Despite being sequestered in our home, it was actually a pretty busy day. It started with Will and the icicles. Yes, the ones hanging from the trampoline! Will was the first one up (as usual) and he raced outside to grab icicles. Throughout the day I kept hearing Will go outside, and then run back in and put the icicles in our freezer. Now, Will is a very smart kid, but he didn't figure out it was probably colder outside than in our freezer.
We proceeded to watch the Bee Movie two maybe three times, not sure, because I fell asleep. Zac has decided we have to watch the same movie over, and over, and over, and over, and over...you get the picture. We have seriously seen Kung Fu Panda at least 20 times.
Then we had a DANCE PARTY. We danced our buns off to the Black Eyed Peas. You see, I really need to dance my buns off, at least half of them. Baby #4 has left me with a little extra pudge! The kids just thought it was fun.
We capped off our night with a big ol' bubble bath. It started out relaxing. I was finally by myself in nice warm water. Then, here they come. First Hanna, then Will, then Zac and the rest is history!
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Kicking off a snow day
Since we couldn't go outside and make snowmen we made them inside with ice cream, cherries, m & m's, and Hershey's kisses. Much yummier!
Another ice storm...
Our poor little trees! They are suffering through another ice storm. It's cold and icy and the kids are home AGAIN.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
To TALK or not to TALK...
I was driving home from the hospital with Abby Rose, and along the way we picked up Will at school, and then Hanna at piano. Hanna and I were chatting just as we always do. My sweet, little, innocent Hanna who still LIKES to talk to me. I say it that way because some of my friends have girls who DON'T LIKE to talk to them. Can you believe that?
We arrive home and I notice a large group of kids standing on the corner. Their body language screams something is going on here. I say to Hanna. "Something is going on, I wonder what." I keep looking at the group of kids as I am unloading my own kiddos. Hanna opens her door, gets out, and says quietly, "Mom, don't embarrass me." My brain snaps to attention, but of course I show nothing on the outside. Not even a minute flinch. Hanna doesn't need to know what is racing through my mind.
Of course, I am silently obsessed. Hanna thinks I could embaress her? The little girl I've known all her life is worried what other people think, speciically 6th grade boys. Oh no, what is going to happen next.
We go about our evening and finally I find a time to say, "You thought I would embarrass you, what do you mean?"
"Mom I thought you would go over and say something like you guys need to go home. Their sixth graders mom!"
Like a whipped puppy I reply, "I wouldn't do something like that." It's all I could think of at that moment. No clever reply just a meek group of words escaping my mouth. This mom has been temporarily whipped by a 5th grader! But guess what, the 5th grader is still TALKING to her.
We arrive home and I notice a large group of kids standing on the corner. Their body language screams something is going on here. I say to Hanna. "Something is going on, I wonder what." I keep looking at the group of kids as I am unloading my own kiddos. Hanna opens her door, gets out, and says quietly, "Mom, don't embarrass me." My brain snaps to attention, but of course I show nothing on the outside. Not even a minute flinch. Hanna doesn't need to know what is racing through my mind.
Of course, I am silently obsessed. Hanna thinks I could embaress her? The little girl I've known all her life is worried what other people think, speciically 6th grade boys. Oh no, what is going to happen next.
We go about our evening and finally I find a time to say, "You thought I would embarrass you, what do you mean?"
"Mom I thought you would go over and say something like you guys need to go home. Their sixth graders mom!"
Like a whipped puppy I reply, "I wouldn't do something like that." It's all I could think of at that moment. No clever reply just a meek group of words escaping my mouth. This mom has been temporarily whipped by a 5th grader! But guess what, the 5th grader is still TALKING to her.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
In love...
I am still in the hospital with Abby Rose. She is doing great! Such a beautiful baby.
With the birth of each of my children, I have felt similar emotions. As soon as I see them, it is so exciting and I am so grateful and happy that they are healthy and here on this earth.
I feel protective and in awe of the gift I have been given. I hold them tight. I feed them. I spend hours up at night with only them. I ponder who they look like. I wonder if the name we have picked fits them. Then, it happens. I fall head over heels in love with them. It doesn't happen immediately the first, second or even third day for me. But when it happens, it happens.
This week Abby Rose got me! Her beautiful, round almond-shaped eyes have stared at me with such trust and love. She recognizes my voice and actually likes the sound of it! She smiles at me. She smiles at me more than anyone else, and I love her for that. She is loyal to only me for now, and I am desperately in love with her too.
Three monsters and a sweet baby (you can't be a monster at two months!), feels good for now!
With the birth of each of my children, I have felt similar emotions. As soon as I see them, it is so exciting and I am so grateful and happy that they are healthy and here on this earth.
I feel protective and in awe of the gift I have been given. I hold them tight. I feed them. I spend hours up at night with only them. I ponder who they look like. I wonder if the name we have picked fits them. Then, it happens. I fall head over heels in love with them. It doesn't happen immediately the first, second or even third day for me. But when it happens, it happens.
This week Abby Rose got me! Her beautiful, round almond-shaped eyes have stared at me with such trust and love. She recognizes my voice and actually likes the sound of it! She smiles at me. She smiles at me more than anyone else, and I love her for that. She is loyal to only me for now, and I am desperately in love with her too.
Three monsters and a sweet baby (you can't be a monster at two months!), feels good for now!
The little monsters have names!
I'm just beginning this whole blogging thing. Not even sure why I'm doing it. But, I am writing and usually, eventually the reason becomes clear. Today I've decided I will name my children instead of calling them numbers. It took me a while, but the decision has been made!
Hanna, Will, Zac, Abby Rose. There you go!
Hanna, Will, Zac, Abby Rose. There you go!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
This is for those who can't
I'm writing this from the Children's Hospital. Our youngest is here for her second day. She is getting better and is going to be just fine. My heart has been broken many times over the past few days. Broken for her and my other three who are at home. Broken for myself, because I wonder what I could have done differently so she wasn't so sick. If only I would have done this or that, or if I do this or that it won't happen again. Over and over. I know it's irrational. I know in the more rational moments that I didn't do anything, but it still comes and goes like the ocean (which by the way we could have gone to for the same price as this hospital stay!)
Then I see the kids in the hospital who won't be good...they may not even survive much longer. They spend day after day here. This becomes home, the nurses and doctors part of their family. They don't get "back to normal" like I am yearning to do. This is normal. Yet, they seem happy. Their parents, as we parents know, are treading water. They are just surviving. Holding it together for their children, doing what they have to do, and then breaking down when everyones not looking. Their heart is broken and mine is too for them.
Then I watch the news from Haiti. The children they are finding, I'm so happy for them. The mothers who are watching their children die, I'm so sad for them. They don't have the option of medical care for their children. They are helpless a place we parents don't tolerate very well. My heart breaks for them.
Our child will get better. We had a place to go for help. Our life will go back to the same normal we know (I know your laughing because normal is not a word you would use to describe me or my family!) but there will always be a place in my heart for the children who don't get better and the moms and dads who watch their children die.
This is the place I will go to when I feel like I can't kiss one more boo, boo, read one more book, or listen to one more story about how know will sit next to them on the bus. This is where I will get the strength for one more hug and the patience for one more story. We are blessed to have the opportunities we have with our children, let't cherish that for all those parents who don't.
Then I see the kids in the hospital who won't be good...they may not even survive much longer. They spend day after day here. This becomes home, the nurses and doctors part of their family. They don't get "back to normal" like I am yearning to do. This is normal. Yet, they seem happy. Their parents, as we parents know, are treading water. They are just surviving. Holding it together for their children, doing what they have to do, and then breaking down when everyones not looking. Their heart is broken and mine is too for them.
Then I watch the news from Haiti. The children they are finding, I'm so happy for them. The mothers who are watching their children die, I'm so sad for them. They don't have the option of medical care for their children. They are helpless a place we parents don't tolerate very well. My heart breaks for them.
Our child will get better. We had a place to go for help. Our life will go back to the same normal we know (I know your laughing because normal is not a word you would use to describe me or my family!) but there will always be a place in my heart for the children who don't get better and the moms and dads who watch their children die.
This is the place I will go to when I feel like I can't kiss one more boo, boo, read one more book, or listen to one more story about how know will sit next to them on the bus. This is where I will get the strength for one more hug and the patience for one more story. We are blessed to have the opportunities we have with our children, let't cherish that for all those parents who don't.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Jury Duty and S&M
My husband had jury duty this week. I am expecting to hear how boring and tedious it is. Right? Not my husband...he brings home stories that any man would like to hear. Stories you might see in...Playboy.
We are talking S&M, a dog collar, and circus performers. Seriously! So much for boring and tedious and he got out of work to do it!!
We are talking S&M, a dog collar, and circus performers. Seriously! So much for boring and tedious and he got out of work to do it!!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
My Buddy
Zac is my buddy. At least that is what he is telling me now. He currently is giving me lots of kisses (I think it's because he doesn't want to go to school anymore and he knows I'm considering not letting him!) which I love. He also currently is watching alot of movies. He's obsessed with Kung Fu Panda and The Cat in the Hat. Let me just say up front I know The Cat in the Hat is totally inappropriate for his age. I know! I know! However, I have a 6-week-old baby and that movie keeps him happy, very happy. So, there you go.
In addition to watching the movie he likes to mimic certain things in the movies. He has been gyrating around our living room just as Kung Fu Panda does. Of course he thinks these gyrations are karate! He also has made some special food requests. Noodles and buns just like they eat in Kung Fu Panda. Great, right? New food, comic relief for the parents when he is practicing karate. Well, it is great when he is mimicing this movie not so much when he moves onto The Cat in the Hat. Last week, he came into the living room with our liquid soap in his pants. He kept pumping the soap, trying to rub it in his hands, and then getting it in his eyes. At the same time he was yelling "Your fired." After a day of the soap fiasco, I asked to see the part of the movie he was re-creating. At the very beginning, the boss comes through the office with hand sanitizer in his belt and yells "Your Fired."
We replaced the soap with hand sanitizer and all is good. We also replaced the movie with The Chipmunks, which now requires us to go to McDonald's to collect all the Chipmunks you can get in the happy meals.
The things I do for my Buddy!
In addition to watching the movie he likes to mimic certain things in the movies. He has been gyrating around our living room just as Kung Fu Panda does. Of course he thinks these gyrations are karate! He also has made some special food requests. Noodles and buns just like they eat in Kung Fu Panda. Great, right? New food, comic relief for the parents when he is practicing karate. Well, it is great when he is mimicing this movie not so much when he moves onto The Cat in the Hat. Last week, he came into the living room with our liquid soap in his pants. He kept pumping the soap, trying to rub it in his hands, and then getting it in his eyes. At the same time he was yelling "Your fired." After a day of the soap fiasco, I asked to see the part of the movie he was re-creating. At the very beginning, the boss comes through the office with hand sanitizer in his belt and yells "Your Fired."
We replaced the soap with hand sanitizer and all is good. We also replaced the movie with The Chipmunks, which now requires us to go to McDonald's to collect all the Chipmunks you can get in the happy meals.
The things I do for my Buddy!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Cleaning is overrated
Just to finish up my last blog...I did clean, I'm still not done and I didn't take any pictures. Apparently cleaning and organizing doesn't bring me great joy and inspiration. Can you tell?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Cleaning Claus
I would love to write a truly hilarious, perhaps even inspiring blog tonight.
However, I cannot do this because I am sitting in a room that somewhat resembles homes I've seen on "Hoarders." (I've only watched it once, I swear.) It is our office which has become the place we throw everything because it's Christmas time and we either need the house to look nice or have zero space left. Oh yes, we did just have a baby 6 weeks ago too.
Well, it is now cleaning eve in our house. Tomorrow is the day Cleaning Claus will come and I will wake up to a throughly organized office. Yeah right! That is truly a made up story. Nobody in their right mind would commit to that job. Especially a man!
In celebration of this event my daughter and I are escaping to Borders to forget about it for a few hours. Our cleaning and organizing success story will come tomorrow!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
We are making this too! Thanks Martha
Homemade ice cream is delicious and surprisingly easy. With just 20 minutes of prep, create frosty treats ready for cones, floats, and more!
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 50 minutes, plus freezing
Ingredients
Makes 1 1/2 quarts
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups skim milk
1 vanilla bean (split and scraped) or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
Directions
In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until blended. Gradually whisk in milk.
Cook over medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and evenly coats back of spoon (it should hold a line drawn by your finger), 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir 1 vanilla bean (split and scraped) or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract into custard. If using bean, cover custard and let stand 30 minutes.
Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir in cream. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 3 months).
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 50 minutes, plus freezing
Ingredients
Makes 1 1/2 quarts
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups skim milk
1 vanilla bean (split and scraped) or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
Directions
In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and salt until blended. Gradually whisk in milk.
Cook over medium, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard thickens slightly and evenly coats back of spoon (it should hold a line drawn by your finger), 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir 1 vanilla bean (split and scraped) or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract into custard. If using bean, cover custard and let stand 30 minutes.
Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl set over ice. Stir in cream. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer ice cream to a resealable plastic container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours (or up to 3 months).
Awesome Art Blog
Planning for the freezing, icy, antarctic, cold, ok, ok you get it, it's cold where Iive!
Plus, I couldn't come up with anymore adjectives to describe the temperatures coming our way. But I did find a really cool website for art projects with your kids.
It is artprojectsforkids.org. Check it out and stock up for the coming days, I am! FYI-I'm stocking up on Redi-Whip for lots of hot chocolate too.
Enjoy!
Plus, I couldn't come up with anymore adjectives to describe the temperatures coming our way. But I did find a really cool website for art projects with your kids.
It is artprojectsforkids.org. Check it out and stock up for the coming days, I am! FYI-I'm stocking up on Redi-Whip for lots of hot chocolate too.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
How can we make Snoop handsome?
You might ask, who is Snoop? Good question. Snoop is our dog. We have had him for less than a year. He is very lucky to be alive for two reasons. One, sometimes we forget to feed him. Two, I could fill a blog full of naughty things Snoop has done over the months he has been with us. One particularly annoying thing he does is shoot out the door almost every time we try to leave the house with our army of kids. He's like a bullet. He goes straight to our neighbors house and stares into their big, glass front door...at two barking schnauzers. He drives them and my neighbor crazy. He just stands and stares, never moves a muscle until he's ready to harass the next neighbor. Then he's off. Each time I swear I am giving him away.
Snoop was a reject. No one wanted him (you will soon find out all of our pets are rejects!) We took our beloved, calm golden retriever to the vet to put him down. Very sad and emotional as you might expect. We left with Snoop.
One redeeming quality Snoop has is he will entertain my three year old, which actually means he becomes a tackling dummy. He lets #3 tackle him over and over with only a small amount of growling. #3 loves Snoop. "They are buddies." After a big football game today, #3 wanted to make Snoop handsome. He has deemed today his birthday and would like to make him handsome.
We are still discussing how this might happen. Maybe we will have the it's what's on the inside that matters talk, and after the tackles Snoop has survived, he looks like Prince Charming on the inside!
Snoop was a reject. No one wanted him (you will soon find out all of our pets are rejects!) We took our beloved, calm golden retriever to the vet to put him down. Very sad and emotional as you might expect. We left with Snoop.
One redeeming quality Snoop has is he will entertain my three year old, which actually means he becomes a tackling dummy. He lets #3 tackle him over and over with only a small amount of growling. #3 loves Snoop. "They are buddies." After a big football game today, #3 wanted to make Snoop handsome. He has deemed today his birthday and would like to make him handsome.
We are still discussing how this might happen. Maybe we will have the it's what's on the inside that matters talk, and after the tackles Snoop has survived, he looks like Prince Charming on the inside!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Because of Sarah
My sister Sarah died. She died when she was 25 and I was 29. It was almost 9 years ago. I'm sure as the days go by there will be much to share.
Death causes such complex emotions. It is exhausting. It makes you very, very angry. It makes you question everything you believed to be true. I lost my sister and watched my parents lose their child.
The years have changed me in so many ways.Through the past nine years, I have often thought, you know I did that because of Sarah. Because she died too young and left such a hole in my life and heart, I truly know the blessing of life. I know the importance of every moment, and I have her to thank for it. So do my kids (read below).
So today, because of Sarah, I didn't kill my children. Even when they were fighting over my brand, new I Mac. Even though I found one of them in the hall with only the wireless keyboard, and the other standing guard in front of the monitor screaming. They are still alive, and they can thank Sarah.
I did however in honor of Sarah (she was cleaner than me, always organizing her room and making my look bad!) make them clean my living room. Every speck of dust and bit of leftover wrapping paper are where they belong, thanks to Sarah.
Even as I write this funny story I miss her deeply. If I could see her and tell her one thing, it would be thank you. Thank you for teaching me the importance of every moment. My kids thank you too.
Death causes such complex emotions. It is exhausting. It makes you very, very angry. It makes you question everything you believed to be true. I lost my sister and watched my parents lose their child.
The years have changed me in so many ways.Through the past nine years, I have often thought, you know I did that because of Sarah. Because she died too young and left such a hole in my life and heart, I truly know the blessing of life. I know the importance of every moment, and I have her to thank for it. So do my kids (read below).
So today, because of Sarah, I didn't kill my children. Even when they were fighting over my brand, new I Mac. Even though I found one of them in the hall with only the wireless keyboard, and the other standing guard in front of the monitor screaming. They are still alive, and they can thank Sarah.
I did however in honor of Sarah (she was cleaner than me, always organizing her room and making my look bad!) make them clean my living room. Every speck of dust and bit of leftover wrapping paper are where they belong, thanks to Sarah.
Even as I write this funny story I miss her deeply. If I could see her and tell her one thing, it would be thank you. Thank you for teaching me the importance of every moment. My kids thank you too.
Lost dreams
It's so cold right now. We are all freezing.
The first of the kiddos are off to school. One more to go today! He is currently sleeping like a baby in the big chair in the living room. #3 is writhing around on the couch complaining his eyes are broken. Very typical for him to complain endlessly in the morning, hence why I am in another room blogging. Defenitely not a morning person. This morning he told me, "I didn't have a dream last night. I lost my dreams."
One more little tidbit from our morning. My husband and daughter were early this morning (minor miracle) and had to wait to leave. She sat with me in our cozy living room, he chose to wait in the car. Apparently that is his man cave...maybe we could find a way to plumb it too!
The first of the kiddos are off to school. One more to go today! He is currently sleeping like a baby in the big chair in the living room. #3 is writhing around on the couch complaining his eyes are broken. Very typical for him to complain endlessly in the morning, hence why I am in another room blogging. Defenitely not a morning person. This morning he told me, "I didn't have a dream last night. I lost my dreams."
One more little tidbit from our morning. My husband and daughter were early this morning (minor miracle) and had to wait to leave. She sat with me in our cozy living room, he chose to wait in the car. Apparently that is his man cave...maybe we could find a way to plumb it too!
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