Petit Casa Baughman

Nate and Tessa have spent quite a bit of time in this indoor cardboard fort. Snacking, playing games, watching movies, doing homework, tucking in babies, etc. Of course there is a secret password involved, but I was not privy to such information. I mean, it's a secret!

Dinner and a movie.

Will someone feed this child? Good Lord. Oh, it looks like Gramma Char is trying to fatten him up...the Smurf cereal has made it's way in to the fort. Only Gramma Char would buy SMURF cereal!

Here's the outside. What curb appeal. I particularly like the cord being strung to the computer. I mean, how could these kids function without such modern day conveniences like having a computer.

It's Alive!

OK. Our deepest, most heartfelt apologies for the recent coma of the blog. What happened? Life. It just got away with us. So, this is a warning that what is to follow is what we call some illegal back blogging. It's only confusing in the present. When I'm sitting on the couch looking back at albums and pictures with the kids it will all make sense and look as if I never missed a beat! So, let's return to November 2011 and take it from there...

TOT

We went in to Ann Arbor to crash John and Naomi's neighborhood for Trick or Treat. We ordered some pizza, the parents enjoyed some adult beverages, the kids handed out some candy and then we gathered up and hit the streets for a hour or so of candy collecting. Still don't understand why anyone would ever hand out York peppermint patties and Almond Joys to little kids! I mean, come on. You bought that bag because YOU wanted it. Not because you thought some 6 year old was like "look Mom, a delicious Almond Joy bar." People, bring on the Sour Patch kids, Twix and Skittles. Let's get real.

Smurfette, LadyBug (Kelsey) and Strawberry Shortcake (Allie)

Candy collecting

Some of you may recall years back when I somehow convinced Troy to be a Smurf and painted his body blue...he proceeded to flake off blue paint at the party we were at and ended up having to take a shower in the middle of the party! Putting the blue paint on T's face gave me the giggles as I was having flashbacks!

Smurfette and Officer Nate

Halloween Parties

Our Halloween parties were limited to school this year. Unfortunately both kids' parties were at the same time. Since I have a very important super-mom image to uphold at Nate's school (I'm a total deadbeat that never gets to go to or volunteer for anything...at least that is how I feel!), Gramma Char kindly came up and surprised Tessa for her party! Tessa got to play hooky after her party. Gramma took her out to lunch and then met us at Nate's school parade. I was a terrible mother that must have been all caught up in my super-mom, school volunteer status that I forgot to snap a single picture in Nate's class! :(

Nate was a police officer and definitely got his money's worth out of his costume as I think he wore it for 20 days straight before Halloween day. He would hang it up neatly when he wasn't wearing it and we had to take it along with us in the car several times just in case he would need it. I caved and bought him a toy pistol for his gun holster. He wanted the snap pellets for it too and when I refused to buy them he retorted, "Gramma Gayla will get them for me." Can always count on Gramma G! Tessa wanted to be "Smurvette," as she calls her. Gramma Char made a very cute costume for her...complete with clicking high heels and a blonde, kind-of-slutty wig!

Some super-mom at Tessa's school made these orange jack-o-lanterns and filled them with fruit! How cute. We brought juice boxes. They weren't that cute.

Smurfette getting ready for school trick or treat. They parade around their daycare campus and then TOT at some local nearby businesses.

The ladies of DK - surprisingly they weren't all princesses as last year Disney made a killing off these girls! L to R (Lily, Ella, Tessa, Alex, Emma, Daphne, Avery, & Ruby).

Smurfette did not want her wig pinned in for TOT. Please notice her fancy, dangle, clip-on skeleton earrings.

Smurfette and her buddy, Blueberry Muffin (Ella)

Nate's school parade is call Book-o-ween. The kids have to carry a book that includes the character they are dressed as for Halloween. The tin-man in this pic is the principal and Dorothy and the others are the secretaries and office folks.

That is officer Nate.Officer Nate was not allowed to carry his gun for school.

He carried a Richard Scarry BusyTown book and said that he was Officer Flossy.Tessa at playland with Gramma Char

The Great Pumpkin Carver.

As usual Troy ended up being the Great Pumpkin Carver this year. Although they begged for days to carve the pumpkins, the kids were excited for about two minutes...enough to get a heap of the stringy pumpkin guts and seeds everywhere and leave the art and sawing to Daddy. Troy had a particular passion for the Asian-looking pumpkin this year. We have to wait until the last minute to do any carving as I cannot stand them in the house because of those nasty little flies they attract and they only last for about an hour outside before our friendly wildlife eats their faces out!

Lola gets married!

So, this is a long overdue post. First of all, it has taken me this long to physically recover from the goods times that were had. Second of all, how could I possibly choose among all the awesome pictures. Laura and Brian got married in Columbus on September 9th. Brian's mom is a judge and performed a very sweet ceremony with just the family in attendance. The ceremony and reception were held at an old fire station in downtown Columbus. There were lots and lots of sparkling smiles and hugs and dancing and well, a little bit of drinking. Who runs out of vodka at 10p?!? Apparently there was a small miscalculation in the amount of booze-hounds that would be celebrating these nuptials. No worries though. There was plenty of other liquor in addition to Papa Kenny strapping a cooler to his shoulder shoving over 300 jello shots down the guests throats!

Mr and Mrs Brian Dean

Laura and Brian post nuptials marching to Rod Stewart's "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" fondly named "The Homo Wedding March" for this event!

Me stuffing the soon-to-be Mrs Sausage-Maker-Dean into her wedding gown...not really though at all!

Momma of the Bride

Paige. Maid of Honor. Yes THAT is Paige! Yikes!The Dean family

Laura and the girls...who have asked several times since the wedding if Laura could get married again!Kendall, Tessa & MollyUm. This picture has to be my favorite picture of all time! Kendall (6), Zack (8), Nate, (6), Tessa (4), Molly (days from 5). That firetruck was also the bar for cocktail hour!The Neuenschwanders

Paige and her friends that we fondly call "The Plastics"

The Little Giants!

Blue 42, Blue 42, hut hut, hike! That's Nate these days. Playing football for the local Little Giants. They aren't really the Little Giants. And, I have to say I was a little disappointed when Al Bundy and The Honey I Shrunk the Kids nerd were not the rival coaches but it is still just as cute and fun! They do a good job of rotating the kids around to various positions. Of course, Nate's favorite positions are quarterback and wide receiver. His stats so far include 2 touchdowns, a touchdown pass and an interception. He also has a really great tackle under his belt but seeing that it's flag football it doesn't really count!

There's our little Tom Brady in the blue and yellow shorts waiting for the hike.

Look at that form!Nate and Owen and Coach Ian at the halfNate and Gerzon on defenseThat's Nate's rear end on the left playing defense
Nate and Owen

Tessa and Gramma trying to stay warm at one of the FREEZING games!
Nate was in the huddle when Gramma came up to the field and we saw him jumping up and down and heard him asking the coach if he could take break so he could come over and see her. Don't think you're supposed to beg to be taken out of the game!

Nate throwing a touchdown pass. He's the little face in the middle with the blue hat on and he throws a really nice spiral to the boy in the maroon sleeves with his left arm up.

Nate and his buddies Gerzon and Owen.

Nate and Gerzon after the touchdown!