K. Turns the Big 4

K. celebrated in style, of course, and is now the big 4! She had a great week (apparently we celebrate the week we were born now.) How 'bout the cake this year? It has only taken me 11 birthdays (all three kids total) to make one that actually looks like it should! (It is supposed to be Diego by the way.) Thanks to all who called, sent cards, email, gifts, and to those who traveled to see the little princess. Much fun was had by all, especially Miss K.

Halloween Happenings

The month of October was here and gone...and with it I hope the illness that seems to have plagued our household. We were grounded for Halloween as K. began throwing up about 12 hours before we were to drive to my parent's house for a big celebration weekend. But, what are you going to do? We did get in the pumpkin carving before the puking started, so that was a plus...and she was better by the time we went to trick-or-treat and when you are 4 that's about all that matters!
K. was a ladybug this year (and yes, I made the costume...it has since fallen apart at the seams, literally, but it did the job). M. is a "recycled" giraffe and is the cutest little giraffe since K. wore it two years ago! P., once again, suckered us into two costumes. At school, he was The Scarecrow from Batman, but on Halloween night he dressed up as a football player. Not just any player mind you, but an LHS Wildcat...complete with regulation eye black and wristbands(thanks Papa!). They all looked great!
The kids had a great time trick-or-treating! K. was much faster this year and made it for four blocks before she'd decided enough was enough. P. made it about 6 blocks and instead of using his trick-or-treat bag, he donned a backpack of sorts. It was full to the brim...needless to say, a lot of that loot wound up in his classroom for kids to "purchase" on Fridays. M. was in awe of the entire concept. She had practiced saying "trick-or-treat" which came out sounding more like "tick, teet", but it worked. When the big moment came...she froze; however, she looked so darn cute in her giraffe costume she scored some candy anyway. We made it home before any fits ensued, got warm baths, had a few pieces of our favorites, and snuggled up for a good night's sleep. Enjoy the pics!

Tired of Illnesses

Watching Papa's Wildcats on the new tv in the newly finished basement. It was too cool!

M. found her "pumpin" and was all smiles at the patch!

K. found several candidates, but finally settled on this one!

Enjoying the pizza at her first fall party.

K. is all ready for her fall party at school, even down to the pumpkin barrettes in her hair!

I was reading the last post in which I said "hope we don't get the flu". Well, we did. All three kids came down with the dreaded swine flu at the end of September. Kelsey came down with it first and two days later, Patrick and Meghan got hit with it. Fortunately, it was very mild for all three. About 5 days with a fever, coughs, aches, and a few runny noses, but that was all.
We had about two weeks with no illnesses and then M. started with a runny nose and a cough. Just as she is in the middle of her cold, P. comes down with some kind of stomach virus. Again, fortunately, the vomiting part lasted about 12 hours (which unfortunately began at 10pm) so not much sleep for he or I on Tuesday night. Yesterday, K. started with the stomach thing, too. So, both home from school today and gathering their strength to be able to participate in P.'s school party tomorrow (they are on fall break next week, so we are doing them this Friday).
Too much sickness for one mom to handle!
We did manage to go and get pumpkins in between rounds of illness. M. loves her "pumpins", but I am pretty sure when we go to carve them she will want nothing to do with the goop inside. She is pretty particular about having clean hands. K. took FOREVER to pick out her pumpkin. She could not decide on shape, color, or size. She finally settled on a medium, round, bright orange pumpkin...in fact, it is probably the most perfect pumpkin I have ever seen at a patch...maybe it was worth all of her time to find it then! We had our first experience with a child not too keen on family time. P. wanted to play the Wii, not go and get pumpkins, so he begrudgingly chose one to add to the pile. Hopefully, he will be more upbeat when we carve them.
We are looking forward to our trip to Chicago next weekend for the PSU/ NU game; lots of trick-or-treating; and K.'s birthday party with my family. This will be a great end to what feels like a very long, very ill month. Here's hoping November brings health to the Lynch household!

Back Again!

I realized that I can still post happenings even if I don't have any pictures to accompany the posts. P. has been in school for a full month now and he is loving it. If you ask him, he will tell you his favorite times are gym, lunch, and recess, so apparently things haven't changed much since I was in school! K. started preschool on the first of this month and she is in heaven. She has already made some new friends and she got to bring home the story bag already, as well. She only goes twice a week, but if she had her choice, I think she'd be there every day. M. has been talking more and more. One of her new words is "football" and when she says it, it is often accompanied by a belly bump or a tackle. She may be the only one in our family big enough to play the game!
Soccer season is also in full swing and they have won two/lost two. P. is learning a lot about sportsmanship! K. and M. have started gymnastics once a week. K.'s class is without the mommies and M. has to have mommy there with her. She is mastering the art of walking in circles currently, but she loves to run around on the mats! K. will finish her class with a "show" and then we will get to see all that she has been working on.
Kevin has the basement 98% finished (he has a few things to do behind the bar and that is it). The space is totally livable and we have been enjoying moves on the new tv and mommy likes the new toy room too. It is a wonderful addition to the house and I can only imagine that we will get so much more use out of the space as the years keep coming.
Trying to keep everyone healthy this fall, too. There are a lot of kids at P.'s school with the flu...rumored to be swine flu, but I do not know for sure. Either way, we have been stressing the importance of hand washings and just hoping that we don't get the flu of any kind.
Spent two weekends ago in Cleveland at my cousin's wedding and the kids had a great time. Firday night was an Indian's game and they had a blast with all the give aways and stadium food. The wedding was beautiful as was the reception. As always, it was great to see everyone.
We are going to try and get to the apple orchard this weekend. We tried to go last weekend, but we got rained out, so hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can get out there. We have some applesauce and apple cakes to make!

First Day of School and a Computer Problem

Today is P.'s first day back to school. He is in the first grade this year and it is amazing to see how much he has changed from this time last year. We actually remembered the camera and even took pictures; however, I am not currently able to download photos to my computer. I am hoping to have this fixed tonight so I can add pics tomorrow! Keep watching. Time for the girls and I to run some errands.

Omaha Zoo

After my sister's wedding (which was beautiful and soooo much fun) we took a family trip to Omaha for a few days to hit the zoo and a few spots from the show "Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives" (a favorite show in this family). The zoo was really a great zoo with tons of exhibits. The kids had a blast. They even rode the skyfari (a gondola that takes you over a portion of the zoo.) P. loved the Kingdom's of the Night exhibit that was actually underground and was full of bats, snakes, alligators, and the like. He was in heaven! He also really loved the aquarium. M. loved the butterfly house. She was mesmerized by all of the butterflies flitting around her head. K. says her favorite part of the zoo was the aquarium too, especially the tunnel you walk through and the animals are swimming overhead. The hotel had a water park and the kids (as well as mom and dad) had a lot of fun there, too!
We also ate at California Taco and had some of the best tacos ever! They make the tortillas fresh as you order the tacos and they are deep fried and stuffed with whatever you want. Clearly, a healthy dining option! We ate breakfast at Dixie Quicks. This place is so off the map, that we drove right by it, even using the GPS. Needless to say, once we got inside, the food was incredible. They only do breakfast and lunch, so we shared a few of their breakfast specialties like, french toast with chocolate, almonds, bananas, and whipped cream. P.'s favorite was the egg scramble topped with cactus and black beans. M. LOVED the homemade biscuits and gravy (she ate about one and a half all by herself). I had an omlette made with apples and brie cheese. Everything was soooo yummy and well worth the stop!

Genetics Anyone?

Caught them all watching a cartoon the other day...no, this is not a posed photo.

P's Birthday Pics-finally!

Yes, I have finally gotten around to posting some pics from P.'s birthday. He is still as thrilled with his gifts today as he was when he got them. Thanks again to everyone for making his day so special!

Batman Party

We had P.'s friend party this past Saturday, and as luck would have it, we have no photos. I swear I should wear my camera around my neck. We had the basement "done" enough to transform one half of it into the batcave. The boys thought it was way cool and couldn't believe that we had actually written Joker graffiti on the walls leading down to the basement (FYI- these are about to be painted once we are done moving furniture, etc. down there). P. had a great time and so did his buddies. It was a fun neighborhood weekend, too, as lots of neighbors were out and about and the kids had fun catching frogs and lightning bugs as we all chatted and enjoyed the weather.

We are headed back to the Chi-town area this weekend for my sister's wedding. I will be sure to take some pics of the ring bearer and flower girl! K. is so excited to get her hair done and to be able to hang out with the big girls the morning of the wedding. She also told me she "needs" a pedicure. I think I'll be giving her one here at home just to make her smile!

We are also taking a small trip to Omaha to the zoo and water park. Again, will have the camera, so I will get some photos.

Fabulous Fourth

We started the Fourth of July weekend by celebrating P's 6th birthday, yes, he is 6 already. We then drove to Chicago for my sister's bachelorette party. It was an awesome time! The party was a rooftop Cubs game (they won). All you can drink, all you can eat...great time, great food, great company.
We had a BBQ for the Fourth and the rain cleared just as my dad was set to grill. Again, great food and great company. P. was pretty good with the fireworks this year, no panicking and he sat through the whole thing. He even said the grand finale was "awesome". M. was clapping, until the grand finale, which she did not find awesome, just loud and scary. K. was a riot. She watched from a blanket with Aunt Kiki and cousin Emma. You could hear her say, "That one was cool", every time another firework went into the air. She is the life of the party in our family, that's for sure!
On Sunday, as part of our "staycation" summer, we stopped at Lego Discovery center. P. was in heaven! He could not believe all of the things made out of Legos. And, just when he thought it could not be any cooler, he was in a room with a lifesize Darth Vader and Batman. I thought the kid was going to have to be peeled off the ceiling! We had a yummy lunch at Big Bowl and finished up the afternoon with some Lego building and a stop to spend some b-day money at the Lego store.
We arrived home that night weary, but happy...always a great way to end a vacation!

Mommy Time in Napa, California

No, it is not the fog, I actually took this one in black and white. The Golden Gate Bridge was awe inspiring and very shaky. I only made it about 1/4 of the way out.
The winery above is Clos Pegas. I don't actually like any of the wines they produce, but in terms of vineyard and winery, it is gorgeous and very impressive to look at.
The view from the tasting patio at Round Pond Winery. They are relatively new from my understanding, but I found a fantastic Blood Orange olive oil there!
So, as you can see from the pics, I just got back from a week in Napa Valley and San Francisco. My mom and two sisters and I spent our time tasting fabulous wine and fabulous food. Not a bad way to spend a week! Kevin took the kids to Kansas to visit his family for a few days and they had a great time!! Lots of time playing with cousins and they were even treated to the famed Mexican Fiesta. Apparently, M. loved the burritos (what doesn't she like?). P. was extremely excited to get an early birthday present from his Aunt and Uncle and cousins. We now have Anakin's Starfighter proudly displayed on the dresser with the rest of the Star Wars fleet.

M. has learned to go up and down the steps while at Grandma and Grandpa's and she has continued to show off her skills here at home. This is a very good thing as we can now get rid of the 4x6 boards that we've been using to block the stairway.

P. and K. are both doing extremely well in swimming lessons. P. is actually swimming using strokes! He can swim freestyle now and K. is able to swim with her face in the water without breathing it in. They are doing AWESOME!! We are very proud of them.

Six Flags Here We Come

We capped off our weekend with a visit to Six Flags. In the tradition of my family, I thought the kids would be free (had reading vouchers), but when we got to the gate, the ticket employee informed me the free vouchers were not good until the 15th. So, much like Polish Helmet Day, we bought tickets for P. and said K. was "almost three". Little white lies aren't that bad are they? Anyway, the first thing the kids saw when we entered the park were the characters, so we spent some time getting photo ops. Then we headed to the Carousel, K.'s favorite. We took a ride and then scouted out the first roller coaster, The Whizzer. P. and K. both rode the ride and had a blast! I was sure K. would go on being the daredevil she is, but had my doubts about P.
There was no one at the park as it was in the mid sixties and overcast, so it made for a perfect day for us to go. No lines! Seriously, we did not wait in one line all day.
P. tried the Demon, but didn't like going upside down and has declared he will never do it again. He LOVED the Dark Knight ride (went on it twice) and hit the Whizzer again with K. He also got Papa to go on the new water ride with him. The point of the ride is to squirt onlookers and other boats with squirt guns (and the onlookers can squirt you too). They had a blast together (as you can see in the photos!) We also braved the rapids and K. got soaked (we were a little wet, but she was like a drowned rat). M. tried the Ladybugs with P., but halfway through the ride she started crying and the only other thing she wanted to try the rest of the day was the train.
We are counting this first trip as a huge hit with the kids and plan on going back next year, too!

What a fun weekend!

We spent the weekend at my Mom and Dad's house. My mom is retiring this year, so we threw her a surprise party at the house with all of her kids, grandkids, and even her mom and sister were there to help celebrate. After the small gathering of co-workers had dinner and paid a beautiful and much deserved tribute to my mom, we headed out to a local establishment for some drinks and more good company (sans kiddos by the way...thanks Dad and Greg for the sitters!) My mom was shocked to see people not only from her current school, but from her previous school, as well as family friends, neighbors, you name it. People turned out enmasse to help mom celebrate and it was AWESOME!
Saturday dawned ( a little too early for some) and we got started with the preparations for Kristen's bridal shower that evening. The shower was again, AWESOME, and I think it is safe to say that everyone had a great time at the shower, too. I cannot believe how close it is getting to the actual wedding date. P. got measured for his tux this morning and he was a trooper. He is the skinniest little guy, but getting taller by the day...must be the Lynch genes in him.
Here are some pictures of the Friday night retirement party!

Kindergarten Graduationh

P. graduated from Kindergarten today. Much to our surprise, both Kevin and I got a little choked up after it was over. Seems like just a short time ago he was a little guy and now he is going to be in first grade! He did a great job singing the songs (reluctantly) and he is looking forward to the rest of the week. He has field day tomorrow; a school picnic on Thursday; and a PTO carnival on Friday. We will be at the school every day this week to help out and K. is just as excited! Mrs. Hale (in photo above) was a wonderful teacher and P. LOVED being in her class. I think he is going to miss her next year!

The Mini Gourmet

M. is going to give P. a run for his money in the foodie department. Last night for dinner, among other things, I made (reheated rather, as it was from Trader Joe's) a mushroom and black truffle flatbread. Neither P. nor K. would come within 50 feet of it, but M. kept pointing at it and saying "more, more." We finally gave her some, fully expecting her to take one bite and spit it out. We were completely in shock when she not only swallowed the first bite, but ate the entire piece you see in the photo! And the joy on her face...I too like black truffles, but didn't expect them to elicit such a response from a 15 month old! She has exquisite taste!!!

Basement Update

Here are the latest pictures from the basement remodel. The first photo is taken as you come down the stairs. There used to be a door on the left, but Kevin knocked out the walls and opened up the stairway in both directions. If you turn to the right, you can go into the kid's toy room and to the storage area. If you turn left, then you head into the tv/ bar area, and the bed and bathroom are also to the left.

The photo of the bar (the half walls) is taken as if you were standing in the tv room. We have yet to install cabinets (they are ordered) and we have to add the wood panels to the bar, along with countertops. The door to the right is the bathroom door. The room with the holes in the wall is where the tv and couches are going to be. The view is as if you were standing at the bar.

The last photo is of the tiled shower in the bathroom
Kevin and a neighbor have been hard at work finishing that job. We hope to have the shower and the bathroom floor, along with the bar floor done by next weekend. (Fingers crossed!)
We are really very pleased with how it is coming along and are very excited to get it done! Kevin says he plans on hosting a halfway day party to christen the new space...dare i say mark your calendars?

Latest Doings in the Lynch Abode

Here's K.'s "new" hair-do, I was at work and Kevin dried her hair while K. brushed it and the end result is above. When Kevin asked what she thought about her hair K. replied, "I look like Mommy." Needless to say, I am getting my haircut next week.














M. has figured out how to climb up on things and one of her favorite spots is the couch. They were all snuggling the other night watching a cartoon and I don't think there are three cuter kiddos anywhere (I am biased, of course).



















P. has had a great time this soccer season! He has done a great job and the entire team is much improved. They have actually only lost one game this season. He loves to play defense and gets VERY excited when he steals the ball or stops a shot on goal. It has been fun to see how much they have all improved since their first season. K. can actually start soccer this fall if she wants to (and from the way she talks I am guessing she will want to play!)
M. and K. have also started to work together (a little bit). K. got herself a snack out of the pantry and left the door open so M. could get her own, as well. I don't think M. could have stuffed more in her cheeks if she tried! She was so proud of herself too.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all!! The Lynch children awoke with the sun, literally, to see what the bunny had left. P. was thrilled beyond belief to see that the bunny had given him the Lego Star Wars Sith Infiltrator ship (these are VERY hard to find). That bunny has some connections! K. was equally thrilled to find her new Barbie Clean Up Pup doll. She has not stopped giving the puppies a bath.

The bunny left M. her very own Gertie Ball and a Magna Doodle of her own, too. She was so excited to get a new "ball, ball" (as she said all morning). M. was a big fan of the candy, too!
We decided to take pictures of the kiddos prior to church, as afterwards they are all in a hurry to change and play. The first one turned out great! We do have several of P. frowning and being a grouch as he was embarrassed at how handsome he looked. After he got over his shock of how handsome he is, he was good to go. I asked him later why he was being so goofy and he said he wasn't used to looking like a man and it made him feel embarrassed because he is really only a boy. Needless to say, he looked great! K. picked out her entire outfit (shocker) and believe it or not, she wore the hat nearly the entire time we were at mass. Kevin and I realized that M.'s dress was the same one K. wore on her first Easter here in St. Louis. My how a few years can really change things. We reflected today on how truly blessed we are and for this we are extremely grateful. We hope that these Easter greetings find you and yours equally blessed and equally grateful. Happy Easter everyone!

Birthday Present is a Huge Hit

M. received a ball pit for her birthday and 100 balls for Easter. We blew it up this past week, as it was rainy and cold just about everyday. She LOVES it. She frequently nose dives into the pit and comes up giggling. Her siblings have been having fun in it too. Thanks to the Burns family for the pit and to Grandma and Papa for the balls!

Lots to Catch Up On

Well, let's start with this first picture of the SNOW we woke up to last Sunday morning! K. asked if meant Santa was coming...try explaining that one to a three year old. She associates snow with Christmas and we had to tell her that this snow was a mistake. A big mistake if you ask me!

P. had spring break last week and we spent a few days at my mom and dad's house. We had a great time, as always! Kristen loves to see the kids and she probably watched more kid's movies that week than she has since she was a kid herself! We went and had lunch in Grandma's cafeteria and I don't think we could have hand picked a better menu for P. There were Chicago Style hot dogs and Chicken Parmesan (with a side of broccoli) . He had to really think hard about which he was going to choose, as they are two of his favorites. He and K. loved their first experiences with the cafeteria. After that lunch, Kristen and I took the kids to the children's museum and all three had an awesome time. As you can see in the photos, they got to paint their own faces and for a snack, they each made their own pretzels, complete with chocolate chips and marshmallows! YUM-O!!! We also went and got our bridesmaid/ flower girl dressed and K. looks adorable in her's. They are beautiful dresses and the color is great. Can't wait to wear them on the big day!



Who is happier in this picture? K. or Kristen?








This last photo is of a table my Uncle Jerry made for us. My mom and dad decided to have Jerry make each of us kids a piece of furniture and we chose to have a table for the front entryway. It turned out beautifully. The drawers on the front are made of zebra wood. It is truly a gorgeous and unique piece. Thanks mom and dad!!! As for this week, we are back to the grind. P. has a full week of school and starts soccer tonight with the first game on Sat. K. finished gymnastics last week. M. just cut her fourth tooth on top, so she will have a full smile (on top) very soon! Kevin just got back from a meeting in Chicago and it looks like we will have to fit in a vacation for the two of us this summer as he won Vice President's Premier Club and a trip to St. Kitts!!!!! He won two other regional awards as well. We are all VERY proud of him. Basement is well underway. The HVAC was completed this morning and Kevin says the insulation should be up in the next two weeks. I think we may wait a few week before we drywall, as I will have the furnace turned off to cut down on the mess and I want the weather to warm up a bit before we do that. No need to freeze anyone while they sleep! It is coming along and will be awesome once it is finished. I am sensing there may be a party to celebrate it's completion. Stay tuned for more details!