Muhme Musings

It's Been a Year!

2010-11-11T17:43:00.000-08:00

It's been a year since I've written, but it doesn't feel like that much has happened. I am working at Emmons Elementary School in their special ed. dept. I love my job. Michael is a stay at home dad in the mornings and college professor by night. He loves teaching film and it's fun learning about the inner workings of film as he teaches. I've come to appreciate foreign films (some of them) and their beauty. Simone is in 1st grade at Stanley Clark and doing well. We love Stanley and it's impact in Simone's life. River is almost 3 1/2 and growing and growing. He takes after Michael side with his olive skin and green/brown eyes (he looks a lot like Michael's brother). I'm enjoying the children so much at this stage. I'm not much of a baby person, so young children suit me just fine. God has blessed us so much this past year in his provisions over bills, extra tutoring jobs for me and a top 100 school for Michael to adjunct at. We have much to be thankful for!! The top pic is of simone and some of her buddies at school. The lower is of River.

Living Life

2009-11-27T17:58:00.000-08:00

How do you describe 3-4 months of life into one tiny little blog?
Michael's community corrections program closed at the end of August leaving us wondering what's next? Michael started furtively looking for work, but nothing ever panned out. I was subbing as much as I could and I have to tell you that God gave us so many subbing days. We were never late on a bill. I have now found work full time as an "Eduacational Interpreter" at Emmons School. It comes with full benefits and it's a salaried position.....God has been so great to us.
Simone is thriving in school at Stanley Clark. I've subbed there for the past 3 years and have come to love the school and the people who work there. Simone has been taking horseback riding lessons for 6 months now and is doing well. She had her first fall of the horse the other day, but got back up and continued her lesson. She's learning a lot from these lessons.
River is growing in to a wonderful little guy. We are learning more about his likes and dislikes/his personality and it's neat to see the similarities and differences in our kids.
Michael still works 2 nights a week at Lake Michigan College, teaching Film. We are thankful for this enjoyable job for Michael and the extra income.
Michael and I have been involved with a church plant here in Mishawaka. It's a missionary church plant and it's called Epic Church. What a joy it's been to see a church start from the ground up. We officially launch in March. Right now, we are meeting Sunday evenings and last week we had 80 people in attendance.
Michael wants to pursue his PHD and we had thought to do that this next year, but Michael is enjoying being a stay at home dad and so we will put off the PHD program until River is in School all day.
We have really seen how God has been FAITHFUL to us.

Simone is 6 today

2009-08-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

My little girl at 1 1/2, 3 and almost 6 in the top pic.

Simone is a unique girl who doesn't care for dolls/clothes or hair dodas. Simone is a child with a creative mind and an artists heart. Simone is quick to learn and has a compassionate heart. Simone has her mommy's stubborn side and her daddy's negotiating skills. (a dangerous combination at times :) ) She loves people and animals. She is a good friend to others.

Simone is the APPLE of her daddy's eye and her mother's pride. We are so thankful for Simone and who she is. May she grow in Christ and through her love for him, loves others with an abundant love.

WE LOVE YOU, SIMONE

Indy Vacation

2009-07-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Michael Simone and I went to Indy for a 3 day vacation. Our first day took us to the children's museum. We've now been there 4 times and each time I think Simone appreciates it more and more and is able to do more. The first evening was filled with pool time.
The second day took us to the Indianapolis Art Museum, which was free, and then a long walk down by the canal. The day was even more special because Aunt Jen was able to join us. It was great to have a true artist go around the museum with us and point out interesting facts. We then took a stroll through the museum gardens and a tour through the Eli Lilly estate. This night we were able to eat at a nice restaurant on the lake. It was fun to watch the sailboats go by. Dessert included an incredible blueberry cheesecake. This night was again filled with swimming and Simone found a friend to play with in the pool so it became rather a late night.
The 3rd day led us to the Indy Zoo...it ended up raining off an on, but that kept the the crowds away. Simone got to see her favorite elephant, Tombi and she was able to participate in the dolphin show....definitely the highlight for her of the whole trip.

So Much is Happening

2009-06-03T18:02:00.001-07:00

So much has been going on in our lives recently. 1st of all, Simone finished up her school year. She is so smart (mama has to brag). She's reading/counting/adding/subtracting/writing....being a teacher, I am pleased with where she is academically.

Simone was accepted to Stanley Clark for this next year and they gave a great amt. of financial aid....which we were thrilled with. So much prayer went into the financial aid and it was great to show Simone the fruits of prayer.

River is turning 2 this month, so we are getting a family get together organized. He's such a joy in our lives.....he loves to smile and lights up the room.

Michael's work is unsure with the economy so I've been looking for teaching work. I had an interview today, but Michael and I weren't "at peace" about it. If they offer me the job, I'll say no. Another school has asked for my resume, but no calls about an interview yet......we'll see.

Simone has been given an opportunity to take horse riding lessons (for a very reasonable amt.) and she LOVES them. She got to learn bare back riding this past week. Simone tends to be very timid, so I loved her brave spirit as she was determine to bareback ride.

EPIC CHURCH

Michael and I have been led to help with a church launch in Mishawaka. We are so "at peace" with this. We like the pastor, and the other couples on the church launch team. It's so good to know that you are where you are supposed to be.

So, we are busy busy busy.....unsure about work, sure about church......

Please pray for us with the job situation that God will show us where we need to be.

Simone's horseback riding lesson

2009-05-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Simone had her first horseback riding lesson today. One of my tutoring student's family take lessons and I had been curious about it for Simone. We found out that an hour's lesson is very reasonable so we signed Simone up for 2 lessons a month. We found this cute little store that is right out of an old western picture. We bought Simone some proper boots to wear for riding.
We were quite a sight pulling up to lessons this morning. Everyone wanted to see simone's first lessons so Michael and I with River in tow along with the grandparents came along. In the future, someone will stay with River as there isn't much for him to do while Simone has her lesson. Simone started her lesson by learning some basic rules about horses, not walking behind them, not spooking them...etc....and then she got to brush her horse down and pick out the horses feet before she started riding. Then she got to learn how to put on the bridle and saddle. Then she got to lead the horse into the ring and the riding began. She practiced a lot with balance today....holding her arms to the side to learn the rhythm of the horse....she practiced riding forwards, backwards and sideways.....she did that for quite awhile and then she led her horse back to the stable, brushed her down and said goodbye. Simone was sad to leave, but excited to know that she would get another lesson soon. What a great experience for her!

Girls Breakfast

2009-04-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, my mom, Simone and I had a girls morning out. We started out the morning at Ihop and then ventured off to the mall for a long awaited and highly anticipated Build a Bear visit. Simone isn't one for browsing , once we got inside, her eye spotted the zebra. She rushed right to the bin picked up the hollow zebra and started cuddling it while rushing to get in line to have it stuffed. Simone named her new zebra, "Snowplow" as it's white like snow and black like a snowplow.

It was a great morning...the first of hopefully many "Girls Breakfasts" to come.

Pride and Joy

2009-03-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here are my pride and joy. Simone and I had a mom/daughter day at the zoo the other day and had a really good time. Here River is helping Simone do the dishes....he more splashes in the water but it's good practice.

Outside Day of Play

2009-03-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

With the weather so nice, we spent most of the afternoon outside today...the kids played (it's nice that they are both of an age where they can play together) and I did some work in our garden. It was a wonderful afternoon. Then after Michael came home and we had dinner, we went for a walk around the neighborhood. Oh, to be out of the house! :D

Windy City Outing

2009-03-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Michael and I took a mini vacation to Chicago for a late b-day present/anniversary of our engagement day celebration.
We started at the Art Institute and spent a good 3 hours perusing the paintings and such. Michael was disappointed that the modern wing was closed for renovation.
We then walked over to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. Never understood the name of this restaurant although I love it. We had a gift certificate from Michael's mom so we enjoyed an almost free meal. How wonderful it was. We then headed to see a one man show "Chazz Palmentarri's a Bronx Tale" It was excellent and fun. If you have ever seen the movie, it's the same thing....just on stage with Chazz doing it all by himself. We then drove North for the evening. Master Jerry Devlin, a very good friend of the family, who works at La Quinta and got us a suite for $35. So we had a lovely day/evening out and saved a lot of money thanks to family and friends. Thanks to my mom for watching the kids so we could have some alone time.

Things are good

2009-02-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

Things are good right now.

I'm so happy that the flu/colds have left our house and that we are enjoying some good health.

I've been subbing quite a bit and with my tutoring, we have been able to take care of some extra bills. My tutoring students are doing well, which is so exciting for me. I'm so proud of them.

River is starting to utter sounds that are close to words and I'm loving it.

Spring is in the air...it's coming and I'm so excited.

We've been having some extra fun evenings as of late. The kids love "The Wiggles" music and we put it on the stereo and we dance and dance. We used to have a family dance night, but we'd gotten out of the habit, and now we are back in the groove. It's great to see the kids doing their own dance impressions and Michael and I get quite the workout...for those of you who can't imagine Michael dancing to "The Wiggles" ,well, he does! :D

I had a great b-day yesterday. I love facebook, I got so many happy b-day wishes, it was wonderful. Michael took us all out to eat.

To actually celebrate my b-day (this is also the day Michael proposed to me....2/24/01) and our engagement day, we are going to Chicago in 2 weeks for a nice weekend. My mom is going to watch the kids for us, so we can have a nice romantic weekend.

So, things are really good right now. God is good in the good and the down times. It is nice to have some good times, may I always remember to be grateful.

25 random things about me

2009-01-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing this around facebook and new I'd get tagged eventually, so I thought I'd put this on my blog as it's easier than sending it out to 25 people and I don't know who's already done this and who hasn't....so here's mine: (these are in no particular order)

1: I was saved at age 7....baptized not long after by Rev. Dan Gelatt
2: I've never broken a bone, I've never had a bloody nose
3: I don't wear makeup much, I hate mascara, lipstick gets eaten off...blush, maybe I'll wear it, if I can find my blush brush....but normally, I don't wear any.
4: I love chinese food and yes I can eat with chopsticks....my mom taught me how when I was little. I also love good ribs and pulled pork....Famous Dave's is the best.
5: I'm terribly afraid of heights and can get claustrophobic at times......even with the acrophobia, I love love love rollarcoasters..go figure.
6: I've never drunk a whole glass of milk...I can't stand the stuff...even as a baby my mom said I didn't drink it. No, I'm not lactose int.....I do fine with ice cream and cheese. I also don't eat salad dressing...I love salad, just no dressing. I also don't eat mayonnaise, sour cream, dips, salsa, pinto/ kidney/ lima/yellow/refried or wax beans.....Yes, I'm a picky eater. I also don't drink coffee or tea.
7: I had a cathode ablasion (sp?) when I was 22. It's a form of heart surgery that doesn't involve opening the chest. I was told I was the second youngest person in our city to have it done. I still struggle with heart problems, but not nearly as much as I did in college.
8: I'm not a patient person when it comes to slow drivers. I try to take in account for people who are elderly or young kids who are just learning....it's something I need to work on. I've only ever used my horn twice. (I don't like to use it)
9: I'm learning to juggle
10: I have been working on sign language for about 13 years. I can interpret almost anything, but I can't read it, which means if you were to sign something more complicated than, My name is...I would have problems
11: I love animals and don't want to hear any deer hunting stories or any other tortuous things people may have done to their pets/animals in the frivolity of childhood, I will cry and be haunted by it.
12: I love to read children's literature.....I read the popular, the silly and the newberry or other award winning books. If I was ever to return to college for a master's degree, I'd get it in children's literature.
13: I am a swing voter. I don't believe one side is always right and one side is always wrong. I can't, in my own good conscious, vote on just 1 issue.
14: I used to play the flute....always wished I could play the piano...and play it WELL!
15: I wish I could natually harmonize while singing. I can memorize that alto/harmony, but can't naturally pick it out. My voice has dropped some over the years and I can almost sing tenor in almost everything.
16: (I have to steal some ideas I saw for others and just fit me) Disneyworld is my favorite place to travel to. I've been there about 10 times and still get goosebumps when I travel there. I love it.
17: I love to road travel. In one year, Michael and I travelled coast to coast by car. We went to the San Juan Islands off the coast of WA for our anniversary one year and then, the same year, we went to Hilton Head VA.
18: I need/must have a straightened house. I can't stand clutter. (I'm stealing this from my friend Jen Boice) If I know someone is coming over, I'll clean/straighten until they visit, even if they are just stopping by to pick something up. My husband is a pack rat, which makes life intersting for us both. :D
19: I'm not a fan of jewelry. I LOVE my wedding ring/engagement ring, but I don't wear earings, necklaces or bracelets. I went through a short period of my life when I wore anklets, but that didn't last long.
20: I enjoy public speaking....this doesn't mean that I speak up in Sunday School.
21: I love acting and would love to someday be in a theater group.
22: I order the same item at each restaurant I go to. This doesn't mean I order chicken at each restaurant, this means that at Olive Garden I always get the Fett. Alfredo, at Famous Dave's I always get the rib tips.....I HARDLY ever order something different. I've seen too many family members disappointed and hungry because they were adventurous.
23: I've seen the following people live..either in theater productions or as speakers.
Ian Mckellen, John Malkovich, Helen Mirran, Gabriel Byrne, Patrick Stewart, Tim Robbins, Art Spegalman (author), Sherman Alexai, (Screenwriter), Patty Lepone, Michael Cevaris, John Heard, Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry and we are to see Chazz Palmanterri in a play in about 2 months.
24: My daughter's b-day is exactly 6 months after mine.......meaning...that mine is Feb. 24 and hers is Aug. 24. My son's due date was June 24th, but he came 2 weeks early.
25: My husband and I didn't have a very good first date, and I remember telling my roommate at the time that I didn't really want to go out with him again, but here we are 7 1/2 years into our marriage and going strong....to this day, I don't remember what he said or did to get me to go out with him again, but good thing, 'cause I'm so lucky to have him.

Cabin Fever

2009-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

The temperatures have been so cold outside recently that it's been to cold to go outside. My kids are boucing off the walls.....almost literally. If it is even a little bit warm, we'd go out to play, shovel, walk or something. I long for the days of spring where we can play in the little wading pool, go for long walks without spending 20 minutes bundling up. I long for days where we can go to my parents and let the kids run all over their large backyard. The spring opens the zoos, and the parks. Our backyard also blooms beautifully with flowers that the former house owner planted. She did a marvelous job.

Michael's grandparents also go to GA for the winter, so spring also brings them back home too. It will be nice to see them again.

For those of you who love winter.....may you have lots of snow, but as for me and my family, I'm awaiting spring with a ravenous hunger.

New Years Trip to Indy

2009-01-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice New Years. We left early, (Mom/Nanny watch River) we drove to Indy and spent the whole day (about 6 hours) at the Children's Museum. Simone always wants to go to the dinosaur exhibit first. We usually spend quite a bit of time there. Then we were off to the Planetarium to catch "The sky above Mr. Roger's Neighborhood". Simone was a little unsure of this as it would be a little dark, but she loved the whole experience. Then we went to the carousel and she got a horse that went up and down (not all horses do on the carousel). She waved to daddy each time we went by. We went to the Artic showcase, where there is (pretend) ice fishing, an ice castle with slide and a station where you can make reindeer ears.

Now clad in "Comet" ears, we head to lunch for pizza and burgers. After lunch we try the lilly theater which was playing "Lion the witch and the wardrobe". Simone didn't like it too much as it really did have too much dialogue so we slipped out early....she also didn't like the white witch (who didn't seem that scary to me....but I'm not a 5 year old). The adventure continued to the science works where you can build dams and float your boat and build/dig and explore.

Those were the highlights, the children's museum has so much. We then went to the cheesecake factory for dinner and finished off the evening in the hotel swimming pool, which brought much joy to our 5 year old girl.

New years day we had a wonderful visit with Jen Jackson....and then we were able to slip up to Layfayette and visit my good friend Mary who just had a baby. A mom can sometimes forget that they were really that small once. It was wonderful to see Mary and visit awhile.

The trip ended up being less expensive as my parents gave us some gas cards for Christmas so we didn't have to pay to fill up the tank.

It was a really nice time away!

1999-2008

2008-12-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

It was in 1999 that Michael and I started dating...now it is almost 10 years later, we are married and in the joys and tears of child rearing.
The joys of hugs, kisses and smiles. The , "I love you Mama"s are the best.
The tears of crying, discipline, loss of sleep and the wonderings of, "Am I doing this right?"
Michael and I have grown so much as people and as a couple. We look forward to 2009 and our 10th year together. What a journey we have had.
These next 10 years will put Simone at 15 (ouch) and River at 11. Oh what joy we'll have watching them grow, teaching them, enjoying them and wishing we had a few more minutes with them as little kids.
May you enjoy the time you are living in right now and all that God has given you!

God has been faithful

2008-12-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

This past year has been full of ups and downs. Money has been particularly tight this past year. Sometimes I was afraid, yes afraid to tithe for fear that we wouldn't have enough to pay our bills...shame on me...I did tithe and did God bless. God gave me an extra tutoring student this year and has blessed me with lots of subbing jobs. Just when a new bill comes and I wonder how we are going to pay for it, I get a call to come sub. God has been so faithful.

Michael and I always (for the past 9 years) go away for New Years. This year we have been uncertain we could afford it....I told Michael it would come down to subbing days that God gives me. The last 2 weeks I haven't been called, but this morning I got called and went and subbed. 1 more subbing day and Michael, Simone and I are going to Indianapolis for an overnighter for New Years. Well go to the children's museum, and stay at a hotel with a pool (a must anymore with a 5 year old--and usually the highlight of the trip) and hopefully have a visit with Aunt Jen. So we are praying for 1 more subbing day and the trip is set.

Here is a shot of the carousel at the children's museum. Simone has been here twice in the past 2 years and absolutely loves it!

I believe

2008-11-12T17:47:00.000-08:00

I believe that I have the most wonderful husband in the world!

I believe that children should play/imagine/explore and discover all the world has to offer.

I believe in good friends

I believe that chocolate heals most wounds

I believe in putting smiley faces on bandaids

I believe in sleeping in

I believe in travelling by car....too much is missed when you fly

I believe in cutting coupons

I believe in doing your part

I believe in holding hands

I believe that you should go looking at lights on christmas eve.

I believe that my daughter will be a great artist

I believe that my son will win others with his warm spirit and easy smile

I believe animals deserve love

I believe in reading before bed

I believe in good children's literature

I believe that we need to pray for the needy and homeless who have hungry bellies and may lay awake and shivering at night while we are warm in our beds.

I believe in letting my children trick or treat

I believe all people are important no matter if they are ugly/pretty...fat/thin....color of skin.....mentally challenged ...mean/nasty.

I believe kids should have a pet

I believe the sunrises/sunsets were made especially nice for those who are having a bad day

I believe in naps (whether I get one or not is another thing)

I believe that people have a right to their own opinion

I believe that couples should have regular date nights

I believe in happy socks (that is for esther filpus)

I believe in the magic of disneyworld

I believe that every child is precious

I believe in drama and theater

I believe that God has left us so much to enjoy

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

Simone had a wonderful Trick or Treat season. The week before Halloween, our local zoo had their annual ZooBoo and we went. There were so many people. We spent about 1 1/2 hours going around to the different booths trick or treating.

Then on Halloween we went trick or treating with good friends. In our local town, they have trick or treating in the afternoon on main street. It's a nice way to get people to come into different stores. There were about 40-50 stores involved and did Simone get a lot of candy. It was beautiful weather out. I was wearing a sweater and I got warm. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Simone is in the fireman's outfit and the other girls are her 3 friends. How fun!!!

Randomness

2008-10-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted. October has flown by. I feel like I make breakfast and then it's time for bed and I head to the kitchen to make lunch for Michael for the next day and prepare Simone's school snack. We had our first parent teacher conference with this years teacher and I'm thrilled to report that Simone is doing Very Well. A parent always wants to hear that. River seems to be trying a new food each day. It's hard not to let him try what we are eating. He now loves, cottage cheese, popcorn, broccoli (that's a good one) and there's so many more.
I've been spending a lot of time on facebook; more than I should. I like seeing what people are up to, what people are feeling. It's helpful to know that you aren't the only one out there who is exhausted, has a dirty kitchen, has laundry piling up and just wishes for some quiet.
Wanted to give a shout out to my mom. My mom doesn't get on computers, she's not a big fan, so this shout out will go out to the void for anyone who wants to know. My mom has been a big help this past year with the kids. My mom takes them both for most of the day on Wednesdays for me....this gives her grandma time and gives me time to run errands and have a clean house for 1 day. Sometimes I get called into sub and her watching the kids allows me to keep my hand in teaching, which I love. My mom also watches them on Friday nights so Michael and I can have a date....what a treat. . Right now Michael is working two jobs and we don't see as much of him. We jam pack our weekends with family time and if Michael can, he leaves early from his day job on Thursdays and we have some family time before he goes to his 2nd job. Hopefully this will only be temporary.
Simone is going to be in the kids christmas choir at church and we've been listening to the cd everyday trying to memorize the words. I've got the songs down, hope she will soon.
I'm trying to squirrel away money so that Michael Simone and I can do an overnight in chicago for New years. Michael and I always go away for new years and last year we took simone and she had a blast. With money being tighter for everyone this year, we don't know if we'll make it, but we are going to try!!!! :D
The kids are healthy...PTL and we have so much to be thankful for.
Hope you have a great day all of you who take time to read.

Capturing the time while I can.

2008-10-08T05:31:00.000-07:00

Here's my little guy at about 16 months. I'm looking down at him now, but I realize that in a few years I'll be looking up to him. I'm guessing he'll be about the same height as Michael 6'3". River enjoys jumping right now and does quite well at it. He also likes to dance. I'm so thankful for my little River.

Fort Wayne Zoo

2008-09-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Michael and I had planned for a couple of weeks to take Simone to the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. We saw on the weather forecast that it was supposed to rain on the day we had planned to go. We looked for alternatives should the zoo be rained out. We found a children's science museum in Fort Wayne so we were set, we'd visit one and our day wouldn't be ruined. When we got to Fort Wayne it was a little misty/drizzly so we went to the Science Museum....it was nice for older kids, but not enough stuff for kids Simone's age. We decided to leave after 1 hour even though we had paid to get in. Off to the zoo we went, sprinkling and all. We had free admission to the zoo since we have a zoo membership at our local zoo. The Zoo was wonderful and we had it all to ourselves. It sprinkled on and off, but we had a wonderful time. Since it was near the end of the zoo season, and because it was raining, some of the exhibits and rides were closed. Simone did get to ride the carousel (the only passenger). We especially liked the rainforest walk, the red pandas, the orangutans and the seals. We will definitely go back in the spring hopefully when the weather is nice and all the rides are open.

Family Pics Long Overdue

2008-08-27T13:26:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics that were taken at Easter and just developed. My parents and the grandkids and a long overdue Muhme family picture.

Simone's B-day Party

2008-08-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here are pics from Simone's b-day party. Most of the pics were taken by Simone herself. She had such a good time.

My Daughter is 5

2008-08-26T12:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Simone's b-day. What a fun weekend we had. Simone requested a hacienda b-day. So, on Friday, the partying began. We went to hacienda and the wait staff came out put a sombrero on her head, brought a cake and sang. She thoroughly enjoyed that. That night at hacienda we were able to spend with Nanny, Papa and Uncle Jerry. It was a special evening for Simone. Then on her actual b-day, Sunday, we went to church. Simone had a big B-day Girl button that she wore and her Sunday School class sang to her. After church we went to Grandma and Gigi's house. They bought pizza and my mom had puchased a horsey ice cream cake for Simone.....again, it was a special time for Simone. The fun isn't over yet, Monday was school and Simone took in some reese cups for her class. She got a big star sticker and enjoyed having her new class sing to her. Some fun things about Simone. Simone is very tall for her age. The doctor told us when she was 2 that we should expect Simone to be close to 6 feet tall. She is going to be tall and beautiful. Simone is an auditory learner, from what I've observed so far. Simone is creative and can draw quite well. She loved to paint, cut, glue and anything crafty. Simone loves to play pretend. She loves to act out stories that she has seen or heard. She loves to pretend to be different animals. Her favorite animal is the horse. Her favorite color is Blue and she loves to dance. Simone has completely captured the hearts of all her family members.

After School Fun

2008-08-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Simone has 27 kindergartners in her class. Only 3 of the kids are half day, including Simone. Since she is only 1/2 day she does miss out on some activities that the all day kids have in the afternoon. I try to make sure she has craft time/art class and some fun time (this is usually while River is sleeping). She also gets to spend Wednesday and Friday afternoons with my mom, which she loves and wouldn't be able to do if she was an all day student, as I tutor those days. Here is an envelope puppy that we made....we also made a bunny envelope and an elephant envelope. She loves to cut and glue.

In the other picture she is holding a car "King" from the movie Cars. Her favorite has always been "King". She has a bunch of cars that she plays with and we made a parking lot out of construction paper so they all have a place to park.

Please pray that Simone has a great Kindergarten year. So far, we are doing well!

August Rush

2008-08-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

Yes I did see the movie, it was okay.
I wrote August Rush because there is so much to do this month. We ended last month with Michael's Birthday. Simone and I made a double layer chocolate cake with sprinkles. She was very pleased to be able to give this to Michael on his special day. Since his b-day is near our anniversary, we usually celebrate them together with a weekend getaway. This year we celebrated his 38th b-day and our 7 year anniversary with a trip to the Windy City. Usually we go see a play when we go into Chicago, but this year we just relaxed. We had dinner with friend Jerry and later went to a nice evening cafe. The next day we tooled around Chicago taking in the sites. My mom graciously watched the kids for the 2 days so we could have time away.
This month, we've had to take simone to the doctor and dentist for her kindergarten school forms. We've had to make appts. for shots and for teeth fillings as we found she has 2 caveties. Simone is going to a school where uniforms are required so we need to go and buy those. Then there is the lovely list of school supplies to buy. We have school orientation and p/t meetings all in the next 2 weeks. Plus and most importantly, our little girl turns 5 in 3 weeks. Her b-day request is to go to Hacienda as she wants a sombrero on her head and the staff to sing happy b-day to her. All this and it seems like so much more. Once September hits it will be a breath of fresh air.

More Family Reunion

2008-07-22T14:12:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pics from our family reunion in West Virginia.

The top pic is of Simone and Emily.....they are 3rd or 4th cousins. They had fun playing together.

The next pic is of all the cousins who got together for this reunion. My dad is in the white shirt on the far right. Next to him is his cousin Abe who retired recently from the pentegon as a full colonel in the Air Force. The lady in the front row on the far left is my Aunt Donna (my dad's older sister). She's the one in my family that I take after the most. In the back row the gentlemen 2nd from the left is my dad's cousin Jim Bill. I'd not seen him since I was a kid. Well he's in education too so he and I had a nice time talking about our careers. His wife Marsha was lovely and I enjoyed getting to know her (she's not in the picture) My Great Aunt is in the white shirt and pink pants in the front row. She is my Grandmother's sister. My grandma passed away 8 years ago. My aunt who is 89 still lives by herself, drives, goes to church and sings in the choir. When she's up to it, she helps out at the Ronald McDonald House. She's been doing this for years.

The 3rd pic is my cousin Troy and his family. His 2 boys TJ and Duane got along with Simone splendidly. We stayed in the same hotel while on vacation and they were anxious to help simone learn how to swim. She loved that!!!

The bottom pic is my fav. candid shot of Michael and Simone. I love candid shots.

It was a wonderful reunion

West Virginia Vacation

2008-07-16T12:09:00.001-07:00

Michael Simone and I took a trip to WV with my dad for a family reunion. Family reunion pictures will follow as they are still being processed. On our no family activities day, Michael Simone and I travelled to the New River Gorge Nat'l Park. This was about 1 hour from where our reunion was taking place. The picture right above is the 2nd largest (highest) bridge in the United States. We took a tram ride (pic above) down to the bottom of the gorge and then took a jet boat ride right up to the bottom of the bridge. It was beautiful. God gave us a beautiful day. 78 degrees. We stopped by hawks nest...another park and observed the beauty there. At the end of the day we went to a wonderful open aired restaurant called Smokey's on the Gorge. It was an elegant buffet and we stuffed ourselved to the gill. The family reunion was wonderful, meeting some family I'd never met before and seeing some that I hadn't seen in 10 years or so. Simone enjoyed meeting 2nd cousins and playing with them in the hotel swimming pool in the evening. I think the pool was her favorite part. Lest you think I forgot River, he stayed home with family and friends. It was a wonderful vacation!

Bathtime at the Muhme House

2008-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

River loves to splash in the water whilst big sis takes her Saturday night bath. They are getting to the age where they are playing nicely with each other and usually enjoy being around each other.

Patient Chef

2008-06-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here's my patient chef waiting for dinner to be finished.

My Perfect Bread

2008-06-16T17:11:00.001-07:00

I made European Herb and Cheese bread today. I'm not an expert on bread, so when something like this turns out and is so yummy, it's quite a treat. The family loved it.

My Son Is One

2008-06-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

River turns 1 today. River I have so enjoyed your smiles, your giggles and your sweet heart this your first year of life. May the rest of your life be filled with blessings, with love, with friends and with Christ. Mama and Daddy love you!

Simone at Stanley Clark

2008-06-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

One thing I loved about Stanley Clark School was that they did daily blogs of the class' activities. They took daily pictures and it was wonderful to see what they did during their day as Simone's usual response when asked....What did you do today? was....I don't know? One day, at home, Simone wrote a story about building her elephant "Tapee" at Build a Bear. She dictated the story and I wrote it down. The kids had been practicing being "authors" at school and she wanted to continue at home. Well, she took her story and Tapee to school to share and she was the focus of the blog for the day. This was extra special as it was one of the last days of school. She had a tremendous year!!

Something old

2008-05-27T10:57:00.001-07:00

We found Simone's baby blocks the other day. We brought them upstairs for River to play with. Low and behold, Simone has found a new love of them. Here is the "Moose" that she made this afternoon. She loves creative play.

I just love this picture!

2008-05-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

I took this picture of Simone the other day and I absolutely love it.

Memorial Day fun?

2008-05-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Michael and I had planned to go to Potowatomi Zoo today for memorial day. The butterfly exhibit is open now and we thought simone would enjoy the train and pony rides. This morning Simone asked if we could go to the beach instead. Michael and I thought about it and decided....alright, we can go to the beach. So we packed up 2 bottles, food for river...changes of clothes for both kids, diapers, drinks, towels and suntan lotion. We drove to New Buffalo and it was about 10 degrees cooler there...or so it felt. The water was really too cold to swim in, but we did wade in it. Simone and I also played in the sand a little. Michael and River sat up on the beach and Michael was mostly busy keeping sand out of River's mouth. We stayed about an hour and then went to find someplace to eat. The restaurant was crowded, but it was by the beach. When we went to pay our bill the waitress said they only took cash or check.....didn't know restaurants did that anymore. Michael went to the atm....$3 surcharge. We ended up leaving one of Simone's cutest hats in the bathroom. DRAT! Well we were all together on Memorial day and we did have an adventure......

River eats everything.......everything but green beans.

2008-05-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

River is going through the "I'm going to put everything in my mouth" phase. Simone NEVER did that so we are enjoying this for the 1st time. When we go outside we are constantly pulling grass, twigs, dirt and other assorted outside things out of his mouth. Inside we have to hide the catfood and he tries to find anything and everything else to try. Oddly enough he doesn't like green beans.....go figure. I want so much to say to him....it's so much better than dirt sweetheart. We have him on oatmeal, squash, bananas and peas. We don't start finger foods until 1 year....so he has 3 weeks more to wait.

Beautiful Day

2008-05-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

This is the tree in our backyard. It has just bloomed this past week. It just blows me away at how beautiful it is. We are so enjoying our garden. The garden is one of the reasons why I wanted to buy this house. The lady who owned the house before us did a wonderful job of planting things that constantly bloom all spring and summer...no sooner does one flower die away and new and different flowers are blooming

Tonight the weather was so good that we walked to the library to drop off some videos. (8-9 blocks) It rained yesterday and there were many puddles for Simone to jump in on our way there. Needless to say we had to have a quick shower before bed.

Garden Fun

2008-04-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

I love the wine colored tulips that we get in our yard. In all we have red, pink, orange and yellow tulips. The wine ones are my favorite.

Simone loves her slide!!!

Here is Simone in our garden this evening. She was helping Michael with the weeding. We love to get out in the garden as much as possible, especially on these nice days.

Day at the Zoo

2008-04-11T13:30:00.001-07:00

My mom bought Michael an annual zoo pass last year. It's good up through the last of August. Well, the other day was so nice so we had to go to our local zoo. Our local zoo is nice, not very big, but nice. We got a good picture of a white tiger. There aren't many of them left. This one was right up by the window so we got a good picture. Here is a picture of Simone on the train. She loves the train ride at the zoo. River enjoyed the zoo as much as he could from his stroller.

Today in the Kitchen

2008-03-25T16:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a pic of River today as I was cooking in the kitchen. He was having fun with the measuring cups and just smiling away, so I had to take a pic.

He's 9 1/2 months old now and just the sweetest thing. Doesn't it look like he's playing a guitar? :)

A Day Outside

2008-03-13T12:13:00.001-07:00

Today after we got up, we visited "Nanny" for awhile. Then we went to the park for some tag and swing time. When River needed to come home we did and we went outside to the back alley and Simone mud puddled jumped which she thoroughly enjoys. She also made what she called "Stone Salad". She was collecting stones and putting them into the mud puddles.

While we were at the park, we saw a child playing with a kite, so we came home and made one.

When we were finished playing with that we hung it on a tree so we could still see the wind blow it.
Here's a pic of River in his "walker" that we brought outside. He enjoyed walking around on the cement area. He had more fun taking his hat off than anything, but he got some fresh air, while Simone puddle jumped and flew her kite. It's so nice to be able to go OUTSIDE!!!!

Alphabet Walk

2008-03-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

Simone wanted to go on an alphabet walk yesterday. While on the walk she wanted to find something that began with each letter of the alphabet. We had a such a good time.
These are the things we found:
Awning
Blue
Car
Doors
Eight
Five
Grass
Houses
I in Oakside (streetsign)
Simone said she saw J in a patch of snow
Kitten
Leaf
Mom
Nose
O (streetsign)
Puppy......we asked the owner if the puppy's name began with a Q.....it didn't
Quick....we saw a car going quickly (we had to improvise)
Road
Snow and Simone
Two
Under and Up....we looked Up in the sky and Under a car
Van
Wet Water
X is always for Xylophone, but we didn't see one of those, so I drew an X in the snow
Yellow
Zipper
We accomplished all this in a walk around the block and had a wonderful time. Simone had an alphabet stencil with her so she could keep track of what letter we were on.

In a World of Their Own

2008-03-08T05:40:00.000-08:00

Last night Michael and I went out with Carl and Julie Farmer to a Deaf Performance. It was part comedy, part story telling, part improv. It was Wonderful!! We were definitely in the minority as hearing people. The whole room was almost quiet and groups of people were signing to each other all over the room. I had even gone to the restroom and a lady was chatting with a little girl, she turned to me and signed a question, I signed back and she turned around and continued talking. It was assumed at this event that you were deaf, and if you weren't deaf, you knew sign language. All 4 of us have had some form of rudamentary training in sign language so we would have been able to communicate somewhat had anyone approached us. I have studied sign language for 13 years on my own and can translate almost anything into sign, but reading another person's sign is a whole different world for me. I realize how much that that skill needs to improve. The whole evening was great and it was wonderful to see the Farmer's again. Do you know how to show applause in a deaf community since they can't hear the clapping?????

4 Snowmen in a Row

2008-03-02T16:23:00.001-08:00

Simone and I went for a walk today in the slushy, wet wonderful 45 degree weather. When we got home, we weren't ready to go inside yet so we made a snowman. Then Simone decided we needed to make a snowman for each of us.

The first snowman is Simone, the next one is me, the next is Michael and the last is River. We made him a small snowman on purpose. :)

They are all decked out with eyes, carrot nose, mouth, twig hands and a hat. It was perfect weather for snowmen today.

Sledding Day at School

2008-02-28T15:54:00.001-08:00

I went to pick up Simone at school Wednesday and the teacher told us that they decided to spend the morning outside sledding. How fun! Here's a pic from the school website of Simone and another gal in her class sledding. Simone said when you went down the hill you had to open your mouth wide and scream, "AHHHHH". She talked about it the rest of the day. Sounds like all the kids had a great time. Simone is the one in purple. :)

Simone had her first sleepover

2008-02-26T17:25:00.000-08:00

Simone went to the McGuires the other night while Michael and I went out of town. 2 other girls had come over to spend the night as well, so in total there were 7 kids. Joyce Mcguire showed me the pictures she had taken of the sleep over. The kids played for awhile outside. They did some crafts. The girls all took a bath and had their hair up in curlers. Simone's hair looked so cute. I looks like the kids had a lot of fun.
Simone slept well, but we came and picked her up early the next morning as she was suffering from homesickness. Overall, I think it was a good first experience for her.
Tonight we got dumped on with snow. Michael and Simone bundled up and headed out to tackle the snow. Simone has her own little shovel and works hard right along side Michael.
The hard workers were rewarded with hot chocolate and strawberry milk when they came inside.

Simone is 4 1/2 on Sunday and I'll be "just older"

2008-02-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

Simone turns 4 1/2 on Sunday. Sunday happens to be my b-day. So Simone and I kind of share birthdays. She was born August 24th and I was born February 24th.
Since Simone's b-day is in the summer she'll always celebrate it on her 1/2 b-day at school. That is exactly what she did this past week at school. She was so excited and the school put a blog picture up of her day. It was extra special for her. Tonight we had church mice (awana without the games). Since church mice is only through the winter months, they celebrated and sang for Simone tonight. It was extra special to me knowing how much is meant to her.
Simone is quickly picking up reading and has read her 3rd book. She's so thrilled and I'm excited for her as I love to read and the world of reading is opening up to her.
This weekend is also special since Michael proposed to me on my b-day back in 2001. So Michael and I usually celebrate my b-day and our engagement with something a little extra special each year. We are going to Chicago and we'll see a couple of shows. We love theater. The kids are each being watched so we'll have the weekend to ourselves. :)

Puzzles

2008-02-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

Today was puzzle day. Simone used some of her saving to buy a new puzzle today. Puzzles are her new thing right now that she enjoys doing. She especially enjoys doing them with daddy.

Today, Simone also read her first "Bob" book. We were so proud of her and the look on her face showed how excited she was to read her own book.

Family Time

2008-02-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

We spend many evenings playing board games. Simone loves Candyland, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, but her new favorite one is Seek and Match. It's a cute veggie tales game. Each person has to find 4 peices and then get to the center. Simone gets very excited when she finds a piece she needs. It's so nice that she is at an age where we can spend family time together like this. Tonight we were sitting on the floor in front of the fire playing this game and River was sitting up on the floor next to us. It was a great evening.

First Sit-Up Bath

2008-02-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

Here is River's first sit up by himself bath in the sink. PTL! Simone was enjoying helping to give her little brother a bath.

Who needs to crawl when you can walk?

2008-02-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

River has no interest in crawling. He moves around the house in his "walker". He can get to almost anyplace in the house since we have hard wood floors. When Simone used the walker, we were at our apartment and we had carpet and you couldn't really move the walker, so it's amazing to see River go. He also likes to walk around with help, but since he's still so small, it hurts my back to bend over for too long. Here he is in the picture with my mom.

We are doing so many new things!

2008-02-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

River is now sitting up on his own. Here are my 2 gifts from heaven. Simone was surrounding River with pillows in case he fell over. She's just the biggest help. It's so nice when I feed River, she goes and gets a bib, puts it on him for me. Simone the big sis is a "Big help".

Our First Teeth

2008-02-07T11:09:00.001-08:00

River's 2 bottom teeth have pushed through. I thought I noticed something the other day when I was feeding him with his spoon. When I put my knuckle in his mouth....ouch! Simone and I took a look at his gums today...not easy to do as he wanted to stick his tongue out.....and low and behold his two bottom teeth have definitely poked through. Another milestone down. :) Is my baby already 8 months?

Fat Tuesday

2008-02-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday was Fat Tuesday. Michael and I choose to give up some luxuries each year during Lent. Most of the luxuries revolve around food, which is sad to say. Yesterday Simone and I made chocolate chip muffins and passed them around Michael's workplace.
She loves baking and passing out food like a waitress. There are about 20 people Micheal works with so she has plenty of opportunity to share her love with others. Michael and I shared paczi last night before we delved into our lent time this morning. Michael is giving up coffee/pop and fast food. I'm giving up chocolate and fast food. It's amazing how many things have chocolate in them until you give it up.

Science Alive at the Library

2008-02-02T16:03:00.000-08:00

Today we went to our local library for "Science Alive Day". I've never seen the library so crowded. Michael had to park quite a ways away. There were many experimental exhibits where kids could just go up and learn and play. There were star stations, health stations, animal stations and so forth. Michael and Simone wandered around while I pushed River in his stroller....he and I made many elevator trips as there were 4 floors of fun. I did find a boy who was lost from his parents and was able to take him to search for a security guard. It was too much later when relieved parents came and found him. I remember all to well being lost a couple of times and the fear of not recognizing any faces.
My Uncle was at the library doing a presentation on bees as he has been a beekeeeper for many years. It was nice to see him.
Michael and Simone shoveled snow tonight as we have been pounded the last couple of days.
Uncle Jerry came over tonight for dinner. It's always nice to have him come into town and visit.

Rollover River

2008-01-31T17:49:00.000-08:00

River has been rolling over for sometime now. The interesting thing is that River is now more interested in walking than he is in crawling. He can't pull himself up, but he can walk in his walker and he walks when you hold his fingers. He just might be one of those kids who walks before they crawl.

Llama? Camel?

2008-01-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

Here is Simone with her stuffed Llama that she named "Camel". Aunt Jen bought this Llama for Simone a couple of years back.

Wizard of Oz

2008-01-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight we finished the Wizard of Oz. Actually I read the book outloud on our vacation over New Years while we were travelling in the car. It's something Michael and I have done for years, we read a book on our long trips. Well on our trip, the Wizard of Oz book that I had didn't have many pictures and of course Simone was a little frustrated at that. When we got home, I went to the library and found another Wizard of Oz book with beautiful illustrations. She was enchanted. So I started reading the book again, this time she could look at the pictures. We just finished tonight. I don't think we'll allow her to watch the movie for some time, but she sure enjoyed the story. Happy reading!

Final Product

2008-01-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Here's the final product of the house. She's so proud of her work. :)

Craft Day with Simone

2008-01-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

Here is Simone during craft time today. We made a house using construction paper, foam and stickers. I then pulled out the waterbased paints...not watercolors, but some actual paint her "Nanny" got her. I printed out some pictures from the computer and she had a ball painting.
She's very careful and usually does "Nice Neat Work". She says, "I'm a good 'arter' ". She's great.

Happy Day River

2008-01-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of River after he got up from his
nap today. He looks like he's as bald as a bowling
ball but he does have some hair on his head.
Simone was the same.....she didn't have a good
head of hair until she was almost 3. Tomorrow we are going to get portrait pics of River. Hopefully he'll be this smiley.

Up close and Personal

2008-01-14T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a close up of River has he tries to grab the camera today. People are saying that he's looking more and more like Simone, although he favors Michael is eye color and skin tone.

Looks would be the only things these 2 would have in common. They are night and day. Simone is outgoing...an extrovert. River is a quiet more introverted baby. It'll be fun to see how these two grow up together. They get along really well right now, we hope that continues on for years to come :) .

River

2008-01-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic of River right after he ate today. He loves to eat. He's by no means fat, but we can tell that he is going to be as strong as an ox someday..and built like one too.

Blay

2008-01-14T12:52:00.001-08:00

Here is Simone and her "Blay". Blay is a blanket Simone got as a child from her great great Aunt Ginny. It doesn't go everywhere with her, but she doesn't sleep without it. Her blay also helps her transform into a superhero, a princess or a ghost. She loves pretending and has a great imagination. The blay is starting to show wear and tear after 4 1/2 years of use...hope it holds out through these "blay essential" years.

River has found his thumb

2008-01-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

River was 7 months yesterday. Like I've said in previous blogs, he likes pacifiers and the like. Simone never did, nor did she suck her thumb. A couple of days ago River found his thumb, at first I thought it was an accident, but he's a regular thumb sucker now. If his paci isn't around his thumb always is.
Michael and I go out every Friday for a date night. My mom generously watches Simone. River is such a gentle soul that we usually take him with us. We had a Christmas gift card for Red Lobster so we went there last night. They are having a shrimp fest and did we feast. River sat happily in his carseat beside us with thumb in mouth.

Muffins on the Side

2008-01-08T14:26:00.001-08:00

After our Chopped Salad adventure...Simone was still revving so we made some cinnamon muffins. Simone pulled out her apron, hat and oven mitt. She was ready to be a "cooker" as she calls it.

Chopped Salad Day

2008-01-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

Every week or so we make a chopped salad at the Muhme house. It's nutritious and delicious.
It usually takes 45 min. to make with Simone's help. She's become quite skilled at helping. She usually chops the green pepper, cracks and peels the hard boiled eggs and helps chop the lettuce. I'm big on chopped salads with lots of things in it. I've seen salads at restaurants that are just lettuce and a tomato chopped into 4's on top then it's drenched in salad dressing. That'll do in a pinch, but it's not really a salad, it's lettuce with a tomato cut into 4's on top. :)
This is my recipe: Everything is chopped small.
Lettuce chopped into small bits
1 tomato
2-3 hard boiled eggs
carrots
1 green pepper
2-3 green onions
1 small can of mandarin oranges
walnuts
raisins
shredded cheese
croutons
turkey/chicken or ham...usually I just use leftovers.
It's a big hit here. It doesn't cost much to make either.
Here's a pick of Simone being "Mama's big helper".

The Joy of Painting

2008-01-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

Today I broke out the watercolors. Simone got watercolors for Christmas. We hold some presents back and wait until the other presents lose their newness. Tonight Michael is teaching a class, so I thought we would paint. Simone is practing writing her name and drawing dinosaurs. She's having a ball.
River can now pick up his own paci and put it in his mouth. It's so cute to see him put it in sideways. Simone never liked pacifiers so this is all new to me.

The Jokes have Begun

2008-01-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

Simone has learned the joy of Knock Knock jokes. She's very good at "Orange you glad I didn't say banana" . She's also learned the "Boo-whoo, don't cry" one. She also loves Aunt Jen's personal favorite...The interrupting Cow joke. We just need to learn some new jokes so she's not repeating the same joke 5 times in a row. Anyone got good clean Knock Knock jokes that a 4 year old would understand?

New Years Vacation

2008-01-01T17:07:00.001-08:00

Usually on New Years Michael and I take a vacation, just the 2 of us. We usually go someplace like New York or Chicago and see some incredible broadway shows, or we go south and enjoy the warmth. This year we decided to take Simone with us. My mom and a few others graciously watched River. We didn't want to drive too far away, but far enough to make it feel like a vacation. We started in Indianapolis. We went to the Children's Museum. It was incredible! We spent 6 HOURS there. It has changed so much since I had been there in my teens. Simone absolutely enjoyed herself and Michael and I enjoyed seeing her eyes light up...especially in the dinosaur exhibit. That evening we went and had dinner with Jen Jackson. It was great to see her and her new place. We had pizza and Simone enjoyed seeing her kitties. That night we stayed in a hotel. It had been a long time since Simone had stayed in a hotel, so this really was the first experience for her...she thought it quite cool that she had a big bed all to herself.
The next day we were off to Lexington, Kentucky. We visited the aquarium. Simone wasn't as thrilled with the aquarium as she was with the museum. She did get to see Santa swimming with the sharks. She also got to see a special penguin parade. We didn't stay at the aquarium long but, ventured on to a nice seafood restaurant where Simone had her first taste of swordfish. She actually liked it.
Our plans for the next day were to visit and tour a horse farm. On the internet, they said, they were open, but when they got there, they were closed. We were very disappointed as Simone loves horses and we were excited for her to see some up close. We were scrambling to find something else to do for the next day. We saw that the Louisville Zoo was opened year round so we made that our plans for the next day. When we got there, we showed them our Potowatomi Zoo pass and they let us in for free. Praise the Lord...It was nice out, about 50 degrees. Many exhibits were closed, since it is winter, but we got to see many animals and a great exhibit called Gorillas in the round. You go into a room and the gorillas absolutely surround you. We stayed there for a long time. It was lots of fun. We stopped early that night. I thought Simone would enjoy swimming in the hotel swimming pool. We stopped at a couple of local stores and they didn't have any swimsuits. I know it's out of season, but what do people do who are going someplace warm on vacation or want a suit to swim at the "Y"? Well we ended up buying a leotard...on sale for $2. She swam in her leotard and had a great time.
We arrived home to mounds of snow and horrible road conditions. We were very thankful for the nicer weather and traveling conditions we had. It was a great vacation.

Afternoon "Pretend" School with Mom

2007-12-28T12:30:00.000-08:00

Simone goes to school Mon-Wed for half the day. She goes to Stanley Clark, (2 streets over). When it's nice, Michael walks her to school. We've been very impressed with the school. They have an artistic learning mindset and that really fits with Simone's personality. I'm amazed at how much she has already learned. She can write her name now. How fun it was on Christmas to put on the Christmas present labels..From: Simone.........in her own handwriting.
Her counting is quite impressive. She can spell some simple words. Listen to me prattle on about my child. I'm such a proud momma. Well in the afternoons, while River is sleeping, we play "School". She loves it, she says bye to me, "mom" and leaves the room and comes back and says, "Hi Teacher". It's great. I get some preschool books from Walgreens and we do some pages each day. We work on writing numbers/letters, identifying sounds and problem solving. We then leave the papers on the table for "Principal Daddy". He then reviews the papers with Simone when she gets home. After "School"...we have craft time. My mom keeps us supplied with construction paper, foam, and fun glue on items and a bunch of other assorted crafty items. Simone practices with her scissors (zizzors...and she calls them) and with her gluing. Yesterday we made Jingle Bell necklaces. It makes for a nice afternoon together and I can see where she is academically. I don't think I could homeschool Simone as she loves being with the other kids in her class...especially the boys....she's a tomboy alright :) . Simone also learns differently than my teaching style...I'm a "Rote, Rote, Rote Style" and she loves to learn through discovery. That's where Stanley Clark excels. It's also where Joyce McGuire (a friend of mine who homeschools) excels. She does marvels with her kids, I'm amazed! Now, when Simone has to learn her multiplication facts...."Rote Rote Rote" will come in handy :)
http://www.stanleyclark.org/page.cfm?p=2563 This is Simone's school, click on a day, and they'll show you what they did. You might even see a pic of Simone. :)

Christmas/New Years

2007-12-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! My parents came over and we had a wonderful time.
My mother in law went to China recently and got some BEAUTIFUL outfits for the kids. I got an exquisit silk scarf. Simone's grandparents sent Simone some money to get her a gift and we got Simone a dora digital camera. She's had a wonderful time going around taking pictures. We got some curtains which have really brightened up some of the rooms. Later in the day, my parents watched the kids and Michael and I went out to see a movie...it's been a long time since we saw a movie in the theater, it was a treat.
We had some excitement around here today. 2 firetrucks were parked out on the street outside our house with their lights flashing. The house across the street had numerous firemen surrounding it. No ambulances arrived so I was relieved to see that no one was hurt. A nipsco truck arrived, so I'm guessing it was some sort of gas leak. Simone was entranced by the trucks and the firemen. We were making dinner and she'd run to the window every few minutes to check out the developments.
We are getting ready for New Years. Usually Michael and I have traveled alone on this holiday, but this year we are taking Simone. My mom is graciously watching River.
We are going to the Children's museum in Indy. Then we are going to travel to the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky and then off to a Kentucky horse farm for a tour. We are excited.
Hope you all had a merry christmas and stay safe during the new years celebration.

Christmas at Fernwood

2007-12-22T18:16:00.001-08:00

Tonight we went to Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Niles Michigan for their festival of lights.
The whole place was decked out with lights. They had lights made to look like a huge ship, which simone said was lacking a captain and pirates. Each section was dedicated to how a different country decorates for Christmas. One section had German pickle lights and the kids enjoyed counting those through their walk...although Simone thought they looked more like beans and kept shouting "beans" when she saw one. The bridges, eaves and walkways were just streaming with lights. The nature/learning center housed the cookies and hot chocolate midway through our trip, but as it was a warmer evening we bypassed the hot chocolate...never bypass cookies :) . There was a small little house that Santa greeted people in with a full side Advent Calendar outside that the kids enjoyed opening and closing. Simone said Hi to Santa and informed him that she wanted a horse for Christmas. When we were all done, Simone asked to go through again. Simone and I made a quick run through again and Michael and River sat/rested and wandered through the gift shop. Afterwards Michael took us to South Bend Chocolate Company for icecream. What a great evening!

Christmas Rewind

2007-12-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our church's Christmas Rewind performance. The night before we had been dumped on by snow....we all were thinking, what if church is cancelled. We couldn't perform the next week. What if someone couldn't make it through the snow? Would our director have to fill in for someone. Well, we all trickled in each cast member that walked in made us sigh a breath of relief.
The performance went well, we all remembered our lines. We even had a very good audience. Many people braved the weather to attend church yesterday.
I waited as long as I could to see if Michael and the kids were going to make it for second service or even attempt it as the roads were really bad. I had to go backstage and I peaked through the curtains before performance, but didn't see them. After second service as I was leaving the stage through the back door there was Michael and Simone. Simone was clapping and said, "You did good pretending mom". I was thrilled, not only that they made it, but that Michael brought Simone into service to watch me. She didn't recognize me as Elizabeth as I had a gray wig, but she recognized me as a Wiseman (or wiseguy...as we were in the play). It really put the acting bug back in my system, but we'll see what the Lord has for me. This production was different as I'm used to having Michael as my director. I find that you learn different things from different directors.
It was a great experience.

Simone's School Christmas Program

2007-12-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Simone had her first Christmas program Thursday night. We were told to be there at 6:20 as the performance started at 6:30. Good thing we arrived early. We got there around 6:00. When you have 2 kids you just need to be early. At 6:00, 1/3 of the seats in the performance hall were already taken. Cameras were set up. Proud parents and grandparents were ready and they had 1/2 an hour to wait. I decided to wait up in the balcony since I had River and didn't want to get up in the middle of the program if he got fussy. Well at 6:15 all the seats were taken and parents were trying to stand in the back and peak in through the doors. The balcony was wall to wall people and River was enjoying grabbing onto the clothes of the people around him. The people who listened to instructions and arrived at 6:20 found they were looking over shoulders and on tippy toes. The kids walk in and the cameras start flicking. The 3 year olds and 4 year olds were together and sang 2 songs.....it lasted about 3 minutes. Simone looked fervantly for me, but couldn't see me up in the balcony. I tried waving to no avail. She sang nicely and did all the motions. The 5 year olds sang and that lasted about 3 minutes as well....Kindergarten was the same. Then all the kids sang the beatles song, All you need is love, while a slide presentation of pictures so far this year were shown. Simone was in 4 of the slides. The whole program lasted about 15 minutes. (which is just right for kids their age, but it's sorta like disneyworld where you wait 1 hour for a 4 minute ride) Afterwards we enjoyed snacks that the kids had made throughout the week. Simone guided (pulled) me through the crowd, as I was carrying a carseat, to the art room where the 4's class had made chocolate covered pretzels. Simone was so proud. We each had a pretzel and cider with wall to wall parents/grandparents. All of us beaming at our children. It was a great night.

Simone's 1st performance

2007-12-09T17:20:00.000-08:00

Today was church and weeks of preparation had gone into a small group of 3 and 4 year olds. For many Sundays now the choir lady would come into the 3's and 4's and work with them on their program. They were to sing Away in a Manger and Go tell it on the Mountain. Simone and I practiced vigilantly every night. We worked on the words and the motions. Today was the big day. Nanny even came to church to watch with us. The kids got all lined up and the music begins. I wait with baited breath to see my precious girl sing what we've been practicing.
Simone decided that she was in awe of the audience. She was so in awe that she didn't sing. She wasn't scared, she just stared. When it was all over, She was crying and saying, "I didn't sing". She said she wanted to go home. There are 2 services at our church and that was the first service. The choir leader asked that the kids stay for both services so there would be many voices. We didn't want the last memory of today being her not singing, so we told her she needed to stay for the 2nd service and sing with her class. We said it was important to try again. Second service came and the group came up and SHE SANG! The kid behind her was evidently singing really loudly 'cause she'd turn around occaisionally and stare at him, but she smiled and sangand did the motions. When it was all done and we were in the hallway to collect her, she had a big grin on her face and she ran to Michael and said, "I did it!" She was so proud of herself and was singing the Christmas songs all the way home. My heart was bursting with pride. Not necessarily because she sang, but that she tried again, even when she wanted so badly to go home, and because she tried again she saw that she really could do it.

Candlelight Walk

2007-12-09T17:14:00.001-08:00

Last night we got to go on a candlelight walk. The streets 2 blocks down were lined with candles and horses pulled wagons up and down the streets. We rode on a wagon, no fee yea!, round trip up and down the streets looking at the houses lit up with lights. Firemen were out giving candy and we even saw that Santa was even roaming around handing out candycanes. We got out of the wagon at the end of the trip and the local church had a live nativity and animals to pet.
Simone was enthralled with the live nativity and just stood and stared at Mary Joseph and the "pretend" baby Jesus. She went back again a little later to just stand and stare.
River was starting to get cold, and Simone wanted to ride the wagon again and to hug Santa. So Michael and Simone went on a Santa hunt. They found him and Simone gave him a big hug..they rode the wagon again and walked home.
It was a beautiful evening.

Frohike

2007-12-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

(Fro-hickey) is our year and a half old orange tabbycat.
You should have seen simone a year and a half ago and we went to buy our kitty. She was holding onto a kitty carrying case and saying, "We're going to put my kitty in here". She was very determined. We decided to go to the humane shelter and save a kitty. When we got there, there were many kitties to choose from, but there was a "small" problem. Before you could buy a cat you needed to have already made a vet appt., which we hadn't, we also had to sign up for and take a kitty care class. We decided to go elsewhere for a kitty. The next place we went, none of the cats were neutered. We were hoping to have a kitty with their shots already in place and already neutered. The next place we went to was Pet Smart. There we found Frohike. They had 3 small kitties to choose from, all of them had their shots and they all were neutered. Michael said I could have my pick as Simone didn't really care, she just wanted a kitty. Her favorite was whichever one she was holding at the time.
I picked the orange kitty. I have always been partial to orange tabby cats. Growing up and for 18 years "Burley" a beautiful orange tabby cat lived at my parents house. He was my personal buddy, although many of my friends despised him, he had some attitude, he brought me such joy.
When I went off to college, I had a roommate with the last name of "Burley" only spelled differently.She told me someday she was going to get cat and name it "Barrett", my maiden name.
Well Frohike fits in well with our family, he's quirkey and fun. As all animals seem to pick a favorite out of the family, Frohike has picked Michael. Simone "loves" Frohike, but sometimes "loves" him too much. We hope someday that he'll sleep upstairs with Simone and sit in her lap, but as of right now he's on our bed and lays only in our laps. For those of you who wonder where in the world we got the name Frohike, you must not be an X-file fans. Michael and I watched the show years ago and one of the characters was named Frohike. I suggested to Micahel long ago that if we ever had a cat, since we both liked cats, we should name it Frohike. He agreed and the rest is history.

Now for something completely different:
Tonight when I was helping Simone into bed she looked at my forehead and said,"What are those lines?". I said, "What lines?" She said, "The lines on your forehead, lines like old people." I said, "You mean wrinkles?". She said, "Yeah". I asked her if she thought I was old. She giggled said "Yeah" so nonchalantly.
I have been humbled tonight. (sigh)

Snuggley Book Time

2007-12-04T17:04:00.000-08:00

Every night before Simone goes to bed, she and I have what we call, "Snuggley Book Time".
Simone and I crawl under the covers of the bed and read 2-3 books depending on their length. She usually asks for more books, but as we'd be up all night, I limit the number and tell her there will be more the next night. She then is allowed to take the books she and I have read upstairs to her room where she will "reread" them to herself before she goes to sleep. It's fun to hear her from downstairs using the same inflection that I did. She and I have really come to enjoy this ritual. I also enjoy going to the library on weekends and picking out books that I know will light up her eyes.
Tonight before snuggley book time I sat down to try my hand at the daily crossword puzzle. Simone wanted a crossword too, so I made her a blank puzzle on a separate sheet of paper.
As I filled in boxes, she filled in boxes with letters and shapes she knows how to write. When I would pause, she would too, she wouldn't fill in anything until I did. She finished her crossword puzzle, but I didn't finish mine.

Christmas Has Come to the Muhme House

2007-12-03T17:57:00.001-08:00

Tonight was a magical night for Simone. Simone had decided that she wanted a singing Christmas tree after seeing one at Menards. Michael the ever resourceful went hunting for something just as good, as singing Christmas trees are a couple hundred dollars. Michael and Simone picked out a tree and Michael went to the local Family Christian store to see if they had any singing ornaments. They didn't have singing ornaments, but lo and behold, they did have singing cards. Simone picked out a Feliz Navidad card. Now the Feliz Navidad card hangs from our tree and sings anytime Simone opens it. Kudos to Michael for making Simone's Christmas wish come true.
Simone and I strung the lights and Simone hung up the ornaments. They are mostly all at her level which makes the tree really cute. Some of the ornaments are pictures of Simone from the years past...it's great to see how much she's grown.
We may have to let her sleep on the couch near the tree soon. Most every kid has done that once, right?

Sunday we go to Polito's Pizzaria

2007-12-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

It is Sunday. After church we have started a tradition, if budget allows, to either eat at Polito's or get a pizza from their establishment and take it home. Either their pizza is really good or their large with one topping is really cheap, either way, we've become hooked. Simone loves to eat at the "Pizza Shop" as she calls it.
After we are done eating, if we eat at the restaurant, Simone and Michael go into their teensy arcade and pretend they are playing. Simone finds this great fun.
I went this afternoon to Jen Jackson's to help her finish clean her apartment and to have some time with her before she left. It was great just to chat and be together for a while.
After I cleaned at Jen's I had rehearsal. We got our costumes tonight...what a hoot. I play 2 parts. I play Elizabeth mother of John the Baptist and I play one of the wisemen. Well, the costume for Elizabeth is just a riot. I have an ugly grey wig and a big purple house frock and whatever I can find to make it appear that I'm expecting, tonight it was a sweater. The cast really got a kick out of it. When I walked on stage for one of my scenes none of us could keep a straight face.
Tonight Simone and I made blueberry muffins as she has to provide snack tomorrow for school. The kids each have one day a month that they have to bring in a healthy snack. Simone is realizing in cooking that when you are done, you get to lick the bowl and spoon.
Simone has also enjoyed learning how to use scissors and cut paper. She cuts the paper to shards. She has thus begun learning how to sweep and tonight she swept all her shards into such a nice pile....way to go cinderella.
Well g'nite all.

December 1st

2007-12-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

It's December 1st.
We aren't ready for the cold weather yet, but everyday of cold weather is one day closer to spring. Since this summer we've been very busy. Our biggest excitement being the birth of our son, Cassian River Muhme. "River" was born on June 11th at 5 lbs 7 oz. He's been such a joyful addition to our family. Big Sis, Simone has jumped right in and, most of the time, embraced the role of big sis. Simone gets toys, brings bottles, sings when he's upset and gives lots of hugs and kisses. River is a calm very easygoing baby. What a blessing our 2 children are. Simone is now almost 4 1/2 and well into preschool life. Simone goes to Stanley Clark School which is a 5 minute walk down the road. She has a nice small class of 10 students and 2 teachers. I'm amazed and what she has already learned. She can count past 20, recognizes most of the alphabet, can almost write her name and has developed good pattern recognition. Simone usually plays with the boys at school taking after her "tomboy" mom. The school had a daily blog and it's fun to see what they did everyday as Simone sometimes "forgets" :)
Michael is teaching film classes at Lake Michigan College right now and loves it. It's fun to discuss which movies and projects he will assign for his class.
This summer has been full of new baby adjustments, baking....Simone has taken up a love of the kitchen, much to the chagrin of my waistline, and new church activities. For those of you who don't know, we are attending a new church which is closer to our home. I've jumped into the "Church Mice" program, a Thursday evening Sunday School program. I'm teaching in the 3's/4's with Simone. I'm also in the Christmas Drama, "Christmas Rewind". It's been fun getting back into the swing again of acting and getting to know more people at church.
Please be patient with me as I figure out how to blog. I'm so excited!
Candy