WILL SHAKE BOTTOM FOR TMNT.

This is pretty much the funniest thing you'll ever see. It's my son singing and dancing to the old school Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song. And please forgive my poor filming, I will attribute it to trying SO hard not to laugh, I was shaking! Believe me, hilarity will ensue.

An off-day.

So, today has just been kinda one of those days where I just feel like a ditz. I've just been late to everything, and forgetful, and driving like an idiot. Y'know, a "dumb" day. I don't get it, I mean, I'm not even pregnant or anything. I swear. What gives?!

Well, here's a little experience just to give you a taste of just how brainless today was. So, I went to lunch downtown, at a place I'd never been before. I just chose a parking ramp to park in, because I figured they would validate for any of the ramps around the restaurant - well, it ended up that I parked in the only parking ramp that this particular restaurant doesn't validate for. So, I was totally bummed I was going to have to pay for parking. Did I mention on the way out the garage, I dropped my little ticket, and had to go back for it? Then once we get to the car, still thinking about the parking, my friend and I are driving through the ramp, talking about how I actually have cash, and so I can pay for parking. We pull up to the exit, and it only takes credit cards. So I was irritated at that, because I just thought cash was easier. But first, you have to put your little ticket into the automated machine. I'm feeding it through, and I'm feeding it through - it's not accepting it. I'm thinking, 'I need better instructions to figure this thing out.' It has a screen, kinda like an ATM - it's too high for me to see, so I open up my door and get out of my car. Then I look back, and there are like, 10 cars behind me. Keep in mind, I have been stopped at the little gate for a while here - and then, I hear a guy yelling at me: "the gate is already up - Go!" I look up, see the gate really is up, jump in my car, and drive off as quickly as possible - hoping the arm doesn't crash down on my car! My friend and I were hysterically laughing for like, 5 minutes at my idiocy. Free parking, after all that. Duh! I know, I'm a spaz. It's just a spaz kind of a day.

Am I a man? Yes, technically I am

This is my first contribution to our family blog. I know I'm jumping on the bandwagon here by putting Flight of the Conchords on our blog - but really, can you have too much of a good thing? This song always puts a smile on my face. Maybe it is because of the truly deep lyrics? Good thing my patients don't know that I am laughing to myself about shoe company overheads while testing them.
Katie and I fell in love with Bret and Jemaine watching their live concert on HBO (before they had their own series) while staying at a hotel back in May 2006. Before that, we were laughing at Jemaine from his Outback Steakhouse commercials ("Not good Mum, not good."). Interesting choice for an Outback spokesman, considering he is a Kiwi . . .

Is it Mother's Day?

So, I know that I seemingly brag about how adorable Ben is at times. I'm sorry to do it to you all again - but since this is a journal or sorts, I have to add today's quote...

Katie (talking to Doug)- "Why is my house so messy lately? Is it because I'm a horrible wife and mother?"
Ben interjects - "You're not horrible mom. You're perfect. I've always wanted a mom like you."
Katie, shocked and tearfully stunned at the kindness spewing from the 3-year-old's lips - "Why are you saying such nice things?
B- "Because I love you!"

What a little schmoozer I'm raising. But y'know what, as long as I'm on the receiving end, I'm okay with that. I want to be able to refer back to this on the days he's screaming "I hate you!!!" through gritted teeth!

The Nightmare is finally over...

Okay, so I've been meaning to report a few good things that we've experienced in the last week. As several of you know, for the last year and a half, we've been dealing with trying to fix our ceiling. I will post a few pictures below.... But for those of you who don't know the story, basically, a tornado rolled by our house back in August of 2006 (3 months after moving to MN), creating winds strong enough to rip up our 200 foot tall Cottonwood trees, and throw branches all over our yard - including into our roof. Tons of water got into the hole, and seeped into our walls, carpet (2-month-old carpet mind you), ceiling, etc. Insurance paid for it, but we had a $1000 deductible - so it didn't cover it all, once that was paid. The water caused the ceiling in our Master Bedroom to warp, so we basically had to rip it out and put a new one in again. We hired a guy, he fixed it in October. But, he didn't do a very good job at mudding and taping - the seams were so bad. It looked like a big old square about a foot out from the wall, all the way around the room. He is the most difficult man to get a hold of. I'd call him, and after three weeks, he'd call me back - after I'd completely harassed him, of course. He said he'd come fix it when we had the time. In January, the week before I had Spencer, he tried it again, and it was not much of an improvement. We continued the phone tag - and he said he'd do it again, but wanted to wait until he had more time available... A year later, he said, he had an idea to fix the prob. We just wanted our money back by this point. And I was so skeptical of his skills and ability. He came up with a "racetrack" idea to just cover it up. Instead of try to re-mud and everything. We had seen it done, and we liked it, but weren't sure it would work to cover up the seams completely. But, we thought it could look nice in our Master Bedroom. So - we gave it a shot and told ourselves that if it was ugly again, we'd just ask for the money back. While we were in Phoenix, we came home to the job done. And we think it looks great. It's finally done!!! Yipee!The culprit of our water damage

Just to show you how big the branch was that hit the house.

The Aftermath of our front yard from all the fallen branches. Obviously a forest! And no, it wasn't cheap paying for removal! We were told that our house was on the news because it was one of the few that actually had so much damage from the storm.It looks like so little water to warrant such a headache!

But Finally.... It looks like this...

The New Ceiling. They call it "racetrack ceiling" or stair-stepping. How luxurious! :)

And Hallelujah! We finally got our new phones. Technology has come leaps and bounds in just a few years. This phone has the coolest features, and it wasn't even expensive. I can't imagine what a Blackberry might have! We are lovin' it.

Easter Party... Friend Style

On friday, our awesome little group of friends decided (well, Jo's idea - thanks!) to get the Easter festivities going just a titch (..sp?) early. The kids had a fabulous time looking for eggs (thanks to Jess and Jen), decorating cookies (thanks to Shel, Dene' and Car), and playing Don't Eat Pete (thanks to Jo and Cami.) I feel pretty bad that my part was so small, and everyone else did so much work. I swear that I tried to do more with my activities other than Don't Eat Pete; I brought prizes and treats and had ideas for more games - but it just didn't work out the way I had planned. It's okay though, hopefully nobody's judging me- I think the kids loved it, and it was low-key (as E said) - and that's the important thing.

I know I am jumping on the band-wagon of the rest of my friends by putting this picture on the blog and saying how much I love these girls. I've been meaning to do this forever. But seriously, they have made my life so much easier and enjoyable - and isn't that what friends are for? I love them so much, and I am just so thankful that they have included me in their lives, (although I have no reason to be included because I am the odd-man-out by not being a resident's wife.) I feel so lucky they invite me to things! They are all so amazing and inspiring. I am truly blessed to know such wonderful women. THANK YOU!!!Anyway, here are all of our little munchkins! They are such little angels.

Here's Spencer during the baby section of the hunt. He didn't quite get the whole concept - I was snapping pics and didn't help him until all the eggs were gone! Oops.
Since Spence didn't get any, Ava shared - how sweet!

We went to the mall right after the party and got this little gem taken! Happy Easter to all!

Phoenix... the Valley of the SUN! Yipee!

Our little fam at the Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World (an extremely Cabela's-like store.) It was pretty cool.

So, I have some time to blog today finally. Spencer's napping, and Ben is into Mr. Rogers right now, (and incidentally, Wednesday, March 20th WOULD have been Fred Rogers 80th birthday, and in honor of him, they are having a "Won't you wear a Sweater? day" on Wed.) Yes, I know I'm getting off here...

But anyway, we had a great trip - and actually, as it is snowing today, I truly wish we were still there. Man, 75 degrees was such a treat... We had a great time swimming, playing with cousins, my sister Jill, Doug's brother's family, and Doug's folks. We also shopped at Costco, (which I miss very much,) went to eat at some great places, including Mexican - which I also miss very much, (If you live in Rochester, you know it is pretty slim pickings as far as Mexican goes.) And we even went to the Easter Pageant at the temple grounds. It was a neat presentation - and is totally worth seeing if you haven't seen it before.

Our rental car came equipped with this bad boy. I was in LOVE! It made our trip so enjoyable. No worrying about being lost - especially in Scottsdale where we didn't know much of the area. I would love one of these.

Ben was obsessed with the hot tub. I have been able to get very few pics of Ben smiling lately. I don't know what's up. But I thought the eyes closed was typical, and appropriate - for the stage he's in right now.Look at those pecks! What a stud! Like Father, like son - I guess. :) Doug will like that one...Brandi and Ben pinky-sweared to be Best Friends. HOw cute was that?! Little do they know that we don't have a very good record of getting together with these particular cousins. Seeing them once every year or two... sadly. Hopefully they remember their love next year!!!

See? Spencer loves Costco too!

Sporting their skillz at FHE...

Little Miss Sunshine... That's Me!

I'm... finally...leaving...the...cold...weather!!!! Oh, how I long to be warm again, the sun blanketing my entire freezing little body. How nice.

We're going to Phoenix tomorrow for a week. And we're SO freakin' stoked to be leaving Minnesota at this juncture of the winter. Man, it's gettin' old. It was supposedly a -7 wind chill yesterday. NEGATIVE? In MARCH? For pete's sakes. In the next few days, we're supposed to have a record-breaking low for March. We're all just dyin' here.

So, I noticed something weird as I've been thinking of what to pack. I am seriously psychologically, perpetually stuck in winter. I keep wanting to pack long sleeves and stuff, and thinking that will be okay, that the heat won't be THAT hot. Why can I not fathom what it will be like to be in 80 degree weather? I think it's just sad.

But we're so excited to have a fun trip, and a fun visit with friends and family. So, we won't be blogging for the next week - just to let you know. Have a good week! See ya on the flip side!

Mr. Ron Popeil is terribly convincing isn't he?

Ben - Mom, I really want a Power Juicer.

K- Um, why would you want a juicer, and how did you even hear about it? Was it on a show?

B- No mom, it was on a commercial. But a power juicer is really cool and you can put in stuff like an apple, or a cucumber, and it makes it juice ...

Only my 3 year old would think that cucumber juice sounds awesome. Oh, the power of marketing (sigh) - I know all you moms hear me there!

Rock Band is soo fun!!!

A big thanks goes out to Carly and Mike for helping us ROCK out the other night! It was a whole family affair - and we all loved it. You all definitely should try it. Or at least Guitar Hero. I think I like the guitar the best, but kinda ended up singing a lot because I was more willing? I guess. That's okay, I love singing too - just not into a mic when I can't hear myself - and everyone else hears me being totally off-key! Oh well; still a blast! Rock band Rocks!!!

These little dudes were pretty good.

Check out that stud!

This is us ignoring our kids and letting them wreak havoc! Sorry Car!

And this one is just for Car (and our friends to laugh - he he)! She is pretty dang good! How cool is that Rock Star?!

A pretty awesome pic (no pun intended) from the evening - I just thought I'd throw in there.

Ranting...

My whole-hearted apologies for the rant earlier. I know that's not very uplifting to read. Sorry about that. Next post will be more fun - I swear.

One of Those Days...

I just had to get away. I've come down to the computer to unwind and do some blogging. Oh wait, my computer is messed up again, and it only took me about an hour to get my pictures loaded onto it.... Arrrrgh. Okay, now I'll do some blogging, however sour my demeanor. Sorry. But here goes: Today, I believe, in my insanity, I actually uttered the words (under my breath of course), "I don't think I want any more kids." I know that is not true, but at the time, it felt true. Today, Spencer chose to give me a taste of what, I assume, every other boy is like. And I must say, I'm not such a fan. He tore up everything in his line of vision. At the library, that included every book off the shelf! Even when I strapped him into the stroller, he kept wiggling out and finding a way to perpetuate my insanity. He's also had like, 5 poopy diapers, he's pulled everything off the shelves in their room multiple times, not to mention he's been whining and crying about everything through it all. To top it all off - when I was in the kitchen, Ben did this to Spencer:(Below) And to himself... (hiding from my anger? Nope, just sick of me taking pics.) He said he was making the duo into "Funny Clowns." This would be more funny if the marker were washable... Poor Spence screamed bloody murder for like, 10 minutes while I was scrubbing his face so hard. I've learned my lesson. Washable markers? Best invention ever!(Above) Awesome lighting, I know. I couldn't get either of them to stay still long enough to get many decent pictures. I was not in the mood to keep trying.(Above) I'm not sure if he's feigning a look of innocence, or looking sneaky and matter-of-fact. He is kind of darling even when I'm mad at him though.

(Above) Not the best picture, again - but this shows you THE BEST I could do in removing the marker. Now I've got a 1 year old who looks like he stole the eyeshadow of a two-dollar hooker. Who knows how long that will last? Hopefully not into adulthood.

I would honestly think this was really funny if it weren't at the end of this horrible day. I apologize for not being very good humored about it all. I know I'm in danger of dying young with my attitude :) - it does help to vent though. I know I sound ridiculous. All I've got to say about Spencer's behavior today is this: I think the year of The Angel is over. I'm in mourning, believe me. Ummm, I better be done here - I just looked over at Ben cutting a bunch of paper with scissors, and he just said, "Mom, it feels like I cut myself, but I didn't." I'm not buying that. I better go stop the bleeding! AHHHHH!

Welcome to the 21st Century Kate. It's only taken 8 years or so... And technically - I'm not even there yet!!!

As you may or may not know - my dear, sweet, archaic, fat ole' sucka of a phone took it's leave from our lives on Friday; (okay, so it wasn't that old - just, poorly designed). It unexpectedly fell into a puddle in the Walmart parking lot, and began the struggle for survival shortly thereafter, (as the message on my voicemail may have already told you). Although it put up a good fight and it seemed like the damage was minor at first - we even thought it was going to pull through - but alas, it lost the battle just 3 hours later. We will miss you phone. You saw us through some good times. You never gave me any problems - I could even go as far as to nickname you "Old Reliable", at least as far as signal strength goes. Oh, you'll always have a special place in my heart...

But anyway, needless to say, if you need to get a hold of us, because we don't have a land line - you'll need to call Doug's phone. And we're just going to deal with it - until March 5th. The day we are eligible to get new cell phones without having to pay out-the-freaking-nose. Doug's phone is a huge piece of junk, (MUCH worse than mine, although supposedly nicer and more expensive, thanks to LG), and he's been counting down the seconds until that day anyway. So, in short, it's not a completely devastating loss - although a loss indeed. We'll have to write all about our new phones once we get them. And PS - I'm going to take the opportunity to get on my soap box about my hatred for cell phone companies. If you are a cell phone provider please take note to the following: You are all cheats, and thieves. Although I've liked some of the service that's been provided to me by AT&T, Verizon, Midwest Wireless, and now Alltel - none of you have ever shown me that you cared about anything other than the almighty dollar. And in most cases, unfortunately, most of you have always been nothing less than GREEDY with all your "billing mistakes." Shame on you. And Shame on most of your policies - especially the ones about phone replacement when you're not under warranty. Like I'm going to pay $250 to replace my Nokia candybar just because I don't qualify for the "promotional deal." But [sigh] - they know we can't live without them - those wicked creatures. So, with a heavy heart, I will sign on the dotted line in exchange for my soul... Boo, Hiss.

Birthday Man in tha House!

Well, disappointingly enough, you're NOT in the house Dad - not mine anyway... :( That is the stinky thing about living so far from my family. I have to miss fun days like birthdays and all the festivities. I wish I could have been there with you guys today. Since I didn't get to talk to you for very long today, I'll just write a word or 2 about how special I think you are.

My dad is the most loveable, happy, optimistic, goofy, determined, kind, lovING, almost-too-nice nice guy out there. He aims to please. And that my friends, is what he's done. I am pleased with the father that I have. He's taken TOO good of care of us, and spoiled me. I just love him so much. He's a great guy - and everyone who knows him thinks likewise. Happy birthday Pops! You're swell.

And PS - Chicks defnitely DO dig your ride!!! :)

And PPS - Do I look just like him? Because that's what they've been telling me for years... What's your take?

Before people comment on the above...

Um, excuse me Mr. Simmons - you've got some severe competition; uh, if there were such a competition for outrageously long tongues. And furthermore, isn't a uvula shot something that can really be appreciated by all? Seriously though, all tongues aside here, aren't my boys gloriously darling?

2 Reasons...

Why I don't blog very much anymore:

1. Winter boredom. We have nothing very exciting to write about - things are super low key over here. We hardly go anywhere or do anything but go to the store. But maybe pictures of my kids in the grocery cart would be just what this blog needs... (note to self.)

And 2. I don't nurse anymore. I used to be on the computer all the time when I was nursing Spence - but seriously, I have time for a quick check of the email, and rarely sit at the computer conjuring up ideas for my next post, or creating a post for that matter. I'm sorry all of you have given up on me. But I spend most of my time cleaning up stuff like this now:

And just for fun -

Lately, Ben usually spends his time like this -

Or occasionally this (pardon the hideously filthy desk):

And Spence is doing something adorable like this:

...and I guess there's always a little of this - for good measure: