needed. The boys have only had 2 baseball practices in the last 4 weeks.

8. We signed Nicklas up for Tae Kwon Do and I told the Polack to go ahead and pay for 6 weeks worth but he paid for 6 months worth. I don't know if I told him wrong or he didn't hear correctly but I sure do hope that Nicklas likes it.

9. I really wasn't that impressed with Kate's dress. I think I would have liked it without the lace sleeves but overall it was pretty blah. I LOVED the hats thought, especially the ones worn by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

10. When I saw a photo of the royal couple driving away in Astin-Martin convertible, I was like, Wow, Kate is driving? That's weird.

It took me about a while to realize that in England, the driver is on the right side of the car.

The Lorax

Last week, the fourth graders put on a production of The Lorax. With three classes at the school, everyone took turns with different parts. Nicklas was one of three Lorax's. We all told him he was the best one because he was loud and you could hear what he was saying.

It was a great performance! The set was really cool and we were impressed with the band, also made up of fourth graders. Please enjoy these photos of Nicklas.

Here he is in the yellow, with the rest of his class.

Treats for Seeger

As Mystery Reader for Seeger's birthday, I read the class The Lorax. They had just watched the fourth grade production so I thought it would be a nice tie in to the theme. I also brought in treats to match the colors of the truffela trees (and comply with the no junk food rule).




After snack, I brought Seeger to work with me until the Polack could pick him up. He shared his leftover treats and my co-workers wishes him a happy birthday.



I will post pictures from The Lorax play soon. Nicklas was awesome!

Happy Birthday, Seeger!

Seeger turns 7 today. He's so excited! I'm surprising him at school today by being the class Mystery Reader and bringing treats. I can't wait to see the look on his face.

We always let the kids pick a place to eat out for their birthday dinner. Seeger chose Texas Roadhouse. This is his year to have a party and he wants one at Chuck E Cheese. There isn't a Chuck E Cheese in Bloomington so he decided he wanted to have it at the one in Lafayette and invite his cousins. He really only cares about being with his family on his birthday. I'm happy to oblige.



Click here for the story of Seeger's birth.

Little 500 Recap

WARNING WARNING! This post is photo heavy. I sure hope no one is viewing via dial up.

I've been talking about how excited I was about attending the Little 500 activities and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Except for all the darn rain and cold, it was a great weekend.

I left work early on Friday to go to the Women's Little 500. I scored some infield passes so I got to watch the practice and bike tuning up close.



I also got to sit in the VIP section. The seats weren't any better than others but at least I wasn't surrounded by a bunch of chanting drunk sorority girls. This picture isn't that good but it shows an exchange between two bikers. Watching them exchange is my favorite thing to see.




Saturday morning, my brother Jake and his girlfriend Kathryn joined the Polack and the boys and I for the spring football game. We all had pancakes first and the kids got to play in the Kids Zone.






Then we went inside the North End Zone of the stadium. The construction was completed a few years ago but we wanted to show it to Jake. Plus its a cool place to visit because of how well it shows off the achievements of IU's student athletes and football program. (Okay, the football program doesn't have tons of achievements but you feel good about the program after visiting.) Quick fact, the North End Zone contains the largest collegiate weight room in the country.

After our North End Zone visit, we still had an hour before the spring game started and since the weather wasn't great, we decided to drive out to the house so that Jake and Kathryn could see the construction. And since the house is so close to Oliver Winery, we stopped to do a wine tasting first. It was fun for everyone except me because I forgot my ID and they wouldn't serve me. By the time we finished the tasting and saw the house, we were getting hungry so we decided to skip the game and go to Mother Bear's. Yummmmmm..... Mother Bear's..... Once lunch was finished, it was almost time for the Men's Little 5 race. We made it there in time to see the parade. My friend and her husband (who is bigwig at the University) are in this car waving at us.


And of course action shots of the race. It was so much fun to watch! Woo boy do they go fast! I even saw a pretty good crash at Turn 2. Two bikes were tangled together and when the riders pulled them apart, one bike lost it's wheel and the rider three down the bike in disgust.






Kathryn, Seeger, and I left at around lap 125 of 200. The rain started coming down a bit harder and we were cold. So we walked back to car and listened to the race on the radio. It was a great finish!

After the race, we went home to chill for a bit and watch Breaking Away. A perfect movie for Little 500 weekend.


My mom was also visiting for the weekend so we left the boys with her and decided to hit the town. Our first stop was Nick's so that we could play Sink the Biz.



We also scored free pizza and beer when the table beside decided to leave. The pizza was only missing one slice.


After that we waited in line at Kilroy's on Kirkwood for about a half an hour and when we finally made it to the door, we found out there was cover so we left and went to a new Kilroy's location called DunnKirk. I really wanted a long island! They had a really bad band playing but it was cool to check out the location which had a bunch of nooks so you are able to get away from the sucky band.


Here's a picture looking out over Kirkwood. Check out the line at Nick's. Suckers!




After DunnKirk we went to the Crazy Horse because a friend was working. Only she had just been cut so we grabbed a few shots and followed her and her posse to the Bluebird to see Dot Dot Dot.


I told Kathryn that all trips to the Bluebird require a DirtyBird. Yummo!


We stayed for the first half of Dot Dot Dot but it was super humid and I was sweaty and people were getting pushy so around 2am, we decided to head home. As we were walking to the car, we decided driving wasn't the best idea and called my mom to come pick us up. Isn't she the greatest for getting out of bed at 2am to pick up her kids? On the way home, the Polack called Mad Mushroom to order some cheese sticks. They were the perfect end to a perfect day.



I'm definitely looking forward to next year and I officially invite you all to join us for the 2012 Little 500!

The House

I don't think I've posted many house pictures on here, have I? The Polack is the photographer because he visits the site almost every day. Most of the pictures that I do have are on Facebook because everyone keeps asking about our progress. But I wanted to posted the latest here because you know what guys? Our Contractor says the house will be finished in two months.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! Two months?! We don't believe it but we can hope, right?

So here's the latest photo, taken yesterday when the sky was blue. It's a gray day today.

Yes, that's a shower in the yard. It was going upstairs via a crane that was there.

The boys love to visit the site and play hide and seek through the open framing, hang out in the basement, and run around in the woods. In this photo, Nicklas is jumping on the 2X6 so Seeger feels the impact. I love that Nick's airborne!

Little 5 Weekend

We went to Pigskins and Pancakes at Memorial Stadium this morning. We
enjoyed the pancakes. We didn't stick around for the pigskins.

Best and Worst

Seeger's worst - people lying to him
Nick's worst - it's Monday but feels like a Tuesday so his body is
going to feel weird on Friday
(At this point, Seeger says that mom gets to go last because you
should always save the best for last.)
Mike's worst - finding out that he's not better than mom + having to
do plyo after a big dinner
Natalie's worst - was hot sweaty all day
Seeger's best - almost done with his Hero Factory vs Bionicle
Nick's best - got to play Wii on a Monday
Mike's best - family taco night
Natalie's best - family dinner and getting to quilt tonight

Paired Reading

I volunteered, along with some other parents, to do paired reading in Seeger's class. All the first grade girls have sparkly shoes that are really awesome looking. I wish I had a pair.

Just donated blood...

I'm only here for the cookies.

It's Random Time

It's random time!

1. When the Polack was driving the kids home from Fort Wayne the other day, they stopped to get gas and drinks. He told them to pick out what they wanted to Seeger was really excited because he thought his diet coke was free. Really, it was just a caffeine free drink. It's kinda hard to explain caffeine to a six-year-old.

2. Nicklas only missed on day of school for the funeral but he's having a hard time catching up. Between all the driving and basketball games and baseball practices, he hasn't finished everything yet. He's even been doing his homework for 45 minutes each morning and still is behind. I let his teacher know why and she extended his deadline to Monday which is really nice.

3. Little 500 is in 9 days. I've never been so I'm super excited. (How is that possible, you ask? I guess it was never priority when I was a student.)

4. Little 500 is #26 on the 101 Things All Sports fans Must Experience Before They Die list.

5. When I was writing about yummy things that my Grandma Sally would make I forgot the number one thing - her homemade APPLESAUCE. It was so awesome and she would include it with every meal because we all loved it so much. One time she visited me when I was in college and she brought me a jar of the applesauce and I'm pretty sure I was the happiest girl ever that day. Hmmmm.... I bet there are several jars at her house just waiting to be eaten. Hopefully there will be some we can use when we visit the Lake for Memorial Day weekend.

6. Today is the first day of BBQ season at the Short Stop. This is a gas station that sells BBQ every Thursday in the summer. I get a little nervous eating gas station BBQ but everyone I work with LOVES it. They all got some today but I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead.

7. The Polack also loves the Short Stop BBQ. He tried to talk me into bringing him some to his work today but since Martinsville is 40 minutes away, I told him I was too busy. He has my calendar on his phone though so he knows I was free. I'm guessing he'll get plenty of Short Stop this summer since our apartment is within a mile of the place.

8. The house is really progressing well. They're in the process of framing it and they've finished the basement and most of the first floor. The Polack thinks they'll be starting the second floor today. Yay! I really hope they'll be finished by June 30 so we aren't homeless.

9. Mia is coming to visit this summer. She had said they were going to come in early August but her mom posted something on Facebook saying she would see me in late July. So I really don't know what's going on. I asked for details so Mia and Vibeke, if you're reading this - SEND ME DATES!

10. It's a beautiful day on campus and I'm getting ready to walk to a meeting. Spring in Bloomington is awesome.

Pictures

Just a few pictures from the funeral. Everyone looked so nice! Especially my boys in their suits. I was just going to buy them shirts and ties but then I decided that since we have a few weddings this summer, I should go ahead and buy the suits. I was feeling pretty proud of my reasoning until I got the invitation to the first wedding. Apparently it's adult only. Doh.








I love, love this picture of me with my brothers.

Grandma Sally

There is so much I want to say about Grandma Sally.... She was a remarkable woman. The family patriarch who brought everyone together. She was most happiest when we were all gathered at the Lake for the weekend. When it was time to say goodbye, she always made me promise to come back and visit her.

She loved to bake and always made her pies from scratch. Too bad I'm not a pie eater so I didn't appreciate them as much. She once told me I wasn't a Gallogly if I didn't like pie. My love of her red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting more than made up for it though. She also made an excellent carrot cake and german chocolate cake. We all enjoyed her fried chicken, sicilian meat roll, and "red meat". She would grow rhubarb and I would sneak bites of it when she was cutting it up for her rhubarb crunch.

I remember when I was 3 and Indiana was in the midst of a huge snow storm. (The Blizzard of '78!) Schools were cancelled and businesses were closing. I has at her house and my dad came to pick me up. I asked if I could stay with her instead. She said I could but I had to go potty in the toilet like a big girl. I decided this was a good enough reason to stop wearing diapers.

I'm one of the few cousins that remembers her house on Standish Drive. She had plum tree there and I loved to eat the fruit from that tree. When staying with her, I would sneak and eat marshmallows from the baking shelf. The house had some cabinets in the upstairs hallway that stored some of the toys leftover from when my aunts and uncles where growing up. I spent hours playing with them. Her basement also stored many things. I remember finding a wheelchair there and my brother and I took turns pushing each other in it. One time, my dad took me on a motorcycle ride to her house from our house in Auburn. She was not happy about that and was very worried that I would fall off.

She always gave us the best Easter baskets. I could always count on a big chocolate bunny from her.

In recent years, we loved convincing her to go on pontoon rides at dusk. It often took several requests from many of us. Sometimes she would go with us, sometimes she stayed home. But she always drank scotch with everyone (except me, I can't seem to enjoy scotch).

She always bought things that were built to last, usually from Sears where she had a lifetime 10% discount because she retired from there.

She had high standards and was the queen of her domain. It took me several years to appreciate that about her but I'm so thankful I did. She was a wonderful great grandmother to my kids.

Her funeral was yesterday and woo boy was it tough. We had a nice Catholic mass in the new Angola church that she was very proud of. I didn't expect my tears to flow so quick and heavy. I had to hold back my sobs. I wasn't the only one, most of the family was crying. Even Seeger who I think finally understood that it was our last physical goodbye to her.

She will live in our memories and stories.


MARCELLA (SALLY) T. LANGHALS GALLOGLY, passed away April 1, 2011, at her home at Lake George, Fremont, Ind. She was born on Oct. 1, 1921, in Clover dale, Ohio to Joseph and Emma (Becker) Langhals. In 1939 she moved from Cloverdale, Ohio, where she was raised, to Fort Wayne. She was employed by Lincoln Life Insurance Company until she married Robert Arthur Gallogly on Sept. 28, 1943. During war time, she followed him to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and then Fort Sill, Okla. until Mr. Gallogly was mobilized for the European Theater of Operation. After World War II, they resided on Standish Drive in Fort Wayne for 34 years. In 1984, they moved to Lake George, Fremont, until her death.

She was an active member of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church of Angola, and its Rosary Sodality and also the Prayer Shawl Ministry. She is survived by two daughters, Carolyn (Robert) Bright of Bayport, N.Y. and Kathleen (John) Ranshaw of Wilmette, Ill.; three sons, Robert (Laurie) Gallogly of Angola, James (Lorna) Gallogly of Novi, Mich. and William Gallogly of Spencer, Ind.; 10 grandchildren, Jon Gallogly, Natalie (Michael) Kubat, Michael Gallogly, Jake Gallogly, Ryan (Bri) Gallogly, Aaron Gallogly, Andrew Bright, Molly Bright, Emily Ranshaw, and Elizabeth Ranshaw; two great-grandchildren, Nicklas and Seeger Kubat; sister, Solina Kramer of Dearborn, Mich. She was was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert and her five other siblings.

Funeral Mass is 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, Angola, with Father Bernie Zajdel officiating. Visitation is from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 4, 2011, with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the Weicht Funeral Home, Angola. Burial is 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, 2011, in the Catholic Cemetery, Fort Wayne. Memorials may be made to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 700 W. Maumee St., Angola, Indiana 46703. You may sign the guestbook at www.weichtfh.com

ARRANGEMENTS HANDLED BY THE WEICHT FUNERAL HOME, ANGOLA, INDIANA Published in Fort Wayne Newspapers on April 3, 2011.

Kroger

The Kroger we shop at is always out of produce. It's very annoying.



Our friend Marty runs the produce department at a Lafayette Kroger. I'm trying to convince him to move to Bloomington so he can whip our store into shape. He's informed me that our Kroger is the highest selling produce department for their region. Imagine how much more they'd be on top if they actually were fully stocked all the time.

This is a true story

Okay, this is my last text message post for a while. I'm blogging
while the boys discuss topics I have no interest in but I think we're
leaving soon.

My husband loved me

Apparently I can't spell sharp.

And no, they aren't on tour during our anniversary.

Christy will love this post