A Quiet Sunday Afternoon?

It was a quiet Sunday at the McCauley house. Kellan slept over at Papa and Grandma McCauley's house last night and it seemed very quiet without him! Marc and his Dad went for a long horseback ride this morning while Megan, Jacksen and I cleaned our basement and played. Megan had a soccer game this afternoon - despite not making any goals, she played her best game ever! Her daddy was very proud of her today!


While I was trying to put dinner together and Marc was out for a run, the McCauley kids found interesting ways to amuse themselves. When I was a little girl I loved paper dolls....and Megan does, too!

When Marc was a kiddo, he enjoyed playing with cars and trucks....well, so does Kellan!

And Jacksen....well, Jacksen enjoys junk food. While I was out of the kitchen for a moment Jacksen discovered some mini chocolate donuts on the counter. I guess the drawer seemed like a good place to relax with a little snack. Sigh....

Merely minutes after I snapped this picture I heard Megan's very muffled voice calling my name. After searching from room to room I found Megan and Jacksen in the laundryroom. Apparently, Megan had climbed into the clothes dryer and Jacksen closed the door! While it would've made this post more interesting, I decided that taking a picture was not a good idea. I definitely did not want to leave the impression that there was ANYTHING amusing about that idea. After the lecture they both received, I am pretty sure (well, hopeful) that they will NEVER do that again! Yikes!

Okay...maybe it hasn't been such a quiet Sunday afternoon after all!

Great Kids!

Tonight was Kellan's preschool Spring Concert. The kids were all so cute and they did a great job singing all of the tunes they've learned during the school year, including Wild Thing and Lean on Me as well as a dance number to Wipe Out. After the performance, we all enjoyed a potluck chicken dinner in the park next to the library. I videotaped the show, but I have to locate the cord for the video camera so I can post some footage. Stay tuned....




The preschool also sent out year-end report cards today. Kellan had a fantastic year and received excellent marks in pretty much all areas. We are very proud of our middlest kiddo!



The evening has seemed very quiet because Megan is away at a sleepover with her best friend in the world, Jaymee. The girls became good friends in preschool and, though they attend different elementary schools, they play on the same soccer team and often get together for playdates and sleepovers. This is a picture of these two silly girls:

We love Jaymee and her family and we are so glad Megan has such a good buddy!

I am now off to dreamland so I can be up early to get ready for Kellan's Saturday morning soccer game - Go Black Widows!!!!

New Decor

As promised, I am posting some pictures from my "Single Parenting and Redecorating Weekend", but first, some McCauley kid updates:

The McCauley kids have been very busy with end-of-school year activities. Megan enjoyed Field Day at her school today and Kellan has been practicing for his preschool spring concert, which is scheduled for Friday evening. Such fun!

I took Megan grocery shopping with me last weekend and she talked me into buying a chocolate chip muffin mix. She really didn't have to do a lot of talking - I love chocolate! Here is a cute picture of the kids sitting on the counter scraping the bowl:

I tried to get some good pictures of some of the new additions to my home, but we have alot of big windows and it's really sunny this evening and it was bedtime so I was trying to get three childrens' teeth brushed and I probably need a better camera....and mostly I need some training in photography. (Those are my excuses...er, disclaimers!)

My kitchen wall

Above my dining room window

My dining room and kitchen

And, one last thing. I finally joined the twenty first century and signed up on Facebook. I really have no idea how to do anything on it, but it's been fun figuring it out. Do you think there is a Facebook for Dummies book out there? If there is, I definitely need it!

Comments Anyone?

This is a post for all of you who have sent a comment, or tried to send a comment, to me, but have given up because you don't see your comment out there. (This one's for you, Auntie Ann!)

So, here's the deal with comments. You can send a comment, but before it shows up on my blog I have to read it and publish it. I really like getting comments, and the McCauley kids REALLY enjoy hearing about them.

Enough about that...more later on the pictures of our new decor...

Memorial Day

Jacksen woke up knowing we had big plans for our Memorial Day....and that the weather was actually cooperating!

Well, doesn't everybody eat breakfast while wearing their sister's shades and a Superman hat?!

After breakfast, we joined Grandma and Papa McCauley for a tour of our family's gravesites. It was nice to remember those who are no longer with us, but remain in our hearts.

Here is a picture of Marc and the kiddos planting some pretty purple flowers at Great Grandpa Morrison's grave in Forestvale Cemetary:

There is a neat little wishing well in Forestvale so Megan threw in her penny and made a wish!

Of course, she couldn't tell me her wish, but I sure hope it comes true!

We then went on to Resurrection Cemetary to visit the graves of Great Grandpa Chuck, Great Grandma Maudie, Great Great Grandma Flo, and Great Grandpa Dick.

Jacksen loved all of the pretty flowers; however, he was soon overcome by starvation and fatigue so he hitched a ride on his daddy's shoulders and we were off to McDonald's for lunch!

We had a wonderful morning! It's important to remember all of our ancestors who are still a part of our lives....after all, without them there would be no McCauley kids!

There is another person who is dear to our hearts, but no longer with us, Philip Baucus. He gave his life fighting for our country in Iraq. He was a great person and we will always remember him. Thanks, Philip!

Must Be The Weather...

Though the forecast for today called for sunny skies, it drizzled rain most of the day. It was a perfect day for cleaning our basement, which is how we spent our morning. After napping away the afternoon, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with my favorite twin sister and her sweet boys. The rain finally lifted so the McCauley kids and their cousins were finally able to breath in some clean fresh air!

I am sure you are wondering about the bumblebee lurking in the back....that's Kellan. I don't have an explanation for his attire, but it's funny!

I don't know....it must've been the weather....

So Much Fun!

Today was a beautiful Spring day and we had a lot of fun. Megan and I started our day with some Saturday morning cartoons and a much-needed grocery shopping trip to Walmart. While the girls were stocking up on groceries, the boys visited "the haircut place" and enjoyed a leisurely bicycle ride. Check out these little cuties:

After lunch Megan joined her good buddy, Isa B., for an afternoon playdate. They must've had a great time 'cause she was completely exhausted when got home! Marc took Kellan to the school to help with some end-of-school-year organizing and Jacksen slept the afternoon away.

We enjoyed some horseback riding and a dinner on the deck with Grandma and Papa McCauley this evening. It was much too nice to eat indoors.

The McCauley kids are now tucked into their cozy beds and Marc and I are going to enjoy a movie - Slumdog Millionaire. Tomorrow is sure to be another fun-filled day!

One Fine Friday

It's been one fine Friday! Jacksen found out the hard way that it isn't a good idea to pick up a bumblebee - he got stung in between his little fingers at daycare today! Ouch!

Kellan learned a little lesson, too. He discovered that it is better to look ahead rather than behind when running - he ran into a very large tree on the playground at preschool today! Ouch! When he got home from preschool today he told me he'd been in a fight with a tree. Here is a picture of Kellan's battle wound:

I know it's a little hard to see, but he definitely has a bump and is missing some skin. What a grin, though!

Megan actually had a good day today. She completed her final two laps around the school track to earn her "foot bead." She is very excited about this accomplishment!

Thank goodness we have a three-day weekend to recover from our crazy busy week!

Whew!

After a long, but surprisingly enjoyable, five days of single-parenting, the McCauley kids' daddy will be returning late tonight. While he was away, I somehow managed to get through two soccer games and a practice, 4 loads of laundry, countless loads of dishes through the dishwasher, baked two cakes, a birthday party, 14 meals, 12 bedtime stories, and.....redecorating.

Anybody reading this is probably wondering "Who in their right mind decides to redecorate their house while singlehandedly taking care of three children?!" (I'm actually thinking that to myself as I type this post!) Anyway, my sweet sisters helped me put up new window treatments, some fancy stenciling and pictures. You will all have to wait for pictures, though, because my long-lost husband took my camera to D.C.

I am relieved that I have go out of town myself for a business meeting tomorrow and will not return until Thursday. Megan, Kellan, and Jacksen are probably relieved as well - my patience is not what it was last Friday when Marc left! I plan on eating a delicious dinner that somebody else cooks and heading back to my motel room for a blissfully quiet evening of HGTV. I know....you'd think I'd have gotten my fill of redecorating after the weekend, huh?!

The Looooooong Weekend

It was a beautiful day today! In fact, it's 8:00 and it's still 79 degrees! The McCauley kids spent a lot of time outside enjoying the sunshine.

Megan played soccer this afternoon. It was quite warm so the girls tired pretty quickly, but they played well. The other team was pretty good so our girls had to work hard. Megan came close to scoring three times, but wasn't able to pull it off this week. She did a great job, though!

Kellan was a handful today, but we had a few entertaining moments along the way. While I was making dinner this evening, he and Megan were kind of wrestling. Well, suddenly I heard him belt out "Bring it on, Blondie!" I'm sure he heard that somewhere, but I have no idea where!

Jacksen....well, he's pretty much lived on fruit snacks this weekend. Not that I haven't attempted to feed him anything else, he just wasn't interested in anything but fruit snacks. I've tried to convince myself that I don't need to worry about this because there must be some nutritional value in a food with "fruit" in the name. I am positive our pediatrician would find something majorly wrong with that logic, though! I think all fruit snacks will magically disappear from our home tomorrow....poor Jacksen!

Speaking of tomorrow, because Marc is out of town our poor daycare lady came down with the flu so I will be taking an unexpected day off! Jacksen and I are going shopping for a birthday gift for his cousin, Morgan, while the other two McCauley kids spend the day at school and preschool. It's supposed to be another hot day tomorrow so I'm sure we will find something to do outside as well.

And now the McCauley kids' mom is off to make lunches and spend some much-needed time on the stairmaster....BY MYSELF!!!! Have I mentioned that I am not cut out for this single-parenting malarky?!

Congratulations, Uncle Ryan!!!

The McCauley kids' Uncle Ryan is graduating from Georgetown this weekend!




This sign says Congratulations, Uncle Ryan!!!, in case you can't read it. Also, I know this picture is a little blurry, but it was the best out of the 15 or so that I took!

In honor of his Uncle Ryan, Kellan scored 8 (yes, e-i-g-h-t) goals today in his soccer game! Because his daddy is in Washington D.C. for the graduation celebration, I was on my own chasing Jacksen around the park so I missed most of Kellan's goals. However, his coach informed me that halfway through the game Kellan commented "I think I must be older than the other kids." He was entertained, but I was a little embarassed. Kellan definitely inherited his daddy's charm as well as his self-confidence on the soccer field!

Anyway, we are proud of Ryan and the kiddos are looking forward to celebrating his graduation with him sometime this summer!

Not Me Monday....on a Tuesday!

In the spirit of MCKMama's "Not Me Monday" posts, I thought I would let you know about some of the things the McCauley kids (and their parents) have NOT been up to lately.

Jacksen definitely has not slept in his hat (all night long) the last few days. That would be crazy - he could end up with permanent dents in his little noggin! Megan surely didn't run out of the bathroom in the middle of a family get-together and announce (I do mean ANNOUNCE) there was fresh poop on the bathroom rug - maybe from the cat. That could never happen in our immaculate home! AND, Kellan would never proclaim in his loudest possible indoor voice that another lady in our line at the grocery store looked like a witch. My perfect middlest child would never be that INAPPROPRIATE! And the McCauley kids' mom?! Well, she would never work hard for weeks to increase her stamina on the stairmaster only to get back into the habit of eating ice cream before bed every night - who would be that crazy?! I know the answer to that question...a very tired, but happy, mom of three kids!

I've saved the best for last. Just a week or so ago, Kellan really was being silly and making up goofy words during dinner, but he absolutely did not inadvertently call his sister a F$*^head! And his parents did not find it funny, either...later...when he wasn't in the room to see us grin about it... 'cause that definitely would not be good parenting!

I realize there are no cute pictures to go with this post...but merely imagining these scenarios is surely entertaining enough!

Mothers Day Weekend

It was a fun Mothers Day weekend. We enjoyed a spagetti dinner with Auntie Ann and Uncle John on Friday night - and a belated carrot cake for Uncle John's birthday! On Saturday morning Kellan wowed us all with his incredible soccer skills - another hat trick for Kellan!

This is Kellan practicing before his game:

And this is Kellan feeling pretty good after his game:

While Kellan was busy impressing the college scouts, Cody and Morgan entertained Megan!

And Auntie Ann taught Jacksen the finer points of mountain-biking!

Today we went to church and Megan participated in the childrens Mothers Day performance. Afterward, we enjoyed a delicious brunch at Grandma and Papa's....thanks, Auntie Ann!

Megan played soccer this afternoon. Though she didn't score a goal in this game, she came very close! I will be sure to get some pictures of Miss Megan in action next weekend.

I am so lucky to be the mother of these awesome little McCauley kids - I thank God for them everyday!

The Lima Bean Story

Megan's kindergarten class recently learned about growing plants. The student put a lima bean in a baggie with a wet towel and documented its growth. Here are some exerpts from Megan's Lima Bean Book:

I planted a lima bean. This is what it looked like.

white and it is big and it is in a bage the bage is cleer and it the lima bean is in a gishoo I fec it is 6 yer ood like me and it ets drt the end

I think this will happen to my lima bean.

I think my lima ben is boin to trn in to a pat (plant).

Day 5 My lima bean looks like this.

It is stil white and it has a wrtoo (root) and it is vare green and that is it.

Day 8 My lima bean looks like this.

My lima bean looks like this. is wite stil and it has ruts and it has has a litol bit of green.

I guess we are going to plant this lima bean tomorrow...not that any of the McCauley Kids actually plan on ever eating a lima bean!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

The McCauley kids had a great day! Kellan got a special prize at preschool today because he took a nap. It's definitely cause for celebration when Kellan takes a nap! Also, we had a little birthday celebration for Grandma Linda tonight - complete with strawberry shortcake and ice cream.

Happy Birthday, Grandma! These McCauley kids are lucky to such a wonderful grandma!

Cinco de Mayo

Kellan has soccer practice at 5:30 on Tuesday evenings and it is not practical to drive all the way home for something to eat beforehand....so Aunt Ami graciously offered to feed us every Tuesday evening during soccer season. It's kind of nice to have some Mommy and Kellan time! In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we had tacos tonight. While Ami and I were making dinner...well, actually, Ami was making dinner and I was working on my new blog design (Do you like it?!)...Kellan played with Star Wars toys with his cousin, Morgan.

They were having a great time....until Cody and Morgan got into a little "tiff"!

Luckily, good 'ol Aunt Ami also enjoys playing Star Wars!

After dinner, Kellan enjoyed a little scooter time with Cody before we headed off to soccer practice.

Kellan's coaches have assured us that he will have sponsors by the time he is five...he is an awesome soccer player!

Monday Evening With The McCauley Kids

It was a fun-filled evening with our favorite kiddos! Kellan invented a game called Throw Jacksen's Car From the Back of the Couch, Make Jacksen Go Get It, and Throw It Again.

After a delicious breakfast for dinner, we changed into our pjs, watched a Hannah Montana DVD, ate fruit snacks, and snuggled in the recliner!

Then it was off to bed...whew!

(Yes, he sleeps with his little truck and horse trailer!)

Soccer!!!

The McCauley kids had a great weekend of soccer - Kellan scored two goals in his game yesterday morning and Megan scored three goals this afternoon! Megan has been playing soccer for three years and had not yet scored a goal until today so this was very exciting for her. We are very proud of our two little athletes! Here is a picture of Megan mentally preparing for her game: