Summer wrap-up

Let's take a look at the summer to-do list, shall we?

Overall, I thought this summer was pretty productive, loud, and (sometimes) loooooooong.

1. MASTERS- Check!

I finished both classes with an A and am 2 classes away from being finished!  The classes this summer were ok, one was way over my head but I must have done enough BS-ing to make is seem like I knew what I was talking about?  I don't know, but it's done! 

2.  BATHROOM- ummmmmmm....

I believed I promised you all a toilet and a sink by the end of the summer, and unfortunately I'm only able to deliver on half of that.  The toilet is in, but the sink that we bought (3 years ago) isn't gong to work.  It needs some backing behind the drywall and we don't have room due to a vent pipe.  So, we are looking for a new sink or a different way to install the sink we have and still waiting on a kid-free weekend to start the shower.  We did get the decorative molding up, installed the lights, and patched the hole from the medicine cabinet so that's something!

3.  PAINTING- No, nope, not even a little.

I need some inspiration to get this started....

4.  BLURB BOOKS- Nope, not even a little, no.

OMG, what did I do this summer?  Maybe I was't as productive as I thought?  Why do I make these lists?  

5.  SHOWER BEFORE 10- Okay, I did this one!

Probably my easiest task of the summer.  Being up and ready was helpful on several occasions.

6.  NOLA'S ACTIVITES- Check!

What a fun and busy summer she had!  June was crazy.  She had Dance on Tuesdays, Gymnastics on Wednesdays, and T-ball on Thursdays.  Gymnastics was the only thing she did in July, which was nice.  She enjoyed all of them, but says she liked t-ball the most.  She's going to continue dance in DC this fall and was glad we were going to a different studio.  She said the teacher was mean?  It will be easier in David City anyway.

We also went swimming A TON!  Mostly in June and the beginning of July.  I got a little lazy toward the end of summer when Turk wasn't sleeping very well.  They both enjoyed to pool and I liked it too!

7.  OTHER HOUSE STUFF- not so much.

I cleaned out some closets, but not that much.  I was hoping to get the doors or the countertop done but it seemed silly to start that with the bathroom still in progress.  

Other summer activities- A girl's trip to Dallas, played with the daycare kids next door, played in the kids pool, online shopping :), a really fun wedding, swimming with Aunt Jennie in Lincoln, spent time with my college roommates and their kids, lots of time on the swing set, Robert's anniversary party, went bowling (twice), a girls trip to the zoo, back to school shopping with my mom, played my sixth year of sand volleyball with the Wilcheson volleyball team, walked in the David City parade and went to the fair, a trip to Chicago, went shopping in Omaha with friends, and lots of Nola and Turk time!


Wilcheson Volleyball team

The children of C18

Good bye summer!  Can't wait to see you again!

Girl's Day

I read a lot about having a second child and how it was important to do things one-on-one with the oldest kid once the baby comes.  With that in mind, as well as  an invitation to the zoo, I thought I would have a girl's day with Nola!  

She threw a fit when I told her Turk wasn't coming.  Now I know who she likes better.

After she came to terms with the fact that it was just going to be the two of us, we packed up the car and headed to the Omaha zoo!  A friend was celebrating a birthday there so we met up with them. 

It was crazy busy (I had to make my own parking spot) and just hot enough to be kind of miserable, but we ran into Nola's daycare provider and her family.  Nola was very shy and told me later that she didn't talk to her because she didn't think it was the real Michelle. 

We got to see the monkeys, the new elephants and the giraffes along with other zoo animals.  We only stayed a few hours then headed to the main event....

Build-a-bear!!!

I don't know why she's so obsessed.  She has told me on several occasions that her life goal is to work at Build-a-bear.  We have been doing a behavior chart with her and the big prize was a trip to her future employer, so she already had an animal picked out.  

We ended our outing with a stop at the Cheesecake Factory.  Nola tried her cheesecake and then puked it up on her cheesecake right next to the couple that was having a romantic date.  Ummm, sorry?!?  But mostly I'm sorry that I couldn't finish her cake.  Because of the puke on it.  Kids. 

Reycation 2016

My family lives all over, so we try to get together over the summer.  Last year we went to Minnesota, this year we headed to Chicago.   I've never been so I was looking forward to it!  With so many of us (10 adults, 2 kids) it's hard to plan stuff.  Luckily, my little sister took charge and planned some fun things for us to do! 

We went on a pizza tour (Rob's favorite) on the first day.  It was a bus tour that took us around to 4 different places.  All of them were delicious!!

The tour guy was funny, in my pizzapinion :)  

Then we walked around the city until our show started.  We went to #dateme, a Second City show.  It was sooooo funny!  It was written by the star of the show who made 38 fake profiles and put them on Ok Cupid.  The profiles were all rediculous (think crazy cat lady) but she still got a lot of messages.  All of the stories she told were true and taken directly from profiles and emails she received.  She even projected the real screen names.  So funny!  

The next day was the 4th of July.  My younger sister, Jessica, and her husband John like to try to run a race when they are in a new place.  I signed up with the intention of walking it with my mom but she backed out.  I wasn't going to do it but Jessica said she would walk it with me.  I'm glad she did, it was a lot of fun!  I decided to document it on social media.  

Since mom registered but didn't run she had a number.  I put it on my back.  She finished just after I did. 

At one point I told a worker that this was turning more into a pictorial essay than it was a race.  He didn't get, maybe he doesn't follow me on Instagram?!?!

The house we rented had a pool so we spent the rest of the day out there and ate and drank and laughed.  Then we went to a fireworks show in the neighborhood. 

Nola got a light-up sword thing from Aunt Jessica.  It's such a fun toy to have at home with a baby...... at least it doesn't make noise! 

The next day we went to a Cubs game and then went to The Book of Mormon- hilarious! 

I heard the show was a little outrageous, but didn't know anything about the story.  It was so good, I've had one of the songs in my head since I saw it! 

The next day we drove the 8 hour trip home- it took 10.  It was such a sort trip, but we had a lot of fun family time!  Some other highlights:

The house we rented had a lot of buddha statues.

Most of my family in front of the bean!  Rob and I didn't make it there, I guess we'll have to go back!

Some Turk time.  Uncle John met him for the first time on this trip!

I also got to see a college friend who lives in Chicago!  We ate lunch at, you guessed it, a pizzeria! 

Looking forward to the next #reycation!!