tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23368611255511249252024-03-14T01:17:05.097-07:00Crystal's StewA blog about our life.crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-57674919922148085302014-07-02T08:10:00.000-07:002014-07-02T09:04:02.009-07:00Smelly Cat
Soooooo.....Last end of summer/beginning of fall, The Mister had left the car outside and the window's down overnight. Not the end of the world since we live in the middle of nowhere. We did wake up to a car FULL of flies.
No biggie.
However, over the next week or so I started feeling something move inside the drivers side seat. At first it really freaked me out. Ascrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-228167267189604342014-06-25T09:00:00.004-07:002014-06-25T09:01:05.730-07:00Play It Again
The big girl is about to go away for a couple of weeks.
To say she will be missed is an understatement.
Enjoying a summer rain storm.
Every time she hears this song on the radio the volume goes up a few octaves.
So, obviously, this is for her.
Happy Wednesday!
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-24087254899398109222014-06-23T12:33:00.001-07:002014-06-23T12:34:52.481-07:00Be My Friend!
This weekend we noticed our very scary guard dog sitting at the very edge of the fenced in area of our yard.
After a few minutes we realized he was sitting there watching four deer eat, not even ten feet in front of him.
He's so lonely out here he is trying to get the local wildlife to be friends with him.
Good work, buddy.
Good work.
(Better luck next time.)
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-67498822708329476302014-06-13T09:40:00.006-07:002014-06-13T09:41:39.841-07:00That's A Wrap!
Rhiannon's big end of year recital for dance is tomorrow.
It's in a real theater.
A big, 2000 seat, beautiful and ornate theater.
I'm so excited for her.
She is going to have such an amazing time!
Clara, 4, with her homemade Dr. Seuss face. Rhiannon, 5, with her homemade Dr. Seuss hat.
Have a great weekend!
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-25043513153010148582014-06-11T07:17:00.002-07:002014-06-11T18:07:07.222-07:00Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key
Sometimes I feel like my husband doesn't "get" me at all.
Like, the other day, when I asked him to go to the store to pick up some bread and he returns with this....
Now, I am going to assume you are an adult that is capable of making your own choices so I am not going to judge you if you enjoy eating white bread.
However, The Mister should know better.
(It's only crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-56103959997760338772014-06-06T08:59:00.000-07:002014-06-06T08:59:55.456-07:00High Schooler
It's been one hell of a roller coaster ride.
Nine years down.
Four more to go.
I know that with our help, your brains and all of our determination, you will go farther in your life than your wildest dreams.
I can't wait to watch how you grow over the next four years!
First and last day of 8th grade.
Happy Friday!
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-46887821270109422952014-06-02T10:11:00.003-07:002014-06-02T11:35:50.860-07:00Baseball Wars, Round Two
We live in a house divided.
It is no secret that I am a HUGE Cubs fan. I always have been. (Love you Grandpa!) I always will be. The Mister is a huge White Sox fan. Since before Clara was born, we had been thinking of ways to get her to love our own team.
Between Wriggly field vs. US Cellular, US Cellular wins at being family friendly with no crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-49851335893812783212014-05-28T07:03:00.000-07:002014-11-21T14:34:50.014-08:00And We Danced / Rhiannon is 14!
Today is Rhiannon's birthday!
She is the big 1-4!
Last Thursday, two of her friends and I pulled off an epic surprise party. I told them to take care of the guest list and I would take care of the rest. We prayed for great weather, (and it came!) I bought a ton of food, sodas, a pinata - if you ever been to any of her childhood parties you will get why - crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-82490654495865082092014-05-19T10:26:00.000-07:002014-05-19T12:47:34.079-07:00Meat Cupcakes
The Mister hates cake.
And cookies.
And chocolate.
But he loves meatloaf!
In the last seven years I have made lots of improvised "cakes" for him to blow the candles out for his birthday. He calls me ridiculous every year. However I am a firm believer in celebrating birthdays correctly!
So far he's had watermelon cut into cake form, mashed potatoescrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-19082102726162646792014-05-16T07:06:00.000-07:002014-05-16T07:10:07.986-07:00Main Street Market
I needed to get away.
The girls did too.
The necklaces the girls are wearing here was picked out at one of the booths from Main Street Market.Clara went with resin roses, Rhiannon went with a native american bust. (Unfortunately I don't remember the shops names where we got them.)
One of my dear friends was set to participate in this amazing little festival called Main crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-48708365687586860822014-05-14T07:32:00.000-07:002014-05-14T08:06:58.930-07:00Meadery
Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl who REALLY liked to drink beer. This duo didn't like to drink just any beer, though, they were more of what you would call "beer snobs".
If you have ever shared this duo's love of delicious beer, then you will know that it is not a frugal love to have.
One day the boy proposed that they start making their own delicious craft beer at crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-31384822934612111522014-05-12T10:26:00.002-07:002014-05-12T10:36:47.689-07:00Spring Has Arrived
Happy belated Mother's Day!
Clara's garden plot. The mushroom top of her birdbath broke and she refuses to let us replace it.
I'm always spoiled on Mother's day. I'm not allowed to do any of the cleaning, which is nice, but in reality it just means the next day I wake up to this.....
Can you relate?
This year The Mister and the girls gave me a few new wind-chimescrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-2834754951765422902014-04-14T07:30:00.003-07:002014-04-14T07:33:36.250-07:00Define "Normal"
The Mister is finally working normal hours, so hopefully this means we can start having normal days again.
This is normal, right?
Happy Monday!
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-32059771459009117922014-04-04T09:17:00.000-07:002014-04-04T09:17:33.170-07:00Cheetah
Clara has decided that we should change Buehrle's name to Cheetah.
This means she now stands there and screams
"Cheetah! Cheetah! Cheetah! Cheetah!"
She yells this over and over and over again at Buehrle who stands there with his head cocked from one side to the other with the most confused look on his face wondering why his most favorite person sounds so damn crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-69729798046063442022014-04-02T06:42:00.000-07:002014-04-04T10:18:05.124-07:00Cotton
Monday marked The Mister and I's second wedding anniversary.
2nd year cotton gift = best hammock ever!Also, it was REALLY bright out that day!
My mother was down to help watch the kids over the weekend. She and I both agreed that it feels like our marriage has been a lot longer then two years.
Our little tree climber helped us out a lot in hanging the hammock crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-87567277746208939742014-03-21T15:45:00.005-07:002014-03-21T15:47:40.443-07:00Golfer Baby
We found a used golf equipment store in our little town that will custom make golf clubs to fit your child.
For a bag and four clubs this cost us $30.
It also only took 2 hours to make.
Steal!
If you are in the Chicago area and are interested in getting some for your tyke too, message me!
Happy Friday!
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-39452288908121441962014-03-19T06:33:00.001-07:002014-03-19T06:33:58.527-07:00Green Grass of Tunnel
I haven't written in a while. There is a good reason for that.
I think I am ready to jump back on the horse.
Happy Wednesday!
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-41009720199976683652014-02-26T07:03:00.001-08:002014-03-02T09:17:52.167-08:00Whatever Happened To Soy Bomb?
Who the hell wants to live in Arizona anyway?
lcrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-60385316230365896082014-02-25T08:22:00.001-08:002014-03-02T09:17:31.160-08:00Look At The Wall!
I went away this past weekend for a girl's weekend.
I came home to my kids liking each other and a clean house.
The Mister even said Clara slept like a champ.
Apparently I need to go away more often.
Also, I am a really really mean mother, see below:
jjjcrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-666441091501555342014-02-19T11:00:00.002-08:002014-02-19T11:02:24.373-08:00Birdhouse In Your Soul
Right now it is 39 degrees here.
Clara is working on her riding skills.
Buehrle is very concerned.
It feels like a heat wave.
Today Clara and I have already cleaned the garage (which the Mister is never allowed to use again), shoveled the drive, worked on her bicycle riding skills and took a 5 mile bike ride around our little town.
"I did it! I did it! crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-44779862184728175152014-02-10T08:23:00.000-08:002014-02-11T08:37:27.060-08:00Mike Tyson
The Mister and I had an impromptu date night the on Saturday.
We went to see that famous comedian, Mike Tyson.
(If you really don't know who Mike Tyson is, look him up. He is not famous for being a comedian.)
I told him I didn't know what was more sad.....that our date nights now consisted of going to smokey casinos in Indiana.......or how incredibly bitter and crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-13424961854273989942014-02-05T17:31:00.003-08:002014-02-05T17:35:33.769-08:00Ghosts n' stuff
I forgot today was Wednesday.
I was to busy doing things like getting my car stuck in a giant snow drift in my driveway, and then breaking my shovel while trying to get it unstuck therefore making my four year old miss school and cry.
Then I spent three hours shoveling the rest of my driveway, as clean as I could get it because I found our stupid snow blower didn't have crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-75997657582453217042014-02-03T11:15:00.002-08:002014-02-03T11:36:08.105-08:00Four
Clara turned FOUR this weekend.
The fact that she is this old already blows my mind.
Investigating sprinkles that were dropped at the party the night before....
Here are some of my favorite things my FOUR year old does these days....
Price-a-be - I'm never allowed to be in the bathroom by myself. Ever. But if she goes in one, even if it is just to wash her hands or crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-17639361321312200532014-01-29T07:17:00.000-08:002014-01-29T07:22:01.515-08:00Life In Mono
In her life, Rhiannon had only experienced two actual snow days.
Remember when we had the blizzard that left over 900 cars stuck and stranded on Lakeshore Drive?
Those were her snow days.
She hated how everyone down south got out of school for dusting's while she had to walk through a foot of snow for seven whole blocks!
Now this year, she has already missed crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2336861125551124925.post-10981283354760355472014-01-22T10:30:00.002-08:002014-01-22T10:30:36.786-08:00When The Roses Bloom Again
Does anybody else feel like it's been snowing for days on end?
I could use a healthy dose of baseball right now with a heaping side of vitamin D.
And maybe some nachos.
And peanuts.
And an Old Style.
And two hot dogs.
(Chicago style.)
Happy Wednesday!
crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07438214669762284171noreply@blogger.com0