2011 projects...bring 'em on!

This chair, which I found on the street in the trash next to Jane and Don's house, is my new project. I am going to attempt to strip, fix and reappolster this little beauty. Wish me luck because I have no idea what I am doing...hooray for google!

Merry Christmas

The big guy in the red suit made it cuz we woke up Christmas morning to candycanes on the tree and presents laying all over the place! Even Pip got gifts from Santa! At precisely 5:00 am the boys were in our room asking if we could PLEASE get up now...gosh their internal clocks are right on! Anyhow, we spent the morning playing games and trying out new toys. After a nice breakfest of eggs we drove over to Grandma and Grandpa Vaters to spend the rest of Christmas with family(which to me is what Christmas is really about!). Thanks to all those who gave presents, made cookies and food and provided drinky-poos! It was all real good!

A visit from St Nick

One of these years I am going to remember which evening it is that St Nick comes. Thank you Google for helping us find the answers we needed! Unfortunately for my children, they had to wait a whole extra day this year because mom's guess was wrong(you will not hear me admit that very often). Not to worry though...St Nick comes when he is supposed to and this morning the stockings were loaded! I guess it pays to be good...

Quinn loses a tooth!

Quinn lost her first tooth! What more can I say!

A Bar of Soap

When you think of a bar of soap, what words come to mind? I think things like "clean, bubbles, fresh sent, refreshing". Generally soap can be a fairly pleasant thing...except when it clogs your toilet.

The other day I thought that I would end my day with a nice warm and peaceful shower. Doesn't that sound great? The kids were in bed, all of my housework was done and my mind was on getting into my bed and falling asleep...no such luck. Just as I am climbing into my steaming hot shower, Quinn walks in announcing she has to use the bathroom...again. Fine, whatever, do your business and get out!

As I step into the lovely steam I realize that there is no soap. (You ask how I just happened to notice that?...lets just say it happens frequently enough that I have started to look ahead...like when I sit down on the toilet, or pour myself a bowl of cereal and reach for a gallon of milk.) Not a problem, I'm not wet yet so I tiptoe over to the basket under the sink, take out a brand new box of soap and open it up.

As I shake the fresh bar into my hand, Quinn gets off the toilet and gives it a flush...SHIT, the bar of soap slips from my fingers into the swirling waters of the bowl and is gone! SHIT! I have never seen a child erupt into fit of laughter like my daughter did at that moment. Of course my eyes were bugging out of my head and I'm thinking, "Damn, I hope that makes the bend and gets down...Gosh, I just wanted to take a peaceful shower...blessed kid! GOTO BED!!!!" , but instead I start laughing because how can you not when all Quinn is saying is boy what is her class at school gonna say when they hear about this! Hahahahahhahhah bahhhhhahahahahah.

Needless to say, there was to be absolutely no pooping in that pot! For about three days we waited, 'cuz it was flushing, but very very slowly. Obviously the soap did not make it to the main line. James and I hoped that because it was soap it would melt or disintegrate or do whatever soap does when it is wet and turn to mush and just dislodge itself. No such luck! We had to drain it and fish that stupid bar of soap out. As you can see, it was a household event!



The moral of this story: Don't plan to end your day with a relaxing shower until you are absolutely, positively sure the kids are in bed,the toilet seat is DOWN, and there is a bar of soap in the shower already!

Halloween 2010

We celebrated another fantastic Halloween this year! Everyone busted out the good ideas and came with really fun costumes. This time around we sported costumes themed by "The Sausage Race" from the Milwaukee Brewers:

The Seilers cracked out costumes from "The Fifth Element":

(as you can see, Liam and Cat were really into it!..I think I peed a little laughing at Jane and Don trying to get Liam to smile!)
Caryn and Chuck showed up as the living dead:

And last but not least Hugh Hefner and his bunny made an appearance:

Looking forward to next Halloween already...have to get working on ideas to top this year!

Happy Birthday boys!

Happy Birthday to Dad and Devon who had to celebrate their birthdays with the Maurer's since mom abandoned them on their big day. We ate STEAK and had PIE and lots of smiles! It was a great evening and fun was had by all.

**the photos show Devon turning 18 fingers and Dad turning a lot more than 18...

Quinn turns 6

For Quinn's 6th birthday we went out and celebrated! HuHot was our host this year and we had lots of fun watching them "make fire" as we ate all of their lovely delicious-ness! Thanks to all who made it a great day for her and for all of the lovely gifts!



(Special thanks to Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Chuck for the $1 which bought Quinn her most favorite treat in the world....beefsticks! Also pictured is the special bag which Aunt Meg(aka. the fairy godmother)made especially for Quinn's new DS!)

Us enjoying the fall!!!

If you ask my father, he will tell you that,"...this is a fall that we will remember for years to come!" (He's also the one who made a toast at someones wedding that included the quip,"..everyone take a rock off the table, and meet back in 30 or so years..."??????to what? compare rocks?, but that's besides the point)

I think that I have to agree with him that this is really a fall that we will remember. We have truely been taking advantage of the georgous warmth and sunshine that has blessed our area for the past few weekends. Getting out in the woods, tromping down trails, watching leaves change color in the sun and then fall around me has done wonderful things for my overall attitude(...plus the fact that Halloween is right around the corner isn't hurting anything!). It will be really sad when winter and the end of this particular fall weather inevitably comes around. I hope at some point over the last few days you all have been able to go outside and just enjoy the outdoors as much as we have!

First week of School

With the first three days of the 2010-11 school year under their belts, the Maurer children have decided that this year won't be a bad one. So far nobody dislikes their teachers, the schedules are good, and there hasn't been too much homework. Lunchboxes and school bags made it home everyday so far and nobody has lost their jacket. Quinn made it home both of the days she rode the bus home and only experienced "puke"(I am spelling that word correctly now)once. Don't worry, it wasn't her, and I was assured that the bus driver took care of it right away....yuck! I guess I will have to keep everyone posted as the year goes on, how well these consensuses hold up.

Big and Tall Ships with the Maurers...

Grandma and Grandpa Maurer came for a visit and went with us to see a bunch of old ships last weekend in Green Bay. It must be said that it was pretty neat! We only went on 4 of the 12 ships there (lines were real long and the weather was iffy), but the ones we did get to see were cool! Learned a ton of neat and important stuff about ships, but mostly that Hollywood exaggerates... a lot! Definitely came out of the tours glad that we live in the "now".


**(captions: Quinn doing her version of the "Captain Morgan" and The Maurer's in front of the ship that appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean the HMS BOUNTY) **

Enjoying the summer...

There are many ways that one can enjoy the summertime. You can try the old standby of sunbathing:

Then there is the use of a pool, it doesn't matter the size, just put as many people as possible in and enjoy!:

Finally, you could become "THE GREATEST PARENTS EVER" and get your kids one of these...

In any case, finding fun things to do during the summer isn't hard...but it can be expensive...;)

***side note: please feel free to come over and enjoy our fun things anytime!(the pool is especially comfortable) As always...the more the merrier!!!

Great America 2010...

We took a trip to Gurney, Ill at the end of July and had a "Great" time! Quinn got her first taste of roller-coasters(let me just say she couldn't get enough) and the boys decided they didn't need them. We tried a lot of rides you normally wouldn't think of going on at Great America (the kind that you'd find at the local fairgrounds) and the kids were really disappointed that the water park there was at capacity. I think next year we will just take a trip to the Dells and give Great America a break!

How to spend your Anniversary...

Our 13th year together began with an alarm clock that went off at 6:30. Up and out the door by 7:30. Full day of work. James walked in at 5:20 and was gone to Gavin's baseball game by 5:30. I went over and watched 4 innings of baseball before the monsoons hit. Came home to find the basement flooding so poor James headed out to dig a trench on the side of the house in an attempt to divert some of the water filtering into the basement...Ahhhhh we know how to celebrate!

Family and Fishing

We're back from our vacation to Minnesota...I can hardly believe we were gone. Where does time go? One minute we were discussing what we were going to eat while we were there and the next, I am sitting at my kitchen table thinking about it being over already...

It wasn't the best fishing year for us, in fact if it hadn't been for the rock bass we hardly would have got to count it as a fishing vacation. We did enjoy calm waters this time around though. Party Island came out of its box and we were able to swim a little! Of course it wouldn't be a week in Minnesota without brushes with weather which came in the form of tornados and hail (actually we just got the hail, the tornados were 10 miles north of where we were). The fact that so many people were around was delightful as well...many stories told, foods eaten, games played, walks taken, laughs had...MEMORIES MADE! Thanks to Jon and his generosity!

About time for some news?

I know, I know...Aunt Debbie called me out today and said, "Say, have you stopped blogging? Nobody has put any new posts out lately..." I have not given up completely on this blog, I just have been busy doing other stuff. James blames facebook!

Anyhow, we have been busy with soccer, baseball, dance, visiting, and all of the rest of the stuff that complicates life when you have kids that want to do it all. In any case, here is a brief update on what's new with us.

After Christmas, came January which was pretty uneventful, but passed by quickly. Onto Feb and a quick trip up to Boulder Junction for a baby shower and snow fun. March brought in birthdays, births (for the Creagh's...not us...we are DONE!), and a wonderful trip to visit the Milana's. Came home for April, Easter, and the start registration for spring and summer sports. May has been spent Geocaching and attending practices for dance and soccer and baseball...

That pretty much sums up everything. Here are a few of the hightlights in photographic form. Enjoy until next time!

Holiday memories and a big Welcome to 2010!

I thought I had better get a post up for the end of 2009 before my old news was really old! First, let me say that Santa was very generous to our family this year. I think that everyone woke up Christmas morn to pretty much anything that we could have asked for. Quinn received a doll house that is taller than she is, the boys got "guns" that have already been banned to the upstairs or outside only! Santa brought the family numerous movies, wii games, board games and candy too! Plus I can thankfully say that the Maurer family avoided the holiday flu that seemed to hit the Vater household! Ha Za!

Christmas time is here...

I guess the kids were good this year cuz St. Nick made a visit to our house on Saturday evening and left some good for the younger Maurer's! This year everyone scored a new book, some candy and a Coke! I keep reminding the kids that SANTA still has time to change his mind, especially when the whining and flipping over the couch type of behavior surfaces!!!! Sometimes I wonder how naughty you have to be to really come out with nothing...

Halloween come and gone

After a months worth of laboring on our 2009 family costumes, "The Nightmare Before Christmas"crew, came to life in celebration for the wonderful holiday of Halloween!

Much to my dismay, people thought I was Raggedy Ann(she never had facial scars so I am not sure where that came from) but Jack got lots of compliments and James had fun moving him around town. The kids celebrated as the trio of LOCK, SHOCK and BARREL. Pip was even in on the fun as Jacks cute pet Zero. Although it was freezing outside the kids raked in a ton of candy and fortunately avoided any frostbite. I think that this was the last year that I will be able to do a group theme, however, because with each passing day my children become more and more independent!!!(not always a great thing...)




The semi-annual party went well with a visit from the Seiler's in disguise as the Adams Family, mom as a blonde witch, Devon as Jay, and Chris as "the Green Man".