It was fun clicking through the albums, seeing photos of the boys when they were younger. I have such cute kids. Enjoy some of my favorites from that year, including a few from the holiday season.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Flashback Friday
I decided to use Walgreen's for our holiday photo this year and when I logged in to my photo account, I found several albums from 2007. Apparently I'd used Walgreen's that year to print photos.
It was fun clicking through the albums, seeing photos of the boys when they were younger. I have such cute kids. Enjoy some of my favorites from that year, including a few from the holiday season.
It was fun clicking through the albums, seeing photos of the boys when they were younger. I have such cute kids. Enjoy some of my favorites from that year, including a few from the holiday season.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Best & Worst
Seeger's worst - during pictures, Nicklas was messing him up
Mike's worst - the kitchen is a mess again even though it's been cleaned three times in the last day and a half
Nick's worst - having to get pictures taken and didn't really want to
Natalie's worst - didn't get as much done today as hoped
Seeger's best - we had pictures taken by Mrs. Killion and seeing Meesha
Mike's best - spending the day with everyone and getting the lights up on the house and they look good
Nick's best - getting to go on the roof
Natalie's best - getting lights hung, getting Christmas card photo taken and seeing Meesha
Mike's worst - the kitchen is a mess again even though it's been cleaned three times in the last day and a half
Nick's worst - having to get pictures taken and didn't really want to
Natalie's worst - didn't get as much done today as hoped
Seeger's best - we had pictures taken by Mrs. Killion and seeing Meesha
Mike's best - spending the day with everyone and getting the lights up on the house and they look good
Nick's best - getting to go on the roof
Natalie's best - getting lights hung, getting Christmas card photo taken and seeing Meesha
Friday, December 2, 2011
A Top 10 List by the Polack
The Polack sent this list to me this morning. Hopefully he doesn't mind that I'm sharing it with you:
Top 10 Things I'm Looking Forward to this Weekend
10) No travel/no guests - I love guests, but I'm looking forward to a family weekend.
9) Taco night
8) Getting the outside lights up on the house
7) Getting the sports tree decorated in the loft
6) The Hoosier game on Sunday (I couldn't get tix last night because the box office was closed. I'll call after school)
5) Picking paint colors at Lowe's (oh yeah, that's happening)
4) Hearing the hum of your sewing machine (while I get all caught up on school work)
3) The Friday Song (if you and Seeger are home by then)
2) A bottle of wine (or two)
1) (Edited out of the WWW)
He's a sweetie and put a huge smile on my face by sending this to me. Happy Friday, all!
Top 10 Things I'm Looking Forward to this Weekend
10) No travel/no guests - I love guests, but I'm looking forward to a family weekend.
9) Taco night
8) Getting the outside lights up on the house
7) Getting the sports tree decorated in the loft
6) The Hoosier game on Sunday (I couldn't get tix last night because the box office was closed. I'll call after school)
5) Picking paint colors at Lowe's (oh yeah, that's happening)
4) Hearing the hum of your sewing machine (while I get all caught up on school work)
3) The Friday Song (if you and Seeger are home by then)
2) A bottle of wine (or two)
1) (Edited out of the WWW)
He's a sweetie and put a huge smile on my face by sending this to me. Happy Friday, all!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Random Thought Thursday
1. I'm headed to Indianapolis tonight to meet my new cousin. Mmmmm.... babies.....
2. I love thai food.
3. The window's in my office are really dirty and they never get washed on the outside.
4. We had our first real snow on Tuesday. It had been raining for days and then for a few hours in the afternoon, the rain turned to snow. Seeger was so excited when I picked him up at school. He was packing the snow to see if it stuck together. I had to go back to work and when I returned home a few hours later, he ran to meet me at the door and said in an excited voice, "Mom, are you ready to go outside to play in the snow?" I was the one to break his heart by telling him the snow had turned back in to rain and it all disappeared. He was very sad.
5. Even though I'm bummed that the snow disappeared, it's a beautiful day on campus today. The sky is blue and it's bright outside. I passed so many happy people as I walked back to my office from Kirkwood Avenue.
6. The Polack and I are seeing Fitz and the Tantrums on Tuesday and I will be super excited once I actually find a sitter. Three have already turned me down so I'm getting a little nervous.
7. I have a really big forehead. I feel like it's getting bigger so I'm wonder if I have a receded hairline or something. It might be time to cut bangs.
8. Mia sent us some rice porridge and a marzipan pig for the holidays. I have to remember to bring it with us during our travels so we can find the almond. It's a fun tradition.
9. We're getting a family photo taken on Saturday for our holiday card. I have to figure out the color scheme which always stresses me out.
10. I only have one more week of class and then my students take their finals. I feel like this 8 week course has gone really quickly. I'll start right up again with another 8 week course for the first half of next semester. Luckily I'll have a few weeks in between to prepare.
2. I love thai food.
3. The window's in my office are really dirty and they never get washed on the outside.
4. We had our first real snow on Tuesday. It had been raining for days and then for a few hours in the afternoon, the rain turned to snow. Seeger was so excited when I picked him up at school. He was packing the snow to see if it stuck together. I had to go back to work and when I returned home a few hours later, he ran to meet me at the door and said in an excited voice, "Mom, are you ready to go outside to play in the snow?" I was the one to break his heart by telling him the snow had turned back in to rain and it all disappeared. He was very sad.
5. Even though I'm bummed that the snow disappeared, it's a beautiful day on campus today. The sky is blue and it's bright outside. I passed so many happy people as I walked back to my office from Kirkwood Avenue.
6. The Polack and I are seeing Fitz and the Tantrums on Tuesday and I will be super excited once I actually find a sitter. Three have already turned me down so I'm getting a little nervous.
7. I have a really big forehead. I feel like it's getting bigger so I'm wonder if I have a receded hairline or something. It might be time to cut bangs.
8. Mia sent us some rice porridge and a marzipan pig for the holidays. I have to remember to bring it with us during our travels so we can find the almond. It's a fun tradition.
9. We're getting a family photo taken on Saturday for our holiday card. I have to figure out the color scheme which always stresses me out.
10. I only have one more week of class and then my students take their finals. I feel like this 8 week course has gone really quickly. I'll start right up again with another 8 week course for the first half of next semester. Luckily I'll have a few weeks in between to prepare.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Top 10 Things I'm Thankful For
I know Thanksgiving is SOOO last week but I never posted about being thankful. And boy am I thankful for so much.
1. Family, health, career and home. Those are the easy ones but of course I had to mention them.
2. My new cousin who was born this morning. He didn't want to leave his warm mommy (Nick's words, not mine) but he's finally here and everyone is healthy. Welcome little Quinn Patrick - I can't wait to meet you.
3. The Christmas lights in downtown Bloomington. They were lit this weekend and when it came time to pick a restaurant after the football game on Saturday, Seeger insisted we eat someplace that had a window that looked out at the lights.
4. Turkey because it's oh so easy to cook. I hosted Thanksgiving and prepared the turkey, mashed potatoes, eggs, green beans, rolls, and cranberries (sorta - they were from a can) and it was all a breeze because turkey is so darn easy. And it tastes good too.
5. My sewing machine. My machine has been through a lot and 12 years later she's still kicking. She's so dependable - I've never changed her oil or had to replace a part and yet she still runs like she did when I first got her. Sometimes the Polack will ask me if I want a nice new fancy machine but I don't really see the need for one. So until the price of a machine with a stitch regulator drops below a grand, I'm good with what I have.
6. The opportunity to teach this year. It turns out that I enjoy teaching (a bit of a surprise) and I enjoy my students and I'm looking forward to next semester. (And a little extra in the paycheck is nice, too.)
7. Black Friday - I scored great deals on two big gifts this year.
8. My iPhone. Oh, how I love my iPhone. (Even though I want an iPad really, really bad, I'm still happy with my iPhone.)
9. My new black boots that I bought a few weeks ago. I still get complimented on them so I should give a big shout out to Vera Wang and her Simply Vera collection.
10. You, my blog readers - all 112 of you. I know who some of you are but many I don't. Most of you come back again and again (some multiple times in one day!) and though you don't comment often, you are loyal. Thanks for your support.
What are you thankful for?
1. Family, health, career and home. Those are the easy ones but of course I had to mention them.
2. My new cousin who was born this morning. He didn't want to leave his warm mommy (Nick's words, not mine) but he's finally here and everyone is healthy. Welcome little Quinn Patrick - I can't wait to meet you.
3. The Christmas lights in downtown Bloomington. They were lit this weekend and when it came time to pick a restaurant after the football game on Saturday, Seeger insisted we eat someplace that had a window that looked out at the lights.
4. Turkey because it's oh so easy to cook. I hosted Thanksgiving and prepared the turkey, mashed potatoes, eggs, green beans, rolls, and cranberries (sorta - they were from a can) and it was all a breeze because turkey is so darn easy. And it tastes good too.
5. My sewing machine. My machine has been through a lot and 12 years later she's still kicking. She's so dependable - I've never changed her oil or had to replace a part and yet she still runs like she did when I first got her. Sometimes the Polack will ask me if I want a nice new fancy machine but I don't really see the need for one. So until the price of a machine with a stitch regulator drops below a grand, I'm good with what I have.
6. The opportunity to teach this year. It turns out that I enjoy teaching (a bit of a surprise) and I enjoy my students and I'm looking forward to next semester. (And a little extra in the paycheck is nice, too.)
7. Black Friday - I scored great deals on two big gifts this year.
8. My iPhone. Oh, how I love my iPhone. (Even though I want an iPad really, really bad, I'm still happy with my iPhone.)
9. My new black boots that I bought a few weeks ago. I still get complimented on them so I should give a big shout out to Vera Wang and her Simply Vera collection.
10. You, my blog readers - all 112 of you. I know who some of you are but many I don't. Most of you come back again and again (some multiple times in one day!) and though you don't comment often, you are loyal. Thanks for your support.
What are you thankful for?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Top 10 Things That Are Happening in the Kubatski Household
This isn't the top 10 most EXCITING things happening in the Kubatski household but more of an update for you in top 10 format.
1. The Christmas tree is up and the house is decorated.
2. Seeger wore his winter coat for the first time today. Yes, it's that cold in Bloomington.
3. Now that Seeger is an orange belt, the boys are going to the advanced tae kwon do class.
4. Nicklas has a fully functioning iPhone. He's been downloading apps like crazy.
5. I have to work a whole five days in a row this week. (Compared to shortened 3 to 4 days per week for nearly all of November.)
6. Of all the food I cooked this weekend for Thanksgiving, we only have turkey left over.
7. I saw TWO movies recently - Breaking Dawn and the Muppet Movie. And I started reading the Gregor the Overlander series. It's written by Suzanne Collins (author of the Hunger Games) so I bought the series for Nicklas for his birthday. He isn't nearly as interested in them as I am.
8. I've tackled lots of present shopping but mostly for the immediate family. Now comes the hard part - present shopping for everyone else who is on my Christmas list.
9. I'm really looking forward to watching last night's Amazing Race on DVR with the family this evening. My students are giving presentations in class today so no class prep - woo hoo!
10. Next weekend is a free weekend (meaning we are staying home and not planning anything) and then we are traveling the next five out of six weekends.
1. The Christmas tree is up and the house is decorated.
2. Seeger wore his winter coat for the first time today. Yes, it's that cold in Bloomington.
3. Now that Seeger is an orange belt, the boys are going to the advanced tae kwon do class.
4. Nicklas has a fully functioning iPhone. He's been downloading apps like crazy.
5. I have to work a whole five days in a row this week. (Compared to shortened 3 to 4 days per week for nearly all of November.)
6. Of all the food I cooked this weekend for Thanksgiving, we only have turkey left over.
7. I saw TWO movies recently - Breaking Dawn and the Muppet Movie. And I started reading the Gregor the Overlander series. It's written by Suzanne Collins (author of the Hunger Games) so I bought the series for Nicklas for his birthday. He isn't nearly as interested in them as I am.
8. I've tackled lots of present shopping but mostly for the immediate family. Now comes the hard part - present shopping for everyone else who is on my Christmas list.
9. I'm really looking forward to watching last night's Amazing Race on DVR with the family this evening. My students are giving presentations in class today so no class prep - woo hoo!
10. Next weekend is a free weekend (meaning we are staying home and not planning anything) and then we are traveling the next five out of six weekends.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Best and Worst
Nick's worst - the long weekend is over
Seeger's worst - it's getting to be really short days
Mike's worst - having a headache all day long
Natalie's worst - weekend is over
Nick's best - the Christmas tree is up
Seeger's best - getting Internet today
Mike's best - spent the whole day together as a family
Natalie's best - got a lot done today and this week
Seeger's worst - it's getting to be really short days
Mike's worst - having a headache all day long
Natalie's worst - weekend is over
Nick's best - the Christmas tree is up
Seeger's best - getting Internet today
Mike's best - spent the whole day together as a family
Natalie's best - got a lot done today and this week
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Birthday celebration
We had a small birthday celebration for Nicklas yesterday. I woke up late so I didn't make him breakfast BUT I give him a donut so he was happy. He took some treats to school to share with his class and his tae kwon do class sang to him. Here's a short video of that. (I have a new iPhone so I can actually take video now!)
(Ignore yellow purse lady who walked right in front of me while I was taking the video.)
After TKD, Nicklas chose dinner at Casa Brava. Mimi and Papa joined us. Then we went home to have cake. Actually we had brownies per Nick's request.
(Excuse the photos of Nicklas without a shirt on. He was ready for bed and his pajamas consist of athletic shorts and that's about it.)
Because Nicklas received my old iPhone to use as his own, he didn't get a lot of big presents this year. He got some books, some decor for his room, hockey cards, a hat, and tickets to see Straight No Chaser.
Nicklas said he had a great birthday and he's pretty sure he'll get some presents from other family members. My 11-year-old!
As my mom pointed out, he's getting so big, soon he'll be taller than her!
(Ignore yellow purse lady who walked right in front of me while I was taking the video.)
After TKD, Nicklas chose dinner at Casa Brava. Mimi and Papa joined us. Then we went home to have cake. Actually we had brownies per Nick's request.
(Excuse the photos of Nicklas without a shirt on. He was ready for bed and his pajamas consist of athletic shorts and that's about it.)
Because Nicklas received my old iPhone to use as his own, he didn't get a lot of big presents this year. He got some books, some decor for his room, hockey cards, a hat, and tickets to see Straight No Chaser.
Nicklas said he had a great birthday and he's pretty sure he'll get some presents from other family members. My 11-year-old!
As my mom pointed out, he's getting so big, soon he'll be taller than her!
Top 10 Things I Love About Today (And It's Only 1pm)
1. I got to sleep in until 7:15.
2. I watched Little House on the Prairie with Seeger.
3. I saw Nick's excitement in opening the hockey cards he received for his birthday.
4. My house is clean, clean, clean. I don't have to worry about housework for a few days.
5. We now have automatic garage door openers, just in time for the cold weather.
6. Seeger is spending the afternoon at a friend's house. He's so excited.
7. Even though I'm at work, no one else is so it's very quiet and I'm making good progress on a project.
8. I have four day weekend.
9. I don't have to cook dinner tonight.
10. I'm looking forward to spending the holiday's with my family.
2. I watched Little House on the Prairie with Seeger.
3. I saw Nick's excitement in opening the hockey cards he received for his birthday.
4. My house is clean, clean, clean. I don't have to worry about housework for a few days.
5. We now have automatic garage door openers, just in time for the cold weather.
6. Seeger is spending the afternoon at a friend's house. He's so excited.
7. Even though I'm at work, no one else is so it's very quiet and I'm making good progress on a project.
8. I have four day weekend.
9. I don't have to cook dinner tonight.
10. I'm looking forward to spending the holiday's with my family.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Happy Birthday, Nicklas!
Nicklas turned 11 today. I can't believe I have an 11-year-old! He was so excited when he came home from the IU basketball game last night and saw his presents sitting on the counter. He also asked if I would set his alarm for 5:36am so he could wake up the moment he turned 11.
(Click here to read his birth story.)
It is such a joy to be a mom to Nicklas. I'm so proud of him and all he accomplishes. He used to be more tentitive to try new things and hesitant to get involved but I see that less and less from him. His general nervousness is being overcome by confidence which makes me happy. Confidence in adolescence is so important! As Nicklas grows and matures, he is more excited to try new things, new experiences, and sometimes, even new foods. He actually tried pad thai a few weeks ago - and he liked it! He also likes chili, meat pizza, tacos, and brownies. For his birthday dinner, he picked Casa Brava so we will be eating there this evening.
Nicklas continues to love sports. He watches ESPN SportsCenter every morning and the Polack always has to search the house for the sports section of the newspaper. He looks forward to college football on Saturday's and NFL on Sunday. He keeps his sports jersey's in a special section of his closet because they mean so much to him. He's doing well in tae kwon do and wants to continue with basketball and baseball. I'm encouraging him to also look at other activities and he recently started playing cello. I would also like to sign him up for theater/drama classes. I've been wanting to do that for some time - he loves acting and he has such an expressive face - and his music teacher recently reinforced this by also suggesting we look into signing him for Stages Bloomington. It would be a great experience for him.
In continuing with our tradition of having birthday parties every other year, this was a non party year for Nicklas. Instead he invited two friends to spend the night last Friday. I picked them up from school and we went to the store so they could pick out some snacks to eat for the evening. They spent most of the time playing Wii but also talking sports and wrestling. They were so loud and I LOVED every minute of hearing the boys talk and laugh and celebrate Wii game victories. Seeger and the Polack were gone most of the evening for Seeger's orange belt testing but when they got home, the boys were so good to Seeger. Before bed, they all watched Mystery Men together and in the morning, I made them chocolate chip pancakes. The entire time, I think I had a smile on my face because I really enjoyed seeing and hearing the boys play together and taking care of them while staying out of their way. I was able to play my favorite role - mom to Nicklas and Seeger. I'm so blessed to have so great kids. Even when they drive me crazy, I would never want to change our relationship.
I know that things will get tough as Nicklas (and Seeger) go through their teenage years. It's never easy for any kid or their parents. I hope I'll remember the be sensitive to his needs and respectful of his emotions. Regardless, I will remind myself that I've done the best I could with providing Nicklas all the tools needed to survive in this world we live. I always enjoy going back and reading previous birthday blog posts I've written about Nicklas. Hopefully, I'll continue to practice in years to come to remind myself how lucky I am.
Happy birthday, Nicklas. Thank you for always making me smile.
(Click here to read his birth story.)
It is such a joy to be a mom to Nicklas. I'm so proud of him and all he accomplishes. He used to be more tentitive to try new things and hesitant to get involved but I see that less and less from him. His general nervousness is being overcome by confidence which makes me happy. Confidence in adolescence is so important! As Nicklas grows and matures, he is more excited to try new things, new experiences, and sometimes, even new foods. He actually tried pad thai a few weeks ago - and he liked it! He also likes chili, meat pizza, tacos, and brownies. For his birthday dinner, he picked Casa Brava so we will be eating there this evening.
Nicklas continues to love sports. He watches ESPN SportsCenter every morning and the Polack always has to search the house for the sports section of the newspaper. He looks forward to college football on Saturday's and NFL on Sunday. He keeps his sports jersey's in a special section of his closet because they mean so much to him. He's doing well in tae kwon do and wants to continue with basketball and baseball. I'm encouraging him to also look at other activities and he recently started playing cello. I would also like to sign him up for theater/drama classes. I've been wanting to do that for some time - he loves acting and he has such an expressive face - and his music teacher recently reinforced this by also suggesting we look into signing him for Stages Bloomington. It would be a great experience for him.
In continuing with our tradition of having birthday parties every other year, this was a non party year for Nicklas. Instead he invited two friends to spend the night last Friday. I picked them up from school and we went to the store so they could pick out some snacks to eat for the evening. They spent most of the time playing Wii but also talking sports and wrestling. They were so loud and I LOVED every minute of hearing the boys talk and laugh and celebrate Wii game victories. Seeger and the Polack were gone most of the evening for Seeger's orange belt testing but when they got home, the boys were so good to Seeger. Before bed, they all watched Mystery Men together and in the morning, I made them chocolate chip pancakes. The entire time, I think I had a smile on my face because I really enjoyed seeing and hearing the boys play together and taking care of them while staying out of their way. I was able to play my favorite role - mom to Nicklas and Seeger. I'm so blessed to have so great kids. Even when they drive me crazy, I would never want to change our relationship.
I know that things will get tough as Nicklas (and Seeger) go through their teenage years. It's never easy for any kid or their parents. I hope I'll remember the be sensitive to his needs and respectful of his emotions. Regardless, I will remind myself that I've done the best I could with providing Nicklas all the tools needed to survive in this world we live. I always enjoy going back and reading previous birthday blog posts I've written about Nicklas. Hopefully, I'll continue to practice in years to come to remind myself how lucky I am.
Happy birthday, Nicklas. Thank you for always making me smile.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Random Thought Thursday
1. Lately Seeger has been telling us that he wants to go to Hawaii. We always agree with him on that. Last night he said he wanted to go to Hawaii. Or Illinois. He said that both are good places to go hiking.
2. The quilting weekend with the group went well. I didn't get a lot sewn but I had fun catching up with folks. I especially enjoyed playing Right, Left, Center with fabric. Best idea ever.
3. I've cleared the house of all the desserts that were left over from the weekend. I don't know if my co-workers were happy or sad when I brought a plate of treats in each day.
4. My mom went back to work on Tuesday after being off several weeks for her knee cap surgery. I haven't called her yet to see how she's doing so I feel really guilty. I know she'll read this so I want her to know that I've been thinking about her EVEN though I haven't called.
5. I'm ready to get my Christmas decorations out -- I'm really looking forward to the holiday season this year. The Polack has a strict no-decorations-or-music-until-after-Thanksgiving policy and I've always agreed with it. But for some reason, this year I want to break the rule.
6. I finished a meeting early yesterday and had some time before my class started so I went shopping for Nicklas (he's outgrown all his pants and I'm tired of the ankle waders) and ended up buying garage door openers. I was really worried about the Polack being upset about not including him in the garage door opener decision but he was cool with it. Now we just need to clean out our garage.
7. It really sucks not having curbside recycling. We try to be a good recycling family and we do pretty good but it's such an annoyance find the time to take our recycling to the disposal center. They make you separate EVERYTHING. I shouldn't complain because I've never actually had to go - the Polack always does it - but we both deal with the overflow of recycling that takes over our garage.
8. This morning when I let Freddie out to do his business, there was a strong smell of skunk at the front porch. I was afraid the culprit would come charging at me but luckily he didn't. I am definitely more fearful of critters now that I live out in the country.
9. I get to see the Nutcracker two times this year. Yay! This makes up for not seeing at all last year. One performance is in Indianapolis and the other is in Fort Wayne - back to back weekends. I also want to take the family to see the local production of Annie. One of Nick's classmates has the lead and I think it would be fun to support her.
10. I've offered to throw a double couple's bridal shower for my brother and cousin who are getting married within a month of each other. I'm excited but nervous about the situation. I'm worried that it will be hard to please everyone. At least I have several months to plan and I'm hoping my cousins will get involved with planning.
2. The quilting weekend with the group went well. I didn't get a lot sewn but I had fun catching up with folks. I especially enjoyed playing Right, Left, Center with fabric. Best idea ever.
3. I've cleared the house of all the desserts that were left over from the weekend. I don't know if my co-workers were happy or sad when I brought a plate of treats in each day.
4. My mom went back to work on Tuesday after being off several weeks for her knee cap surgery. I haven't called her yet to see how she's doing so I feel really guilty. I know she'll read this so I want her to know that I've been thinking about her EVEN though I haven't called.
5. I'm ready to get my Christmas decorations out -- I'm really looking forward to the holiday season this year. The Polack has a strict no-decorations-or-music-until-after-Thanksgiving policy and I've always agreed with it. But for some reason, this year I want to break the rule.
6. I finished a meeting early yesterday and had some time before my class started so I went shopping for Nicklas (he's outgrown all his pants and I'm tired of the ankle waders) and ended up buying garage door openers. I was really worried about the Polack being upset about not including him in the garage door opener decision but he was cool with it. Now we just need to clean out our garage.
7. It really sucks not having curbside recycling. We try to be a good recycling family and we do pretty good but it's such an annoyance find the time to take our recycling to the disposal center. They make you separate EVERYTHING. I shouldn't complain because I've never actually had to go - the Polack always does it - but we both deal with the overflow of recycling that takes over our garage.
8. This morning when I let Freddie out to do his business, there was a strong smell of skunk at the front porch. I was afraid the culprit would come charging at me but luckily he didn't. I am definitely more fearful of critters now that I live out in the country.
9. I get to see the Nutcracker two times this year. Yay! This makes up for not seeing at all last year. One performance is in Indianapolis and the other is in Fort Wayne - back to back weekends. I also want to take the family to see the local production of Annie. One of Nick's classmates has the lead and I think it would be fun to support her.
10. I've offered to throw a double couple's bridal shower for my brother and cousin who are getting married within a month of each other. I'm excited but nervous about the situation. I'm worried that it will be hard to please everyone. At least I have several months to plan and I'm hoping my cousins will get involved with planning.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Top 10 International Places I'd Like To Visit
This list includes places I've never been to before. They are in no particular order because it would be too difficult for me to prioritize them. (Heck, it's going to be hard enough to list only 10.)
1. Bali
2. Scandinavia (Including a stop at Kristiansand, Mia's home town and Malmo)
3. United Kingdom (London and Cardiff, Wales, where my cousin Molly lives)
4. Rome (And southern Italy, including Sicily)
5. New Zealand/Australia (Especially Perth)
6. Vancouver
7. Ireland
8. Brazil
9. Hong Kong
10. Bora Bora or Tahiti or Somoa or Fiji
1. Bali
2. Scandinavia (Including a stop at Kristiansand, Mia's home town and Malmo)
3. United Kingdom (London and Cardiff, Wales, where my cousin Molly lives)
4. Rome (And southern Italy, including Sicily)
5. New Zealand/Australia (Especially Perth)
6. Vancouver
7. Ireland
8. Brazil
9. Hong Kong
10. Bora Bora or Tahiti or Somoa or Fiji
Top 10 list
I've been thinking about a new meme for my blog, especially because I seem to be a bit burnt out on Random Thought Thursday. (No worries, I still do RTT but maybe not every Thursday. What, you say? I already don't do every Thursday?) I'm calling this one my top 10 list and it's inspired by Sarah at Overlap. Sarah makes a lot of top 10 lists. A LOT. And she spends a lot of time with her friends making top 10 lists. She's inspired me to make my own lists and I thought I'd share with all of you.
Top 10 Things I Loved About Yesterday
1. Hearing Nicklas talk about his progress in school during our parent/teacher/student conference.
2. Hearing Nicklas' teacher praise him and then empower him to continue to strive to improve and work hard.
3. One-on-one time with Nicklas and the Polack at Jiffy Treet to celebrate an awesome conference.
4. Having my students incorporate an in-class exercise during their group presentation.
5. Looking - and admiring - the quilt blocks I put together over the weekend.
6. Staying awake longer than the Polack. (I'm ALWAYS the one who falls asleep first.)
7. Sharing yummy desserts with my co-workers that were left over from the weekend.
8. Thanking my co-worker for the IU basketball tickets she gave me on Sunday. I was so appreciative and she was so happy they were used.
9. Eating a chicken salad sandwich (or two) for lunch while watching America's Next Top Model.
10. Visiting with a former student who stopped by while she was visiting Btown. She spent the last four months in Sitka, Alaska and told me all about her great (and not so great) experiences.
Top 10 Things I Loved About Yesterday
1. Hearing Nicklas talk about his progress in school during our parent/teacher/student conference.
2. Hearing Nicklas' teacher praise him and then empower him to continue to strive to improve and work hard.
3. One-on-one time with Nicklas and the Polack at Jiffy Treet to celebrate an awesome conference.
4. Having my students incorporate an in-class exercise during their group presentation.
5. Looking - and admiring - the quilt blocks I put together over the weekend.
6. Staying awake longer than the Polack. (I'm ALWAYS the one who falls asleep first.)
7. Sharing yummy desserts with my co-workers that were left over from the weekend.
8. Thanking my co-worker for the IU basketball tickets she gave me on Sunday. I was so appreciative and she was so happy they were used.
9. Eating a chicken salad sandwich (or two) for lunch while watching America's Next Top Model.
10. Visiting with a former student who stopped by while she was visiting Btown. She spent the last four months in Sitka, Alaska and told me all about her great (and not so great) experiences.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Hoosier Basketball
Even though the team is young and the Big 10 season will be tough for them, I'm still excited about the IU Basketball this season. A co-worker gave me two tickets to the game last night so I took Nicklas and we had a great time. I was excited to see Cody Zeller play and the game was especially fun because my man, Victor Oladipo, had career high scoring and a few of his awesome slam dunks.
When we got there, we realized that Nick's friend, Nik was sitting a few seats away with his mom who I've gotten to know this year. What a pleasant surprise!
When we got there, we realized that Nick's friend, Nik was sitting a few seats away with his mom who I've gotten to know this year. What a pleasant surprise!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Random Thoughts Thursday
1. I only have about 10 minutes before I need to leave to pick up Nicklas and Seeger from tae kwon do so we'll see how many thoughts I can write down in my limited time.
2. Seeger finally lost his tooth!!!! He's one happy boy. I know tooth sharing photos are gross but I wanted everyone to see how much his adult tooth has grown in before his baby tooth came out. Unbelievable.
3. This weekend I'm hosting a group of quilting friends for a Bloomington quilt camp. I'll have a full house and I haven't done anything to prepare for it so I decided to take the day off tomorrow so I can change sheets, make beds, and grocery shop. We'll see if I can fit in actual house cleaning. (Well, I definitely do the toilets but other than that, I'm not so sure.) It will be fun to see everyone.
4. I'm enjoying my teaching experience this semester but the late nights two times per week are getting to me. I'm so thankful this is an eight week course. I didn't get home until 10pm last night. Freddy was the only one who greeted me at the door because all the boys were asleep.
5. So apparently now when you're a student and you want to add a class, you just fill out an e-doc and the request goes to the course instructor. Every other day it seems like I have students adding my class. After we started the third week of the eight week class, I finally stopped approving the requests.
6. I ordered a new iPhone. I'm looking forward to a phone with more memory since I have to continuously delete pictures because my phone is full. That's pretty annoying.
7. Since I'm getting a new phone, Nicklas gets my old one. He's super excited to have an actual iPhone and I'm sure he'll feel like the cool kid for a while.
8. Just two more minutes and I need to come up with three more random thoughts. Yikes, some over perfumed person just walked in my office and now I'm trying not to gag. Blech, I taste perfume in my mouth.
9. The Polack and I are going to see my new favorite band, Fitz and the Tantrums, who are playing at the Bluebird in a few weeks. I can't wait!
10. Speaking of, I might as well direct you a link of them playing. Here's a clip of their recent performance of Don't Gotta Work It Out on Jay Leno. Enjoy!
2. Seeger finally lost his tooth!!!! He's one happy boy. I know tooth sharing photos are gross but I wanted everyone to see how much his adult tooth has grown in before his baby tooth came out. Unbelievable.
3. This weekend I'm hosting a group of quilting friends for a Bloomington quilt camp. I'll have a full house and I haven't done anything to prepare for it so I decided to take the day off tomorrow so I can change sheets, make beds, and grocery shop. We'll see if I can fit in actual house cleaning. (Well, I definitely do the toilets but other than that, I'm not so sure.) It will be fun to see everyone.
4. I'm enjoying my teaching experience this semester but the late nights two times per week are getting to me. I'm so thankful this is an eight week course. I didn't get home until 10pm last night. Freddy was the only one who greeted me at the door because all the boys were asleep.
5. So apparently now when you're a student and you want to add a class, you just fill out an e-doc and the request goes to the course instructor. Every other day it seems like I have students adding my class. After we started the third week of the eight week class, I finally stopped approving the requests.
6. I ordered a new iPhone. I'm looking forward to a phone with more memory since I have to continuously delete pictures because my phone is full. That's pretty annoying.
7. Since I'm getting a new phone, Nicklas gets my old one. He's super excited to have an actual iPhone and I'm sure he'll feel like the cool kid for a while.
8. Just two more minutes and I need to come up with three more random thoughts. Yikes, some over perfumed person just walked in my office and now I'm trying not to gag. Blech, I taste perfume in my mouth.
9. The Polack and I are going to see my new favorite band, Fitz and the Tantrums, who are playing at the Bluebird in a few weeks. I can't wait!
10. Speaking of, I might as well direct you a link of them playing. Here's a clip of their recent performance of Don't Gotta Work It Out on Jay Leno. Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The 9/11 Memorial
I was in NYC last week for week and I decided to check out the 9/11 Memorial. Reservations were required but entry was free. Two square pool/fountains sit atop the location of the former two towers. The fountains were much bigger than I expected.
They are lined with the names of those that lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks.
The Memorial is surrounded by construction as new buildings are erected in the area.
This was in the visitor center. My brother-in-law is a firefighter so it really touched me.
A visit to the Memorial is a must-see for anyone visiting NYC.
They are lined with the names of those that lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks.
The Memorial is surrounded by construction as new buildings are erected in the area.
This was in the visitor center. My brother-in-law is a firefighter so it really touched me.
A visit to the Memorial is a must-see for anyone visiting NYC.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Seeger's Tooth
Seeger is the only one in his class that hasn't lost a tooth yet. We
were excited when he realized one was loose - until we saw what's
behind it. I'm hoping it comes out soon so that we don't have to get
it pulled.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Random Thoughts
Hmmmm... I'm not really sure what to write about today. I don't have many random thoughts swirling in my head but it's Thursday and I've missed several RTT's in a row so I feel like I should probably write something. Let's see....
1. *chirping crickets* Oh wait, I forgot to mention that we're now proud owners of a cello. Nicklas joined the Strings program at his school and he picked the cello to play. I called around about rentals and everyplace was out of 3/4 size except one place but it was really expensive. Like $150 for three months. That seems like a lot, no? So I decided to buy one on eBay since it was only $175. I figured it wouldn't matter as much if it got beat up. Except that when the cello actually arrived, it wasn't completely put together. The bridge had to be added and the strings needed spaced. (I didn't even know what a bridge was until this damn thing arrived in the mail.) So I had to take it to get serviced and I ended up at the expensive rental place where the owner looked down his nose at the cheap eBay cello and rolled his eyes. I think he was scared to touch it for fear that it would fall apart in his hands. He let me know that we needed new rosin and new strings. I told him we had extra strings and showed them to him - See lookie here, Mister String Snob. He rolled his eyes again and said "what are those?" I guess the eBay strings are just as bad as the eBay cello. He knew I wasn't going to fall for spending $150 on new strings so he decided that the current strings might be okay.
In all, I spent $39 to have him move the bridge, space the strings, and sell me new rosin. I really hope Nicklas enjoys playing the cello.
2. The Polack and I went to a Halloween party last weekend. I took some pictures with his phone so I need to transfer them to mine so I can do a post about all the cool costumes. We went as characters from Dexter. He was Dexter and I was wrapped in saran wrap. It was fun and I really enjoyed seeing so many of our Lafayette friends. The boys (as in the boys at the party, not my children) won the game of Flippy Cup but I don't think the girls feel like they can claim victory because two of our better players abstained due to pregnancy. And I stopped playing after the smoke break. (And I do want to point out that when I was playing, we were WINNING.) So some newbies played this year and they just didn't make the cut.
3. We took the kids to buy pumpkins on Tuesday. All the pumpkin farms in this area are closed during the week (what's up with that?) so we took them to the co-op grocery. (The Polack has a thing about buying Halloween pumpkins locally.) Nicklas picked a tall skinny pumpkin and Seeger picked the biggest pumpkin he could find. He is so excited about this pumpkin. He went on and on to the checkout lady about how that pumpkin is his and he picked it out and he's going to make a cool face to carve on it.
4. The deal between the Polack and I is that I clean out the guts of the pumpkin and he'll carve them. It works for both of us and is another example of our compatibility. (He likes chicken wings, I like chicken drums. He likes pepper, I like salt. He prefers folding the laundry, I prefer putting it away. It's a match made in heaven, I tell ya.) Seeger had the Polack put eyebrows on his pumpkin. He's very excited about the eyebrows and keeps asking me if I've ever seen eyebrows on a pumpkin before.
5. I just went back to reread some previous posts and I came across Lucy the Dog from May 5, 2009. I rarely go back and read old posts but it was very entertaining so I think I might feature one every so often from now on. It's just a small glimpse of the past.
6. Seeger apparently hasn't changed much from that post because yesterday he told me that he's going to draw a bunch of pictures of an ankylosaurus and then walk around Mimi's neighborhood and sell them for $10 each so he can make some money.
7. I can't remember if I mentioned this on my blog or not but a few weeks ago, Nicklas and the rest of the fifth graders went to Bradford Woods for three days of outdoor education. He was so looking forward to the trip - he's a camp kid after all - and I think he really enjoyed the experience (even though it rained for most of the time) but one thing he didn't like were the crazy boys in his cabin. There were 18 fifth graders and 2 high school senior boys to supervise. Apparently there wasn't much supervision because they didn't get to sleep until 2:30am both nights. And Nicklas heard from his friends that another cabin of boys never slept at all the first night. He said the boys were crazy and would do things like turn off the lights, strip naked and turn on the lights to reak the others out. Or they'd open shower curtains when other boys were trying to shower. Poor Nicklas didn't shower the entire time he was there. Overall though, he did enjoy the experience. He can't wait to sign up for Camp Tecumseh for summer 2012.
8. We have several visitor's coming to spend the weekend with us for the IU football game on Saturday and my house is definitely not company ready. It's not really dirty but it definitely needs picked up. I've been gone every night for the last several days and we weren't home last weekend so we haven't kept up things. It's probably the messiest it's been since we moved in. Hopefully I can get a bit of pick up time in tonight.
9. I didn't even make the bed this morning. I just threw the covers over the bed which is unusual because I almost always make the bed. But the late nights with teaching the class and the early mornings this week are taking their toll. I got up extra early yesterday, today, and I'm going to have to get up early tomorrow. Blech.
10. I just made a Domino's date that I'm very excited for. The Polack and I will go to a friends house for an evening of game playing. Yay!
11. I get to see the Nutcracker once, maybe two times this year. Double Yay!
Toodle-loo.
1. *chirping crickets* Oh wait, I forgot to mention that we're now proud owners of a cello. Nicklas joined the Strings program at his school and he picked the cello to play. I called around about rentals and everyplace was out of 3/4 size except one place but it was really expensive. Like $150 for three months. That seems like a lot, no? So I decided to buy one on eBay since it was only $175. I figured it wouldn't matter as much if it got beat up. Except that when the cello actually arrived, it wasn't completely put together. The bridge had to be added and the strings needed spaced. (I didn't even know what a bridge was until this damn thing arrived in the mail.) So I had to take it to get serviced and I ended up at the expensive rental place where the owner looked down his nose at the cheap eBay cello and rolled his eyes. I think he was scared to touch it for fear that it would fall apart in his hands. He let me know that we needed new rosin and new strings. I told him we had extra strings and showed them to him - See lookie here, Mister String Snob. He rolled his eyes again and said "what are those?" I guess the eBay strings are just as bad as the eBay cello. He knew I wasn't going to fall for spending $150 on new strings so he decided that the current strings might be okay.
In all, I spent $39 to have him move the bridge, space the strings, and sell me new rosin. I really hope Nicklas enjoys playing the cello.
2. The Polack and I went to a Halloween party last weekend. I took some pictures with his phone so I need to transfer them to mine so I can do a post about all the cool costumes. We went as characters from Dexter. He was Dexter and I was wrapped in saran wrap. It was fun and I really enjoyed seeing so many of our Lafayette friends. The boys (as in the boys at the party, not my children) won the game of Flippy Cup but I don't think the girls feel like they can claim victory because two of our better players abstained due to pregnancy. And I stopped playing after the smoke break. (And I do want to point out that when I was playing, we were WINNING.) So some newbies played this year and they just didn't make the cut.
3. We took the kids to buy pumpkins on Tuesday. All the pumpkin farms in this area are closed during the week (what's up with that?) so we took them to the co-op grocery. (The Polack has a thing about buying Halloween pumpkins locally.) Nicklas picked a tall skinny pumpkin and Seeger picked the biggest pumpkin he could find. He is so excited about this pumpkin. He went on and on to the checkout lady about how that pumpkin is his and he picked it out and he's going to make a cool face to carve on it.
4. The deal between the Polack and I is that I clean out the guts of the pumpkin and he'll carve them. It works for both of us and is another example of our compatibility. (He likes chicken wings, I like chicken drums. He likes pepper, I like salt. He prefers folding the laundry, I prefer putting it away. It's a match made in heaven, I tell ya.) Seeger had the Polack put eyebrows on his pumpkin. He's very excited about the eyebrows and keeps asking me if I've ever seen eyebrows on a pumpkin before.
5. I just went back to reread some previous posts and I came across Lucy the Dog from May 5, 2009. I rarely go back and read old posts but it was very entertaining so I think I might feature one every so often from now on. It's just a small glimpse of the past.
6. Seeger apparently hasn't changed much from that post because yesterday he told me that he's going to draw a bunch of pictures of an ankylosaurus and then walk around Mimi's neighborhood and sell them for $10 each so he can make some money.
7. I can't remember if I mentioned this on my blog or not but a few weeks ago, Nicklas and the rest of the fifth graders went to Bradford Woods for three days of outdoor education. He was so looking forward to the trip - he's a camp kid after all - and I think he really enjoyed the experience (even though it rained for most of the time) but one thing he didn't like were the crazy boys in his cabin. There were 18 fifth graders and 2 high school senior boys to supervise. Apparently there wasn't much supervision because they didn't get to sleep until 2:30am both nights. And Nicklas heard from his friends that another cabin of boys never slept at all the first night. He said the boys were crazy and would do things like turn off the lights, strip naked and turn on the lights to reak the others out. Or they'd open shower curtains when other boys were trying to shower. Poor Nicklas didn't shower the entire time he was there. Overall though, he did enjoy the experience. He can't wait to sign up for Camp Tecumseh for summer 2012.
8. We have several visitor's coming to spend the weekend with us for the IU football game on Saturday and my house is definitely not company ready. It's not really dirty but it definitely needs picked up. I've been gone every night for the last several days and we weren't home last weekend so we haven't kept up things. It's probably the messiest it's been since we moved in. Hopefully I can get a bit of pick up time in tonight.
9. I didn't even make the bed this morning. I just threw the covers over the bed which is unusual because I almost always make the bed. But the late nights with teaching the class and the early mornings this week are taking their toll. I got up extra early yesterday, today, and I'm going to have to get up early tomorrow. Blech.
10. I just made a Domino's date that I'm very excited for. The Polack and I will go to a friends house for an evening of game playing. Yay!
11. I get to see the Nutcracker once, maybe two times this year. Double Yay!
Toodle-loo.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Back Blogged
A few weeks ago, the Polack's brother et familia came to visit us. We decided to check out the rock outcropping located in the woods behind our house.
It's really tough to get a good shot of the rock outcropping, especially one that shows the enormity of it. (We guestimate that it's at least 40 feet wide and deep. Here's a photo of Matt and Seeger looking out over it and down the ravine.
We've been wondering if there's cave underneath so we decided to investigate. The outcropping is too steep so we walked beyond it, looking for a way to head down in to the ravine. Here are the kids, just as we find a spot and begin our backtrack to the bottom of the outcropping.
It was a very narrow path!
We made it. It was spectacular to see from below.
There's no cave but we still had fun exploring.
After the hike, we headed downtown to eat some lunch at Dagwood's. Anna and Melissa had to stop for the obligatory shot in front of Sample Gates.
Here's one last picture from the weekend. My dad and his wife came to see our house and watch a football game. Of course, the Hoosiers didn't win but at least they gave Penn State a good run.
We were lucky to have such a beautiful weekend for outdoor activities!
It's really tough to get a good shot of the rock outcropping, especially one that shows the enormity of it. (We guestimate that it's at least 40 feet wide and deep. Here's a photo of Matt and Seeger looking out over it and down the ravine.
We've been wondering if there's cave underneath so we decided to investigate. The outcropping is too steep so we walked beyond it, looking for a way to head down in to the ravine. Here are the kids, just as we find a spot and begin our backtrack to the bottom of the outcropping.
It was a very narrow path!
We made it. It was spectacular to see from below.
There's no cave but we still had fun exploring.
After the hike, we headed downtown to eat some lunch at Dagwood's. Anna and Melissa had to stop for the obligatory shot in front of Sample Gates.
Here's one last picture from the weekend. My dad and his wife came to see our house and watch a football game. Of course, the Hoosiers didn't win but at least they gave Penn State a good run.
We were lucky to have such a beautiful weekend for outdoor activities!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Best & Worst
Seeger's worst - didn't get to do training because of the rain
Mike's worst - homework time at Barnes and Noble
Nick's worst - raining all day and went to Barnes and Noble but didn't
get to read any books
Natalie's worst - forgot to take lunch to work so had to order delivery
Seeger's best - it's probably going to be playing UNO
Mike's best - today was half hump day/half Friday in his world
Nick's best - that it's a short week
Natalie's best - family dinner
Mike's worst - homework time at Barnes and Noble
Nick's worst - raining all day and went to Barnes and Noble but didn't
get to read any books
Natalie's worst - forgot to take lunch to work so had to order delivery
Seeger's best - it's probably going to be playing UNO
Mike's best - today was half hump day/half Friday in his world
Nick's best - that it's a short week
Natalie's best - family dinner
Friday, October 14, 2011
Life updates
I've missed the last few Thursday's so my apologies for the lack of random thoughts. It's been a busy few weeks. Actually, it's been a busy fall. We've had several football games and the football free weekends have consisted of other planned activities. We're currently booked through December. Tonight, I'm going on the Turner girls not-so-annual trek to Kentucky for Glendale Crossing Days. I won't go in to the specifics of what this means because it's been 9 years since our last trip and I'm not sure how much the event has changed or stayed the same. That's for another blog post. Anyway, while I'm gone, the Polack will have the boys and nephew Ben for a weekend which will likely consist of fart talk and burping and possibly poop on a stick. (These aren't common activities in the Kubatski household - until Ben comes to visit.)
(Although Seeger misspelled farther on his spelling test and wrote farter instead and he and I got a good laugh from that.)
In a few hours, I'm going to pick up Nicklas who has been gone since Wednesday. His class had a group trip to Bradford Woods where he learned all sorts of outdoor educational, uh things, (I'm guessing). Bradford Woods is similar to Camp Tecumseh and though it's actually run out of the school/department I work for, I still have my heart at Camp Tecumseh. Anyway, Nicklas was so excited about the trip and he heard that food was really good and that he should bring lots of socks. I did end up packing 7 pairs for three days and I'm glad because it rained at least half of the time they were there. I commented to Seeger that I felt bad for Nicklas being out in the rain so much and Seeger let me know that Nicklas likes getting rained, a fact I'll have to verify when I pick up Nicklas.
I've gotten to do a lot of quilting lately (the Polack is all baseball all the time lately) which is good because we're going to a baby shower next weekend and I had a project to finish up. I also finished another baby quilt that is ready to go in the mail, as soon as I take photos of it. It's gorgeous and everyone in the office loved it and one colleague even said she was going to steal it. (It's nice to good comments about that quilt because I spent forever on it.) My third project has been a Christmas stocking to match one that I made for a friends first born. Now that she had two kiddo's she requested another one and of course, I had to oblige. (Though it's really hard for me to think Christmas when Halloween hasn't happened yet.)
While Nicklas was at Bradford Woods, the Polack when to see game 4 of Tigers playoffs. I'm glad he got to go and he was there with a college buddy; it's just too bad the game was a bust. The Tigers are 2-3 in the series so hopefully they'll pull it all out.
Here's Seeger saying, Go Tigers: (And look, we actually have GRASS!)
So while Nicklas and the Polack were gone, Seeger and I had a nice evening alone. I picked him up from school and we went home where he made me do part 2 of my ninja training. I'm now a master at nun chucks and sais but I still have to train for the sword and staff. Luckily, I passed the sais so now I'm a master over Nicklas who has only completed his nun chuck training. (Nicklas doesn't know this makes me a master over him and I'm keeping it on the down-low so he doesn't give up on his training. Master Seeger wouldn't like that.) After our training and dinner, I took Seeger to pick out his Halloween costume. I tried to talk him into letting me make him something (Halloween costumes are expensive but fall apart easily so it's super annoying) but then I decided I didn't really want to make anything and we found a pretty good costume that didn't seem like it was going to fall apart and it was only $13. So we bought it and Seeger is really happy about it. It was a nice evening with just me and Seeger. I always enjoy that one-on-one time with my kids - they don't happen often.
Here's my happy Seeger:
Last weekend was our fourth tailgate of the year. The Hoosiers have been terrible this year. People were hopeful because of our new coach but I guess when you're so used to being bad, it doesn't hurt as much. You grow a bit more numb each game. I think we'll be lucky if we finish 2-10. Any that's why tailgates are so important. They give us Hoosier fans something to look forward to. I've had a lot of fun tailgating this year and I've enjoyed all the people who've come to hang out with us. I keep meaning to take photos but I always forget. I did get one photo from last week but it doesn't have everyone in it. So here's the semi group shot:
During the tailgate, we stopped at Assembly Hall to use the facilities (it's so nice being close to Assembly Hall so that we don't have to use the port-o-pots in the grass lots) and to shop for our friend, one-armed-Ben. The boys had fun checking out all the IU stuff:
Also last week, I got to go back to Leonard Springs Nature Park. It was as beautiful as my first visit, maybe even more so since the sky was so blue. I took some better pictures to share with you:
The boys school had their Open House. I volunteered to sell apparel/directories while the family ate. Then we checked out their classrooms. I love how excited both were to show us everything they do at school. It's great to have kids who love to learn. This was posted outside Seeger's room:
It says, "Lern about me! My hair is blond. I like apples. My I can do a summersalt. My muscles are huge! These are the anamils I like: snake, frogs, and cows. These are the toys and games I like: Legos, Ninga, Uno and Rich." How cute is that??
Here is a photo of Nicklas after the event. He's growing so much - he's up to my nose. Yikes.
Okay, that's enough of an update for now, right? We're going to be super busy the next several weeks but luckily work has slowed down a bit for me. Although I keep forgetting that I'm actually teaching a class this semester. It's a 2 credit, 8 week fundraising course and it starts in 10 days. The syllabus is finished and I'm trying to line up a few guest speakers. I'm a little nervous and I hope it won't be a disaster.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
(Although Seeger misspelled farther on his spelling test and wrote farter instead and he and I got a good laugh from that.)
In a few hours, I'm going to pick up Nicklas who has been gone since Wednesday. His class had a group trip to Bradford Woods where he learned all sorts of outdoor educational, uh things, (I'm guessing). Bradford Woods is similar to Camp Tecumseh and though it's actually run out of the school/department I work for, I still have my heart at Camp Tecumseh. Anyway, Nicklas was so excited about the trip and he heard that food was really good and that he should bring lots of socks. I did end up packing 7 pairs for three days and I'm glad because it rained at least half of the time they were there. I commented to Seeger that I felt bad for Nicklas being out in the rain so much and Seeger let me know that Nicklas likes getting rained, a fact I'll have to verify when I pick up Nicklas.
I've gotten to do a lot of quilting lately (the Polack is all baseball all the time lately) which is good because we're going to a baby shower next weekend and I had a project to finish up. I also finished another baby quilt that is ready to go in the mail, as soon as I take photos of it. It's gorgeous and everyone in the office loved it and one colleague even said she was going to steal it. (It's nice to good comments about that quilt because I spent forever on it.) My third project has been a Christmas stocking to match one that I made for a friends first born. Now that she had two kiddo's she requested another one and of course, I had to oblige. (Though it's really hard for me to think Christmas when Halloween hasn't happened yet.)
While Nicklas was at Bradford Woods, the Polack when to see game 4 of Tigers playoffs. I'm glad he got to go and he was there with a college buddy; it's just too bad the game was a bust. The Tigers are 2-3 in the series so hopefully they'll pull it all out.
Here's Seeger saying, Go Tigers: (And look, we actually have GRASS!)
So while Nicklas and the Polack were gone, Seeger and I had a nice evening alone. I picked him up from school and we went home where he made me do part 2 of my ninja training. I'm now a master at nun chucks and sais but I still have to train for the sword and staff. Luckily, I passed the sais so now I'm a master over Nicklas who has only completed his nun chuck training. (Nicklas doesn't know this makes me a master over him and I'm keeping it on the down-low so he doesn't give up on his training. Master Seeger wouldn't like that.) After our training and dinner, I took Seeger to pick out his Halloween costume. I tried to talk him into letting me make him something (Halloween costumes are expensive but fall apart easily so it's super annoying) but then I decided I didn't really want to make anything and we found a pretty good costume that didn't seem like it was going to fall apart and it was only $13. So we bought it and Seeger is really happy about it. It was a nice evening with just me and Seeger. I always enjoy that one-on-one time with my kids - they don't happen often.
Here's my happy Seeger:
Last weekend was our fourth tailgate of the year. The Hoosiers have been terrible this year. People were hopeful because of our new coach but I guess when you're so used to being bad, it doesn't hurt as much. You grow a bit more numb each game. I think we'll be lucky if we finish 2-10. Any that's why tailgates are so important. They give us Hoosier fans something to look forward to. I've had a lot of fun tailgating this year and I've enjoyed all the people who've come to hang out with us. I keep meaning to take photos but I always forget. I did get one photo from last week but it doesn't have everyone in it. So here's the semi group shot:
During the tailgate, we stopped at Assembly Hall to use the facilities (it's so nice being close to Assembly Hall so that we don't have to use the port-o-pots in the grass lots) and to shop for our friend, one-armed-Ben. The boys had fun checking out all the IU stuff:
Also last week, I got to go back to Leonard Springs Nature Park. It was as beautiful as my first visit, maybe even more so since the sky was so blue. I took some better pictures to share with you:
The boys school had their Open House. I volunteered to sell apparel/directories while the family ate. Then we checked out their classrooms. I love how excited both were to show us everything they do at school. It's great to have kids who love to learn. This was posted outside Seeger's room:
It says, "Lern about me! My hair is blond. I like apples. My I can do a summersalt. My muscles are huge! These are the anamils I like: snake, frogs, and cows. These are the toys and games I like: Legos, Ninga, Uno and Rich." How cute is that??
Here is a photo of Nicklas after the event. He's growing so much - he's up to my nose. Yikes.
Okay, that's enough of an update for now, right? We're going to be super busy the next several weeks but luckily work has slowed down a bit for me. Although I keep forgetting that I'm actually teaching a class this semester. It's a 2 credit, 8 week fundraising course and it starts in 10 days. The syllabus is finished and I'm trying to line up a few guest speakers. I'm a little nervous and I hope it won't be a disaster.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
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