Firefighters, Butterflies & Mints

Playing a game of is this a toy or a tool?

Finn instantly raised his hand and wanted to volunteer

when they asked for one.  Here is showing the class what to do if

you hear your fire alarm beep in the night.  :)  He also wanted

to volunteer to do "Stop, Drop, and Roll" but they wanted

to give another kid a chance.

 

They watched the fireman dress up in his uniform,

then they were able to touch him.  Finn didn't take his

hand off of him the whole time. :)

The exciting part... they get to see and touch the firetruck!

Climbing through the truck! :)

Finn could not WAIT to get to school on Friday.  The firemen came for a visit, with two of their trucks.  Finn was not shy at all.  He was eager to volunteer, touch the fireman, and answer questions.  He told them that we say a prayer every time we see/hear a firetruck.  And he told them he wants to be a fireman when he grows up.  (Well, he wants to be a fireman, drive a combine, be a tractor guy, AND have pigs... to be exact.)

Later when we got home, I was asking him questions about the fireman's visit.  He was really listening!  He even told me to cover your eyes when you stop, drop, and roll.  It was a very informative visit and the fireman did a great job of explaining everything on their level.

May was my month to decorate the preschool bulletin board again.  I dropped off the blank butterflies to Ms. Lisa and the class decorated the butterflies for me.  They used sand, I love the way it turned out.  :)  Finn's is the blue and yellow one on the lower right.

On another note....  Cullen is quite the regular in the nurse's office.  I get so many phone calls home about him bumping his head at recess or gym!  Last month after the nurse called 3 times in one week, she told me that she really enjoys her visits with Cullen and how funny he is.  On Thursday, I was volunteering in the lunchroom and the nurse came to find me, to tell me that Cullen fell off the scooter in gym and bumped his forehead.  She said he was fine and sent him back to class after having him lay with an ice pack on it for 20 min.  Then he came back to her office about 30 min later, complaining of his "brain hurts, and I think if you give me a mint, it will feel better..."  So she gave him a mint and then "Hmm-mm, yes, my brain doesn't hurt anymore.  Thank you."  and back to class he went.  What a stinker!  So then I see him in lunch and ask him about his visit(s) to the nurse.  He said, "Yeah, I'll go back and get a mint when my stomach hurts."  What???  I made it clear that he will not be going back to the nurse unless a teacher tells him to or he is throwing up.  That boy...  Give him an inch he'll take a mile!

10 year anniversary

I can hardly believe Sean and I have been married 10 years!  5 states, 3 ranks, and 2 kids later...  it's been real and it's been fun.  But not always real fun.  The Army sure has thrown a lot at us, but by the grace of God we are here and we are in love.

"I have known many, liked not a few, loved only one. I toast to you."

Blue-Gold football game

Not bad for a picture Cullen took. :)

Another picture by Cullen.

Cullen took this one too. :)

I love the size of toddler hands.

Students put bikes not locked up in trees. :)

We saw 2 on our walk home.

Walking home.  We let Cullen ride, since 

we made him walk the whole way to the game.

Got to wear that boy out, ya know!

We watched the students learning to operate sail boats

on Lake Saint Joseph on the way home.

Heading home.  The view across Lake Saint Joseph.

We had a fun time at the Blue-Gold football game Saturday afternoon.  It was nice to be able to attend the game as a family.  (Sean only gets 2 tickets with his grad school package.)  It was a beautiful day for a game.... it was only 55*, but at least the sun was out!! :) 

Q & U Wedding

 Video Sean took on his phone.  :)

The Quarterbacks.

The reception.  They had sparkling grape juice and

Q or U cookies. :)

The class... Quarterbacks and Queens.

Cullen with this buddies, Kenneth and Johann.

Cullen and Sara

Mr. Rich getting ready to walk Q down the aisle.

The girls dropped the Q and U's into the aisle.

(Flower girls)

Mr. Rich is a ham.

Father Bill was a hoot.

Toasting to Q and U.  Chris toasted to them

having quadruplets.  Hahaha.

The head table. :)

Wow, what a week!  It's been crazy coordinating this Q and U wedding with the other Stewardship mother!  But all the hard work was worth it.  The Q and U wedding was darling!  Father Bill said it was the highlight of his week.  :)  Finn's class was able to attend the wedding too.

Daniel Tosh

Daniel with his 2 little dogs.

Comedian Daniel Tosh came to South Bend on Wednesday night. The show was held downtown in the beautiful Morris Theater. I surprised Sean with tickets to the sold out show. Kyle Kinane opened for him, and he was quite funny too! He reminded us of our friend, Biff. I'm pretty sure Tosh succeed in offending everyone there at least once. But Sean and I really enjoyed our night out. :)

pennies from heaven

Pennies from Heaven

I found a penny today
Just lying on the ground.
But it's not just a penny,
This little coin I've found.

Found pennies come from heaven
That's what my Grandpa told me.
He said Angels toss them down.
Oh, how I loved that story.

He said when an Angel misses you
they toss a penny down.
Sometimes just to cheer you up
to make a smile out of a frown.

So don't pass by that penny
When you're feeling blue.
It may be a penny from heaven
That an angel's tossed to you!!

Cullen had his appointment this afternoon to get his staple removed. As we were walking into the building Cullen noticed someone in front of us pick up a penny in the parking lot, he mentioned it... he was disappointed he didn't find it. We went on into his appointment, and the doctor pulled his staple out. In true Cullen-form, he didn't even blink. No big deal. :) The doctor even commented on what a great job he did.

We checked out and opened the door to go into the hallway and there in front of us was a penny. We saw it at the same time and Cullen was so excited. I suddenly got emotional and instantly thought of my grandpa and "pennies from heaven". I told Cullen, when I was a girl, someone once told me that when someone in heaven is thinking about you, they toss down a penny for you to find. Then I asked him- who, in heaven, do you think is thinking about you right now? He immediately said gpapa. I agreed and told him I bet he thought you did a great job getting your staple out and he wanted you to know. :)

It was almost as though we missed that first penny in the parking lot, but he made sure to get another one to us. :)

Link to the Kansas City Star Tribute to my beloved grandpa.

video of bike ride

04/01/12

I finally got the video of Cullen's first bike ride (training wheel free) on ND's campus uploaded. It was his first ride off of our driveway. We are in between the football stadium and Hesburgh Library (Touch Down Jesus). In the next small video we are making our way to the Basilica and the Main Building (Golden Dome).

He did great! I'm so glad he didn't run into other people... i.e. students so engrossed in texting, they don't see a wobbly, 6 year old on a bike coming right at them. :)

celebrating Easter

Easter Egg hunt with the Wilson Family. :)

Chocolate bunnies... breakfast of champions.

Coloring our hard boiled eggs.

Getting started.

Yum! Time for dessert!

Leaving the South Dining Hall.

Lots of delicious desserts and a pretty cross
ice sculpture.

We had a nice Easter! We went to the South Dining Hall for their "famous" Easter brunch after church. (People drive in from Chicago to attend it.) It was really good and it beats cooking and dishes! :) Plus the atmosphere is really cool.... it's so old and grand. Finn asked why the windows are "super high".

While we were eating there, a young college girl came up to our table and told the boys they are so cute. Then she told them it was her 19th birthday. They told her happy birthday, then Finn started flirting with her. Before we left Finn went over to the table behind us where a large group of college kids were eating, and waved to each and everyone of them and told them Happy Easter. That kid... and we thought Cullen was a ham.

staple

Cullen got a staple to close the latest injury. He and Finn were playing upstairs yesterday, when Finn threw a toy (out of excitement) and it hit Cullen in the head. I don't really get too excited or worked up about lots of blood anymore. I counted it up, this was Cullen's 5th ER/Urgent Care trip and Finn has had 2. Kind of a lot when you consider I've only been a mother for 6 years! Boys......

Stations of the Cross

When we moved here, it didn't take long for Sean and I to notice the Stations of the Cross outside along a trail. We walk part of that trail every time we take the boys on a bike ride/walk around Lake St. Mary. I quickly put it on my list of things to do here. And here we are! We had a nice day for it (sun was finally out), but it was still cold in the high 40*'s.


My grandma told me that the booklet her church hands out for Stations of the Cross was printed right here at ND and the pictures taken on this very trail. Small world!

Station #12, Jesus dies on the cross.
This is actually the part of the trail we always pass.

Me with my "rosary buddy" Freda (sp?)
She was a war bride (she's from Germany) and a fellow Army wife.
Freda and I have become friends, after meeting at the grotto. I
made it my New Years Resolution to pray the rosary at the grotto
at least once a week. So far, so good! :)

I had Cullen bring his Stations of the Cross book
he made at school.