August~ School is in!
Gary and I are so fortunate to have so many choices for Stellas education in the area. Or I should say, Stella is fortunate. Where I grew up you had one choice. That was it, one. This year we registered Stella at three schools just to hold our spots. We ended up being able to keep her at Turtle River, which is our first choice, and Stella was thrilled. We didn't have to go through any new routines, it was like being home.
I know every child has a special way of tapping into their mind. I truly believe montessori schooling has been the way for Stella. Being that the parents involvement is mandatory, not only have I seen, but all of the parents have seen Stella and her classmates flourish together. This year she is busy reading, and working on her math skills. The best reward? This is all self directed, she is learning because she wants to, and loves to, and she is happy while she is doing it.
JULY ~Stellas 5th Birthday
Stella had her 5th birthday on July 30. We had her party the weekend before at the local bowling alley and then went to Ghee and Pop Pops for her actual birthday. Spider man was the theme this year, Im not surprised, after all, she was Spider man for Halloween last year.
Here is where I look back, thinking of every year she has been with us. Grateful for being together. And another note of Gary and I wondering if the gap will be too far if we have another child. Opinions vary, only time will tell. Happy Birthday Stella!
JULY? That was my last post?
Sick isn't it?
Man, I just checked others blogs and they are all so...so... up to date!
All the things we have experienced as a family in 3 months! And you haven't even had the chance to hear about it. I won't give excuses, but I will explain, well a little.
Sometimes I blog because something is on my mind, sometimes I blog because something is on my mind and I don't want to blog about it. Make sense? If you were me it would.:)
I will insert posts by month.
Annual Photos
I say annual photos like its something I do
consistently. Well this is our second year, so it will be annual from now on, right? I do take snapshots throughout the year, but once in awhile I would like something I can really compare. I took Stella to a photo studio last year about the same time, why of course, you get the "Free 8x10 included in the Birthday Package". Ok, so they are "affordable". Last years were better, but part of that is because Stella has gorgeous hair that I still don't know how to style. My version of "styled" is no tangles. I try and step back as to not be a stage mom, until I realized this chick really did not care how they turned out. So I gave Stella a few minutes to acclimate. The kind girl gave her usual lines, "wow, you are so pretty you should be a model", Stella replies "Well, I used to model in Miami but I quit", with a smile. I am not sure why I found that strikingly amusing, I have since rephrased it to "Miami was just too far of a drive". Lesson? Careful wording.
THE birthday walk
So last I promised pics from Stellas birthday walk at her school. One more thing I love about her school...no cupcakes!!! Since Stella was very young we made the association of junk food and feeling "crazy". It has gotten better, but for awhile she was super sensitive about it. A bar of chocolate and you could look in her eyes and she was not there, she couldn't help herself, just bouncing off everything and everyone in her way.
TRM has a way to celebrate birthdays that I think is much more memorable than cake. It's a birthday walk. A birthday walk consists of leading the class in the usual circle routine, holding the flag, describing the weather, explaining the date, etc. But then, the special rug is rolled out. The seasons and the months are laid out and songs are sung as the birthday child walks around the "world" representing each year of their life and holding pictures to show how they have grown.
Then comes the big birthday candle, a wish is made as the candle is blown out and the lights flash as the kids yell "hip hip hooray" for every year they are old. Simple I know, but big. Almost five years, can you believe it?
Forgotten
Thought I'd forgotten about you, huh? A time of deep thoughts, reflection, and new experiences all wrapped up in one.
The boring part was the deep thought. Huh. What is fathers day? What does fathers day mean to me? It means so much more to me today than it ever has before. Especially now that I have a daughter who has a father.
Reflection. Well, literally. Standing in the mirror, standing on a scale. I joined a gym. Its not just a gym, its a cult! lol. Gary has belonged to this local gym,
bgi, which has been like a cult, "no, I can't miss today!". PLUS, these people are soooo cool. I've been friends with most of them for almost a year and I didn't even belong to the gym! So, two weekends ago I said "thats it", "Im joining", and I absolutely love it. Each workout starts every hour on the hour. And everyone has the same workout...its hard to explain but its like having a personal trainer EVERY day. It uses the
crossfit technique. Check it out, its hard, but it feels awesome and every day you leave feeling accomplished.
The new experiences, well, the feeling of actually needing to work out. It hit me.
Ebay is the same, not hitting the thrift stores as hard I was, but limiting my time and using the time to list wisely. I need to sell alot to get my "piles" down. Slowly but surely. And then of course. Its summer. Stella is out of school but insists on being entertained. We are lucky that our area has so many choices for summer camps, but she made it easy, she chose turtle river for summer. Which is the same routine schedule wise as school, so we are still chugging along at a great pace. I look forward to having family visit and also visiting family.
Hope everyone is having a great summer and godspeed to those traveling.
Next post will be of Stellas birthday walk at school with photos.
New Cousin In Town
Meet Shayna
The Big Race
Anyone ever see that Little House on the Prairie episode?
Enjoying the beautiful weather while we have it, we were outside about 6:30 last night picking up in the garage and playing. Stella yelled, "Anybody wanna race? Of course there was more than one race, it just so happened Gary won this one...
March Holidays
Stella and the Easter Bunny
(please forgive the pic, was from iphone)
Meeshis latest kill
(Left it as a gift by the dining table)
Yummy St Pattys Day Cookies
One tuckered out kid
ok, auctions are doing ok....
Wow, so many holidays in one month, St Pattys Day, now Easter, and Garys birthday in between, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY
I will let my pictures explain some. The best news is that my parents are in town for a long weekend, YAY! I will take pics of them as well...
Time
Merklen Brothers Table, 19th Century
So many holidays and events to cram into one month. All fun.
I have to say, I have been preoccupied, I have been Ebaying constantly. I mean I think I have to admit I have an addiction.
Hi, My name is Katherine and Im an Ebay addict.
I feel so much better! Now let me just check my auctions and Ill be right back....
Valentines Tea
Im sure you have probably viewed
Erins Blog by now. Her awesome V day pics. OK, so with that said, Ill show my sorry, but nice, photos of Valentines Day Tea with Dad. I volunteered last year and this year, partially because its my absolute favorite holiday, the other is to get pics of Stella and Gary.
There are four "rounds" of tea. Eight tables, each time we set up strawberries, a brownie, which is a treat for her and her school. Sugar, cream, hot tea and one hershey kiss. When they arent inside at the table, the playground is total mayhem outside. I love her
school and hope to keep her there as long as possible....
Jealousy!
EWWW
Here is comes! Rearing its ugly green head!
I rarely am, or admit to jealousy. That would make a cute tag blog, what are you jealous of?
Well I have a few, but here is one Im happy to share with you.
I started this blog because my sister has a blog. And from her blog I started reading another girls blog that she lists on hers. No now, I think when I figure out how, I will list her on my side bar.
Her name is Erin, called
Erins Blog. She has the darndest cutest kids, her house is decorated out of a magazine, and the bog one?
She's a great photographer. Ugh. Now that makes me want to puke with envy. OK, she is inspiring, too. I need to get on my photo skills, and actually use them...somehow.
She did a great entry on cloth diapering. Now if I just have another baby, I'd be all set.....
I got tagged
What is his name?
Gary David Gorin (used to be Smagorinsky)
How long have you been married?
7 years last October
How long did you date?
5 months, engaged for two weeks
How old is he?
37? I think?
How old are you?
Ill be 33 in August, is that right?
Age always confuses me...
Who eats more sweets?
Used to be me, not anymore...
Who said I love you first?
Well, it was love at first sight, we didn't even need to say it.
ok...I don't remember
Who is taller?
Gary by a few inches
Who can sing better?
I have to choose? Ugh, neither but if my life depended on it I would say me.
BUT he knows all the words...
Who is smarter?
Gary, Gary, Gary, by FAR
Who does the laundry?
Well, I do all but his, he is picky about his clothes so he washed his own.
Who does the dishes?
Mostly me, Im around the house more often...
He does them alot though...
Who pays the bills?
I make'em, he pays'em!
JUST KIDDING.
He does, online...
His guilty pleasure?
Shopping sprees at Nordstrom
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
I do, the window has always been on his side which he claims makes him feel cooler?
Who mows the lawn?
The homeowners association. We don't have an actual lawn of our own...
Besides you, who is his best friend?
Well, I would say his lifer best friend is Chad, and he has made some great close friends over the past year.
Who cooks dinner?
A mix of me and the crock pot, take out menus, and my hubby. He is a much better cook than I, but only when time permits...
Who drives?
He does.
Who kissed who first?
Well if a crappy kiss on the forehead counts, he did.
If a passionate kiss is what this is about, then I think I did.
Who asked who out first?
He asked me out to brunch, was a "group" setting.
What was your first date?
Brunch at the Marriot in Key West.
Who proposed?
He did. Well, officially with the ring. But we had agreed we wanted to get married in Vegas on a certain date anyway...
Who has more siblings?
Me, I have one brother and a sister, he has one sister.
Who wears the pants?
Gary
What is your favorite thing about him?
That he has so much passion for everything he does.
I tag anyone that is reading this and please let me know who that is so I can read it...
Stella
I couldn't go without posting a little something about my princess...
And my sister finally tagged me to tell about my husband, thats next...
Baby Shower
OK, now that everyone knows Im not a puke blogger, I can tell you how it really is. There is a fine line between venting and telling the story of just what happened. I will do my best to just tell what happened.
So my sister-in-law had a baby shower. All was well, my mother-in-law came to town and it was the best visit with her I have ever had. I think its because Im more secure about my relationship with Gary. Its almost like nothing she said or did was going to burst my bubble of finally being happily married. It used to. I could tell some doozies, but I am def trying to keep the past in the past. So in that sense, all was well.
Well, she threw the shower and it may as well have been another wedding. It was a couples shower for almost 50 people! So, I made the games, the prizes for the games, a candle favor for each person, a diaper cake, which was ok. A foot stool that said "Shayna" on it and my very favorite? I took white wood letters from Michaels, I bought scrapbook paper that went with the babys room and I traced the letters on the paper and then used a spray adhesive to make the paper stick to the letters. They turned out perfect, wish I had taken a picture of those... And then Aran from next door made all the pastries, and with that said, Ill show pics.
OH! And Gary made brisket, I will put that recipe on next time....
"And what a wonderful time we had with such good friends and family, I couldn't imagine life without them!"
My Guitar Hero
So has anyone had the pleasure of playing the Nintendo Wii? We tried it out over christmas at a friends house and we have enjoyed it ever since. It was tough to find one, but when we did we knew we would have to get some of the extras to go with it over time.
Stella actually loves it, at four, I didnt think she would be able to do much with it. But in fact she kicks ass. It comes with the standard bowling, tennis, boxing, golf stuff. Well this weekend we went all out, Toys R Us had a sale on Guitar Hero. Gary has always pretended to be a guitar hero, so I agreed to get it to solidify the fact his air guitar skills may not coincide with an actual game. Well, he's pretty good at it and I even tried it! I would def say give it a shot next time you go into Best Buy or any place that has a trial center. Its great!
This pick also bring me to my next topic, out new furniture came in! YAY! We have been in the sam place for five years and Ive been itching to move, BAD. But as most everyone knows, not a good time to sell in order to buy. SO here we are. BUT we got a new couch and entertainment stand and I feel like its a new place! Voile! If anyone saw the other entertainment monster we had, I know you will appreciate the smaller one, too.:)
So my next post will be about my sister-in-laws baby shower. Yes, the sister-in-law that would not allow me to come to her wedding, even though Stella was a flower girl and Gary attended. Long story, but lets say I agreed to help with the shower all the while holding my breath, and yes, its OVER, thank god.
Hmm. maybe just maybe Ill post those pics tonight, let see....yes, Gary is still being a guitar hero, so I will post a few....
