Nickelodeon Fit [Wii Game]

I'm sitting at the computer and turn around to look at the kids and see Wyatt standing on our bathroom scale while playing Wii.  I ask him why is the bathroom scale in the living room.  He says, "Well mom, it says on the tv that I have to use it."

Where's Ben?

I go downstairs and hear Ben crying.   Where is he?  Walk down the stairs.  Where is he?  Go into the kids room.  Still hear him crying.  Where is he?  Listen closely to the book cabinet and hear crying coming from it.  Open it up and there's Ben.  Ask the kids who are playing in the room why didn't you open the door, "I don't know"

Well that wasn't embarassing*?*/*

(Here's me working out.  If you think your getting the actual picture of me
you've got another thing coming.  Use your imagination.)

So I've started this new thing. (At least its new to me). Its this thing called working out. While embarking on this new adventure in my life I have discovered a few this about myself.

Apparently I now sweat. And not just a little. I mean I am a hot mess on the work out floor. When I was younger I could be at the beach in 100' weather and never have a bead come off me. Now I don't have beads, I have buckets.

I have also discovered how very out of shape I really am. Do you know the color of Santa's suit? Well that's the color of my face while working out. I think I am one step below passing out when I'm in those classes.

The last thing I learned is how completely uncoordinated I am. While in the middle of step class today, working out in the front of the room, doing the "around the world" step, I fell. Not a fast loud fall, but a very slow, bumbling, awkward fall. Then as the instructor is calling out moves I get an, "Are you ok sweetie?". Yep - I was that person today. At least people will remember me next week when I go back.  

"Tiny" Our new bus!

Those who know me know how much I loved driving the bus.  If I had my way I would be driving a tricked out short bus.  Inside it would have carpet, captains chairs, a large flat screen, and 2 benches in the back.  Since I can't have that we got this.  It was going to happen, just a matter a time.  We're going to dress her up a bit with some pinstripping, which will also make me feel a little less like a construction worker.  (I'd paint it yellow, but somehow I think Jason might be against that one.)

SOOOO - Get it out now peeps.  Let's hear it, because next time we come rolling up to your house we'll be driving "Tiny".

Museum of Science and Industry

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Today we spent the day with my sister and her boyfriend, Lee and Leigh. First the kids and I went to go and see their new apartment and had breakfast. Then we all piled into the car and drove to the Museum of Science and Industry.  I do have to tell you the this museum never disappoints.  It's just as good now as it was the last time I went, riding on a school bus.  We had a bit of a problem with Wyatt wanting to explore the entire museum at mock speed and Ben just being an arrss.  That's my new name for him, Arrss.  Not sure how you would spell that, but it's my nice way of calling him an ass.  Benjamin is currently struggling with boundaries and getting what he wants.  He's so lucky he's cute! 

Funniest moments on the day -

First when the tree in the farm section jumped in front of me and I ran right into it.  All my sister heard was THUMP and then me saying, "Oh, there's a tree there."  I thought she was going to loose it.  Of course I did this while she was taking a sip of water and she almost spit it all over herself.  Now I think that really would have made this story good.

Then when Wyatt found a piece of candy.  My sister took Riley and Wyatt up the stairs while the rest of us took the elevator.  (You might think we're lazy, but have you seen the limo I call a stroller?)  So we get out of the elevator and Leigh and Riley and swallowing laughter and Wyatt is sitting there like nothing happened.  Apparently there was a piece of candy on the bench.  Leigh flung it on the ground and before she could say, "Wyatt - No!"  He already had it in his mouth and half chewed.  His response was, "Aunti, It's strawberry."

After that we went out for pizza where Ben screamed and hollered so much that the guys behind the counter just started giving him candy to try and make him be quiet.  It worked so did I care that my kid was getting all sugared up?  Nope.  Then we dropped Lee at the bus station and took Leigh to work. I'm pretty sure I got my picture taken while driving home and will be getting a nice letter in the mail from the City of Chicago. Guess I have to pay my dues for visiting. 

Thanks for a great day guys!

RIP Kujo Ehlert-Cappert

RIP Kujo Ehlert - Cappert Oct, 1999 - Oct 27,2011

My dad, Alex and I used to live in a farm house together (A.K.A. The Frat House).  We had some great times there, but the house really left much to be desired.  If this gives you any clue - We lived there for 2 years and I never once set foot in the basement.  Some people may say that's weird, but I say it was creepy.  Our first winter we found out that we really did live on a farm (even though it's in the middle of Grayslake).  We had mice.  Not just a few mice, but we were catching a mouse an hour.  Our house wasn't dirty, it just had that many cracks for the critters to get in and we lived amongst corn fields.  It got cold and they looking for somewhere to live.  Our house was it.  Mouse traps weren't cutting it, so we decided to get a cat.

Alex and I went to PetsMart and picked out 2 very cute cats.  We had to fill out paperwork before we could take them home.  "Do you own or rent?" - Rent.  So they went to our crazy, 40/50 something, hairplug wearin', spying on his ex-wife, convertable driving landlord.  He said no.  We were floored!  The house came with a cat!  It literally had a litter box in the basement (so I was told).  The cat that came with the house lived outside.  Alex named her Bitcher because he mistook her meowing for whining.  (As you can see we don't know a lot about animals.  Never really had any growing up.)  So now what??  All these mice and no cat to catch them.  That's where Alex's friend Alec comes into the story.

Alex and Alec worked at the gun club.  Crazy ass place to work!  One day they were out there and Alec found Kujo in the middle of the sporting clay field.  It was October of 1999.  She was so little, cold, and starving.  Alec put her in a box and gave her to Alex because he knew we where looking for a cat.  She was magnificent!  After she came to live with us we never saw a mouse again, and after Alex and I left with Kujo my dad said the mice took over again.  So I guess there really is something to the old saying, "When the cat's away the mice will play."

Kujo came to live with us here.  Alex and I always had a thing going as to who's cat she actually was because when he moved out he left her here.  As you can see I always said she was his cat.  His friend gave her to him.  He said she was "our" cat. 

She lived a good life here.  Once the kids were old enough to chase after her she never really fancied any of them.  She would come out after the kids went to bed looking for attention.   Nobody really knew we had a cat when they came over because she was always in a closet hiding.  

Last night Jason and I started talking and realized neither of us had fed her in about 3 days, but there was still food in her dish.  So we decided to take her to the vet today.  It turns out that she had a heart condition.  Even if we treated her for it, she would have only had another 6 months max.  Jason made the hard call.  Thankfully Alex and my dad were there with him.  Once everything was done Jason called me and I told the kids while he was on his way home.  They didn't understand at first that she wasn't coming home.  "Why?"  Riley asked me, "Is it because I fed her to much food?"  Wyatt just kept crying for Kujo to come home.  First they wanted to pray for her and then they decided that we need a new pet.  A cat or dog they'll be ok with.  Definately no to a dog, but we'll see how persistant they are about a cat.  I'm not ready to jump back into that, but if it means that much to them we will think about it.  I gave the kids a piece of candy to distract and comfort them before Jason came home.  It worked.  Then when Jason came home and they saw how upset he was they said, "Maybe daddy needs a pumpking candy too?"  Daddy came home with a case of beer.  He had his own medicine.  Jason was sitting in the recliner crying with Ben on his lap. Ben looked at his daddy with tears running down his face, pointed to the tears, and said, "Uh - Ohh" and then gave his daddy a big hug. That's exactly what he needed.  

I may not be a pet person, but if I had to have one, she's the one to have.  She was good natured, loving, and never caused anyone any heart ache.  She let the kids hold, pull, push, cradle and what ever else they did to her.  She just waited for her moment to leave and ran when she had the opportunity.  Never once did she hiss, scratch, or bite anyone out of malice.  Rest in peace old friend. 

Ben Eating Play-doh - (Titled by Riley)

So I'm on the phone with my mom the other day and feeding Collin while he sits in his car seat on the kitchen table.  The other 3 kids are playing Play-doh in the breezeway, which is adjacent to the kitchen.  Ben climbs up to the table and startseating a Play-doh ball.  I yell from the kitchen, "Ben, take that out of your mouth!"  Ben puts the Play-doh ball down and picks up the Play-doh pumpkin I made for Wyatt and starts to eat it like an apple.  "Ben!  Get that out of your mouth! Can somebody please stop Ben from eating all the Play-doh?" Ben puts the Play-doh pumpkin down and picks up the screwdriver that I used to make lines on the Play-doh pumpkin and starts to put that in his mouth.  "Ben!!  Get that out of your mouth!!!  Somebody go get that out of his mouth!!!"  Wyatt responds back very calmly, "Don't worry mom - It's a Flathead."  So I yell back, "I don't care if it's a Flathead or a Phillips.  Get it out of his mouth."  Ben put it down.  I'm still stuck standing at the kitchen table feeding Collin and my mom is laughing hysterically on the other end of the phone.