Horse Show

Aunt Wendy & Zoe

This afternoon Tess, had a horse show not far from our house so, we went over to watch her ride. She’s been riding now for a few years but we haven’t seen her ride in a show for a while. She is really doing well and looked so grown up dressed in her equestrian gear, we couldn’t have been more proud of her conducting her "run" like a pro.

Zoe loves Tess and it’s double ‘awesome’ when we get to go see Tess ride or visit her when she’s at the barn. Why? There are HORSES, and lots of them for Zoe to wander around and pet. Zoe thinks she is such a big girl when she gets to hang out with Tess. No sooner had I stopped the car did Zoe spot Tess. Zoe was out of the car seat and sprinting over to see Tess and meet her new horse, Mo.

Tess did great, in all of the events, and even won first place in her group. We were very impressed. It always brings back so many wonderful memories for me. I had a horse when I was Tess’s age, and that horse was my life. It’s so nice to see Tess involved and so passionate about her riding. No doubt a horse is a girls best friend!

After leaving the farm we followed Wendy back to her house for dinner. We made homemade veggie pizza with fresh veggies that we picked from Wendy's garden. We even made three batches of pesto from all the basil. We used a little of the pesto to top off the pizza along with some fresh buffalo mozzarella that we picked up from the market on the way to Wendy’s. What a big day, we had lots of fun and we were all worn out by the time we got home. Everyone will sleep well tonight, and I’m sure Zoe is seeing horses jumping over clouds in her dreams.

Zoe hanging with the girls... Talking about 'horse stuff'

Cheesecake Factory

Today was National Cheesecake Day and in celebration of their 30th anniversary Cheesecake Factory was offering all cheesecakes for $1.50 a slice. What?? Did someone say $1.50 Cheesecake??? Say no more, we were there! Shelli took us for dinner and of course, we had to partake in the celebration of the almighty CHEESECAKE! We each had a different kind. I always play it safe with just the plain old original with strawberries. Shelli went out on a limb and ordered Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel Cheesecake, and Zoe had the Snickers Bar cheesecake. Oh my, we could barely move when we were done eating. Everything was so delicious. It’s not too often we go for dinner in the middle of the week so, when Shelli told me last week to mark my calendar, I didn’t even ask where. Imagine my surprise when I found out we were going to Cheesecake Factory. It was a nice treat and we didn’t even have to wait any longer than 15 minutes to be seated! I would have to say it was a perfect family outing.

DW update

It’s been almost a week since we’ve introduced DW to the family and Zoe couldn’t be more in love with this crab. Although, I catch Shelli talking to him and playing with him after she thinks everyone is in bed or early in the morning.

Zoe has done very well with DW. She still gets a little too excited when she plays with him which in turn, makes him hide in his shell but once she settles down, he walks all over her. He’s so friendly and loves to be taken out and played with. Zoe checks on him throughout the day to see what he’s doing and make sure he is okay. He was a nice addition to the family and we all love him.

Today we moved DW into his new home; he was rapidly outgrowing his ‘crab kit’ tank. Shelli found a hermit crab website and has been reading and researching for days and was convinced we needed to make him a ‘crabitat’ (anyone who knows Shell, knows that no project is complete until it’s fully researched or explored via the web. She is obsessed once the undertaking begins.) DW’s ‘crabitat’ is a 15-gallon mansion we got from some folks on Freecycle (http://www.freecycle.org/) and now D-dub has room to stretch ALL of his legs. Complete with a garden, a few empty shells, and a snazzy coco-hut for him to hide in when he’s feeling ‘crabby’.

So far, DW seems to enjoy the extra room and has explored the entire tank, so hopefully he will continue to grow and enjoy his new surroundings.

A day with the Johnson-McCormick Family

Today we enjoyed a long over due visit with some of our best friends. The plan was pool and BBQ, but when we arrived we heard thunder rumbling off in the distance. So in the house we went as the kids ran around we sat around the table getting up to speed over the events that have transpired over the last few months while snacking on cherries and carrots. With Meera in her bouncing chair in the middle of the table it was a task keeping Lori focused on the conversation. This was the first time we got to meet Meera, and I wasn’t sure who was more excited on the trip up, Lori or Zoe. We always look forward to seeing the boys and now with baby sister, it’s just that much more of a treat. The boys seem like they grow and inch every time we see them. They all play together so well and it is so fun watching Zoe play with them. She gets in there and mixes it up with the boys and I love to watch her interact with them.

We had a delicious lunch of BBQ chicken, and all the produce was fresh from the farm. We topped off lunch with fresh ground coffee and the best strawberry shortcake I’ve ever had. By the time we’d finished with lunch the rain had finally stopped and we were able to take a dip in the pool.

It was a fantastic day, with fantastic friends. Thanks again guys for the invite!

Art for Mimi

Shelli gets home tonight and we can’t be more excited! We will both be fast asleep by the time she actually pulls in the driveway but just knowing she is on the way is very comforting.

It’s been a LONG week without her here and Zoe wanted to make her a special “WELCOME HOME” gift. We are going to put it right on the kitchen table next to DW so she will see them both as soon as she walks in the house. Zoe thought Mimi could use a little 'color' in her office.

DW

Since going to Maine, Zoe has been talking about getting a crab of her own. We’ve had so much going on that it kind of slipped my mind. Today while running errands, Zoe spotted a Little Mermaid crab kit. Of course, this was ‘THE ONE’ she HAD TO HAVE! Needless to say, after the week I had, I was in no mood to argue.

My original plan was to get her a small crab but when we got to the pet store, they only had large ones. Forget trying to explain this to a 3 year old. So we are happy to introduce the newest member of the Petsch family, DW. (Zoe has yet to come up with an original name for anything, so we continually have dolls, stuffed animals etc, named whatever she happens to have seen on TV.) DW is a little bigger than I wanted, but he’s really cute and so far Zoe has been very attentive to his every need. (We’ll see how long that lasts). For now, all is well, and everyone is happy!

Bye Kee Kee.....

I dropped Kee Kee off at the “bus stop” today with a bagged lunch for the road and a BIG hug. Zoe didn’t want any part of Kee Kee going home. We watched her throw her luggage under that big ol’ bus and right as she reached the steps to the bus, she turned around, waved good-bye, and said, “Thank You, I love you guys!” – We waved back and blew kisses – I of course had tears rolling down my face! It amazes me just how ‘grown-up’ she looks now. When we first started the program, she was 9 turning 10…. Now, she’s 13 turning 14. As soon as we pulled out of the parking lot, Zoe says, “Mommy, I’m sad! I love Kee Kee and I want her to stay with us forever!” After explaining to Zoe that Kee Kee had to go home to see her family. Zoe looks at me and says, matter of factly, “Couldn’t she just call them?” – ha!

It was an exhausting week to say the least but very rewarding! Shelli will be home tomorrow night and I’m looking forward to a little down time before she gets here. The house is way to quiet. I got used to the bickering and chaos that occurred each and every day for the past 7 days. If I wasn’t making meals, taking the girls somewhere, washing dishes, doing laundry, walking the dogs, telling the girls to settle down, making sure everyone brushed their teeth, reading bed time stories, or learning the latest dance moves, I wouldn’t feel complete! I feel my best when I’m in Mommy mode, and as exhausting as it is, I love every second of it!

My Girls

These are two of my favorite girls in the whole wide world. We sure are going to miss Kee Kee. Not only is she one of the funniest girls I know but, she is a very special part of our family!

Girls.. Girls.. Girls...

Girls doing what girls do....

Movie/Pizza

With Shelli out of town on business, the girls and I decided to rent a few movies, get in our PJ’s, and order pizza for dinner.

The girls also made some delicious cupcakes for dessert.

The Great Outdoors

What is better than frolicking in the water on a hot summer day? Today, I packed a picnic and took the girls to a place Zoe loves that is right around the corner from our house.
The girls even jumped in the water to cool off.

After dinner, I took Kee Kee to do one of her FAVORITE things.... GO-KARTING! We do it every summer and have a blast.

Canning

Just when I thought we had no energy left, we managed to can some tomatoes and cucumbers tonight. I put Zoe to bed and us girls hung out in the kitchen canning and talking about 'girl stuff'.

Bowling

This afternoon, we went BOWLING. I’m so exhausted! We always do tons of stuff when Rakeyah is here but by the end of the week, I myself need a mini-vacation. Now that Rakeyah is 13, she’s been a big help. She’s able to help me a lot with Zoe and that is fantastic. She’s even done Zoe’s hair a few times since she’s been here which has been a time saver.

It never ceases to amaze me how much two kids can pick at one another. I know they love each other but, they sure know how to push each others buttons. For the past 4 days, here is what we've been hearing.. …

“Mom, Kee Kee is poking me!”
“Mooooooom, Kee Kee keeps hiding and scaring me, tell her to stop!”
“Lori, Zoe is jumping on the couch”
“Mom/Mimi Kee Kee is touching the air conditioner.”
“Kee Kee, Look at me....Look at me!”
“Kee Kee, wanna play?”
"Kee Kee doesn't have her seat belt on!"
“Mom, I want what Kee Kee is eating.”
“Kee Kee, can I have a drink of that?”
"WAKE UP KEE KEE!"
"Zoe, I'm going to the bathroom.. Stop knocking!"
“Kee Kee – STOP!”
“Zoe – STOP!”

Shelli is going out of town for business next week so; it’s going to be just me & my girls. All in all, they are both great kids and I love them to pieces. I think they just enjoy bickering back and forth. I hope they can keep it together for the next four days-- ha! I know Zoe is going to be crushed when Kee Kee has to leave. We always are sad to see her go!

Here are a few pictures from our bowling excursion... No one broke 100.. OUCH!

History 101

Today we took a ‘day trip’ to Philly for a little fun and culture all wrapped up into one. We hit all the good spots; first up, the African American Museum where it happened to be family day so, not only did we get to enjoy all the art work, they have live story telling, historical skits, and an arts and crafts area where we all made masks in celebration of Carnival. The theme was The African Presence in Mexico: From Yanga to the Present. We even learned the Mexican hat dance – Boy was that a riot!

After the museum we headed over to Reading Terminal Market for some lunch. After we ate we got to peruse the market goods. I love the produce stands there and it is no coincidence that my favorite cookies in the world are there. Shelli and Zoe got to enjoy some Indian food, which they LOVE and can never get enough of!

After our bellies were FULL, we walked a few blocks to Independence Hall where Rakeyah was able to see the Liberty Bell in ‘real life’. We told her to take it all in, read everything she could, and ask as many questions that came to mind. She did just that, keeping the Park Rangers busy answering questions.

We had a wonderful day and I know both kids enjoyed it. They were both passed out in the back seat before we could pull out of the parking lot. We sure love spending time with our girls. They are so much fun and life has too much to offer not to show them all we can whenever we get the chance!