Fakesgiving

Fall in a Flash

I've not been able to keep up with posting pictures of our fall so here is a recap of our fall 2011

First our trip to Yellow Springs:

We decided to break in the new ride with a road trip to Yellow Springs, We've decided it's called yellow springs because it makes the kids have to pee ALL THE TIME!!! Honestly the entire day was about finding a place to pee! It's a one hour car ride and we had to stop twice on the side of the road so little Gabi could pee, followed closely by her older sister that used a Porta potty that was so full, it was almost overflowing (YUCK) I was able to hold into until we were deep in the woods and then I made EVERYBODY pee.... our families have a special bond now~!It was beautiful there and we hiked through some amazing land! Then on the way home we stopped for some ice cream..... AMAZING &enormous ice cream!

I'm not ashamed in the least to post this picture is was THAT good!!! The kids were all hopped up on sugar from the giant ice cream cones and decided to ride some of the cow statues in the ice cream shop! We decided we should let them run it off outside on the Farm and managed to get the first picture of 7 of us together! The Schmierney-Eisel Clan! UP next Halloween

We went trick or treating with some of Leah's friends from school, Becca the princess, Leah the Cowgirl, Sophia the witch, Hannah the Evil queen, and sheriff Ethan
I'm sorry but how freaking cute is my baby in a cowboy hat and a duster! Turkey Night

I've also managed to befriend some of the mom's from Westgate and talked them all to coming over and making turkey's with me one night before Thanksgiving.

Alex, Becca, Courtney, & Tonia Kelly, Sally, Courtney, aka Kibby Here are all the turkeys... oh and the crafty ones we made that night... Here's a close up of our masterpieces! It was such a fun night and I'm so glad to have found friends at the kids school! I just love Westgate!!!

Last but not least... Fakesgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my Mom, sister and their families the weekend before thanksgiving, which also happened to be the same weekend that my little brother came for a visit! It was so fun to have us all there eating and playing games.

As usual the kids used Uncle Brian as a jungle gym/punching bag... I'm not sure who like it more, the kids or Brian...

Can you believe this is my niece Chole.... she's so grown up! And so good with the little ones. Gabi loved on her all night and I know that I can trust Chloe to keep everyone out of trouble

So to reward her we gave her a drink.... ok it was sparkling grape juice but the younger kids thought we were letting her drink "wine"

I'm starting to understand why other countries arrange marriages... these two will be perfect for each other!
Speaking of perfect for each other.... Little Gabi has completely stolen my husbands heart!

The kids were so excited to have Uncle Justin have a sleepover with us for 3 whole nights, and they wanted him to read stories to him. On his last night here I'd found an old book that I use to read to him when he was Leah's age.

We were able to spend alot of time just hanging out, on Sunday we didn't even get out of our PJ's. I grabbed this one of all three of us before Christie had to head back to Cleveland and he left to go back to IL! I always love when he visits, but then get so sad when he leaves! I miss this kid so much!!!

And that is our fall in a nutshell, I'm really looking forward to the semester being over with and being able to enjoy a month of Christmas and new year fun! I plan to sew and craft and sleep!!! :)

Integrity

Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions.

Today my integrity was called into question. I will admit that I am a far from perfect person.... I have my faults and vices.... but I've always believed that people could see by my actions, what kind of person I am.

I wont give this person the lime light of this story, other than to say it's PTA related and I've had issues with this person before. That and the direct quote "Cathie, You've met your match".... oh and also this whole conversation erupted over T-shirts (OK that's enough of the back story for this to kind of make sense)

I was FURIOUS at first.... those of you that know me well, know that when I get really ticked off.... I erupt into a litany of curse words that would make a sailor blush! I could not believe the nerve.... the gall..... who does this person think they are.... BUT luckily I have surrounded myself with level headed people that are able to reel me back in before I loose my stuff completely! But the expression "You've met your match" has been haunting me most of the night. But just a few minutes ago I had an epiphany.... That theory is flawed because for me to have met my match, I'd have to be playing the same game!

The thing is... I love my kids school! I love the teachers there, honestly care about those kids. I've spent HOURS and HOURS of my life volunteering, I've lifted, lugged, organized, called, written letters, begged for donations, begged for volunteers, laughed, cried, washed cars, cooked, driven across town, lost sleep, hugged, I've brought dinner when a teacher had a baby, I brought dinner when one lost her sister, hauled rocks through the forest..... all in the name of the PTA and for the people at Westgate. I don't do it because I think I'm better than anyone else, I don't want people to pat me on the back, or give me a gold star.... I do it because that is the kind of person I am! I do it for me, because of how it makes me feel.... to know I'm doing my part.

I was so angry about this whole situation, ready to rumble and then I spent the night with my family. I got to take my kids Halloween costume shopping, and eat out for dinner and sit at a table and listen to my kids talk. I got to laugh with my husband, and it all just clicked.... my integrity is my amazing kids... my integrity is the marriage I have with my husband....its in the friendships I share with the people I surround myself with.

You can't question that...so....

Lets here it for the boy...

So it's been almost 8 weeks since I started classes at ODU. It's been awesome! I love the classes I'm taking even if some of them are harder than I thought they'd be. Philosophy at 8am on a Saturday morning is brutal, but I also get to spend 2 mornings a week in a classroom of 2nd & 3rd graders. So it balances out nicely! Now as you might imagine more time on school stuff means less time for EVERYTHING else! I have kids crying at bed time because they want me to read them the book. I've enlisted Alex into helping cook dinner 1 night a week, I've even created a chore chart of stuff that needs to get done every day. While I'd like to say it's my suberb organization skills and super Mom abilities that have made this all possible. BUT I know the truth... It's all THEO!!!

He really is amazing!

Cooks dinner, does the dishes, gets the kids to bed, makes sure homework is done, pays bills, works 2 jobs, does laundry, scrubs toliets, packs lunches, edits my papers, .... and still manages to find time to play softball one night a week! He really has taken on most of the things I use to do and still manages to do all the things he did before! And he doesnt even grumble about doing it! I keep telling the kids that it's gonna take team work to get me thru school.... that this is a goal that will benefit the entire family! Theo has been So supportive....I couldn't have hand picked a better partner.... Oh wait I did get to pick him!!! I can atleast take credit for that! I found myself and AMAZING husband! (That's why it took me so long to get married, I had to make sure I had the RIGHT guy for me!)

So here's a shout out to my main man.... Thank you!

My baby he dont talk sweet

He aint got much to say

But he loves me loves me loves me

Oh I know that he loves me anyway

Lets here for the boy

Oh lets give the boy a hand,

Lets hear it for my baby

You gotta understand

Maybe he's no romeo but he's my loving one man show

Let's hear it for the boy!!!!

Family Pictures 2011

So a Few months ago my Mom decided she wanted us to get a Big Group family picture, so I suggested she use the lady that took our wedding pictures, Amy did a great job with our after wedding pictures that I was excited when mom booked her for the job!
We took a ton of pictures and as you can imagine getting 11 people to all look at the camera and smile is not an easy task! She put up a few on her blog that I've copied to mine, so these aren't even ALL the pictures....

So here's the Big Group shot! And an attempt to get a family shot..... I love this one of my and My sister! I think it's my favorite since we were kids!

Here's one of my Little Leah.... Isn't she beautiful?

Ethan was kinda being a stinker and wasn't real cooperative about getting his picture taken, but putting him on the swing seemed to help!

If ever a picture captured the essence of Alex..... these do! This boy seems to always be up a tree anymore! I love the ornery look on his face in the first one!

This is my all time favorite picture of Theo & I! I plan to get a BIG one of these printed! I'm sure Theo will be thrilled.... maybe poster size! HA!

And this one of my nieces is adorable! They are such beautiful girls! BUT I can't stand how grown up they look in this shot! They are 11 & 13.... they look much older!

Like I said these are just a few of the ones she took, I'm sure there are many more to come! I can't wait!!!

First Day of School 2011

Alex is is 5th grade! Seriously how did this happen?!?!


Leah is a FIRST grader!!!

No matter how big they get... they will always be my babies! I love how this picture captures their "true" spirits... each so different....and wonderful in their own little way!

Leah's 6th Birthday party!

For Leah's 1st ever FRIEND birthday party we headed down to Bicentennial Park where they just opened a new water squirt park this summer! It's usually super fun, but they were turning the sprinklers on and off so it was AS much fun as usual...but we brought squirt guns and with a bunch of your friends it's hard not to have SOME fun! :)

Here's the motley crew.... plus a random little boy who kept stealing every one's squirt guns! Standing: Noah, Alex & Leah Sitting: Random kid, Ethan, Will, Duke, Jalen, Connor, Layni, Eli, Hannah, Becca, & Sophia

After everyone had left I grabbed this shot of Leah with her absolute BESTEST friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD....

Followed closely by a Brotherly/sisterly love shot! They love & hate each other!

Of course Alex loved being able to "shoot" his sister without being yelled at!

It was also a Rainbow themed party.... and I made some really cute rainbow cupcakes & rainbow candy favors... but then never took a picture of them with my camera (hopefully my friend Kim did) apparently the kids thought they were good cause they polished them off in no time!

Summer time Cabin Fever

I don't know about you, but the heat and the humidity have just been ridiculous! The Heat Index for the last two weeks has been over 100 almost everyday! Today it's only going to be 99..... ugh!

I would rather be cold than hot because lets face it when your cold, you can add layers & blankets. But when your hot there are only so many fans and if I wear anything less I'd be running around naked. (And nobody wants to see that) I'm just not a happy camper when I'm HOT! So the kids and I have been staying in the luxurious AC, which is wonderful and horrible all at the same time.

We've watched a zillion movies, it started with my husbands stash of DVD that were mostly bought BC (Before Children) and so lets face it they are a bit out dated. Which is OK cause the kids haven't seen most of them. We watched short Circuit and have revived the saying "hey Laser Lips your momma was a snow blower" in our house. Next we watched all the Indiana Jones Movies (Harrison Ford was so young when that first movie came out)
We have almost every game system known to man, X-box, Wii, DS, & leapsters, & computers. We've made homemade play dough, sun catchers, built forts, played Lego's,.... every thing I could possibly think of.... but we were all getting restless so one night after dinner & baths I decided we'd play a game of whole house hide and seek.
Alex came up with this clever hiding spot (Our linen closet/attic access) They loved this spot!

And yes thank you for noticing I DID finally finish painting my stairs and hallway after almost 3 years!
I hid in the corner behind the computer desk and had everybody looking for me for 10 minutes! Not even Theo could find me but I finally had to come out on account of hiding ALWAYS makes me have to pee. (If I ever get chased, like you see in the movies where they hide from the killer & are just inches away from getting caught, yeah I'll be dead Not that I wont stay hidden, they'll just be able to either smell or hear me peeing! So here's hoping THAT never happens) But I digress.....see It's like cabin fever!
Ethan by far had the best hiding place (with a little help) but since he's the only one that could fit and probably wont ever be able to fit in there again I wanted to have a picture of when he could fit in the bottom shelf of the pantry! He LOVED climbing in there, he's even randomly emptied it out and climbed in there a few times the last few days.... just because he's the only one that CAN!!!

We've also started making things for Leah's birthday party in August! I know I'm a dork, but you know how I like to be prepared! Plus it's given us some projects to work on! Leah loves her some themed parties(who could forget her pink party at the Zoo) so for her SIXTH birthday we will be having a "somewhere over the rainbow squirt park party!"

We started by sorting the skittles into colors Then layered them into old Gatorade bottles... I still have to fancy them up with ribbons & such, but I'm loving it so far!!!
I know in just a few short weeks, I'll be crazy busy with school & homework, both mine and the kids, but I'm ready for a break in the weather so we can run around and do more fun things, without a heat stroke, before summer is over!!!

Summer Fun!

I know I say this often, I'm always saying how quickly time has gone by! I remember as a kid, the summer lasted FOREVER, and yet somehow here it is July! I actually saw back to school supplies on the shelves at Target and thought NO NOT YET!!! There is still so much fun to be had! So let's recap the 4th of July...

We headed out to Camp Ken & Linda's for some pool time and a cookout! Then Alex's Buddy Rick brought a TON of fireworksthis part was not so fun for me! I was a nervous WRECK watching them light the fireworks!!! But the kids had Fun! I love this picture of Garrett & Alex. What could be more fun for a 10 & 11 year old boy than to set stuff on fire and watch it explode! They even put some toy tanks in the mix & had a blast checking it out after it blew up! I wouldn't let the little one very close to the "BLAST ZONE" but they got to play "The Clean up Crew" and still felt like they were part of the action!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The weather must've been waiting for July 1st, because it's been FREAKING HOT every day this week! We've been going to the pool, but It was getting a little routine so to mix it up and to help water the flowers I let the kids fill these BIG buckets that I got at Walmart! Just like a Baby pool, except you can get wet up to your neck and everyone gets their own! (I'm sick of the fighting about sharing! Grrr) Then in another attempt to keep them on their toes.... you just never know what Mom's gonna spring on ya next.... I found this idea from another blog.... dry spaghetti through hot dogs! Then you boil them, throw in some frozen veggies while your at it and then toss with butter or alfredo or whatever! The kids CRACKED up at this one! Hope your having a GREAT summer and staying safe!