01 November 2010

Sonar. July 2000 - October 31 2010

From Anna
This  is  Sonar, I like't him but now he's dead. And im sad. I like't it wheen he was com. And he's loveuboul to. I relly relly miss him. Sonar was a good dog. He was varry helpful to us.We miss him a lot . I like't to play owtside with him. He is black as you can see.

From Carter
I really really miss him.

In no particular order...

Kevin named him for his big ears.


He had a favorite spot on the couch.

When Kevin was away I would let him sleep in the bed.

When it snowed he looked like he had dandruff. He used the snow as an excuse to just poop on the deck.

At night he always slept under the bed. Tassie learned this from him.

He had horrible teeth and would chew rawhide until his gums would bleed.

Anna would cover him with a blanket to make sure he was cozy.

Always that spot on the couch, unless he finally got squeezed out.

He didn't mind when the kids covered him up.

They were always loving on him in the morning.

He didn't mind.

Carter has always loved dogs.

When he was a young whipper snapper and my running buddy at our house in Prairie Village.

A big teddy bear, good for cuddling up for a nap.

He would run down our long hallway at our first house and jump over the foot of the bed. We joked he needed a cape.

Also good for warming cold toes.

Even early on Anna would try to give Sonar her food.

Driving by PetSmart one day I stopped and looked at the puppies. He was the last of his litter and there weren't any parents so I really wasn't sure what kind of dog he was or how big he would get. They had named him "Sweetie." Little did I know, that name really fit.

He rode on my lap as I drove out to my grandma's immediately after picking him up. He slept. It was Thanksgiving weekend and Kevin was out of town. Boy was he mad when he found out I adopted a dog without him. He was mine from the beginning.

He lived at the apartment with me in Lenexa. It was on the first floor and he liked to sit on the porch and watch the world go by. If he started to bark I hushed him, afraid the neighbors would complain. I think this is where he learned to "talk" without making any noise. If you've met him you know. He was snap his mouth but nothing would come out. He was talking to you.

Instead of buying him toys I would pick up pieces of his food and flick them across the kitchen floor. When he got older he would take one piece of food from his bowl into the other room and flip it around for a few minutes until he finally ate it and then went to eat his dinner. I think this was from playing with his food pieces as a puppy.

He would climb the fence in Prairie Village to chase the squirrels. He was my running buddy for a long time.

As he got older he liked to stay outside more. He had an invisible fence collar. Sometimes the battery would die and I wouldn't know it. He would go on an adventure. One time to the retirement community nearby where some old ladies were taking good care of him. Another time to Ryan's steakhouse nearby where someone found him in the parking lot.

He was always in the driveway when I would bring the kids home from school. He was always happy to see me. I was always annoyed that he was under foot as I was carrying in a million bags.

He would get into any trash can. I would have to put a chair upside down on top of it to keep him out. He loved kleenex, preferably used. When he got frustrated he would pee on the carpet upstairs. When I gated that he would pee on the carpet going downstairs.

He was my first "baby." He was 10 years old. I am glad he didn't suffer, but sad I didn't have more time to say goodbye or for the kids to say goodbye. I'm glad he was in my arms to close his eyes.

We love you Sonar. Peace be with you.

29 October 2010

Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch


Johnson Farms Pumpkin Patch from Cara on Vimeo.
Just south of 150 Hwy on Holmes road in Missouri. This is one of the best pumpkin patches in Kansas City where you actually pick your own pumpkin off the vine. There is a lot more fun too - animals, slides, corn maze and more.

26 October 2010

Hilloween 2010


On Friday before Hilloween I got a voicemail from the daycare. They wanted to ask me an "interesting question." I wondered what my kids had said. I called...

Day care owner: "Carter was talking to his teacher and me today at recess. He said he is going to have a babysitter this weekend because his parents are going to a naked party. Are you going to one of those sex toy parties?"

Oh great.

Me: "Um, we're going to a Halloween party. There will be some girls there who will be spray painted, but I will be fully clothed."

Rewind to the night before. We were explaining to Carter that they would have a new babysitter because we were going to a Halloween party. Of course he wanted to go and we said it was an adult-only party. He started to throw a fit and for some reason Kevin said "there will be naked girls there, you can't go."

And so that's how it got translated at recess.

18 October 2010

Project! Daily December

I have always wanted to do Ali Edwards' Daily December project. It has just never worked out for whatever reason. But I have picked up products over the years with the idea that I would do it some year. I think this is the year. I haven't scrapped in quite some time. Far too long. My supplies sat collecting dust in the corner of the dining room all year. I just recently moved it all upstairs to the guest bedroom. Ultimately my plans are to convert the huge walk in closet we have off that room into a scrap-haven. That is probably a project for 2011 but I digress.

The key to this album, as Ali says, is making the actual album in advance. Then you just capture something from that day and add it to the page(s) whether that be a card that came in the mail, a picture, journaling, all of the above, etc. To be honest, I will probably have some days where I add pictures and journaling that really could have been on any day, that really aren't specific to that day. You could have a lot of photos from one day and spread them out over a couple of days. When I think about it, to me it is an album that is really capturing life from that month. The craziness of the holidays, the overall mood, excitement, frustration, joy, etc. Something I would look back at years from now and remember the innocence and amazement of my little ones as they are today.

Here is a video of how some of the base pages were created and the "formula," if you will, of the album. I will probably just buy an album and add something to the cover or make an intro page. I will very likely not make the cover and back. I will probably not use as many transparencies and use more page protectors with pre-divided slots (they are easy) and I will not do any stitching unless I borrow Candi's sewing machine. I do not own a sewing machine and knowing myself that would be a really poor investment... unless there is one specific to scrapping, which there probably is, and if it was cheap.

Anyway. Any takers? Anyone else want to join me on this journey?

I know. I'm a little crazy. I mean really, don't you need something else to do in December? Ha!


Ali Edwards December Daily 2010 Foundation from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.
A video walk-through of my 2010 December Daily album. More information here: http://aliedwards.com/2010/10/december-daily-2010-creating-a-foundation.html

17 October 2010

Kansas City Half Marathon

This weekend I ran the Kansas City Half Marathon. I ran this race last year. It is my 3rd consecutive half marathon. I am running one about every six months. I felt great and finished strong. Great weather. Couldn't have asked for a better running buddy and so glad her friend from college also joined us. Great girl time! The only part that sucked was that no one from my family was there to see me cross. My parents were out of town and Kevin had to take Anna to swimming. Oh well. It was pretty crowded. We had trouble finding Candi's hubby afterwards.

Finishing time: 2:27 - That's about 10 minutes faster than the Hospital Hill half marathon in June (which was unbearably hot) and 6 minutes faster than the same race last year.

Disney in Pictures

I have posted all the videos from Disney but some of the best moments were captured on camera.

Ride #1


Magic Kingdom Characters (Carter ONLY took his picture with Woody and Buzz Lightyear. You will notice all the others are only Anna)




Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique


Before

After. (We are still finding glitter EVERYWHERE but especially in the stroller)

Character breakfast at 1900 Park Fair 

Hollywood Studios 

Playing in the water 

View from our hotel balcony
Hotel pool 

14 October 2010

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World


Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party from Cara on Vimeo.
At Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party there is a Parade called Boo To You, dance parties, trick or treating, Halloween fireworks (they call Hallowishes) and more.

It requires an additional ticket to get in, which means it was much less crowded! After entering you receive a wrist band. Only attendees with wrist bands can ride the rides.

A lot of people dressed up in costumes which was also fun to see. Carter and Alex were Buzz Light Year and Anna was Cinderella.

We had so much fun and give the Halloween party two thumbs up!