Pretending...

Playing restaurant....
Clare: "What would you like for dessert m'am?"
Me: "I don't know, just bring me the Chef's surprise"
Clare: "Uh...Well...We don't have surprises here...you get Bologna...it's Bologna!"

Addie playing with her play cell-phone...
Me: "Addie what are you doing?"
Addie: "Texting my mother-in-law"
Me: Ok?????

Back in race mode...

This a.m. I went up to Beloit to do the Hailey Rath 5k--Number one it was for an excellent cause (organ donor awareness) and number two it got me back in the groove of being in a race.  It was a small race--but even small races give me pre-race jitters--so it was good to get a little race practice in before the big Triathlon on Sept. 6th!  I place 2nd in my age group and finished in 25.15....not a personal 5k best but much better than the 5k I did when I was 6weeks pregnant with Addie (guess I had a pretty good excuse for going slow for that one!).  Jennifer Bishop came out to run (placing 2nd in her age group!)  and her mom Amy came to cheer us on!  Thanks Ladies!  

A peak inside the first day of school....

Check out Chris' slide show of Clare's first day as a kindergartner!!

Part II...the bus

The bus dropped off Clare right on cue at the Roscoe Y--she came off all smiles--"how did the bus ride go Clare?", "Good...his name is Ron!", "How did school go?", "Good--we got a train cookie", "What else did you do?," thinking, thinking, thinking...."I don't know." Clearly too much too process as daycare at the Roscoe Y is also a new thing. When she got there they were eating lunch, which in Illinois has to be catered in...they were noshing on Salisbury steak(which looked like a hamburger patty), rice, applesauce and carrots with ranch...one of the other kids looked at her and said, "if you dip it in ketchup, it tastes like Beef a Roo"---So there you have it--lessons learned in kindergarten....when all else fails dip it in ketchup and all will be right with the world.

So far, so good...Part I...

Clare started kindergarten at 8:10a.m.---She got right down to business--putting stuff in her cute little locker (yes--Clare was right--she does get a locker...not a cubbie!) and playing legos with the other kids--I reintroduced myself to her teacher....who was my 1st grade teacher....and she remembered me...for real b/c she asked questions about my sister and parents and other people we are related to....I was in her class during her first year of teaching...so I'm guessing you tend to remember those kids.

When I told Clare that we were going to get going...she was like "Okay mom..see ya"...which is exactly what I wanted her to say....it would have been so much harder had she been clingy, crying,etc.....her confidence made me more confident...no tears (for me)...until we saw our neighbor and she asked how it went...and when I called my mom.....so no p.d.t's (public displays of tears)! Emotions are a funny thing....I think I cried because not only were we reaching a milestone with our first born but because I was super proud to be the mom of this smart, confident little girl! Will check back in with Part II--the bus ride to the Roscoe Y--I am going down today to make sure the trip goes well! Stay tuned!

The Fair...

It doesn't get more American than a county fair...mega corn dogs, elephant ears, cotton candy, rides run by interesting characters, demolition derbies--excess and craziness to the max. We attended the Boone County Fair this past Sunday and a good time was had by all--I personally like the side where the animals and local booths are located---it is far less populated and it is fun to see the kids working hard to take care of their animals. The other side of the fair is the ride side (cue the scary music)....I find it funny that I freak out before going on an airplane that has been checked numerous times by trained mechanics and smile gleefully as I watch my children, my pride and joy, ride on a rickety rides operated by Joe Dirt. Now I am sure that many of the carnies are really nice people....but there are a few (and you know who I'm talking about) that are the ones who posed for the picture in the dictionary next to the word "Carnie" or if we are being politically correct "Carnival Ride Operator".

The other thing I noticed was really interesting t-shirts worn by fair going parents....I was not gutsy enough to take a picture....but here are two that I spotted in the crowd:

1. If you think I'm a b**tch, you should see my mom!

2. All Knocked Up and No Place to Go! (except apparently the fair)

I love saying t-shirts as much as the next person...but there is a line I draw(see above)--Some of my favorites--mind you...not seen at the fair...just my faves:

1. Whine...no Wine...yes (I do own this one)

2. I Can Tell Your Bag is Fake!

Sorry I digress....back to the fair....Every year we go...every year the kids have a great time...every year we enjoy leaving--so here's to the 2009 Boone Co. Fair...where the kids have decided that they are done with the pony rides and are movin up to Camel Rides...Awesome!

She is famous...sort of?

So thanks to Jen's google searching skilz...Sarah Richardson does exist--she is a designer and has her own T.V. show--she also played a clown in Stuck on You...but we won't dwell on that apparent lack of judgement on her part. Oh--she is also 36 :-)

Celebrate we will...

Scenes from a successful tailgate!

Nothing like Cool Ranch Doritos and Bud Light in the back of a mini-van!

Nothing like tailgating with a 21 year old to make you feel old and young all at the same time!

I hope Sarah Richardson is cute and not 40!

We made our journey to Alpine Valley on Saturday for the Dave Matthews Band concert--DMB for all of you up on the lingo. We arrived around 3ish and the tailgating began. We had a great spot right by the entrance...note: this is a great place to pre-concert in...but the leaving at the end...let's just say at least an hour before we even put the key in the ignition to make the trek out of the Valley!

I guess I expected to see more people "our age"....by people "our age" I give a pretty wide range but let's just say 30--45. Not so much. There were only a few times when I felt "my age"--one being when my friend Karen and I caught ourselves talking about school uniforms in the port-o-potty line and the other being when I was dumb enough to ask some random, barely 21 year old-how old he thought I was...40? was his answer. 40?! ...C'mom dude...now I know that I am 4 years and a few days from actually being 40...but 40? I use my Arbonne eye cream and enzyme peel religiously....so I guess I was hoping for at least 30? At any rate...we tailgated with the best of them....from 3 until 8:30p.m.---which means we missed the first act and walked in right when the show started. They played my favorite song "Two Step" as one of the encores and it was fabulous. During the evening some random girl walked by, bent down and was like "Are you Sarah Richardson?"..."uh nope"..."Because you look just like her" and walked away. So if any of you know Sarah Richardson or perhaps even if you don't....please tell me that she is cute and 30!

I've got...

nothin folks....the more I try to think of things to blog about the more I draw a blank...I thought maybe I should blog about the guy who came out of the bathroom at Walmart last night and went ahhhhh upon exiting....but c'mom do you guys really want to hear about some white trash guy who apparently had a rockin time in the W-mart bathroom....didn't think so.

This weekend should prove more fruitful for blog material...we have the DMB concert on Saturday night and while we enjoy that activity, the kids are going to see Water Horse on a big screen in the park with my parents and then on Sunday we are headed to the Boone Co. Fair---if that doesn't provide some good blogging material in and by itself I will be shocked...shocked!

So....stay tuned faithful readers (all 5 or so of you)...stay tuned! Do you like how I'm repeating things to make this post more interesting than it really is....do you? :-)

thoughts from the road...

• Grand Marquis cars should be outlawed for anybody but police...seriously I must have slowed down a million times only to find a 75+ age driver or as one slow down provided--a glimpse at a Taco Bell Bobble Head dog in the back window...figured I could pick up the pace as it was probably a good guess that a trooper wasn't advertising for T-Bell!
• I thought I saw Brett Favre at the Sheboygan Starbucks...but then I realized that Mr. Favre had more things to do/worry about than be at the Sheboygan Starbucks at 7:15a.m.--and I am pretty sure his wife has dark hair...this chick had blond....but for the record...if it was Brett...he held the door for me!
• Counting Crows, Coldplay, Dixie Chicks and John Denver are all good to get your song on while driving solo!
• My official favorite exit to stop while driving is the Hwy. 23 exit in Sheboygan....going up...Starbucks for an a.m. jolt of caffeine...on the way home...a slim ham and cheese from Jimmy Johns...perfect!