Sean's 5th Grade Graduation

My sentiments exactly, Sean.

Rachel's 8th Grade Graduation

Okay, so they're not exactly in order, since she's holding her diploma in the first pic. The last pic is before the dance with her girlies. Note the hair extensions match the dress perfectly. :-P

Pergo Pergo and more Pergo

In a rare display of stupidity (no, really!) we decided that since Ken had two weeks off for Christmas/Hanukkah/New Year's, we'd lay 1300 sf of Pergo ourselves. Our foolish but loyal friend and chef Tommy agreed to come out from Chicago and help us (bringing record-breaking low temperatures for the week!)

This before picture just doesn't do the ugly ceramic tile justice. Picture commercial grade, rough enough to only be able to clean it with a rotary brush, with a pinkish cast to it. Has anyone ever seen me wear pink?? Okay, besides Alysa's wedding when I had no choice.

You have to click on this one to see the shredded carpet up close, as well as the cat who's totally proud of himself for doing it. Try to shred Pergo, monster Shadow!

Ken and Tom lay the first strip... not fun since we didn't have a continuous wall, and had to 'make our own' through the doorways. Coffee cup is a nice touch, Supervisor Tom.

Walter enjoys the Bowling Alley look. Sorry I didn't get any video of him figuring out how to walk on it without wiping out. He and Sean still take an occasional running start and get a good slide into the wall.

Walter's 5th Bday!

It just doesn't get any better than a surprise playdate with a tall blonde on your birthday, does it? Sorry for the photo quality, it's from my phone. Contrary to popular belief, I don't wear a Canon DSLR around my neck all day.

Another Belt Test

Well, the kids took their Green belt test late because of the Bat Mitzvah, but they worked their tushies off and took the next test on time. Their green belts are barely broken in, and already they are Green/Blue belts!

Big crowd, much harder to get pics of my kids compared to when they test alone!

Rachel does a perfect back shoulder roll.

Sean does a block/punch combo with Mr. Schimmel.

My Nana

We went to Vegas over Tday, and I never blogged it! I hadn't seen my Nana since she was moved into the locked side of an Alzheimer's facility. She knew who I was for moments, but she always knew how she felt about me and my kids. So we had a nice visit with her. Grandma Judy and Grandpa Art took us to the strip, where we toured the M&M store, and we also hit the Cheesecake Factory. Mmmmm.


As usual, I loaded the pictures in the reverse order. Ugh.

Nana got tired of taking pictures, so she decided to hide behind Rachel's hair. So much of her fun personality still comes through.

As we left, I couldn't help but wonder if this was the last time I'd see my precious Nana. :(

Elite Green Belts

Okay now, don't y'all get used to this posting two-days-in-a-row stuff. Rachel and Sean missed their green belt testing because it was the Thurs before the Bat Mitzvah. So they had a private test today. Pics are in reverse order, grrr, and should end with the board breaks instead of beginning with them. Sorry, it only let me post 5 of the 60+ pics I took in one blog entry.

As always, click on a pic to make it bigger.

Soccer Season OVER!

It's hard to believe that this group of beautiful princesses...

turns into this mighty bunch of scrappers! The 2008 U13G STING finished the regular season with a record of 6 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties, for SECOND PLACE in the division. We have our District Cup tournament this weekend in Belmont, and then it's OVER! :-) and :-(

for Tommy

Hi Mr and Mrs Lanigan, these are for you.

Saucy Pirate and Red Skull Ninja

You all know how overprotective I am, total grizzley bear momma protective over her cubs, right? Well the saucy pirate here has enough attitude for another whole body. Any male that messes with her really gets what he deserves. Best of luck to you, menkind.

Handsome little ninja man, impossible to hide his identity in a mask that doesn't cover his precious freckles! I was doomed to try to keep up with four boys tonight around the neighborhood. Damned wooded hillside.

And these are the Kids from the 'Hood. I loved the matching pink-wigged trolls. It was the three monsters in the upper left and ninja boy that ran me 'round the 'hood. Where did all of the babies go???

Weirdest Pumpkin

I can't believe I forgot to include this in the pumpkin post below, so it gets it's very own post. Hard to believe these warty, gross things grow that way. This one smiled at me, so I took its picture.

Pumpkin Time

We bought a new carving kit this year, with a tool for thinning the walls so they glow through, but not carving. I ended up cutting the cat's eyes all of the way through, and the jack o'lantern's mouth, or the candles didn't have enough oxygen to stay lit.

Sean's pumpkin, all carved, but lots of detail. And he actually gutted it himself. Without getting grossed out. Okay, we let him wear nitrile gloves.

Rachel's pumpkin: it was her idea to mix the carving and scraping designs, so she's the one who figured out how to keep the candles lit.

The pumpkin patch with an ocean view. Sorry it was late in the day, and the fog had rolled in, so you don't get to see the ocean.

Sean's 10th Bday

Happy 10th Birthday, Sean! He came home from 2 days of boy scout camping, had to take a shower before dinner. We ate about a quarter of that monster cake and sent the rest to Ken's work the next day (no, the kids were NOT happy about it!)


We had a pre-bday celebration while the family was still in town, the Monday night after the Bat Mitzvah (sorry, still no pics of that.) Tommy, Grandma Mary, Grandpa Joe, and Papa Al all got to sing to the spoiled boy. I think they were fighting about politics with Tom the Gun-Toting Republican in this pic.

Okay, the gun-toting republican makes a MEAN raspberry tart. And Sean put that candle in just about every meal he ate all that week.

One day to Bat Mitzvah

Okay, I'm neglecting my blog because Rachel's Bat Mitzvah ceremony is TOMORROW! Heaven help me get through today... I'm not READY! The house isn't ready. The centerpieces aren't ready. The photo display isn't ready. And I'm doing laundry.

I've taken so many pictures since the last post, I don't know what to put here. So I'll add a couple of old ones that I scanned last night for the photo board.

This one is proof that Rachel was at Grandma Judy's Bat Mitzvah.
Rachel being eaten by a dalmatian puppy.

Rachel's great-grandma, who can't come to the Bat Mitzvah because she's in an Alzheimer's Facility. We'll go see her at Thanksgiving.

ThirTEEN, heaven help me

Well, I'm the mother of a thirTEEN yr old. How did that just sneak up on me so suddenly? Few things have made me feel this old so far. So this is what thirteen looks like on Rachel.

The picture above was taken at temple, right before their Hebrew naming ceremony. The picture below, with Rabbi Paula, is in the temple library where they were named. Now they are Rakhel Nitzanah and Shmuel Yakov.