Surprise!!!

A vacation just fell in our laps. A friend of a friend is unable to use her timeshare and didn't want it to go to waste. And just my luck, my name came to mind when Auntie Chris heard about it. I was so excited I tried to figure out how I could make it work. Only two weeks notice is a little tough to come up with vacation funds. The only way I could make it happen was to drive...and I needed a driving partner.

Daddy has to work and Auntie Chris can't get out of work. My childhood friend Amy works from home so I was hoping in the very least she could work on location :)

I hadn't told the boys until tonight. I wanted to wait even longer, partly because it can be hard to wait and partly because I half expected the reaction I got :( "I don't want to drive", "I'm not going!" Ugghh...these kids can make it hard do nice things for sometimes!

I tried to tell them in a fun way..again..."I don't like to pop balloons". I give up.

Well I am super excited and so are Amy and the boys...so there Joshua and Jacob!! Take that!!!

Thanks for visiting ♥ Michelle

Mom, Someone moved my De-Rocker

Yes, there is some new lingo in our house lately. Words like shocks, suspension and trailers have been replaced by de-rocker, sleuce boxes and Parker Schnarbel. Friday nights in our house are reserved for the show Gold Rush on Discovery after we settle in from basketball practices. It is a show that follows three groups of men  in their quest for gold in Alaska.

One day I was cleaning up all the toys all over the livingroom, moving what appeared to be a matchbox car plastic case with a few small lego bits in it. Later Jacob came up to me. "Mom, someone moved my de-rocker and I can't find my gold!"

And today I sent Joshua out with a grease drippings catch plate because he needed something to pan gold with for the stream in the woods.

Even Jim has already looked up rivers to pan for gold in NH.

So next Friday is the season finale. Joshua said, "Mom, what is Friday night going to be like without anymore Gold Rush?"

Thanks for visiting ♥ Michelle

Always an AllStar in my Book

For his second year of playing basketball Joshua was chosen for the Merrimack Rec AllStar team. Unfortunately the Rec puts on a tournament but invites travel teams which are competitive and established so we never win a game. It is still exciting to watch because these kids all play their heart outs each and every game. And this year Joshua got his annual stomach flu out of the way before the tournament.

Thanks for visiting ♥ Michelle

Another Jeanne Knock off

I cook, Jeanne bakes. So when she makes cream filled cupcakes it's pure talent. When I decide to make them it's only because I found this...

Come on, how cool are these? Fill the bottom slightly, squeeze in the white cream (which must be some type of freak of nature as it doesn't melt into the cupcake as it bakes),

 cover them slightly with remaining batter and bake.

 Let cool slightly and dig in!!! Yum-O. Let's just say there is a box of yellow cupcakes and white cream in my cupboard for the next time. And speaking of next time...next time my sister comes I'm going to make her make me some real chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cream. Let me rephrase that, I'll beg her to make me some.

Thanks for visiting ♥ Michelle

Passing on the 'jeans'

Did you know that my picture is in the Webster's dictionary? It is, right next to the word procrastinator. It started in junior high as far as I can remember, continued right into high school and college and plagues me in my work and home life. Not only do I procrastinate, I do other needless things in their place to further avoid what needs to be done.

There are many stories that are shared about me running down to the basement to rifle through the Christmas decoration boxes at 6:30 am to gather materials for a public speaking presentation in high school or calling down the street to family friends before we had a computer to work on a paper due the next day only to lose it in the computer somewhere and have to start again.

So fast forward to the point of this post...Jacob had his first real grade school project. One that was curriculum based and went beyond a collage of what he was grateful for. A month ago he came home with the description of choices and picked the poster. Easy enough. Oh, small detail...and a model of the housing of his assigned tribe. Project due date...Jan 31.

Fast forward a little more to Jan 28, the day we started his poster.

And to Jan 30, the day and started and completed his 'longhouse'.

 So to Joshua I passed on the height gene, and to Jacob I am regrettably passing on the procrastination gene.

Thanks for visiting ♥ Michelle