Tom's Birthday at Chuck E. Cheese

My cousin Tom turned 30 this week. His wife, Sheri, arranged for all of us to be waiting for him at Chuck E Cheese for a surprise party. They blindfolded him in the car. When he got to the restaurant and took off the blindfold, we waved at him through the window. It was great; he had no idea!

Tom had a 30th balloon that he let go of right when he got in. The staff had to get it down with a squirt gun so Sheri tied it to his arm. This balloon was then his constant companion, in every picture, during every game. He was a very good sport. Oh, and I was his paparazzi taking 200 pictures of him.

There was a cake, lots of skee ball and present opening- where he got among other things two heating pads and Ben Gay. I think Lisa (Sheri's sister) or Tom are the new skee ball champions of the world. Jay was an absolute fiend at the game, Monster Truck. Kids surrounded Jay in wonder of his ability. People were crying.. Now that I think of it, they were probably crying because they wanted to play and Jay wouldn't get off the game. Ha ha.

Because of the skee ball, and other games, we amassed lots of tickets. Emily was crazily trying to get tickets. Tara too would get so excited about the tickets that she would rip them in half as they came out of the machine! Everyone gave all their tickets to the girls, which was very sweet. Anyone who goes to Chuck E. Cheese knows that many tickets don't buy much. But, we actually had so many that the girls got all kinds of trinkets. They were in heaven!
Happy Birthday Tommy. You are but a whippersnapper!

* In this blog, you can click on any picture to make it bigger*


Tom arrives, blindfolded

Tom gets another heating pad

Peace!


Jay is jonesing to go back to the games.

Paul, Lisa and Tara play skee ball.


In prize heaven


Victory is ours!

With the Chuckmeister

new shirts

Yesterday, Aunt Georgia sent the girls these Easter shirts. Today Tara insisted that she wear hers to school. I am afraid of what condition it will be in by day's end of school. She told me that she broke into the "boy's club" on the playground. She just wasn't letting a little thing like gender define her. That's my girl. But bad news for a new shirt. You should have seen her these last few days after school. She looks like she rolled in dirt and paint. And two days ago, we had to go pick her up early because another kid accidentally stabbed her in the face with a pencil ! Thank goodness it didn't go in her eye. This does make her cool to the "boys club" though. :) Kindergarten is a rough and tumble place!

my new light

Oh I am sooo excited. I got this light from Ebay and I can't wait for it to come. I am putting it in our dining room over the table.

Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy!

When Emily has homework, WE have homework. I am looking forward to passing second grade. :) She has elaborate book reports every month. The reading of the books is the easy part; it's the report part that is so time consuming.

Tara did really well on her report card. I am seeing first grade in her future!

Last night was a rough one with the girls. They were determined to be, well, less than lovely to their parents. The offenses were too numerous to mention. So, finally I said "That's it, you're going to bed!!!!!" This was followed by pleas of "We'll be good!!" But I was done.

Jay and I turned on the fan part of the room air-conditioner last night. We don't have central air. We have to periodically clean the filter of dust but hadn't gotten around to it. It was the first time we turned it on this year and I woke up a hundred times last night with a stuffy nose. So it was cleaned thoroughly today. I've learned my lesson. Lazy=stuffy.

P.S. - what was up with Sanjaya's hair?!

Growing

Last August to today has been a big growth spurt for the girls. I was wondering why their clothes kept shrinking. ha ha. They have both gone up two sizes in just this school year! I wonder if basketball is in either of their futures.
These pictures are all in the span of less than a year.

January 2007 - Em's Birthday

Christmas Eve 2006

Playing Hockey - August 2006

Tara airborne/Em jumping - August 2006

Disney - July 2006

Disney July 2006

Florida - June 2006

Tara's 5th Birthday - May 2006

Jaytime II

Hey Blogville, it's JAY (the dark side of us!). Well today we tried to let Millie spend time outside, on a metal cable tied to a stake. Millie immediately wrapped herself around a large oak tree - not to the point of respiratory distress or anything - but just to the level where she sat there looking like a stuck dumb-dumb.

Most people would solve this by moving the stake to another part of the yard. Not I. See, I'm gonna cut that tree down.

It was one of those manly-movie moments, where I looked up and boldly told that oaken giant that this town ain't big enough for the both of us.

I have plans to rent a 20" gas chainsaw and a very tall ladder and gradually saw the tree into pieces. Of course, I have NEVER once used a chainsaw and I really don't know what I'm doing. But I do have lots of testosterone. Sometimes that is all one needs to change the world. Or get brutally injured.

HUGS TO YA ALL! (while I still have both my arms).

Millie

I just don't understand why people say Millie is spoiled. Just don't see it. :)