Summer Ball

WWD has been playing AAU ball this summer with a new team. It has been a great chance for him to keep up his basketball over the summer, and lots of fun. In the meantime he has now grown up to 5'9"--yep, that's taller than his mom! No way!
(Yes that kid behind him is gigantic...)







Did I mention size 12 shoes? Which still, for a minute, equals his age? :) Teenage years, dead ahead! Go WWD!

Big Brother Little Brother

MPD loves having his hero brother home for Spring Break!

Making bunny and chick cookies for Easter...



And coloring Easter eggs...

My dad was the oldest of four brothers, and his youngest brother is 9 years younger than my dad. My Uncle Andy--the youngest uncle--always says that, growing up, my dad was absolutely his hero. WWD is 9 years older than MPD too. Since I have only one younger brother myself, I can hardly even imagine how big WWD must seem to MPD, and JPD also. How cool to have such a giant, smart, basketball-and-football-playing, Mass-serving(!), brother! I'm so proud of my boys!

Quick Takes Friday

Joining Jen at Conversion Diary for Quick Takes Friday!

~ 1 ~
These Wisconsin politics...man, you cannot make this stuff up. I thought we'd seen the last of the drama when the 14 senators-on-the-run came back from their flight to Illinois. But this Supreme Court election is a whole new chapter. Who ever heard of a Supreme Court race being so exciting and too close to call at midnight on election day? Now, after we thought the democrat (oh, right, it's a nonpartisan position--yeah right) won by 204 votes last night, 10K more votes showed up, which flipped the election back to the incumbent. I couldn't ask for a better government lesson for the kids than living in Wisconsin in 2011!

And I must share with you Bill's master creation election flyer:







~ 2 ~
Remember my bad experience back in January with discovering that I weighed 15 pounds more than I thought? Well, guess what...I lost at least 10 of them. (A few more than 10, but I'm not admitting those were ever really there.) Really! Go me! And that was before...

~ 3 ~
I started doing Atkins on April 1. I love Atkins. It's so easy. You do have to be really committed, which is why I've been putting it off for way too long. But I've been having all these awesome omelettes for breakfast and filets for dinner. Yum!

~ 4 ~
As if anything could be overshadowing our wild Wisconsin politics in the news, now we have an impending federal government shutdown. I think it's imperative that we take care of our armed forces, but apart from that, I say bring on the shutdown. I agree with this post from Pat Archbold, that so much of this is really all coming down to the defunding of Planned Parenthood. What surprises me is that so many people have the misperception that Planned Parenthood is actually good for women. Ugh.

~ 5 ~
The girls started a new program called Girls on the Run, which involves a group of about 20 girls meeting with coaches to practice running and play games and hear about self-esteem for girls and nutrition and stuff. I like the running part, and so do the girls, and I think they're having fun with their friends. So far, they're running about 2 miles at a time, which is awesome!

~ 6 ~
And just when we thought basketball was over...we decided to sign WWD up for summer AAU ball. It turns out that his would-be team is going to have a really amazing coach, and I'm super excited about this opportunity for WWD. Can't wait to see him play with a whole new team!

~ 7 ~
MPD's potty training is pretty much a done deal. We can even go out of the house now, and he'll go potty almost anywhere. I'm so glad I waited until he was 3 and really ready. It has been so easy (can't believe I'm saying that) and he is so proud of being a big boy! Maybe by child #5, I've got it all figured out. (ha!) But seriously--the best advice I've read on this--and I've read a lot over the years--is to regard potty training as similar to learning to walk. Don't get stressed when they fall down, don't argue with them about it or insist on anything, try not to cry when dealing with poopy underpants(!), just cheer for them and make sure they know how excited you are that they are growing up. It's a big achievement--his, not mine, of course! :)

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Happy Spring--it's finally here!
Do head over to Jen's place for more fun Quick Takes!

State Champs!

‎44-5 Season
17-0 League play
7 tournament wins
20-0 last 20 games including 7 this weekend to become STATE CHAMPS!!








We are SO sad to see the end of basketball season!

March Madness!

WWD and I are finally here at the 6th grade State Basketball Tournament.
They are 4-0 after the first day of play; tomorrow it's on to the finals! All the guys are playing GREAT and I think WWD had his best 4 games of all time today.
Here's a peek at some of the action:










Go Cardinals!!

He's Got His Game Face On

WWD is famous around here for his "game face" in basketball. No kidding--I've had complete stranger Dads come up to me after games, just to tell me how much they enjoy watching him under the basket.
He's fierce, I tell you!

He's serious about his "D" that's for sure...

And he loves to go up against the other teams' big guys, especially a few favorite rivals in the league...

Back in 3rd and 4th grade, he would sometimes play 1-on-1 with me, but these days--forget it. I can't even move against him!

Actually, in this game against their big rivals, his opposing under-the-basket big guy did get him rattled--lots of blatant fouls that the ref missed.

But this shot went in! Go WWD!

Victory...so sweet!

Undefeated league champs!

Here's my boy!

But don't you just hate it when your little brother steals your trophy?!

Next up...on to STATE!

Superbowl Heaven

Could anything be better than being a 12-year-old boy in Wisconsin this week?Only being an almost-6-year-old boy in Wisconsin.

Or perhaps being an almost-3-year-old boy in Wisconsin who's pretty sure his oldest brother *is* one of the Packers...

Quick Takes Friday

Joining Jen at Conversion Diary for Quick Takes Friday!

~ 1 ~
Just getting through January, here at Chez D. Does everyone always feel that way in January? Just getting through it. Our one big bright spot is MRD's 11th birthday, coming up at the end of the month.

~ 2 ~
This week I have been knocked out with the flu and slept for, like, three days now. I am so thankful that my wonderful BILL has taken over pretty much everything around here so that I can sleep! This flu (sinus infection? whatever!) has been weird because the first symptom was that I woke up on Monday with hugely puffy, swollen eyes, before I even felt sick. Never had that before!

~ 3 ~

Recently overheard at our house (about 9,746 times):

"MPD, time to put on your boots!" (or any other request or comment directed at our sassy little love bug)

"No, no. Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!"

This was very cute, like, the first 30 or 40 times he said it.

~ 4 ~
WWD is going winter camping this weekend with his Scout troop. Although there will be cabins, the boys have the option of digging snow caves to sleep in. Guess which one WWD's going to choose? Of course--snow cave. His mom just hopes that someone makes him wear a hat, because if it's up to him, as I hear daily..."Oh, mom, I don't need a coat/gloves/earband! It's no big deal!" Brrrr!

~ 5 ~
This was a great week to be sick with the flu. FREEZING here. And I didn't have to go outside at all for 3 whole days. Did I mention how much I love my husband?

~ 6 ~
Anyone else out there ever feel like they just can NOT go on another minute? You know...overwhelmed with life and want to run away? Me too. I'm just saying. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

~ 7 ~
And on a lighter note...
Have you seen this commercial with the Geico woodchucks?
We love it! We can't stop calling JPD and MPD our "woodchucks." It's just a little too close to home, for sure!

Happy January, everyone!!
And go see Jen for everyone else's great Quick Takes posts!

He Serves! He Shoots! He Scores!

...and he celebrates the Packers' victory against the Falcons! WWD has been quite busy this weekend, with three basketball games and serving at an early-morning Mass today.WWD's basketball season is roaring along; his team's record is something like 14-2, so far.
He's loving it; and so is his mom. :)
Go WWD!