Pictures From Last Week

Emma having a pre-dinner snack (sand)


Maddie catching butterflies


Maddie actually looking and smiling


Emma hasn't quite figured out the trampoline


Emma and her goofy grin


You can really see Maddie's scar on this one


This is probably my favorite picture of Maddie since she has been born. She was just sitting by the football field and contemplating something really hard. It reminds me of how my mom's favorite one of Jana is her without a smile.

A Relaxing Weekend

That's right, there were no football games, no retreats, no birthday parties or any of the like, so we took advantage and got out of town. We only went as far as Carrollton (Dallas), but it was worth it. We left Friday by 3:45 and were up there by 8:45. We hit some construction along with a longer dinner stop than expected. We had no plans and no agenda, so it was a great time. The girls got to play outside in the sandbox, Maddie was trying to catch a few butterflies, the boys watched football, we all played cards, got to see Adam, and Kathy and I even snuck in a trip to Hobby Lobby. We had a nice relaxing weekend. We didn't even head home until about 6 on Sunday. It was later than usual, but I think Chad wanted to get the most out of the weekend.

Other than our short trip, we haven't been up to much. We continue to keep up with the Brewers even 1200 miles away. We are heading to the game tomorrow and hope that they can play like they have been. On that same note, I continue to curse the Cubs every time they win.

The girls are just as wild as ever. Maddie is talking more and more and about 85% of the time I know what she is saying and the other 15% I feel like she is talking Maddiese. Emma tries to keep up with Maddie and is getting better and better. She is developing quite the personality. She is becoming a typical little sister. She will push Maddie and keep pushing her and then when Maddie pushes her back, she starts too cry. She is already learning the art of annoying. Maddie is loving blowing bubbles. It is so nice that we are able to start going outside again because it isn't 150 degrees out. They both love to ride their bikes. Maddie also loves to help with the weeds.

We don't have a visitor until October 19th, so almost a month. I'm sure we will be keeping ourselves busy until then.

Pictures For Bumpa

I was informed that if there are no pictures of the girls on a post then it isn't a good one. It has taken me a few days to get these up here because our picture software was acting up, but here are some pictures of the girls for everyone, but especially bumpa Milwaukee. Yesterday was freshman retreat for Chad, so he was gone yesterday afternoon and we will pick him up later this afternoon. Not too much else going on this week. I am going to go to a MOPS meeting and church tonight. MOPS is Mothers of Preschoolers, but it is geared for moms who have kids from 0-5. There is a daytime one, but they are a little more intense and so my friend Sarah goes to the evening ones and invited me to go with her. We are heading up to Dallas this weekend to spend some time with Kathy, Dave and the kids. We are hoping to get a chance to see Adam and others who live up there. Next week we have tickets for the Brewers/Astros game on Wednesday. We got them from a parent at school, his business has pretty much the same seats as mom and dad. First row club level on the first base side. I'm excited to go. Ra-ra called this week to let us know that she will be coming for a visit in October and then her and bumpa will be here for Thanksgiving.

Well here are those pictures, hope you enjoy them.

Maddie loves to take pictures, so here is Emma
up close and personal.





Here is Maddie in her big girl bed for the first time
It is actually a bunk bed that can be two twins.








Maddie playing cards with Steve




Maddie's battle wound. It has finally gone completely away
after a week and a half.





Chad thought Maddie needed a toy guitar and so here
she is rocking out to Curious George.

Good Friends, Good Fun

This past weekend we had two of my friends come to visit. Fritz came from Baltimore on Thursday and Anne came from Orlando on Friday. We had lots of fun just talking and hanging out. We did make it to the football game on Friday, but not until the 4th quarter. They lost by 3 points. It was a good fourth quarter and it sounded like it was boring up until then, so it was good we got there late. Wilkes and Steve came over after the game for a couple of beers which I think Phill and Steve needed. (They both coach football)

Saturday was college football, so Anne and I left the boys home with the girls. We ran some errands and did a little shopping. Fritz was quite devastated with Michigan, since that is his team. So of course we gave him a hard time the rest of the evening. We went to Harris County since Fritz has never had real Texas BBQ and we know that Anne loves the place too. Saturday night we played some games, Phill and Shelly stopped by after a wedding they were at, Steve and his roommate Matt came over also.

Sunday we headed to Sunday school, church and then back home to watch the Cubs/Astros. A guy I went to college with that Fritz is good friends with was visiting Houston, so him and his wife came over for dinner and some exciting games of Imagine If and Battle of the Sexes. Again Steve came over; do you see a pattern here?

Both Anne and Fritz left on Monday. Anne was here until the afternoon, so her and I just hung out with the girls and ran some errands. It was a great weekend and I was so glad to have them both here. We did lots of talking and lots of laughing. It had been three years since I last saw Fritz and so we realized how fast time can go and how awesome it is to have friends like we do.

So this post is for Anne and Fritz (even though he hardly reads my blog) thanks for being such great friends. I don't know when the next time I will get to see either of them, but when I do I know that we will just pick up where we left yesterday.

Inmate Number 6052007

Yep, that's right according to a mean old lady in Hobby Lobby, I have a future juvenile delinquent on my hands. Chad was at retreat last night and today, so I took this morning to run some errands and then we went to pick him up at the camp they stay. Maddie also got to take a swim in the pool. So we were at Hobby Lobby before grabbing some lunch. She was strapped in the stroller and was getting antsy. She started to cry and throw a temper tantrum just like any 2 year old might do. Mean Lady Hobby Lobby came into the aisle we were in and informed me that I have a future juvenile delinquent on my hands. She quickly turned and went back to the aisle she came from. From there it went something like this:

Me: "Excuse me, do you have a problem with my child?"
Mean Lady Hobby Lobby: "Yeah, she should be better behaved in public"
Me: "Well she is only two" (thinking that everyone thinks she is four because of what she looks like)
MLHL: "I have two year old grandchildren who are better behaved than her"
Me: "And I'm sure that they are perfect all the time"

At that point I walked back into my aisle. Another mom came into the aisle and told me that I was a whole lot nicer about it than she would have been. We chatted for a few minutes and that made me feel better. I was so boiling mad. We are also trying to get Maddie to stop using her nuk, so I don't give it to her just to make her be quiet. She threw her tantrum for a few minutes and then she was fine. We were in the store probably for another 15 minutes. So all of you mothers and fathers of toddlers you better watch out because tantrums lead to being a juvenile delinquent. As we were going to check out, I was looking for Mean Lady because I wanted to tell her that I hoped she had a good rest of the day. She had already left the store or at least wasn't in any of the aisles that I passed.

Needless to say I left Hobby Lobby pretty mad. It all passed soon and I was able to laugh about it, but it is amazing to me what other people will say to you about your parenting skills when they don't even know you.

I was going to get Maddie to hold up a inmate sign and take her picture, but I forgot before writing this post.

Not too much else going on. This weekend we have a couple of friends coming to town. Friday is the first football game of the year and so I'm sure we will be there for a good portion of Friday evening.

Two Peas in a Pod

That can be a great thing, because the girls keep themselves entertained by playing with each other. It also can be a bad thing because then they are always in each other's space. Maddie has become very aware that Emma invades her space, so to solve that problem she pushes Emma out of the way. Maddie has spent numerous minutes in timeout the last week or so. Emma also is very aware how Maddie can invade her space, so she will bite Maddie. It has been a battle that is like being bipolar. For twenty minutes they can be playing so well together or at least next to each other, then in an instant it can change to them screaming at each other. I have a feeling that this is what the teenage years are going to be like. They have been sharing a room since we got back from Wisconsin the first time. Maddie is doing very well with being quiet when she goes to bed. I think that helps her to just lay there and fall asleep. In the morning it is so fun to listen to them "talk" to each other. Emma usually is the one who wakes up first, but Maddie is soon to follow. Maddie also like to jump into bed with Emma in the mornings. Usually I find them in there laughing and playing peek-a-boo. We have a feeling that there are going to be many nights where we are going to have to tell them to go to sleep and stop talking.

Here is how I found them the other morning. I don't know how long Maddie had been in there for, but they were both just content sleeping in the same crib.

Epitome of Potty Training

That's right, Maddie has taken an interest in the potty, so we are going on it. We aren't full fledged training, but she likes to sit on the potty. She also likes to take all her clothes and diaper off and run around the house naked. Today we got big girl underwear. I was even surprised when she chose The Little Mermaid over Dora. We will see how this goes. So on this topic, I decided to go to the library and get a couple of books about potty training, just to thumb through and see what they have to say. I was reading in one how that somewhere between two and three a kid grows to about 50% of their adult height. Now if that is true that means that Maddie who at 26 months was 37.5 inches will be somewhere around 6'3". We are going to start that whole basketball thing soon or maybe even volleyball.

Anyways back to my title, I think that this picture explains it all: Maddie with no clothes, with the potty bowl on as a hat. She is learning this whole bathroom thing by osmosis.

Loads of Pictures

Back Home

We are finally back home and glad to be here. We loved seeing everyone but there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed, being lazy on your couch, seeing friends, and not living out of a suitcase.

First off the National Youth Gathering- it was an awesome, uplifting time. I was so happy that I was able to go and even participate in the Mass Events. Maddie and Emma even enjoyed dancing and singing. We got to stay at the Peabody, see the duck parade, and hang out with the Janetzke clan. Grandma Heff was there, but she divided her time with us and the group from Mount Olive. Anne was with us most days and it was fun to just walk around and talk with her. Anne, Grandma Heff, the girls, and I made it out to the Magic Kingdom one day. Maddie loved seeing everyone, but most of all loved riding the Flying Dumbo's. She waited in line so well and then just giggled the whole time. We also made it to Universal Studios before we left. We got to see Curious George, Shrek, and of course Dora. I think Maddie enjoyed herself. We flew this time and the girls were great on the plane. From Orlando we went to Cleveland, we were suppose to go to Chicago, but when we landed in Cleveland the Chicago flight was delayed, but there was a flight going to Milwaukee that we got on. Mom was flying to Chicago, so she was able to get our bags and we got home a whole lot earlier, which the girls were thankful for.

Thursday began wedding errands and odds and ends. The girls were pretty wiped and so they just played and napped most of the day. We had some help Friday morning from Kendra, so Chad could go golfing with the boys. We took the girls up to Grandma and Grandpa Janetzke's and they spent the weekend with them. We saw them at the wedding and part of the reception, but it was nice to not have to worry about them and able to talk and hang out with everyone. We picked them up Sunday afternoon and then just hung out the rest of the time. We did manage to get some swimming in on Monday morning with Ben, Sam, Amy, us, Jana, and Mike. We got in yesterday afternoon, about an hour and a half later than scheduled. We went up to school so Chad could catch up on anything he missed yesterday. Then it was home to do some grocery shopping and unpacking.

Chad is at school for more meetings, both girls had doctor appointments today. They are both growing like weeds. Lots of shots, but they both did great. The rest of the week is just getting settled back in. This weekend the Brewers are in town, we will be watching them from the comfort of our sofa.

We are so glad to have been able to see all our family and can't wait to see you in the cold of December. (That is hard to imagine since it is over 100 today)

Never enough time

We are heading back to Texas tomorrow after 10 days gone. We have lots to do when we get back and Chad is right back into meetings tomorrow afternoon. After we get settled back into a normal routine, I will fill you in on Florida and Jana's wedding. I have lots of pictures, but want to put them on our computer and then onto here. Hope that everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer.

A loss for a title

I have no idea what to title this post. This is just an update. We haven't been up to anything too exciting. We are starting to get ready for Florida. We are leaving on Friday morning and will be in Florida until Wednesday and then it will be off to Wisconsin for Jana's wedding. It is hard to even remember what we have been doing. Last week we got a night of free babysitting from Caitlyn (she was Maddie's babysitter during basketball) and we went to a friend's birthday party. Then Friday the Wilke's came over for dinner and to watch the Astros game. The rest of the weekend was pretty low key, playing outside, Chad getting the lawn done, and the like. Sunday Isaac came over to play while Paul and Christa were at a funereal. He was having so much fun that he didn't want to go home. We are actually going over there today to play again this morning. Tomorrow will be laundry and packing. The girls are pretty much ready to go, but Chad and myself need to get our stuff together.

I'm sure that I'll have pictures from Florida, so maybe when we get to grandma and grandpa Heff's we can put some up.

Happy Birthday Alan and Eric (today and tomorrow)!!!

What day is it?

Do you ever ask yourself that question? Since we have gotten back home from up north, it seems like I am asking that question a lot. I then found it funny that Chad's dad was asking that same question today. Grandpa J is here for the LCMS Convention. We have been down there a couple of times and even spent the night last night. There are other people we know who are down there, so we have been running into people all over the place.

So what have we been up to? Oh, just getting estimates on our air conditioning, because the evaporator coil is busted. Tomorrow we have one more company coming over to give us an estimate and then we will set up an appointment to get it fixed. We are melting down here. We have a room air conditioner in Maddie's room and has closed off the bedrooms and that one keeps us all cool for sleeping. It also hasn't been too hot out, so it isn't all that bad. I know that Chad will disagree with me, but the heat doesn't really bother me.

Last weekend we were out for the CUW Alumni event. It was at a small brewery. We were all wondering what to expect, but it ended up being a really good time. We mostly hung with the Tomball people, but we did manage to meet a couple who moved here in January and they work at the medical center.

Nothing else too exciting the rest of the weekend. We did go downtown on Sunday and we were in the convention center when they voted for president of synod. Maddie got to go swimming and loved it. We bought her one of those suits that is pretty much foam on top, so it is like wearing a life vest all the time. She was a little hesitant at first, but then realized that she could float there all by herself. She managed to get into the water two more times since then.

I am starting to put things together in my head for Orlando and then for Wisconsin the Sequel. We are flying, so we have less space then we had the first time, but I figured our clothes for the wedding are already taken care of. I'm looking forward to Orlando. I get to spend some time with Anne. The whole Janetzke family, minus Josh, will be there. Ben, Kendra, and Lydia will be with a group, but I'm sure we will see them around. Grandma Heff will also be down there, so that will be fun also.

I don't have any new pics. I wanted to get one of Maddie the linebacker (with her new suit on, but my batteries were dead). Next time she has it on, I'll make sure to take one. Emma is starting to get more adventurous. She is figuring out how to use things as steps to climb up on things, like the couch and chairs. We haven't had a bottle since we came back from vacation, so we are hoping that we kicked that habit. We will work on the nuk with Maddie when we get back from Wisconsin in August.

The second half in pictures

Seeing Lone Stars

Yes, we are back in our own home and sleeping in our own beds. We had a very uneventful trip home. We stopped in Joplin, MO on Tuesday night. We got there in time to swim and watch the whole All-Star game.

So the rest of our trip was good. We took in Summerfest on Saturday night, it was good. We had a little trouble towards the end of the night, but it all worked out, right Joel? Sunday was Jana's wedding shower. It was pampered chef and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Mom's mojito slush was a big hit. Monday we headed up to Minnesota, we got up there right around lunch time. We got to see a bunch of people from TLO. We got to play cards with Jill, Jay, Jon, and Elsa. It wasn't complete until we called Jake.

Tuesday we went to MOA, walked around and then just hung out the rest of the day. Us girls did do some shopping. Wednesday we headed to Germantown for Kendra's graduation party and fireworks. The Minnesotans came with us and stayed until Saturday morning.

Thursday we spent our anniversary on a couple of brewery tours. We took the Lakefront Brewery tour first and then headed over to Miller. We had a great time. We then ate dinner at Friday's Front Row. All we needed to do was stop at church and we would have had our Beer, Baseball, and Jesus.

Friday we went up to Mequon to check out all the work they are doing. It looks like a completely different campus. Saturday was just a hang out day. We got things ready for Emma's party and then went out for a little while with Jana and Mike. Sunday was Emma's party it was fun and a good way to just relax as our vacation was coming to a close. Monday was a packing day and then we headed out Tuesday morning.

Today Chad didn't go to school today we are just getting some laundry and stuff around the house done. Tomorrow Chad will have baseball work out and in the evening we are heading downtown for the CUW alumni thing for the convention. Then grandpa J. will be here on Saturday morning for the convention. So we will get to see him for a little while this weekend and into next week. We are going to enjoy the next two weeks at home until we leave for the Gathering.

It was so great to see everyone up north and we will see most of you at Jana's wedding.

On My Honor

I promise that when we get back to Texas (Wednesday or Thursday) I will post all about the rest of our trip. I need to get us packed and back to Texas before I can even think about all the adventures we have had on our trip.

I do want to say "Welcome to Texas" to the Truwe family. We are hoping to get over to San Antonio to see the new place as soon as we can.

Another week gone

We have finsihed week two of our vacation and are getting ready to start our next adventure. This past week was filled with just as many things as the week before. Monday was golfing for Chad with his dad. I spent the day with his mom and Kurt. Tuesday was the Brewers game. It was an awesome game. They scored 9 runs in the 7th inning. In that inning they hit a grand slam, a two-run homerun, and then 3 other runs. Wednesday we headed to Chicago to visit with the Frixen family. We got to play with Kylie and Ella. Chad and Karl got to talk sports all afternoon. Thursday was grandma's day off, so Amy, Ben, and Sam came to the house to play with all of us. We headed down to Summerfest for lunch and some playing. Thursday night Chad took the girls up to his parents house while I went to Summerfest with Renee. We were going so we could see REO Speedwagon. We stayed at that concert for about an hour and then left because it wasn't very good. It seemed that we weren't the only ones, the next morning the paper didn't have a very good review. Yesterday we spent the day at Noah's Ark. That was actually the first I had been there too. The girls loved all the kiddie pool stuff. Maddie even took a ride down the lazy river. Chad and I ventured on some slides. Jana and Mike got into town last night, so it is good to see them. Today we are planning on watching the Brewer's game and then Amy, Joel, Jana, Mike, Chad, and I are heading down to Summerfest for the evening. Tomorrow we have a wedding shower for Jana and then on Monday morning we are heading up to Minnesota for a few days.

Our Trip Thus Far

We so far traveled through 6 states and have one more to go. We made it to Saint Louis, Fort Wayne, Hartland MI, Lansing, and now we are in Milwaukee. We got to go to the Saint Louis Zoo last Friday. It was hot, but Maddie still loved looking at all the animals. We got to spend some time just visiting with Beth and Mark, thank you for your hospitality. Then on Saturday it was off to Fort Wayne. We got there in the later afternoon and just relaxed the rest of the evening. Sunday brought church, I got to meet up with a college friend, some bbq at Nathan's parent's house, then just some more relaxing. We did have a little car trouble. We thought it was the starter, but turned out to just be a dead battery. So it wasn't as expensive, but it still had to be towed and serviced at the dealership. Then we headed on our way to Little Bickel camp in Heartland Michigan. We got there in short order got unpacked and spent three days just visiting with all of Chad's aunts, uncles and cousins. We had lots of fun and lots of pictures. We went to Lansing for an extra day to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Bickel. We got a chance to play some cards with them and also just do come visiting. Friday we saw Grandma Janetzke, then it was on the road again. We got to Milwaukee around 6pm and are just getting settled in here. We have been having a great time so far and know that we will still have more. The pictures are just more of the story of our trip in pictures.

I Apologize

I have been slacking very much on my blogs lately. We have been busy, but that is no excuse. The rest of last week was pretty low key, cleaning, getting things for Maddie's party, Chad working, you know the usual. Grandma Heff did make it for the birthday party. She got in at 3:30 on Saturday and just left about an hour ago. Thanks for all your help on Saturday. Sunday was spent just hanging out. Nothing to really blog about. We did have a good time at the party. Maddie loved having all the other kids here. We did miss having the Brennan kids around, but we hope they enjoyed their time in Oklahoma. Maddie was the hit of the party when she pulled a whole bucket of margaritas on her head from the counter. She went straight from the bath and I don't know if she'll be doing that anytime soon.

This week is already going by way to quickly. I'm going to a movie tonight with friends, so that means that tomorrow and Wednesday have to be hard core packing days, because I haven't even started. We are planning on leaving at 7:30am on Thursday. We are hoping to get all the way to Saint Louis and then be able to spend two nights with friends. I have a million things running through my mind right now, but for the next couple of days I just have to get us packed and going. I will get to a point where if we forgot something we can just buy it.

I don't know if I'll be able to blog for awhile just because we will be at friends' houses and then at camp. Once we get to Wisconsin, I'll make sure to share our vacation so far.

Chuck E Chese's

Is being 2 so terrible?

Well we will find out, not that Maddie hasn't already perfected the art of fit throwing and whining. Today we had a small celebration for Maddie's birthday. Chad didn't go into work this morning, so that was one nice thing. We got the girls bathed and actually headed up to school to drop something off. We then were on our way to Chuck E. Cheese's for some birthday fun. It was just Chad, myself, Maddie, Emma and our friend Steve. We played games. Maddie enjoyed mostly just being able to put the token in the game and that was good enough for her. She did enjoy riding the little rides and so did Emma. We had her open a few presents, some more playing, and then it was time for home. She passed out in the car, so I will take that as a sign she had a good time.

This afternoon is not much of anything and then tonight I actually am going out. We usually go out on Wednesdays, but this week there is a volleyball conflict, so Christa had to move the day. Then the rest of the week will be getting the house cleaned and ready for Maddie's party on Saturday. Then I will have a few days to get us all packed and ready to leave for our great trip.

Time Flies When You are Spinning

Literally, I was spinning from last Tuesday until it finally stopped earlier this week. I ended up with a case of vertigo and also a sinus infection which just made the vertigo worse. So let's just say that last week was a daze. I did get to the doctor on Saturday morning, got some medication and have been feeling much better since then. I had a follow up appointment yesterday and everything looked good. So that is what I have been up to for the last week, now for the rest of the house life went on.

Last week was finals, so Chad had to finish up the last bit of work. He also felt it was necessary to relax by playing video games with Schneider until the wee hours of the morning two nights in a row. Let's just say that they were in the middle of the week, so it took a toll on his week. We had a graduation party on Saturday that we went to for just a little while. There was another one we were invited to, but it was outside and it had been raining all day, so just think Maddie + Mud = complete filth. Sunday was graduation, Chad went to a party after for a little while and then the Wilke's came over to watch the Tigers on ESPN. It was a bad week for baseball in our house and it doesn't seem to be looking any better this week for the Brewers. At least the rest of the division is losing, so we haven't lost too much ground. Monday was a day off for Chad. No meetings. I did some shopping for Maddie's birthday party. Got some party goods and a few other things. It is a Dora theme, so it is turning into a fiesta. Yesterday Chad had meetings in the morning and then I had that doctor's appointment in the afternoon. Last night was the faculty social. We had a good time. Maddie was a mess when we left, but enjoyed every moment of it.

Chad is at the Astro's game right now. It was suppose to be the baseball coaches, but Schneider and Phill had to bail on them. Since he is out tonight and usually it is girls' night on Wednesday, my night out has been moved to tomorrow. This weekend is another graduation party and trying to get things ready for Maddie's party the following weekend. We aren't sure what we are going to do on Tuesday for her actual birthday, but I'm sure we will think of something.

Happy Graduation to Kendra on Friday. We wish we could be there, but we will see you soon.

Happy Anniversary to Karl and Renee. Hope you get a chance to get out by yourselves.

Emma figured out how to use other things to crawl up onto the chair and couch. She also has gotten good at climbing onto the fireplace ledge.
Here's Maddie at the Zoo two weekends ago. I was really bad with the camera last week since I wasn't feeling well. Then I forgot to take it last night to the party.
Emma in the garden. That is a loner from a friend. It has been moved many times since Maddie uses it as a step stool to get up to the counter or DVDs.

Pee Your Pants For The Brewers

So would you? As of 10:01 am on Tuesday May 22nd, 4822 people say they will pee their pants if the Brewers make the playoffs. I'm not sure if I would. There may be other things I would do, but to pee my pants may not be one of them. Maybe if I could convince some others to take the pledge too, then maybe I would. The website is pretty funny, they give you tips on how to pee your pants. Like the shy guy, Milwaukee Time, etc. You can check it out at
www.peeyourpantsforthebrewers.com



So yesterday we went to the mall. Chad got a gift card from one of his students and was itching to use it, so after he got home we went down to the mall and walked around for a little while. Now you need to know that I was wearing my Robin Yount Brewers shirt. We had walked a little bit and then headed into Lids. There was a lady outside with two kids who looked at me and said, "Uh oh, you're never going to get him (meaning Chad) out of there now that you've let him in." To which I replied, "It's okay, I'm just as bad as he is". She was somewhat surprised by my answer. So the other customer who was in there was her husband. He was buying something and turned around and saw my shirt, made some comment about the Brewers, to which I replied that we did have a 5.5 game lead. I think he was surprised that I knew that. He then went on about how he has Astro's season tickets and will say that the Brewers are a very different team. To which I wanted to say duh, but refrained. He then went on the say that he was actually a Cards fan. I didn't even comment on the fact that at least the Astros are only 5.5 games back and the Cards are 9.5 games back. (As of last night they were, but now they are 10 back) So he left and made some comment about how it is only May and the Brewers will screw it up. As if that didn't leave me mad enough, he then came over in the food court about how he sells authentic jerseys online and he has a Robin Yount one, even if I was looking to buy one, I wouldn't be buying it from him. So Maddie ate her grilled cheese while Chad was looking in Game Stop and the Cards fan walked by and said "see you later Robin Yount". Okay, I was about to get up and punch this guy in the face by this time, but we still had one more encounter with him in the Fan Attic. We were in there looking at hats and in he walks. I was about to walk out because I really thought that I might hit him if he made any other comments. He held up some Brewers shirt and said something like here is some Brewers for you. Good thing by that time Chad was checking out and we were ready to leave. Bottom line: Because of "fans" like him people hate the Cards.

I don't mind a little friendly banter between fans of opposing teams. But sometimes people don't know when to stop. It a lot of times seem to be Cards fans. Now I know that some of you who read this are Cards fans, so I know that most of you are not like that.

I am just happy that there is some good baseball being played this year. I would still be watching the Brewers, but it is just a whole lot more fun when they are playing as well as they are.

GO BREWERS!!

Finals Week

That's right, it's finals week. Chad doesn't have his final until Thursday, so that means that he has all week to get it together, which I'm sure he will be doing.

We ventured to the Zoo on Saturday. It was a beautiful day outside and we enjoyed every minute of it. Maddie loved to just run free and every now and again she would realize that there were animals to look at. Most of the time she would just be making the animal noises as she ran past. After lunch we headed to the Children's Zoo where we didn't even make all the way in because they have an area of water sprayers. She spent about 30 minutes before we had to drag her out and dry her off. I think she had a good time. She didn't even make it out of the parking lot before she was sleeping.

Our Sunday was spent just hanging out. We did a little yard work, played outside, took a walk, and cleaned up the house a bit. Chad spent most of the evening grading papers and I don't think that he got through them all.

Today started out gorgeous once again and so we did manage to get outside, but since then it has been raining and it doesn't look like it is going to stop. Not too much going on the rest of the week. We have a few graduation parties to go to this weekend and then a couple next weekend also.

Hope that all you teachers out there aren't going crazy with your kids. I'm sure they are as ready as you to be done.

Are you jumping on or off?

I have to say that I think I am neither. I wouldn't call myself a bandwagon fan and I don't think I ever will be. Okay, so the Brewers have lost three in a row, but so what right? Now you are going to have all these people who are going to jump off the bandwagon because they have lost a few games. Then they get hot again and people are going to be jumping back on. It is just a never ending cycle. It is that that gets me fired up. I know that I can only catch a few games a year, but I still watch them on WGN/TBS or mlb.tv, but what about those people who don't even turn them on and they live in Milwaukee. Maybe I am a dork, but every year I go through the Cubs and Braves schedules to see when I can catch them on those stations. There is just so much going with the Brewers right now that it is making my head spin. I don't know if it is happening to anyone else, but that is how I feel.

I did read a good article on mlb.com about Brewers fans and how fans who are fans no matter what are having a tough time getting on board because we don't want to be disappointed again. I will say that no matter what happens this year, I don't think I will be disappointed. These last two months have been a whole lot of fun and that is worth it.

Here is the link to the article on mlb.com:
milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070510&content_id=1956321&vkey=news_mil&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil

Enough on Brewers news here is some Texas news:

The girls are doing great. Emma is walking more and more and crawling less and less. I would say it is about 85% walking and 15% crawling. Maddie is talking more and more, it is still not all that much, but more than even a month ago. We have been trying to stay out of the heat, but we do like to go in the pool in the driveway.

This past weekend grandma heff, grandpa heff, and aunt Jana were here. They got in on Friday and we just hung out on Friday. We did go looking for a Wii for Mike, but couldn't find one. He ended up getting one on Saturday morning at Best Buy. That night we grilled out and just talked. Saturday morning we got our things together and headed down to Galveston. It took a little more than an hour to get there, but it wasn't a bad ride at all. We walked along the Strand and through the Wild Game cook off. Grandma, Jana, and Chad wanted seafood, so we went to get some lunch. They got their seafood and grandpa and I ate chicken. Then the girls were ready for their nap, Maddie actually fell asleep at the table at lunch. (See the pictures above) We drove down Seawall Blvd. and looked at the Gulf from the car. We headed home and played outside in the pool. Once the girls went to bed, we even managed to get a game of Phase 10 in. Sunday was church and then we had the Wilke's and Steve over to watch the Tigers game on ESPN. So grandma didn't have to cook, we had a finger food dinner. Monday, Chad headed to school. We got stuff together. Went to lunch then to Garden Ridge. Jana and I got some stuff there. I need to go back with no kids, because I need to be able to roam in that store. We headed to the airport and then to school to drop some stuff off for the sports banquet that night. We had a fun weekend with them here and can't wait to see them when we get to Wisconsin in a little over a month.

This week is "dead" week at school. The week before finals. That means everything needs to get done this week. Saturday we are going to the Zoo, Chad hasn't been there. Then next week are finals, graduation parties, graduation, then end of the year meetings, and then summer officially can begin.

Monday Already?

Where did the weekend go? Chad even had a half day on Friday and it still seems that there was no weekend. We did make it to one of the musical performances this weekend. On Friday we went. Well I saw the whole thing, Maddie saw half of it and Emma saw none of it. We put the pack n' play in Chad's office and Emma went to bed before the show even started. Maddie enjoyed the music and the dancing. She also joined in the dancing. For that reason we sit in the back.

Saturday I got to escape the madness called our house for a few hours to run some errands. Chad had yet another performance, so while he was at school, I watched The Queen. The Wal-mart by us now has RedBox, which is the DVD rental for $1/day, so I have gotten hooked on that.

Sunday was Confirmation, so that meant the day was spent being a Wilke. Christian was confirmed and so we spent the day over there. The girls were great and both even took a nap. Once again the pack n' play was trekked over there and set up, so they could take their naps.

So here we are again starting another week, the musical is over, baseball is over, but still no Chad. Tonight it is a baseball game. There is a 3A playoff game happening on the field tonight. Tomorrow is NHS inductions, but we will probably go with since Michael is being inducted. Then the rest of the week he may actually make it home for dinner.

Friday we have visitors coming. We may take a drive down to Galveston and check that out since we haven't been there yet.

Emma is walking all over the place. She is trying to fast, but still can't keep up with Maddie. She has also gotten her top two teeth. She is still afraid of the sprinkler, but maybe she will like the pool. I think we are going to try it out when Maddie gets up from her nap.

Happy Birthday Grandma Janetzke and Uncle Josh (well on Tuesday)!!!

Did Someone Say Sweep??

Actually it was the Brewers sweeping the Cardinals. That now puts the Brewers in a 4.5 game lead in the NL Central. Okay I'm not going to go on about the Brewers and baseball, but did anyone see that on the 11pm edition of Baseball Tonight, the Yankees were the lead story again.


Here is our dear Emma with her first major injury. As you can see not only does she have a scratch under eye, but she a little black eye too. She was trying to walk and fell on Dora's horse.
She is getting more adventurous with her walking, but still has some balance issues. She is starting to try to move faster, but her legs usually can't keep up with her top. She also has another tooth up on the top.
The other day we broke out the sprinkler and of course Maddie loved it as you can see. Emma on the other hand cried when it went on. Maybe Emma will like the little pool instead. I had to clean that out today and so maybe we will get in it this weekend. Maddie has another doctor's appointment tomorrow for her ears, so we will see what they say. She has been back to her "normal" self for a while now, but we will need to see if there is still some fluid in there.


Not much else to report. I'm already getting excited for our trip home in June. We have visitors next weekend (grandma heff, grandpa heff, and aunt jana), we will have a birthday party for Maddie before we leave, and then our great trip will begin. We clipped all the bushes in the front yard and now just need to dig up the stumps. When those are dug up we will probably just put some grass seed down and hopefully our lawn will finally look somewhat normal.

Hope that everyone has a great weekend. We have a playdate tomorrow and good timing because it is suppose to rain.

ESPN

Here is my rant and rave about ESPN/Baseball Tonight, I have been trying to figure out how to send an email to them, but they only let you write 500 characters, so here is what I would write if I could. Maybe I'll get Chad to help me when he gets home.

To: ESPN/Baseball Tonight

Let me start by saying that I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Josh Hancock. I can only imagine what hardships the players and staff of the Cardinals are going through. I realize that a event like this is going to disturb a player's mind set and ability to play at 100%. I know that some players are going to have a harder time recovering than others and it may take them longer to get back to their playing level.

The Cardinal organization knows that the season goes on and I commend the staff for wanting to keep on moving through the season. As expected you could see that the Cardinals were affected during Monday night's game, by making some very obvious mental mistakes. I'm unsure if those mistakes cost them the game or just made it worse. Since Spring Training ESPN has been talking about how the Brewers are a different team and they are one to be watched. As you can see they have a 3.5 game lead in the NL Central, that has to say something. I don't want to sound harsh in a time of loss, but the way the announcers and commentators were talking last night it seemed as if the only reason the Brewers won was because the Cardinals were not at their greatest potential because of the loss of Josh Hancock. Suppan pitched a great game, he was Hancock's teammate last year. Not only a teammate, but they shared the bullpen.

I have been a Brewers fan since birth, I have since moved from Wisconsin, but watch the Crew on MLB.TV and catch them at Minute Maid when they are in town (Houston is where I live now). This year may or may not be our year, but we are playing some really great baseball and I wish that people would start recognizing that.

My sympathies for the Cardinal organization and the Hancock family.

Brewers Fan from the South,
Erin Janetzke



So what do you think? Ever since the game last night, this has been really bothering me. Chad and I were talking about it and it is true. Why aren't the Brewers getting the recognition they deserve? Is it because they are always suppose to be the losers or is it because ESPN thinks that everyone loves the Yankees and the Sox? The Yankees are 9-14, but they are still the lead story on Baseball Tonight. Does this bother anybody else?

Emma Walking

Fighting

Do you know what it is like to fight with a 23 month old to take 3ml of medicine? It is all in a days work here in the Janetzke house. Maddie has been on antibiotics since Monday and I haven't had any problems with her taking her medicine until this morning. She was actually running away from me not wanting to take it. I tried to bribe her with her nuk. I told her she could have it back if she took her medicine, well that didn't even work. For those of you who don't know, Maddie is pretty attached to that thing. We are trying to get her to not use it, but then this week when she got sick she hasn't been without it. She would have rather not had the nuk for the last hour and a half than take her medicine and get it back. She has finally decided to take the medicine and get her nuk back.

Grandma H. just called to say that her and grandpa are coming in two weeks. They are coming on Mother's Day weekend.

The Brewers/Astros again this weekend. Hopefully the Brewers can take 2 out of 3.
GO BREWERS!!

Not Again

That's right, Maddie has another double ear infection. She woke up yesterday with a temp of 102. Chad stayed home from school. We were doing alright. She wasn't her normal busy self. She went down at about 1:30 and then about an hour later she woke up crying and also gagging. I took her into the bathroom, in case she was going to through up, she never did. Then I checked her temp. again, this time it was 103.9, so off to the doctor. He said along with her ear infections she has a sore throat, so that is what is making her temp so high. We are now on antibiotics and also have another appointment next week to check her ears again. So that is what we are battling here. Emma is doing just fine, I am just trying to keep her from not drinking out of Maddie's cup, I don't need her with a sore throat.

Besides battling illness, things here are good. This weekend was a pretty lax weekend. We had people over on Friday for the Brewers/Astros game. I couldn't believe they lost. Then we watched the next two games and were very pleased with their outcomes. I did think they were going to blow it on Sunday, but they proved me wrong. Then last night to pull out the win at Wrigley in the 12th. We are on a roll. I haven't said anything down here about last weekend, but after this weekend if we take the series, then I might have to give some people a hard time. I don't think we are going to get any of the games this weekend. We did think about it, but now with Maddie's ear infections, I don't need to be downtown and her temp spike up or something.

Chad is getting summer baseball stuff in order. That is what is taking up most of his time now. It is nice to have him home before 6pm and to actually eat dinner with him.

I better get back to Maddie. She is contently watching Sesame Street right now, so maybe I can get the dishwasher unloaded.

Sorry I don't have any recent pictures to post. Things have been crazy and the couple times I wish I had my camera, I didn't have it with me.

Steps

That's right, Emma took 2 yesterday. That was the first time she did it and Chad was even home to witness it. She has been taking a couple and then diving at whatever is in front of her. Emma will be running after Maddie sooner than later.

Our Third Spring Break

Anne was here from Florida this past week. She and Maddie spent some quality time together. Anne even went home knowing Go Diego Go, The Backyardigans, and of course Blue's Clues. We did have a lot of fun with her here. She got in on Tuesday in the evening and left on Saturday morning, probably a little later then she would have liked, but I think the lateness was worth it. We did a lot of playing and we even managed to get to a game at school. We headed to the JV game on Thursday, which ended up being parents night because of some schedule changes. We also got to Harris County Smokehouse by Anne's request. We will be seeing Anne in July when we go for the Youth Gathering, so that is just a few months away. Thanks for coming and visiting. You know you are welcome here anytime.

Other news: Emma did get to the doctor last week for her 9 month check-up. She is finally on the curve for weight, but still off of it for height. The doctor thinks she might end up being taller than Maddie. Right now she is 22lbs and 29inches. She is starting to cruise a lot faster along the furniture, but still no steps. I'm sure they will be here soon.

Maddie is still Maddie. She is saying more and more words each week. She is loving that Emma is so mobile now. They have begun wrestling. It is usually Emma trying to get to Maddie who then flips over to get away and then they start laughing hysterically.

Baseball is over this week, so that means that we will have Chad back with us. I won't go into details, but it is probably good that the season is over. This weekend is also Prom. He has to supervise, so he gets to spend his Saturday night with high schoolers at prom. What fun, right?

Hope that you enjoyed your snow last week. It sounds like it is pretty much gone, hopefully Spring will makes it way in and stay.

Easter Pictures

Good Thing We Live In Texas

If we didn't live here, we would have most likely been spending Easter in Wisconsin and it seems that at the Heffelfinger house there was a flu that was going around. So I am thankful that we weren't there and didn't catch it. Even though there were some sickies it sounded like some of them still made it to the Brewers game. Ben went to the game and kept saying how much fun he had at the baseball game. We hope that everyone is feeling better today and are able to get back to normal. I think everyone but Mike was at work today. So hope you are feeling better Mike.

Our Easter was pretty fun filled with egg hunts and wiffle ball. Saturday we were at church for the egg hunt there. There were a lot of people in a small place, but we managed to have some fun. Sunday morning was church and then we ate breakfast with Karner at Denny's. We had some good laughs and a lot of fun. We went home the girls took naps and then we headed over to the Brennan's. We got there had our own little egg hunt, ate a really good meal, played some wiffle ball outside with the kids and then it was home to sleep. We had a great time and are thankful that we were able to celebrate Easter with some friends from school.

Today Chad had practice and I have been getting the house back in order. We got to great Easter packages. One from grandma and grandpa Janetzke and the other from cousin Luke. The girls loved everything that was in both of them. Thank you so much. Now we are just trying to get through the next two weeks of baseball and then it will be Prom(which Chad has to supervise), then the musical, and then finals. We are always trying to get plans for the summer straightened out. It seems that once we think we have final plans, someone else calls and has something else for us to do or some invitation to something else comes in the mail. We will have it all figured out soon, I hope.

We Found Dad!!

Daddy was hiding in the tent. Okay he really wasn't but it has been so much fun having daddy home for the last few days. The girls have been playing and running circles around him. We have been keeping ourselves entertained despite the cold weather. Hey for April, 50 is cold. We did get to the Easter Egg Hunt at church yesterday and Maddie had fun playing the fishing game. We are going over to some friends' house later today. I will make sure to post some more later today or tomorrow with more pictures from this weekend. We just wanted to let you know that we did find dad.

Have a Blessed Easter!!

Have You Seen Our Dad?

Our daddy was last seen on Sunday bedtime, can you help us find him? We miss him a lot and hope that he can tuck us in tonight.
Love, Maddie and Emma

Chad has had three games in a row this week, so that means that he hasn't seen the girls since we put them to bed on Sunday. Or should I say the girls haven't seen him, because he does go check on them when he gets home from his games. Usually they play only Monday and Tuesday back to back, but with today being Maundy Thursday they moved today's regularly scheduled game to yesterday. Tomorrow and Monday are no school, so I think Chad is looking forward to having this little break. I haven't really talked to him in three days either. Monday I did wait up, but both Tuesday and yesterday I was sleeping by the time he got home.

I'm sure we will have some pictures after this weekend. We have the Easter Egg Hunt at church on Saturday and so we have signed Maddie up for that. I think that she will have a blast.

We are having another visitor next week. Anne is coming from Orlando because she is on spring break. So the girls and I will get to hang out with her for a few days next week.

If we don't blog before then, we hope that everyone has a Blessed Easter!!

A Spring Break of Sorts

No one that was here was actually on spring break- but it was kind of like having two spring breaks. Last week the Chapman's were planning on coming down, but Ben got an ear infection and they didn't want anything to happen to his ears with the plane ride. We missed having them here and hopefully they will get a chance to come and visit soon. Grandma and grandpa Heff were coming too, so we got just the two of them. We still managed to have some fun even though only half of the group was able to come.

They flew in on Tuesday and the girls and I headed to the airport to pick them up. Tuesday we were thinking about going to Chad's game, but it ended up being away because our field was too wet, so we just hung out at home and played.



Wednesday we headed to the Zoo, it was a whole lot of fun and wasn't anything last spring break's trip to the Austin Zoo. We will have to take Chad back since he was at school. Wednesday night grandma made dinner, which was shrimp for her and Chad (gross) and chicken for grandpa and I. Chad likes shrimp, but we never have it because I think it is gross.

Thursday we left grandpa at home and he painted a dresser for Maddie and fixed a couple of boards on our fence. Grandma, I and the girls went to the outlet mall and then got lunch on the way home. We went to Jason's Deli. First off it was really good, but it wasn't the sandwich as much as the service. It is actually a place where you order at the counter and then you go and sit down and they bring you your food. Well we were sitting looking at the menu and the manager asked us if we needed a high chair and so I told him two, then he said that we should go sit down and he would take our order and then bring us our food. It was very nice of him to do that. So thank you manager guy at Jason's deli in The Woodlands. Thursday we went and picked Chad up at school and went over to Harris County, sorry you had to miss it Joel. We then went back to school to hear the Martin Luther band. They were on tour in Texas and that was actually their last concert.

Friday we went to the mall and looked at a sewing machine. Yes, I am trying sewing and actually am pretty confident that I will do okay. Then we headed home and let the girls get a nap in. Grandpa and I went to Chad's game that night and after the game Chad and I went with some of the other coaches and the softball coaches over to a bar to hang out for a little while.

Saturday was just spent mostly at home. Chad and I did manage to get out to a movie and dinner while grandma and grandpa hung out at home with the girls. We went and saw Reign Over Me. It was a really good movie. We then went to Borders, mostly because we could, but also to check a couple of things out.

Sunday was church and then grandma and grandpa had to get to the airport. We all came home and just crashed. I did get the grocery shopping in and a nap too. We went over to Wilke's last night for Phill's birthday and also for Opening night.

This week is a short week of school, but there are still three baseball games. We are going to church's Easter Egg Hunt this weekend. Then I think we will be just doing some relaxing. I'm sure we will be watching baseball too.

Happy Opening Day. GO BREWERS!!!

2 new CLHS babies

The Sommermeyer's welcomed their newest addition to the family into the world on Wednesday. Aurora Janice was born after 12 hours of induced labor. She was 9lbs 12oz and 21 inches long. Everyone is doing great. Aurora joins big brother Gabe.

The Straub's also welcomed their newest addition. Nicole Joanna was born today and is 8lbs 10oz and 20 inches long. Everyone in that family is doing well also. Nicole joins her big sister Haylie (I might have spelled that wrong).

We are praying for speedy recoveries for everyone.

Life Soundtrack

So I took this off of Pete's blog, but I thought it was a good idea.

Directions: If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

1. Open your mp3 library
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool.
7. Don’t skip songs.

My Movie:

1. Opening credits: Love the One You're With- Crosby, Stills, and Nash
2. Waking up: Wrapped Up In You- Garth Brooks
3. First day of school: Good Things- BoDeans
4. Fight song: Crazy Game of Poker- OAR
5. Breaking up: Crash Into Me- Dave Matthews
6. Happiness: Yellow- Coldplay
7. Life’s okay: Sex and Beer- Pat McCurdy
8. Mental breakdown: She Will Be Loved- Maroon 5
9. Driving: Grow Old with Me- Adam Sandler
10. Flashback: Under the Table and Dreaming- Dave Matthews
11. Getting back together: If I Could Hold You Tonight- BoDeans
12. Wedding song: Add It Up- Violent Femmes
13. Birth of first child: A Whiter Shade of Pale- Van Morrison
14. Final battle scene: The Joker- Steve Miller Band
15. Death scene: Hey Ya- Outkast
16. Funeral song: Say Goodbye- Dave Matthews (I didn't cheat on that one)
17. End credits: Is This Love- Bob Marley

Spring Break 2007

It has been here and gone. We had a lot of fun with dad being home and being able to play. After the excitement we had this week, I think Chad would have liked to call in sick today, but he had to get back at it.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights were all filled with hanging out with friends and watching the tournament. Maddie did get to pick her bracket this week. Granted as of yesterday, she is out of the south bracket it was a lot of fun watching her pick. We showed her the pictures of the teams mascots and that is how she picked her teams. She had Miami (OH), Duke, Texas Tech, and North Texas in her final four and had Miami (OH) winning the whole thing.

I got in some garage sales with Christa and Jan on Saturday. Jan and Steve have 2 boys and a girl. Kaylie just turned 2 and the boys are a few years older, but all the kids love to play with everyone. Shane and Seth can always make Emma laugh, so that is good.

Yesterday was a catch up day. We went to the mall in search of sandals for Maddie. We were successful this weekend. I ran to target later in the evening and ended up finding sandals there too, so I will be taking the ones from JCPenneys back. Maddie had been going for three days straight and it finally caught up with her last night. She fell asleep a little before 6pm and woke up this morning at 7:45am. She is back to her normal self already today and has been recharged for the week. This week starts district play for Chad, that means games on Monday, Tuesday, and Fridays.

I will be cleaning the house this week as we have visitors coming next Tuesday. I know that the warmth will stay, we just hope that rain will stay away. I am also trying to figure out all our plans for summer and think that I have most of everything figured out. We are also trying to figure out what we are going to do for Maddie's birthday.

Chad beat me to a blog this week and the pictures from this week are on his blog, so I won't bore you with the same pictures. Have a great week!!