Back To School

Hello all! I know it's been awhile since I last posted. It's been SO busy lately...soccer, last vacation trip, and school. I will post more on our last big hurrah. On August 30Th my boys started school...well my bigger boys anyway. I was so excited and anxious for them. New school clothes and shoes along with new school supplies!!! Don't you all remember the first day of school? Many things going on in the Paulson household this year and it's getting crazier each month! Anyway, on to the photos!

Here is Lee in his new outfit for school that his Grandma and Grandpa Paulson got him and his backpack stuffed with school supplies from his Oma and Grandpa Jolly. Thank you guys, you are always a huge help when it comes to school stuff! Lee seems to be struggling a bit with school so far...I know we are only 2 days into it but I'm holding out hope that with some good talking to he'll come around. I think he's struggling with a new class, teacher and some new classmates and of course new rules of the classroom. I can't believe how this kid has grown!!! Is he really 6 and nearly three quarters of the way to 7? Is that even possible!?! Here's my guy Ian...tough guy right? Ian is going into the 3rd grade...what the heck!?! I think Ian is coming along quite nicely in school. He's picked up quite a bit with his reading and of course loves to read science books. He would love to take a cooking class...I think over a camping trip he found out he liked to cook while helping his grandma out. I think he's grown a foot over the summer too. You know as a parent I like to see my kids grow and all the challenges that brings but on the other side of that coin...I'm pretty sure I don't like it. Not one bit!!!

Look at these two!! This won't last forever I know but I do like these pictures when I can get them. I love my boys!

And then there's these two trouble makers. Dru spends his days telling me just how super hungry he is, even though he's eaten 3 hot dogs for lunch. I think after much thought and debate the child is bored out of his mind! Thank goodness that baby starts preschool! Eli...well look at him...they are getting too big too fast!

Off to the bus stop we go and on to the bus! I can't believe it, another school year starting and that makes 3 under our belt and another on it's way! Good heavens!

I hope everyone had a good summer and is gearing up for a great start to the school year! I wanted to get this blog out now while I could. Eli is asleep and after much frustration with my card that had these pictures on it...people were gonna get hurt if I couldn't get them off. Don't worry, people everyone is still here, I didn't have to hurt anyone. I put the disc in the card reader in the camera and low and behold it worked...WHEW!

So all that to say...look I got the pictures off and now we can all look at them! Aren't you glad you tuned into my blog just to read me rambling all over the place...I think I'll put myself to bed now!

Toodles!

Wholesale

A few days ago I found myself shopping at Costco for a trip to Crescent Bar and of course with some coupons that came in my mail. I am a huge sucker for coupons. Sigh...I went from picking up pennies on the road (much to Frank's horror) and I quit doing that and started with coupons. I'm not sure if Frank thinks this is better or not...I'm guessing not.

Anyway, getting off track there. I was at Costco and realized as I was walking around pricing things...I was so sick to my stomach. I have been wasting money!!! How can that be!!??!! So many things that I could get at a cheaper price! Sigh...with the way the boys are growing I need a whole cow and a bigger freezer at this rate! If I am browning at least 3lbs of beef for tacos for one night and minimal leftovers...I think I need the cow. I think.

So now it looks like I need to rearrange my shopping and money so that I at least make a trip there once a month or something...I can't beat those savings even if I shop at Walmart or Winco!

Just thought I'd share my revelations with you...it was eye opening for me. Poor Frank had to hear all about what I'd been missing out on and wasting my money on!

I hope everyone is having a good time and an end to summer and a beginning to fall...a.k.a school starting!!! YIPPEE!! Oh come on now...I know you all did a little dance just like I did! Don't lie to yourselves I know you are excited too!

Practice

Today was THE day!! Dru finally got to have his first experience in a sport and practice. We have finally started soccer!!!! Yippeee! So off we go to practice and we get there and there's this all girls team practicing. But that's OK, because I managed to make us early so NO worries. I get us all out and set up, kids are sitting away from each other because by golly George these kids will behave! I WILL look like a good parent on the outside...wrong! Ten minutes have come and gone and I'm starting to worry...I missed an email that said practice was cancelled, no other little people are showing up. Sigh...then it hits me...could I possibly be at the wrong park? NO! Maybe? NO! Yes...I am at the wrong park! DANG! I need to be at the other end of the street!
So folks, I was that parent that brought their kid late...you know sometimes when you try it just doesn't pay! So poor Dru was late to his first ever practice. Dru being Dru was not put out by it all and showed up ready to listen to his coach and to play/practice hard. To top it all off he had his buddy on his team with him...life couldn't' get better could it?
Here is the team, coed, with their coach. Check out those orange shorts! Life is getting better and better! The goal of this practice was to kick the ball at the coach and get her and in return she would make an animal sound of their choice. They didn't quite know what to make of it but did have a good time...we had a zebra, T-Rex, horses, a bear and a pig.

Roar! I think someone asked for a bear...

The mountain was out today and it was beautiful! Someday I will get to this mountain and either camp or hike with the boys. They should see the infamous Mt. Reindeer...

Coach doing the coaching...Dru's outfit cracks me up because his shorts are so long and his shin guards go up so far...but what a happy kid!

Well after all was said and done and we showed up late, this season should be interesting. Three kids in soccer and I had a moment today where it dawned on me that I've become a soccer mom...when did that happen? Did I authorize this? I'm sure I must have...maybe??

Well, there's my cue. Eli is up crying and it's late so I might as well go to bed.

Take care one and all!

Something New

So I finally did something with my 'honkleberries'. I made these muffins and they are quite tasty! I forgot to add the nutmeg though so I wonder what they would taste like with that ingredient in there. I hate it when I forget ingredients! The boys are enjoying them and would have the whole plate eaten by now if I allowed it!

Hope all are having a great day!

Make A Wish

As you know today is Frank's birthday...so I made a cake...Triple Fudge chocolate cake with homemade chocolate icing. The boys could hardly wait! Every year I take a picture of all my guys together with Frank. I will tell you though that every year it gets harder to get all of them to look and then to not get get weird looks like the one on Dru. Would you believe I took two photos and Dru's face was the same? Me either, but there you have it.

Frank on his birthday with his boys...Happy 34Th Frank! Blowing out those candles...make a wish! Hope it comes true Frank!

Eli giggled when we sang to his daddy, he just thought that was so funny. We had a good day I hope everyone else did too!

34

34 and going strong! Tomorrow my husband has a birthday...he's not a big celebrator of birthdays. He'd just rather not most of the time, but when you have kids it's a bit more difficult to not celebrate. Our boys get so excited about birthdays in general let alone someone they know and their dad on top of that!!! They even came together and picked out a cake for his birthday...Triple Fudge cake or something like that. Ian of course is drooling all over it...at the mention of chocolate he drools. It's a phenomenon or something.

Anyway, here is Frank as a baby... he's flipping some signs our way I think. What a cutie!
July of 2008 at Ft. Ebey...family picture with the boys...my how his life has changed! Catching some Salmon...one of his past times. I think this year he caught the biggest or he was the only one who caught anything. I can't quite remember what it was.

Awww...we look so young here! 4 kids later in less than 10 years and I'm not sure what you would call us...happy but exhausted? He is being a good sport here letting me take his picture...

One of my favorites...a genuine smile on his face. I think that's one of the reason's why I like it so much.

Frank and Eli, Memorial Weekend. They look so happy spending time in the sand together.

Happy Birthday Frank! Love you and hope this birthday is decent...VERY sorry I couldn't make it snow for your birthday or move us to Iceland. I hope you have a good day in spite of the fact that it's your birthday! I love you!

No Guts, No Glory

On Friday my husband took Dru and Lee out fishing. He took them fishing because their older brother got to go salmon fishing with out them. This was their end of the deal I suppose is the best way to put it. Anyway, off these guys went to the fishing hole and came back with these keepers. Frank took them to a place that was guaranteed to catch some fish...it was a hot day and the lakes would be packed and that would make for a frustrating day for a 3 and 6 year old! Frank didn't want to be that guy! I couldn't believe how short of a time they were gone...I thought they would be gone a long time and I would say maybe an hour...guess the fish were biting!

So here are the fellas with their catch. They each caught a big one and then medium, on down to a little one. A close up...we kept the big ones and gave the rest to Oma and Grandpa. They were SO excited to get them. They apparently love trout.

Dru, he had so much fun riding in his dad's truck and fishing. The fishing hole they went too does birthday parties. I'm undecided if I want to spend that kind of change, but it does get people out of my house and no wrestling in my house. It does have it's perks...

Lee started teasing Dru with the fish...kinda was funny although Dru wasn't sure what to think or do. Which made it all the more funny. Charlie did so good with all this fish around, honestly I don't think he quite knew what to make of it all.

Frank gutting the fish in our front yard. The boys also wanted to see the heart so we had to find that. Just so you know...trout is WAY smellier than salmon...why is that? And it was gross, at least on the salmon boat they cleaned the fish for you so I didn't have to see this kind of stuff. At least Frank didn't fillet himself this time, he did with the salmon..we think to the knuckle bone but that's a guess at best.

This is a video not for the faint of heart. It's of Frank gutting the fish and finding the heart for the boys and me getting the boys, OK well Lee playing with the fish and giving them head trauma from dropping the darn things (guess I'm glad they are dead before Lee got a hold of them). I'll do another post on Ian's fishing trip soon. I hope everyone is surviving the heat OK, only one more day for the heat advisory and then we are home free...sorta. Just won't be in the really high 90's.

Kayak Point

Hello all! I know it's been forever and a day since I've last posted something...OK well not that long. Either way, here we are again...same bat channel people!

The last weekend of July a friend and I took our boys camping to Kayak Point. We usually try and go camping at least once a summer but last year we didn't and I think this summer we are making up for it. We have this trip and then another on in 2 weeks I believe. That on is going to be at Crescent Bar and we are going to have a blast there too!

I've said it before and I'll say it again....I love camping with my friend because there is no stress and no expectations required of me. I am not worried about my kids bothering someone or them being annoying. It's just one of the most relaxing times for me camping with her. This time around camping didn't disappoint. We had so much fun and I think our kids had a blast. We had smores, fires, sticks, bugs, raccoons, squirrels, water, hermits, crabs, and dogs. Put that all together and you have memories that will live on.

Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Dru putting his two bits worth in the water. I just really like this picture artistically...I just really like it...it's probably not artistic at all.

My goof ball of a kid. He was being funny with his hat. He had such a good time camping. He really likes it and can't get enough of doing stuff and trying to keep up with the big boys. Or is it the big boys are trying to keep up with him? Either way the kid doesn't know he's little and he thinks he's as big as they are. Kinda like small dogs don't know they are little and bark at really big dogs...

My friend Nikki...I have known this woman for a long time. Since I was a little girl...she's my guardian angel...but that's another story for another time and date. This is my friend's dog Scout. She makes me want a Chihuahua...and not just me, my boys too. She was looking all little and cold here and wanted me to pick her up and snuggle with her...so I picked her up of course.

One of my biggest stresses when we go camping are my children and them staying warm at night. I managed to keep myself up that first night for HOURS wondering and making sure they were warm. I laid on my bed and every time they made a move I clicked on my flashlight to see if they were OK. My OCD kicked in overdrive that night! My butt was dragging that night. Next time I just need to quell my OCD and pack a bunch of extra blankets and cover them each. That will help a lot next time. Usually Frank is there with me to tell me to knock it off and they will be fine...he was in Detroit getting all smart that camping trip...so I was left to my own devices to torture myself. Suffice it to say...not one of them woke up and said they were cold...it was just me being neurotic...of course.

So I didn't worry needlessly about the littlest one he slept in bed with me...where he normally is anyway. He looks all innocent there but he's a horrible bed hog! He talks in his sleep and he kicks in his sleep and he REALLY doesn't like socks or footy pj's...he'll give you hell all night for that! I feel bad for his future wife...sorta.

We had so much fun, spent the day at the beach talking while the kids played in the water. Kids played at the park and we walked on the dock and watch people pulling crab pot after pot full of Rock Crab. It was fun. I can't wait for Crescent Bar...last year we made homemade ice cream...we all took turns churning and we had our own little back yard concert put on by other people in the development. Those were good times sitting there with our Lynchberg Lemonades...speaking of those. I'll have to remember to get some of those fixin's!

Take care folks and try to stay cool in our version of a heatwave!

Baby Condo

This was our set up...well actually my friend Nikki set this up for Eli while he took his afternoon nap at Kayak Point. We had so much fun camping there! I love camping with her...there are absolutely no expectations camping with her. We work together, occasionally read each other's minds and get it done. I look forward to many more camping trips with her and maybe...JUST maybe when the kids don't want to be with us anymore...we'll go on big girl vacations!!

Not Forgotten

I haven't forgotten about you my stalker peeps! I hope to post something tomorrow! It's been busy, busy here!

Soccer Camp #1

So today Lee got to go to soccer camp. He was a little leery of going and not sure it's what he wanted to do. Being who I am, I made him go anyway. Good parenting there! Actually I knew he'd have fun so we went. The boys and I went to watch. Note to self: do not bring the boys!! There is no where for them to go/play. They drove me batty!

So here is Lee getting right into it! It really helped that he had a few friends there to make it a bit easier. Lee is wearing a red t-shirt and has a close, buzzed hair cut.
Not sure what he's doing here but it looks to me that he's playing with a friend.

Lee doing some drills. He really looks like he's having fun

Trouble times 3!

Mt. Reindeer. The mountain was out today and so I felt the need to photograph it. It looks good! I need to go there again and take my boys. They should see it up close.

Tomorrow we go for Ian for his chance to go to soccer camp. I really like it because for them they get to do this soccer camp the whole month of August along with some possible practices with their teammates. I can't believe how fast summer has gone by. Every year when school gets out I dread summer because I always think it's going to drag on. The last 3 years it hasn't though and I love that it hasn't. I love that we keep ourselves busy with camping with family and friends and all the stuff we've done this summer. I have really liked our park playdates with our MOPS mommies. That has helped a lot. Well I'm rambling so off I go. I hope everyone had a great weekend. I hope to post soon about my latest camping adventure with my BFF (best friend forever). Yes, I'm over 30 and I have a BFF!