CrazyBarrons

Greasy Hair

2008-12-13T17:19:00.000-08:00

So Helen has been finding all sorts of greasy, oily substances to put in her hair lately. First, it was the Eucerin Aquaphor lotion, which is thicker and oilier than vaseline! That took about a week to wash out and she looked like a drowned rat for a week.
On Thursday, she found a stick of Crisco (which I didn't even know we had) and stuck a big glop of that in her hair. What is this new fascination with greasing the hair and I am afraid to see what she finds next.
Here's a tip though, if your child does this, Dawn dishwashing soap cuts the grease pretty well. Oh Helen.

Lazy Blogger.....

2008-10-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

I have been a horrible blogger lately! Wow, lots of changes going on in our household and kindergarten, dance class, Gymboree, spanish class, and more. Jack is better at Kindergarten now. He still has his moments but all and all he is a pretty happy camper. I think he realized it is not so bad and sometimes it is even fun. He probably wouldn't admit that though.
Helen tells us "I'm just pretending. Shhh." when she is doing something she is not supposed to do. Kind of like telling us, oh, you don't really see me doing this, it is all just an allusion. Smart girl.
Helen loves dance class! She is so in her element and would do it more than once a week.
Jack started a spanish class after school on Thursday and he learned all about spanish fruit. I wasn't sure if he would like it or not, but he came out an hour later and was all smiles and said he had made a new friend. Of course, Jack the social butterfly. Helen is becoming more and more social as well. She talks about her "friends".
Well, more pictures soon!

No one tells you....

2008-08-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

So, no one tells you about the 2nd day of Kindergarten. All the talk is about the first day, pictures, excitement. Jack woke up this morning and said he was not going to school today. "Not today, not any day, never again! I hate Kindergarten!" Sweet. It was 7:15am and I wasn't too hepped up about being up either, but hey, no one will hire a kindergarten drop out right?
With a lot of prodding, begging, pleading, bribing, and a tiny bit of yelling ( really just raising my voice, I don't yell :P ) we made it out the door and had a LOVELY drive to school. Jack told his aide that we was not going to school today. She said, "Ok, I was having trouble this morning too." Then Jack walked in, put his backpack away, smiled and walked to his seat.
WHY GOD? WHY? All before 8am this morning. Yikes.

Jack is a Kindergartner!

2008-08-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Jack is in Kindergarten. I cannot believe it. My stomach was actually twisting and turning as I drove him to school. However, his excitement was so great that I did not cry! Other parents and children were crying, but us Barrons were just beaming away! He was bummed that he couldn't stay all day and have lunch. Oh well, plenty of time for that. He came home with a handprint picture and poem from "The Kissing Hand" book which I of course will frame and keep forever. I love it. Here are a few pictures.

Kindergarten is Here!

2008-08-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Wow! Jack starts Kindergarten tomorrow morning and I cannot believe that day has arrived. I am excited for him and a little bit sentimental and sad. Will the rest of his school days just fly by? I am surprised at myself that I am even a bit sad because so many days I have said to myself, "i can't wait until Kindergarten starts!" Now it is here, and I am wanting a few more days, weeks, years? with my little guy. But his excitement is awesome and I know he is going to love it. Pictures from the first day coming soon.....

Redneck Days.....

2008-08-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

So we have been exploring our redneck roots (I'm not sure if we have any...) We went to the state fair in Sedalia on Thursday with the cousins, including Madison, Cha Cha and Muddie. We met up with our friend Lindy and Wyatt. Lindy gave us the insider scoop to the fair! The kids had a lot of fun and were very good. They really enjoyed seeing all of the animals, especially the pigs. Jack enjoyed watching the pigs being judged. He climbed up into the stands and watched the judging like it was something he did all the time. All the while chatting up an older man who was probably shocked at his chattiness!
Friday night we went to the dirt track races at Lakeside Speedway with Uncle Bobby, Aunt Angela, the Hays and us Barrons. It was a lot of fun. Jack and Cam and Caleb wore their "cowboy stuff" and really fit in. They love all of the wrecks and the flying dirt and mud. Helen fell asleep to the sweet sound of the race cars. Poor Helen!
Here are a few pictures.....

Boys!

2008-08-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

So, Jack is 5 and therefore fascinated with his anatomy. Wow. He has told me recently, "there is a bone inside my penis." He also found an athletic cup at Target last weekend. He held it up and yelled across the aisle to Muddie, "It is for my penis, it protects my penis." Mom (Muddie) tried to convince Jack that he didn't need it quite yet. He wasn't buying it, he needed it! I tried to tell him that maybe it wasn't big enough, he might need a bigger size that they don't have at Target right now. He announced, "no, it's big enough, my penis is that big Mom." Wow, I am going to use that later in life!!! Helen then said, "I have a penis too." Hello.

Don't they see me sweating?

2008-07-11T16:06:00.001-07:00

Helen loves slides!

Jack and Helen like the sprinklers!
Jack said "it tickles my butt". sigh.
Ahh, the rainbow.

I have never been a summer person. I could care less about swimming. But now that I have Jack and Helen, I am forced to embrace summer (with a grimace and dragging my feet sometimes). These two love to be outside even when the heat index is 100 and the humidity is like 150%!!! Where do they get it from? Maybe they just have better cooling systems than me. I don't mind being out if we are in or near water, but really, I would rather stay cool. Jack loves to swim, loves it! And is very good. Helen is a little more like me, slow to the water, she could take it or leave it. She is the "cabana girl" this year at Muddie's, she likes to be on the periphery of the pool and the stairs. She likes to push people in and laugh. Jack, you have to drag Jack out of the pool! Let' s see how the rest of this miserable humidity and 90degree plus days goes....as for me, I am looking forward to cooler weather!
But the joy of watching Jack and Helen playing at the splash park at the Y is worth it. They laugh and run and slide and actually play together (most of the time)! Here are a few pictures from yesterday's afternoon at the Y. Hey, I had to bribe them with swimming so I could work out inside when we were done. We're bribers and we are not ashamed!

Our Trip to the Holt Farm

2008-07-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

What a nice day! We drove the scenic drive to Rosendale, MO to visit our friends Lindy, Derek and Wyatt. Jessica was in town and Katie and Keileen came up to visit as well. Derek's boss Leon was gracious enough to take Jack and Helen on a tractor ride. I'm sure Jack talked his ear off. When I asked Leon he said "he had a few questions". I think he was being kind!
We are invited to come back in the fall so they can ride in the combine!

4th of July Fun!

2008-07-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Wow! The day started with a parade and ended with exhausted kids. In between was the carnival, swimming, and fireworks. The weather was perfect for the parade, not too hot or humid and the kids did great! We got cold swimming at mom's because the air had cooled off so much. It was a great day.

Oceans of Fun

2008-06-27T20:59:00.001-07:00

It has been a really, really long time since I have been to Oceans of Fun. Probably almost 20 years! I am not a big swimmer myself, I can take it or leave it. Helen is kind of like me, and Jack loves to swim! Helen and Jack both loved it, as did the cousins!
At first, Helen wasn't sure about the splashing water, but then she embraced it and loved it, couldn't get enough of it. Jack does not need to get used to the water, he loves it from the get go!
Here are some pictures, the good, the bad, the ugly......:)

Jack Playing Tee Ball

2008-06-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Jack is really having fun playing tee ball. He is of course a great hitter but also a pretty good first base man. Steve says he is advanced for his team! Spoken like a true dad......Here are a few pictures from his most recent game.

Madison and Helen and Grandma's 86th Birthday

2008-06-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Madison and Helen are becoming really good friends! Helen told me today that "she loves her, she is gorgeous". I really enjoyed seeing them play together last night at Jennifer and Bryan's house, including bath time. Helen was funny because she really got into "washing" Madison....I don't think Madison was ready for that!
Even though Grandma's party got moved from the lake to Grandma's house, it still turned out to be a fun day. Including a "great walk" lead by Uncle Bill. He was like a renegade boy scout leader! Here are a few pictures......

Wacky Wedding Weekend!

2008-05-18T15:19:00.001-07:00

Oh my calves, I don't usually walk or dance like a crazy person in heels so I am feeling the pain today. Yikes, I am getting old I guess! Stacey and Charlie's wedding was beautiful and just near perfect. I was so happy to be part of the wedding weekend! Helen is taking the longest nap after their night at Cha Cha's house. They are as worn out as we are today. Here are some pics.....

Ahh.....Mother's Day!

2008-05-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you can detect the sarcasm via blog. But I do have some cute pictures from the day's festivities. Even though we spent most of the day cleaning Muddie's house and picking up from the storm the night before, I think we still had fun. Not exactly the most relaxing Mother's Day ever, but it is always good to get together. :)

2008-05-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Jack is 5!

2008-04-20T17:39:00.001-07:00

Jack had the big party today...this boy has been planning it since Christmas! It goes by so fast and is over before you know it.....all that work and then it is over. No, it was a beautiful day and we had a nice group of friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate Jack's big 5.
Helen wasn't so sure about having the spotlight on Jack all day. We got some really good pics, here are a few of them. Lissa told me she is going to help me format my blog better so people can stop straining their necks! Thanks Lissa.

Spring Princess Fairy, ChuckECheese and More....

2008-04-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

The countdown has been on this week for Jack's birthday....his "real 5 year old birthday". I have been happy to see rain but hoping the backyard will dry out in time for his party! All those boys and mud= no fun for Mommy. :( It looks like it will be a good day all and all.
Helen, with the help of Brenden, dressed in her best baubles, wings, shoes and pacifier and did a dance around the living room. She loves an attentive audience!
Jack and Helen and I went to Chuck E Cheese on Thursday for an early birthday present. The mascot Chuck E Cheese was walking around....Jack was excited, as was I, but Helen was not too pleased. She clung to my leg and told Chuck E to "go away, I don't like you, you scare me". He was quite the stealth mouse, he appears so quietly and I have to admit it does freak you out a bit! We were crouched down by the ticket muncher and suddenly I look up at two large hairy legs and tennis shoes! Yikes, I see what Helen means. Jack was happy because Chuck E kept giving him free tickets. Back off Chuck E.....
Helen and Jack love the spring weather and had me take a picture of them eating popsicles on the back deck. So sweet, short lived, but still sweet. Awww.

Fun in St.Louis!

2008-04-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

We really know how to pack in the fun! We went to the Nascar park where Jack and I drove the go karts and we all played some games. Jack and Helen rode the carousel and we thought Jack was going to toss his cookies as he spun around and around so fast! On to the Magic House and the park and finally dinner in Chesterfield and playing at Mary Ellen and Marie's house (the most important thing to Jack was the pinball machines downstairs and Helen enjoys their pets). We even were entertained by a mariachi band at the Mexican restaurant. We enjoyed the beautiful weather and had a lot of fun!

We are ready for Spring!!

2008-04-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

Jack and Helen are ready for spring! Rainy days are not good, we can't play "outside, outside". So we always hope for nice spring days. We are going to St.Louis tomorrow for Stacey's bridal shower and we hope it is nice so they can play outside at the zoo. Here are some recent pictures....

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

It was a chilly but fun Easter weekend! We actually saw flurries on the way home from church this morning. We had fun hunting for easter eggs inside and outside. Jack and Helen got a kick out of Uncle Bobby and Aunt Angela hiding eggs outside in the cold! They had to bundle up to find them but it was worth it. I think Helen's favorite game was jumping on Uncle Bobby though. Jack was just happy that he found more eggs than his sister!

Happy St.Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

We really celebrated on Saturday by marching in the Snake Saturday parade with Gymboree. It was cold, but at least it wasn't raining. Helen had the best seat, inside the truck with Daddy. Before the parade was over, the truck was full of other cold children, including Jack, Caleb, and Cameron. We had fun though and thank goodness it wasn't today, super rainy and cold!!! Here are some pictures.

Fun with our Friends Seth and Sofia

2008-03-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Lee's Summit on Thursday with our friends the Jahraus'----Val (or Al as Helen called her) Seth and Sofia. Jack was jealous because Seth's car has a DVD player too! Everyone but us it seems. We went to lunch at Funhouse Pizza and we were the only ones there....kind of eerie to me sometimes when you are the only ones at a restaurant. Greasy pizza but the kids were good and it was pretty cheap! Val and I just paid for it later......yuck.
We went on to Paradise Park and the kiddos had a lot of fun. Playing in the tunnels and balls, playing in the water play area, playing in the bank and grocery store, and making a DrSeuss Hat treat to eat. Helen loved that there were small, Helen size sinks all over the place. I think she washed her hands at least 20 times. Muddie would be proud!
We went on to US Toy and the kids were good there too. Wow, 3 for 3! Then it was time to head back north and the girls finally gave it up and konked out in the car. Jack loved spending so much time with Seth and Helen had fun too.
Here are a few pics.....

Little Miss Chatterbox

2008-03-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Well, of course I don't know where she gets it from, but Helen has blossomed into quite the little chatterbox. She will talk to just about anybody who will listen (or not). She gets on these tirades which I can understand about half. Often they are directed at Sally the cat or one of her many baby dolls. And she has decided to emphasize any "s" sound in words. It must sound cool to her or something. "Yessssssssss" Our little snake.
Jack is actually becoming much more tolerant of Helen and has decided that most of the time she doesn't make too bad of a playmate. Desperate times call for desperate measures you know. And when he is hard up to play with somebody, Helen will sometimes do. It is sweet to watch. Until Helen tells Jack to get out of her room and shuts the door! Wow, talk about role reversal.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Jack and Helen love Valentine's Day, well, they love the chocolate and the presents. Once again, I do not remember getting presents or money for holidays such as Halloween or Valentine's Day. Oh well. That is what grandmas are for, right? Just not my Grandmas!!! I'm not bitter, just noticing the difference. Good for Helen and Jack!

2008-02-01T14:34:00.001-08:00

Elmo Live!

2008-02-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

It is finally here....Elmo Live! Jack and Helen received Elmo tickets for Christmas and we have been waiting for February to roll around.....yeah! I hope Elmo can live up to the hype he has created in our house. Who will have more fun, mom and dad or the kids?

Will the Snow Ever End?

2008-01-19T13:44:00.001-08:00

I know children love the snow (well, Jack not so much Helen) but I am really done with it. And it is only January 19! It isn't even so much the snow as it is the dirty dirty slush that gets on everything and drips off of the kids shoes onto everything! I am a real baby about this, aren't I?
We had lunch today with Muddie at Ghenghis Khan. I think I spent most of the lunch on my feet. Either taking Helen (mostly Helen, at least 5 times) to the restroom or making numerous trips to get more fruit, more noodles, more everything! I like to think that I am actually in negative calorie mode by the time we leave, but I know that is a noodle dream. Helen has me here in a spot because of her potty training success......she will tell me she has to go potty when she wants to get up or doesn't want to get in her carseat, or whenever it works for her it seems. It is not like I can tell her "no" because she is potty training!!! And then the noodles are put on her head, and her nose, when is the last time Helen put food on her head?! So we leave Ghenghis Khan with greasy hair and a tired mommy. And we were sad because our favorite lady Jane was not there......apparently some kind of family business squabble, it isn't the same without Jane!

Jack and Helen at the Dentist

2008-01-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

So I didn't think we would make it to the dentist because Helen was refusing to get dressed and leave the house. Finally, I managed to get her in the car seat (with a lot of bribing and crying from both of us) and we were on our way. Jack was ready to go back and sit in the chair, but Helen was clinging to me. I'm thinking, dear God, how bad will she freak out? Jack does amazing, truly amazing, doesn't even flinch. No Cavities! Looks good. Helen decides to sit in the chair, then says "I don't want to. I don't like it." Dr.Hoffman agreed to let her sit in my lap and lean back so he could just look at her teeth. She covered her ears and was not happy! I tried to convince her he wasn't going to touch her ears.......so we find out perhaps one culprit for the cranky attitude is that she is getting her 2 year molars! Well, I guess Helen gets a pass on that today!

New favorite quote from Jack: (as he is going to sleep one night)
"Mom, I am going to make good choices. (long pause) What does that mean?"
I tried not to laugh.

Happy 2008!

2008-01-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I think one of my resolutions should be to figure out how to better display our pictures on our blog! I know sometimes they are sideways, but I have never claimed to be a techy. We leave that job to Steve. It was back to work today for me, which was a bit of a shock to the system after a week and a half of taking our sweet time most mornings. I think we are partied out for a while and are ready to get back to "normal" life. Happy New Year!

A Very Merry Christmas

2007-12-26T18:28:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! Here are a couple of pictures, from our quick jaunt to Saint Louis and then back home. So much fun!

Jack and Helen both visit Santa!

2007-12-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

We passed on the hour long line at Oak Park Mall yesterday for Santa, so today we visited the Zona Rosa Santa. This was the first Santa that Helen went up to and sat on his lap. Before she has just swiped the candy cane and run for the hills! Jack of course had a letter for Santa (probably his 6th letter for this year) and Santa told Jack he would deliver it to the North Pole. They took a cute picture together and it was free! That doesn't happen often. Here are a couple new pictures of the crazy Barrons.

I am done with the snow!

2007-12-16T18:39:00.001-08:00

Well, snow is fun, and it is pretty, but I have had my fill for the year! Jack loves to play in the snow though. Helen likes it for a few minutes and then she freezes and says "I don't like it." I keep telling Jack to stop licking his lips because they will get more chapped. The other day, we were eating lunch at Frank's in Parkville. Jack got upset with me and said defiantly, "I am going to lick my lips Mom!" I tried not to laugh, as did Angela and Muddie. I am going to use that line sometime when I am mad! Helen just ran around as usual, making other diners regret that they had come to Frank's at the same time as us. I like to think that I burn off my entire lunch by chasing her around, but it isn't that easy, is it? Oh well, it's just a "phase" right?

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

We took our Christmas pictures today. "We" was Helen, Jack, Muddie and me. It was a combination of getting Christmas pictures taken, Helen's 2 year pics, and a surprise for Steve's birthday. Well, they had to bring in an extra person because Jack was not wanting to get his picture taken. Finally, he cooperated, while Helen was posing the whole time!
They actually turned out pretty cute. Here are a couple of them......
While we were waiting we walked around the stores. Helen and I were outside of Hallmark while Jack and Muddie were shopping. She was running around too much inside the store so I thought we couldn't do much damage outdoors....right? She was walking on the ledge of the sidewalk when an old security guard walked by and said "Children are not allowed to walk on the ledge". Thanks buddy.

Mom, is it December?

2007-12-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

Jack is anxious for Christmas. He has been a little miffed that we don't have the Christmas tree up yet. So, today I told him we would look at Lowe's. He said "No, we are not going to just look, we are going to buy one." And that we did. What a deal! $29 for a pretty Frasier Fir, and somehow I fit it in the car with Jack and Helen. Let's see what it looks like when we get it up. ...

Thanksgiving Trip

2007-11-26T15:10:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our Thanksgiving trip to the Lake! It was certainly a lot of fun!

I can't hang with the big dogs....

2007-11-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Steve and I went with everyone to the Puddle of Mudd/Saliva/Deepfield concert at the Uptown. It was so much fun, hanging out backstage, watching the concert from the balcony, chillin.....but I do not stay up until 2 am anymore. Unless someone is sick. Wow, that hurts the next day and I didn't even drink! Helen woke up at 6am ready to go and I was not. It was fun, but I know that I am a total mommy and not a groupie. Good Lord, my eyes were burning and my ears still hurt....I even wore ear plugs.
Jack and Helen had fun spending the night at Muddie's with the cousins....they were tired yesterday too though. Jack and I made it to Meghan's baby shower in the afternoon which was fun. Jack told me after we left that "he had a very nice time." He did ask where the pinata was and if it was a sleepover party.
Another Halloween picture and a picture from the Halloween party at Gymboree!

Halloween

2007-11-05T18:07:00.001-08:00

Halloween was a lot of fun this year! We went over to Cha Cha and Bryan's house to go trick or treat with the "cousins". They all had a lot of fun and got a lot of candy. We even watched a band playing in a cul de sac in the neighborhood. Lots of fun! Here is a picture of Jack and Helen in their costumes while visiting Kelly and Paul.

2 Days until Halloween

2007-10-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a candy crazed weekend. Our Gymboree Party was Friday night, Helen was Snow White and was certainly the fairest of them all and Jack was Lightning McQueen again!
The hayride was a hit and lasted a couple of hours and the inside party and trunk or treat was also great....probably around 100 people. Exhausting but fun. Tonight is the YMCA Trunk or Treat so that should be fun....pictures to come!!
This Halloween is fun because Helen is walking and Jack is really into it of course!

6 days til Halloween!

2007-10-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

We are wearing our costumes for the first time this Halloween, Jack is a Lightning McQueen Race Car Driver and Helen is a Princess tonight (she chose b/t that and Snow White, actually Jack chose and said the princess tonight!) We are going to a Halloween party at St.Pius and that will start the snowball of Halloween fun.....or should I say popcorn ball?
I will post pictures as I get them....here is one cheesy pose by Jack yesterday at Kelly's.

Pumpkin Patches

2007-10-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

When did pumpkin patches get so popular and expensive? My gosh, I remember just going and walking around. Now there are so many options and so many people! I guess that is what we get here in KC for having an 80degree day! But, we had fun, made it through the huge corn maze and even saw some animals.
Helen kept saying "neigh" because she wanted to ride the ponies but I know she didn't want to wait in line for 25 minutes. She called the corn in the corn maze "nannies", it is yellow though, so close to a banana.
Jack led the way through the maze and proclaimed that we "won the race". That's right! Can we go across the road to the other farm? Mom and Dad are party poopers and we see the crowds and the very full parking lot and say "maybe next time!" Aren't we terrible sometimes, the excuses and little white lies we tell our children for convenience and patience sakes'?
11 days til Halloween.....

The Wedding!

2007-10-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

The wedding was a long, fun day. Jack was perfect as the ring bearer and Helen was happy because she got to see so much of "Baby" Madison. They tried to steal the show....Helen kept saying "baby, baby" and Madison just wanted to eat. Cheerios, the roses out of the bouquet, I can't wait to see all of the pictures!
Jack and Helen were dancing machines at the reception and Jack snapped lots of pictures....at one point I saw him up on the photographer's stepstool taking pictures! What a crack up.
Jack did not care for the much anticipated crabcakes after all. Just stick with regular cake next time.
Wow, we were all tired for the next couple of days, "recovering". Jack slept 14 hours Sunday night! He was exhausted from too much fun.

Practice Night

2007-10-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

Jack has referred to the rehearsal at church for the wedding and dinner as "practice". He even asked if he could wear his batting helmet. You never know when you could use a helmet.
He is excited because Grandma Renate came from St.Louis and is spending two nights with us, one night at our house and one night at the hotel. Apparently there is going to be a pillow fight and a swimming party at the hotel. And, Jack informed me that he doesn't want crab on his cakes, just cakes. Sounds good to me!
Helen, by the way, loved the dessert table at the rehearsal dinner. She could walk right up to the table, grab a piece of cake, and deliver it to the table with a big smile! "Cake!" A chip off the old block.
Time for bed, it is going to be a busy day tomorrow, starting with hair at 8am! Yikes!

Last Festival.....A Male Dancer....and One Crazy Mom

2007-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

wow. what a day. it was our last festival, GladFest, and since we are a democracy at Hay and Barron, aka Gymboree Parkville, we voted and said no to next year at GladFest. Grant it, the people watching is superb and we were entertained at times, but even Jen and Angela and I have limits. so we packed up early on Sunday and high-tailed it out of Gladstone.
Last night was Elizabeth's bachelerotte party. It started off relatively calm, with penis nametag stickers. I got "Limpy" and wore him proudly. Jen and Ang and I took a quick break to go close down our tent at GladFest. I realized later I was still wearing my "Limpy" sticker. Classy.
Then it was on to the Hilton for the entertainment. I think that might be stretching it a bit, because this guy was not entertaining. Well, a little funny, but not attractive at all! And had a little belly. 'Come on dude. He obviously had stuffed his thong, which was a very worn American Flag thong. Should that be allowed? Isn't that disrespect to the flag? Craig had warned us that strippers stuff their thongs. He was so right, definitely a bean bag.
More to come, Jack "needs" to play his game!

One more festival weekend to go....

2007-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Oh Lord. It was Liberty Fall Festival this weekend and NASCAR...double doozie. Jack and Steve got to go watch to race on Saturday and Jack has been telling everyone that the winner was the Lowe's driver, #5. They both had a lot of fun. So, either side of our tent at Liberty Festival, we had the smokey joes. They were like chimneys and when the wind was blowing it was so smokey and stinky. I finally asked the one pleasant lady to please move away when she smoked, and if looks could kill, I would be dead. It didn't help. Oh well, I tried.
One more festival to go....Glad Fest, a personal favorite. Can you feel the sarcasm?
And then, the wedding bonanza weekend.....hold on to your smokes, folks.

Jack's Final Soccer Game

2007-09-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Wow! Jack's last soccer game (3rd of 3, long season) was great. He played so well and they all received a medal at the end of the game. Jack has been wearing the medal and showing it to anyone and everyone. He is very proud, so are we. Next month, it is flag football!
His team had coordinated a cook out, and Jack and Helen thought that was great. Nothing beats hot dogs, chips, mac and cheese, and cookies and cupcakes. Oh yeah.
Jack even scored a goal on the final game! Woo hoo!
Steve was super pumped, he thinks Jack was the best player on the team. He may be right. :)

Jack's 2nd Soccer Game

2007-09-24T18:25:00.001-07:00

Jack had his second soccer game (the last one is Wednesday, long season, huh?) and he did pretty good. Once again, not really fast, but solid as a goalie. Hey, at least he isn't crying like half of the kids or just wanting to sit on the sidelines. He is in the game, loves to cheer and give high fives and thumbs up, and he enjoys the snack and drink time of course!
Helen runs on the field constantly and cannot be told no, it is Jack's game, your time will come! She wants to play, go say Hi to Jack, give him hugs, and give him his water. It is cute, but exhausting keeping up with her!
Maybe Helen will be the fast one.......
We'll see how the season (3 practices and 3 games) ends on Wednesday....it will be a nail biter.

BabyFest Bonanza

2007-09-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was like running a marathon! Yowza. We loaded up at Gymboree around 7am and set up our tent for the Kansas City Baby and Child Expo at Zona Rosa. I got home at 7pm and was wiped. I was glad to see the kids and know that they had a fun day! Helen went with Muddie and Aunt Lizzie and Madison to the Weston Red Barn Farm and rode a pony! Jack was at his friend Seth's and with the cousins, so he was in heaven. We had a great response at the expo and met a lot of people, so I guess it was worth it.
This morning we are just hanging out watching Caillou and Elmo and having fun.

The Longest Preschool Meeting

2007-09-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

My goodness! We went to Jack's preschool information night tonight at 6:30 and did not leave until 8:30! Wow. Bobby was watching the kids and he called to see if we had forgotten our children. It was a lot of information and a lot of chatty parents......come on people! There is always one in the group who likes to ask strange questions and keep the whole group waiting. Wow. That's all I can say. My brain was on overload....and my stomach was on empty. Snacks, people, snacks! Preschoolers need snack time and so do I.

Jack's First Soccer Game

2007-09-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

Wow! Jack had such a fun time, he had a big smile on his face the whole time. Jack makes an awesome goalie. He needs to work on his speed, but that will come with time.
He kept looking over to the sidelines of his fans (Mommy, Daddy, Helen and Muddie) and telling us to cheer and clap!
At the end of the game he proclaimed that he had scored 15 goals. I was impressed because I must have blinked and missed that. Oh well, it is good to have confidence, be proud, and have fun.

Jack's Field Trip to Red Barn Farm

2007-09-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well, Jack and I went on his preschool field trip to Red Barn Farm this morning. It was a lot of fun, one of the highlights for Jack was riding on the school bus. He was very anxious this morning that we were going to be late and kept telling me to hurry up. Usually it is the other way around!
Jack enjoyed the first half of the tour led by farmer Gretchen but then lost interest and wanted to shop in the store. He did not care anymore about what pigs are used for, goats, donkeys, he wanted to get a pumpkin and an ornament "and maybe a little toy?"
We managed to sneak away from the group and go to the gift shop and find a John Deere toy and two drinks.....we were a little nervous because the head farmer had given us the rules at the beginning of the tour, and I knew we were breaking the rules....but I needed a Diet Coke, Jack needed a juice box and that John Deere truck!
The hay ride was fun, but not so much fun for my back...man, I'm getting old! Jack was like "where are the freakin pumpkins?"
We loaded back on the bus and headed back for preschool and then Jack was starving! So we went to his favorite place "Noodles" (Ghenghis Khan) and had our little lunch date before Helen was dropped back off. Lots of fun for Mom and Jack :)
pictures to come......
we need to rest this afternoon Jack says because his first soccer game is tonight....Big Game!

Helen at Gymboree

2007-09-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

Helen at Gymboree!

Helen at her party and Jack rides the mechanical bull!

2007-09-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

What is up with my kids? They are so silly and I don't know where they get it from....it must be Steve.

Jack plays Soccer

2007-09-18T14:51:00.001-07:00

Jack is playing for the red team through the YMCA here in Parkville. He is really excited about soccer....flag football is next month. This is Jack after practice......

Helen is 2!

2007-09-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

We are certainly crazy Barrons! Helen had a grand birthday weekend including 2 dog cakes.

Helen had a lot of fun and stopped opening presents once she discovered her new baby doll.

CrazyBarrons

2007-09-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hello! Welcome to our blogspot. I am jealous of those of you who started your blog during your pregnancies, but better late than never!
Jack is already 4 1/2 and Helen just turned 2, but I think this will be a fun way to keep track of what we crazy Barrons do and keep friends and family updated!
If you have any tips for me or suggestions, let me know since I am new to this.
Love, Katie, Steve, Jack and Helen