Go Packers!

Jordis started her first activity this year.....cheerleading! She started taking cheer classes at the local gymnastics center, but we didn't feel like she was getting much out of it so we signed her up for football cheerleading with our local Optimist Football league. She was put on the Packers with 16 other girls and now she's learning how to cheer, as well as understanding when and why cheerleading is used. She was a trooper when it came to her three practices a week in August. Then she got to go to her first spirit night where we had pizza and cupcakes and painted banners for all of the games.

Her first game was a little shaky. Grandpa, Grammy, Maw Maw and Paw Paw all came to watch, and she refused to participate. People were looking at her, the pom poms were too scratchy and there a lot of pouts and faces like this.

Jason and I both had a few "chats" with her...

...and finally, after being bribed with $1, she cheered during the 4th quarter. After all the grandparents went home.

The second game went a little better. She got to be a banner holder that day so she had something to look forward to.

Nanny Mo and Mr. Brian came and she said she'd cheer as long as Mr. Brian didn't look at her.

Little did we know it would be 99 degrees that day and the girls would be spending almost half of the game sitting under a tree eating popsicles.

After a bye week we had a really good day this past Saturday. It was much cooler so we had to bring out the sweat suits. Grandpa and Ba Dee were able to come this week and Jordis not only cheered, but looked like she was having a good time, too.

We couldn't be more proud of our little girl and can't wait to see how she does the rest of the season.

Football Friday Nite

We love football here so we decided that this would be the year we attempt to take our kids to a high school football game. The season started Friday night (August 26th, I started this post a few weeks ago), the weather was gorgeous, and Jason didn't have to work that night, so we decided it was the perfect evening to go. The plan was to go to the local game but they were playing their biggest rival and it usually sells out, so we thought maybe we should find something a little more low-key. The next obvious way to decide, of course, was to find a nearby school that was also close to a great restaurant. We live 20 minutes from a Der Dutchman Amish restaurant that is right down the street from a high school, so off we trekked. Xander hated it immediately. It looked too fancy and there was a loud pianist. But then he saw the bakery. And the gift shop. And the buffet. It has now become his new favorite restaurant.

(Like Jordis' headband? She's apparently channeling her inner Olivia Newton-John.)

Next up was the football game. Even though they were expecting a giant stadium like they see on TV, they were still overwhelmed with all the sights. Xander was impressed that people were allowed to stomp on the bleachers on purpose and make lots of noise. I was impressed that I saw people coming away from the concession stand with funnel cakes. Then I saw sno-cones, and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and Cow Tales. Forget the Amish place, we might just start coming to games at this school and eating at the concession stand.

We decided to sit on the visitors side since Jason had a friend also in attendance and we thought we'd support the high school that his brother and sister went to. It was clearly the wrong side. The football team was horrible, and so was the band. And I'm still not sure why the flag corp was using flags that didn't coincide with their school colors. But the kids didn't seem to mind. Xander was learning how to read the scoreboard and Jordis was enthralled with the cheerleaders.

As is par for the course, Jordis made a friend while we were at the game. She also thought the team mascot was HILARIOUS. She made Jason take her down to the track so she could see him up close. Then she tried taunting him for the rest of the evening.

We decided to leave during the fourth quarter. I was clearly channeling crowd avoidance techniques I picked up from my dad.....had to get out of the parking lot before the game was over and we were sitting in traffic wasting gas. But I do have priorities so we made sure to pick up a funnel cake to eat on the ride home.

Kids had fun + mom & dad had fun + little to no drama = SUCCESS!!!!

Super Bowl

We didn't really care about any of the teams playing in this year's Super Bowl, so we weren't concerned about getting together with people or having a party. But I'm all about eating appetizers and I had some NFL napkins, so we had a little shindig here at the house for just the four of us. I got to work the day before and Jordis wanted to help me make Chex Mix.

We ended up having quite the selection. Jason had requested white pizza dip, so I made that for him. The guacamole was for me. I should have made half the amount since no one else ate any. I was apparently expecting too much by thinking that my husband or children would ingest anything that's green. My peeps love sausage so I thought they'd enjoy my kielbasa appetizer, but Xander was mad that it had sauce, he just wanted plain meat. We all love deviled eggs so I knew those would be well received. My favorite part is the yellow and the kids' favorite part is the white, so this always works out really well. And it's very rare that the kids get dessert so I had no worries about the cookies. They would probably get excited about eating carpet lint if I told them it was some sweet confection. Sad, I know.

We shook our heads at Christina Aguilera's rendition of the National Anthem, looked for good commercials, then ate more cookies after the kids went to bed at half-time. And while I didn't care who won, I was really glad that Pittsburgh lost. :-)

What time is it?

That's right, it's time for FOOTBALL!

Go Bucks!.....and Saints and Bengals and Cowboys.

(and I guess LSU for Jason)

We dat!

Can you believe the Saints won the Super Bowl? We're so excited! Should have known when Jordis posed for pictures that it would have turned out this way.....both things have been said to only occur when hell freezes over.

Homesick

Is it possible to be homesick for a place you've never lived? I say yes, because when I'm there I feel like I'm at home. As you all know, I.LOVE.THIS.PLACE.......

We weren't going to take any trips this year, but Jason's grandpa passed away last month so we took an impromptu jaunt to Louisiana. Round and round we went about whether Jason should go alone or we should go as a family, and it was decided we'd go together. The gas and the mileage was going to be the same either way. We hated to take Xander out of school but had we not done it last year we wouldn't have seen PawPaw before he died, so I'm still glad that we did it. I take every opportunity I can get to go to Louisiana so that we can embrace this part of our family we rarely get to see and so the kids can learn about the other half of where they come from.
Since we had the time we decided to spend a day in Jason's hometown because we'd hate to go all that way and not see half the family only two hours away. The kids liked playing with their cousins and great-grand-mawmaw.


We also went to dinner with friends and took the kids to the park. It was in the 70's every day we were there! I was clearly standing out, wearing tank tops every morning while the locals had on long sleeves.


Jason's aunt and uncle also built their broom factory in the months since our last visit. It was neat to watch them make brooms and mops and chat with customers.

In Lafayette we stayed with Jason's cousin, Monica, and her family. We also stayed with them last May when we were down. They're fabulous hosts and always make us feel right at home and our kids love playing with their kids (when they're not all fighting or tattling).

How can you not love this sweet little girl?

On the nights we weren't at PawPaw's service we had homemade Cajun food....

....spent some time outside, did some shopping and watched the Saints beat the Vikings so they could go on to the Super Bowl.



It was so nice to be "home."

I love fall!

I've been thinking for awhile that life is too short to live in the same place your whole life, but I can say that I absolutely love fall in Ohio. Not only do Jason and I both have birthdays, but it's definitely the prettiest time of year. These pictures don't even do it justice.

We can start getting out cozy sweatshirts

There are great nights to sit out on our deck with the firepit....and no mosquitoes

We have random days of Indian Summer

Love to get ready for Halloween

Enjoy our apple cider.....hot or cold

And, even though they're having a bad year, Ohio State football.

It doesn't get much better than this.

OSU vs. Navy

Thanks to my cousin I had the opportunity to go to the Ohio State vs. Navy football game Saturday and watch my dad march in Script Ohio. He was in the OSU marching band for 7 years and I'm so proud of him for being part of such a neat tradition. There are more alumni band members than there are spots available for Script Ohio, so getting to march for it is based on a lottery. I was really lucky that my dad got a spot and I was there to see it.

We met early so we could get to campus in time for the skull session. This is when the marching band performs their pre-game and halftime music before the game and people can come and watch. However, on Alumni Day, the current AND alumni bands play, and it's the best show of the year. Seats are hard to come by so we got there 90 minutes early and found two seats in the second row.

Here's my dad standing up in the middle when they asked people who were in certain age ranges to rise and be recognized.

John Glenn and his wife were honored as I-dotters for one of the quadruple Script Ohio's to be performed at half-time.

A brief visit with my dad between the skull session and pre-game.

We were right below the Navy section and frequently entertained by their uniformed fans.

Part of the half-time show

I taped the four Script Ohio's so I don't have photos, but I did take one at the end. Coach Tressel started a new tradition of the football team coming to sing the alma mater to the band after the game.

Cousins! We had so much fun. This is the third game she's taken me to and we've had perfect weather every time. We also enjoy getting gyros afterward. It occurred to me that the past two times she's taken me to a game we've ended up going to the National Championship. We'll see if third time's a charm.

Thanks, Carol, for sharing your ticket with me, I had such a great time! And thanks also to my mom for babysitting until Jason got up. The kids are still talking about their fun craft.

Happy Independence Day!

Our July 4th activities kind of overlapped the whole week. The kids and I spent some time making stars for our friends at the nursing home using blue posterboard and red and silver glitter. Jordis liked passing them out to the residents and Xander gave his to Miss Connie, the activities director, who decorated the tables in the nursing home eating areas.

The next day we went back for story time that included a bike parade for the 4th.

We ate celebratory gluten-free/dairy-free waffles...

On the 3rd Jason was off so we contemplated going downtown for Red, White & Boom, but in the end decided against it. Instead we went and got dinner from our favorite Chinese restaurant and ate at home while letting the kids stay up to see the fireworks on TV. It ended up being a good idea because Xander fell asleep and Jordis got cranky. I noticed this guy standing outside the restaurant while we were waiting on Jason to get the food. I'm hoping he was an Elvis impersonator.

Jason picked up some overtime on the 4th but we were able to squeeze in a late lunch/early dinner cookout at my mom's to celebrate both the holiday and my step-dad's birthday. We had a little lunch...

...a little football...

...and helping Ba fill his bird feeder.

We can see the local fireworks from our deck so the kids and I got all ready to watch them when it started to rain. Then they started 20 minutes late, so the kids were kind of over it before things really started. I ended up watching them myself, cold and wet which is odd for July, then the kids dragged themselves out for the finale.

God Bless America!