Back To School

Back to school today and under the weather. Even though the 50 degree weather was nice, I think it made everybody in my family sick. I am the last one to get it and of course it's time to go back to work. Hopefully it will be short-lived. Thank goodness it is a short week this week.

It's nice to get the kids back in a routine and a decent bedtime hour.

Welcome 2007

Our New Year's Eve party was quiet and safe. We were down to just one kid so we had sparkling white grape juice and noise makers. We watched Superman Returns and ate junk food all night. Watched the Navy Pier celebration countdown on tv.
New Year's Eve and 50 degrees - unbelievable.

Ham and Blackeyed Peas with rice for New Year's Day Dinner.
Gotta have it for luck.

A Day In Chicago

Angie & I, my girlfriend Jill and her daughter Jenna spent the day downtown Chicago. We intended to go to Shedd Aquarium but since King Tut was sold out at the Field Museum everybody else had the same idea. The line to get into the Shedd was 3 hours long. So after paying $15.00 to park for 35 minutes we decided to go to plan B. The girls wanted to go to Ed Debevic's for lunch. Our waiter was great. He put a hat on my head because he didn't like my hair. He wouldn't take Angie's order because she had on "too much mascara". He told my girlfriend Jill to go back to her cornfield. Angie and I had our picture drawn before we left. After our insulting lunch, we left to find an IMAX movie. We wanted to see Happy Feet but it had already started so we settled for A Night In The Museum. The movie was just ok with a few funny parts.

Surprise Party

Casey gave herself a surprise birthday party last night. Unknowingly to Dad & I she invited the whole basketball team over for a sleep over party. I had to scramble to get some pizzas and snacks together. I had girls sleeping all over the place. She will probably never see another day. Somebody help me with this child.

Bill & I are invited to a New Year's Eve party in Michigan. Do I have any takers for three lovely children?

Scott finally came home last night, after missing his flight in Oklahoma and had to stay over another day. We opened gifts again last night in the midst of the kaos and he was happy with his presents.

Amy's Surprise Visit

Amy and the kids (ages 5 & 2) showed up last night about midnight - what a nice surprise. Her knee looks more like a cantaloupe than a knee. She is baking Christmas sugar cookies with the kids, that is part of her gift to us.

Just kind of a lazy day today - gearing up to take down and put away all the Christmas decorations.

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas morning and you know your kids are teenagers when the parents are up before the kids. Once everyone was up and the turkey was in the oven - we opened presents. Everyone seemed please with what they got this year. (No, it wasn't shoes!). Russ and Sarah will be here in the early afternoon and will stay for dinner. Scott called from Oklahoma - we will have his Christmas on the 27th. Bill's sister & kids aren't coming after all because she got kicked by her horse - ouch.

I've started hitting the "eggnog" already so I hope the turkey can finish cooking itself.

Merry Christmas to all and I hope your Christmas is a happy one.

Christmas Eve

My most favorite day of the year - it even beats out my birthday. When I was a child, we would open all the gifts on Christmas eve and then Santa would bring even more. My brother and I would wake each other up and run out to the tree to see what Santa brought. As we got older and the inevitable happened, we would open just one gift on Christmas eve and save the rest for Christmas morning.
Now my kids camp out on the floor and sleep under the tree. The first one to wake up the whole family gets to play Santa Claus and give out the gifts.

Have a great day everyone and I hope Santa is good to you.