No real reason to blog..

So - no real reason to blog. Just thought I'd put up some pics of the kids. Enjoy!
Chicken Nugget in kindergarten. Just 2 weeks to go!

Pumpkin Pie hiking with Daddy - and a "do rag"

Huckleberry and Chris Zug from Penn State @ the Blue & White Scrimmage.

The kids going to a friends Star Wars themed birthday party. Princess Lea looks mad - cute, but still mad. I think Padme' may have hit her.

Heading Back to School...

Well - it's been a long week. But I've got to tell you - my Chicken Nugget is quite a trooper. Even in her worst pain, she was always so sweet. And if you know her, that probably doesn't come as much of a surprise. We told her all week how proud we are of her - how she handled her pain with such grace. I told Stretch, that she's got quite a tolerance for pain - she does NOT get that from her momma. She'll be the mom who says in the delivery room, "drugs? nah."

It was a longer week than I think we all expected. She peaked on Wednesday - was feeling really good. Then crashed on Thursday and has been on the upswing since. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Chicken Nugget heads back to school tomorrow - and she is more than excited! I heard her say to one of her girlfriends on the phone, "being at home is sooooo boring". I hear ya honey!

Surgery Update...

Chicken Nugget is home and doing well. She was VERY upset when she woke up and it took over an hour to calm her down. She kept saying, "I didn't want to have my tonsils out!" "I didn't want to have my tonsils out!".

The surgery went very well. She walked herself into the operating room, holding on to her stuffed animal, Snuggles. It broke my heart - but we both held it together. She was so brave. In twenty minutes, the doctor was in the waiting room talking to us. She did great - he said she'll be breathing so much better. Hallelujah.

Apparantly, the pain gets worse for the next day or so. Sunday is "supposed" to be her worst day. So we are just praying that it doesn't get worse. I appreciate your prayers and she continues to heal.

I'll update you again later!

A Big Day for Chicken Nugget

Well, today is a big day in the life of Chicken Nugget. She is having her tonsils and adenoids out today. It's been a long time coming, and we're glad that it's finally here. We are to arrive at the surgery center at 10:30, and I imagine she'll be in surgery around 11:30/noon. If you would please pray for her today. She is hungry (no food since last night) and feeling a bit nervous. We trust that God is going to see her through this surgery beautifully. Thank you for standing with us. I'll post again tonight.

What's New at the Jack House?

I would hope to tell you that the reason I'm too busy to blog is because I'm doing something FABULOUS! But no - this is how I'm spending my Monday - Friday... driving. Huckleberry to school, come back. Chicken Nugget to school at noon, come back. Drag Pumpkin Pie out of bed from her nap at 3:00 to pick up the kids from school, come back. Forget it if I have somewhere else to go - like an errand. My car is my new home. And it's not nearly as nice as my real house.

Really - there is very little time for anything else. But here are some random pics to get you by...

It's About Time!

No, you're not dreaming. It is not the end of the world. Pigs are not flying. I just decided that I should put something else up on this blog since it's been since April.

The summer is definitely in full swing here. We've been very busy here at the House That Jack Built. First, every summer it takes our family a few weeks to adjust to ALL BEING HOME. Stretch is a teacher and is home all summer. The first week of summer vacation is like the honeymoon phase - we're all just thrilled to be home and have nothing to do. We sleep in, have no schedule, play outside all day, stay up late, etc.

The second week, I inform my husband that we must have a schedule - because "I can't do this all summer long". So he appeases me. We get a plan, and start following it. I am in "summer schedule heaven" - breakfast, schoolwork, chores, an outing, lunch, naptime, freetime, dinner, bed. I just love a schedule.

And for about two weeks - we are really good at it.

Then Stretch starts to veer from the schedule, slipping out during school and chores - I head to look for him, after he's been M.I.A. for a while. I know where to look for him - somewhere in the yard. Yep, there he is - and he's done it again... he's started a project.

My husband LOVES summer projects. And most women wouldn't mind a husband who is constantly working to better the house & yard. Except that - we never discuss a project. I just find him in full swing breaking concrete, cutting a larger bed for the shrubs he decided to transplant. Next thing you know we are both at Home Depot and he's buying 30 bags of concrete for a new walkway & a giant concrete mixer in my driveway.

Unfortunately the project takes "longer than expected". So, he has to stop half way through the project, because his Thesis is not done and has to be completed by August. Then have my cousin and her family visit with us from Texas for four days. They leave on a Monday, and we head for the Auto Train to Florida the very next day to spend a week in DisneyWorld (which I'll save for another post). Phew... Are you tired yet?

Now we're back - the schedule I came to love has been demolished, and I don't know if I have the energy to bring it back to life. Everyone else seems just fine to piddle the day away... maybe I should be too. I know it will all get done... but the relaxing summer I always hope for, never quite happens that way.

I'm going to take a nap. I should probably blog more than once a quarter - because all this catching up is exhausting.

Proud Mama...

I'm a proud mama. Chicken Nugget decided that she would like to play t-ball this year. It's so nice to see her wanting to do other things (aka sports) instead of just playing mommy, dress up and make up. I want her to be a "well rounded" little girl. And I'm quite surprised - but she really likes it!

Her first game was on Saturday. She was amazing. She hit the ball, she ran the bases - she even fielded alot of balls and threw them to first base. At the end of the game, her coach called her over and presented her with the coveted "Game Ball". He is such a gentlemen about it. He got down on one knee and said such encouraging words to her. The game ball reads:

"Chicken Nugget" (ok obviously it would be her real name, not her blog name)

Tigers vs. Rockies

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Game Ball

"for being the best overall player"

I gotta say - I was really proud of her. I think a part of it, for me, was the fact that I was "the girl" in our family. I wasn't given an option to play sports - my brothers did that. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure if I had said to my parents "I want to play baseball" I would have been allowed. I just don't think I even knew it was an option. And as I got older, I wished that I had played a team sport. It's seems like such a fun experience. I digress.

She's good at it. And she was proud of herself. In fact, she slept with the game ball that night and showed anyone and everyone. Good job Chicken Nugget - you rock girl!