THE ORIGINAL Scary 'Mary Poppins' Recut Trailer

Happy Halloween!

Colds suck.

(Found at engrish.com)

Tee-hee

An email we (the NICU) got from our manager a couple weeks ago:

Hi all,

The Spanish menus we used have been pulled from the unit. They contained the Spanish word for "penis" and therefore are not appropriate. Interpretive Services is working on a new menu. I'll let you know more as soon as I hear anything.

Barb

Happy Birthday Madeleine!

On Tuesday, our girl turned three! Madeleine and I celebrated with a girl's afternoon out in Columbia. We started with a mother-daugher manicure at Goldiocks, a salon for kids. Madeleine sat very still and did really well for the manicurist, and she got purple nails. I got pinkish-orange on mine. Then she wanted to go to the mall and get ice cream, so we got a strawberry-banana smoothie for her (Me: What do you want, honey? Madeleine: Pink!) and a reece's blizzard for me. She drank half her smoothie, noticed I had actual ice cream, and asked to trade. Then we went for a ride on the carousel in the food court, on a reindeer. Aunt Becca called while we were on it, and she told her: "I'm on the carousel and we're going around and around and I'm up up up. And I go past people and I say 'Hi, People!'" We decided to call back when we were done with the ride. Then, she wanted to go play in the KidZone, which is giant fiberglass and foam sports shapes to climb on and slide down. We got some new shoes, and then hit Gymboree for a cute new outfit, and it was time to head to the Villa for a small birthday dinner. The big party's on Saturday, I'll post pictures sometime over the weekend.

Visit to Kirksville

Last month, the kids and I ran up to Kirksville to visit the Kortes. Here are some pictures from our visit.

Madeleine meets Eleisa.
Aloha!
The Kortes have all these super-cool dressup clothes, and that's always the first thing Madeleine goes for when we visit. That pink dress, she wore the entire time we were there.
There's our girls! Zoe just turned six in September and is in first grade.

Katy, Isaiah and Madeleine make english muffin pizzas for lunch.

The newest Korte, Eleisa Renae
The sign on the door to Zoe's room (which is actually a room the kids share, but it has more of her stuff in it at this point)
Noah went through a phase last month where he was fascinated with straps of all kinds and enjoyed putting them around his neck and crawling around wtih them.
She's wearing the hat part of a dalmatian costume, backwards. I don't know why she's naked.
Zoe, Isaiah, and Madeleine watch the Little Mermaid together.
Playing in the back yard.

Madeleine and Isaiah in the clubhouse. Isaiah is two.

Happy Trails! Part Two: Roughing It, Coleman Style

The intrepid Cerneka Family!

On Wednesday morning, we took our time at the hotel eating breakfast and getting packed up. We were able to check in early at the campground, as it was the middle of the week in the middle of September. We unloaded a few things out of the trunk to make room, and Shannon took off to pay for the campsite and get wood. Noah was asleep in the carseat and went along. Madeleine and I went to the play ground to play. On his way back, Shannon picked us up. As we pulled back up to our campsite, Shannon said, "Look!" There was a squirrel on top of our boxes on the table. I started to get my camera and point it out to Madeleine, then I noticed that the squirrel was eating something. And he was getting it out of the box he was standing on, Huggies box that had some of our food. ICK! We chased it away, and assessed the damage: a gnawed-on package of french bread, as well as a little of the box itself. We pitched the french bread and went about setting up camp. Madeleine was fascinated with the tent, and helped Shannon set it up. We cooked ribeye steaks, macaroni and cheese, potatoes, and asparagus on the campfire and had a nice dinner. The kids settled down fairly early, and we slept fairly well, considering we forgot that we needed an electric site to inflate our air mattress, and we chose a basic. However, it was right on the water and it was a pretty site, so we toughed it out. We got up, made breakfast burritos and took a couple walks around the campsite. We made smores, because Madeleine had fallen asleep before we had a chance to get them out the night before. After breakfast, she started asking, "We are going to make smores now?" and we figured what the hell. So we had smores for a mid-morning snack. Then we packed up camp and headed home. We love to camp, and we only wished we had more time to do it.
Our squirrel-ified french bread.
Madeleine helps set up the tent.
Shannon and Noah take a self-portrait.
Enjoying lunch after setting up camp.
The kids love those little camp chairs (and chocolate pudding!). Madeleine's is a Cardinals chair, a gift from Kelly for Christmas on year. Noah adores sitting in anything his size.
Our tent with our little girl. Once it was set up, she played in it all afternoon.
That's me cooking on the fire.
The kids asleep in the tent.
My fire! When we camp, the fire is my job.
One of Madeleine's favorite things to do is cook. She's helping me make breakfast here.
Madeleine and I roast a marshmellow.
Madeleine with smores face.
Noah tired smores for the first time.
he likes it!
Madeleine watches the lake.
The lake view from our campsite.

One More and It'll Be An Even Hundred

Sorry, Cubs fans. Keep your chins up. Remember your motto: Semper post annus

Supermom! II - The Search for My Car Keys, or Wal Mart Refugees

So...
Wednesday afternoon we have to get groceries, and pay the utilities, so a little before 3pm, I round the kids up and head out. Since it's so close to 3, we decide to swing through McDonalds and pick up a hot fudge sundae and go surprise Gramma with a visit. We drive through the electric co-op's window and drop off the bill. (Madeleine: Where are we, Mommy? Me: We are paying the electric bill. Madeleine: But I'm too little to pay bills!) We drive through McDonald's and get a sundae for mom and a kiddie cone for Madeleine. I thoroughly confuse the McDonald's lady by asking for her cone in a cup. We get to Bush School and have a pleasant visit. A little before 4pm, we walk out with Mom and say goodbye. She was heading home, we were going to WalMart for groceries.

When we get to Wal Mart, I notice that the Lions Club is collecting change at the door. After getting Noah out of his car seat, I walk around to the other side of the car, open the front passenger door, and set him down in the seat to look for change in my purse. I give him my keys to keep his attention away from the gearshift and other dashboard stuff. I find fifty cents, collect the baby, get Madeleine out, lock the car, and go. I let Madeleine put the two quarters into the empty bleach jug and the lady gives me a hard time about not letting Madeleine have the roll of crappy mints they hand out. First of all, they're crappy. Second of all, she's too little for hard candy. Third, I'm MOM!

Almost an hour later, after we've loaded our cart with more than $100 worth of hamburger, frozen pizza, and other necessities, we head back to the car. Madeleine helps me push the cart through the lot, thereby staying between me and the cart, keeping her away from the maniacs who treat the WalMart parking lot like the Autobahn. As soon as we get to the car, she yells "Tag! You're it!" and dashes OUT into the middle of the lot, missing an oncoming car by a couple of feet. Thankfully, the car was way out in the middle of the drive and was going slow. She scared me to death. I used my angry voice.

After my attempt at communicating the danger of tag in a parking lot to my two year old, I start looking for my keys in my purse. I looked. And looked again. No keys in my purse. I knew exactly where they were.

I looked through the window, into the front passenger seat, and there they were.

Crap.

I have never ever locked my keys in the car before in my life. And now I had done it with a ton of groceries and two hungry, squirrley toddlers on my hands.

Crap.

I dragged my full cart and my kids back to the store entrance and sat on the bench to start thinking and calling. I called Dad's cell first - voicemail. Then I called Kelly's cell - voicemail. I then called Shannon, who I have forgotten to mention is in St. Louis and won't be home until 8pm. He has the only other key to the Liberty. He offers to find a locksmith for me, and this sounds like a plan. I try my mom's cell, in case she or dad had any other ideas, or had a locksmith they would refer to me. Dad answers, so I tell him the idiot thing I've done. He tells me to cancel the locksmith, it'll cost too much. He said that Mom could come get me, and we work out a plan. See, getting picked up would be great, if the car seats weren't locked in the car with the keys. However, Mom has a seat for the girl. I decide to run back into WalMart and pick up a car/booster seat for Noah, since it is time for him to be turned around anyway. Shannon gets called, and he in turn, calls off the locksmith. He will come to Mom and Dad's when he gets back into town, and we'll go get the Liberty at WalMart.

I haul my cart and kids back into the store. The greeter gives us a very funny look, and I tell her, "I locked my keys in the car." She said, "Girl, why did you do that?" Thanks. Inside, we find a carseat for the boy and I let Madeleine pick out a new book to look at while we wait for Gramma. Naturally, she chooses Princess books. Whatever, she's amused and not whining. We go back out to sit on our bench like refugees and wait for Mom to rescue me, my kids, and my groceries. Hooray for Mom!


The kids playing on the horsey-ride thingy while we wait.
Noah enjoys facing front!
The girl reading two princess books at once.
It's been a long day for all of us!

LittleStar Craft Show Debut

I am peddling my wares at my first craft show selling the diaper cakes on Saturday at the Booneville Leaf Days Craft Festival and Porkfest (seriously). I should say that Shannon will be peddling my wares, as I was scheduled to work this weekend. This is not my regular weekend, it was assigned to me to help cover the needs of the team while a team member is on FMLA. The festival is from 9am-5pm, and I hope to God someone comes, because Mizzou is playing Nebraska on Saturday as well, and they are expecting upwards of 70,000 people. Wish us luck! (LittleStar and Mizzou!)

A ware to be peddled this Saturday.

Happy Trails! Part One: Roughing It, Holiday Inn-style

Last week we finally got a chance to go camping as a family! We love to camp, and have been looking for an opportunity to go all year. We finally got it last week, as I was starting a nine-day stretch off from work and Shannon was mid-travels with Oddwalk. I came home from work Tuesday morning and let Shannon run into work for a few hours. The kids and I went shopping for our groceries, and washed clothes and got packes. The forecast said "cloudy, chance of rain on Tuesday, cooler and cloudy on Wednesday". So Shannon comes home, we pack up and head for Lake of the Ozarks State Park, about an hour away. I have been up for almost 24 hours at this point, and literally pass out as soon as we get on the highway. I don't fully regain consciousness until Eldon, about 45 minutes from our house. I notice it's starting to rain. That's fine, we can deal with a little rain. We stop at Target in Osage Beach for a couple things I forgot, and when I come out, it's pouring - I'm talking cats and dogs and other small animals. We discuss our options - setting up camping in the driving rain while trying to entertain/keep safe two small children, find a hotel for the night and camp tomorrow, or see if the state park has cabins available. I really really really wanted to camp somehow, so we decide to see if there are cabins. After wandering through the park for 15 minutes looking for a ranger or cabins or something, and it's still raining super-hard, and the road is really twisty, and I'm tired and half-sick from the loopy road, we decide to bag it for the night and find a hotel.

The first one we came to was a Holiday Inn Express, right across from the outlet mall and right next to Miner Mike's (which, unfortunately, is only open on weekends in the off-season). We got a really nice room at a decent rate. We ate dinner out and went back to the hotel to swim with the kids. We watched one of the last Cardinal games of the season and spent the night in nice, comfortable beds and had breakfast in the morning. I was disappointed not to camp, but the stay turned out to be relaxing and fun. After all, the point was to hang out as a family. Here are pictures from our hotel camp-out:



The very first thing Noah found to destroy was the box of tissues in the bathroom. I have absolutley no idea why Madeleine has tissue in her mouth.
Noah on Shannon's lap at Bandana's. He loves drinking straws. He toots on them like they're skinny, tiny horns.
Madeleine loves to "stuggle" (she has problems pronouncing "sn" together, and it comes out "st")
Splashing in the pool. It has taken Madeleine all of her three years on this earth to get used to and enjoy a big pool like this. I've taken her in before, and she was scared and clingy. Not this time!
Shannon starting to teach Madeleine to swim. Notice the bubble butt. I forgot to pack swim diapers, so we had to make do with regular Huggies. Wow, do they get puffy.
Noah getting brave. This was his first time in a big pool, and he seemed to like it.
Madeleine and Daddy.
I just love pictures of babies in towels!

Wrestling on the bed with Daddy.
Family self-portrait.

I love my Noah Boy!
Madeleine in her natural habitiat: jammies, nose-to-screen with a television.