I am like Spaghetti

Family Photos!

2010-10-25T12:12:00.002-04:00

Excited is not even the word. Ecstatic. Possibly. Very pleased, to say the least! Last Friday we had family photos taken by Ashley Read Photography. Our family has known Ashley for over a decade. It has been a joy to watch her grow and mature into the beautiful young woman that she is today. Her talent to capture the beauty of people and bring out their personalities in her photography is simply amazing! We went to Tippecanoe Battlefield in Battleground, IN. The day was just perfect - not too hot, but the sun was shining. The ground was dry, the leaves had turned. We all had a great time. So, you can see our post on Ashley's blog, and also on my Facebook page, but here are a few of my personal favorites . . . (In addition to the one at the top of the blog, and the updated individual poses of the kids at the right!)

I loved the railroad tracks. Such a great artistic element!

Mallory's toothless smile will be remembered forever.

Love those colorful trees!

Kind of wish the trees in the background were more colorful, but it's still a great shot!

Kids being goofy . . .of course!

A little more refined . . . and posed!

This was captured at a moment's notice. And I love it!

My sweet husband - the best Dad I know!

And smiles with Mom! Wish we had more times like this.

Living Room Transformed!

2010-08-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

When you buy a house, you learn that making a house a home is a work in progress. There have been many times during the past 11 years that I have wondered why we didn't buy a newly built home. The first answer: we couldn't afford one with a basement. The second answer: we couldn't afford one that had character. The third answer: buying a 60 year old home from it's original owner was so nostalgic. So, we are the proud owners of a 1939 one and a half story cottage style home (with a few craftsman characteristics here and there).

We have slowly redone rooms throughout the house. Some out of preference, some out of necessity. A few years ago, Brett tore out the vinyl flooring by the front door and installed ceramic tile. I loved it! In doing so, he discovered hardwood oak floors that appeared to be in pretty good shape. So, we have debated, periodically, about whether or not to tear out the carpet and expose the wood floors. It would be a gamble, for certain. We didn't know in what condition we would find them. We could always install new carpet, or refinish the floors if they were really bad, but we could not (financially) replace the hardwood.

So, last July, we repainted the office (formerly known as the dining room). When we embarked upon this adventure, I did not know that simply painting a room would take over a month and eventually involve ripping off both the door and window trim, and also ripping out the carpet. But, when you're married to a contractor, home remodeling is never what you expect it to be! We were pleasantly surprised to find that the wood floors in the office were in fantastic shape! However, due to the length of time we had already invested, we stopped with the one room, even though it left a nasty raw edge of carpet going into the hallway and the living room.

See the raw edge there between the two rooms?

It wasn't until eight months later (that's March, people) that we finally tore up the carpet in the hallway. We found that it, too, was in fairly good condition. There is a bit more wear in front of the bathroom door. For obvious reasons, of course! This part of the project ended up taking a little over a week because it involved making new oak thresholds for the doorway openings. They were handmade by the wonderfully talented Waffle, and are simply beautiful.

Fast forward to July 2010. I came home from a work on a Monday a few weeks ago, feeling rather angry, frustrated and let down. So, the Waffle came home to find me taking out those frustrations on the living room carpet! (Better than him or the children, right?) My timing wasn't the most fabulous, I must say. We were scheduled to have a birthday party for one sweet little girl in our life that following Saturday. And, as usual, we had so much to do. The Waffle, however, loves much (and has learned much). So, even though I know he was tired and didn't want to be a living room remodel contractor, he pitched in and helped anyway.

After ripping out that last bit of nasty old carpet, we also repainted the fireplace wall that never got painted a few years ago. It really needed it - the white was no longer anywhere near white. It was a dingy beige, at best.

Before:

The old wall desperately needed to be painted. And see those doors underneath the row of books?

I detested them. They were handmade by the original owner, and had been painted

so many times that they didn't even close all the way! (I'm sure they were lovely at first.)

But, see the horrible old, black hardware? I have despised these cabinet doors for a very long time.

Well, look here, no more doors!

Here is a full wall photo:

We painted, got a new piece of artwork, took the doors off, and painted the walls behind the books to match the rest of the room. I love it! I can't believe I waited so long to get rid of those stupid doors!

When the day of Mallory's party had arrived, we weren't quite done yet. We had removed the doors, but not the center rails. And the wall behind the books was still the same original green it was painted 70 years ago!

Here are a few "in progress" pictures.

This is a closer picture of the 'artwork' that we bought. It's actually two pieces that have been

skillfully hung, perfectly plum and parallel, by my favorite contractor, the Waffle. We were able to

buy this with the help of my Dad, who sent some money for my birthday. Thanks, Dad!

Look at those floors! You would never believe by looking at them that they are 70 years old!

Amazing!

Recently

2010-05-17T08:42:00.001-04:00

Mallory and I helped in the kitchen at the all day Scout event for Hayden's pack.

Mallory even got to try her hand at being a chef!

Hayden played an 'Army Ant' in the 3rd grade choir program at school - so cute!

And has also been playing catcher for his baseball team - and loving it!

That'w hat we've been up to! Longer post later when I have more time - I promise!!

Busy? Who me?

2010-05-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

I would love to be keeping up with the blog right now. But have you seen my calendar lately?

I'm a little busy.

Pasta on Parenting - it's been a while

2010-04-30T12:19:00.000-04:00

I haven’t written a ‘Pasta on Parenting’ post in a while. And boy, have I been getting some experience lately! Those kids, you know, they don’t slow down for a minute. The challenges come at you like flaming darts – it’s amazing! By ‘challenges’ I don’t mean that my children are going through challenges, or that we are having problems, or anything like that. I simply mean that being a parent is hard work. There’s always a decision to make, and you can’t make them lightly. Even if it doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal to take your daughter shopping for summer clothes or sign your son up for baseball or buy them a book at the store ~ all of these things involve important decisions. And if you make the mistake of thinking they’re not important, you may be regretting it later.

What ‘decision’ is involved in buying summer clothes for your little girl? Other than how much money to spend and what size to buy, of course. As parents, the Waffle and I have made it a priority since day one to teach modesty to both Mallory and Hayden. When it comes to picking out clothes for summer, shopping for our 7 year old daughter proves to be much more difficult than for our 9 year old son. Boys wear shorts. The shorts sold for boys are long. Boys wear t-shirts. Most t-shirts sold for boys his size aren’t inappropriate. So, we rarely run into ‘decisions’ that have to be made when shopping for Hayden. Mallory, however, is another story. It isn’t just about picking out a bathing suit. It starts with the clothes. The shorts are too short. They are low-waisted, they are short, sometimes they have words printed on the rear end. Let me ask you this: Why would any mother or father who loves their daughter find it appropriate to put clothes on her that cause another person to stare at their daughter’s butt? I can’t answer that because for me the answer is, “I wouldn’t.” When it comes to tops, there are just as many challenges: spaghetti strap tank tops, bare midriff tops, and tops that say things like, “I didn’t ask to be a Princess” or “Whatever it is, my brother did it.” Really? These things are supposed to be cute? What about teaching humbleness and responsibility? So, when it comes to buying clothes for our daughter, I rise to the challenge. Knee length shorts, no words on the rear, no spaghetti straps, and no sayings that encourage poor attitudes or thinking. I also have a problem with clothes that are too trendy or too ‘grown-up.’ Why do we want our daughters looking like runway models or pop stars? Which ones of them do we want our daughters to look up to (or look like)? For me the answer is simple: none. I want her to know about inner beauty and modesty and make it part of her character that will attract an honest, loving and upright man to be her husband someday. And if I don’t start training her to think and be this way now, when she is twelve it will be too late.

“Signing up for baseball is a challenge?” you ask. Yes, when the ball schedule has some conflicts with regular meetings time for our church congregation, it does pose a challenge. I sometimes find it tough as a parent not only to tell my son when he will not be able to go to baseball, but it’s also to tell the coaches. I don’t want to make my child be different, but we ARE different. As Christians we are called to be different from the world. At 9 years old, our son understands ‘exceptions.’ We have a rule that we live by: when the congregation meets, we are there. The exceptions to this rule are: illness. So, last fall, when a couple of Hayden’s ball games lasted too long and we missed a service, I had enormous guilt. “What are we teaching our son by letting him miss church to play baseball? That playing is more important than worshipping the Creator?” So, the Waffle and I decided that it wouldn’t happen again. It is important to teach what (and Who) comes first. If the children don’t learn that God comes first at an early age, then they will always be torn when making a choice between social events and church services. I’m an adult and there are still times when I feel tempted to skip services because I want to be doing something else. However, people notice our example. Not only our commitment to being at worship and Bible study, but our attitude, our honesty, our effort, and our concern for others. There are so many ways that we can ‘shine our light’ to the world. We just have to be willing to face the challenges head on ~ and then make the right choice when faced with them.

The bottom line is that decisions that often don’t seem important to us are very important to our children. They pick up on the patterns, routines and consistencies in our lives. But they also pick up on the inconsistencies, the lack of discipline and the hypocrisy. So, give them something they can believe in. Don’t make them wonder what to expect, let them know what’s important and how we make our decisions. That builds trust, and after all, isn’t trust what love is all about?

First Game of the Season

2010-04-27T20:58:00.002-04:00

First game of the season. The excitement has been eating at all of us. I sent the Waffle a text today "T minus 4 hours." I posted on Facebook an hour later "T minus 3 hours to game time." We moved Mallory's gymnastics lesson from tonight to Saturday morning, so that we could all be at the field together. When we all got home, we went into motion like a well-oiled machine. Eat. Change. Gear. Drive. It's in our blood. We've done this many times before. We juggle schedules, eat on the run, squint into the sun. All for baseball.

We don't just have a baseball player.
We are a baseball family.

The team dynamics this season are good. Good coach. Good players. With good attitudes. After the 1st inning we were down by a few runs. We didn't make them up in the 2nd. I was feeling 'ick.' That's the best way to describe it. We weren't playing poorly. They were just playing better. Outs at 1st and 2nd were killing us. But the boys stayed in the game mentally. Then the 3rd inning rolled around. And we had a comeback. 6 run rule. I love the 6 run rule ~ kind of. It's a good rule to have when yours is the team giving up runs. However, when yours is the team making the runs, it kind of stinks to get cut off in the middle of your momentum.

Fast forward. Sixth inning. Time for another comeback. This time it was their team making the comeback. They are down by one with two outs and a runner on 3rd and their best hitter is up to bat. He's been hitting it deep into left field. Right where Hayden has been playing. The last time he was up to bat, Hayden stopped the ball and held him to a single. We were so proud. Now the pressure is on. On swing number two, he cracks it out there - left field, and Hayden stops it again! But this time, he fumbles getting it out of his mitt and actually drops it before he throws it to 2nd. Bummer. There was a collective sigh in the bleachers, and then screaming, "Get it in! Throw the ball! Hold 'em!" The tying run crosses home plate easily. But, we're still tied and the 3rd out comes easily when the next batter hits a pop fly to the infield.

Now it's our turn. One run. That's all we need. It's all a blur now. Who hit, how many outs, who scored, I don't even know. All I know is that we won by one run in the bottom of the 6th.

Awesome start boys. Awesome.

Pre-game huddle

Hayden swingin'

Left Field

Hayden had 3 great hits. Unfortunately he didn't score this game.

And I learned something. It's extremely hard for me to take photos while cheering. I may have to hire a photographer, so that I can get some good action photos and not have to give up cheering!

A Fun Afternoon

2010-04-25T15:40:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday we spent the afternoon outdoors. It was a beautiful spring day in Indiana. We signed the kids up to go to Camp Tecumseh for a week of day camp this summer. So, the camp puts on an 'open house' for people to come check it out and enjoy a few of the experiences, meet the counselors and see the camp. We were really impressed and the kids had lots of fun! I can't wait to hear about everything else they get to do during camp!

Hayden tried the climbing wall. And loved it!

Mallory did it too, and did well!

See how high she got!?!

Then they enjoyed a ride down the Black Hole.

And didn't mind posing for a photo together at the end of the day!

A Mouth Full?

2010-04-25T15:30:00.000-04:00

Or not. Hayden had to have four teeth pulled last week, in preparation for getting braces in a year or so. He has a really crowded mouth and the orthodontist said that pulling these teeth will help make room. So, when it's all said and done, he will actually have four less teeth than what is normal, just to make room!

He was a real trooper. Our dentist said he's a very good patient ~ better than many adults. We've been blessed with a good dentist, but also with kids who aren't afraid to go and know that it's important.

His appointment was at 11:30, we were home by 1:00. His mouth was bleeding and numb, of course, so he didn't feel like eating anything. I had to help him take a drink of water! And even with my help, it still dribbled down his chin. He started feeling a little more normal later in the afternoon and finally ate around 4:00. Mashed potatoes and a bowl of ice cream! Then, he crashed.

While his lips were numb, he accidentally bit his lower lip. It ended up swelling a bit, which was quite uncomfortable for a few days. But overall, it wasn't a bad experience.

Here he is a few days later, all smiles. You can't really see the holes that were left in this picture,

but I spared you the gross one.

More Chicago!

2010-04-24T12:09:00.000-04:00

I was really glad that we decided to get a hotel room and stay overnight in Chicago. Because we got to the aquarium so early, and didn't have to wait in line, we saw everything we wanted to by early afternoon. It was an AMAZINGLY beautiful day in Chicago, so we walked to Navy Pier.

We walked down the pier, but because it was so early in the season, there wasn't much to do. The rides weren't open yet, and we really weren't hungry because we ate lunch at the aquarium. So, we just walked.

We saw some beautiful artwork . . .

Some cool toys . . .

and enjoyed the awesome Chicago skyline . . .

both from the outside AND from our hotel room!

After all that walking, we were worn out. (Well, the old people were anyway!) Dad took a nap in the hotel room and mom relaxed with a book beside the pool while the kids splashed and played with other children who were enjoying Chicago on a Friday afternoon. (Mom forgot to take the camera to the pool.) Then, after cleaning up, we took to the streets of Chicago on an awesome Friday night. The weather was gorgeous. And it was fun enjoying a city that has so much to offer. We went to Rain Forest Cafe for dinner. The kids LOVED it!

The restaurant was decorated so magnificently.

The drinks were served in colorful, sparkly glasses.

Even the ceiling was awesome!

After dinner, we walked some more. We saw:

the Water Tower . . .

the Apple store (Hayden thinks he needs an iPad!) . . .

the Hershey store (Mallory thinks she needs monster sized chocolate bars!) . . .

And the next morning we saw this very cool two story McDonald's.

Then we hit the road. ~ driving to Michigan to visit the Asaro family for Easter. I think I'll put that in another post! Chicago was awesome!

Underwater Fun ~ Finally!

2010-04-24T11:23:00.000-04:00

It's been a few weeks since we went to Shedd Aquarium. And I didn't intend to wait this long to post photos, but, you know how it goes with Kincaids: busy. busy, busy!

On Friday, April 2nd, we got up early and drove to Chicago. Destination: Shedd Aquarium. I had looked online about a month earlier and found a fantastic deal where we got a room at the Mariott Magnificent Mile and two tickets for $134! Wow! That was a deal that couldn't be beat, since the tickets were normally $25 each. We arrived in Chicago about 9 in the morning, found our hotel and checked in. We bought two more tickets (for the kids) and then took a bus to the aquarium.

What was super, super cool was NOT waiting in line! As in VERY long line! Because our tickets were VIP tickets, we walked past all the people in line, right up through the Exit doors and into the aquarium. Very Cool.

We enjoyed the aquarium very much. We missed out on the dolphin show because we didn't have tickets for that, and by the time we went to buy them, they were sold out for the day. Oh well. We've seen dolphin shows before.

The penguins were cool. Well, of course they were! :)

The turtle looked old and wise.

Walking under (and over) many different species of God's creation was amazing.

Simply amazing!

The Momma Beluga whale had just given birth. See how her skin is sagging?

I didn't know that Nemo lived in Chicago! (I thought he was from Australia!)

Some fish were just ugly. Big and ugly.

Some were spikey.

Some were bright.

Some were leggy.

(Mallory didn't like looking at this one - not even the pictures!)

This one was all clammed up.

Some were skinny.

And shy, apparently.

We liked the way these two looked, so we decided to take them home with us!

Thursday was rough

2010-04-16T09:24:00.001-04:00

I'm trying to remember if I actually 'gave' something yesterday. It was a killer day at work. Spent the morning working like a dog because I had to be at a training all afternoon. I even worked through my lunch! Then, the training turned out to be not-so-great. In that, I really didn't learn anything that I didn't already know, and the trainer was dry and boring, and I wasn't sitting by my open-enjoy-the-sunshine-and-breeze-window. So, I guess for Thursday what I did give was to give my boss above and beyond work all morning, so that I wasn't leaving anything undone in the afternoon. Yes, that's what I gave. I can accept that. Although it didn't feel like the right kind of giving, and by the end of the day, I was drained.

Now today, today is another story. It's Friday. I'm in jeans at work, listeneing to fun country music with the window open (at leats until it starts raining - BOOOO!). And I have already given a gift to my husband this morning. It's turning out to be a great day so far! Happy Friday everyone!

Update on Giving

2010-04-14T13:50:00.002-04:00

Monday night I gave extra time and attention to two very special children: my own! My boy needed extra help with his homework, so I labored through it with him, never once losing my patience. And when my daughter was crying (and I mean C-R-Y-I-N-G, as in big crocodile tears) over a little Ty Beanie bear that she lost about 6 - 9 months ago, I took the extra time she needed to love and snuggle and comfort her at bedtime.

Yesterday I gave a little message to a friend's FB Inbox. She has an interview today and needed the encouragement.

Today: A fresh tulip for each and every lady in my office!

If you haven't started yet, why not?

Giving today

2010-04-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

Today I gave a mom a break. She was visiting our church from out of town, and struggling with her wiggly- almost-two-year-old son. She was trying to visit with some other friends, but was wrestling with her boy. So, I took him from her and we went for a walk. So, I guess I gave them both a gift! See, it's simple. Give from the heart!

29 Gifts

2010-04-09T18:31:00.004-04:00

I recently bought a book called "29 Gifts" by Cami Walker. It's a story written by an MS sufferer named Cami. When she gets down on life and her disease, she is told by her friend and spiritual advisor to "Give 29 gifts in 29 days." I'm about halfway through the book, reading about her giving journey and loving it. I've found myself more cheerful, more happy, and more giving lately. I'm more aware of the good and positive things around me ~ they are often RIGHT in front of me.

I started doing it without really being aware that I was doing it. It's not like I said to myself, "I'm going to take this challenge to give 29 gifts in 29 days." I just started being more generous. Here are a few of the things I've given: a few moments to chat on Facebook with someone I care about, even though I was at work and probably shouldn't have; a little set of post-it notes and flags with a gardener on them to my boss, who loves gardening; a cleaned out microwave and refrigerator to the girls in my office; a vase of daffodils to a friend who was having a bad morning; a thank you card to someone who returned something that was lost; and I know there's more, I just can't think of them right now!

There are a few important things to remember about the gifts. First is that they don't have to be material gifts. It's not about spending money, it's about offering an authentic gift out of love. Second, and more importantly, if you decide to take the challenge, make sure that you aren't giving out of obligation. If so, you are in scarcity mode and you'll end up burned out.

I haven't finished it yet, but I'm already recommending it. I've always envied people who were naturally 'givers,' feeling that I, somehow, couldn't be that way, too. Well that's just silly! Everyone can be a Giver! Now go on, get to it and start Giving!

Final Touch in the Bathroom

2010-04-07T22:50:00.000-04:00

Thank you to my friend Keli, from work at Purdue, who also cuts vinyl on the side! I just LOVE my new wall decoration!

We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

2010-04-07T22:27:00.001-04:00

Third grade is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! Hayden has a very good teacher this year and is enjoying school a lot. His grades are great, which is pretty normal for him. What I didn't find normal was the fact that Hayden (all on his own) decided to try out for a leading role in the class play. He got the part of the Scarecrow. He had 54 lines in 6 of the 10 scenes of the play. He put in a lot of hours memorizing those lines, and, boy, did he ever pull off a great job acting!! It turns out that we have quite the little broadway star on our hands! Check it out!

It was a wonderful play. The entire class did a FANTASTIC job! Our family was so lucky to have had TWO stars in the play. Our niece Haleigh was also in the play - she was the Blue Narrator. We are so thankful to have a great teacher who is willing to work extra with the kids to help them accomplish something so outstanding. Kudos, Mr. C!

Sights to See

2010-04-07T21:47:00.003-04:00

We were some of the many people who enjoyed the Lake Michigan shoreline last Friday. After several hours at the Shedd Aquarium, we decided to enjoy the blue skies and beautiful breeze coming off the water while we walked down shore to Navy Pier. Here are some snapshots I took along the way.

I like to think sometimes that I have a little bit of talent in the area of photography. Now, a REAL photographer might disagree, but just look at all these 'snapshots' when you put them together in a collage.

Isn't that COOL?
(I'm thinking of having it printed larger and hanging it in my house somewhere!)

For those who wonder

2010-03-20T14:59:00.000-04:00

For those who wonder . . .
. . . do sisters and brothers really get along?
. . . is a sandbox a good investment?
. . . and why do the Kincaids still have one in their backyard?

Here is the answer:

circa 2004

circa 2010

Same kids, same yard, same sandbox. 6 years later. Yes, they play well together. Yes, a sandbox is a good investment. And yes, the Kincaids will be keeping theirs for another year, it seems. And to think, I considered that maybe this summer, we would take it out (finally). Guess that's what I get for thinking, huh?

Chocolate!

2010-03-13T20:45:00.003-05:00

It has been a little more than nine years. I know this because we brought Hayden home from the hospital before we were done the last time. Done doing what, you ask? Done remodeling the bathroom the first time, that's what! Last time we gutted it. New studs, new floors, new fixtures, everything. This time, it was just the surface stuff: paint, shower curtain, window covering, rugs. But, boy, it sure does look different! Check out the slideshow, then I'll tell you about the title . . .

Now that you've seen all the "pretty," I'll tell you why it's called "Chocolate." We bought the shower curtain first. After doing so, we had to go paint shopping. You know how it is, you pick up swatches, try to match them, take them home to check them in the proper light. Eventually you buy paint. When we got started, the beige color wasn't all that exciting. I kept hoping that I would like it when we were done, but I was having my doubts. And so was Brett. Especially after we cracked open the second gallon of paint. He was completely convinced it was going to be too dark. Then Mallory saw the paint. The first words out of her mouth were, "It looks like melted chocolate!"

So, now, whenever she's in the bathroom, she says, "Mmmmmm, Chocolate!"

The Answer is "no"

2010-03-13T20:07:00.000-05:00

He isn't supposed to be up there.

Doesn't look like he's aware of this rule that he's breaking, does it?

That's Disgusting!

2010-03-13T20:03:00.001-05:00

So why did I take a picture of it? Couldn't tell you, really.

What is it? Any ideas?

Looks like a mess on the floor, doesn't it? Well, it is, but what's funny is that I put it there. On purpose.

Here's a close up.

What about now? Do you know what the mess is that I put on the floor?

It's the contents of our four slice toaster. Where else was I supposed to shake it all out?!?!
I'm just thankful that the toaster didn't catch on fire!

Confessions of a Loving Wife

2010-03-13T19:57:00.000-05:00

The Waffle celebrated his 40th birthday this year. While I have been teasing him for quite some time about being old, I wanted to be honoring, not mean, for this special occasion. I decided a long time ago that there would be no "Over the Hill" decorations, no black balloons, and no gag gifts. You see, I am younger than the Waffle, and I know that what goes around comes around. I don't know how I will be feeling when I am preparing to hit the big 4-0, so I wanted to go easy on him.

The Saturday before his birthday, we had plans to be in a Euchre tournament with a group of friends from church. I decided to go ahead and use this opportunity to celebrate with Brett.

Here's the cake:

And here are the candles:

WOW!

Now, for the confession part. After a very busy weekend, complete with euchre party and cake, we started a very busy week. Monday came and went. Tuesday came and went. Wednesday (the big day) came, and almost went, without me even wishing the Waffle a Happy Birthday! Can you believe it? Sometimes our lives are in such a routine, and we have stuff going on ~ Scouts, sports, homework, Bible study, etc. ~ that doing something special mid-week is out of the question. The REALLY bad part? I didn't even buy him a card! Ugh! Good thing we gave up keeping score in our relationship a long time ago. Or I would really have some points to be making up for!

Bears in the News

2010-03-13T19:45:00.002-05:00

In January Hayden's Bear Den visited the production plant for our local newspaper, the Journal and Courier. It is an amazing building, very architecturally appealing, with full glass in the front. You can even see the huge printing press from the road!

The newspaper had not "gone to press" yet when we were there ~ so it was very quiet in the building. While on the tour, I learned that the local printing plant prints papers for cities and towns all over the Midwest. We even saw some for Ohio!

This nice older gentleman is a retired J & C employee who volunteers his time to give tours. He had a little trouble holding the attention of all the children, but he was very patient with our group.

Those big tanks hold the ink for the newspapers. They were huge!

This machine puts the inserts into the newspaper.

This is a roll of newsprint paper. Just for reference, Mallory is about 46 inches tall!

Christmas Break Fun

2010-03-13T19:31:00.001-05:00

I fell off the blogging wagon a couple months ago, and I'd like to do a little catch up. Will you let me? You will?!?! That's great! Hang on - here we go!

Over Christmas break, I took the whole two weeks off with the kids. It was a-w-e-s-o-m-e!!!! I hope I will be able to do it again in the future. Next time I will probably do a little more event planning to keep us busy.

This year, after playing in the snow for a couple of days, I took the kids swimming one afternoon and then we all went skating one evening.

Hayden, our little Fish.

(Actually, he's now a "Flying Fish" at the Y!)

The lifeguard at the Y was going to make me get in the pool with the kids (specifically Mallory,

since she is not 9 years old). "Well, that's a problem," I said. "Because I didn't bring my suit!"

She had mercy on us and let the kids swim anyway. Whew!

Skating was fun for all. It has been years since I've been on roller skates. Hayden had recently been to a birthday party at the skating rink, but it was Mallory's first time ever! They both did great!

Hayden had a play day with his friend Jake. We also went to the movies and had game night with our friends, the Brewers.

Here are the girls at the theater ~ such sweetness!

Mallory had a chance to hold Baby Molly, the Brewers' newest grandchild!

Then later that evening, the girls made cookies, YUM!

We celebrated New Year's with some other friends, the Craigs.

This is Mallory with Grace on New Year's Eve.

Hayden and Brett are teaching Doug, Jake, Fred and Ted how to play Settlers of Catan, a new

game Hayden got for Christmas. We love this game! It's tons of fun!

All in all, it was a great break. The kids (especially Hayden) were really ready to go back to school.

Check this out!

2009-12-29T11:11:00.003-05:00

I know . . . I haven't posted about Christmas yet. I'm on vacation, okay? I did find time to set up a new blog for my budding photographer of a daughter. Go see it!

Keep checking back, because it's likely to change a bit over the next few days. This is just our "get it up and going" start!

Day 2

2009-12-22T10:34:00.003-05:00

I am determined to make this holiday vacation a fun and memorable one for my kids. Why? Not sure. I just am. I want them to remember that we stayed home, hung out, played all day, had fun. As an adult I have memories of certain times in my life, and it isn't always the big events, many times it's the little things that bring a feeling of nostalgia. So, today, when we awoke to more snow on the ground, I shot a little "Thank you" prayer up to the heavens. You see, this is "Day 2." Day 2 of what? Playing outside in the snow, of course!

I got them all bundled up for the second time, and out they went. To use their imaginations (and energy) to decorate the front yard. Yesterday they played outside for over an hour. It was a wonderful time of bonding for my two little ones. This is something that I crave for them, since they are a brother and sister, rather than two brothers or two sisters. I want them to enjoy each other's company, to be friends, to work together, rely on one another, and all that special 'sibling' stuff. And, most of the time, that's what happens. Until they are both exhausted, hungry and cold. Then they fight over what kind of arms the snowman should have! So, we ended the day yesterday with an armless snowman and the promise of tomorrow. And now it has come.

I couldn't resist this photo. I had bundled the children up and sent them outside, and when I came back to check on them, this is what I found.

Do you think he feels left out?

A Holiday "Not Me, Monday!"

2009-12-21T13:20:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

It's Christmas vacation at the Kincaid home. So, today, I did not let my 7 year old sleep until NOON. No, you didn't read 12 pm - as in "lunchtime." Because I would never let a child so small develop poor, lazy sleep habits like that! I'm a much better mother than that. And, when she did finally get up, she did NOT find her mother and brother both still wearing their PJ's. We always get up early, eat a balanced breakfast, shower, dress and get ready for the day in an orderly and timely fashion. ALWAYS. Even when we are on Christmas break. If I was still in my PJ's, I most certainly wouldn't be contemplating whether or not to stay that way ALL day, just for the fun of it, because, hey, it's not often that we can play "lazy" ALL day!

Since it is Christmastime, we do have our home decorated (yes, we really DO). But if I noticed last week that half the lights on the tree had gone out, it most certainly would not have been driving me crazy. Because I don't let little things like a half-lit Christmas tree ruin my Christmas spirit. It hasn't been bothering me so much that I dug through the tree to find all the plugs, checked the fuses, and wiggled those little lights til my fingers hurt. And when I did, I wouldn't have found that we have not one, but two half-lit strings on our tree right now. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle some more. And now, only one half-lit string! If I found that I only had one half lit string, and it was fairly close to the top, I wouldn't stretch and re-arrange the strings above and below it to fill in the unlit part. Nope, not me! And if I had done such a thing, I also wouldn't have done it only on the sides of the tree that you can see, ignoring the back completely.

See, you can't even tell, can you?

So, what have you NOT been doing this holiday season?

"Useless Things"

2009-12-08T08:20:00.002-05:00

Is the title of a poem that Hayden wrote last night. I'm pretty sure it was an assignment, as he wrote it in his journal from school. The thing that amazed me was the ease with which his pencil moved across the page, words flowing out in perfect time and perfect rhyme. His teacher told me at parent-teacher conference time that he was an excellent writer. I'm beginning to see it more and more. And now, I will share:

Useless Things

A body without a head
a pencil without lead
a foot without toes
a face without a nose,

Pages without a book
a chess set without a rook
a no parking sign without no
a toenail without a toe,

This poem without lines
the denist without Dr. Hines
legos without studs
falling without thuds.

I believe it could keep going. But why? You get the point, right? I like it because it's clever. It's simple. And cute. And, I am totally in love with the author!

Elf'd

2009-12-07T22:16:00.002-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hayden's Christmas List - as promised

2009-12-03T15:53:00.003-05:00

So, I'm going to go ahead and say it. Hayden's isn't nearly as cute as Mallory's. But, I promised I would post it, for those who are interested - you know who you are!

1. Mario Party 8 (Wii)
2. Lego Rockband Full Set (Wii)
3. Mario and Luigi's Bowser's Inside Story (DS)
4. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
5. Super Paper Mario Bros. (DS and Wii)

Are you beginning to see a theme? Well, keep reading . . .

6. Mario Galaxy (Wii)
7. Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics (Wii)
8. Monopoly City
9. Lego Bricks & More Taj Mahal
10. Mario Kart (DS)
11. Super Mario 64 (DS)
12. Mario Party (DS)
13. Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
14. Lego Bricks & More Town Plan
15. Bakugan Battle Brawlers New Vestroia
16. Maxus Helios
17. Dog-opoly
18. Monopoly NFL Edition
19. Make-Your-Own-Opoly
20. Purdueopoly
21. Anit-Monopoly
22. Nerf N Strike Raider Rapid Fire CS 35
23. Warriors Books
24. Nerf Lazer Tag Set
25. Air Hogs Switch Blad
26. Air Hogs Micro Terrain Titans
27. Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Pipeline

Whew! Now, mind you, there is only one thing on this list that we have bought so far. I'm a bit disappointed at the lack of variety on the list, to tell you the truth - Wii games, DS games, Monopoly games, Bakugan, Air Hogs and Legos. I think shopping for Mallory is going to be so much more fun . . .

Asaro Thanksgiving Holiday

2009-12-03T15:01:00.004-05:00

Every Thanksgiving, the Kincaid family is one of the many hundreds of thousands of families that hits the road to be with family. This year was no different (except that we left earlier in the day, making our trip much quicker!)

As part of our Thanksgiving celebration, we go shopping on Black Friday, then celebrate Christmas the next day. We started it several years ago when we were having trouble coordinating our schedules for the holiday, and it has been a tradition ever since.

The kids enjoy spending the day together, and the ladies enjoy shopping all day long. Alayna got some Legos (girly ones) and a chef's hat and apron for playing make believe. Mallory and Chloe both got Bendaroos! Mallory also got a Connect 4 x 4 game. Chloe got a new sweater. Hayden got and new hoodie and some books from his favorite series, Warriors. The kids also got to go shopping with Gramma and Grampa Asaro. Hayden had a little trouble deciding, but eventually settled on the new Super Mario Brothers game. He couldn't wait to get home and play it. The Waffle was happy to oblige. Mallory bought some crafty things, including Pixos, and also a butterfly necklace. She put the rest of her money in her shopping jar!

All in all, it was a good trip. Enjoy the slideshow!

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

2009-12-03T14:41:00.005-05:00

Have you ever gotten the feeling, as a mother, that you are over-protective? I have. Have you ever gotten the very opposite feeling that maybe you aren't quite protective enough? I have. Ever wonder where exactly the line between the two is? Yep, me too.

You may have read this earlier post about Hayden being a good marksman. At that time, he was shooting a BB gun toward a practie target at scout camp. He has since moved from BB guns to the real thing. Yes, you read correctly - the real thing! We recently visited Grampa Asaro in Michigan, who willingly took Hayden and the Waffle to a shooting range where they shot a .22!

Here is Grampa showing Hayden how to load the gun with ammo.

(Note the hearing and eye protection. Safety first!)

A little one-on-one practice.

He brought home some shells as a souvenier.
I hope they keep the memory alive!

Slumber Party = Making Memories

2009-12-03T14:27:00.004-05:00

Many years ago, we met some people who became dear friends to us. A saying that we often come back to, after having spent time together, is "Making memories together." Since we met, we've gotten married, changed jobs, moved to a new town, and had children.

Mallory and I recently had the opportunity to "make memories" with them again. A few weeks ago on a Friday noght, we drove to Indy to have a slumber party.

Mallory enjoyed reading to Titus.

And playing with Vanessa.

The girls sat up on the new bunk bed to watch a movie . . .

. . . on the wall!

The next morning we didn't have much time to play, but the girls managed to make the most of what time they had. They planned a wedding ceremony and acted it out for us! Too cute!

I am certainly looking forward to making many, many more memories with these dear friends of ours!

All she wants for Christmas . . .

2009-12-02T10:14:00.005-05:00

On Monday night we started decorating the house for Christmas. Boxes of decorations littered the living room floor, the fireplace was burning bright and Christmas music played in the background. It was perfect. Well, except for the fact that I was sweating to death, Hayden was trying to play the Wii and I kept walking in front of him, and the disorganized, cluttered mess was making my OCD flare up! In the midst of all the hubbub, Mallory wanted to give us her Christmas list. For fear of losing it, the Waffle told her to go up and put it on my pillow.

Later that night, as we got ready for bed, I heard the Waffle rolling with laughter. Why? Because he hit the sack a few minutes before me and was reading Mallory's list, pictured above.

Since I know you probably can't read the list very well, I will translate it for you below, spelling errors in tact, explanations when necessary.

Christmas List
1. A pen that can be erased
2. High heels (new shoes)
3. Coloring book (LPS - Littlest Pet Shop)
4. A sister (baby)
5. New beret's (you know, for your hair)
6. A new cat (friend for Sage)
7. Cute Kitty cat (suff animals)
8. Cute Kitty sunglasses
9. Journail (cat journail)
10. Cat scarf
11. Long Hair
12. A wach (cat wach - to tell time)
13. A new build-a-bear workshop (cat)
14. Ear ring's (cat)
15. Peszle's (cat) ("Puzzles" for those struggling with the translation)
16. Makeup
17. Dress (cat's)
18. Toy's (cat's)
19. Kitty boot's
20. Littlest Pet Ship toys
21. New color croyn's
22. More books
23. A doll
24. A new cover for my bed (cat's)
25. Cat pant's
26. Gum
27. Clous for cat's (cat) (Also known as "clothes")

Yes. We are aware that she is obsessed with cats. Do you think it's time to look for a counselor? I am a bit concerned about #4. Curious where she thinks those come from??? And #11 - does she mean a wig? Better check on that with her, I guess. Other than that, I think if it has a cat on it, I'm covered.

Check back later for more updates. And Hayden's Christmas list - not quite as funny, though.

Not Me, Monday!

2009-11-23T11:20:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
Last Thursday while my little girl practiced gymnastics for an hour, I did not take the laptop and work on blog posts for the whole hour. I would simply never take my child to a sports practice and not watch every single minute of it. Nope, not me!

After receiving a comment on my “Not Me Monday” post last week from Elizabeth at “Confessions from a Working Mom,” I did not join her Blog Carnival called “Truthful Tuesdays.” I did not do this because I am simply not getting obsessed with jumping from blog to blog reading the posts of all you other ladies out there! Nope, Not me!

I did not TOTALLY enjoy some holiday shopping with the Waffle for two hours yesterday afternoon sans children. I always feel completely at a loss when my children are not with me. If I had enjoyed my two hours of shopping sans children, I might want to say “Thank you” to Nick’s momma, who blogs on this page, for allowing Mallory to join Hayden at Nick's birthday party. But, since I didn’t enoy it, I won’t say "Thank you." Nope, Not Me!

Because I started my holiday planning an entire month ago, I am prepared, organized and at peace with all my holiday planning. I do not feel completely unprepared and disorganized, being unable to make up my mind what to buy for the children, much less anyone else. Nope, Not Me!

I am not overly eager and excited for our annual trip to Michigan to see my parents and sister for the holiday. I am also not ever-so-anxious to go shopping on Black Friday, even though I have no idea what to buy and no plan of attack whatsoever. Nope, Not Me!

Well, I suppose that’s enough Not Me for now. Tune in next week to hear what I didn’t do on our family trip and Black Friday shopping adventure!
Happy Monday everyone!

Believe it or not . . .

2009-11-19T21:11:00.002-05:00

. . . this is not a posed picture!

Last Sunday afternoon, after a very busy weekend, I asked the kids to catch up on some of their reading. You see, both of them are supposed to read for at least 20 minutes every day. Most days, this isn’t a problem, but sometimes we do fail! And, it never seems to fail that if we miss one day during the week, we often miss more.

So, when we got home from church services, I asked the kids to read for a little bit while I fixed lunch. They ran off to the other room, and I started cooking. After a while, I noticed that it was quiet. Very, very quiet. “So what’s the problem?” you ask. Because if they are reading like I asked them to, it should be quiet, right? Right. Of course. But, as a mother, I still distrust the quiet.

When it’s quiet, most mothers trust their instinct and go check on their children. When I did, I found them both snugged up together, under the covers, reading up in Hayden’s bed. Complete with pj’s.

I love those kids. I really do.

Pasta on Parenting #3

2009-11-19T21:07:00.002-05:00

How old were you when you first kissed a boy? (Or girl – don’t want to exclude the guys reading out there!)

I’m not talking about your first real kiss, or your first French kiss. Just your first kiss. Whether it was a peck on the check, or a lip smacker – how old were you?

I was 6. First grade. On the playground, behind the swings. Of course, someone else told on us, and we got in “trouble.” I don’t even remember his name! (Wonder if he remembers mine?)

Tonight we were eating dinner in front of the TV tonight (yes, we really do that), and I don’t recall exactly how we got on the subject, but the subject became kissing. The question was: Have you ever kissed a girl? This question was directed at our 9 year old. And he was WAY too embarrassed to answer. I’m not sure if he was embarrassed just to talk about it, or because he actually has kissed a girl and didn’t want us to know. I just know he was embarrassed. In a REALLY big way. Hmmmmm.

As a mom, I’m wondering if I missed something? The Waffle’s been telling me for some time that this day was coming. I think in my “please don’t grow up” mind, I must have been ignoring the fact that this day has finally arrived.

He never did answer “Yes” or “No” to the original question, but the real shocker came when I switched from asking him if he’d ever kissed a girl to who it was that he had kissed. His answer? “Guess!” No Way! I don’t know who was laughing the hardest: Hayden, me or the Waffle. As the boys were preparing to leave the house, I pulled the Waffle aside and gave him strict instructions: “You have to find out who he kissed!”

Oh dear. What have I gotten myself into with this parenting thing?

Birthday Fun

2009-11-19T20:58:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, we were blessed to have spent the day with our dear friends, the Brewers. It was their younger daughter Vanessa’s 4^th birthday, and boy did we have fun! Vanessa’s daddy, like the Waffle, is a construction contractor for a living. He made the most awesome bunk bed for his girls! Check this out! Of course, they have 10 foot ceilings, so this bed is simply massive. It would NEVER fit in our house! But it is beautiful. Brad did a fantastic job.

Vanessa received many gifts. This one was a $5 bill in a card. The expression on her face just kills me. What was even more hilarious is that she had this expression EVERY TIME she opened a gift.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but Mallory is a very crafty and clever little girl. She is also a fan of tissue paper. This is what she decided to do with the leftovers from all of Vanessa’s packages. Do I see a fashion designer in my future?

Here are a few more pictures of the day. What a great time we had. Hope we get to do it again real soon.

Mallory and Emily

Brad and Titus

Vanessa, Hayden, Emily and Mallory

The Bear Den

2009-11-19T20:44:00.005-05:00

The Bear Den of Pack 3310 has been busy this month! They are well on their way to completing all of their achievements right on schedule.

At their first den meeting this month, they had a special visitor. Iron the dog came to the meeting and introduced himself! The boys had an eventful evening learning about crime prevention and how the police dog helps the police officer do his job.

In addition to meeting Iron, the boys also fingerprinted themselves, just like real criminals!

At their next den meeting, they went to Arni’s Pizza to make their own pizzas! They toured the kitchen and learned how a pizza is made from scratch. Then, of course, they got to eat their own creations! The boys also listened to some folk tales at this meeting.

Hayden and the Waffle attended a pro basketball game as part of the “Circuit of Fun” scout program that is organized by the council in Indianapolis. The Scouts get to do lots of really neat things with Circuit of Fun such as Monster Jam, the Indians Overnight, Indianapolis Ice Hockey game, events at the Indianapolis 500, and many more. Hayden had never been to Conseco Field House before, so this was a real treat.

Everything was big - big basketball . . .

. . . big shoes . . .

. . . big arena . . .

(OK, so maybe the seats could have been a little better!)

Scouting keeps us all pretty busy, but I am so glad that we’ve decided to stick with it. I can tell a difference in his maturity and confidence. He believes in himself, and he isn’t afraid to try new things. He offers to do chores. He’s respectful, helpful and kind. Of course, I’d be lying if I told you that he was like this 24/7. So, I won’t. Lie, that is. We still have our moments. And I’m sure we always will!

Truthful Tuesdays - a Blog Hop

2009-11-17T13:05:00.006-05:00

Ok, so I must admit, I'm getting into this blog thing! It's as much fun to jump around and read what other ladies are posting as it is to post about my own family.

And, I've found another one. Truthful Tuesdays. I am posting for the first time today. If you'd like, you can go over to Confessions from a Working Mom's blog and join us with McLinky (which I signed up for with MckMama's "Not Me Monday").

This week's Truthful Tuesdays question is...

What is your spouse's most annoying habit? And how do you cope with it?

I would like to start the answer to the question with a disclaimer: In our marriage, I am probably the one with more annoying habits than he is.

OK, now that we've taken care of the legal stuff. My spouse's most annoying habit is his general inability to pick up after himself. Dirty socks by the bedside - but, only a week's worth. Magazines on every table in the house - and on the back of the toilet, and on the steps going up to our room, and, and, and. Piles of paper that don't have a home - everything from receipts to junk mail to very important papers that he asks about later (as in "Where is the order form for the Cub Scout event that I laid here on the table last week?"). I really believe that in the genes the Waffle passed on to our children, that the "Leaves things lying around" gene must be a dominant trait, much to my dismay. I would have preferred they got my "Everything has it's place" gene.

So, how do I handle his most annoying habit, you ask? Well, I do what every loving wife would do: I just do it myself. You see, after twelve years of marriage I have learned that it doesn't benefit us for me to nag the Waffle. He does, on occasion, realize that he is being slobbish and pick up after himself. But, in those not-so-rare moments when he doesn't? I just remember that I have just as many horribly annoying habits as he does. And he still loves me. And he rarely points out my annoying habits to me (or anyone else, thankfully!).

A "Pasta on Parenting" Not Me, Monday!

2009-11-16T08:48:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

The kids are growing up right before my very eyes. Quickly, so quickly, they change and grow. I find myself having thoughts that contradict each other (Spaghetti). “Oh, look at her dressed up so cute and trendy,” I think as I hear myself say, “Here, honey, wear the dangly earrings with that outfit.” Me, encourage my little girl to grow up too fast? Never. Ever. Nope, Not Me!

Then, not 48 hours later, getting her out of her bed this morning, I hear myself say, “Bring your blanky and mom will snuggle with you in the chair while you wake up,” as I cuddle, snuggle and rock her, like she was 7 months old, rather than 7 years old. Me, try to keep my baby little forever? No way. Never. Not Me!

And as our eldest gets older, and we notice his growing interest in more things “guy,” we have tried to encourage some of those man-ish tendencies. Here’s the list just from this weekend. Learn to build a fire in the fireplace, then, later, after the fire is going, add a log. Take out the trash. Go to a pro basketball game with Dad and our buddy Josh. Watch football on Sunday afternoon. See – guy stuff. He’s growing up. So, when the Waffle and I discussed the idea of letting him walk from school to the YMCA, I didn’t feel a little sadness in my gut, thinking about the fact that he really isn’t so little anymore, thinking that, yes, I DO have to let him learn how to do these grown up type things. Nope, Not Me.

And, on Sunday evening, when he started to melt down from being over-tired from all the guy stuff, I did not allow him to curl up on the pew next to me at church service, put his coat over his head and take a little nap - like he was 9 months old, rather than 9 years old. Nope, Not Me!

I also did not feel a rush of love and gratitude when the Waffle leaned over to tell me, “You’re a good Mom.” Because I was not feeling just a tinge of guilt about letting a 9 year old sleep during church, rather than pay attention to the lesson. Nope, Not Me!

We all have “Not Me” moments when parenting our children. Thank you for letting me share mine with you today.

Happy Monday everyone!

Hypochondria and H1N1

2009-10-31T10:46:00.003-04:00

As mothers go, I am of the species hypochondrae. In other words, when it comes to illness, I often find myself thinking that whatever current illness is ailing my children is worse than it actually is. Red, itchy eyes? Must be pink eye. Vomiting and diarrhea? They'll probably get dehydrated and have to go to the hospital for IV fluids. Twisted ankle with a limp? It might be a hairline fracture! I can't tell you how many times my mind just goes into overdrive when the kids are sick.

All this being said, I must admit, then, that I have wondered, more than once, if my children, myself or my husband have had H1N1. We are active and healthy people. But we are exposed to LOTS of people on a regular basis, so it's not unlikely that we have been exposed to the virus more than once since it's arrival in town.

As hypochrondrae mothers go, I have repeatedly searched the internet for information on this "horrible" virus. Funny thing, the symptoms turn up the same on every search. The one I've found interesting is this: it is estimated that at least one-third to one-half of H1N1 cases do not include a fever. This is why I have thought that someone in my family (or more than one someone) could have already had it. You see, so far this fall, all of us have had the following: sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, body aches, and fatigue. The missing symptom has been the fever (and associated chills). This is otherwise known as a cold.

So, imagine my surprise (and comfort) to know without a doubt in my mind that one of my children is currently suffering from the H1N1 virus. Does the word comfort sound strange? Well, as a hypochondriac, one of the things I find comfort in is just knowing for sure what the ailment is. So, you probably think when I say "for sure" that we've been to the doctor's office and been tested and its been confirmed, right? Wrong.

When they get H1N1, you just know. I don't know how to explain it except that you just know. I don't need a doctor to tell me that a fever of 102 with a headache, chills, aches, and a horrible runny, stuffy nose is the H1N1 flu. I just know. And, according to the news and websites, many doctors aren't even doing the tests anymore anyway. They are just diagnosing based on symptoms.

So far, my little one is handling it well. No problems with her breathing, her fever is being controlled with ibuprofen, and though she's been very inactive, just laying on the couch, she's still coherent, laughing at jokes and enjoying the company of her family.

So, for now I'll just be Dr. Mom, and enjoy the duty of caring for my little one while I wait to see if it spreads through the entire family.

Yes, Boys and Girls are different

2009-10-28T20:53:00.007-04:00

In so many, many ways, as I have been humbled to learn over the years - my son and my daughter are very, VERY different. I see it in a variety of ways. Talking, cleaning up, eating, writing, playing games, relationship with the Waffle, relationship with me. I could go on and on, but, no need. I'll just show you pictures that prove my point.

I asked the children to write their Thank You cards for the birthday gifts they received. Mallory's were a little late, but who's counting???

Here is what the boy wrote:

Here is what the girl wrote:

I was cracking up laughing when I saw the difference in the two cards. I don't know why I though it was so funny, it was just a perfectly good example of the difference between boys and girls.

Carving Pumpkins - Contractor Style

2009-10-28T10:54:00.007-04:00

It's October. Halloween is in 4 days. It's cool and crisp outside. Yep. Time to carve pumpkins. Many of you may have already done yours for this year. We've had the pumpkins for several days now, but just haven't made the time to do this wonderful, long anticipated, much loved event. Do you detect sarcasm? Maybe just a hint? Carving pumpkins rates up there as one of my top "eewwwwwwww - I don't want to do that" jobs as a parent. There's something about cutting open this VERY large gourd, just so you can dig in with your hands and pull out all the ewww and goo simply to make a glowing face for your front porch. (You know, you can buy a rubber one that plugs in . . . ) It really doesn't help that Halloween just isn't my favorite holiday. I'm not really sure why - it just isn't. But pumpkin carving is definitely not my thing. Maybe it has something to do with this:

And this:

Anyway, as much as I look forward to this event, I do everything in my power to make sure that I am not the one digging out the eww and goo. This year was no different. When the Waffle and the kids got started last evening, I determined that I needed to run to the grocery store to pick up some pork roasts that were on sale. This little plan worked out very well until I came home to see this:

And this:

Yes, my contractor husband decided to bring a little excitement to the carving table this year in the form of power tools used to carve the pumpkin faces out. Hmmmmm . . .? Dangerous, you say? Well, no, not any more so than a sharp knife. And, come to think of it, maybe even less so! Interesting? Yes. Fun? Yes. Messy? YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

Turns out that power tools sling eww and goo everywhere when you use them to carve out pumpkin faces, much like they do with sawdust when you use them to cut wood!

But, since I wasn't the one in charge of pumpkin carving, what could I say? Ummmm, "Nothing" is the answer to that question. So, nothing is exactly what I said. I just grabbed my camera to capture a few of these fun-filled, memory making moments that the Waffle is so good at providing for our children.

Thank you Honey, for making life fun!

An "Extreme" Not Me Monday

2009-10-25T21:41:00.018-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Yesterday, instead of making a big Sunday lunch after church like I normally do, I did not feed my family a smorgasboard of leftovers from the fridge.

I did not do this simply so I could have a quick lunch before begging the Waffle to drag me and my family to a big muddy field in the middle of nowhere over an hour away from our house to watch (from a distance) many, many people, all wearing the same blue t-shirt, volunteer to do lots of work building someone else a new home.

We did not have to wait in line for over an hour and a half inside an airplane hangar just to get on a bus to take us to this muddy field in the middle of nowhere. And if we did wait for an hour and a half in line, I would not have enjoyed every minute of it.

My children also would not have enjoyed this very long wait to get on a bus. They would not have passed the time by playing silly games like thumb wrestling, "Rock, Paper, Scissors," "Mercy," and the hand slapping game called "Hot Hands."

If I had not done all of these things yesterday, we would not have arrived at the Extreme Makeover Home Edition Build Site in Bunker Hill, IN, about 3 hours after we originally left our home. I also would not have been completely amazed to see all of this:

Ty: You are totally AWE-SOME!

Here are the children in the "spectator tent" making a sign for the family.

"Move That Bus!"

Mallory wanted her picture taken by this pink tractor - pink is for Breast Cancer Awareness month

The episode of the home built for the Cowen-Brown family is set to air sometime in January - watch for it! It's sure to be awesome.

Happy Monday everyone!

An Olympian in Training?

2009-10-22T23:05:00.004-04:00

Tonight was Mallory's first night back in gymnastics. We've been on a break since she started softball last spring. I enrolled her in the Intermediate level, rather than Beginner, after all, she had taken 3 or 4 sessions at the Beginner level last year. Time to move up! She has Miss Megan for an instructor again. Megan is very good with the girls - firm, but good. She had lots of fun tonight, doing all her stunts on the mats. She was also quite graceful on the balance beam (which is nearly impossible to practice anywhere but at the gym). There are no competitions in gymnastics, so I know it will be hard for me to get really excited about it. In this sport, it's all about personal improvement. Mallory is lucky to have the kind of personality that thrives in that sort of environment, though. She will work and work at something, trying to get better. Hmmmmm . . . . wonder if that has anything to do with having an older brother that beats her at almost everything she does??? Possible. Yes, very possible!

They practiced cartwheels and round-offs for what seemed like an eternity.

Then they moved on to the balance beam.

It was lots of fun watching her tonight. What I like best about watching her is that I can tell she's happy when she's on the gym floor.

Warning Proud Parent Alert

2009-10-22T22:41:00.005-04:00

I titled my post in such a way in case the pride I have about my children bothers you. If it does, please stop reading right now. If you read any further, you might get the feeling that I am bragging. Probably because I am. :)

We received report cards for the 1st nine weeks of school today. And let me just say - we've got some pretty high achieving and well behaved children 'round here! Since Hayden is the firstborn and seems to get to do everything FIRST, I'll tell you about the little one first!

In the 2nd grade, our children don't receive letter grade scores, just "ratings" as follows: E = Excellent, S = Satisfactory, N = Needs Improvement and U = Unsatisfactory. Mallory received an E in both reading and math. She received an S in Writing (this is writing ability, not penmanship). Her behavior ratings were all E's and S's except for good listening habits and focuses on task - those need improvement. We've been hearing that since Kindergarten - most teachers have attributed it to her young age. But, we've made a note to work on it.

The kids also took a test called NWEA. This is where I am absolutely amazed, surprised and pleased. From the end of last year to the beginning of this year, Mallory improved her Math score from 180 to 199, her Reading score went from 173 to 195, and her Language Usage score went from 184 to 198! Those numbers are a HUGE improvement! We are so pleased with her progress. Her percentile rankings are all Hi-Average to High, compared with all students in the school district in her grade. Good job Mallory!

Now, on to our eldest. This is his first year getting letter grades (except for science and social studies, which go on the scale mentioned above). At the beginning of the school year, when he would bring home his papers, I was a little concerned that he didn't understand the numbers and how they related to his report card later, so we sat down and talked about it. Turns out, either he listened, or he knew all along! He received E's in both science and social studies. He got an A+ in spelling, and A's in math and writing (again, this is not penmanship). He received a B+ in reading, due to some quizzes that he didn't fare so well on (3 out of 4 is a 75%, you know?). Two very important things to note: his teacher commented that "Hayden is an excellent, excellent writer." That's right folks, not one, but two excellent's. He commented on how creative Hayden is and how he does a very good job telling a story - drawing the reader in and developing the plot to a climax. All mom can think is "Wow." The second thing to note is that his behavior is "Excellent in all areas." Yes, this is the same child who received so many discipline notes last year that it made my head spin (and caused me to question my abilities as a parent). Hayden's NWEA scores improved, as well, but it wasn't as dramatic an improvement as Mallory's, so I won't list the numbers here this time. Way to go, son!!

I think a little celebration is in order, don't you? Of course you do! And celebrate we will. Maybe later this weekend I will post something about our celebration. You'll just have to come back and check!

"Not Me" Monday

2009-10-19T10:36:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

It’s been a few weeks since my last “Not Me Monday” post. Trust me, it’s not because I don’t have dirt to tell, I think it’s because it takes a lot of effort to make that “dirt” sound clever, funny and interesting. So much pressure! Self inflicted, of course, because remember, I’m not living up to your expectations! I’ve come to realize that the expectations I have the hardest time with are my own – that's Spaghetti for ya!

Oh, alright already – here we go:

While emptying out the dishwasher this weekend, it wasn’t me who used her fingernail to scrape the dried up, baked on food from the edge of the soup ladle, and then proceeded to put it away without even rinsing it. Nope, Not me!

It also wasn’t me who saw a spider on the window blind in my daughter’s room, and just looked the other way because nobody else saw it and I didn’t feel like getting a tissue and killing the little eight-legged creep. Nope, Not me!

It isn’t me who is hoping that the new had-to-get-it-for-a-school-project “pet” Anole in our home doesn’t last long and is secretly considering Anole murder in order to make this wish come true. Nope, Not me!

And it wasn’t me who took a guilt-free 3 hour long afternoon nap yesterday and had absolutely no problem at all going to bed like normal at 11 pm last night. Nope, Not me!

Happy Monday everyone!

Living on the Couch

2009-10-18T11:24:00.004-04:00

2:40 a.m.

That is what time it was when Mallory last threw up during the night. Then, finally, she drifted off to sleep. Though it was a restless sleep. For both of us.

Sometime after lunch Saturday, she started complaining that her tummy hurt. I told her to try using the bathroom, which she did. The report: runs. Well, I didn't think much of it until she got her pj's on, grabbed her pillow and headed for the couch. Then she turned down dinner. And halfway through mine I found out why. She threw up consistently throughout the evening and into the wee morning hours.

Talk about exhausting. This, after 6 hours of splitting and stacking wood. I was mistaken to think that I would sleep like a baby last night.

And today? Yep, still throwing up. Lovely.

So, she's living on the couch.

Poor baby.

Next year - double digits

2009-10-17T22:43:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago we celebrated Hayden's 9th birthday. You may recall that on Mallory's birthday, I wrote this very special post about the day she was born. Well, you also may have read the Not Me Monday post where I said I am no longer pressuring myself to live up to the expectations of others. So, I didn't do a "day he was born" post on Hayden's birthday. Come on folks! I've just been TOO busy! And I know that I am also a few weeks late writing the post about his birthday, but at least I'm doing it, right???

We chose to keep it simple, as we did with Mallory's party (which I didn't write about, by the way), and go to the movie theater. He was allowed to invite a limited number of friends - the movies aren't cheap, you know! We went to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which was VERY cute! Highlights from the day included Hangman, air hockey and a very interesting round of "Would you rather?" Hayden received many cash gifts, which he promptly exchanged for his much anticipated Nintendo DSi. It's all the rage these days.

His guests included Julia and her sister Anna (who was really Mallory's guest), Christian, Brendan, Jack and Jacob from his baseball team, his cousin Haleigh and his sister Mallory. One little girl from his class couldn't make it, but it turns out that nine was plenty of children to keep me busy!

Here are a few photos from the day.

Waiting outside for all the guests to arrive.

Gift table and the baseball cupcake cake that Hayden requested.

Playing air hockey is always tons of fun.

Show time!

We really did NOT need another version of Monopoly in our game closet,

but it did make the birthday boy smile!

Fall Baseball = Totally Awesome!

2009-10-17T22:17:00.005-04:00

In an earlier post, I wrote about Hayden's fall baseball team, the Mets (who, by the way, are partially responsible for my gross negligence in keeping up the blog lately). Well, needless to say, we had SO MUCH FUN playing baseball in the fall. The league was much smaller than this summer - only five teams in all. The boys were much more evenly spread, as far as talent and skill goes. And Hayden's team actually won some of their games - for him this is a first in two years! They ended up with a 6 - 4 record for the season and placed 3rd in the end of season tournament. They had so many close games, which I found to be quite an effective stress reliever. There's nothing quite like cheering and screaming your head off for an hour and a half to clear your mind! Here are some fun photos from the season - I especially like the night pictures, even though they aren't close-ups.

A River, a fort, and a weekend of fun

2009-10-17T21:44:00.008-04:00

In our county, there is an annual festival called Feast of the Hunter's Moon. It's a re-creation of the events that took place in the 1700's at the trading-post-turned-fort called "Ouiatenon" on the Wabash River. The Waffle and I have been to the Feast a few times before, but we have never taken the children. We decided last year (when we couldn't go due to a schedule conflict) that we would definitely go this year, so we bought our tickets ahead of time to save money. Then the rain started. It rained for several days before the weekend of the Feast. I was not looking forward to tromping through the mud and muck, but I knew we already had the tickets, so we had to go. So, we dressed in layers, put on our hiking boots and rode the shuttle bus from the Purdue stadium (we were kind of afraid our car might get stuck in the mud!).

We heard the 42nd Royal Highlanders (yes, they are in kilts)

The kids got to make candles the old fashioned way, which took for - ev - er.

Good thing my feet needed a rest anyway.

The Waffle and Hayden tried their hands (arms?) at throwing hatchets.

And we visited this tent with some very cool (and authentic) looking old games. Hayden REALLY wanted to buy the chess looking game at the bottom of the picture, but it was quite cost prohibitive, to say the least.

It was muddy, as expected, but it was still a wonderful day. The kids ate food cooked over the fire, browsed through an unending supply of vendor tents selling everything from authentic drinking vessels (mugs) to some not-so-authentic Chinese paper umbrellas, and enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of a time long past.

Storing nuts for Winter . . .

2009-10-17T21:20:00.003-04:00

Today was a very busy and productive day at the Kincaid home. We spent several hours splitting and stacking firewood in preparation for the cold winter months ahead. With all the rain and cool temperatures the past couple of weeks, I was getting concerned that we hadn't split the wood yet. The forecast looked a bit cold - and, while I knew this work needed to be done, I wasn't really looking forward to it. As it turned out, it was an absolutely perfect day for working out in the yard - not too cold, not too hot, not too windy, not raining. So, work we did, while listening to Purdue STOMP Ohio State on the radio. (Boiler Up!)

The kids know the routine - everyone helps.

Here are the Waffle and the kids getting started.

Mallory showing her big muscles!

This summer, the Waffle's mom and step-dad had a walnut tree taken down at their house. And, luckily, they called us to do clean up. That left us with LOTS and LOTS of large logs that needed to be split for burning. In the past we have rented a log splitter for the weekend, but not this year. We are the proud new part-owners of our very own log splitter! No more rental fees for us. Yippee!

Fancy, eh?

So, after seven hours of work, lots of hauling back and forth, two meals and a big win, our family is set for the winter (it will probably last into next winter!). There's just something about standing back and looking at those stacks that makes me feel satisfied, prepared, rich - kind of like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter!

Three and a half ricks - we're rich!

A little hard work is good for the soul.

"Not Me" Monday

2009-09-14T16:31:00.005-04:00

So I was reading the blog of a co-worker, and I found this link on her blog.

I. LOVE. IT. SO. MUCH!!!!!!

I have recently decided that too much of my life has been about living up to other people’s expectations of me. Sometimes the expectations others have of you can be encouraging, motivating, even empowering. But so much more often, they can be the monkey on your back (you know, like the Capital One commercial . . .)

Anyway, Not Me Monday is a way for me to say, “I don’t live up to anyone’s expectations but my own, and I’m not afraid to say it!” Imperfect? Yes, I am, and “Not Me Monday” is my way of proving it. Ready? Here we go . . .

I didn’t gain 3 pounds this weekend because I shamelessly overindulged ALL weekend long: at Abuelo’s and Cheesecake Factory on Friday, at a pitch-in dinner where I ate way too much dessert on Saturday, and on Sunday with leftover pitch-in dessert (a la mode), Culver’s Frozen Custard and cheese curds, AND fresh chips and salsa with sour cream. Nope, not me!

I didn’t buy myself a new, sure to be awesome, by my favorite author, sappy love story book to read, nevermind the almost 2 dozen other books that I already own and haven’t yet read to completion. Nope, not me!

I also didn’t sit and read said book for over an hour yesterday afternoon when at least a half dozen loads of clean and dry laundry sat in baskets around the living room getting wrinkled while waiting to be folded. Nope, not me!

I didn’t get just a *tinge* of baby envy while playing with the cutest 7 month old I know, little miss Naomi, this weekend at the pitch-in dinner, even though I have told my husband repeatedly that I no longer get the urge to have more children. Nope, not me!

And, finally, I didn’t wish that my little one would wake up this morning with a random fever that was just high enough that she couldn’t go to school so that I could call in sick and crawl in bed to snuggle the day away with her. Nope, not me!

So, what do you think? Like it? I. LOVE. IT. And, if you don’t like it, please don’t tell me because I have decided that I am no longer living up to your expectations. I like it, and therefore, I will be doing it again. YEP, that’s ME!

The Good Scout Award

2009-09-09T21:17:00.010-04:00

Today, a man in Lafayette was given a very high honor, the "Good Scout" Award. That man is Joe Bumbleburg.

Today, a mother and a father were given a very high honor, to be the parents of a "good scout" of our own! That Scout is our son, Hayden.

We were asked several weeks ago if we would consider allowing Hayden to come during the school day to the Union Ballroom at Purdue to speak at this special event. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Tecumseh District of the Sagamore Council of the Boy Scouts of America. So, we said, "Sure, why not?" We know that Hayden can speak in front of a group, after all, he's been doing speeches since 1st grade. A man from the Council came over one evening and interviewed Hayden. He asked all sorts of questions about what Hayden likes to do, and also what he likes about being in Cub Scouts. After the interview, he wrote up a short speech for Hayden to practice.

And practice he did.

And speak he did.

At a podium.

With a microphone.

On stage.

In front of a room of 150 + people!

This picture doesn't do justice to the number of people who were there.

I don't know what I was expecting, but when I arrived and saw the room and the stage, it really sunk in . . . this is a big deal. Then I saw the people who started arriving: mayors, past mayors, state representatives, well known lawyers from established firms in town, property owners and managers (like rental properties), etc. Overall, some fairly important people in our area, to say the least.

I can't even begin to tell you how many people stopped us on the way out to say how well Hayden had done, congratulating him, thanking him for speaking, and telling him how they, as adults, couldn't have done as well! He was the only child on the program to speak. His talk lasted about 3 minutes or so. He had great volume, appropriate pauses, and did a good job making eye contact with the audience. I knew he could do it, but when grown ups say that they could NOT have done it, now that is saying something, don't you think? What an honor, for both us and for him!

Today's event was a big success, for Mr. Bumbleburg, for Hayden, and for Scouts - over $14,000 was raised as a result of this luncheon today! Amazing!

He was amazing. And we were so proud.

Here is a photo of his name in the program.

He also got a little award of his own to take home. How special is that???

Hayden had his picture taken with Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski.

And also with the Good Scout Honoree, Joe Bumbleburg.

A Scout is prepared, so here is Hayden practicing before the luncheon began.

During the luncheon, I was trying to video tape and take photos, and wipe my tears, too (Spaghetti), so I didn't get the entire speech recorded. I only got bits and pieces. I tried to upload it, but couldn't get it to work. Need to work on it. I will try again later - so check back!

Did I mention that we are so proud of him???

Opening Day!

2009-08-23T21:40:00.004-04:00

Baseball Season has started . . . AGAIN! Yippeee! For those of you who didn't read all of my previous posts on summer baseball, or didn't get a chance to follow the Lafayette Life team blog, you should know that I am a baseball lover! In case you aren't, all it takes is for a child that holds high importance in your life to take a liking to it - and "POOF" you can become a baseball lover, too!

Pre-game Warm Up

This Saturday was opening day for Hayden's fall season. They handed out uniforms before the game - check out that orange! Go Mets! They let the boys pick their own numbers this time - anything between 1 and 99. Of course, 1 and 99 were both taken by the time it got around to Hayden. Not sure why he picked #36, but that was his choice! He had a lot of fun at his first Mustang game. After the summer league finished up, he was able to move up a bracket and now plays with the nine and ten year olds. While he is no longer the best player on the team, he's still enjoying himself. The coach has been putting him in left field, but we have noticed that Hayden doesn't seem to mind playing the outfield. No, he doesn't see as much action as some of the other positions, but he's learning which positions he backs up and also how to get the ball in to make a play. Now, we just need to work on catching those fly balls!

Ready to Play

Best Left Fielder I know!

They lost their first game - the score was 9 -6 or 7, I think. Not too bad. Hayden was up to bat twice - and hit the ball twice. The first time it was a single, and the second time he got out at first. I was certainly proud of him for hitting it! His team is definitely capable of winning, which isn't something we've enjoyed for the past two years. We are all looking forward to the season.

"It's a Base Hit for #36, Kincaid!"

Post-Game Sportsmanship

First Day of School 2009

2009-08-17T20:12:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day of school. Seems early, but, then again, I always think it does! The kids were ready. For me, getting ready to go back to school doesn't seem as exciting as a parent as it did when I was a kid. I'm not sure why, and I really hope that my lack of excitement doesn't affect their excitement. (That's spaghetti talking - you hear it?)

Anyway, we dropped off supplies last Friday - A big "THANK YOU" to the Lafayette School Corporation. It was so nice not to have the hassle of getting all that stuff to school this morning. And I bet it was good for the teachers, too. Last night it was early to bed, and early to rise this morning. The kids were in a good mood, we made it to the bus stop on time, and off they went.

Last year, Mallory was Little Miss Drama almost every morning, with the kisses and the hugs and the frown face and fake tears about leaving mama's side. Today - she climbed right on the bus and never turned around! Do you think she's outgrowing me? Doesn't she still need her mama? (Uh-oh, here comes spaghetti again . . .) When I picked them up this afternoon, it was more of the same! She didn't run to greet me when I walked into the after-care program. I practically had to DRAG her away from her friends! Oh dear, it's all downhill from here.

Hayden, on the other hand, was ready to see me and also ready to go home when I got there. But, he barely kissed me this morning at the bus stop. Maybe we should start doing that before we leave the house . . . Hmmmm, something to consider, mom. I think this is going to be a good year with his new teacher. He has set the ground rules, offered incentives, and asked for their input about the school year. Three for three, Mr. Cole. Good job!

Don't they look awesome in their "1st Day of School" outfits?

(No, Mallory's hair is not permed - she slept in braids to get that look!)

I, for one, am really looking forward to it. There is just something about learning that satifies the soul. And watching my kids learn new concepts, conquer new skills and gain new accomplishments is very satisfying and rewarding. It's going to be an awesome year!

She F-I-N-A-L-L-Y did it!

2009-08-17T20:02:00.003-04:00

What?! What did she do?! And who is SHE?!

Mallory FINALLY got her ears pierced! She has officially had permission to have her ears pierced since she was 5 years old. The Waffle wasn't too sure about his little girl having earrings before that, but at 5, he agreed. Well, at 5, she wasn't interested. (Even though she had been asking for quite some time.) When we were ready, she wasn't. Figures, huh?

Well, off and on it has been a topic of conversation. She has looked at earrings in the stores, she has been given earrings as gifts, and still, her decision has been "no."

Imagine my surprise when we were walking through the mall yesterday, and here comes the jewelry store.

Waffle: "Hey Mallory."

Mallory: "What?"

Waffle (Gesturing toward the jewelry store): "How about today?"

Mallory: "Ok, sure!"

Mom: "What?!?! Really???"

Mallory (sporting a huge grin): "Yes, today I want to get my ears pierced."

About twenty minutes and three tears later, we walked out with ears that look like this:

What I didn't know is that she and the Waffle have been secretly discussing this for quite some time now. He's been working on her, slowly, building up her confidence that she can do it! Good job, Dad!

I still can't believe that she didn't scream her head off. Mind over matter, I guess.

You're not going to believe this . . .

2009-08-16T22:21:00.002-04:00

OK, so I've gotten a little behind. In my defense, you're about to see how busy I've been. While I was sitting in traffic on the highway Friday evening, I completely updated the blog. So, I hope you've got some time on your hands, because there's quite a bit of reading to do. Sit down, fasten your seat belt, and blog on!!!

Birthdays x 4

2009-08-16T22:06:00.007-04:00

This year the Asaro family tried something a little different. The grandkids' birthdays fall at the beginning of each month, August through November. That's a lot of road time between here and Michigan - which is challenging for all of us. Additionally, the time we 'spend' together is also spent with all the other birthday guests, thus not allowing for much bonding and visiting for just us. So, we planned a birthday celebration for all the kids together!

So, this weekend, the last hooray for the summer, we drove up to Michigan for our Asaro Birthday Celebration. Unfortunately, for all good intentions to arrive at a decent hour on Friday, we got stuck on 65 due to a semi wreck. So, a 3 hour trip turned into almost 5. UGH!

Anyway, after arrival, we relaxed at Gramma and Grampa Asaro's house. The kids slept on cots, which they thought was awesome. Brett and I slept in the spare room on a king size bed. Equally awesome. The next day, the cousins arrived and it was fun for all.

Beautiful Cousins - Mallory and Chloe

(And, yes, they will both be locked up until at least age 25 . . . )

The kids enjoyed getting wet in the swimming pool and slip n slide.

Mallory and Hayden each got new games for their Nintendo DS.

Mallory has hardly put hers down since!

Heading to the playground down the street.

Hayden and Alayna checking the mail for Gramma.

Playing Ladder Ball in the backyard.

Good idea. Good company. Good times.

And we're planning an Asaro Family Camping Adventure for next summer. Stay Tuned . . . .

Back to School Time

2009-08-16T21:42:00.001-04:00

School supplies, after school care, school clothes, book rental fees. Whew! I sure have spent a lot of money the past few weeks getting the kids ready to go back to school. Hayden will be in Mr. Cole’s 3rd grade class this year. I believe he is very excited. Mallory will have Mrs. Preston for 2nd grade this year. She, on the other hand, is not so excited. Regardless, they start tomorrow!

And the Monday after that, I will start, too. Yep, you read right, I’m starting school. Just one class, and not toward a degree, but I’m taking a class. Purdue is actually paying for it, which is nice. It’s called “Leadership through Teams” and it’s in the school of Organizational Leadership and Supervision. If I had college to do all over again, I’d probably choose this as my major. But, since I currently have no interest in going back to school (and also no time to take on such an adventure), expanding my horizons by taking just this one class is enough for me!

Early mornings, busy evenings, homework, projects, etc. While I know it is necessary, can I just say, I don't think I'm looking forward to it. Is that bad????

Pasta on Parenting #2

2009-08-16T21:40:00.001-04:00

Growing, growing, growing. Do they ever stop growing? I’m not talking about buying new shoes every few months, or wearing high waters. What I mean is maturing – emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It’s a beautiful experience.

I recently had a wonderful time shopping with my little girl. Yes, she is picky (no relation to her mother!), but she’s also discerning. Yes, I said discerning. She knows how to look for clothing that is appropriate for a 7 year old little girl to wear. When she sees something that’s too short or too low cut, she just skips that rack. She looks for clothes that are comfortable and cute, but her style. I feel lucky. We’ll see if it lasts until she’s 16 – I’m sure hoping so!

A few weeks ago, the Waffle took Hayden to work with him one day. He was tearing a chimney down and knew that there would be bricks to haul. The perfect job for an eager eight year old. We feel that teaching a good work ethic is so important. Hayden didn’t disappoint. He worked hard all day alongside his dad. At the end of the day, he’d earned some money, but more importantly, he earned the privilege of working hard with his hands. He knows what it feels like to be hot, sweaty and tired – not because you played, but because you worked!

Considering others before yourself is also something we’re trying to instill. My favorite recent example happened just a few days ago. Hayden has started fall baseball and we took him to his first practice. Mallory met some new friends (other little sisters of the players on the team). One little girl wanted to go play somewhere else – a bit away from the ball field. Mallory asked if she could go along, and I told her that she could. However, there were two other little girls who were not allowed by their parents to go. The first little girl said to Mallory, “I guess it’s just you and me then!” And Mallory, out of consideration for others, said, “No, we can’t leave our new friends. Let’s stay and play together.” What pride, what joy, what love I had for her in that moment. She’s learning to be a good friend to others – thinking about how they would feel if the two of them were left behind. Way to go, sis!

I guess this all boils down to what a great experience I’m having right now. The kids are at a great age to really see the progress we’re making with them. Progress doesn’t come easily, and I’m still aggravated by some of their habits I haven’t been able to correct yet, but we’re getting there. I know it will come sooner or later, because I know they are listening.
Parenting is awesome!

Space Academy (Cub Scout style, that is!)

2009-08-16T21:38:00.001-04:00

Cub Scout Day Camp 2009 was held from August 3 – 7 at Cary Camp in Lafayette. This was Hayden’s 2nd year to go to day camp. Our pack’s attendance really grew – last year there were 5 from our pack, and this year there were over 20! That’s awesome!

Monday morning flag raising.

HK starts the week.

The boys enjoyed 5 days full of space themed activities including rocket launching, Yoda’s friends, galaxy exploring, space grub, zero gravity training, space mining, alien egg blasting, missile launching and lots of other stuff! The Waffle went with Hayden on Monday to enjoy the fun. Then on Friday, all the parents are invited to see all the skits prepared by the different dens.

Hayden is a good shot with both archery and BB guns, and passed the swimmers test, too!

All those lessons last year really paid off!

Honoring the 5 Day Walkers

Cary Camp has the largest attendance of any camp in the whole Council this year!

The "Two suckers on a stick" skit!

Dirty and tired every evening, learning and growing every day, that’s what Scout camp is all about.

Turkey in July? Yes - Turkey Run, that is!

2009-08-16T21:20:00.003-04:00

I’ve heard people say that camping is either/or. You either love it or you hate it. Well, the Kincaids definitely love it. We try to go every summer. In years past, we have been camping at Brown County, Indiana Beach, and Lake Rudolph to name a few. This year we decided to camp at Turkey Run. I am usually the planner of the vacation agenda, and I was all prepared this year, too. We could go hiking, swimming, horseback riding and canoeing. A total outdoor adventure! When we arrived, we weren’t totally crazy about our campsite, so we checked to see if we could switch – and we did. It worked out well. We ended up with a bigger campsite with more shade and a boy on the campsite right behind us. For those of you that don’t camp, one of the best things about camping is that the kids make new friends. Everyone’s out playing, riding their bikes, making s’mores and stuff, and it’s just a real friendly, fun atmosphere. We went hiking and swimming the first day and canoeing the second, then hiking again the third day. We also visited the nature center and went to a show in the planetarium.

The kids absolutely LOVED Turkey Run. The hiking was awesome – the sights and sounds of the beauty around us just had a way of ‘connecting’ you to the world around you. Hayden wanted to go on the longest, most strenuous trail, so, we did. Everyone loved it, but we sure did sleep well that night! And the day we went canoeing was certainly an adventure. We took 2 canoes, Hayden and mom in one and Mallory and the Waffle in the other. We packed a picnic lunch, and off we went on our nautical adventure. It was a good day, mostly. Except for the part where I freaked out because our canoe was turned backwards, moving toward rapid waters and a fallen tree in the middle of Sugar Creek! After I was done speaking louder than I should (read “screaming”) and we got our canoe turned back around facing the correct way, I was calm again. I don’t think Hayden appreciated getting smacked in the face with tree branches very much, though. Sorry, ‘bout that, bud!

Our last night, there were storms predicted to move through the area. Having camped in the rain before, we prepared ourselves. We took some of our stuff down and put all of our stuff under tarps. It never did rain through the night, but the next morning, it started about 5 am. And rained for 2 – 3 hours. Because we’d prepared ourselves, we just lay in the tent and listened to the rain, drifting in and out of sleep. It was wonderful. Yes, I said wonderful. After the rain stopped, we emerged from our cover, had breakfast, and packed up. We were hot, dirty, and exhausted, but there’s just something about cooking over a campfire and sleeping outside that relaxes us.

Scouts Visit the Ropkey Armory Museum

2009-08-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

Pack 3310 held their July Pack meeting at the Ropkey Armory Museum just outside of Crawfordsville, IN. This place was packed full of tanks, jeeps, motorcycle, boats, helicopters, a bi-plane, a large variety of firearms and other weapons. It was total guy-heaven, ‘cuz you know, guys like to blow things up. Here's a slideshow of photos from the day.

Monkey Joe’s Party

2009-08-16T20:54:00.002-04:00

Mallory’s softball team (sponsored by Monkey Joe's) had their end of season party at Monkey Joe’s. It’s a new indoor play place in town. It’s full of inflatable slides and ‘moonwalks.’ So much fun! The kids had a total blast. Here are a few pictures to enjoy!

End of Season Baseball Party

2009-08-16T17:03:00.005-04:00

On June 28th, the Lafayette Life baseball team gathered at Prophetstown State Park to celebrate the end of the season. As the Team Mom, I organized and planned the events for the day. It was a super fun time! I made this VERY cool (if I do say so myself) cupcake cake in the shape of a baseball. In case you don’t know, this is a cake that is made up of several cupcakes arranged together and then iced together, rather than individually. Each of the boys also had their own “mini me” cupcake. It was a big hit! (Pun intended!)

After lunch, we played games – first was the water relay. We gathered all the players, all the siblings, and the coaches together, divided up into 2 teams and spread out along the length of the sidewalk. Each person had a cup. The object was for the person at the beginning to fill their cup with water, then pass that water from cup to cup all the way to the end. The first team to fill their milk jug to the line was the winner. It was such fun that we played it several times. Of course, kids just love water.

Tanner and Hayden work together.

The little sisters played, too.

After the relay, there was the water balloon toss. The last 2 person team to have a water balloon that didn’t pop was the winner. And then, the big fun was the water rockets. The Waffle was in charge of this one. You take an empty 2 liter, fill it half way with water, then place it on the launcher. Add a little air pressure, thanks to the air compressor, and BLAST OFF! This proved to be quite entertaining. After launching their ‘rockets,’ the kids got to go into the prairie grass to hunt for them!

Before blast off.

And after!

Mallory's turn!

All in all, it was a fun day for all. We gave the coaches their thank you gifts – a baseball signed by each of the players. And they parents gave me one – a $20 gift card from Bath & Body Works! Sweet! I enjoyed this summer’s baseball season more than any other. I believe it was a combination of good kids, good coaches, and good company!

Seven Years Ago

2009-07-31T22:30:00.002-04:00

On this day exactly 7 years ago I was absolutely furious with a medical professional. It was the doctor who told me that I wasn't in labor and sent me home from the hospital where I had been for the past 4 hours. Well, I said it then and I'll say it again - he was wrong. That night I went home, tired, sad, and frustrated that the baby I'd waited for for 9 months wasn't coming today. The next day, I forced myself into frequent, regular contractions. I walked ALL day long. Yes, I was exhausted from being in labor so long and not sleeping well, but I was also determined to have our baby!

A full 24 hours later, after having contractions for more than a day, we went back to the hospital for a second try. This time, it was certain, the baby would be coming soon. I had originally been scheduled for a c-section on August 6th, so when the nurses determined that my contractions were frequent enough, things moved pretty fast. Call the doctor, sign the papers, get the epidural, and, it's off to surgery we go!

For 9 full months, I had believed I was having a boy. Not because of an ultrasound, but more because my second pregnancy was so similar to my first. So, there was an amusing exchange between me and the anesthesiologist when the baby was born. He said "It's a girl." I said "It's a girl? I thought it was a boy." He said "Oh, it's a boy? No, it's not - it's a girl!" Surprised me - that's for sure!

I couldn't believe how beautiful she was. Unlike her brother, her head was perfectly round, her skin was blemish free and so smooth. Just a little peach fuzz for hair. And everybody loved her. Hayden was so sweet 'petting' her head when he came to visit for the first time.

A girl? Does that mean I'm going to have to play dolls and tea time and dress up? I'm so NOT prissy that way. Well, it's amazing what a sweet little girl will do to a family. We all get a treat every day, enjoying our sweet little Mallory.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Pasta on Parenting

2009-06-26T11:56:00.004-04:00

Being a parent is both a job and a joy. I have a magnet at my desk at work that says "Parenthood - The only job that's REALLY full time." How true is this statement?? Parenting never goes away. Some days this makes me mad because I just want to be me - all by myself. I don't want to have to take care of everyone else's needs before I can attend to my own. Some days this makes me exhausted because the 'tending to everyone else's needs' just never seems to end. Ever. No, really, I mean E-V-E-R. Then there are some days when this makes me feel important because I have people who depend on me for their needs. Needs such as, "Mom, where is my ____?" (Fill in the blank with any item that is lost, misplaced, or maybe even in plain sight.) And some days this statement makes me feel sad because I can't really be with them full time like I wish I could. And then there are days when I am so happy about this statement because I know that parenting truly is the most important job I have.

I have had some recent milestones as a mother - you know - the little jabs in the arm that you feel when you see positive results and progress in your children. The one that comes to mind most easily is Hayden's maturity. Yes, I know that because he is male that he will, by definition, be immature until he is about 30 years old, but I did say progress, not completion! He has been showing maturity is several areas, but mostly what it boils down to is respect and consideration for others. He's thinking more about the world (and the people) around him and less about himself and his own feelings. It's wonderful to catch him in the middle of it. I sorta stand back, and go "Wow - he's really growing up!" It's awesome.

And Mallory (who will always be my little girl, my baby) is getting ready to start 2nd grade. She's a little social butterfly, she's a space cadet, and she loves attention, but I'm starting to notice something unique and interesting about her. She not only loves to receive attention, she also loves to give attention. She doesn't care who she talks to or plays with. It doesn't matter if they are much younger or much older than her. It doesn't matter if they don't look the same or talk the same. She does not show preference or avoidance. She is just as happy to play the 3 year old little boy who lives next door as she is to spend the afternoon with a grown up. And to me, that is amazing. That she hasn't developed a sense of who is different from her.

So, today I feel successful as a parent. Because even though they drive me crazy when they argue with, pick on and nag each other CONSTANTLY, they also make me so proud when I hear them say encouraging, kind or thoughtful things to the people around them. I honestly believe that the mark we make on the world will be made on the souls of the people with whom we interact. I try to work on myself and my "mark" every day - and I'm seeing that in the kids, too! Hooray!

S'mores anyone?

2009-06-25T22:51:00.004-04:00

My mom was in town last weekend for a few days. She came up to go camping with some friends. She had called me about a week earlier to let me know she was coming and insisted that we join her to roast marshmallows. Being the outdoor lovers that we are, we were excited to sit out by the campfire (and to see my mom, of course). I told her that we would bring chocolate and graham crackers because if we were doing marshmallows that the kids would definitely want s'mores.

So, we packed up our lawnchairs and goodies and off we went. The weather was beautiful, making me anxious for our own upcoming camping trip. Just being in a campground gets me feeling all "one with nature," you know?

After they finished eating and the kids finished wading in the river bank, my mom breaks out the marshmallows. I have never seen anything like it in my life. Yea, they're just marshmallows, but check it out . . . . .

Looks like a mini marshmallow and the jumbo ones, right? Nope. It's a jumbo marshmallow (on the left) and the ones my mom brought (on the right). They were H-U-G-E.

Here's another photo to give you an idea just how big:

Mallory couldn't even eat her s'more because her mouth was too small!

One Lucky Dad

2009-06-25T22:15:00.004-04:00

Who is the luckiest (and best) dad in the world? Well, the Waffle, of course! In our family, we think he's top notch. This year for Father's Day, he told me exactly what he wanted. It was a modest purchase, some stacking tool box thingy that unfolded the way a tackle box does. Ok. Whatever. If it's what he wants, I guess it's what he gets, right? It was a little exciting for the kids, since I had been driving around with it in the trunk of my car for two days at the Waffle still hadn't noticed. Oh, the giggles over one little secret!

On Father's Day, I got up earlier than him, made coffee and waffles for breakfast (yes, I said waffles). This, as many of you know, is a gift in and of itself, since I never cook breakfast in our house. That's the Waffle's job. Turns out, Mallory was sick, so Hayden and dad went to church without us girls. We grilled out for lunch and the rest of the afternoon was like any other Sunday. Pretty boring, huh?

Well, that's because the exciting part of Father's Day 2009 actually came two days later.

I got home from work on Tuesday and there was a message on the machine. I checked the caller ID - the number showed Abuelo's (a Mexican restaurant in Indianapolis). Must be a marketing call or something, right?

Well, yes, right, but also wrong!

You see, a few weeks ago, we took the kids to Kings Island for a few days. On the way home, we stopped at Abuelo's. While we were there, Hayden entered Brett in a Father's Day giveaway. It was for a grill and some utensils. The entry form asked for all the usual - name, address, phone #, email address - you know, all the ways companies gather marketing info, right?

Turns out they actually gave away the grill, too! To the Waffle! I couldn't believe my ears when I was listening to the message. Then I called the kids in the room and played it again. Hayden's face was all smiles - ear to ear. He couldn't wait until the Waffle got home so he could tell him - he kept going to the back window, watching for him to pull in.

Needless to say, the Waffle was pretty pleased with this bigger and better Father's Day present, even though it was a few days late (and not really what he asked for).

I must say, though, it was so very inconvenient for us to have to drive down and eat there again tonight when we picked it up!

Steaks anyone?

Titus Turns One

2009-06-15T21:57:00.009-04:00

The Waffle and the birthday boy

After our Indians Outfield Adventure, we went to Titus' 1st birthday party! The Waffle and I have been friends with Titus' parents for over 12 years. They are wonderful friends, amazing parents, and just plain good people. In fact, when we got the invitation to Titus' party, I sent an email asking if we could come over at 9 am. The party started at Noon. There aren't too many people whom you can ask to come to the party 3 hours early, but they are that kind of people. You see, we had to be off the Indians field at 8 am, we were already in Indy, and they live in Danville. So, we showed up at 9, used their shower, and had a blast all day long. The theme for Titus' party was "Mr. Smiles is turning One." As you can see, he is almost always smiling. Check out these one year old photos taken of him by his cousin, Ashley.

Yellow Happy Faces were all around. His daddy decorated the cakes - with help from big sis #1 and big sis #2. He especially enjoyed the big yellow balloons. After the main festivities, the guys played bocce ball and the little girls played dress up. They were going to put on a play for the grown ups, but somehow it never materialized . . . They sure had fun practicing and coming up with ideas for it, though.

Drama princesses in pink - so sweet!

Getting together with their family is always the best of times and this weekend was no different. We were going on six hours of not so great sleep, so we were exhausted when we got home, but it was worth every minute of it. Thanks guys! We love you!

Indians Outfield Adventure

2009-06-15T21:35:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, we went on the most unique campout. Ever. We pitched our tent on the outfield of the Indianapolis Indians' Victory Field! It was amazing. The Indians host an annual Cub Scout Campout where scouts can attend the game, watch a fireworks show, then see a movie on the big screen scoreboard, and finally camp in the outfield. It was C-O-O-L. As many of you know, we love to camp. Yes, in tents. And yes, we all went. It was a whirlwind weekend for the family. Hayden had his own ball game at 5:15 on Friday. After his game, we hit the road to Indy. We arrived during the 3rd inning and there was no score, so we hadn't missed much. Our seats were pretty good - 2nd level, 1st baseline - perfect for catching foul balls. The Indians won it 2 - 0. Hayden was really into watching the game - I've noticed this much more lately. He is really turning into a basbeall player and fan. He's watching them to see how to get better. Being at the field after the game was over was pretty neat, too. We got to see everything they do to care for the field - they worked a long time on the pitcher's mound, then they rolled out a HUGE tarp to cover all of the infield. Sure wish we could get some of those for our little league fields! The fireworks show was very good. I couldn't believe how long it went - very impressive. Then it was time for the movie. They played Everybody's Hero which was very fitting for the occasion. Pitching the tents was total chaos, but the picture I got when it was all done is totally worth it. I've never seen anything like it. We obviously enjoyed every minute of it. And when it's time to do it again, we will be there. Definitely.

Practice makes perfect

2009-06-08T22:46:00.005-04:00

The Waffle has taken Hayden to the batting cages here in town a few times this summer for some batting practice. I was able to go this past weekend and got some shots of him in action. He's got good form and some strength, too. It's funny to watch him, because, even at the cages, you can tell he wants to drive it as hard and far as he can. Can you say "Tes-tos-ter-one?"

Great form

And . . . the swing!

Here he is during a game. I just love watching him bat. He's really good at it.

And here in this photo, you can really see the form.

That hit got him a triple! Way to go Kincaid!!!

Since one of the boys on his team had to move, he's been playing first base for the past few games. Turns out, he's not too bad! He knows where to stand, how to hustle, and how to make those plays. Yes, I'm proud of him. I know you can tell. But mommies are supposed to be proud of their babies, right??? Here is a photo of him playing first at last Friday's game. The first base running coach (in the dark shirt) is a friend from high school. His wife writes a blog. She's the one who inspired me to start this one. You can check it out here.

Well, the Waffle is turning in for the night. And, for some weird reason, I feel that we're more connected if we go to bed at the same time. So, even though I have so much more to say, it's time to sign off for today. Besides, he called me a "Blog-aholic" . . . is that bad???

Monkey Joe's!

2009-06-08T22:28:00.008-04:00

Our life has been revolving around a ball and bat lately. It's been great - crazy, but that's life, right? My mom drove up from Columbus, IN, to see the kids play last Friday. We didn't tell them, so it was a fun surprise for them to have her here. Mallory's game was first, and, apparently, she told her coach that she wanted to play catcher so "her Gramma could see her do somthing during the game." Ha! Something other than play in the dirt, that is! Turns out, she made a fairly decent pitcher. At least it kept her head in the game while she was up there! She hasn't been very consistent as a hitter - sometimes she can hit a moving ball, sometimes she has to take the tee. She seems to enjoy it - we'll just have to wait and see if she wants to play again next year . . . Here's a slide show with some shots from her past few games.

Ride Warriors

2009-06-03T21:09:00.008-04:00

For the past few days the Kincaids have been enjoying vacation #1 of the summer. We hopped in the car and took the kids to King’s Island for a couple days. We’ve been to Holiday World for the past couple of years, and Hayden had definitely outgrown the selection of roller coasters offered there. The Waffle and I both have fond memories of coasters such as The Beast, The Racers and Vortex, so we decided it was time to start making some of those memories with the kids.

A few days before the trip, we got out the measuring tape to see where we “stood.” As is turns out, Hayden was just under 54”, so he wasn’t able to go on everything that he wanted to. He sure did make the best of it, though! Here’s his list of accomplishments for the 2 day trip: Beast, Son of Beast, Racers, Vortex, Flight Deck, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Delirium, and some other not-so-exciting rides that shall go unnamed. Of course, he had a great time.

Hayden and Mom on Delirium

Hayden at the water park

Mallory had a good time, too, for the most part. She measured in at just under 46”, which prohibited her from going on any of the adult roller coasters. She did enjoy the Viking Fury, the Fairly Odd Coaster, Scrambler, Monster, Shake, Rattle & Roll, and the Avatar ride (which mom enjoyed very much, too!). We all stayed together for most of the first day, managing to visit rides and coasters alternately. On the second day, however, we had to divide and conquer. Mallory was tired of walking from one roller coaster to another, so I took her to Nickelodeon Universe (kids area) while Hayden and the Waffle visited various coasters. This area was just her speed - kid friendly with a handful of rides for the more daring children. Mallory is equally both!

Mallory and Mom on Viking Fury

Mallory at Nickelodeon Universe

Overall, it was an ideal trip. The weather was beautiful – sunny and hot enough on day one to need a little refreshing. So, we tried to hit a few water rides, so that we could all cool off a bit. The kids got just a little wet from the Wild Thornberry's River Adventure, but they needed more. So, we visited the Congo Falls ride . . . only to find out that Mallory wasn't tall enough.

So, we improvised.

After the Wild Thornberry's ride

Congo Falls observation deck

SPLASH!!!

Day two was a bit more hot and humid than day one, which worked out perfectly for us to visit the water park. We spent about 4 hours there, left for dinner, and came back to the park about 6:30 on day two. That was when the weather took a nose dive. The Waffle and I were in line for the new coaster, Diamondback, planning to take advantage of the "Parent Swap" so we could both ride, when they closed the ride due to expected inclement weather. And sure enough, about 5 minutes later the sky opened up and we experienced the biggest hailstorm any of us had ever seen!

Unbelievable!!!

All in all, it was a great trip that we will all remember. Which, for us, that's what it's all about. Time spent together making great memories. After all, for kids, love is spelled T-I-M-E.

"Mom, I'm the Tin Man!!!"

2009-06-03T18:56:00.023-04:00

On Hayden's last day of school, the second graders had a musical performance of The Wizard of Oz. There was a note sent home saying that the children should either wear green or wear nice school clothes. That morning Hayden came out wearing gray warm up pants and a gray t-shirt. So, I got out the note to remind him what he was supposed to be wearing. This was the response I got (to be read with the appropriate tone of an 8 year old son to his mother, who obviously knows nothing), "Mom, I'm the Tin Man!" Of course, the Tin Man wouldn't wear green, he would wear gray! How silly of me.

This quick little 30 second interaction with my 8 year old did, however, cause my spaghetti like tendencies to flare up a bit. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, click here. Where, I wondered, have I been that I didn't even know that my son had a solo in the second grade musical performance? I had not even made plans to BE at the musical because the week prior I had been at the class play performance (Fractured Fairy Tales). The Waffle was going to see this one, but not mom, nope, not this time. HOW on earth could I have missed this? Is this what the next 10 years are going to be like? He doesn't willingly tell me things, and I must not be asking the right questions because I didn't know the information that I needed to know on this one! Spaghetti knows deep down that it will be ok, I was just having a weak moment. Check out these photos - and the video!

The kids prepare for their debut performance.

Front row - all in GRAY!

The Waffle said the choreography was very good.

Here's the video. We are so proud of him!!

It's true - Guys just like to blow things up!

2009-05-25T19:53:00.007-04:00

Testosterone is an interesting hormone. It reduces inhibitions, makes guys more muscular, more agressive and more hairy, among other things. One thing I have noticed over time is that the Waffle is different when he's around a group of guys than he is when he is with me. This may sound silly to some (or, rather, OBVIOUS), but you have to remember that I didn't grow up with a brother in the house full time. So, I wasn't exposed to testosterone in it's magnitude on a full time basis.

To my surprise, the Waffle is pretty good at keeping a lid on it most of the time. There is this thing about blowing stuff up, though. Firearms, explosives, water bombs, you name it, guys love it. One of the Waffle's favorite shows is "Mythbusters." If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing it, or even hearing about it, know this one thing: they blow something up on almost every single episode.

Imagine my surprise, when last Saturday morning, I opened the freezer to find this:

And, then, this . . .

(In case you can't tell, that's a Mt. Dew can!)

In all honesty, it wasn't as much about blowing things up as it was about being forgetful! Yes, my version of the Waffle is starting to forget things more often than either of us would like to admit!

Snakes and Penguins and Butterflies. Oh MY!

2009-05-22T13:44:00.018-04:00

Yesterday I was a chaperone for Mallory's class trip to the Indianapolis Zoo. I went last year with Hayden's class (and, as it would turn out, his class went again this year!) Anyway, we had a very good time, though it was quite hot. Not that I'm complaining. I really do love summer. My "group" was Mallory and Onna. Yep! That's it. There were so many parent chaperones that our groups only had 2 or 3 children each, which was really nice. The girls got along great, went through the zoo at an enjoyable pace and didn't give me any problems at all! I took lots of pictures, but most of them are of animals, so I won't upload them here. Just a few of Mallory and Onna enjoying the animals. Our time at the zoo was very limited (2 and 1/2 hours!). So, we didn't actually get to see the lions, and the tigers must have been sleeping in the shade because we didn't see them, either. We did see some bears, but I thought my title was cuter! The heat wore Mallory out and she slept on my lap all the way home on the bus. My baby is so sweet!

Mallory and Onna ready to start their day!

Goofy girls . . .

A sssssssssssssssssssilly pose . . .

They were looking at the "sea floor" and telling me that this was Patrick, and this was Squidward, but there was no Sponge Bob! Hilarious!!

The girls were able to tell me what type of penguin this was. (I, of course, do not remember, but I'm glad they learned something from Mrs. Cahill's unit on penguins!)

No winners, No losers, ALL Girls!

2009-05-18T21:56:00.011-04:00

Tonight we enjoyed Mallory's first softball game. I was half right about the team colors - the shirts are purple. The game was true entertainment. Our girls aren't too bad! About half of them can hit a moving ball most of the time (rather than having to use the tee). The fielding is quite amusing, though. Whenever the ball is hit, all the girls go running for it, and then there's nobody to throw it to! Of course, Mallory had a good time tonight. I think we have a future politician in the making - she loves to talk and have her picture taken . . .

Here she is before the game, talking . . .

And here she is on 1st base, talking . . .

And on 2nd base, talking . . .

I think I see a pattern!

Here are the rest of the pictures in a slideshow.

Jedi Knights

2009-05-11T22:33:00.005-04:00

Apparently the kids are more "in"to Star wars than I previously realized, as proven by this action photo from the backyard. Yes, those are light sabers they have in their hands.

There are so many times I wish I had an older brother, especially when I see how much fun the two of them are having together while growing up . . .

They sure clean up nice!

2009-05-11T22:28:00.004-04:00

The Waffle took this photo of the kids in their Easter outifts. I just never posted it. Never too late!

The Rookie? The Natural? Field of Dreams?

2009-05-11T22:11:00.004-04:00

The season is in full swing and we're having a ball. Eating a lot of quick meals and burning a lot of gas driving around town, but we're having fun. Brett and I have both noticed a distinct change in Hayden's attitude towards baseball, which has made it a lot more fun for all of us. For the past few years, he's been a little moody, didn't seem to care much whether the team won or lost, always wanted to play infield. I'm proud to say that so far this season, he has been the ideal team player. He's playing well. He has his head in the game. His attitude is top notch - no complaining about positions or anything else. His team hasn't won any of their games yet, which is kind of a bummer for him because he's really having a pretty good season! His first game, he caught a fly ball to make an out and got a base hit. His second game he made some good stops at 2nd base and had another base hit. And his third game he got another base hit and played an excellent center fielder! (No complaining!) Needless to say, we are proud of him! Here are some photos to enjoy . . .

He has great form - don't you think?

That was a foul tip, not a strike!

He's down and ready - I love the sports glasses!

From Wolf to Bear

2009-05-04T22:30:00.006-04:00

This past weekend, the Waffle took Hayden to his "Cross Over Campout" for Cub Scouts. It's held at the end of every school year after the boys have worked toward earning their next badge in scouting. Hayden crossed over from Wolf Scout to Bear Scout. He started Cub Scouts in 1st grade and has really enjoyed it a lot. Our Pack has grown significantly and is getting more organized, so it's really turning out to be a great program. Here are a handful of photos from this weekend's events.

Whittling Chip class gives Scouts the privilege of carrying a pocket knife.

These happy campers earned $1 each for finding lucky 4 leaf clovers.

Hayden at the BB gun range shooting his Daisy rifle from Grandpa Ed.

This is the ampitheater where the Cross Over Ceremony took place.

Little Sis arrives to share the fun.

The Waffle looks just as good when all done as when he first begun!

The boys came home Saturday night after the ceremony. Hayden was very proud of his earning his Whittling Chip Badge. The next day he wanted to carve another bar of soap (that's how you learn - with a bar of soap). So, the Waffle let him take his new pocket knife out back with the bar of soap . . . .

AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!

Hayden earned his first "Badge of Honor." There was really more blood than I care to talk about, but he's fine now. This evening, little more than 24 hours later, he was playing baseball, shooting a bow and arrow and also shooting a BB gun again. I think he likes this guy stuff!

He's not grown up yet

2009-04-30T21:51:00.004-04:00

As the mother of a young boy, there are often times when I think to myself, "He's growing up too fast." I still remember him lying peacefully asleep on my chest as a newborn. I remember all too vividly the first words and first steps and first day of school. I have so many fond memories of him and his baby sister - he loves her SO much. He's 8 - almost 9 years old already. We have only 9 or 10 more years with him at home. Halfway done already. These thoughts occasionally crowd my mind and make me happy and sad and nostalgic and worried and excited all at the same time (spaghetti, of course).

And then there are moments like last night that make me realize that life is not going too fast. It's just the right speed. And, he's not grown up yet. He's still my little boy that needs his mommy's love and comfort. I never want these moments to end.

I picked him up from after school care, car packed with all the gear to go to baseball practice. We ate leftover pizza in the car on the way from the school to the ball park. (He was trying to multi-task and play his Nintendo DS at the same time.) We got to the field and he practiced for 2 hours, then back into the car for another trip across town to Wednesday night bible class. As we got in the car, he asked me to get his game case out of his school bag. He keeps his DS games in a little plastic case that is smaller than a credit card -it holds 4 games. We looked in his bag, but couldn't find it. So, when we got across town, we looked all through the trunk and still found no game case. He started to get upset and worried. He went to his bible class, and while he did, I drove back across town to the school yard where he had been playing outside when I arrived almost 3 hours earlier. I was hoping maybe it had fallen out of his bag into the grass or something. I don't know what I was thinking. Of course, I didn't find it. So, I drove back across town to the church building, just in time for him to be done with class. I broke the news to him: I had searched the car, I had searched the school yard. It's lost. Or stolen. Who knows.

That is when the moment happened. I witnessed with my own eyes that he is not grown up yet. Because he cried. There were people everywhere, even kids his own age. And he still cried - big tears rolling down his cheeks. He was so upset at the thought that 4 of his best and favorite games were gone. Just like that. My heart broke for him. I felt a loss, too. That was about $130 worth of games in that case! But my loss was nothing in comparison to his. So, I put my arm around him and let him cry. Let him mourn the loss. It took a while. I told him to keep up hope that maybe someone found them and will return them. Eventually he started to come around, and then started playing a game (one was still in the DS).

On the way home I happened to remember that I thought I saw the case on the living room table that morning. As we got closer to home, I was more sure that the case was on the table all this time.

And . . . sure enough . . . it was!

There wasn't as much joy and happiness and there was grief and sorrow. It must have been silent relief. The games are found, the crisis is over, but the memory of my little boy's pain will remain. As a pleasant reminder that he's not grown up yet.

Checkmate!

2009-04-25T22:37:00.005-04:00

Today we went on a road trip. Destination? Terre Haute, IN, for the Indiana State Chess Finals. Hayden plays on Edgelea's chess team and about a month ago his team went to the Regionals in Indianapolis and there they qualified for the State Finals. Today was a little hard on the team. The competition draws the best players in the entire state. Because all of the team members are 5th graders except Hayden, the Edgelea team plays in the 6th grade & under division. So today he (an 8 year old 2nd grader) was playing against kids who were in 4th, 5th and 6th graders! He played 3 of the 5 rounds, but lost all his games today. His ego took a little beating, but he recovered quickly. He's looking forward to playing our next door neighbor (and beating him!)

Here's a slideshow of today's events.

Team Colors? Pink and Purple!!!

2009-04-25T22:09:00.006-04:00

Mallory's first Tee Ball practice was Friday night. I sure hope the team colors are pink and purple! I think almost every girl out there had a pink bat, a pink and purple mitt, a pink bag, and some even had pink on their cleats! I definitely need to get the Sharpie out and put her name on her things.

Of course, it's going to be fun watching them play . . . it will be comic relief for sure. I couldn't tell if Mallory was having more fun playing catch or doing dance twirls and ballerina leaps! It was pretty cute. You can tell that she'd been watching her big brother for a few years, though. She had pretty good form when throwing and catching and the coach even complimented her a few times.

Here are a few more photos to enjoy . . .

More on Waffles and Spaghetti . . .

2009-04-24T09:36:00.004-04:00

So, after I started this blog, I decided that it would be good to actually read the Waffles and Spaghetti book, you know, so I know what I am talking about! It has turned out to be a pretty good book. Of course, I’m not finished yet (because who really has time to read?), but the things I have learned so far are right on. Here is my favorite quote so far: “A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.” **LOVE IT!** It has taken us nearly 18 years of knowing each other, but the Waffle and I have finally reached the point where we don’t argue anymore. We’re much better at communicating now than we ever were in the past. Yes, we still disagree, and we’re not afraid to tell each other that we disagree. It’s just much more calm now. And, more importantly, we’re not always trying to get the other to agree with us. We have come to the understanding (should I say “I” instead of “we”???) that just because our spouse doesn’t agree with us, that doesn’t mean he/she is wrong! Ahhhh . . . maturity.
So, as we approach our 12th anniversary, I am happy to say that our marriage is AWESOME and that we are happier now than we were when we started out. There are many reasons for this, but here are just a few . . . Sending me flowers for no reason . . . Knowing that it’s best to let me sleep a little longer on Saturdays . . . Buying me a book instead of chocolate . . . Helping me with my goals to live a healthier lifestyle . . . Being a great Dad . . . Cooking breakfast for the kids every morning . . . Overcoming our weaknesses together . . . I could go on, but this blog needs to end. So, you probably won’t be surprised when I tell you that I am absolutely 100% looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him. Even if it means I have to learn how to understand Waffles. After all, he is pretty good at understanding Spaghetti.

It's Spring Training Time!

2009-04-15T22:31:00.011-04:00

Like many people in the Midwest, I simply cannot wait for the time when the snow melts and the flowers bloom . . . there's just something about green grass and tulips that says SPRING! Well, around our house something else says spring, too. BASEBALL! We've had sign up and round up, and now today was our first practice of the season. This is Hayden's 4th year of baseball and his 2nd year in the Pinto league. I told one of the coaches today that I can't figure out why, but I am just really excited about baseball this year! I've been a 'team mom' every year, and this year is no different. I just get the challenge of being team mom *and* shuttling the kids between two sets of practices and games this year. And, I'm excited to say that I have even set up a blogspot for Hayden's team! You know, to share photos and schedules and to talk about how the season is going. Check it out: http://lafayettelifepintoteam.blogspot.com. Here are a couple of pics I snapped today at practice.

Mallory has decided that she wants to play this year, too. We gave her the option of playing on a team with boys and girls mixed, or with all girls. She chose all girls, so we signed her up for softball. Of course, our little Mallory has a pink bat, a pink and purple mitt and a pink and white ball. Now, if only we could have found pink shoes in her size!

All their eggs in one basket

2009-04-15T21:56:00.013-04:00

For Easter we always go to Michigan to see my family. My sister lives in Berrien Springs and my dad and stepmom live in Hartford. My sister has two girls (Chloe and Alayna) and the cousins always have lots of fun together. We usually make a weekend of it and stay overnight for a night or two. This year was lots of fun. We went to a public Easter Egg hunt at a local park on Saturday, then followed it with one of our own on Sunday. The kids definitely got loaded up with goodies this weekend. Now it's up to us to ration it out! Here are some sweet pictures.

Alayna's Easter Egg

Eggs decorated by the kids

Hayden fills his 'basket' (sporting his new sports glasses!)

Hayden, Chloe and Mallory take turns dippin'

Mallory's goodies from the Saturday hunt

Museum photos slideshow - Enjoy!

2009-04-08T14:17:00.010-04:00

I'm so impressed with my new technological abilities. Give a girl a laptop and she gets obsessed! Below is the slide show of the museum photos. I'd still like to take pictures of all the pennies we smashed and upload those, too. Maybe another day. This will do for now.

We got them all!

2009-04-07T05:57:00.009-04:00

Our smashed penny collection has almost doubled! Last Friday we were able to collect ALL of the pennies at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. And we found out that there were actually 29 different designs there rather than 28. The collector's book had a unique penny on the front of it that wasn't anywhere else in the museum. The shiny copper pennies look awesome compared to the ones we were using when we first started our collection. (It makes me wish we could go back and start over!) I'd like to upload a photo slideshow, so that I can share many of our pictures from the trip. We'll see if I can figure that out soon!

Our trip took all day. We left at 7 am and didn't get home until midnight. After the museum closed, we drove over to Boling Brook for a leisurely stroll through IKEA. Note to self: next time no kids and come with a list! The place is just as big as everyone says it is, and BOY! did I get some good ideas for organizing our home. I love this kitchen!

I would love to demolish our current kitchen and have one of these. But, as spaghetti would go, then I would have to pull up the carpet (to expose the beautiful oak floors underneath), re-do the bathroom (complete with heated floor tile), build a deck , re-side the exterior, build a new garage (3 car, of course). . . you see, it just never stops!

We have decided that Chicago is WAY too close to not go back sometime soon and take in some of the other attractions there. The kids had a great time, and so did we.

Treasure Hunt

2009-03-31T21:09:00.006-04:00

One of our family 'traditions' is Penny Smashing. Whenever we go somewhere together, we check to see if they have those penny smashing machines. When we find someplace that has them, we add to our collection. As we've gotten more experienced, we are learning a few things. Copper pennies are the best ones to use. Copper was used in pennies dated before 1982. If they aren't shiny, clean them with some lemon juice. When you're planning a trip, you can check ahead of time to see if they have penny smashers there. Just go to www.pennycollector.com.

We're going to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry on Friday, so the Waffle checked the website and found that there are 28 different designs there! So, tonight, he and the kids went on a 'treasure hunt' for copper pennies. We're going to be prepared with lots of copper pennies and plenty of quarters! I'll post pictures when we get home.

Time Wasters

2009-03-31T11:13:00.003-04:00

One of my biggest pet peeves is wasting time. I like to be efficient, and I don’t like to wait. I have realized, however, that part of who I am conflicts directly with this statement. You see, every morning I wake up and spend around 45 minutes to 1 hour ‘getting ready.’ This entails shower, clothes (ironing, if needed), hair, face, teeth, etc. My stepdad used to call it “primping,” which I always hated. It made me feel prissy, which I am definitely not. But, I like to look presentable when I go out in public. Over the years, I’ve tried different tactics to pare down the time spent on these daily tasks, but to no avail. I tried cutting my hair thinking that less hair = less time. Turns out shorter hair actually takes longer, at least in my case. And although I have threatened to get a crew cut style on more than one occasion, I know that I would never be comfortable with hair cut so short. I tried showering at night, but I don’t like going to bed with wet hair. And the nature of my hair is such that I have to wash it again in the morning anyway! I tried changing my makeup routine – different types of powder or foundation, less eye makeup, etc. I was just never pleased with the way I looked, and some of it made my face breakout, which is definitely not good. About the only thing that has saved me time in the morning is if I pick out my clothes the night before (and iron, if needed). So, I have resigned myself to the fact that I need to leave around 60 minutes every morning to get ready (primp).
So, I was figuring it up this morning (I am a numbers girl), to see how much time in my life I will end up spending in the bathroom in front of the mirror. Estimating 1 hour per day, 365 days a year (because truly, don’t you leave the house almost every single day of the year?), for an approximate 85 year life span. I subtracted 33 years from that number because I know that I didn’t start spending an hour a day until my teen years and I don’t expect I will still be spending 1 hour every day after I retire. So 1 x 365 x (85-33) = 18,980 hours of my life in the bathroom! UGH! Now I start thinking about what I could do with that time. Even at 7 hours a week, I’m drooling. I could read a book, I could work out, I could dedicate more time to my new blog, I could SLEEP . . . I truly envy those people who can get up 30 minutes before they walk out the door. I’ve just learned to accept that I will never be one of them! And although it feels a bit like ‘wasted’ time, I know that feeling good about yourself is important to your success and self-esteem, so I will continue my daily routine and try to find time elsewhere to fit in my workout . . .

The 5 Day Weekend

2009-03-28T19:46:00.004-04:00

For our family, Saturdays are somewhat sacred. You see, six out of seven days of the week, we are slaves to the alarm clock. But not on Saturdays. Saturdays are for sleeping late, watching cartoons, staying in our 'jammies' (sometimes all day!) Of course, for me weekends are also for chores and errands, so it's not unusual to hear the kids say, "Do we have to go to the store, Mom?" They just want a day to lay around and veg - and I don't blame them. After all. do you think I really like going to WalMart on Saturday?

The Waffle recently heard a talk radio program where this guy was advocating for the 5 Day Weekend. Seriously. His thoughts on the subject were that American families, ours being no different, spend way too much time being busy and not enough time relaxing. The idea that weekends are for relaxing is just that, an idea. Especially in families where both parents are working outside of the home and the children are in school. He says that there isn't enough 'down time' on Saturday and Sunday for anyone to truly relax. He also said that we, as workers, would be more productive if we were more relaxed and refreshed when we were at work instead of so tired, stressed and worn out.

I don't know if his ideas would really work, and I probably never will because I can't see them ever truly catching on . . . but, BOY could I go for some 5 Day Weekends! After I spent the first of my 5 days cleaning the house and running errands, maybe the next day I could repaint the computer room (I bought the paint 3 months ago), I might also find the time to read a book, and then maybe the Waffle and I could go away for a long weekend without missing work. On another 5 Day Weekend, we could hang out playing games for a day, go visit some friends or family out of town and still get back in time for the 2 day workweek.

I know, some of you are saying, isn't that called a vacation? Well, yes. But haven't you ever gone on vacation and tried to cram so much in that you needed another vacation to recover when you got home? I know you have, especially if you have vacationed with children!

Last March the Waffle and I went away for a few days - just us. We dropped the kids off at school on Thursday morning, then got in the car and drove to Gatlinburg, TN. We arrived at our cabin just in time to see our favorite TV show. Then for two full days we didn't do much else but sit around and watch movies, cook when we were hungry and sit in the hot tub. Oh, and sleep. Of course we slept! On Sunday we got up and went to church, then drove back home. It was sooooooooooo relaxing! (And almost a 5 Day Weekend.) When some friends of ours were planning a trip there this past fall, they asked if we had any suggestions of places to eat. We didn't because we didn't eat out. We cooked all our meals in the cabin, except lunch on our way home Sunday. They just laughed, but that's ok. Everybody's idea of a vacation is different.

I can't wait to do it again . . .

And so it begins . . .

2009-03-26T15:28:00.010-04:00

Here it is, folks. The first post on my new blog. I must say, it's not something I ever thought I would do, but I learned something the other day. While reading some posts on another 30 something mom's blog, I was relieved, comforted and not so . . . alone. It was at that moment that I realized the value that so many before me have already discovered. In a culture where we are so busy, so transient, so electronic, blogging is a way to stay connected.

About the Title . . .

I heard about this book called Men Are Like Waffles Women Are Like Spaghetti (by Bill and Pam Farrell), and although I now own it, I have not yet read it. BUT, I do understand the concept behind it: Men are able to process their lives (and their emotions) in little boxes, much like the boxes of a waffle. Each box, being separated by this 'wall.' Women, on the other hand, are more like a plate of spaghetti. Each individual strand being one 'item' (or emotion) in their life that is unwillingly intertwined with all the other strands of spaghetti on the plate.

So, the gist of it is this: your kid is struggling in school. The teacher sends home a note and the principle has requested a meeting. Father: Ok. So there's a problem. How do we fix it? Mother: A problem? What? How bad it is? It must be because I'm working too much. Or because he's not challenged enough. Or because he sensed the tension between his father and I for 30 minutes two weeks ago on Monday. Or maybe it's because I didn't breast feed him long enough. Or maybe it's because I wasn't breast fed. You get me? One simple little event intertwines itself all around your entire life and absolutely, positively CONSUMES you until the issue is resolved. This phenomenon, however, does not happen with Father. He meets with the principle, goes back to work, comes home and does homework with the kids, and wants a little lovin' later that night. Waffles. Not Spaghetti. I am like Spaghetti . . . and if you don't believe me now, just keep reading and get to know me a little bit!

I am like Spaghetti

Family Photos!

Living Room Transformed!

Recently

Busy? Who me?

Pasta on Parenting - it's been a while

First Game of the Season

A Fun Afternoon

A Mouth Full?

More Chicago!

Underwater Fun ~ Finally!

Thursday was rough

Update on Giving

Giving today

29 Gifts

Final Touch in the Bathroom

We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

Sights to See

For those who wonder

Chocolate!

The Answer is "no"

That's Disgusting!

Confessions of a Loving Wife

Bears in the News

Christmas Break Fun

Check this out!

Day 2

A Holiday "Not Me, Monday!"

"Useless Things"

Elf'd

Hayden's Christmas List - as promised

Asaro Thanksgiving Holiday

"You'll shoot your eye out!"

Slumber Party = Making Memories

All she wants for Christmas . . .

Not Me, Monday!

Believe it or not . . .

Pasta on Parenting #3

Birthday Fun

The Bear Den

Truthful Tuesdays - a Blog Hop

A "Pasta on Parenting" Not Me, Monday!

Hypochondria and H1N1

Yes, Boys and Girls are different

Carving Pumpkins - Contractor Style

An "Extreme" Not Me Monday

An Olympian in Training?

***Warning*** Proud Parent Alert

"Not Me" Monday

Living on the Couch

Next year - double digits

Fall Baseball = Totally Awesome!

A River, a fort, and a weekend of fun

Storing nuts for Winter . . .

"Not Me" Monday

The Good Scout Award

Opening Day!

First Day of School 2009

She F-I-N-A-L-L-Y did it!

You're not going to believe this . . .

Birthdays x 4

Back to School Time

Pasta on Parenting #2

Space Academy (Cub Scout style, that is!)

Turkey in July? Yes - Turkey Run, that is!

Scouts Visit the Ropkey Armory Museum

Monkey Joe’s Party

End of Season Baseball Party

Seven Years Ago

Pasta on Parenting

S'mores anyone?

One Lucky Dad

Titus Turns One

Indians Outfield Adventure

Practice makes perfect

Monkey Joe's!

Ride Warriors

"Mom, I'm the Tin Man!!!"

It's true - Guys just like to blow things up!

Snakes and Penguins and Butterflies. Oh MY!

Warning Proud Parent Alert