Today I took the kids to see Cars 2. It was fun. We got there early enough for the $5 show. Gwen fell asleep on my lap and the other kids only went through 2 large popcorns. All in all not a bad morning!
When we got home Gwen wanted to ride her bike - which is a Strider. It's a mini two-wheeler with no pedals. She pushes with her feet. She really wanted our cat to watch her...??? But, the cat had other interests. Gwen was pushing along and looking backwards over her shoulder to make sure the cat was paying attention when WHAM!, she ran into our car. The cat didn't even seem to care.
On a totally different note, my husband was a part of a very funny prank in college. He and his teammates took apart and reassembled a VW Bug in their coach's office at Wheaton College. This is his coach discovering the Bug....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOSaGvMchEU Enjoy!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Sorry. I'm Back.
Wow. Has it really been 6+ weeks since I last posted. We have been so busy around here. I have started trying to work a few hours from home each day. Two hours. Really shouldn't be that hard to put in 2 hours worth of work (data entry on my computer), but I am struggling!! I can only do it during nap time when my little ones are asleep. But then all of my other chores like cleaning my house, doing dishes, laundry, etc get pushed aside. It's like every single minute of my day is accounted for. We are trying to figure this out...is it worth it?? Is the relatively paltry amount of money worth it??? I'm starting to think not. In the mean time, I have had a few of you very kindly ask me if I was going to continue blogging. Yes, yes, yes. I want to! I'm glad you enjoy reading my posts and it's cathartic for me! I have to tell someone about the crazy things that happen in my life!
So what's going on with our family?? Kyle just left on Monday to go to camp for 3 weeks. Yikes -- 3 weeks!! It's way up in Northern Wisconsin. I'm sure he's having a ball. It's right up his alley. This is after a week long fly fishing trip with his grandfather. He will be a freshman in the fall. Believe me when I tell you I am not old enough to have a freshman in high school.
The other kids have quickly busied themselves this summer with the local swim team. They walk over to the pool for practice and then go back later in the day to hang out. They had a swim meet last night and it was 65 degrees and rainy. YUCK. But they all got up this morning to go back over to the pool. I was going to let them sleep in. Gretta has been involved in horse camp both as a camper and a helper. Charlotte has started swim lessons and within 8 lessons has gone from being afraid of putting her head under water to being able to do a front and back float!! She's quite proud of herself -- and VERY buoyant!
I took the kids up to a friend's lake house in Northern Indiana. This woman has been my friend since we were 12!! We had a ball (at least I did...not sure how she felt about the 6 of us invading her beautiful home!!). She treated us royally -- took the kids tubing and feeding us. Even Gwen went tubing...my
2 1/2 year old went tubing. It was hilarious. She's a daredevil. And seriously cute. It's a scary combination.
As I write this, my husband is outside on the front porch with a few children telling them stories about his days as a sniper in the army. This is a fictitious story, but they are asking him questions. I just heard, "Dad, were you really a sniper in the army?? I just can't imagine!" This all started a few months ago when we played 2 truths and a lie at dinner. If you've never played, it's pretty self-explanatory. You tell the other people 3 things about you they don't know. Two of them are true and one is made up and everyone else has to guess the lie. Better with adults because kids aren't great at lying -- especially our own kids because as parents we pretty much know everything about our kids. But it's still fun!
I promise there is more to follow. I'm back. Thanks for being patient!
So what's going on with our family?? Kyle just left on Monday to go to camp for 3 weeks. Yikes -- 3 weeks!! It's way up in Northern Wisconsin. I'm sure he's having a ball. It's right up his alley. This is after a week long fly fishing trip with his grandfather. He will be a freshman in the fall. Believe me when I tell you I am not old enough to have a freshman in high school.
The other kids have quickly busied themselves this summer with the local swim team. They walk over to the pool for practice and then go back later in the day to hang out. They had a swim meet last night and it was 65 degrees and rainy. YUCK. But they all got up this morning to go back over to the pool. I was going to let them sleep in. Gretta has been involved in horse camp both as a camper and a helper. Charlotte has started swim lessons and within 8 lessons has gone from being afraid of putting her head under water to being able to do a front and back float!! She's quite proud of herself -- and VERY buoyant!
I took the kids up to a friend's lake house in Northern Indiana. This woman has been my friend since we were 12!! We had a ball (at least I did...not sure how she felt about the 6 of us invading her beautiful home!!). She treated us royally -- took the kids tubing and feeding us. Even Gwen went tubing...my
2 1/2 year old went tubing. It was hilarious. She's a daredevil. And seriously cute. It's a scary combination.
As I write this, my husband is outside on the front porch with a few children telling them stories about his days as a sniper in the army. This is a fictitious story, but they are asking him questions. I just heard, "Dad, were you really a sniper in the army?? I just can't imagine!" This all started a few months ago when we played 2 truths and a lie at dinner. If you've never played, it's pretty self-explanatory. You tell the other people 3 things about you they don't know. Two of them are true and one is made up and everyone else has to guess the lie. Better with adults because kids aren't great at lying -- especially our own kids because as parents we pretty much know everything about our kids. But it's still fun!
I promise there is more to follow. I'm back. Thanks for being patient!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Phonetic Spelling At It's Best
COWQUELATER --- that small thing with number buttons that you push when you have to add up big numbers. This was Joel's attempt at spelling "calculator". One of the best phonetic spellings I have ever seen.
This morning while I was in the shower, Gwen and Charlotte were playing in my room and pretending to go on "dates". They would come in and tell me they had gone to a restaurant or the park, etc. and tell me all about their adventure. During this, Charlotte came in and said, "We went to have noodles and then we had bubble stidey." I did not know what she was talking about and asked her if it was a dessert. "No. Bubble Stidey. You, know. At M-mas (what she calls her grandma)."
I was still not clear. "Like when you blow bubbles with M-ma??"
"No. Bubble... Stidey. (Said very s-l-o-w-l-y and with much emphasis) When M-ma has her friends over in the morning and they talk."
Ahhhh....got it!! (Bible Study)
This morning while I was in the shower, Gwen and Charlotte were playing in my room and pretending to go on "dates". They would come in and tell me they had gone to a restaurant or the park, etc. and tell me all about their adventure. During this, Charlotte came in and said, "We went to have noodles and then we had bubble stidey." I did not know what she was talking about and asked her if it was a dessert. "No. Bubble Stidey. You, know. At M-mas (what she calls her grandma)."
I was still not clear. "Like when you blow bubbles with M-ma??"
"No. Bubble... Stidey. (Said very s-l-o-w-l-y and with much emphasis) When M-ma has her friends over in the morning and they talk."
Ahhhh....got it!! (Bible Study)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Oh, and I Forgot to Mention....
In my last post I forgot to mention that this morning Ben decided to make some juice. We buy the frozen concentrate and this variety was Strawberry, Kiwi, Apple....dark reddish/purple. He was having trouble with the lid of the concentrate container and it was already thawed out because I had set it out early for the kids. He decided to pop it off really hard. SPLAT! Purpleish red concentrate all over the countertop, running down the cabinets, splattered all over me and Gwen (on her face), all over the floor. I kept stepping in sticky spots all day. I even found a patch on the other side of the kitchen about 2:30 this afternoon. Ugh.
Gretta Made Me Do It
Yesterday during nap time, I could hear Charlotte banging around in her room. Occasionally, she does not sleep, but she will stay in her room and look at books or play quietly - which is totally fine with me. When I went to get her up, she sat up in bed and said, "Gretta came in my room and told me to mark on my bed." Gretta had not even been home during nap time, so I knew this was an invention of her mind. I started off by asking her to tell me why the support board for Gretta's uppper bunk was lying on the ground. "It just fell out, " was her response. Hmmm. Everything was sounding very suspicious! She had spread out a small blanket on her bed and was sitting on it. I then asked her where the mark that Gretta told her to make was. She stood up and lifted the blanket up. There on the sheets was a 6 inch mark from a red pen. (The pen was still in her hands). Hmmm. Now, I'm no detective, but I started to put the puzzle pieces together. I told her that I knew that Gretta had not been in her room and asked if the mark was an accident or on purpose. "On purpose," she answered. "And I found your red pen, Mom!" Not really a big deal in the scheme of things, but the lying could not go unpunished. Oh, it's so hard to spank a really cute, sorrowful 3 year old.
Today we went to Target for our grocery run (one of 3 places we are now stopping - Aldi is now making the list + Costco -- if you've never been to Aldi, it's an experience, but prices are really good, especially on produce). To begin, there were no double carts on the grocery side of the store, so we had to trek to the other side. Gwen has figured out how to "houdini" out of the straps and was standing in the seat within minutes. I knew she was due for a BM and although I was hoping it wouldn't happen there, I was pretty much counting on it. Sure enough...middle of the produce section, I caught a wiff. So off to the bathroom we went. Good thing I caught it early or it would have been U-G-L-Y. Not that it was pretty to begin with, but if you have toddlers, you know what I mean. Then the girls kept getting out so they could "help" me get things. At one point, Gwen pulled marshmallows off the shelf and started trying to chew through the package. The entire time Charlotte kept asking to go to the candy section because she had earned $5 at her grandmother's house. So as we made our way to the check-out, we stopped by the candy area. She made a bee-line for a big box of Starburst. You should have seen her beaming smile as she paid her $1.07 for her box of candy. She was so proud that she even got her own bag and receipt. We finally finished and rushed home to take naps so that I could turn around and pick up Kyle and Gretta from school. Grocery stores are much easier to navigate solo....as are most things.
This weekend we will be going to Home Depot to pick out all of my annuals. That's my traditional Mother's Day gift. We pick them out on Saturday and then my gift is that the kids plant them on Sunday. I just spread them out where I want them and then sit on the front porch and watch them work! I love it!
Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow mothers. You are doing a great job. If you can get to the end of a day and say that you fed your kids, clothed your kids and loved on them a little, it's a good day -- and you are doing the right thing. Sometimes we get so caught up in the "woulda, shoulda, coulda", that we beat ourselves up. We get paralyzed by our to-do lists. But, step back and look at your beautiful children. Go give them a big hug, tell them they are special to you and that you love them. Then sit down and take a load off. You deserve it!
Today we went to Target for our grocery run (one of 3 places we are now stopping - Aldi is now making the list + Costco -- if you've never been to Aldi, it's an experience, but prices are really good, especially on produce). To begin, there were no double carts on the grocery side of the store, so we had to trek to the other side. Gwen has figured out how to "houdini" out of the straps and was standing in the seat within minutes. I knew she was due for a BM and although I was hoping it wouldn't happen there, I was pretty much counting on it. Sure enough...middle of the produce section, I caught a wiff. So off to the bathroom we went. Good thing I caught it early or it would have been U-G-L-Y. Not that it was pretty to begin with, but if you have toddlers, you know what I mean. Then the girls kept getting out so they could "help" me get things. At one point, Gwen pulled marshmallows off the shelf and started trying to chew through the package. The entire time Charlotte kept asking to go to the candy section because she had earned $5 at her grandmother's house. So as we made our way to the check-out, we stopped by the candy area. She made a bee-line for a big box of Starburst. You should have seen her beaming smile as she paid her $1.07 for her box of candy. She was so proud that she even got her own bag and receipt. We finally finished and rushed home to take naps so that I could turn around and pick up Kyle and Gretta from school. Grocery stores are much easier to navigate solo....as are most things.
This weekend we will be going to Home Depot to pick out all of my annuals. That's my traditional Mother's Day gift. We pick them out on Saturday and then my gift is that the kids plant them on Sunday. I just spread them out where I want them and then sit on the front porch and watch them work! I love it!
Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow mothers. You are doing a great job. If you can get to the end of a day and say that you fed your kids, clothed your kids and loved on them a little, it's a good day -- and you are doing the right thing. Sometimes we get so caught up in the "woulda, shoulda, coulda", that we beat ourselves up. We get paralyzed by our to-do lists. But, step back and look at your beautiful children. Go give them a big hug, tell them they are special to you and that you love them. Then sit down and take a load off. You deserve it!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Where's My Towel??
I got out of the shower yesterday morning and the towel that I had set on the toilet to use was gone. I looked around, but then had to get a new one out of the cabinet. Still unsure of where the towel was, I walked into my bedroom. My bedroom door was open, so I walked over to shut it. It was there that I discovered Charlotte on the floor in the hallway with my towel spread underneath her. She was painting her toenails bright pink "all by herself". The polish was ALL over her toes. And the towel. I was not very happy....but at least it was on the towel and not my carpet!
Gwen has taken to telling me to "hode on" (hold on) when I ask her to do something. Very cute, but totally not appropriate. It's made me realize how much I use that phrase. Like ALL the time. "Can you get me a drink, please, Mommy?" and I reply, "Hold on. I'll be right there." She also told me earlier this week when I asked her if she needed to potty, "No yike it potty." (pretty easy interpretation, but if you are not used to 2 year old speak, that means, "I don't want to go potty, but thanks for asking.")
Today at Costco I let the kids get a treat at the snack bar. My rule is if you get an ice cream, I get one bite! I got a Diet Coke. One child I will not name, but is old enough to not have to ask this question, said, "Why do you get Diet Coke? Does it have less calories or something?" ------ Uh, yeah. DIET coke.
It's going to be a good night. Last night of The Office with Steve Carell. He's my favorite! And then tomorrow I'll be up bright and early for the royal wedding. Yep. Getting up at 5! Gretta wants to get up with me, too. A little girl party!
Better go get dinner started. Kids are starting to drool and growl.
Gwen has taken to telling me to "hode on" (hold on) when I ask her to do something. Very cute, but totally not appropriate. It's made me realize how much I use that phrase. Like ALL the time. "Can you get me a drink, please, Mommy?" and I reply, "Hold on. I'll be right there." She also told me earlier this week when I asked her if she needed to potty, "No yike it potty." (pretty easy interpretation, but if you are not used to 2 year old speak, that means, "I don't want to go potty, but thanks for asking.")
Today at Costco I let the kids get a treat at the snack bar. My rule is if you get an ice cream, I get one bite! I got a Diet Coke. One child I will not name, but is old enough to not have to ask this question, said, "Why do you get Diet Coke? Does it have less calories or something?" ------ Uh, yeah. DIET coke.
It's going to be a good night. Last night of The Office with Steve Carell. He's my favorite! And then tomorrow I'll be up bright and early for the royal wedding. Yep. Getting up at 5! Gretta wants to get up with me, too. A little girl party!
Better go get dinner started. Kids are starting to drool and growl.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Six Dozen Eggs
Today I boiled 6 dozen eggs for my kids to dye. I know, maybe that seems like overkill, but they really like to dye them. And what fun is it to get all that stuff out and only be able to dye one or two? I've decided just to view it as a craft. The eggs cost me about $1.25/dozen....they each get their own dozen to dye however they want. Will we eat them all? Pretty close. Most will just get eaten whole and I will use some in a casserole the kids like that has wide egg noodles, thick chunks of ham, slices of hard-boiled eggs and a creamy white sauce. It's a tradition! Beware that if you stop by in the next few days we will offer you a hard boiled egg!!
I had some interesting questions here today.
#1 - "What is a pervert?" Oh, my. I asked where in the world they had heard that word. "At Grandma's. We watched a movie called The Sandlot and they call one of the boys a pervert." My definition was a boy who is always trying to see girls' private parts -- like peeking in their room when they are getting dressed or oogling them in a bathing suit. "Oh, YUCK!" was the reply. Although, after the birth of my second child our family doctor was in the room checking out the baby. I had realized post-partum - since I could actually see my toes - that I developed toenail fungus. I asked him about it while he was there. Being the jokester that he was, he replied, "I hope you know that only perverts get toenail fungus."
#2 - "How does a grandma get pregnant with her own grandson?" Thanks, Oprah. It really was an interesting show. A woman and her husband could not conceive and the grandmother-to-be offered to be the surrogate. But it was a little difficult to explain. Hmm.
We just came up out of the basement from a tornado warning. Had to drag all 6 kids down to the basement about 9:45 PM. They were down there for about an hour. Of course the three oldest fell asleep, but the youngest ones were wide-eyed. Ahhhh - they are finally back in their own beds and our house is no worse for the wear, thank goodness! Off to bed myself now.
I had some interesting questions here today.
#1 - "What is a pervert?" Oh, my. I asked where in the world they had heard that word. "At Grandma's. We watched a movie called The Sandlot and they call one of the boys a pervert." My definition was a boy who is always trying to see girls' private parts -- like peeking in their room when they are getting dressed or oogling them in a bathing suit. "Oh, YUCK!" was the reply. Although, after the birth of my second child our family doctor was in the room checking out the baby. I had realized post-partum - since I could actually see my toes - that I developed toenail fungus. I asked him about it while he was there. Being the jokester that he was, he replied, "I hope you know that only perverts get toenail fungus."
#2 - "How does a grandma get pregnant with her own grandson?" Thanks, Oprah. It really was an interesting show. A woman and her husband could not conceive and the grandmother-to-be offered to be the surrogate. But it was a little difficult to explain. Hmm.
We just came up out of the basement from a tornado warning. Had to drag all 6 kids down to the basement about 9:45 PM. They were down there for about an hour. Of course the three oldest fell asleep, but the youngest ones were wide-eyed. Ahhhh - they are finally back in their own beds and our house is no worse for the wear, thank goodness! Off to bed myself now.
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