CMN...

...is short for Children's Miracle Network, the charity that Walmart supports.  So naturally all of the brat fry's and other fun fundraising efforts Walmart does goes to CMN.  Every once in a while Adam will bring home a can or bucket or something for Avery and I to decorate that he has to bring back to work.   Usually it goes something like this.  The cans/ buckets of the management team are in the store (where, I don't know, but somewhere for all the associates to have access to) and everyone can add in spare change, maybe a few bucks, maybe more if you really want to get someone.  And when I say "GET" someone, I mean having balloons full of pudding thrown at them!  At least that is the plan this time anyway, whoever has the most money in their bucket, GETS IT!!!  Love it, right!?!  How could you not?  

Adam is usually a pretty big target for this sort of thing.  Who wouldn't want to see their boss have balloons of pudding thrown at them!?!  Heck, I want to see balloons of pudding thrown at Adam. 

***Sorry, honey keepin' it real!!! Love you!***

That being said a targeted man has to do something to protect himself right?

Here was Adam's idea!

He put a hole in his bucket and when he got to work he put a hole in some other poor unsuspecting managers bucket.  You guessed it, the coins roll right down from the little slot in his bucket to someone else's!  I must admit I thought it was a good idea but thought it might be "cheating" a bit.  (I think it's just because I secretly want balloons of pudding thrown at my husband! ;) )  So his work was done with the escape spout for the coins and now it was my turn (and Avery's).  

I knew I couldn't let him get away with the escape coin slot without any repercussion from me.  I side with the management team on this sort of stuff. ;)  So in my loving way of mocking my hubby I came up with this!

You put the coins in the Dora present by Mr. Potato Head Adam!  Seriously, when I came up with this idea I was pretty close to peeing my pants laughing!  It was too good.  I was buzzing around the house looking for the perfect potato head parts to complete Potato Head Adam, mean while Adam makes a comment about me being on a craft mission. He said he recognized the look in my eye! Haha.

If he only knew.

We both had a good laugh, and I am sure his management team and store did too!  Adam is usually a good sport about being poked fun at (better then me for sure), either way all of it is for a great cause too.

Cheers to filling your bucket Adam, err I mean filling someone else's bucket! 

Pick Up Noodles

No I did not put an awesome twist on a classic game.  It is what I got to do tonight after I left the kitchen for 2 minutes, came back and saw this.

Yes, I got to pick up noodles that my little Levi pulled from the pantry and dumped on the floor.  Lately he has taken off with his walking, he was slow starting and very cautious with each step, now he is much steadier and has a crazy amount of confidence compared to just a short while ago.  He is really into everything, and when I say "into" I mean DESTROY!   

At least they were wheat noodles, they tend to be firmer then other kinds I have bought, and at least it wasn't angel hair pasta.  Although that would have been a little bit ironic.  Especially when you get a look at the smirk in this next photo.

Yup, I'm in trouble.

Look Up ^

See a new tab up there?  Check it out! :)

I... Can... Blog... Again. (Snowless Sledding)

Hello family, friends, and anyone else out there! This is Adam and I believe my first return to the blog since the fall of last year! Last year the challenges of work really had myself checking out of certain parts of my life, and spending time on the home PC was one of them! Sorry! Although, Life with the Z's was not idle the entire time! My wonderful wife, who I had bugged and encouraged on many, many, MANY, occasions to try a few blog posts... did just that! Nice work Hun! 

I'm feeling up to some sharing again, but let's start slow and ease in to this thing again. How about a video?

One of the other things I gave up over the last 6+ months was much of my social interaction with friends and their families or at very least severely slowed the frequency of visits. I received an invite a few short weeks ago to join my friend Bob in his "Man Cave" or garage or both to watch some March Madness and grill out. Yes, grill out! :) While I was there, something of a peculiar nature occurred. Peculiar first because it was occurring without snow, peculiar second because there was no snow and it was March, and third because there was no snow, it was March, and we live in Wisconsin! Check it out...

This was going on repeatedly for about a half hour. The best ones where he and his little brother both sat on the sled together and went down the hill. Besides the hilariousness of it being March in Wisconsin and above 70 that day... I just appreciated the determination and decision of these boys to just go for it. Somehow I feel like they had been waiting for another opportunity to go sledding and just got sick and tired of waiting. Good for them. :)

Vacation for Daddy!

The last time Adam was on vacation was after Levi was born!  He did take an extra week of vacation right after his paternity leave because all of our family was visiting some even flying in for the blessing that was Levi's baptism. Yea, so it's been a while since we have had any quality time with Daddy....

Funny enough I didn't know he was taking vacation until about 2 weeks before he took it, but hey.... Whatever.  I don't really care when it is.  I was just happy to spend some extra time with him and I know two other little rugrats that were very happy too!

Levi who is increasingly fascinated by buttons was on cloud nine when Daddy finally let him get a hold of that controller.

"Here Dad, I'll help you kill the bad guy!"

"No, NOooo, you're gonna kill our guy Dad!  Let me do it."

Hmm, wonder what these two will be bonding over next?

Then there was this little girl...

She was so happy to have Daddy fix her hair.

I was a little bit frightened to hand over the blow dryer....   Can you blame me?  Look at how much hair that little girls has!?!  But I was shooed away so I let him handle it.

Maybe I was being shooed away because I had a camera in my hand.... Nah, that can't be it! ;)

Well, everything turned out A-OK!

We were getting ready to leave for Walmart that day, while I ran around getting last minute stuff together these guys enjoyed a little Max & Ruby.  

I wish I had someone around all the time to occupy the kids while I get ready and pack up the diaper bag/ car!  Well, I say everyday but I think you all know how it is...

Me:  When do you go back to work honey?

Adam: Not soon enough.....

Ahahahahahahaha!

Really though, we all enjoyed having him around for the week!