Long time no blog

Presents for Project Wee Care

Grace, Will, Jude and Reese with the treat bags

Will and Jude finishing up elf duty

It has been a spell since we last blogged, but for good reason I guess. On top of the usual holiday madness, we were involved in an effort called Project Wee Care. Long story short just over 60 families were blessed with food, sundries and Christmas gifts. I was so proud of how involved our family was from my mom and my sister and her husband to Will and even Jude. I grew up experiencing the beautiful and fulfilling act of giving because of my mom and I thank her for inspiring us to try and teach our kids what giving is all about. The families touched our hearts and many of them stamped a permanent reminder in us to be grateful for what we already have.  

Shortly after that effort was over, Will, Jude, and their cousins Grace and Reese adorned themsELVES with reindeer antlers and pulled a wagon FULL of Christmas goodies through the nursing home where my Grandma lived out her life. They brought priceless smiles to about 80 very deserving people. My mom baked all of the goodies, pounds and pounds, with her own two hands. As Will would tell people at the nursing home, "my grandma wakes up every day and bakes". 

I was tearfully proud.

It's always Christmas in Will's head

Those of you know Will well know that he is in LOVE with Christmas ... everything about it. I absolutely could not contain his excitement any longer so today marked the beginning of Will's Winter Wonderland. I say beginning because he will make many additions and modifications until it is just right. As of today there are 400 lights, 4 Christmas trees, 3 mini villages and holiday music to set the mood. Needless to say, he could not fall asleep under his lights because they were brighter than his main room light (even Will admitted to that truth). Even so, I am certain he is slumbering while visions of more lights dance in his head. Pictures to come. Merry Christmas!

Chickago (Chicago chick style)

Downtown Chicago from the 95th floor at the John Hancock Building

Christmas tree at the Drake Hotel

Nina, Alix and Sara

Mom Kari just returned from Chicago where she spent three amazing days with amazing women in an amazing city. I have been there before and done it before but the city seemed extra fabulous this time. Maybe it is because my days as a mom are a lot easier to spice up with, well just about anything. Don't get me wrong, coming home to my three boys was nothing short of heart filled bliss but I did enjoy a break from "what'll it be ... oatmeal or waffles?" 

I met my St. Olaf College gal pals Nina, Sara and Alix Thursday night and we basically ate, drank, shop, toured, talked and giggled until Sunday morning. We saw the American Girl store when we shopped Michigan Avenue and that was absolutely enlightening as a mom of boys. It is a small city for dolls where you can buy clothing, furniture, books, accessories, pets, hair brushes, shoes and you name it for your American Girl doll(s). There is even a doll salon, a doll hospital and little doll chairs for your doll to eat lunch with you. I would have fainted with excitement if such a thing were available when I was a tyke. We also took a 2-hour tour trolley ride and saw a good part of the city and heard some fun and interesting stories. That particular trip was topped off with drinks and appetizers on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. The best part was being with the girls just catching up and sharing our lives with each other.

My dear friend Carolyn picked me up from my hotel Sunday a.m. and brought me to her adorable neighborhood just north (I think) of Chicago. We had breakfast at the Kitsch'n, caught up and then she brought me back to her hip condo. There I was honored to meet and get to know her fiancé Chris and their dog Bart. It had been way too long and it was a perfect cherry on top of my trip.

When I came home I was walking from the plane through the airport listening to a man from Boston tell me about the health care presentation he was modifying for the next day when I saw two little blond boys take off running and screaming "mommy!". Needless to say I ditched health care guy and was gleefully tackled by my little guys. 

St. Joseph and Saint Steve

Jude watching his leaves float away

Steve and Mary Jane

Jackson, Honor and Will

One of the oh so hip lofts

Steve and Todd atop the rooftop garden at the lofts

On Saturday we headed south for a very quick trip to St. Joseph, Missouri where Todd's best friend Steve and his family hosted an open house to showcase his latest project to the city of St. Joseph. He converted a very old building into hip happening lofts and retail space, 258 of them to be exact, and we are ultra proud of him. Steve was (and is) very supportive in Todd's quest to work for himself and be his own boss and we are eternally grateful to him. We hold Steve, Mary Jane, Jackson and Honor really, really close to our hearts and consider them family. Good peeps they are indeed.

Jinkies! Three Scoobies?!

Halloween night on a Friday night? Perfect. And even more perfect was the weather. I imagine wherever you are that your weather was pretty darn fantastic too. And despite the fact that I have consumed 2 butterfingers, 1 Kit Kat and a nibble of Skittles (only in the last couple of hours) the whole weekend was a big hoot. Will was Scooby Doo as were his buddies Tyler and Ryan. Jude was a puppy, cousin Gracie a witch (a nice one so she could be pretty), cousin Reese a kitty and Todd that weird creepy guy he is every year. Gaga came over to take charge of our candy bowl so we all hit the streets for oodles of treats. And they are still here. Where shall I hide them from myself?! 

Little Goblins Run

This last weekend Will and his buddy Nolan "competed" in a race at a local lake. It was adorable! Most kids were dressed in costume, but anyone who really knows Will knows it takes a LOT of peer pressure to get him into a costume so he did not wear his Scooby Doo duds. I was so proud of the boys and got downright teary. The look in their eyes was so intense as they ran and they just looked so proud. Alice from Alice in Wonderland won, just so you know, but all the kiddos were winners and the medals proved it ; )

Half empty or half full, hmmmmm.

Today Todd woke me from my slumber with the words "wake up, our basement is flooded". Fun, eh?! After some ranting, stomping and impatient gestures (and loads of wet vac yuck) we decided we are pretty darn lucky AND blessed. The air is very heavy with the doom of the economy and we just feel extra lucky to have each other. Houses break, money comes and goes and business isn't always bustling but we have each other. And you have yours : )

Fall Fun with Friends in Minnesota

We just returned from a feel good, yummy kind of trip to Minnesota. We started out by seeing our Minnesota family, the Princes (minus Cori who is in Chicago). My "sis" Kristin is heroically battling Hodgkins Lymphoma and it was so nice to be able to see her and hug her. She is in our daily thoughts and prayers as she keeps on intently living, laughing and loving (her motto). We love you sista Kristin! My mom went with us to Minnesota so everyone enjoyed that part of the visit too.

The next day we saw our old neighbors from St. Louis Park for a play date. Three of the five girls (and now one baby boy) were born within weeks of Will so we had many a good time together. We couldn't stop staring in disbelief at how much the girls have grown and how beautiful they all are! It would be an understatement to say that we miss this fabulous group of friends. By the way, if any of you from Minnesota are in need of photography services or know of someone who is, Jeff's blog is on our blog list. He is wicked good! 

The next day we headed to Mike, Catherine and Caden Langer's house for what seemed way too fast of a visit. As usual we were treated like royalty and indulged in delicious conversation and superb cuisine. Friday night we saw baby Owen Robertson and oh yeah, his mom and dad Katie and Travis ; ) Owen is a perfect addition to the boy crew! The next day the Langers took us on a very unique mini golfing excursion where an artist has created a course on his farm using a lot of natural and recycled materials. If you are in MN check it out! It is called Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden. We also went to the Landscape Arboretum which was not a bit short of dreamy. A  small highlight for Kari was a steamy cup of Caribou Coffee.

It is hard to sum up fabulousness in words on a blog. To try and do so, there were many great times with many great peeps! And thanks to Scooby Doo DVDs the boys did very well in the ol' minivan. 

More pumpkin patch fun

I told you we can't get enough of this place! Here are some photos from our trip to the pumpkin patch with dad.

Will always has an idea

Will still wears a Pull Up at night as he simply does not wake up when he has to go. We have been practicing wearing underpants with no progress. After an especially wet night Will and I were talking about it because he is so frustrated. He told me he can't feel that he has to go at night and that he can only feel it in the day time. I told him we just have to teach his body to wake up when he has to go. He replied "no mom, we just need to figure out how to keep the sun up all night". I just love that little guy so much. He never stops thinking up ideas!

The little man likes shoes

Our little Jude is a sucker for shoes. We were eating at Subway one day when Todd nodded proudly upon witnessing Jude checking out a 2-year-old hottie. Todd's smile headed south when I whispered "honey, he was checking out her shoes". Yesterday though Jude and I purchased his best find yet. Check out these bad boys. 

Jude Dude is 2!

Jude blowing out his fruit pizza candle

Will displaying his tower o' sugar

Jude with Sydney, one of his favorite friends

Todd Rod leads the kiddos in Pin the Tail on the Donkey

So the Judester turned 2 this weekend. Eeeegads, where has the time gone? (I literally don't know because Jude stole my trusty Timex, a.k.a. the "timeout timer"). I feel like my babies are gone and that part has a sad little cuddly spot in my heart but the little men the boys are becoming are so fun ... and fun together. If one if them is gone, the other is quite concerned about his whereabouts and the naked laps they do together down our hallway after bath time is the most precious and hilarious fun ever. Will is a sweet and loving big brother despite the naughtiness Jude displays when Will has something he wants which is everything Will has. Sibling rivalry is such a mysterious phenomenon and it makes me wish there was a patience pill or something. Anyway, Jude is 2 and we are all having so much fun with his personality. He brings a lot of love to our family and we wish him a very "Happy Birthday!". 

Pumpkins, pig races and pop corn

Gaga and Jude on the train

"What the hay, Will?!"

The Pumpkin Patch "rocks"!

The boys and I packed ourselves and Gaga into the mini van for an outing to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. So amazing it is, we buy a season pass every year and it was gaga's first time so we really did it right. We started out with the pig races, chowed down some warm chocolate chip cookies and kettle corn, played on the tractor slides, went to Bunny Ville, rode on the ATTs (all terrain tricycles), rode the train, wound through Storybook Village, rode on the Farm Adventure wagon ride and ended with an arm load of assorted pumpkins and one yard decoration (thanks Gaga!). And that was just our first trip. We LOVE this place. We look forward to it all year and we are continually impressed with how they can create so much fun out of nature.

The best

Jude loves to climb on my lap when I am on the computer and play with the camera. My heart melts every time because his laugh when we do this is sooooo great. Can you hear it? 

Bushels of apples and buckets of fun

Todd and his mama

Comparing and sharing

Just this last weekend we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's farm in Todd's hometown of Woodbine, Iowa. We started with a walk to the neighbor's apple orchard for some picking fun, went to Grandma's for homemade apple sauce & apple crisp and ended with Apple Fest (a yearly event on and around Main Street). That's a whole lotta apples! A good time was had by all. Will & Jude really love the farm experience and old-fashioned fun, Todd loves running into all the folks he knows and Kari loves the simplicity and quiet. From picking corn and chasing kitties to playing with Grandma's farm toys and typewriter the giggles are non-stop. Ahhh ... fresh air, Grandma's home cookin', fresh picked food and Grandma's hugs ... nothin' finer.  

Break the Silence

Today my mom, my sister and three of the kids took part in a charitable walk for ovarian cancer. Todd and I took part in several of these when we were in Minnesota and we were so happy when my mom discovered the Omaha chapter. We walked in memory of Aunt Judy who left us 4 years ago and we were reminded today that the emotions surrounding her absence from our lives are still very alive. It was happy, sad and everything in between. My mom met a man along the way who lost his wife of almost 35 years. From diagnosis until death her family had 10 days with her. My sister observed, although a very kind man, he seems to be in a daze. Loss like this is so hard for those of us left behind.  

So with much respect for what the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is trying to accomplish I am going to pass along some educational information. This information is even for the men. Listen to your wives, sisters, moms, girlfriends, daughters and so on because the symptoms are not acute or intense. Only 19% of cases are found in the early stage and if caught in the higher stages, the survival rate is as low as 29%. So here are some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, trouble eating or feeling full quickly, feeling the need to urinate urgently or often. Other symptoms can include: fatigue, upset stomach or heartburn, back pain, pain during intercourse, constipation, menstrual changes.   

Thank you mom and Jen for our walk together. We miss you Judy!

Mama "fun wrecker" Ramsey is my name

I would say one of the bummer parts of parenting is having to be so practical and sensible all the time. Will loves to "collect" things and "decorate" areas and most of these ventures lead to me throwing a lot of stuff away while he is gone. I must confess IF I am busted by Will I occasionally might maybe blame it on Jude. I am rarely busted though because he forgets about most of his projects, probably because there are SO MANY! As I type there is a dead caterpillar sitting in a jar on our counter, there are cobs of corn in my car, walnuts from a walnut tree in a bowl, his bike is in at least 10 pieces, there is a dead plant experiment in his bathroom and PILES of sculptures made by anything he can get his hands on when I am not looking. The creative part of me says "let him be, let him create!" but some of this stuff gets really gross and too plentiful. It does break my heart to throw things he has invested in away, but I have to draw the line in the sand sometimes and say "no, we can't take your castle home, but we can take a picture". 

Good jeans for "challenging" genes

For all you gals who be bloggin' I want to share with you a great jean find. Check out www.itjeans.com, find a store and give them a whirl and a twirl. My thighs, bum and waist are all from different planets but these jeans help them all cooperate a little better. Even if they don't look that way, they sure do feel good. Another fashion tip I have, throw a clothing swap party. My adorable friend Larri and I have co-hosted two very successful swaps and people walk away with soon to be favorite gently used clothing items for FREE! Each attendee brings items they no longer wear or want, the hostess sets up clothing racks or rods and some tables for foldables and organizes items by type. Throw in  some appetizers, some drinks, a changing area, a full length mirror and you are set. This isn't Goodwill type stuff .... these are juicy goods! So many aspects of our lives change and our wardrobes change with us. It feels great to get rid of things and whatever is leftover we donate to a well deserving charity. 

What Will knows

One morning about a month ago we were awakened by the doorbell and the county sheriff was standing at our door. It seems some teenagers had taken a joy ride the night before, part of which left some pretty nasty tire tracks through our yard. The officer asked if we wanted to press charges because they had caught the hooligans. Anyway, Will absorbed a lot of what was going on and he has concluded in his own special little way there are two kinds of people you have to look out for in this world ... "bandits and teenagers". 

Other Gaga nigh nigh

Kari's Grandma Dorothy passed away a couple of weeks ago. As Jude says "Other gaga nigh nigh (sleeping)". Her great grandkids call her "Other Gaga" because my mom is "Gaga". She lived to be 87 and surrounded by love. We miss her a lot and she reminds us that family truly is the most important part of our lives. We had many years with her, many good times and many good talks. It still never seems to be enough. Enjoy your loved ones, get to know them while they are on this earth and spend time together. 

Angry Will

When Will was little he had a fascination with the emotion "angry" and still does. I opened up Photo Booth on my Mac and found these funny faces Will took of himself. What a guy.

Proud of Papa

We are so proud of Todd. I don't think I would ever have the courage, drive and commitment he has to start a business and make it a success. And it is really fun to listen to and watch the boys at the shop. It is most definitely a family business! I am sure Todd doesn't feel the boys help in any way because we usually leave a trail of tools, parts and water after the boys and I have left but I know he enjoys the company. 

In our continuing effort to market our business we took part in the Millard Days parade. I learned that you can never have enough candy and kids these days are picky about what you are giving them ... even free stuff! Sheesh. Grandpa Larry and Grandma Linda drove the truck, Will and Jude waved like superstars and Todd and I handed out safety information and, not so popular, Smarties candies. 

First camping trip for Jude

Recently we took the boys to Indian Cave State Park in southeastern Nebraska for a camping trip. Despite Kari's whining about how much work it is to pack for one night in the great outdoors we all had a really good time. We hiked, fished, made smores, peed outside and breathed in as much fresh air as we could. Our kiddos reminded us of the simple pleasures in life and that you can have as much fun in Mother Nature's amusement park as you can in a man made one. Why don't we do this more often? Oh yeah, the packing.