School's out for Summer....Almost!

Sophia only has 4 days left of school!! Unbelievable!  4 more days and she will be a 1st grader! She is so excited for school to be over.  However, I don't know if it's because she'll be done with kindergarten or because summer cheerleading starts the same day as the last day of school. Probably both!! 

Connor is enjoying TBall.  He didn't have it last weekend because it was Memorial day weekend. His favorite part is hitting the ball and he's really good at it!! He has a few more weeks to go.

Speaking of Memorial Day weekend, we took advantage of it being Wayne's 4 day weekend and Sophia's 3day weekend by going camping!! Our first camping trip of the summer!! We were going to leave on Thurs, but Sophia had school on Friday so we left after school on Friday!  It was a great, relaxed weekend.  We came home Monday and it was perfect timing because a big storm came in just after we got home.

I am so looking forward to the summer. We have lots of camping trips planned, but I also look forward to relaxing in the backyard and eating out of our garden. But most of all, I'm looking forward to getting to spend ALL DAY with Sophia!! I miss having her home during the day.

But now, I want a nap.

Pics from Cheer Competition

Here are the pics from yesterday's competition

Introducing the Best

and we've only just begun!!

This is how Sophia's cheer squad's chant goes. It is very fitting.

This weekend was the State Championships for cheer. It was a great weekend!

Friday after Sophia got out of school, Connor, Sophia, my mom and I started our trip to competition!  We stopped halfway to get something to eat and then back on the road. It took us almost 3.5 hrs to get there since we stopped for gas and dinner.  Finally got to the hotel and that's when all the fun started. 

Checked into the hotel. Got in the elevator. Drunk guys get in elevator. Drunk guy leans against door so when we get to our floor the doors don't open. Goes up another floor. Oh, did I mention i don't like elevators much. I am always afraid I'll get trapped in one. weird I know.  So when the doors open on the 3rd floor, I take the kids and head for the stairs. Bad Idea! The stairs in this hotel are only for fire exits. they only lead to the outside and you have to go all the way down, outside and back around to the lobby. ARGH!  So the kids and I walk around, grab a luggage cart and head back to the elevator. This time, no problems. whew. 

Finally get in our room, get the luggage stashed, cheer uniform hanging, poms out of the bag to get unsquished.  Mom and the kids want to go for a walk. No problem. Pool was soo crowded so we didn't even swim. Instead we went back upstairs and the kids watched tv while I checked email and mom did a breathing treatment. Finally it was bedtime.  Sophia and mom shared a bed, Connor and I shared a bed.  Sophia fell asleep first. Connor didn't want to go to sleep. Thankfully he finally did around 10.

Saturday morning, Sophia in all her excitement was up at 6am!!! A full hour before the alarm was set to go off.  Mom, Sophia and I started getting stuff ready so when Connor got up we could go down to breakfast.  Called Wayne to see where him and dad were. They were already on the road when I called at 6:15. They had left at 5:20!!! Took the kids to breakfast then Wayne and dad got there. I started getting Sophia's hair done so while I was finishing up, Mom and Connor went down with Wayne and dad so they could eat. 

Sophia and I finally got done with her hair and we went down to register. Since we had about an hour before she had to be in the practice room, we went back up to our room. She was mad because I wouldn't let her play.  Finally it was time to go to the practice room.  All the girls from her squad were there and they were having fun taking pictures and talking.  Got some great pics of the girls together. 

Then it was competition time! First the Hip Hop groups went first. Then Cheer division 1 went. That's the division Sophia's in. Her squad was the last to perform and they did great!!  They were so excited when they got done.  Then we had a break. Yay!   There was a professional photographer there doing cheer pics so we got Sophia's done. Can't wait til they come in.

After the break, the older girls had their routine to do then it was awards time! So they announced 3rd place, not our girls. 2nd place, not our girls. 1st place? Yep..our girls won!!!!  Division 1 State Champions!! woohoo!!!  Just seeing the look on Sophia's face when she got her medal and trophy was worth all the money and stress we've gone through in the past 16 weeks!  She was soo excited. 

All the squads from our gym won 1st in their divisions!  We are proud of all of them. As the girls say.. "we are Dragons and we are Proud of You! Woohoo!!" 

Sophia has now decided she wants to do Summer AND Fall sessions.  She wants another trophy.  I'm just happy we finally found something she likes!

It was a long drive home though. Both kids fell asleep about an hour into the 3hr drive and woke up about an hour before we got home.  Sophia of course was still wearing her medal with her trophy next to her on the floor.  Even though she said she was happy this session was over because now she doesn't have to practice, she's still doing her routine all over the house.  She has watched the video of their routine over and over. 

Such a proud moment for this momma.....

Time...it gets away from me.

Has it really been almost 2 weeks since I lasted posted anything? hmm been a little busy.

Had a wonderful Mother's day.  The weekend was kicked off by a Mother's Appreciation Sock Hop at Sophia's school.  Saturday was spent doing stuff around the house and then we went out for dinner. Afterward we stopped by Michelle's to get the crafts the kids made and while we were in the driveway we saw a high speed chase. It had started in Chicago and made it's way down the freeway and the guy got off the exit by Michelle's house. The cops chased him back towards our house and the town one over from where we live got him. Thankfully no innocent bystanders were hurt.

Sunday was a great day.  I got served breakfast in bed. Then I went and picked out my new eyeglasses and went to the grocery store. I know that doesn't sound very exciting but it felt good to get out alone for a few hours.  When I got home, I found out Sophia had eaten my lunch so what did I have?  Guacamole, chips and a strawberry daiquiri!  can we say yum? 

For dinner that night we had steak tacos on the grill, rice, refried beans and watermelon.  Michelle came over and had dinner. Had margaritas with dinner. it was a nice relaxing night. 

This whole week I have been busy helping out at school for the book fair. It has been fun.  Today I helped out in Sophia's class after I got done working at the book fair.  Yesterday Wayne and Connor helped out at the fair too. 

Tonight we had Family Night at Cheerleading.  The girls performed their routine in front of all the parents and family members who can't go to tournament. Sophia's group did great!  She was so excited.  Her coaches gave all the girls a certificate and Sophia even got a special mention. Pretty much given a verbal "Most Improved" award from the coaches.  I'm so proud of her!

Connor started Tball last Saturday! Wayne took him and he said he did great! Connor came home and told me all about it.  He has to miss this weekend since we'll be at Sophia's cheer competition, but he will get to go to all the rest!  I'm glad he's finally old enough to participate in something. 

Time to throw some clothes in the wash and then go to bed. Last day of working the book fair tomorrow!

Weekends go too fast

At least this weekend seemed to go pretty quickly.  

Yesterday we got up and made a yummy breakfast of eggs and sausage links. Then we went and bought our veggies and an outdoor rug for the deck. I had wanted to plant the veggies yesterday but then it looked like it was going to rain so I didn't get that done.  The kids and I went and had dinner with Wayne at work yesterday.  That was, um, fun.  After that went to Michelle's house because she had a craft she wanted to do with the kids. After they finished their craft, we stayed and sat by the fire for a little bit.

Today was a little more fun.  I woke up before everyone else. Sorta.  The kids were awake but in their bedroom.  I started the coffee and then made biscuits and gravy.  Wayne had asked me to make it yesterday but the kids wanted eggs.  Connor loved them! He had 2 helpings. After breakfast, I enjoyed my coffee while I read the paper. Wayne decided he wanted to go to the World War II re-enactment today.  So after a 2nd trip to Menards, we met Michelle, Rod, and Sabrina at Main Square and watched the "battle". Connor Loved it! 

After Wayne went to work, Sophia and I waited for Connor to get up from his nap and then we went to Target.  Tomorrow is Pajama Day at school for Sophia so I had to buy her some jammies since she didn't have any appropriate for school.  No shorts or tank tops.  We also bought some stuff for her teacher since this is Teacher Appreciation Week.  She was so excited to pick things out.

I made pork chops on the grill and made honey glazed carrots and mashed potatoes to go with it. It was so yummy. Sophia had 2 helpings of pork chops. Connor actually ate all his dinner too.

Now the kids are in bed and I am watching True Blood. They are replaying last season's episodes. I can't wait for the new season to start. Just a month and a half longer!!

What Grows in Your Garden

Yesterday we went to Menards and bought our veggie plants for the garden. We also bought more sand for the kids' sandbox. They were happy. Today we bought the parts to the rain barrel.

So what did we buy to plant in our garden??  I'm so glad you asked!

We have three tomato plants.  2 Early Girl plants and 1 Big Boy plant.  Wayne and I thought that was funny because it fit perfectly with the kids LOL  Sophia was our early girl and Connor is our big boy. LOL  I guess we're dorks like that.

Okay so we also got 2 bell pepper plants, 2 broccoli plants, 2 jalapeno plants and some basil plants.  Connor and I had already started the seeds for the carrots and radishes so we just have to wait for them to grow.  Of course we also have strawberries from last year that already have strawberries growing. Have to wait for them to get bigger and ripen. WOOHOO!!

This is going to be a great garden this year.  We have also planted something new every year we have done a garden.  The first year it was the whole garden. Last year we did cucumbers and corn. They both failed pretty miserably.  This year the new things are the carrots, broccoli and radishes.  Should be fun since I have never grown root veggies before. :) 

Hopefully tomorrow Wayne will have the rain barrel ready to go! I can't wait to see it in action. I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as everything is going.

A day out with my little boy!

Connor and I went on a little lunch date today.  Hey why not? Sophia and Wayne were at the class field trip.

First we went to the Girl Scout office/store to get some stuff for the troop.  Wow was that an expensive trip, but now I have all the patches, pins and petals the girls have earned. They will be so happy!  Now I just need to get the money from those parents ordering uniforms and I will get those next.

Then we went to Old Time Pottery.  Got a few things there for the house and yard. That was fun.

Then the cute boy and I went to lunch.  Applebees!!  Connor had chicken fingers and fries. I had 3 cheese chicken penne with a ceasar salad.  For dessert (yes we had dessert), Connor had a chocolate mousse shooter, I had a strawberry cheesecake shooter. Both were delicious!

When we came home, Wayne was home and my sister, Kim, was here.  Now we are getting ready to go pick Sophia up in a few minutes from school.  I can't wait to hear all about her field trip!

Going green

What happens when you take a 6.5 yr old girl and her parents to the Smart House at the Science museum? 

A renewed effort to be better at helping the environment. Stop laughing. We are really going to try this.

What are we going to do you might ask. Well let me tell you.

First of all, Wayne has made a compost bin of sorts. He had already started it but now he's actually going to do it the right way.  So now we have a definite bin and we learned what we can and can't put in it. 

Next, he is going to make a rain barrel.  He will set it up under one of the downspouts from the gutters. We will then use that water for the garden, grass, whatever. Just not for drinking or cooking. That would be gross.

We started this part a couple years ago, but we have been planting a garden. We have already started seeds for carrots and radishes. We will also be planting tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and not sure what else.  Oh we also have strawberry plants that we planted last year. They are already growing and have about 2-3 dozen flowers on them. I can't wait!

As we do more, I will be sure to post about it.  I will also post on the progress of the garden this year. 

Since we are talking about food. I figure I could add what we had for dinner tonight. We are also trying to eat better as best we can. LOL  It's not going too well but tonight we did well.  I made turkey burgers on the grill and we had corn on the cob.  For "dessert" we had grapes. The kids loved it! 

Off to do laundry and then hopefully head to bed.

New and Improved? Well maybe.....

Ah Spring. What better time to start over than Spring, right? Of course.

A lot has happened in the Kinker household since I last posted. After all it has been almost a year.

Where shall I start.... ah yes, the kids.

Connor is doing wonderful. He brings laughter and love every day. He is quite possibly the funniest kid I have ever met. Sure I might be a LITTLE biased, but I hear it from others too. Especially from his Uncle Don who always insists I get Connor into acting/modeling. Of course we recently found out that Connor has some allergies. Explains the constant "colds" he's been having. He's allergic to dogs, cats and dust mites which unfortunately meant we had to find a new home for the cat. more to come on the cat(s) later. Overall he's doing great. Takes his meds like a champ(nose spray) and rarely complains.

Connor starts Tball next month and we are really looking forward to it! he's going to have so much fun.

Sophia is almost done with Kindergarten. This year has been both a struggle and full of excitement! Sophia has proven to be quite the smarty pants. She is the top reader in her class, reading at a 2nd grade level. In February she was chosen to do a ribbon cutting ceremony at school because she was the top reader out of all the Kindergarten classes!! She's also excelling in other areas in school as well. We have been struggling with behavior issues but we think we have gotten them under control for the most part.

Sophia has been doing cheerleading for the past 3 months. She has a big cheer competition coming in up 2 weeks! She's enjoying but for those that know Sophia personally, she can be a bit stubborn about things. She wants to take the summer off and then possibly start up again in the fall.

Wayne has been working hard, both at his job and getting the yard ready for planting the garden and whatnot. We are trying to be more "green" and coming up with ideas on how we can do that. So look for posts from Wayne about all of that.

I'm done with work for the year. This tax season went so quickly. Now that I'm not working, I've gotten more involved at Sophia's school. PTA, Girl Scouts, helping out in her class. I am really enjoying it. I even went to the state PTA convention this year and had a lot of fun! It's all keeping me busy.

So now about the cats. Unfortunately, they are both gone now. Houdini ran away twice before Christmas. He came back once but then disappeared again. Unfortunately, Wayne found him dead in the garage while we were doing some spring cleaning. :( I am so sad about it, but at least now I know where he is. He is buried next to my peonies in the backyard. RIP Houdini.

The kitten, who never really had a definite name, was taken to the no kill shelter. It was a lot harder on me than I thought it was. I never really bonded with her since Houdini was my cat. I cried so hard when I had to sign the paperwork to turn her over.

So now we have fish. No definite names on them except I think one is named Ben 10. Have I mentioned yet that Connor is Obsessed with all things Ben 10?? Yep.


I have to go pick Sophia up from school and take her to get new glasses. Hopefully I will be back again later or tomorrow to report on our "Going Green" efforts.