Friday night fun...

Friday night Lexi asked us to take her to movie night at her school. They were showing Madagascar II and although we had seen it already, we figured both kids would enjoy it. You can bring sleeping bags and blankets to lay on the gym floor and the kids wear their pj's. They also had a snack station so the kids could get popcorn and snacks for the show.

Will was too busy watching the movie that he couldn't take the time to actually look at me for the photo. LOL

Lexi and her friend Sara.

The rest of the weekend was spent doing the normal routine. (grocery shopping, laundry, etc.) I did get out for awhile to go bowling for work on Saturday night. (Rick stayed home and watched Bolt with the kids. He was too tired to go out after working all day) Amazingly I forgot my camera (probably for the best) so I don't have any pics.

Happy Birthday Tracy...

Happy Birthday to one of my oldest and closest friends Tracy.

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday dear Tracy...

Happy Birthday to you!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

I have known Tracy for as long as I can remember. We grew up at each others houses and got in a lot of trouble together. Hopefully we can get together for a belated birthday drink soon.

What's that? I forgot something?

(scroll down)

You are correct. I did forget a couple of photos. I am very disappointed in myself with my picture selection though. Back in the day I had some big hair, but Tracy, yes Tracy my friends had us all beat. Her bangs stood up on the top of her head like a brick wall. I tried to find some of those photos and came up short. Apparently they must still be at my mom and dad's house. Although I did find a couple photos of Tracy having "big" hair but not the "tall" hair I had hoped to share with my readers. Enjoy.

On the back of this photo Tracy wrote that it looked like she had hat hair. LOL She signed it F/F - Big Odd 90/91

Happy Birthday Tracy.

Love Ya - Melissa, Rick, Lexi and Will

Meylor...

My friends Jamie and Aaron had a baby in December and I pathetically just got to meet her for the first time yesterday. She is adorable. Meylor (pronounced My-lar) was all smiles after I arrived, but once I got the camera out I wasn't able to capture her with one . Smiles or no smiles, she was a doll.I think she looks like Aaron in this photo.This was little Meylor's gift from the Radies family.

Annual trip to Nana's House...

Every year during Rick's busy tax season, the kids and I pack up and head up to Nana's house for an overnight visit. Once again, we had a great time and quite a few of my aunts, uncles and cousins came to see the kids. Grandma bakes and cooks for us the entire time we are there too. Yum! Grandma and I even hit the casino Saturday night after the kids had gone to bed. I had a really good time with her.

The kids and Nana playing dominoes.Lexi and Nana cutting up strawberries for the cake.My cousin Brian and Miley having a stare down.Will had watched his first superman movie this past week and was pretending he was superman. He put his socks in his sleeves for muscles. Here he is showing them off. LOL

A great invention...

I found this great invention last weekend called the Dripstik while standing in the checkout line. On one end of the holder there is a slot just the right size for a popsicle stick. On the other side is a hole just the right size for an ice cream cone. With the nice spring weather the last couple of days, we were able to try them out. They work wonderful. No more ice cream dripping down Will's arm. The song for today has no meaning except I can't get the stupid song out of my head because the kids listen to the Shrek CD every night on the way home.

A little taste...

We had a little taste of spring in Wisconsin this weekend with the temperatures reaching 50 degrees. Lexi got to play with her friends that live two doors down, Miley was thrilled to go for a walk and Will loved the puddles.

Lexi and I started out the morning by taking Miley for a walk. The bad part about the first nice weekend is the sidewalks get a bit messy from the melting snow. Miley got just a little dirty. After her 2nd walk of the day with me after dinner, she was sent to the bathtub. Lexi's new bike from Santa. It is a little big for her yet, but she did very well on it.

Lexi and our neighbors, Marissa and Kaitlyn. The girls played outside all day together. When Lexi hit the pillow tonight she was out in two seconds.

Along with dusting off the bikes, the sidewalk chalk was also brought out of storage from the long winter.Will came out after his nap to try out his new "Lightening McQueen" bike. Although he can reach the pedals, he hasn't quite gotten the basic skills down yet. The girls making snowballs for their snowball fight.Will and his new "Cars" rain boots he got for Christmas.There is nothing more fun than running through puddles with your rain boots on.

Dress up time...

Last Monday when Will and I were home he wanted to play in the trunk of dress up clothes in Lexi's room. This is the outfit he picked out. In his mind he is this evil witch that chases me around the house while I scream in fear. Of course to us he doesn't look like that at all in his sparkly silver flats. He looked so darn cute I couldn't help but take some photos.

The kids picked out the music to be played this week. They listen to the "I'm a Believer" CD nonstop when we are in the vehicle. (Will says the "Ha Ha" part at the beginning of the song.) "The friend in me" song is from the movie we rented yesterday while we were snowed in.

Lexi's Scrapbook...

Lexi received a scrapbook kit for Christmas from our good friend Judy. She has been extremely anxious to start working in it so we did a page from January and two pages from February last week. I told her I would blog them since she did such a great job. :)

Grandpa Reno

Reno Frailing

February 1, 1919 - March 4, 2009

Grandpa Reno passed away this morning around 4:30 a.m. He had just turned 90 last month. (see blog from January) We are so sad to see him go. I have known Reno now for 17 years and have enjoyed him immensely. I will remember Reno as a fixture at all of Rick's sporting events, I will remember him for giving us a pack of bubble gum every time he saw us, I will remember him smoking his cigars, I will remember him for being so proud of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I will remember him for that twinkle in his eye when he smiled, I will remember him for accepting me as part of the family the moment he met me and I will remember him for his sense of humor.

This past summer he was in Joanne's house with me before a baseball game, which he rarely missed. He says, well, I better get up to the ball game - want to check out those Bowler women. LOL He would always start a sentence using my name. Melissa, he would say, they feed me four times a day at that home. I only eat twice because I just can't eat that many times a day. Melissa, he would say, you gotta work tomorrow? To which I would always reply, yes and he would say that he did too even though he had been retired for many years.

I am saddest because he and Will had such a special relationship and I am afraid Will is too young that he won't remember the bond they shared. Although the selfish part of me wishes he was still with us, the other part of me knows that he is so much happier now. I know how much he has missed Elva over the last eight years and I can only imagine what a wonderful reunion they had this morning.

Rest in peace Reno, we are going to miss you. Say hi to Elva for us..until we meet again.

Love,
Melissa, Rick, Lexi and Will