Invite 3 people:

This weekend, we shared a round table with friends. 

 

Including one pregnant lady...
Don't worry, that's alcohol free!

 the pregnant lady is also a mother to these twins, which graced our blog before on the greatest nap time series eva.  I will use any random excuse to throw a funny picture of them on the blog...

 

Now here is the question:

If you could invite ANY three living celebrities, to fill the empty chairs on your night out with friends... who would you pick??

 

I choose:
3. Jennifer Aniston (I feel like she's fun after a few)
2. Justin Timberlake
and first choice, BY FAR...
1.  Jimmy Fallon

(Weird, everyone on my list starts with a 'J')

Now give me your list...

Happy Birthday, Little Cousin:

Otherwise known as Jackie.

Aka The Commissioner's Wife.

And also my Sister-in-Law

(don't worry, it's not illegal...)

 

Have an amazing birthday, with your amazing husband and three beautiful and amazing daughters! Stay cool (literally and figuratively because it's supposed to be 97 degrees outside.. Feels like 105...)
You have a very blessed life.
I wish you many more years of happy perfection!

Is Any One Still Reading This??

In case we did not have enough scheduled for this summer, we also decided to roof our house.  (we didn't really 'decide to' it was more like we 'had to' before it fell down around us.)

We were VERY grateful to have lots of help from Coach's family.  Especially, Coach's brothers and two cousins.  And while no one denies, these men worked their tails off... no one could also deny, these 5 men find each other super hilarious.

Add the previous generation of Grandpa and Uncle Jack (resident roof expert) and I think it may be possible, they sorta had a good time. (again, I do not deny that they worked VERY hard.)

 

The children became bored, while the fathers worked, so we opened an End of Summer lemonade and Oreo stand.  (Inspired by the 4/$5 sale on liters of Minute Maid Lemonade.  I love creating amazing childhood memories but not so much the Mess in my Kitchen Lemonade from Scratch kinda memories...)
Galway Girl generously offered 1/2 off for Roofers.  She's a pretty savvy, yet hard core business woman.

 Our first customers, our neighbor The Street Sweeper and his lovely wife.

The miracle of social networking brought customers from out of town! Or maybe it was the sale on oreos.

I'm not sure if anyone actually remembers the long ago assigned blog names (after the loooong blog absence....) but to pass the time, the roofers assigned themselves new and improved blog names.  As Follows:

Warhol will now be known as: Tar Paper
Coach is now: ??
The Commissioner: Starter Strip
The Bride's Baby Daddy: ??
The General is now: Three Tab
Grandpa is: ??
Uncle Jack: ??

Ok.  So the names are not that funny.  But the guys thought they were SUPER funny.  Coach said while I was typing this.. "Hey.. Remember that one time, good ol' Three Tab showed up?!" And then he giggled for a couple minutes.
I responded: "These names are really not that funny."
Fellow Roofers: Please comment new roof names for the other guys.

But seriously...
Is anyone still reading this blog?
(I need Commenting or New Followers inspiration for a Fall Comeback!)

First Day of School

 The Kid, starting Sixth Grade and yet to this mom, he looks like he's starting high school.

 Tink, starting First Grade.

 

Coco and friends, beginning their 2nd year of Pre-K.

 Coco and CT's baby cowboy.

 

 HUGE excited hug, between cousins!!

Coco and Joy.

(Tink and Owl, Best Cousins Forever)

To the surprise of many, I was not emotional at all. (Honestly, no sarcasm.)  While I still miss quiet days with my Tink, the other two crave the structure and constant stimulation of every day school.  They both really NEED to be around friends.  And this year, I was more than happy to give them what they want.  With the exception of the giant stack of paperwork, the first day of school was a completely happy and excited day, in this house.

 

Just for a little funny,

a text exchange between me and I Used to be a Hooker (who most definitely was NOT ever a hooker.)  She has children, in the same classes.

 

Hooker: Dude, I'm reading through school packets and starting to have a panic attack at all the sh!t we have to keep track of...

 

Me: I have a Jr High boy, who goes to school in one town and plays baseball for another... I'm gonna be a walking Zombie.

 

Me: I've been filling out permission slips, releases, emergency contacts papers for the last 30 mins and I still have several to go...

 

Hooker: How about all the ridiculous registration forms we already filled out at the end of the school year? If nothing changes, why can't they keep the previous year's book of info on file?

 

Me: Fact.  I have a 3 page questionnaire for Tink.  Asking details on who she really is, what is her Fav subject in school..etc.  I don't bleepin know!!  She's only in the First grade and she's my middle child!  I barely get the chance to speak to her, with the tornadoes of her attention sucking siblings swirling around her!!

 

Hooker: I did too!  I had to think long and hard about what Eme likes to do outside of school.  What does she LIKE to do or what do I TELL her to do?  She's just a kid!  She plays!  And the learning style question??  What the efff does that even mean...?

 

Me: I'm also so worn out with the emergency contact question.  My husband and I have 4 phone numbers between the two of us.  You'll never NOT reach one of us on those numbers unless we're in the middle of an apocalypse.

 

Hooker: If they need more than two contacts, we're out..

 

Me: What activities does your child like to do outside of school??  Well... I force Tink to attend Kids Yoga, piano lessons, dance and sports... but Tink 'likes' to sit on her corner of the couch, playing on her DS, while absentmindedly picking the skin off her lips....

 

Hooker: Similar answer here except Eme really likes to antagonize her brothers and watch TV...

 

Me: Any concerns for your child? My concern is, Tink's irrational fear of school bathrooms.

 

Hooker: I put my concern is that I'm going to miss Eme at home.

_______________________________________

 

After dropping Coco off to school, I texted Hooker the following message...: Enjoy the daily drama of Coco, suckas!!  Me and Coach are headed out to lunch!!

 

Hooker's reply: Enjoy!! Best Day Eva. 

Finishing up Summer

Frantically trying to soak up the last bits of summer, we ran at a desperate pace, much too busy to blog.  Fun with friends:

 

 (The 'before' picture at a Mud Party)

(Celebrating the Summer Library Reading program, with a quick stop at Coco's Sweet Shop)

 (Tink, almost sorta kinda learned how to ride her bike... a little bit...)

 The Kid hosted a couple awesome nights of Night Tag... Coach became the Coolest Dad Eva, by proving himself the King of Night Tag (amongst pre-teenage boys). On our last night of night tag, the boys broke into the Sweet Shop at 10:00pm to buy a snack.

 There have been a few fun date nights with friends.  Including another epic BFF Day with Coach's girl CT, where a few bad decisions may have been made...

 As if the night tag awesomeness wasn't enough, Coach secured his position as The Greatest Dad Alive by taking ALL THREE KIDS to Wrigley Field BY HIMSELF for a night game.  He swears he had the best night, with the kids. Sure... but has he ever tried taking them to the beach club for an entire day??  Packing snacks and cleaning sand out of butts??  Now THAT would impress me..

And poor little The Gipper, got screwed on the blog's vacation, by missing her 2nd Birthday post.  So let me quickly sum it up:
The Gipper may be The Cutest thing eva.
With the best, neck squeezing hugs eva.
And the most adorable crinkled nose eva.
And I want to steal her, foreva.
And now that's she is officially my favorite age: that may actually happen.  Because she is The Cutest. Seriously.

Paging Dr McAwesome:

I implore you: to find one person who doesn't think Doc is awesome.  Who hasn't laughed hysterically in her presence.  Who isn't awed by her strength, devotion and fierce dedication. 
Please name one girl who isn't equally: a teeny bit scared of Doc and just as equally grateful she is in your corner. 
Ask to locate one brother: who isn't completely sure Doc and more capable than any real surgeon, or could name a better third baseman in all of Illinois (maybe further according to Coach).
Question any sister to learn, there is no greater big sister in the history of ever, no better BFF and yet no greater burden than to follow Doc's amazing sparkleness.
No child could find a better mother... (certainly not in this house, because my children routinely eye roll my instructions to clean bedrooms and Doc's kids skipped away to clean theirs while whistling a catchy tune.)
Or a parent, more equally grateful to have a daughter, literally responsible for helping save your life.
And I dare you to find a husband, more smitten.

All of the above, impossible.
Doc is a gift to this family.  A bright blue life of love.  Our body guard, our cheerleader, our favorite friend.  If Flag Girl, Coach or I barely hear the twinkle of Doc's voice... we are immediately nervous, we've inadvertently lost our 'In' with Doc.  Because NO ONE eva wants to lose that 'In'.
(thought honestly everyone knows Coach couldn't lose his 'In' with Doc because he is her cute little baby, so adorable she still buys him cutesie clothes, just to dress him up like her Fav high-fiving doll.)
Happy Birthday, Doc.
We could never get enough of you.

PS- I love  you.  Seriously... Lots.  Never get mad at me.. For example, if 'someone' doesn't have a real job and honestly thought that Friday's date was August 1st and maybe didn't realized her mistake until around 10:00pm last night... You wouldn't get mad at a blogger for something that small-ish... Luv U. You're amazing.  Heart you bunches.

Husband and Wife. Honesty.

Coach has this habit of wearing Tshirts around the house (or to play sports) where he has cut the sleeves completely off the shirt... but not just that, he also cuts down the sides a bit.  It's totally WT.  I've hated these shirts, since Day One.
I am constantly begging him to toss out the trend.  I've even secretly recycled many, behind his back.  (not nearly as offensive as when I had secretly deleted some of his Always Sunny episodes off the DVR because I think the show makes people ignorant!)
The other night, I revisited my protest.  Begging him to stop wearing the shirts.  I even decided to take a more equal approach and negotiate a truce.  Find a middle ground...etc.

Me: PLEASE stop wearing those shirts.

Coach (ignores me)

Me: How about this... there has to be some item of my clothing, that you hate.  Something you don't think I look good in... something you wish could be taken out of my wardrobe permanently.  Let's make a deal... you get ride of the shirts and I will toss any item of my clothing that you don't like...  So what do you item do you want me to get rid of??

Coach (without hesitation, without a second of delay, completely and totally dead serious, he responds): Your panties.

Well played, Coach.
Needless to say, the entire deal has been shelved.  The Tshirts remain... That man has proven himself to be a more impressive adversary and I had imagined.
Apologies for the Rated PG13 post.

Dear Quincy-

It has honestly been our pleasure to have you be such a close part of our family.  Our 'second brother'.  And now, it is bitter sweet to watch you grow up, into a mini man-ish.  You are spreading your wings.  Joining new groups and making new friends.  Spending less time hanging around our house and more time moving just a little further away from our circle.  And while we are thrilled for each of your new accomplishments... We'll sure miss you:

Coco will miss her other broder, who will sweetly chase her around and help her act a fool.  Getting her infectious giggle fully charged.

Tink will miss snuggling up to her gamer buddy.  Since she was tiny (well.. even more tiny than now) she has smushed her little body up against your side, watching you play mindless games.  And she loved every moment of your patience.

And The Kid:

Ouch. You were his first ever little friend.  The first person to welcome him, with an enthusiastic "Let's go have an adventure" zest for life.  Our two adorable dorks.  Countless, COUNTless hours shared deep in the mind numbing world of useless facts and nerdy inventions.  Bellies to the floor, building ships set to sail into the magical Neverland of little boys imaginations. 

 

One of the many amazing Best Cousin Friends Forever combos from this extraordinary family.  You have literally traveled across the country, growing together.  We took your brief childhoods for granted. You two, were simply priceless.  A rare example of genuine admiration and uncomplicated joy.

Oh what joy for every girl and boy
Knowing they're happy and they're safe
(Happy and they're safe)

We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus' garden with you.

 

But now... you're both junior high boys.
In different schools, walking along different paths, towards different futures. Ready to tackle new adventures.  It breaks my heart but I am beyond proud of you both. Our two adorable little dorks, becoming pretty amazing bigger-ish cool kids. 

 

 
Happy Birthday, Quincy.
12 years old.  Wow.
Please remember your 'second family of siblings' are forever in your corner.  Our door is always open and Tink's shoulder is a little chilly without you.  We believe in you.  We've always known and loved the very best version of who you are.
You've got this...
All our lovin.