Calgon, Take me AWAY!

What a chaotic week! We were hoping to have a fun and memorable last week of summer before Christopher starts First Grade and Anneli starts Preschool. This was not the case! It started last Tuesday when Anneli was running a slight fever. She didn't seem sick except for a little runny nose and a slighly elevated temp. By Thursday, Christopher was complaining about a sore throat, but Anneli seemed okay. The lab work was done and Christopher had Strep Throat. He was given amoxicillin and Anneli was checked. Her labs were negative, but we decided to do it again and send it away to grow over night. I got a phone call yesterday saying she didn't have strep, but she had some other virus thingy. She was put on medicine and she is doing much better--I think. Back to Christopher, he developed a terrible blotchy, itchy rash--which is pretty normal for Christopher with all his allergies. They think he's allergic to the amoxicillin, but that's not all---he was having an asthma attack and we didn't realize it! UGH! So now we are treating all of that and hopefully now we will all be feeling better!

Here's Christopher with his new friend....Nebo Nebulizer!

On top of all that, it's been a busy week. Shaun has been SUPER busy with his two projects at work! Tons of paper pushing getting one project through the busy summer and getting the other project started. He's had late nights all week. Hopefully he'll be home early tonight...I've also been finishing the Relief Society Newsletter, making final preparations for a talk in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday and my Relief Society Lesson for the next Sunday. Luckily, all the kids school shopping has been done and they are ready for school. I just have to finish Christopher's allergy plan and add ashthma to the mix... Fun, fun, fun! Never a dull moment in the life of a Mom...

OH, Calgon, take me away!

I couldn't even ask for ten minutes...look who insisted on joining me...

"It's Girl Day she exclaimed!!"

THEY HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL ON TUESDAY!!!!

I'm looking forward to my Root Beer Frosty Float at Wendy's ALONE!!!

I deserve it!

Preschool Open House

Anneli was up and ready for her Preschool Open House early this morning! She was excited that Christopher was going to go and give her a tour of her new school and introduce her to her new teachers. Hopefully this will help make Tuesday go more smoothly. Look how grown up she looks!!!!

No more baby...

Wordless Wednesday...

Poor Carter...Get Well Soon!!

Our 3 year old nephew Carter in South Carolina has Pneumonia. He is home resting at the moment waiting for some labs to come back. We hope everything turns out well and that you feel better soon Carter!

We love you! :)

Look at his cute dirty little toes!

Last Full Week of Summer Vacation 2008!!

So it's the last full week of Summer Vacation! A week from today Christopher starts First Grade and Anneli starts Preschool--two days a week. Fun, fun, fun! They can't wait and I can't either! I'll have about FOUR HOURS--yes, FOUR whole HOURS of ME TIME! I'm looking forward to it. What will I do with all my free time, you ask? Let's see...

**Go to the gym.
**Read.
**Have Root Beer Frosty Floats at Wendy's!
**Quilt.
**BLOG.
**Volunteer at school. (Christopher’s school & Anneli’s)
**Sew some new curtains for my dining room & kitchen.
**Have Root Beer Frosty Floats at Wendy's!
**Complete some other Home Improvement projects—like painting.
**Go to the Mall ALONE and finish Christmas shopping!
**Go grocery shopping.
**Attack some Genealogy.
**Have Root Beer Frosty Floats at Wendy's!
**Straighten up my basement/craft room/playroom.
**Go to the Bookstore.
**Catch up with friends.
**Have Root Beer Frosty Floats at Wendy's!
**Have Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.
**Plan out my dinners for the week (yeah right!)
***Did I mention Root Beer Frosty Floats at Wendy’s!??***

More Weekend Fun!!!

Our Saturday wasn't done after the Terryville Fair. After a few minutes of shut eye, we ran back over to Norton Park in hopes to see the evening hot air balloon launch. When we got there, one hot air balloon was being blown up and we were able to watch it float into the blue sky. We set up our blankets with the hundreds of other people gathered at the park. We then grabbed dinner from the fireman food tent--yumm! As we were walking around, we were able to observe another hot air balloon launch.

Then we sat down on our blanket to eat and wait for other hot air balloons to launched into the sky before it got dark! Well, we waited and waited...but the hot air balloons baskets remained on their trailers due to the wind that was blowing a little too briskly.
Then we saw one being blown up--slowly, very slowly...

I guess a hole would do that!!! (see the hole in the picture below?!)

They were blowing it up not to launch, but to let the people gathered hang out inside. So in we went through a tiny hole in the balloon.

Once inside the colorful balloon, we saw all the people having fun inside!

The kids enjoyed themselves ...

They posed for pictures,

Anneli walked around,

and Christopher fell to the ground!

What a fun day and to top it all off...Anneli had her favorite...

COTTON CANDY!

What a super fun Saturday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Sunday, Christopher woke up a little before seven asking if he was too late to watch the morning balloon launch! UGH! He was!! The hot air balloon launch was at 6am. I never imagined that he would want me to wake him up. I told him to get his pants on and we'd run over and see if he was late. Here is what we saw in the sky as we approached town.

We raced to the park as fast as we could and Christopher got to see one hot air balloon being blown up.Then we jumped in the car and chased the balloons across town.

This was our view as we drove around town.

Peeping up behind the trees.

Floating above and around the Plainville Police Department.

Hovering around the airport looking for places to land.

One landed on the side of the airport in the industrial park next door.

We then stopped to take pictures of Christopher the Balloon Chaser! He thought it was great! he told me that it reminded him of the people that chase tornados!

We then drove a little further down the road and this is what we saw...

It was a great learning experience for Christopher to see them launch and then where they land!

Happy Birthday Uncle Nick!!

I had to throw these pictures in!

Look how young the kids are---and YOU too!!!!!
We hope you have a fabulous day!
We love you!!

A Fun Saturday at the Fair

This morning we slept in a bit, since we had been out so late last night, and then headed off to the Church, to help clean with some other members. I vacuumed, and the kids and Shaun took care of the trash and cleaning some windows. The kids had fun, fighting over who was going to clean the windows!! They didn't have to worry, if they like it so much I have tons more at home for them to clean! :) Won't they be happy on Monday!?!

After that we checked in on Lily, my parents dog, since they are in South Carolina visiting Jess, Nick, Cole and Carter. We quickly grabbed lunch out and then we took a ride to the 60th Annual Terryville County Fair. It was a cute little fair. While we were waiting for Rosie's Racing Pigs to perform, Christopher saw his friend Emily there and we sat with her for the show. Chris and Anneli were pretty excited to see someone they knew there, since they felt they drove forever to get there! The kids, as usual, enjoyed the animal barns--from geese to pigs. Anneli cried because she had to leave. She need not worry, there is always The Berlin Fair in October...

Checking out some work horses.

Christopher with his friends.

Em and Christopher watching Rosie's Racing Pig race!

Go ROSIE!!!

A happy stinky pig...

Christopher and a sheep--check out the headlights on Christopher's hat.

Checking out the sheep together.

Anneli's favorite---COWS!

Chris and the cows.
Drinking some water.
Walking by a lawn mower race. Definately out of our element...
All Faired out...
I think we've had enough fun for one day,

but the day is not over yet....

24th Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival

This evening we headed off to Norton Park--one of our favorite summer destinations in town--for the 24th annual Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival. I've attended with my family since we moved here about 14 years ago or so and it's always a fun time. Thanks Plainville Fire Company!! Super fun! We ate at McDonalds, and then headed off to the Festival. The firemen cook burgers and hot dogs at the park and we would have eaten there,but the line is always soooo long--and we were starving!! We parked about a half mile away so we wouldn't get stuck in the massive exit in the park after the fireworks. The kids really enjoyed walking around the park and seeing all the balloons glowing. Here are a few pics. I was experimenting with the many settings on my camera--so bear with me!

After watching all the tethered glowing hot air balloons, we waited until 9:30pm for the fireworks! Anneli took some time watching Dora and Little Einsteins on my iPod. Thank goodness for technology!! The fireworks were great, as usual and then we treked back a half mile to the car carrying two heavy children--one of which, a soon to be first grader alseep... What a fun night! :)