LOLApalooza

Halloween 2011

2011-11-20T20:13:00.005-05:00

Little miss Lola got to trick or treat in Illinois this year where she also headed over to Brookfield Zoo for the Boo at the zoo. This 50s girl had a great week getting spoiled at Grumpa & Grandma Joni's house and scoring a ton of halloween loot from the neighbors.

Hoarders

2011-10-24T15:40:00.001-04:00

The Lola episode

Lola & Daddy swim date

2011-10-10T21:08:00.005-04:00

another wedding where my kid dances the night away

2011-09-04T10:41:00.005-04:00

We went to Greg & Liz's wedding yesterday in Sandusky. It was fabulous! Everything about this event was perfect! The location (Sunnybrook Trout Club) was off the charts. I loved that they decorated with flowers in jars and didn't have a guest book, instead a watercolor of a tree where guests left a fingerprint in place of a leaf. Everything was so simple, laid back and beautiful. Who knew that laid back and beautiful could be put together? I didn't. I should have taken more photos but I had way too much catching up with old friends to do.

The kids had so much fun! We were lucky to catch a glimpse of Ian the majority of the night. He was off with his friend Jayden playing Nerf guns on the grounds while Lola and her friend Isabel cut some serious rug. Not only were they dancing but they were going at it full blown rave style with fake candles.

Congratulations Greg & Liz! We are so happy for you!
Love you guys!

Happy Birthday Peggy!!!!!!! woot woot, paartaay!

2011-08-03T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Mom!!!! I will be so happy if I look half as good as you do when I turn 60! SIXTY! holy crap... You don't look a day over 35, I swear! Remember that one time before Sam knew you and we were walking around the mall. He came up to us cursing away and knowing him dropping the F bomb all over town until I said "hey Sam, meet my Mom" HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! I'd like to say he was an idiot but it was an honest mistake since you look so young.

We love you and can't wait to see you soon, yay!!!!!

Cousin time!

2011-07-16T12:17:00.001-04:00

Lots of little girls in this mix means lots of high pitch screaming, giggling, taking, singing and laughing. It's a perfect day with family!

Mommy & Lola day

2011-07-02T23:53:00.005-04:00

My little Lola and I had a nice girls day out today. We started the day off by walking down to the park where she played in the creek. This was great fun because she had on her rain boots and thought it was awesome to play rain forest. Our next stop was to Old Navy where she got her face painted, picked out a cute new pair of shoes, dress, a t-shirt for her brother and swim trunks for her Daddy. (nothing for Mommy)
After our shopping trip we headed off to the dairy farm where Lola fed the animals, saw some baby goats, ate ice cream and played on a tractor.
It is so nice to have some special time with my girl where we are on no schedule, no work and no school. It was a perfect day!

just like Nadia Comăneci

2011-06-24T22:22:00.006-04:00

Our little Lola started gymnastics tonight and she is clearly on her way to giving old school Nadia Comăneci a run for her money. It took her a few minutes to get comfortable with the class and once she did she was on a roll. The class she is in is for 3-5 year olds and had 4 kids, 3 girls and 1 boy along with 2 teachers. It's a great class and I was so impressed at how well the teachers keep the kids focused! The class time is 45 minutes and it went by so fast. Lola had a great time and she can't wait to go back.

Lola and the dinosaur

2011-06-22T23:29:00.001-04:00

Here is Lola creating her most recent jaw dropping masterpiece, a dinosaur. I don't want to be one of those annoying bragging Moms but holy crap... MY KID CAN DRAW! I am so proud of her and she was very proud too!

slumber party extravaganza 2011

2011-06-05T20:51:00.006-04:00

where no one sleeps...

This is the part where Debbie & I take a bunch of photos of ourselves while cracking up hysterically.

This is the photo that was taken immediately after Aaron was a total buzz kill by telling us that we were laughing too loud and being idiots.

Thanks for visiting Debbie, Naryan, Bronx & Anora!!! We had so much fun! Love you guys!

Action shot

2011-05-30T16:39:00.001-04:00

rapture hail?

2011-05-25T21:48:00.003-04:00

We had a CRAZY storm this evening, CRAZY!!! All of our cars are dented in multiple spots and 2 windshields are broken (the Vue & the Tom Celica). The hail was so loud hitting our roof. Thankfully we are all ok. Our friends are ok. Everyone is fine and that's what matters. Cars don't.

Lola gets pierced ears!

2011-05-17T18:31:00.003-04:00

Since Lola did an excellent flowergirl job she was allowed to get her ears pierced on Sunday. This is a huge big deal because she has been asking to get earrings since she could talk. Four is still a little young however we needed a good bribe and this one worked. Most of all I think it's important that SHE wanted to do this and I didn't make the decision for her when she was a baby. We prepared by watching You Tube videos of other little girls getting their ears pierced so she knew it was going to hurt. We gave her plenty time to back out however she woke up on Sunday asking when she could go get her ears pierced and by lunchtime she had earrings.

This is how it went down:

Oh that face. Poor little Lola was so sad. I think she may have been ok if the girls didn't tell her not to touch her ears. But still.... that face! aawww!!!!!
It took her a minute to get all calmed down and then she told us that it didn't hurt anymore. aaawww....

The following is a video I took later in the day.

She has had her ears pierced for 2 days now. She is excellent at remembering to clean them 3 times a day. She has slept great both nights and says it doesn't hurt to sleep with earrings (I remember that bothering me as a kid). She is getting to be so grown up!

Flowergirl Extraordinaire!

2011-05-15T01:24:00.005-04:00

The Kennedy Wedding was a success! The bride looked beautiful and little Miss Lola was a trooper! She started her day early with breakfast joined by Chloe & Katie. After breakfast Lola went to the salon to get her hair curled. This was quite a treat. After the salon we went to Steve's parents for lunch and after that it was go time!!! Getting ready, photos, the walk down the aisle, sitting still (kind of) for the ceremony and the big fun party! Aaron and I were so proud of how well she did with everything, all day long. And with no nap! Of course we did tell her that if she did a great job she would be able to get her ears pierced (another blog post to follow). That bribe seemed to be the master bribe of all kid bribes.

I couldn't decide which video was more fun of these kids cutting the rug so I'm posting both. Kids love dance floors!

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Kennedy! Thank you for including Lola in your special day! Have a Happy Honeymoon!

It's Kelsey!

2011-05-14T14:00:00.001-04:00

The Big Rehearsal!

2011-05-13T20:37:00.003-04:00

Lola AMAZED me tonight at the rehearsal for the upcoming Kennedy wedding in which she will provide the flower girl duties. I have to admit, I didn't think it would go this well. When we arrived on scene she clung to me and didn't want me to let her go. While she was happy to see Steve & Terri she wasn't totally sure about everyone else. I asked Steve's younger sister Kelsey if she would take Lola under her wing and help her out. Kelsey is also in the wedding and is a cute young girl in her early 20's so I knew Lola would attach to Kelsey and think she was so awesome. Kelsey didn't mind hanging out with Lola so I took off and let Lola go behind the scenes with the wedding party. I sat and waited for the rehearsal to start wondering how it would go. Below is how it went:

I'm so proud of my little girl! She even picked up the petals. awwww!!!!!! Knock on wood that she does this great tomorrow. (knock knock)

Thank you Kelsey for being so awesome with Lola and thank you Steve & Terri for including Lola in your special day!!!

So long Gigi

2011-05-11T10:55:00.001-04:00

Lola was so sad to see her Gigi leave this morning. After we dropped her off at the airport Lola said "why does Gigi always leave?" awww!
I had anticipated a rough drop off at school today being that Lola hasn't been in two weeks but she did great and was happy to see her friends who greeted heer at the door with hugs!

Gigi, we had a great visit with you, we will miss you but look forward to our next visit in June! We love you SO MUCH!!!

Birthday PARTY!!!!

2011-05-01T00:08:00.002-04:00

Lola celebrated her 4th birthday today with her friends and family. It was an amazingly beautiful day out, perfect for a party.
Tons of photos are posted on FB. Check them out!

Thanks everyone for helping make Lola's 4th birthday so special!

happy birthday sweet 4 year old!

2011-04-28T19:50:00.003-04:00

We love you birthday girl!

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T00:01:00.001-04:00

Newsflash! We finally got a real babysitter!

2011-04-15T21:13:00.003-04:00

And by real babysitter I mean someone we have to pay, someone who isn't family or a long time friend, someone who is a high school student and took the babysitting safety class. A real babysitter!

I know, this is a huge step for me and I did really well. I didn't call once during the half hour we were gone.
Just kidding, we were gone almost 3 hours and we had a great time and I really didn't call! I immdeiately felt comfortable with Danielle.

Danielle, the real babysitter.

We met Danielle at our local supermarket. She is always smiling and very friendly offering Lola a sucker at check out. So... after stalking her facebook page we were confident that she indeed could be trusted to babysit our little Lola and let me tell you, Lola practically kicked us to the curb the second Danielle walked in the door. She was so excited!
We came home to find the girls in a homemade tent. Lola was completely off the hook and in MAJOR show off mode. She was well behaved for Danielle and Aaron and I got to enjoy a nice dinner out.
Thank you Danielle for being the greatest real babysitter ever!

"Mommy, Danielle is my best friend" Lola

Wanted: CURLS

2011-04-07T14:54:00.001-04:00

We have been rolling old school this week. Lola has slept with spongy curlers in her hair for the past three nights in an effort to achieve fabulous curls. She loves having curls, it's her new favorite thing ever!

Blogging from my phone

2011-04-05T10:07:00.001-04:00

I've just downloaded the blogger app for my phone to test out blogging from my phone vs blogging from the computer.
The advantage... Instant posts, anytime, anywhere!
So here it goes. Testing, testing...

A how to video by Lola

2011-03-25T21:29:00.002-04:00

How to make the following: mushy cookie, mushy cushy, cushy cushy. An instructional video by Lola

The Lola & Stella Show part II

2011-03-16T22:13:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple photos and a short video of Lola and Stella doing whatever the heck they want at a restaurant in Downtown Disney. They were dancing and having so much fun while the wait staff and patrons walked around them. I'm so glad they didn't get in our girls way.

Stella may look a little sad in the above photo, that's because she just got out of the arms of her loving Aunt Amy.

Dear Amy, You're welcome for not posting and tagging you in this photo on Facebook. From your friend, E-mailee

Young at Art

2011-03-10T18:50:00.003-05:00

Lola's first ever art show was yesterday at school. The kids and teachers have been working so hard on this for a couple of months now. In prep for the art show the kids have also been learning about famous artists, different types of media and even a little art history thrown in the mix. Lola told us that Vincent Van Gogh is her favorite artist because "he uses short strokes". I couldn't find it in myself to tell her that he was bat shit crazy and cut off his own ear. I'll save that for later.
Unfortunately I was home sick yesterday with stupid strep throat and didn't make it to the art show but Lola's Daddy went and took the camera capturing all of these wonderful photos. Lola took her Daddy to see all of her different pieces and told him all about each one. The above piece is a classroom project, the kids all worked together to make this fabulous sculpture out of recycled items.

Aaron was quite impressed with this rose that Lola made out of clay. The assignment was to make a rose and she did great!
Aw, how sweet is this?!

Lola and her friend show off another classroom project, a house that everyone took part in building. The teacher said that the blue cloth above one of the rooms was Lola's idea.

When I was looking at these photos I asked Lola what this is a painting of and she said "It's called splatter paint just like Jackson Pollock" (I had to google that since I wasn't familiar with Jackson Pollock, maybe I should go back to pre-school)

And finally we see Lola's painting that she calls "the makeup store" where she "used short strokes like Vincent Van Gogh"

We are so proud of our sweet little Lola! And by the looks of the photos Lola is pretty proud as well! Good Job baby girl!!!

beach day

2011-03-03T21:11:00.003-05:00

We had a lovely day at the beach today with the girls. Lola continues to love sand and doesn't care when she is completely covered in it. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before that I prefer the pool to the beach for that reason alone. However, today proved to be a fabulous day for the beach and we spent quite a bit of time there. The girls had fun building sand castles and playing in the water.

Julie and I took the girls to dinner at Muddy Waters tonight, a local place where the kids get pirate tattoos and pirate coins. The girls finished off a great day by gulping down their own Shirley Temple drinks (this is a big deal).

My only complaint this vacation... WHY can't I sleep in past 8am? Lola has been over at her Gigi's house each night and I've been at Pam's so I do NOT have to wake up and tend to my baby so WHY WHY WHY can't I sleep in? It's so annoying.

Cousins at Disney!

2011-03-01T21:21:00.004-05:00

OH WAIT...
You were looking for these cousins!

We had a fabulous time at the Magic Kingdom and want to send a special HUGE THANK YOU to Gigi, Mimi and Nanny Karen for an awesome time! Celia enjoyed her first visit at Disney and Lola loved going back.
The girls started the day by having breakfast with the Pooh characters and they ended the day with a firework show where Lola had a huge meltdown because Tinker Bell flew away. Lola made it clear to everyone around us that she wanted Tinker Bell to stay at the Magic Kingdom. She fell asleep in my arms as I carried her to the car... 13 hours after we arrived that morning.
Check out this super frickin adorable video of the girls with Karen on the tea cup ride, they LOVED it!!!!

To see a gallery of photos from our most recent Disney adventure please click here

Sunny Florida part I

2011-02-27T11:10:00.003-05:00

We arrived safely to the sunshine state and it has been wonderful! Lola and Stella are so sweet together all smiles almost all the time.
Thank you Jenny & Stella for the nice stay and thank you Amy for the awesome company in the car, you are the number one most best ever road trip partner! See you girls next weekend.
We're getting ready for part II, the Disney trip, stay tuned....

Chuck E Cheese = not hell on earth

2011-02-12T09:24:00.005-05:00

Lola was invited to her good friend Bree's birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. It was a goal of mine to keep this place unknown to Lola for as long as possible knowing once she found out about it she would want to frequent it. Turns out this place isn't as bad as I thought it would be. First off and most importantly there was no ball pit of death. Finally kid friendly places have realized how gross these ball pits are and I am thankful they have removed these germ pits before my child had a chance to enter one.

Lola enjoyed the soft play area and the rides. She really liked the horse race ride and asked to do this several times. She wasn't into any of the games. The pizza looked good although I didn't have any. There is a salad bar and that also looked fine. It was a little hard to get the kids round up to eat because they were having so much fun playing.

I appreciate that they check you in when you arrive and they stamp you and your kids hand with matching numbers. They check the numbers when you leave. And while playing the kids are pretty much secluded into one area so it's easy to keep an eye on your kid.

I guess I don't hate this place and I don't mind taking Lola there once in a while. She hasn't asked to go back yet but I'm sure she will, especially when she sees these photos.

dry animal food throne

2011-02-06T21:12:00.002-05:00

wearing vintage

2011-01-22T17:45:00.003-05:00

Here's Lola modeling a pair of vintage clip on earrings that my Aunt Martha got for me years ago. Lola totally rocks this look however she will not be getting her ears pierced anytime soon. Not only do I think she looks adorable but she thinks she looks pretty good too.
These photos are just too sweet not to post.

cutest little chef

2011-01-17T10:23:00.004-05:00

Like most little girls Lola has discovered that she LOVES cooking. She wants to help with everything including grinding the coffee beans in the morning. She is always up in my kitchen mix. Thankfully her Auntie Moe hooked her up with some awesome little kid cooking sets. She has made pizza, a cake and an apple pie. This was also the first homemade apple pie I've ever made. We cheated on the pizza and bought the always awesome Boboli but she got to pick whatever toppings she wanted which included black olives & pepperoni. Amazingly she didn't eat all of the black olives before topping her pizza.
I also enjoy cooking however the baking hasn't had a positive affect on my ass & thighs. It's all worth it since Lola & I are enjoying our cooking time together.
Photo collection below...

PIZZA TIME!

CAKE TIME!

You'll notice that the frosting on the cake didn't turn out but that didn't stop us from digging in.

APPLE PIE TIME! (turned out SO good!)

Posted by Emilee

The Lola rant

2011-01-09T18:53:00.003-05:00

Rant
To speak or declaim extravagantly or violently; talk in a wild or vehement way

Origin: 1590–1600; to talk foolishly

Baby Alive has joined the family

2011-01-05T21:40:00.003-05:00

Lola had her best day ever Christmas morning when she opened the Baby Alive doll that she wanted so badly. She talked about this doll for months leading up to Christmas. I definitely see the appeal as I would have loved a doll like this when I was a kid. It laughs, cries, eats, burps, AND goes potty in a diaper! The potty in the diaper is Lola's favorite part, this kid is all about changing diapers. The unfortunate thing is that we have to buy special food & diapers for this doll. Diapers that cost about a dollar each. I'm working on an alternative plan to take care of that. Maybe plastic diapers? IDK. Baby Alive is a little bit of work on my part, it's not an easy toy to have around. I imagine that she would get a little crusty and gross if not properly cleaned so after each meal and changing I strip the doll down and flush her out with water. I try not to let Lola see me do this because I put the dolls mouth directly on the faucet. Water in one end and immediately out the other.
Anyway, Lola LOVES her new doll. We asked her what she was going to name her new baby and she said "her name is Baby Alive" and that is that.

Happy 2011

2010-12-31T22:39:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year to our LOLApalooza fans!
Lola, Aaron & I had family date night tonight. We went to Faketown where we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Prior to dinner Lola and I had fun getting ready. We put our hair in hot rollers and we both wore glitter on our eyes for some New Years Eve sparkle. It's now 10:54pm, the makeup has been washed off, Lola is fast asleep and I've flushed my sinuses. Twice.
We wish you all a wonderful 2011! Enjoy everything!

Mommy & Daddy, photo by Lola

Lola vs Gaga

2010-12-29T12:01:00.001-05:00

I am a huge fan of both so this is going to be difficult.

LADY GAGA plays the piano
LOLA plays the ukulele

LADY GAGA met the queen
LOLA wishes she was a princess

LADY GAGA has a fabulous wardrobe
LOLA has an equally fabulous wardrobe

LADY GAGA sings about the telephone
LOLA loves to talk on the telephone

LADY GAGA has a bubble dress
LOLA likes to pop bubbles

LADY GAGA makes awesome videos
LOLA makes equally awesome videos only on a smaller budget...

LOLA WINS!

another quick trip to Illinois

2010-12-27T19:29:00.002-05:00

It was another whirlwind weekend in Illinois the weekend before Christmas. Lola had so much playing with her cousins! We got to see so many people that weekend including Grumpa & Grandma Joni, Mimi, Julie, Ed, Celia & Ethan, Uncle Jim, Auntie Moe, Emma & Grace, Great Grandma & Grandpa, Ann & Morgan, Karen and even Cousin Lindsey & Cindy!!! All of the above mentioned had Christmas presents for the kids so they scored some serious loot. Unfortunately Lola missed seeing her Gigi & Grandpa Chuck this holiday season. We will see them pretty soon since our next stop is sunny Florida!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:01:00.005-05:00

2010

Santa prep

2010-12-24T21:22:00.002-05:00

Lola is all ready for Santa's big arrival tonight. She put oats & glitter out in the front yard and put together a plate of cookies for the jolly fella. She has had a fantastic day today and is SO EXCITED for Christmas Day to get here!!! She is a little sad to say goodbye to Dopey-Dopey since he's making his final flight to the North Pole tonight where he will stay until next year. She told him that she was going to miss him. For a second I thought she was going to cry when she was saying goodbye. aw!

snow tea

2010-12-22T23:04:00.006-05:00

I should have posted these photos when the snow day actually happened but I get busy... so here they are, a little late but still just as cute!

Posted by Emilee

the Elf on the Shelf

2010-12-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

Lola and I stopped at the book store today to purchase the Elf on the Shelf and while she was taking her bath the elf managed to free himself from the package and park himself on a shelf in the family room. Before searching for the elf we decided to read the book to see what this crazy little elf is all about. Lola learned a few things. She can talk to the elf but he is under strict orders from Santa not to talk back. She is not allowed to touch the elf as this will take away his magic powers. His job is to keep an eye on Lola and each night while she is asleep he will fly to the North Pole to tell Santa if she was naughty or nice. He will be back home each morning before Lola wakes up only in a different spot in the house. Her job is to find him each morning. Her other job was to give her elf a name. She decided to name him Dopey-Dopey and so far she has had an lot of things to tell Dopey-Dopey. A new Christmas tradition begins.

posted by Emilee

Clifton Mill

2010-12-07T21:00:00.003-05:00

We visited Clifton Mill for the first time on Thanksgiving weekend. Joni read about Clifton Mill in her Midwest Living magazine and I have heard of this place from a few people I work with. It's pretty crazy. Chances are you may never see this many Christmas lights all in the same place. And you will NEVER see a Santa collection like this Santa collection. The Christmas lights are beautiful! It is amazing and if you have a chance to see them you should. They also have a little city set up complete with trains and that is awesome. Every 20 minutes or so Santa pops up out of a chimney, waves and goes back down the chimney. This is cute however it would be better if they had a set up where the kids could get their photo with Santa. There is a gift shop and indoor seating where you can get hot chocolate and warm up. It was actually a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I kind of expected it to be a big park or something. Anyway, it was cool and definitely something to see at least once. The cost is 8 bucks a person which after leaving I thought was a little pricey considering how small it was but kids under 6 are free so that's good. I am positive that the older Lola gets she will ask to go back each year.

Lola entertains

2010-12-05T20:51:00.005-05:00

We have had a handful of visitors these last couple of weeks and this is my attempt at making up for a week of lost blogging by posting most photos of our company on to one post.

Last weekend Lola got to meet baby Matt. She loves babies and everything about babies. She is very interested in how babies eat and she would love to change each and every diaper. She is definitely going to make a great babysitter someday!

Lola was so lucky to see her old friend Brody last weekend when they blew through town for the holiday. It doesn't matter how much time passes, these two besties pick things up right where they left off. I still hope the Vander Woude family moves back sooner than later.

This weekend was awesome because my friend Sam, his daughter Kaitlin and their dog Cindy (short for Cinderella) came to town. This is Sam's first time visiting since I moved to Dayton in 2002. However I do see him often when I go to Toldeo. Lola loved spending time with Kaitlin. She pretended like Kaitlin was her big sister and she would say "come on sister" and the two would walk off holding hands. Kaitlin was so good & patient with Lola. Ian also seemed to enjoy Kaitlin's company. He started off on the shy side but warmed up after he kicked her ass in guitar hero. After that they decided to build some Lincoln Log houses. And after that the three kids retreated upstairs to watch a movie where Lola & Kaitlin fell fast asleep almost immediately.
Aaron, Sam & I had a few beers, watched some Sunny and laughed. It was great fun!

SAINTS WIN!

posted by Emilee (1st post using my new HP mini, yeah!)

Thankful for Ooma!

2010-11-26T20:14:00.003-05:00

The staff at LOLApalooza wants to send a huge shout out to Ooma, the mother, mother-in-law and Grandmother, for making a fabulous Thanksgiving Day feast! We all left happy and full! (this is normal when Ooma cooks up dinner)
Lola had so much fun playing with her cousins. She played so hard that she fell fast asleep last night with no fussing, which is rare for Lola. Ian also had fun with his little cousins, he gave them a run for their money during an intense game of hide and go seek.
Thanks so much for a nice evening Cindy, we love you!
posted by Emilee

Happy Birthday Emma! and Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:15:00.004-05:00

Happy 12th Birthday to my little tiny baby cousin (and avid LOLApalooza follower) Emma. We love you and we hope you have a GREAT DAY!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! We have so much to be thankful for! I'm starting my day off being thankful for all of my lazy loves snuggling on the couch watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (not pictured is Gabbi who is growling from under the Christmas tree or Aaron who is in the kitchen making pancakes or Ian who we won't pick up until later)

Have a great day!
posted by Emilee

the gift of gab

2010-11-13T11:03:00.003-05:00

Thank You Veterans

2010-11-11T07:52:00.003-05:00

Today is the day we honor military veterans.
We want to thank all of our family and many friends who have served or are currently serving in the United States Military. Today we remind ourselves that it's because of you that we have our freedom. We especially thank our Dads, Grumpa & PopPop, and our Grandfathers for your bravery and time at war. I was trying my best to explain to Lola why we don't have to go to work and school today. I told her that today we think about the wonderful people who have fought at war for our freedom. She walked away thinking that her Grumpa and PopPop got into a fight. HA! Kids! They are kinda dumb.

Grumpa & PopPop - We are proud to be able to call you Dad. Thank you and we love you!

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. -Elmer Davis

Posted by Emilee at 8:08 am - Veteran's Day

free kitten to a good home

2010-11-07T17:05:00.005-05:00

NO NO! NOT THIS KITTEN!
Aaron did a fabulous job yesterday painting Lola to look like one of the jellicle cats from her favorite musical Cats. (although Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is running a close second so watch out, she may be sporting an amazing technicolor dreamcoat one of these days)

Our house currently occupies two cats too many.

Runner is here to stay. He is a perfect cat. I found him when he was a kitten, I was jogging on some trails and he followed me. That was 13 years ago.

Gabbi was an accident. I wasn't out to get another cat but after having lost both Norma Jean & Moe the previous year I had a soft spot so when my vet called and asked if I was interested in meeting a little calico kitty I said sure. I mean I was just going to go look.... She is 2 and as I type this she sits comfortably on my lap.

Then there's this one. We're calling her Isabella or Bella. Lola wanted to name her after her friend at schools baby sister. Bella is almost impossible to take a photo of because she is always moving. Bella is a nice kitty and very tolerable of Lola. Ideally we would like for Bella to go to a new home, a good home. BUT... reality sets in and I'm realizing just how hard it is to find a good home for a cat. Bella has been here for a week now and she seems to be very comfortable. She has been staying out in our sunroom so she can recuperate from her surgery (she was spayed last week). SO... if you want a kitty she's friendly, has had her kitten shots and is spayed. All you have to do is take her home and love her... come on.
Anyone?

posted by Emilee

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T00:01:00.001-04:00

Enchanted, the unicorn, spotted in a small town

2010-10-28T16:24:00.003-04:00

It was a magical day for grownups and children when Enchanted, the unicorn, made an unexpected visit to a small town in southern Ohio. After spending time with the town locals, posing for many photographs and lifting his leg on a few trees Enchanted made his big exit leaving a trail of glitter behind him.

The Grumpa Hawaiian Coffee Dress

2010-10-16T21:06:00.003-04:00

What used to be an old man Hawaiian coffee shirt has been transformed into a super fabulous dress for Lola. I also used one of Dad's yellow t-shirts to make the ruffles.

Thanks for the hand-me-downs Grumps!

P.S. The earrings are her Grandma's clip ons. Lola does not have pierced ears.
post by Emilee

Now this is more like it

2010-10-11T12:41:00.001-04:00

Lola & Stella vs. Emilee & Jenny

2010-10-04T10:27:00.000-04:00

Sure, these little girls are pretty cute but let's not forget about their Mothers. Jenny & I were something special back when we were young too.
For instance this is pretty cute....

or this one...

or this one for the Christmas cards...

That's right. Who is cuter now? I'll look forward to your comments.

posted by Emilee

A rainy day at the lake

2010-10-02T10:15:00.004-04:00

Our bags were packed for a sunny day at the lake but unfortunately we didn't have the chance to change into our suites or load up on sunblock BUT... we got to have a nice visit with Aaron's Grandma and Lola's Ooma and eat good food! That stupid rain didn't stop Lola & her cousins from having so much fun.

Thanks Gram Yates & Ooma for a GREAT DAY!!! We love you all!

P.S. This post was submitted by Emilee, not Aaron like it says below. I ran out of upload space on my account so now I'm using Aaron's until I figure something out.

Bruce continues to be the best dog ever

2010-09-30T20:03:00.000-04:00

Daddy's shirt has never been so cute

2010-09-23T17:58:00.003-04:00

Settle down ladies... that up there is my husband. Try not to be too jealous.

As I continue to sew like a crack addict does crack (ask Aaron to show you his impression of me at the sewing machine) I've become a little more comfortable trying new things. Like sleeves. Anyway, I found a website where a girl turned an adult sized sweater into a sweater dress for her daughter. It was so cute and come to find out it was a super easy & fun project. I only had two sweaters to use so Lola has two new sweater dresses for the winter. Like most crack addicts I am poor and can't afford all the fabric I want to keep my habit going so I sent Aaron up to his wardrobe to see what he could find for me and SCORE! he brought down this amazing brown shirt! Why didn't I ever see him in this? I love it! Using the same technique to make the sweater dresses I made this fabulous dress for Miss Lola! Not only does she have a cute new dress she has a special dress made from her Daddy's shirt.

It's Bronx & Anora day!

2010-09-19T19:50:00.003-04:00

Lola waited all week for her friends Bronx & Anora to arrive for a fun girl's weekend waking up each morning and asking "is it Bronx & Anora day yet?" The girls played so well together with only one minor incident to report on Saturday evening when Lola & Anora wanted the same coloring book. The situation was smoothed over in no time.
Rowan got wind of the girl party over at Lola's house and casually told his parents "we should go for a walk around the block" sure Rowan.... we know what you were up to, it was all a part of your master plan.
Below are more photos from the fun weekend.

Debbie - it was GREAT having you girls here!!!!!!! We love & miss you all so much!

Lola's Labor Day weekend surprise

2010-09-06T10:29:00.004-04:00

Lola received a phone call on Saturday afternoon from her Grandma Joni. Grandma said "come outside Lola" ... So we headed out front to find Grumpa standing there in yard! Lola said "Grumpa! How did you get here?" Then she spotted her Grandma! She took them to the park, to Joanne Fabrics and The Pub with the other Brown family. Lola's Daddy, Grumpa & Jeff went early so they could have a couple beers before the children arrived for dinner.
Today she plans on showing her Grandparents some of her ballerina moves before they head back to the windy city.

Thanks for coming to visit Dad & Joni, it's been a fun weekend!

13

2010-08-26T18:10:00.003-04:00

"I can't marry Justin because he is already married" said Lola

2010-08-22T17:14:00.007-04:00

We attended Stella's fabulous first birthday party yesterday where Lola decided to focus 100% of her attention on Justin. There were plenty of games, prizes, hot dogs and other children to play with but nothing compared to Justin. I'm pretty sure he is to Lola what Prince Charming is to Snow White.

Stella's party was especially fun because I got to see so many friends that I don't get to see that often and... in a carnival setting! I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that there weren't live animals. I know, it's shocking. The poor children, there was nothing for them to do, no pony rides and no elephants roaming the property painting portraits for the party goers. Because they were slacking on this the Lola-Party-Meter gave this shindig a 9.9 out of a possible 10.

Thank you Justin for being so patient & sweet to our baby girl yesterday and...
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY MISS STELLA!!!!
We love you!!!
Click here to see more fabulous first birthday party photos!

The Magic Kingdom

2010-08-19T19:00:00.003-04:00

A Disney vacation would not be complete without spending a day at the Magic Kingdom and that we did, a 15 hour day! 8am-11pm. Not kidding. We had so much fun meeting characters, going on rides, dodging the rain and seeing the firework show. The kids even drove race cars! Lola is on her way to becoming a super speeder too! I told her that wasn't a good choice.

Thanks Gigi for a fabulous Disney vacation!

beach babies

2010-08-17T20:03:00.002-04:00

While vacationing in Florida Lola thought it would be a great idea to take Lydia to the biggest sand box ever. The girls had so much fun digging up sand and playing in the water. Lola reacted to the ocean by saying "yummm, it's good!"
Gross Lola.
At least this time she didn't eat sand for lunch.

girls night out, only less wind and with Aaron

2010-08-14T23:00:00.002-04:00

Angela and I managed another evening out on the town without the children however, with the shenanigans involved with our last girls night out we decided it was best to bring back up because who would mess with a dude that drinks Coca-Cola by the little pitcher full?
Intimidating, I know.

We decided it would be ok for Aaron to join us on our girls night out for the following reasons:
1. He is very feminine
2. He looks good in a dress
3. He drinks like a girl
4. He makes us laugh
5. His mean mug is sure to scare off the locals
6. He does the Michael Jackson windy shirt thing on command for me

So thanks Aaron for putting on your mean mug and keeping us safe from the locals. I'm glad you didn't mind us ignoring you so that we could have another fun girls night out!

AND special thanks to gigi for babysitting!

Lola's Epcot visit: New Best Day Ever

2010-08-12T23:52:00.003-04:00

It's safe to say that we have another Disney fan in the mix. This is Lola's first visit to the happiest place in the world and sure enough, she's happy. And I was extra happy to find that they brought Captain EO back, this was a very pleasant surprise for sure!!!! Our day today started at 7am when we got our wake up call from Mickey and the day didn't end until after 10:30pm when we made it back to the hotel for much needed sleep (of course not until after some blogging).
Lola was one of the few kids in full costume today. She received a lot of attention and spent the majority of the day answering to "Snow White" and perfecting the princess wave. She was a theme park hit!
Some things we accomplished today:
* breakfast with the Disney Princesses
* visiting the character spot
* turtle talk with Crush
* the Nemo ride (Lola cried)
* Capt EO viewing
* something else I can't remember
* visiting all of the countries at Epcot & each Kidcot location
* some more rides
* Lola attempted to march in a parade but decided against it
* visited Hollywood Studios (formerly known as MGM)
* Gigi & I braved the Tower of Terror
* attended a concert
* Lola danced with Pluto, the chipmunks & Goofy
* other stuff
* bedtime
It's been a wonderful day and so much fun to see Lola's excitement when she would spot a character. She loved today!!!! Thank you gigi for making it so special for her!
CLICK HERE FOR AWESOME PHOTOS OF LOLA WITH THE PRINCESSES AND MORE!!! .

P.S. the staff at LOLApalooza is sending a birthday shout out to MIMI!!! Happy 60th! We wish you were at Disney with us, it's just not the same without you.

girls night out, spring break style 2010!

2010-08-09T23:03:00.004-04:00

Angela and I hit the town full blown party style tonight. It was exactly like MTV spring break! A wild time for sure! And by wild I meant windy. For a second I thought we were in Chicago.

It wouldn't be spring break without dudes in the mix and Angela & I were lucky to be approached by a couple of lookers who were in fact our exact age, NOT! We were invited to join them at the Hard Rock to which we kindly declined so while we could have gone out with these two foxy guys we decided it was best to get home alive. I would imagine if they weren't smokers we may have accepted their friendly offer...

Lola & Lydia, cute photos of the day

2010-08-09T11:20:00.001-04:00

O! M! G! How cute are these two girls?

Lola & Lydia, Florida vacation part I

2010-08-08T13:20:00.005-04:00

It hasn't even been 24 hours since Lydia's arrival in southern Florida and Lola has already taken her to Muddy Waters, the park, carousal park, the pool and even made time to spot some local wildlife! These girls are so busy on their vacation! Lola likes having her little friend around and Lydia likes doing all the big girl things that Lola shows her.

family arrives in the sunshine state...

2010-08-06T20:51:00.002-04:00

only to find the weather is exactly like the buckeye state.
We arrived safely around 7:30 this morning. It was a long day & night of driving but totally worth it to get here as early as we did. Since Aaron is excellent at not sleeping he did the night driving.
Unfortunatley Peggy, Aaron & Ian won't be getting on the crusie which is awesome news for me because when gigi is around I get a lot of quiet time since she takes over all Lola duties. Thanks gigi! Plus we get to go to Disney now! Thanks crusie ship for being sold out to paying customers!

EnterTRAINment Junction & other shenanigans

2010-08-04T19:00:00.002-04:00

First of all I need to apologize to Jackie who has been waiting forever for me to post these photos. Here they are, finally!
We had a very nice visit with the Vander Woude clan. We spent a few hours with Jackie & family and the other Browns at Entertrainment Junction which was a hit with all the children, not only the train obsessed boys, but the girls had a lot of fun too!
Later that evening Jackie (who deserved a much needed break after the chaos that consisted of chasing her children all over entertrainment junction) met a friend for dinner while the kids stayed at our house to play. We had a fabulous time! Lola and Brody really enjoyed spending a little QT while Mya tried to keep up with their shenanigans.

Some things I've figured out:
1. Having two little kids would be really hard work.
2. I'm glad we got Aaron "neutered".
3. It would be AWESOME to set up a mini entertrainment junction in our pole barn.
4. Lola's hair used to be so long.
5. Jackie owes me a tube of toothpaste.
6. It's shark week so I won't be tuning into the Discovery channel.

Photos here!

.

green thumb

2010-08-03T18:34:00.002-04:00

Here' s Lola proudly showing off the huge sunflowers she grew from seeds for Earth Day. She was good about watering them often and knows very well that flowers get their power from water. Is there anything that can't be connected to a YGG song?
Anyway, Lola will be sending this photo to the Earth's Birthday Project to receive her prize. Stay tuned to see what that will be... I can only imagine something spectacular! Just like Mr. Parker said "It's a Major Award. I won it!"

haircut shenanigans

2010-07-29T21:04:00.002-04:00

I guess it was bound to happen. Lola cut her own hair this week which ended up resulting in a FABULOUS new look for her!
It all happened on Tuesday while she was at school. Lola along with her friend Riley and Katelyn got a hold of a pair of scissors. Child safety scissors. Good child safety scissors. Child safety scissors that can actually cut hair! Not only did Lola cut her own hair but she and Riley cut up Katelyn's shirt while Katelyn stood there and let them do it. Apparently she wanted an 80's style top.
Unfortunately I had to punish Lola so that she knew how serious this was. She ended up telling me "sorry for making a bad choice Mom" I said "what bad choice did you make today Lola?" she said "I cut my hair and I cut Katelyn's shirt and I won't make any more bad choices" aw! I love her! I'm sure she learned her lesson and will NEVER make a bad choice again. She is still due to tell Katelyn's Mom she is sorry. I received a nice message from Katelyn's Mom, she said "Lola's hair cut is so cute it makes me want to cut Katelyn's hair."

weekend visitors!

2010-07-24T13:42:00.002-04:00

Lola is so excited to have her old friend Brody here for a visit! This time he has a baby sister in tow which is a little different from the old days of Lola & Brody.
The kids are having a great time together. We just got back from our favorite local pub where Brody shoveled in a hot dog & applesauce in record time and Lola offered to share the last half of her hot dog. That was not a typing error. I repete, Lola shared her hot dog with Brody. Amazing work Lola.
Now were off to see some trains!

sleeping cousins

2010-07-18T22:11:00.005-04:00

It was a long afternoon of playing and the little cousins were super exhausted.
They all curled up for a nice long nap so that their family could spend a relaxing hour catching up.

JUST KIDDING!

more photos here

*

Lt Dan Band

2010-07-18T00:49:00.007-04:00

Lola had the most fun ever tonight when she attended her first concert. She got to dance the night away with the Lt Dan Band. She had so much fun playing with her cousins Anna & Kate, meeting new friends AND meeting Miss Illinois, who happened to be wearing her crown. Lola was quite taken with Miss Illinois and pretty much thinks she is as beautiful as any Disney Princess. Guess who will be watching her first Miss America Pageant this year? P.S. These kids have SO MUCH energy!

little monster

2010-07-16T19:48:00.003-04:00

While traveling to Illinois today we hit a pretty good traffic jam which left us sitting for quite some time. During this time I was able to caputre a video of Lola singing her current favorite jam, Bad Romance. She also sent the proper signal proving she is a little monster indeed.

pink lemonade party

2010-07-11T16:02:00.003-04:00

Lola got to have a special visit with Steve & Terri before Terri had to head back to Japan. She entertained them by offering up some pink lemonade in her pink room while seated at the pink table. This is Lola's way of saying "see me, I can host a wonderful party, therefore you have made an excellent choice in a flower girl for the big day in May 2011."

Terri, as always it was great visiting with you, in just a few short months you will be back to stay, yay!

First Field Trip

2010-07-05T20:11:00.002-04:00

Lola & Rowan, along with the rest of their friends from school, got to go on a field trip last month to a farm. While at the farm they saw chickens, a pony, a turkey, sheep, a calf, horses, barns, farmers and super cool farm equipment. They were probably most impressed with a stray white cat and the big blue school bus. Just kidding (kinda). I was absolutely amazed at how well the teachers did at keeping everyone together and never losing count of one child. They were on it!
All of the kids had a great time and by the looks of those two kids in that photo up there it must have been a sight to see.
Field Trip Photos HERE

Lola's first fireworks show!

2010-07-04T23:31:00.004-04:00

Lola attended her first firework show this evening. Aaron got a call from Rick, an old co-worker, who invited us to a 4th of July celebration at a private residence on Shawnee Lake. There was a live band followed by fireworks. We've been debating taking her to see fireworks this year wondering if she was ready. This seemed like a perfect party, not too many people and lake front seating for the fireworks. Lola met a new friend named Anna who introduced her to blue KoolAid and I'm 100% sure that the fact that Anna was 6 and SO EXCITED for the firework show made Lola in turn SO EXCITED for the firework show. She seemed a little nervous when people started shooting off those stupid fireworks that you can purchase at Walgreen's but after a few of those she relaxed. I didn't. Drunk people & Walgreen's fireworks don't always make a good combo.

Once the big show started this is what we heard at each firework:
Lola to anyone that was listening "WOAH! DID YOU SEE THAT ONE?"
Anna "I liked that one the best!"
It was pretty cute and fun to see how much she loved it.

Thanks Rick!

Happy Days

2010-07-03T22:44:00.003-04:00

We've got two special days here at LOLApalooza. First off we would like to send our congratulations to my Mom & Chuck and wish them a Happy 30th Anniversary! That's so awesome!!! 30 years ago yesterday we were all in St. Tomas having a wedding! And 30 years ago yesterday Chuck had an instant family! I will be the first to say how lucky my brother and I are to have you! We should have been celebrating that every year! AND why haven't we all been back to St. Thomas for an anniversary celebration? Maybe the 35th? I think there would be a few other people interested in that vacation (Simiones, Lanes & Rabes, you up for it???)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, WE LOVE YOU GUYS!

Next we would like to wish Aaron a HAPPY 32nd BIRTHDAY!
The children baked a funfetti cake and decorated it with sprinkles, skulls & hearts. It was a one of a kind and will never be replicated.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Just like Laura & Mary Ingalls, only with full vision

2010-06-28T20:19:00.004-04:00

These girls are seriously cute in their Little House fashions. These are my favorite dresses to make and at this moment in time I'm addicted to sewing. Fabric is my crack. I want more and then I want to stay up all night sewing and then I can't sleep because I'm thinking about sewing.

Oh, and my daughter held a toad.

all up in Chloe's mix

2010-06-27T10:14:00.004-04:00

First things first... Ryan, Katie & Chloe PLEASE move back!!!!
It's been so nice visiting with you guys this week and finally meeting Chloe!

Lola took an extra special liking to Chloe and was sure to spend all of her time talking to Chloe, reading to her, playing with her, helping her take a bath and trying to feed her turkey when no one was looking. Just plain in the mix. For the most part Chloe seemed to enjoy Lola but I'm not sure she liked when Lola held her. She probably didn't feel to safe on that tiny little lap. Chloe's favorite part of the evening was listening to Lola's interpretation of the Bible. Lola has a lot of Baby Jesus stories and Chole heard them first hand.

dancing debut

2010-06-20T09:40:00.004-04:00

Lola's first dance recital was a total success! The girls all did an excellent job!

Good Job Lola, we are so proud of you!!!!

An album will be posted on facebook soon.

toot toot!

2010-06-19T13:20:00.005-04:00

That's the sound of me tooting my own horn.

Why?

Because using my Mother's sewing machine from her high school years I made this dress for Lola! This is a huge accomplishment for someone whose nemesis is a needle & thread. This dress should fit Lola for the next couple of years since it's a little roomy.

Thank you gigi for teaching me how to read a pattern & make a dress! yay for me! toot toot!

1 ring bearer and 2 flower girls

2010-06-13T01:16:00.006-04:00

Today was a big day for Lola and her cousins Celia and Ethan. They did an excellent job as flower girls and ring bearer in Lindsey and Brian's wedding. After the shenanigans at last nights rehearsal we weren't too sure how this would go down. Turns out they did great today for the real deal (thanks Maureen for helping out) and it's safe to say that Lola probably had the best time of her life at the reception. She danced for 3 hours. Sometimes she danced alone, sometimes she had a partner and sometimes she danced in a group but one thing I'm positive of is that she danced with about everyone there and she partied until 11:30pm.
A lot of people stopped to talk to Aaron and I. Some of their comments were:
"She's not shy at all is she?"
"That is the cutest little girl I've ever seen"
"She's a great dancer"
"You're going to have your hands full"

On our way home from the reception the conversation went something like this:
Daddy to Lola "Did you have so much fun being a flower girl today?"
"YES!"
"Do you want to be a flower girl again?"
"YES!"
Mommy to Lola "What was your favorite part of the day today?"
"Walking down the aisle!"

I was surprised she didn't say dancing and after you watch these videos you will be surprised she didn't say dancing too.

Below are two videos, the first of the kids making their way down the aisle and the second is Lola in a dance circle with the wedding party.

CONGRATULATIONS LINDSEY & BRIAN!!!!!

Grandpa Chuck takes top spot

2010-06-12T10:52:00.004-04:00

Grandpa Chuck has currently taken top spot on Lola's Favorite Person Ever list leaving Mommy, Daddy, Gigi, Grandma Joni, Ooma, Grumpa & Pop Pop in the dust.

Please note, this high ranking position is subject to change.

Baby Take a Bow, the rehearsal before the real dress rehearsal

2010-06-05T15:16:00.002-04:00

Today was costume pick up day for the big dance recital which is approaching quickly. Lola was really excited to see her friends but it took some serious coaxing to get her up on the stage to practice. Out of all the girls Lola was the ONLY ONE clinging to her Mother. Is this because I've done something wrong? I'm wondering if it may not be a good idea for me to be a parent helper on recital day....

Once she saw her teacher she felt a little better and took her place in line, that's when I got the heck out of there before she changed her mind. I was able to get a cute little video of the pre-dress rehearsal dress rehearsal (Lola is second from the right). Don't worry LOLApalooza fans, I will record the actual dress rehearsal too! You will see so much of the Baby Take a Bow routine that you will be able to dance right along! Take caution while doing some of these dance moves at home, it's a very complex routine.

Enjoy!

"ALL ABOARD"

2010-05-30T15:50:00.003-04:00

Next stop Naperville

One of Lola's favorite things to do while she visits Gramma & Grumpa is to head down to the train station and watch the trains go by. Turns out yesterday was a big day for her as she got to actually get on a train for the first time! This was SO EXCITING! The conductor gave her a special first time rider ticket which will go directly into the baby book with the above photo. She rode all the way from Downers Grove to Naperville (about 10 minutes tops) where her Daddy & Grumpa picked her up at the train station.

BTW - I did not see Evan Lysacek while visiting Naperville. dang it!

Babysitting Elliot

2010-05-27T23:50:00.002-04:00

Lola and I spend a couple hours over at Owen and Elliot's house last week so that Jamie and Sheana could go out for their anniversary. This was Sheana's first time being away from the new baby and Lola and I are honored to be the first official babysitters. Sheana was a little concerned that Elliot may miss her and I'm sure in his own baby way he did but he didn't show it. He didn't show much of anything since he slept the entire time making this the easiest babysitting job ever!

He even found a way to sleep through these shenanigans:

Happy Anniversary Capt & Mrs. Johnson!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T10:58:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mothers, Mom, Joni & Cindy! To my Grandmothers, Aunts, Cousins and many friends, I wish you all a beautiful day!

Lola's cottage

2010-05-05T20:02:00.002-04:00

Take a moment to view this photo and pass it on to everyone you know. This will go down in history as the cutest photo ever taken of these three kids! EVER!
Lola's Daddy worked hard putting together her new cottage where she entertained her friends Rowan & Lydia this evening. The children ate hot dogs and pretended like they were drinking soda and tea.
Lola would like to thank her grandparents for pitching in on this awesome birthday present! As you can see it is perfectly adorable!!!

The year of the Michael Jackson cake!

2010-05-01T21:15:00.003-04:00

Lola celebrated her third birthday today with a big party, a big party dress AND a Michael Jackson cake. It was perfect!
Thank you everyone for helping make her day so special!
A photo album will follow soon on Facebook.

Happy 3rd birthday my sweet little Lola!

2010-04-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

Dear Lola,
Three years ago today you taught me what perfect love was. You are growing into a lovely little girl and we are so proud of you!
I love you,
Mommy

The best looking wedding party ever...

2010-04-24T16:27:00.004-04:00

... and not just because Lola is the flower girl!
Could the bride and her maids be any cuter, younger or skinnier? shesh!

As flower girl in Lindsey's upcoming wedding Lola has many responsibilities. Her duties started today when she attended her first ever wedding shower. First thing on that list of duties, being cute. Second, flirting with the groom and third, helping throw away the wrapping paper.
She did a great job and thank goodness for me, she was on her best behavior!

the olds (and Max) babysit

2010-04-23T00:01:00.002-04:00

Unfortunately due to a death in the family Lola and I traveled back to Illinois early this week. I decided not to take Lola to the funeral for a couple of reasons: 1. She is only two and I wasn't sure how to handle that and 2. the only thing she knows about death is that it happened to Michael Jackson and I couldn't be positive that she wouldn't bring that up at the most inappropriate time.
While I attended my Uncle Dave's funeral and spent time with my family Lola spent the day entertaining her Great Grandparents. I'm pretty sure my Grandma let her do whatever she wanted including all but not limited to the following:
* eat an endless supply of chocolate cupcakes
* wear her clip-on Santa earrings
* turn the tv room into a tea party room
* eat an endless supply of suckers
* put the dog on his leash and walk him around the house (poor Max, what a trooper)
* climb all over Grandpa while he was trying to watch TV
* blow bubbles in her milk
* eat an endless supply of cookies

Thank you for helping Grandma & Grandpa! We love you! xoxo

and Lola wins!

2010-04-21T23:25:00.004-04:00

Here's how it went down:
"Grumpa you sit back here with me and Grandma"
"No thank you Lola, I'm going to sit in the front seat with your Mom"
"No Grumpa! You sit by me please"

Lola is the ONLY person in the world that can get her Grumpa to cram himself into the backseat of the car, sitting on one butt cheek all the way to Quigley's while listening to Lady GaGa sing Boys, Boys, Boys on 11 because why not make it one more higher than 10.

Lola wins again!

Live footage of Aaron swinging

2010-04-14T18:42:00.006-04:00

I apologize to our regular followers for my lack of blogging however due to the ease and convenience of Facebook as well as the beautiful weather my blogging has dwindled down to one post a week if that. Please accept my apology. To make things better I've posted the below super cute photo of Bruce and a video. Enjoy the video and after that go outside.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:05:00.001-04:00

Lola's rendition of Baby Take Bow

2010-03-25T20:30:00.002-04:00

Lola has dance class every Thursday and every Thursday I ask her how class was.
I hardly get a response.
When I ask her to show me some of her ballet or tap moves she REFUSES to show me anything. So I'm left to wonder if this kid is learning anything in dance class. Since I've already paid for a recital fee and a costume I know that something must be going on in that class. To get to the bottom of it I offered Lola 5 M&Ms to show me what she has learned in class:

The BEST 5 M&Ms I've ever spent! I cried.

Marcia Brady look-a-like, pre-school bound!

2010-03-23T20:09:00.006-04:00

Our almost three year old starts pre-school on Monday! At one point she was so excited about this transition but now that it's getting close she tells us that she doesn't want to go to pre-school anymore, she wants to stay with her Miss Debbie. On the actual transition day Lola is likely to be fine and will come home with fun stories of her new classroom & friends. It's not always so easy for me. I normally cry because I get so attached to the previous teachers. These transitions end up harder on me than Lola!

As Lola rounds the corner to THREE I'm noticing a few positive changes.
1. I can reason with her.
2. She is very eager to dress herself and put her shoes on.
3. Her artistic ability is shining through each day and she LOVES keeping busy drawing on her easel. A nice quiet activity so we can nap on the couch. Just Kidding! (kinda)
4. She is almost totally self sufficient in the bathroom although I prefer to double check the cleanliness.

And my favorite...

5. She is FINALLY out growing that terrible two thing she's had going on since she was 18 months old (with the occasional slip up). Ah!

However with age I am also noticing some new emotions. For instance, twice now the commercial to save the animals with that song by Sarah McLachlan has been on. I normally change the channel immediately because it's impossible for me to make it through the first 0.05 seconds of that commercial with out having an MAJOR emotional meltdown. Anyway, twice I have been out of the room when that commercial comes on and both times it has brought Lola to tears once asking me "Why are the kitties in jail Mommy?" OMG! PLEASE send money to save those animals so that all animals can be safe, happy & healthy!!!! Plus I need those commercials off the air.
There have also been a few instances when watching the Disney movie The Rescuers when the cute little girl cries because she is all alone. This also brings Lola to tears. I'm not sure where she gets this sensitivity issue from. I mean we're all so strong in my family, especially me.

Anyway, Lola is a perfect joy! It's amazing how this tiny baby has grown into a big girl and so fast. Slow down time!

I LOVE this baby girl!!!!