Michele's Birthday, Hazel is One Month Old and Killer Queen

Michele's Birthday

Gone are the days when we celebrated our birthdays with lavish parties and joyful birthday wishes.

Now we silently pray that no one acknowledges the fact we're getting older.

I wanted to send Michele a birthday cake but was afraid of what would happen when she lit the candles. Happy Birthday Michele!

Hazel is One Month Old

I can't believe a whole month has gone by since the day Hazel was born.

Melissa made a collage of Violet, Lincoln and Hazel at one month. They all have their own look and so far, their own personalities.

Killer Queen Concert

Harrah's doesn't have a large enough event space to pull in name artists but they had a tribute band featuring the band Queen. Debbie and I were excited to go until we found out it was standing room only. We really meant to go to the concert but we got to gambling and lost track of time.

Harrah's also had cash drawings during the evening where they called someone's name everyone 15 minutes. You'd think Michael would have some type of influence with calling my name. But unfortunately I didn't win.

Happy Easter

Having kids that don't work regular Monday through Friday, 9 to 5  jobs, makes it hard to plan holiday events. So when Michael called and pleaded for an Easter basket 2 days before Easter, I scrambled around to make a some what presentable Easter dinner.

This dinner turned out to be one of the best I've made. Just a little ham, potato salad, sweet potatoes and orange pudding jello salad.

While Michael and Jamie were hiding Easter eggs outside for an Easter egg hunt, I distracted Violet and Lincoln with a little art fun. Violet is making an Easter bunny hiding Easter eggs as is Lincoln!

As usual I bought way too much candy and not all the eggs would fit in one basket. I had to go inside and get plastic sacks for the excess.

Holidays are also a good time to get a few handyman jobs done around the house. I have a ceiling fan on my deck that the wasps took over as their new home. So Jamie and Michael replaced the fan with a simple light. Hopefully the wasp problem is solved.

Hazel isn't quite ready for Easter candy so she got a few new outfits and a package of diapers. I wonder when kids get older if they remember things like that. I'd hate to think that she missed out on all the candy and got diapers instead.

I did get to witness something I've never seen before. This is what happens when Jamie sits down in a chair. After taking 3 weeks off from work for paternity leave, I do believe he's ready to go back. I've always said child care was the most difficult job. I often wonder how Melissa does it without losing her mind.

My mind is jumbled with trying to think of the next holiday and make sure I'm more prepared. I need weeks to plan even the simplest of holidays. Happy Easter!

Outlet Mall Shopping in St Louis

I've got several trips coming up and thought it might be fun to meet Michele at the St Louis Outlet Mall to buy some cute summer clothes.

I was terribly disappointed the summer selection was very slim. I've tried shopping for an August vacation in the summer time and everything is so picked over and the fall and winter clothes are on display. This is April. Shouldn't the stores be filled with summer stuff? I don't go on my next cruise until July. Maybe I'll try again in May or June!

Hanging with Hazel

I went over to visit with Violet and Lincoln and check on Hazel.

She's almost 3 weeks old and most of her activities include sleeping, eating and staring at the ceiling fan. I remember when Violet used to stare at my ceiling fan. Maybe it's a genetic thing!

Teresa's Birthday Lunch

We celebrated Teresa's birthday today with lunch at Pizza Ranch.

It may not look like it but Hazel is actually singing Happy Birthday to Teresa.

Hippie Hazel

Melissa makes sure to capture every moment of her life with pictures and much to Jamie's chagrin, professional pictures.

Hazel had her first professional session for her newborn pictures. The photographer thought it might be fun to dress Hazel as a hippie from the 60s. Although the outfit is cute, I just don't think it really shows off the whole hippie vibe. I just love it when millennials try to replica an era they no absolutely nothing about except through pictures. Maybe if she would have photographed her laying across a psychedelic van, it might have been more effective!

Rearranging My Office

I've been having trouble with my internet connection so Michael suggestion I hardwire my computer into the router as opposed to using WiFi. That meant I had to move my desk by the cable connection in the wall.

I hardly ever rearrange furniture. If it looks good when I first place it, that's where it stays. It's just a small room and now I can actually see the living room TV from my desk but the office still looks awkward to me. I also need to swap my picture wall with the floating shelves in order to accommodate my growing family.

Meanwhile, 6 day old Hazel is enjoying her new swing. I wonder if she'll scoot over and let me rest with her. I'm getting way too old to move furniture.

2019 Goals Update

Ever since I got back from my cruise, I've been moping around the house. All this time I could have been accomplishing some of the goals I set for myself for 2019.

My cruise was so fabulous and the weather was amazing that coming back to the chill of Kansas City has got me stuck in a rut.

I blame Melissa for waiting so long to have baby Hazel. I blame the weather. I blame all the carbs in my house.

So I'm restarting and trying to keep up with my goals. I'm hoping to beat Bruce in steps another week before my next vacation at the end of the month. I'm hoping to keep my blog updated instead of stressing myself out with over a month's worth of information to post. I'm hoping to eat healthy and exercise more. I'm hoping to get out of the house and visit with my friends. 

Notice I said hopefully each time. I don't trust myself to make too big a commitment but I'm going to try!