Wetland Wonders

A handful of my Daisies visited Ritchey Woods in Fishers this past weekend, to explore the wonders of the wetlands.  Being that it's on Hague Rd, between 96th and 106th steets, I've passed by Ritchey Woods many a times on my way to my mom's and I've often wondered what exactly this was.

I got the opportunity to find that out through "Wetland Wonders."  Ritchey Woods is a public nature preserve with trails, greenways, and shelters.  It's different than your typical park in that it doesn't have a playground; this truly is a spot to enjoy nature in it's element.  Although we didn't see Shrek, we found just about everything else that lives in a swamp.  Yummy!

I'm glad I was able to see what this park was all about.......no doubt I'll be planning some fun excursions this summer for Emma & Drew.  Drewbie will just LOVE it.

Checking out all the critters in the swamp.

Miss Maggie and Miss Grace fishing up some goodies.

So happy!

Miss Emma and Miss Isabelle

Emma's Surf Shack

Lately I've been busy "redecorating" our house.  (And mainly while Andy's out of town.....but that's another post, soon to come!)  One of my biggest achievements thus far has been Emma's new "Surf Shack" room.

Ever since she watched "Soul Surfer" over a year ago, she's been fascinated with all things surfing.  Or Bethany Hamilton.  Or shark attacks.  Or surf shorts.

You get the picture.

So I've been pinning ideas on Pinterest (of course), gathering inspiration for her new room.  One of my favorite sites (aside from Pinterest, of course) is ana-white.com.  It's full of FREE design plans for virtually anything home decor-wise.  I saw that they had a plan for a clubhouse bed.....one that is EXACTLY like the $1,500 Pottery Barn one.

So I forwarded that bad boy over to my dad, who just happens to be a handy-dandy granddaddy.  Who's recently retired.  I couldn't think of a better way for him to pass his free-time up!  And, thankfully, he couldn't either.

So, without further ado, I present to you: Emma's new SURF SHACK.

This is under the shack.
A little reading nook / hide-out / fort.
It's a BIG hit!

(The fan is disabled, BTW. I'm not a big fan of head injuries.)

Soda Free

For Lent, I decided to give up soda.  Which, as many of you know, was a huge sacrifice on my part.  As sad and disgusting as it was for me to say, I would drink a minimum of 44 ounces of soda a day. 

Holy cow, right?!?

Sad. Disgusting.  But true.

If I didn't go during my lunch break, I would grab a fountain beverage from the gas station on my way home.  And I would always go for the largest, 44 ounce Big Daddy cup!

So I decided that I would give up something that would truly be a sacrifice on my part.  As I was sitting and listening to Father Jim speak to the kids of SPX, explaining the meaning to these beautiful children of what exactly Lent was….it sort of hit me.

It’s pretty simple, in fact.

God gave his life for us.

Surely I can give up Cherry Coke Zero for 40 days!

So I did.

And it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.  There were only 2 or 3 times where I truly craved a fountain beverage from my local Marathon station.

Fast forward to Easter Sunday:  I had my first Coke Zero.  And it wasn't nearly the joyous occasion I thought it would be.  I thought that first sip would be so refreshing that my taste buds would have started signing a glorious song right then and there.  But they didn't.  So I finished my 12 ounces, then had some water.

A few days later, I realized I hadn't had any Coke Zero since Easter.  So I popped open a can and took a big 'ole chug.

And I almost spit the whole thing out right there in my dear husband’s face.  It burned SO BAD.  Apparently, it didn't have an effect on me at Easter because of all the other CRAP I was inhaling at the time……but this time I was like, “Holy hell, this is like pure acid!”

So I've come to the conclusion that I will no longer be drinking soda on a daily basis.  I guess I can’t say that I’m banning it entirely.  I mean, if I want to have a Cherry Coke Zero every now and then, then I’ll have one.  But I am perfectly happy to quench my thirst with good old, plain HEALTHY water.

Cheers and cold beers water!

Juna

Let me introduce you to Drew’s new best friend, Juna.

Juna is a unique individual.  One day, Juna is a boy.  Another he is a girl. 

You see, Juna is Drew’s imaginary friend that he speaks of and to on a daily basis. 

When dropping Emma off at school, we pass by Juna’s house.

If I’m being mean, Drew “threatens” me with Juna: “If you don’t let me have a piece of candy, I’m going to tell Juna.”

Drew has playdates – quite frequently, I must say – with the infamous Juna.

How did Juna come about, you ask?  Well, Emma & Drew took a liking to the movie “Spy Kids,” where the little brother’s name is Juni.  And for a while there, Emma & Drew would pretend to be the Spy Kids, by going on secret missions.  Eventually, Juni turned into Juna, Drew’s BFF.

And they've been inseparable ever since!

Top 'O The Mornin' To Ya

So, I've fallen just a weeeee bit behind this past month.

Sorry, dad.

But it's never too late to celebrate ye ole Irish holiday, now is it?!?

It's become a tradition for me  those mischievous leprechauns to color the toilet water green on St. Patty's Day mornin'.....and this year was no different!  The only difference, however, was the fact that I didn't get a picture of them discovering it.

That's because one of them woke up in the middle of the night to use the rest room.

And they didn't flush.

So I thought I'd spare you any pictures of MY discovery.

Lately he's been making this face when I pull the camera out.
Let's call it his "signature look."

Always one to sport the latest in holiday fashions,
Emma proudly shows off her "green" morning meal.

Stopping for a quick photo opp with Woody,
at the Lego store in Chicago.

CUMNS Kids

Drew has really blossomed at CUMNS Kids.  He loves his teachers, he loves his friends, and he loves the educational routine that it provides for him (he told me so, that’s how I know).  

So proud of his block tower that he built!

Snack time with all his friends

Love him!