Locked in the ice cage

Help! We need an all expense paid trip to a tropical paradise!

Katherine has been keeping me busy

New borns take a lot of time and attention. Here are some pictures from the hospital on January 25th. I hope you are all well! We are fine and dandy. I'll try to post more pictures next week. She changes every day and is so much fun to watch.

Ella's Birthday Weekend!

Ella had a grand old time at her birthday party. We invited all of her friends to a show at the Buckstaff Planetarium, followed by refreshments and hover craft rides at Mommy's work. I think about 17 kids showed up, some with parents in tow, and everyone had a good time. Here is Ella at the Plantarium before her guests arrival:

And here is a clip from riding the hover craft down the halls of Halsey Science Center:

I have some regular pictures as well...
Ella is enjoying her first breakfast as a 6 year old with her two pals Joseph and Baubau

The Happy Family

The gang at the table...

I almost posted some pictures of Ella and the baby (still in my tummy) but thought that perhaps the world does not need to see my stretch marks. I think I chose wisely...

Ella's Birthday

It's Ella's birthday today! Yeah! Six years old and the most wonderful thing ever. Really. I hope to post some pictures from today, and tomorrow's party, very soon... I hope before I go into labor!

Kindergarten Holiday Show

Ella's school put on a holiday program last week. I had my camera set wrong, so the video is not too clear, but we had a good time and Ella was a little darling (front row on the left).

Here are some pictures of our Christmas Sweetie

Complaint Corner

Well the wall insulation is done and they did the basement, but so far this company has not impressed me with their ability to finish the job. Perhaps I need to contact those EnergyStar referral people and let them know about my dissatisfaction. I keep thinking I should be patient and give them a break because it's the holiday season and I am sure they are very busy, but this job was supposed to be completed on Dec 7th, and the head guy I have been talking to keeps saying they'll finish this part on this day and take care of the next thing on that day, and then it's not done. Grrrr.

The baby in my tummy is getting very big. From what I've read, all the major developments are done, so it's just hanging out in there getting bigger and stronger for the whole birthing process. I have an appointment tomorrow and am going to ask my Dr. how big this thing is. I am sure it's well over 6 pounds by now. And feels plenty strong to me! Sometimes I think my ribs are being dislocated!
All-in-all things are going very well and I am feeling good. I remember being this pregnant with Ella and being exhausted and huge and always uncomfortable. It is still difficult to be "comfortable" but I feel pretty good this time around. I hope the next 4 weeks are more the same.

Power went out at work so I headed home. The carpet guy is here to measure my rooms. Soon I shall have softness at my feet. How exciting!

A Busy Weekend

We had yet another busy weekend. Ron worked Saturday so I took Ella over to Clio's for the afternoon while I did a million errands then took myself for a pedicure. I know, sounds indulgent, right? Well it was, but I can't reach my toe nails anymore and those things were getting dangerous! It was very relaxing to look out the salon window and watch the blizzard cover the town in a blanket of whiteness...
On the way to pick up Ella the heater blower broke. Damn.
Sunday was spent at home prepping the basement for the insulation people who were supposed to come today but just called and canceled...
Ella had a ton of fun in the snow while daddy shoveled. She made a new friend!


She also built a house...



We are supposed to get up to 3 more inches of snow tonight. Thankfully the blower for the car heater has been fixed so we can defrost when necessary. How many more days till my due date? Something like 50 or 51...

It is soooooo cold!

I have the best news ever (well, not quite, but I am excited)!
We are getting our house insulated next week! No more arctic blasts across my face at night while I huddle deeper into the covers! Ella will not have to set up her little coloring station right next to the heat vent to keep warm! She wont have to get dressed while standing ON the heater vent, either! The curtains will stop blowing around! The upstairs will not be 100 degrees in the summertime, we can use the dining room without having to pre-heat it with the space heater, I could go on and on and on.... And my family will not freeze their heinies off when they come to stay the night on Christmas Eve! Yippee!

Next UP:
Downstairs windows and a water heater.

Little baby Katherine is still happily swimming around in my belly, but she is running out of space in there. I can't believe how quickly my due date is approaching. We still have to get a car seat and a stroller. And those window shade things for the car that stick on with suction cups. Hey LA, if you are reading this can you tell me where you got that nifty car mirror thing so you could see Esther when she was rear facing? It's cool, useful, and I want one!

Only two days till December!

Christmas Pictures

I took Ella to get pictures done at Sears because her school pictures were not so great. Here is a little preview for those of you on our mailing list...

The horrors of it all...

I took the week off of work to get crap taken care of at home. I figured it needed to be done before I can't bend over, right? Well so far I have done nothing but nap. Nap, nap, nap... So it's Tuesday, 10:45am, I am out of bed and I even took a shower. Now what? Return library stuff for sure, but those dishes in the sink can stay there. Maybe I'll finish the laudry?

I seriously need an organizing coach. Someone to force me to do get all of this stuff organized, purged, taken care of. My piles of junk have piles of junk on them and the cat hair and dust are begining to mate. The offspring are horrible dusty hairclumps that I keep finding in every corner of the house ( I swear I can hear them laughing at me). And I refuse to even go into the basement. I think someone is doing some kind of scientific mold experiments down there. It's a nightmare. I think Ella is the only person in the house with a clean room.

It's just so overwhelming that I can't even think of where to start cleaning. I think I'll just move and leave all of the garbage here.

10 more weeks

My insides are feeling all squished together, and the time is just flying by. I am really looking forward to meeting this little critter!
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/pregnancycalendar/p/week30.htm

Happy Halloween!

Only 31 Shopping Days Left!

That's right folks, it's one month until my birthday! To make gift giving easier on you I have decided to post a list of the things I would enjoy the most:

1. A $60 gift certificate to Salon Mode for a manicure and pedicure. Pregnant Women really need pedicures because they can't reach their own toe nails. I don't need the "French" business...


2. Another Salon Mode gift certificate for a Hair Cut & Style. Because let's face it folks, I have no style and need plenty of help. Feel free to e-mail pictures of any hair styles you think might work on this moppy head of mine.


3. Money: It goes with everything!


4. A gift certificate for a massage. Here's a link to the Harmony Wellness Center. They have a nice woman named Tammy who does pregnancy massage. It's $30 for 1/2 hour, $45 for 45 min, and $60 for an hour. Go ahead, splurge for the hour! I'm worth it.


Or I guess you could just send me an e-mail or card or something. Maybe one with a Target gift card in it?

Happy Shopping, and have a super day!

Hi! We're still here!

I know, it's been a long time between posts. It just seems like we have been very busy lately. And our home computer is broken, so it's hard to find time to post things while I am at work.
Last week Ella's school had a dress like a farmer day, and Ella looked very adorable. She wore her very pretty pink cowboy hat with attached tiara fromGrandma Esther. Then we went over to Clio's for a sleepover. Big fun. Here is a picture of Ella with Clio's pumpkin. Enjoy!

Better late than never, right?

Here are some pictures from our trip to Iowa June 29 through July 1:
1. Ella driving Grandpa's boat

2. Ella being cute in her too large life jacket

3. Ella and one of her relatives (perhaps a fourth cousin?)at the family reunion. This little guy was so completely adorable.

4. Ella and Grandma Leota. The family reunion was a big affair, with Grandma's sister, brother, and all of their offspring, too!

5. Ella and her Grandpa and Grandma. She loves them soooooo much! I wish we could see them more often!

Something to Blog About!

If you have not heard by now, I do apologize for not e-mailing...
We are having another wee Hardy due January 24th. Pretty exciting for us, and Ella is thinking of all the things she is going to do as a big sister. Last night she sang all the lulla-byes and recited every nursery rhyme she could think of to practice while we had our bath. She even read the bed-time story last night in preparation!
We do not know if it's a girl or boy, but are hoping to find out soon.
Oh, if you want to look up fun facts about pregnancy week, we are in week #14.
Have a super day!

These mean streets...

Posted July 26, 2007 in the Oshkosh Northwestern:

Boy in custody for lemonade stand robbery


Oshkosh police have taken a 17-year-old boy into custody in connection with the robbery of a lemonade stand on Tuesday in the 800 block of Knapp Street.


Authorities said the boy was apprehended at 9:35 p.m. Wednesday and arrested for robbery and physical abuse to a child and was then taken to the Winnebago County Jail.

Austin Cundy, 11, told police he was selling the lemonade to save money to go camping with his grandparents. Cundy said he saw two teenagers on bicycles eyeballing him as they were riding past.

About 2:45 p.m., one of the teenage boys punched Cundy, shoved him off his chair and took a plastic container with $20 in change along with Cundy’s wallet, which held his library card and student ID.

HI!

Okay, three and a half weeks is a long time to go between posts, but jeez-louise have I been busy. And not feeling very well. Bad combination!

Impatience

The roof of my mouth hurts, right behind my front teeth, because my peanut sauce was a little too hot and I was a little too impatient to wait.

Sunday, 23 June.