Libby's new 4-wheeler

Yes, I think she is too little, but her daddy brought her home a 4-wheeler. She was very excited and couldn't wait to show me how good she can drive it. She even took me for a ride. It's funny to see this little girl driving a big 4-wheeler. Nathan brought his 4-wheeler over so they could ride together. It was big fun for everyone!

Here is Libby driving all by herself. She doesn't want her hair pulled back because she likes the feel of it blowing in the wind when she is going fast!

Here is Mike and Libby taking a ride and Nathan in the background.

Here is Nathan on his 4-wheeler (which he got for his 4th birthday, the same age Libby is now...but Libby's 4-wheeler is so much bigger...and she's my baby!)

Look at my little speed demon!

Libby's First Day of School!

Summer is officially over...Today was Libby's first day of school! She is in Pre-K now and will be going 3 days a week! I can't believe she is growing up so fast! She was very excited to go back to school today which surprised me because she didn't mention school all summer! We both have been a little spoiled this summer with our sleeping habits and 7am came a little too soon this morning! My eyes are still burning! Poor Libby didn't even eat her breakfast because I think she was just too tired! She perked up by the time we got to school so I think she will be OK! So of course I have some pics to share with you on this special day! (And a BIG thanks to Angie P. for working for me last night so I could be there for Libby's first day of school! You Rock!)

Here she is...all ready for school! I had to take a pic before we left home in case she became camera shy once we got to school! You just never know!

Here she is at school...The sun was right in my eyes so I'm surprised this pic even turned out!

Every morning when the kids get to school the find their "Attendance Bear" and hang it up on the clothes line so the teachers know who is there. There are 24 kids in Libby's class this year! There were 18 last year so it is a little more crowded this year...maybe we will have some drop-outs!

Indiana State Fair

Here are some pics from our adventures at the Indiana State Fair! Libby told me about 10 times that she was having a good time at the fair. It was pretty cute! The weather was actually pretty nice that day, too! I'm still trying to recover from how expensive everything is there...its ridiculous! Everything is $5 or more! Just crazy!

Here is Libby riding a horse named Bandit, but she wanted to change his name to Band-aid!

Here we are taking an elephant ride. Libby was very excited about that! However I was sitting right on the elephants hip bones and every step he took it poked me...I was not very excited about that! The elephant was not very soft!

This is Libby standing in front of the little grain bin before we start the little hands on farm.


Libby collecting fake eggs from the fake chickens...

...feeding and petting the fake pig...

...showin' some love to the cows...

...planting a seed in the garden...

...riding a tractor. The guy working the tractor area was not very friendly, actually was even kind if gruff. He wouldn't let Libby ride the pink tractor because it wasn't next in line! Hmf! Crushin' my little girls heart!

Here's Libby milking a fake cow! She thought this was great fun!

Here she is taking a ride on a seat lift designed for handicap farmers so they can get in and out of their tractor!

Whee! Look how high up she is!

Just another photo op! Katie is behind the pic holding Libby up so she can reach the hole to fit her face in!

This is the little "petting zoo" area. Libby has a handful of food and this goat isn't very interested in eating right now...

...neither is this pig!

Finally, we have a taker! This goat licks Libbys hand clean! Yummy!

Here is Katie and Libby in front of the mist fountain.

Here is Libby debating if she should just jump into this fountain or not...

...maybe just some piggies! They were dirty anyway!

Just in case you are going to the Olympics!

Here are a few helpful Chinese phrases to help you get around!
Prepare now for the Beijing Olympics.
Learn Chinese in 5 minutes (You MUST read them aloud)

English - Chinese
That's not right! -- Sum Ting Wong
Are you harboring a fugitive? -- Hu Yu Hai Ding
See me ASAP -- Kum Hia Nao
Stupid Man -- Dum Fuk
Small Horse -- Tai Ni Po Ni
Did you go to the beach? -- Wai Yu So Tan
I bumped into a coffee table! -- Ai Bang Mai Fu Kin Ni
I think you need a face lift! -- Chin Tu Fat
It's very dark in here! -- Wai So Dim
I thought you were on a diet! -- Wai Yu Mun Ching
This is a tow away zone! -- No Pah King
Our meeting is scheduled for next week! -- Wai Yu Kum Nao
Staying out of sight -- Lei Ying Lo
He's cleaning his automobile -- Wa Shing Ka
Your body odor is offensive -- Yu Stin Ki Pu
Great -- Fa Kin Su Pa

The Miseducation of Katie Krise

I was driving home from work this morning struggling to stay awake because my "phone-a-friend" Katie did not answer her phone. Luckily the INDOT has put those very helpful bumps on each side of the highway to help keep me awake anytime I swerve a little too far to the left or to the right! Anyway...As I continue to make my best effort to make it home safe and sound, I try to find some good music on the radio to sing along to so that I might stay awake that much longer! (Luckily for me, and the other people on the road, there isn't much traffic at 7am!) It must have been my lucky morning because I found a radio station that was playing the BEST songs from the BEST big hair bands of the late 80's and early 90's! I was getting ready to rock it out to Skid Row's "18 and Life!" I loved that song! I loved Skid Row, back in the day! Sebastian Bach was so hot! It made me reminiscent of my high school days back in FL...when the band was popular! But, back to my story....So here I am, trying to rock out to Skid Row, trying to do my best rocker chick impression, trying to stay awake, trying to make it home...and my phone rings! Why, it's my "phone-a-friend" Katie. She accidentally had turned her ringer off. While we are sharing what little bit of my drive home that I have left, I discover that Katie does not know Skid Row! I'm speechless. Well it is my duty as her life coach, her mentor, her friend to educate her in the things she is lacking! So here is my educational tidbit on Skid Row, for the benefit of my protoge Katie:

This is Skid Row...Lead Singer Sebastian Bach is second from the right. Oh just look at that fine piece of meat! That hair, that face, that leather! What would Perez Hilton say, Yummy Yummy Screw?! (I know Katie is laughing if no one else!)

Here they are again...I'm sure a photo circa 2008 of the band would be quite scary but pretend is 1989...Yummy Yummy Screw!

About the band:
Skid Row is an American Heavy metal band, formed in 1986 in Toms River, New Jersey. They are named after Phil Lynott and Gary Moore's first band. They were most successful in the late eighties and early nineties when their first two albums with lead singer Sebastian Bach and drummer Rob Affuso were multi-platinum successes. They are often associated with glam metal, partly due to their appearance and their sound on their debut album, Skid Row, which spawned the hits "18 and Life", "Youth Gone Wild", and "I Remember You" for the band.

And there you go! Consider yourself educated!

My Baby is Four!

I just got back Libby's four year old pics back from the photographer and have posted them all around this blog....so take a look around and see how big my little girl is getting! I hope you enjoy her pics as much as I do! She's just so unbelievable!

What an unexpected emotional time this has been! My baby is now four years old! It doesn't seem like too long ago when I brought her home from the hospital, but ironically it also seems so long ago because those memories are already fading away. As I spend each day with Libby and watch her grow and learn and become such a grown-up little girl, it seems impossible that only four years ago she was this tiny little baby totally dependent on me for everything. She is now so independent and strong, but still that lovable and cuddly little girl she was then. I am so proud of the person she has become and miss the little baby that she was. It is bittersweet! Libby turning four has been harder for me than any of her other birthdays....I think its because of not what this year brings, but what the following year will bring! Next year, she will be turning five! Five! Not only will she be starting kindergarten, but she will be going ALL DAY! Where is my year of transition? I'm supposed to be eased into this! What is to become of me?! I will have to rediscover what and who I was before Libby came along to fill my days! It's been so long I don't even think that person is around anymore...not that I would want to be that same person again. The realization that I am going to have to create a new me is even harder! My baby is growing up, soon will be at school all day and will not need me in the same capacity as before! I can't even imagine what it will be like when she "really" grows up and goes off to college! Yes, I may be getting ahead of myself, but these are just the things going through my head now that my little girl is four!

Libby's Playdate

Last week my friends from Methodist came over for a little get together/cookout. It's kind of cool the way our kids are grouped together. There are six kids...three girls about the same age and three boys ("the babies")the same age. We've been getting the girls together since Libby was about two. It used to be easier to get together before we moved out of indy and before the girls started school and before the babies arrived! But we still manage to get the whole group together at least once a year. Everyone made the long trek from the city out to Tipton! The kids had lots of fun playing together. They played in the pool and slip n slide, jumped on the trampoline, played on the playground, played in the play room inside...I think they covered all there was to do! Here are just a few pics..

This is actually from a different day, but I threw it in anyway...Nathan and Libby playing in the pool.

Here are 5 of the 6 kids playing in the pool. One of the boys wasn't too impressed with the cold water!

I was worried the pool wouldn't be big enough for all the kids, but I don't think they even noticed it was a little crowded because they were having so much fun going down the slide and splashing around!

The girls pose for their yearly picture! They have grown a lot from last year!

The Red Sucker Trio!

We tried to get all the kids together, but only 4 were cooperating!

Vosko's Wedding!

KJ3 - Kennita, Jen cubed

Vosko, Jo, Kennita, Hoover

My BFF Jen, aka Vosko, got married a few weeks ago. Libby was very excited that she was going to the wedding and wearing her "princess" dress! It was the highlight of her week! Oh yes, and she was really looking forward to the dancing! I had to hold her back from running to the dance floor when John and Vosko were doing their dance! She mad a new BFF while she was out there, a 9 yr old girl named Alex...She showed Libby all kinds of moves and Libby copied everything she did. It was very cute! Here are some pics...

John and Vosko cutting the cake.

Libby making a funny face...because she can!

Libby dancing with her new friend Alex.

Mike and Vosko...

Mike with my friends Jo & Kennita. We had a pic of the four of us taken but I like this one better. Mike has trouble with cameras...especially after a few drinks!!

Mike and Libby dancing.


Vosko and Libby dancing.



Mike with Libby and Josie (Vosko's baby)

Libby and Alex dancing... I think this was their first dance!

Slip N Slide Adventures!

It really hasn't been that long since I've posted...it's just your imagination! Anyway I'll be doing some catch-up blogging now!

Here are some pics of Libby playing on her slip n slide that she got for her birthday! She loves this thing! I think for the first two weeks she played on it everyday! Now for the embarrassing stuff...(it won't affect her until she's older)...After Libby had been playing outside and was all wet she came up to me and said she had to got potty. I took one look at her dripping wet, thinking about how she would drip all through the house and also thinking about how hard it is to pull a wet swimsuit up and down...and I just told her to pee outside! She asked how and I told her to just pee through her swim suit! I know...another mother of the year award for me! So that first time, she picked a spot in the grass and squatting slightly in a wide stance and watched the pee stream from her suit! She was really amused! I think she pee'd 2-3 other times and always went back to the same spot! Now whenever she's going out to play in the pool or slip n slide she waits to pee so she can do it outside! It's really cute! I did pull her aside one day and reminded her she only does this when she has her swim suit on and only at home! I could just see her at swim lessons telling her teacher she has to go potty, getting out of the pool and standing on the sidewalk to pee!