Well, we are heading off to Grandma Gracies for a sleepover. Not sure what we are going to do up there cuz it's not looking too good weather wise! That means no going to the park if it's too horrible outside. We always have the McDonalds play area. That's probley what we'll do. It's been quite awhile since we did a sleep over at Grandma Gracies house. I'll have to bring my camera!
Oh, did you watch the Denise Richardson show and the Living Lohan show last night on the E channel? I have been waiting and waiting for these stupid shows to start! I was so excited for them to premire last night! It's so dumb....how many reality shows can one person like? I am such a reality show junkie. I am not too sure how I like the Denise Richardson show yet but I do like the Living Lohan one. That Dina Lohan mom is such a spaz (I think). Also for Lindsay NOT being on the show they sure talk about her alot. It's kinda sickening. I am sure they are cashing in on her name so it attracts people to the show. Anyway, I do give a thumbs up to both of the shows so far.
I almost have us packed to go up to Grandma Gracies but should probley get going up there now! I'll blog when I get back. I am sure we'll be back tomorrow at sometime. Depends on the weather again. I sure talk about the weather alot.

Just some more photos of this weekend....

Interview with Madison

What is up with this stupid weather? It's suppose to be nice out today! We were suppose to take the boat out and go fishing again, but instead we ending up going to the Como Zoo. It was pretty fun. Everyone else under the sun had the same idea.

Here are some pictures of us there.... This is Madison climbing the ropes in the kids play thingie...

Here she is on the cars....I went on the Tea Cups with her....made me sick to my stomach...

I still feel sick and this is after a couple of hours! Steve is going to make ribs tonight and that ends our memorial day weekend. Guess I never went to Daddy's grave. Poor Dad. Or Jake and Hunter's. Poor little guys. I haven't been there (the cemetary) in years actually. Cemetarys give me to creeps and I am kinda afraid to go by myself. I am sure Steve would go with. Next time I am in the area I will stop. Now that Mom doesn't live over there anymore I never really get in the area.

We finally got our garden planted today. That was a lot of hard work! Here is a picture of Steve with his owl that he got to scare away the bunnies...

What a dork! hee hee. But he's cute. Anyways, we are waiting to see what the weather is going to do. Some big storms it appears on the doppler (we have the weather channel on). I called my mom to tell her they are in a tornado warning. We have about an hour until it hits us so we are deciding what to do! It's actually hot out there today. Okay, I am the dork for talking about the weather. It's polite talk. I don't need to polite talk on my own blog now, do I? Maybe we'll go outside and play boche ball. Oh, speaking of boche ball....yesterday we were playing and I hurt my wrist. People, I got a boche ball injury. Just like my kite injury. Unreal. How embarssing. It feels abit better today:)

You know....I think we should always get 3 day weekends. Not that it really matters to me because I am not working right now, but 3 days is what is needed. That gives you one whole day to just kinda do what ever (kinda like blogging, hee hee). Knowing that Steve is home tomorrow again makes such a huge difference. We had a nice breakfast this morning....steve read the paper.....I made a layout (the one on top).....madison got to watch her MaryKate and Ashley movie on the big screen tv....it's been fun! I'll blog later on cuz Madison wants a braid in her hair now. She must of seen one of those girls on her movie have a braid cuz she only wants one braid instead of two.

Isn't she just beautiful? I know I am prejudice cuz she's mine...but I think she's beautiful!

Well, we got back from our Memorial Day 2008 fishing trip for the day! It was really fun. Madison did soooo good on the boat. If you can believe it, we were on the boat for a full 5 hours or so and Madison held her own! She did awesome. A few times she wanted to go back in to the car or go home but she gave up without a fight when we told her no. We were very pleased about today. We did bring her DVD player and some toys and her dollie and lots of snacks. Kinda brived her with the little chocolate chip cookies. We also caught alot of fish. I caught the first fish of the day, thank you, thank you! Don't you win some prize for that? Typcially this is something that Steve and I would bet on but I already owe him sooo many bets from all of our golfing outings. I don't know why I even bet with him because I always lose. Anyways, fishing was pretty fun. We caught some bass and some sunnies and also croppies. Steve is cleaning them as I blog! You know, I just found out the you filet fish while they are alive. How gross is that? Don't ask me why but I never knew that. I always thought they were dead when you cut them up. Does everyone know they are alive except for me? Gross. That is just gross. But it sure is hell fun catching them! I caught a couple of fish that were really fighting. I love fishing. Here are some more pictures of us (notice there are no pictures of me fishing...I already deleted them!)...
Now we don't know what we are going to do the rest of the night. It didn't turn out that Jim and Alexis came out (or we go down there). I think we should still have our bonfire that we were going to have if they came out. I bought some smores and stuff for the fire. I bought some chocolate marshmellows. Bet cha didn't know that they have those, do ya? They do! I got them at Target. I had to have a little tasty of one last night to see what they taste like. They were very good. A nice little treat for the calorie consious! I think they are 25 calories a piece for one. That's a pretty good alternative if you don't want to eat the whole smore. I am sure you really don't care about that piece of tid bit. I have alot of tid bits that I could share with you, but I think I'll let them leak out little by little through out my blogs:)

As I am typing I can feel myself sway from side to side just like you do on a boat. I think that happens to most people, doesn't it? Almost makes me a little nausous. Have you ever been on a cruise? Oh my God, for a whole week after you get home you sway from side to side, except they aren't little waves...they are huge waves...hence, big swaying! The one time I went on a cruise I got sea sick and had to go to the ship's doctor to get a pill to help with the sea sickness. When I took it, it knocked me out for the whole night and cut into my partying. I was in my early 20's. Now days the pill would just give me a full 8 hours of nice rest.

I wonder where Steve is right now. I haven't heard him for about an hour. Should I check? Na. Madison is sleeping. She's out big time. I had called my neighbor to see if she wanted to come and babysit for us, but she wasn't home. I wanted to go golfing really bad. Maybe we'll just have to play some boche ball. Ever play that game? It's pretty addicting. Got it on sale at Target for 12 bucks. Fun stuff I'm telling ya.

Well, as usual, I am babbling on about nothing really and if you actually read through the post, I give you credit. I would of just scanned for any information or something interesting or funny. Oh, here comes Steve. I told him I was blogging about me swaying from side to side and he said that people are going to think that I'm nuts. So, on that note, I'll let you go and get on with your day. I should go spend some quality time with my hunny!

Good night everyone!

So, what's the scoop for everyone for Memorial Day weekend? We still aren't exactly sure what we are going to do or where we are going to go. However, we do know on Saturday we are going to take out the boat. It will be Madison's first time ever. Kinda scary. Of course she'll be wearing a life jacket and stuff, but still if ya know what I mean! Have a great long weekend everyone! It'll be nice to have 3 days with Steve!
Oh, today I had to put back on "the boot"....of course I couldn't handle following the directions and have been without it for the last 2 weeks for sure. I have gone walking once or twice and although it was a little sore, I could still handle it. But then yesterday I was running and chasing Madison and hurt it again. Today I went walking and 1/2 way through the walk I regreted going and was limping for the most part. Hence me wearing the boot again. Not sure how long I'll keep it on this time. I am just so impatient and it's such a pain in the ass to have this huge big clunky thing on my leg.

Hope you enjoy today's layouts.
I spent the entire day working out in the yard. Steve will be so suprised and happy. I trimmed the bushes, weedwacked the edging and mowed the lawn. I even bagged the twigs and branches and stuff. Whew. Talk about over exgertting myself. I am not sure how to spell exghert...just spell it out and you'll know the word I am talking about:). I am just kidding...I am not THAT tired. However I am kinda burnt out of doing lawn work for the moment. It's so nice out today. There isn't too much more to blog about....I came in after doing the lawn work to make a layout or 2. That is how I relax. I tried really hard to sit outside in the chair and read so I was in the sun BUT I got really bored very quick. I wanted to get tan. I actually am pretty tan right now. I am such an 80's child. My shoulders are peeling so I'll have to actually start wearing some sunblock. Well, I had best get going and start the "quick, before he gets home" cleaning that I do. Sometimes when you put your mind to it you can really get stuff clean pretty fast. Later dudes.

Oh...Tyler just called and guess what? He tried out for the play "Jesus Christ SuperStar" and got the role of Jesus. He is so awesome. He just keeps getting all these great parts. We are so proud of him. Not sure when the play is but he said we need to get tickets fast because it will sell out fast. So, if you are reading this blog and you would like to go see him in this play, call or email me and we'll get the tickets. Oh, I am just so excited for him. Yeah TyTy. I wonder if Madison will be able to handle this one. Who knows. Maybe we'll try to find a sitter and drive up there and back down in one night (yuck). The little munchkin can create problems at times like these.

Oh, I lost at the casino. I think Nikki and Kylee also lost. At least no one was excited when it when time to go so I am just going to assume there was no major cash at any given point entitled upon them gracefully. Oh well....it was really fun. I played alot of the games that I normally wouldn't play. Also played alot of the 1 and 2 cents ones. It was a fun night.

Well, I best be getting to bed. Steve had on one of those freaky ghost hunter shows and I watched it a little bit with him and got majorally freaked out and now I am kinda scared to be sitting here in this computer room. Don't ask me why. Don't ask me why I'd watch the 5 mintues I did because all it does is stay in my mind and I'll be thinking about it for the next few days now.

Madison has daycare tomorrow. I have no clue what I am going to do. I told Steve that I want her home one more day with me now and he said no because she's in a good routine. That's true. But I just don't know what to do on the days that she has daycare. I don't need the extra time like I did at one time. Hell, I don't even go on my walk if she isn't with me anymore. I am too use to her being around me all the time. I feel naked going walking without her. Not sure when or how that started but I just want her with me at all times now. Not that I didn't before but this is just different. I think we are in a good routine for the most part and when she's not with me it disrupts my routine. Maybe once the beaches open up I will go there and layout or something. Then again, I don't want to go to the beach by myself. Oh...speaking of walking...I went on my first walk since I had the kite accident and was wearing the boot. I did okay. I kinda quit wearing the boot about a week ago. I shouldn't of done that, but who am I to ever really follow the rules? Anyways, the walk went pretty good and I wasn't sore this morning *walk was last night. But I do favor my good leg walking quite abit so hopefully that won't cause any problems. I am sure that you all really care about this. Another babbling post. Okay, now I am going to go to bed and try to get a good nights sleep. I hear Steve snoring in the other room. We spend most of the night with him snoring and me ever so slightly kicking him to shut him up. We finally are back into sleeping into the same bed again. Is this too much info? hee hee. But for the last few weeks we got into the habit of him or I sleeping on the couch because of his snoring and then with Madison sleeping in our bed *which has GOT to STOP. But it was just too much to have the 3 of us in bed together and then nobody but Madison gets a good night sleep.

I'll leave you with another picture of Madison on today's picnic (read in the blog entry below)...

Oh what an absolute beautiful day outside! Today has been one of those perfect mommy days. We spent the day down at the park. We even saw a deer prance through the fields, which is really rare during the day. It was like some fairy tale with bambi prancing around..lol. We had a little picnic today...

Then we met another 3 year old girl. Here they are suntanning on the slides..hee hee......

The little girl's mom and I totally hit it off. That sounds funny but we talked and talked and had alot in common. She's even an identical twin. It was really fun. I rarely meet other mom's. And if I do, it's always abit awkard. But today it wasn't awkard at all. We just got along really good. I feel like a kindergartner making friends at school. Even when we were leaving I showed her where we lived and told her they should come over so the girls can play. Don't mean to make a big deal about it but I guess I have never invited another mom over to have a playdate with Madison. Guess it's not really a playdate since we never planned it yet, but still. Anyways, it was fun meeting someone new besides the stay-at-home Dad that is down at the park sometimes that Steve feels the need to ask about all the time. ha! That is so funny. I told Steve that he has nothing to worry about. Kinda funny.

I am going to go to the casino tonight and meet nikki and kylee. Kylee is finally 18 so she can legally gamble now. Reminds me when we took Ty to the casino for the first time. He lost his money and found out that gambling isn't a good idea. Guess I haven't figured that one out yet. Except I usually come out even so that's my excuse. Guess I should try to clean the house before Steve gets home. I have to pay if I am going to play, I guess! I think Madison is sleeping on the couch because she hasn't made a little peep at all. There is no way that I'd get to make a blog entry without her interrupting. Oh...guess not...she just let out a big ya-hoo! Totally NOT sleeping. Best get going now and tend to my child and the house. hee hee I'll leave you with another picture...

Did you get to see Madison riding her little trycicle? It's still a little to big for her, but she can kinda go for abit if she gets a bit of momentum.
There hasn't been much to blog about these last few days. I thought it was suppose to rain outside today but didn't so I was pretty happy. We spent most of the day out in the sun. My face got pretty sunburned. Thank God I put stuff on Madison. I didn't for awhile while we were playing and then mommy guilt hit and we had to leave the park to run back and get it. Doesn't even look like she was outside at all.
Tonight we went to go watch Loggie play baseball. He did pretty good. It was fun. Nice to go sit and watch.
That's about all I have........enjoy the little video!

I love my sissies, but they need to get a bit more into the "modeling" for their model photoshoot...

The little ones have it down pat!....see?.............

Hee hee, look at this cute photo of Madison this morning. I walked by the door and this is what I saw...
Okay, I have had enough of adding photos to my blog tonight. I am tired.

Here are mine and kim's model shots that we took today. I like them! We went to Kylee's 18th bday party tonight. It was really fun. Here she is with her scratch off tickets. I bought her 18 of them and Grandma Gracie bought her 25. She ended up winning something like 38 bucks off of them or so.....

Even Madison got into the modeling tonight. She was pretty funny....

Do you know that tonight I took 120 pictures? I had a blast taking photos. Here's a little group picture of us without Grandma Gracie....oops, she's in the background I guess, hee hee.

Well, there's not too much to blog about. We are pretty tired. We spent this morning going to the place where you can get wood chips for free and we put them under our pine trees (that I hate). They just needed a little bit of refreshing. Doing that really wore us out. Steve's got a really bad back right now. Poor guy. Guess I could be out there giving him a massage instead of doing modeling pictures.....

Oh what a fun day today. Steve took the day off of work and we went to go see Madison's last day of gymnastics. I do have some video of her but I am too lazy to put it up on screen. Maybe later on.

Here she is at the end when they get little stamps on the hands and feet...

Then we went out on the boat on the lake all day fishing. Never caught one fish...
But I did catch myself one hell of a sunburn. Hey...I know I should use sunscreen but being a 70/80's kid we are lucky that I didn't have oil and the reflective blanket (remember those?) on....
I'm too tired now, but remind me to tell you how we took madison to the park yesterday and I walked over to the ropes part to find my daughter dangling outside the protective area. Oh, I will tell you now....anyways, she had somehow gotten outside the protective area of the ropes area and couldn't get her feeting quite right and was literally hanging on a wall that was about 4 or 5 times her height. Oh, I was so scared shitless. I had just gotten there and saw here and screamed at Steve to "go get her". *I was jumping up and down by the way (I guess that's how I deal with fear..I jump. ha!) and he ran up the ropes the same time another dad ran up there too. I could just cry thinking about my daughter dangling there. She surely would of broken her leg or arm or something if she fell. It was a very scary mommy moment. Steve said he was waiting cuz he thought she'd find her footing. Men, I swear....I don't know what they are thinking. I wouldn't of let more than the mere second I saw her before I'd run up there. And I am not a overprotective type but this was seriously 4 or 5 times her height. God you guys...it was so scary how she got out of the protective area. Not quite sure what happened. She wasn't scared though when it was over because she had to clue what would happen to her if she fell. For SURE a broken bone or worse I guess if she landed on her head, although I don't think gravity would of flipped her over, but I guess you never know. One wrong fall and she could be paralzyed. There...NOW I am being melodramatic. Then again..you never know.

I can't sleep so I made a layout. I actually WAS sleeping but Madison woke me up crying so hard (and loud)...she fell out of bed and was pinned between the wall and the bed frame (we have that big heavy wood frame) while sitting on the floor. I actually thought she was exgaratting but she was really pinned in and after the 3rd attempt I tried to get her off the floor and couldn't I got super pankicy. Steve's sleeping out on the couch and I didn't know if I run out to get him and leave her there alone or if I scream out for him and freak her out even more. Anyways, I ended up acutally lifting up this big heavy frame off of her leggies (it wasn't ON her leg but it was so close to the wall that she couldn't bend them). Don't ask me how I lifted that bed but I did. Must of been the aderaline kicking in. She was hugging me afterwards so hard and I was just shaking like a leaf. That was scary....I didn't know if I broke her legs by getting her out or what. Okay....that was my drama for the night and I haven't been able to get back to bed since. It's now 4:30 am. Maybe I'll go back in and try to sleep. Yes, she fell asleep right away.
You know, this is the biggest blogging day I have ever had. I almost wrote a book today! Aaaaah, the day *and night, in the life of a Michaels.

I was laughing at the caption that I wrote for mom and dad.....it's the Love Boat theme! Anyways, this is one of my favorite pictures of mom and dad. The other one is the one that mom has in her bedroom. You know the one at Fair Hills where both mom and dad are standing in front of the sailboats, in great shape, looking like the athletic family of the century. hee hee.

Here is the last picture I can remember taking with Daddy. Poor daddy. I miss him. But this is the last picture I can remember taking with him. I must of had taken others because this was in 1997 I think. hmmmm. I know Kim has one the night with him before he died. Why don't I have something abit closer than 2 years before he died? But I like this picture of us. It's funny now because you look at him now and he is looking not too good and you can tell that his body is shuting down, but then at that time, you'd never know that's what was going on. I mean, we knew but I didn't know that dying actually has a look. IS THIS A DEPRESSING blog or what? Sorry. Sometimes I just get on here and start typing what I am thinking. I actually don't think it's depressing...I just kinda look at that as a matter of fact and that's that! So, it's not sad to me, but it might be to you...the reader of my fantastic blog. hee hee. See, how I can change the mood right before your eyes and you don't even see it comin'. Anywhoooo...

I finally cleaned Madison's room tonight. I may of mentioned that in my earlier post today (really, how much can I actually have to say anymore?). Thought I'd take a little photo for you disbelievers. Even madison swifted her own floor, with my help of course. I like her new dresser. We finally got rid of the recliner that we've had in her bedroom for all these years. We put it outside on our curb for "Bloomington Curb Clean Up Day" last week. Usually people drive around all day and night looking at other people's junk. It's kinda fun. If I was a drinker, I'd sit out there and make a drinking game out of it. Anyways, no one took the recliner, which I thought was wierd because seriously, if you see what the people driving around takes, you'd be suprised too.
Here is a picture of Madison tonight at the flower shop. We went tonight and picked out our flowers for this year. Steve was going to take me on Mother's Day, but remember I wasn't feeling well and I just wasn't up to looking at flowers then. But tonight was another story. I was bored as hell (after my cleaning episode) and the mintue Steve walked in the door I told him I wanted to go do something and the only thing we could think of was to go get our flowers.

Bought some of our normal impatients and a spikey thing for our front steps. And this year in the back Steve ONLY wants perennials..............so we ONLY got perennials. We didn't even know what we were doing, so if you come to our house and we permanently have these flowers that don't make any sense, you'll know why. I think I finally gave in to his perennial idea sometime last summer when I didn't have the energy to fight. I will surely miss our backyard porch (what the hell is it called? deck? no,....patio is the word I am looking for), our backyard patio filled with tons of pretty flowered pots all over the place. Our pond area will look pretty if what we picked out turns out fine......but we don't excatly know for sure what permanently will be there, will we now? I guess there's always a shovel. I am sure it will allllll work out just fine. Positive thinking kel.