Preparation

You can plan all you like, but that does not mean it will all go according to that plan. We were successful in many of our plans. We were able to follow through with many we planned to get together with. Each trip includes some of the same, some not. It's always great to get to see as many as we can.
The beginning of our trip changed a few things, and now the end will too. Five was ill on the way there, it's been nine days. Today, Six became ill. Poor Six. He is such a trooper. Poor boy became sick at our dinner with Great Auntie B. He was really looking forward to that time too. We spent all day yesterday at the water park. It was terrific, but everyone was exhausted at the end of the day. Six held on until this afternoon.
Grandpa, N, Three, Five and myself went to visit Great Grandma. She was great. We were able to join in on BINGO for a few games. Everyone got a prize. We even got one for Six. She is in a new building and has a very nice room to herself. The kids had a great visit. She was a little confused why we were missing Six and Grandma, maybe brought it up six times. She giggled and laughed at many of the things Three and Five did. They impressed her with their puzzle skills. It was short due to Six not feeling well. I just wish we had more time. It seems like we planned to fit so much in, but found it difficult to keep up. I felt exhausted some times and did not sleep the greatest. How many days can one function and keep up on poor sleep? Just wish it didn't have to end and feel so permanent.
Here I still have two or three days left and can't stand that we have to leave. Five was upset tonight because of our departure coming near.
The next dilemma is how to get home. N wants to try the north. A blizzard is coming. He thinks going that way might be better. In the past, we have avoided it in the winter due to lack of stores, etc in the UP. It makes me nervous just thinking about it. N said its not much different than driving across ND in winter weather. He is right, but I have done that many times and know the small towns. The UP seems a little foreign to me. I am also nervous if Three gets sick and we are on the road with no where to stop. The boys can hit a bucket now, I am not ready to test it with Three.
So, time will tell how it turns out. Thanks to the blizzard, I am afraid my plans to attend a New Years wedding will be out. I was looking forward to seeing so many friends. Have to take the best idea for the family as a priority. We will need more time to get home so N can get back to work on time. That is life I guess. Can't always go the way you plan, just roll with the changes that come in our path.

Good times on the town

Had a great time with friends last night. It was too short, wish bedtime had been earlier. Sure do miss hanging out with those people on a regular basis. Made me feel rather old though, seeing all those young kids at the local bars. Miss M and I decided we probably took half those kids around the swimming pool at one point in their lives.
Miss M, what a gal. I am so grateful to have spent that time with her. Wish it could have been longer. We were silly and fun. Age has made us more daring??? We made it to three TRF bars, officially bar hopped in this little town. Memories were shared at each stop.
Wings in special from Uncle D for lunch. Ginger bread houses still going to happen this afternoon, followed by a trip to Greenbush to hang with cousins.
Still looking for a snowmobile adventure for N during our visit. : )

Silliness

Candy canes are sticky. What do they taste like was the question at hand. Six said they tasted like chicken. Chicken? There might be something wrong with your taster was the reply. Six informed everyone that he knew because he had "taste bugs." Auntie J said maybe he really does have a problem. Maybe it was more comical in person.
They are walking around Grandma's house spelling words.
Five tried on 3 pairs of pants before choosing a 4th pair.
Three went to bed without a pull up last night.
Six is impatient, wanting to open gifts now. Silliness.
Auntie J named a body part drums. Now I see nothing but legs in the air, giggles and noise. What a day this has been.
Stuart Little is in the garage flying an airplane.

Great Days Ahead

My children are too excited for the days to come. They are awake especially early. The rest of the house remains asleep. We had a wonderful evening last night with everyone arriving for Christmas. Such great times to come this week, I feel the same way as the children. Thankfully Three is still sleeping. She needs as much sleep as she can get.
Today we celebrate Christmas as a family. Tomorrow, more celebration with extended family. N took them to the big hill yesterday. They came back with rosy cheeks and big smiles to see their Uncle D. All day, all I heard was "When is Uncle D going to get here?" Shortly after he arrived, Uncle T and Auntie J did too. N put brisket in the crock pot and we were left with a wonderful meal.
Today I am thankful for many things. For N bringing us here to experience this time of year together, for my children and their sweet smiles waking me up in the morning, my parents and siblings, so many things, but not enough time to write. The natives are awake and restless.

The Marathon

The Lap top is not my friend!
This is my second time writing this. Somehow, my entire first draft was deleted. I was almost finished with our traveling tale. Now, to start again. Guess I cannot be so sloppy. I hope I remember everything I just said.

Driving to MN in a Toyota Camry is like a marathon.
We began our journey with a delayed start. N kindly reminded me of the time change. Leaving at 5am was actually 4am. We decided to stick to a more normal schedule and leave at 6am instead. This was a good plan, only if everyone slept all night. Five was up at 3:30 wanting to know if it was time to go. Six was awake at 4:30 with the same question. I finally just got up and took my shower. I had everything on our check out list done and we were ready to go. We pulled our of the driveway at 6:30am. We weren't even out of MI yet, and Five complained of belly aches. With a sick child, the worries set in. A stop at Walmart calmed my anxiety. We became better equipped with containers with sealed covers and clorox wipes. Our journey continued. We made it through Chicago with no issues. A stop at an oasis let the kids stretch and get some energy out. Five was looking a little green at this point. A good nap was needed. We continued our journey into WI. Around 5pm, it started to snow. I was driving. This was my first time in many trips to MN that I participated in the driving. I do not mind, but N usually does not want my job as flight attendant. He even tried to bribe Three with a $1 if she would be quiet for 20 minutes so he could nap. She tried really hard with only a whisper, but could not remain silent for 20 minutes. Six took the challenge on with complete confidence and earned his $1.
5pm the snow starts. N is back in the drivers seat. Our speed is 40 mph the rest of our journey! This left Three in a pull up after a quick stop for her to use the potty. We could not stop anymore.
Many cars sped past us, only to find them in the ditch later down the road. We saw a bad 6 car accident where even a fire truck was present. Angels were on N's shoulders guiding us through all that snow. We finally made it to the border and crossed the big bridge. It took us an extra 30 minutes to get through the city. That was really a challenge. So many cars in a small space and bad roads. N did great. The kids were great too. They watched their movie quietly and remained silent so N could concentrate on driving. I was anxious the entire ride. A big sigh of relief when we finally made it to Auntie J's house. She had a Tator Tot Hotdish waiting for us. We made it there at 8:30pm. The children were so happy. We ate and were in bed before 10pm. Everyone was exhausted.
With illness hanging over our heads, all the plans changed. I couldn't bring my sick kid to see friends. I felt so bad for all those I missed in Mpls. Seeing friends is another part that makes this journey well worth it. I miss them so much while in MI, then to be in MN and not get to see anyone is just unfair. I was able to have an hour of quality time with my friend "they call me mommy." We had coffee and squeezed as much as we could into our time together. It was wonderful, short, but wonderful. A sweep through J and T's house, and we were once again on the road. The journey continued. We left the Mpls area by 11:30.
We were a whole day ahead of schedule. Threw me off with what day it was, what the rest of our week looked like. The roads were ok for the rest of our journey. After a nice lunch at Wendy's, we were on our way to G & G's. In Detroit Lakes, Three lost it. She was screaming for her Grandma. I thought I was going to jump in the snowbank.
The boys were great. They tried to help with her, but it backfired. She bit Six. After that, we counted how many towns were left. Five was discouraged when our number was 12. I tried to find old movies they hadn't seen for awhile to help those last two hours pass faster. Hermie was the movie of choice. He wrapped up our journey in perfect fashion.
Before we knew it, we were in Plummer. Five says "Plummer is my favorite town!" Plummer is a town of only 200. It is the last town before Grandma's. They had to shut the movie off once we got to town so they could concentrate on seeing all the sites TRF has to offer. So much snow, we almost were stuck in the driveway. With our journey complete, everyone was in great spirits. We had a wonderful meal and happy children. Our evening prayers were complete with G & G watching. Everyone was thankful for the safe journey and lots of hugs.
And so, our adventure begins! Looking forward to spending time with friends and family for the next few weeks.

The Car is Loaded!

I am so proud of myself. I had the car loaded just around noon today! Can't take all the credit, Zinnia got it in with me. I had it all ready, waiting by the door. I didn't want to load it until after church this morning. We fed the kinds pancakes and loaded the car. Tortilla soup in the crock pot completed our task and I was ready for the in laws when they arrived.
We had a wonderful visit with them. The kids had a good time playing hangman in the living room. This dry erase board is really working out! Even Five can come up with a four word sentence for hangman!
I finished loading the car tonight, complete with coats and boots. We will just carry them to the car in the morning. I think I have everything, if I forgot, oh well. Looking forward to seeing many and having a wonderful time. Wish I could see more, but I'll take what I can get. It's hard with kids. Weather sounds rough for tomorrow. Praying for clear roads and happy kinds!
I was recently told I have a "cool group of kinds!" It's German for Kinder = Children. It's my new favorite phrase.
With the passing of Father Larry, I have decided to seize all opportunities. I had wanted to invite him over for a meal sometime, but never did. This inspiration comes from my great aunt. This is something she does on a regular basis. I love to have people over and regret not doing that with him. I also wanted to invite the youth director over, but that opportunity is also gone. He has moved on, out of town. Such a great guy at our church. My kids are really going to miss him.
Well, it's early and that means I should get to bed.
I'll try to keep posting while in MN!

Making my list and checking it twice

The fish tank is clean!

Christmas Greetings 2010

Here we are finally, a Bercel Christmas letter! My apologies for those who missed our letter last year, we didn't send one. It was a rough winter with the kids and N getting the flu. We are back on track and doing well.
We moved to Michigan in the spring 2009. N took a job at the airport. He is learning the ropes of Michigan traffic and has completed the training process. Living back in Michigan has rekindled his interest in the great outdoors. Last spring he got a canoe and did quite a bit of fishing. The kids called it the Big Banana. It was a little too tipsy for me with all five of us in. The boys really enjoyed it this summer. We visited many lakes and rivers. They love jumping out of it and into the water. We have a state park pass and were able to put it to good use this summer.
Six is in the first grade this year. He has taken off with reading and started bringing home chapter books. He is a good student and played on a soccer team this fall. Six truly loved every practice and game. He loves to ride his scooter and got a new red bike for his birthday last spring. Lego's are his indoor activity. Star Wars Lego's and movies are very common in our household these days and I imagine, will be the theme for Christmas. N built bunk beds when we were in Texas. This spring was the first time we actually bunked them with Six moving to the top bunk. Their room is "the boy room." It is complete with the bunk beds, a fish tank and a Lego table. Six is a great boy and makes us proud on a daily basis.
Five is loving kindergarten. He has really settled in well to the routine of school. It's a full day of kindergarten every day of the week. He too loves Lego's. He ditched the training wheels on his bike this year. Once Five gets an idea into his head, he is determined to make it happen. We had a few wardrobe challenges within the last year, but that is getting easier as the days go by. Five has become very interested in writing. We rescued a dry erase board from the church and now he writes all of the time. He loves to color and read as well.
Three attends preschool twice a week for two hours a day. She loves it. Five attended the same school last year, making Three familiar with the location. She was very excited to go and be with her friends. She is all about babies these days. Lucy and Theresa are her favorite dolls she received for her birthday. Most days I can find her singing songs throughout the house, doing her own thing. Recently she has started telling people she is a big sister because she doesn't want anything to do with being little. We've recently started braiding her hair, which has been fun for both of us.
I have been back in the classroom this year as a substitute. I also help in both boys classrooms and was able to teach them some German! Six attends religious education class one night a week; I attend too as his teacher. It's been a nice way of spending time together. N and I coached Five's soccer team this year. What an adventure that was! I didn't know anything about soccer, but they were going to cancel the team if they didn't find a coach. We gave it a whirl and had a great time. I have taken up reading and have quite a few new books on my list. I didn't think I had time to read, but somehow it works. I have also started a blog online. I try to keep up with it as much as I can.
We will be able to make the journey to Minnesota for a white Christmas this year. The kids are very excited. We would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our house to yours!

Six, Three and Five

Donnerstag is Thursday

Thursday started out on the wrong foot. We all slept in. No one was awake until 7:45! We are very lucky to be the last ones picked up on the bus route. Both boys had school and Three had pajama day. We flew out the door the best we could and made it everywhere safe and sound. N discovered a slow leak in our tire. To the tire shop we go! Good thing our neighbor is the owner. A plate of cookies later, our tire is fixed in time to pick up the boys. Gotta love the tire shop. : )
We went to visit Father Larry tonight. Wasn't sure how the kids would take that experience. It all went fine. They didn't really have many questions. They thought his casket looked like a treasure chest. Never thought of it that way before, but did put a nice positive feel to the experience. We met Father Larry's sister and shared how much he would be missed. Mr. A was there. The kids always like seeing him. Three has had the most questions and comments about the whole subject. She said "God is big." "Jesus died on the cross." "I saw him in the manger in the manger at chapel today." She is as sweet as can be. Tomorrow will be the funeral. Zinnia and I are going without children.
We are finished with all the baking! I wish I would have taken a picture of it all. The finished product looked pretty good. Plan to take some pictures tonight. I tried to post some yesterday, but our slow Internet connection made it impossible. I will try again another time.
We delivered the teacher gifts today and had lunch with both boys. They were very pleased. The teachers are great. I am very thankful for them and all the time they put into our children. We wished them a wonderful Christmas and will be doing more German lessons in January!
Everyone was in full force to play outside tonight. I let them eat their homemade mac and cheese outside. They were shocked and loved it! I need to get them inside now and in the tub. Pie at the neighbors tonight. I love getting together with them, we don't do it nearly enough. They are such wonderful people. Can't wait to deliver the rest of our gifts! Then, the packing begins. Saturday will be all about packing. Sunday N's parents will be coming, hopefully. With that and church, there won't be much time for anything else. And in case you are wondering, still haven't cleaned the fish tank. : ( Maybe tomorrow?

Five and his ginger bread house

Last year we decorated houses with Six just before Christmas. Five was able to do it this year and did a fantastic job. He finished early, leaving a whole side empty, but no big deal. He was very pleased with himself and his creation. I was a little disappointed, we got there on time, but he was nearly finished. Mr. L has the class calling me "Mrs. B." Still not sure how I feel about that, they are happy when they say it though. I am looking forward to doing more German with them in January.
Three had a Christmas party at school today and came home with Tinker Bell. She was so pleased with herself.
The boys took the Spanish books I found at Goodwill to Senora today. Six took a Three Little Pigs book and Five took two Elmo books. They were happy to pass them along to her and said she was very pleased with the donation.
Funeral on Friday. A sad day that will be. I have an extra pumpkin pie made to take for the lunch that will follow. First funeral we will attend since moving here. Not sure about taking the kids to the Thursday night service. Want them to be able to say goodbye if they want to, but unsure if I should at all.
We leave for MN on Monday! Only have gifts packed. Need to get thinking about everything else. Friday and Saturday will be busy with delivering gifts. Better have some packing done so we aren't up late Sunday night.
Trying to execute the plans on my list. So much figured out, but now to follow through. Sure feels good to get some of it done. Fish tank remains the same. My apologies to the fish.

Snow Day

First snow day of the year. Six had been waiting for weeks for the snow to fall. He was out early yesterday and today. I hope the mailman appreciated all my shoveling around the driveway, mailbox and road. I know as soon as a plow comes by, all will be shoved in the driveway again. Tried to clean it up so that doesn't happen.
Pulled out the games boxes and everyone has been happy and entertained until now. Six is now hounding me to open presents. We were supposed to have Christmas with N's parents yesterday. I told him we would open presents then because what his Grandma was giving him went along with our gift. She changed her mind and didn't coordinate, leaving the reason for the kids to open gifts a week early unnecessary. Now he is after me to open them. It's getting old.
We played outside, had hot cocoa and had a splendid round of hangman today. Loving the dry erase board! I listened to the giggles that came from a great round of Candy Land. Puzzles they hadn't seen in a very long time and Connect Four were also in the box. Left me wanting to attack the boxes in the basement and get organized for the garage sale in the spring. I will part with many items this year, as will the rest of my household. Still haven't cleaned the fish tank yet. Have to get that done. It's been on my list all month, but still staring me in the face each night I feed them. Poor Shinny, he's tail is nearly gone. The other two pick on him. They killed one of the bala sharks last year.
One week from today we will be on the road to our MN adventure! I have all our gifts ready to go in a bag. Need to make a list to be sure and get everything done in time. Will have to be organized if the in laws are going to come for Christmas the day before we leave. I hope they can make it, otherwise all my efforts to get gifts on time to that side of the family will be wasted.
Talked to both my siblings this week. Sure can't wait to see them. It's been too long.
What a relaxing, fun morning we have had. N made breakfast with the kids and lunch! I should get something done, but really do not have the motivation. I have cookies to frost, fish tank to clean, cookies to load up for giving, fish tank to clean, organize things for the trip, fish tank, laundry, change bedding and did I mention the fish tank? Guess I better get busy.

A Tearful Sunday

Church was rather sad today. The entrance song was O Come O Come Emmanuel. I couldn't sing it. It wasn't the traditional version, but still moving. Our whole church seemed a little unsure. The priest was very nice and had been a friend of Fr. Larry for many many years.
Father Larry made us feel welcome when we moved here. I met with him a few times and his homilies sometimes spoke directly to me. My motivation to get the kids out the door on Sundays was that we are going to see Father Larry. It will be strange to have someone else come and try to fill his shoes. Poor Mr. A, who found Father yesterday, he looked pretty sad today, but still upbeat to show the Sunday school kids a movie. He is such a great teacher. My kids love him.
We are on our way outside for the second time today. Our morning was filled with shoveling and snowmen. It is still coming down, canceling our afternoon plans with N's parents.
I have heard mention of King of the Hill, or forts, or igloos and snow angels. They have lots of plans for the afternoon.

A Swimming We Will Go

We finally made it to the pool today. N had the idea and we just decided to do it. We had to drive seperatly since he would have to be to work by 1pm. I sure do miss swimming on a regular basis. I would like to change that in the new year, it just costs so much. It's $15 for us to go each time. To me, that seems like a lot. We thought about doing a month pass and teaching the kids swimming lessons in that time. I hope we can work that out. The month pass is not too much, we would certainly pay much more for swimming lessons times three, or six if Zinnia is interested.
On a sad note, while at the pool I received bad news that our priest passed away today. That brought up a whole conversation about heaven and where it is and who we know that is there. Six sort of remembers my grandfathers funeral. Five thought of our friends dog. Three didn't say too much. We will see what kind of a week we have. He just turned 74 and was fine. He always greeted us warmly when we came into the building. He always had a smile on his face. He talked to the kids, always asking how their week had been. It just feels like a shock since he wasn't ill. Poor Mr. A, the youth director who found him. I guess he never woke up this morning. I know he will be in the children's prayers tonight. Mass will be different without him tomorrow.
We are getting organized for company tomorrow. We went through lots in the basement. I found some new clothes for Five. Three confiscated the footie jammies that were from Six when he was Four. She got her first hair cut yesterday with Miss J. She did great and had a good time. No worries, the curls are still there. We just trimmed the ends to keep it growing. I am not ready to give her a short haircut. It took us so long to get hair, I think we will hold on to it a little longer.
I almost have everything done for tomorrow. I didn't stop moving from the time we came home from the pool, until now. 1:30 to 5:40. Have to feed the troops, wrap a few more gifts, and maybe bake??? We will see where my motivation takes me. It will have to guide me to the three loads of laundry on my bed that need to be folded and put away.....ugh.

Tired Boys and Tears

Both boys were in tears tonight. They can't wait another week to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Five started to be sad because he wants to take our fish with. Oh boy.
The suspense is getting to all of us. I too cannot wait. I am not packed or ready yet, so I am thankful to have time on my side. I was feeling ill earlier today. Thankful for Airborne. It perked me up. I hope that was it. Moms can be sick. Doesn't work.
Tonight I let them make their own meal and choices. Five wanted to make a menu. First choice was bread, ham and spinach. Second choice was mac and cheese, third was ravioli. After he showed me his list and it was all spelled correctly, but backwards. Poor boy. He was so sad. I had to rewrite it all for him. We had corn, milk and dessert as other choices. I let them make their own sandwiches and heated up everything else. They enjoyed themselves.
The girl went to bed without a problem. Oh no, I hear a door. We will see who is trying to get away with something. I would put money on the big one, but it is still early to possibly be the middle one.
Mama needs to go to bed too. Night all!

Christmas Letter writting

Writing the Christmas letter, normally I task I do not mind. This year it turned into quite a production. I wrote a first draft, thinking I'll go back and fix it later. Turns out there wasn't much to fix and I did alright the first time around. Wanted to get it out early since we didn't really send one last year. Here we are on the 8Th and the envelopes are still piled up. This year we had printer challenges. Between two printers, we could not get either to work with new ink. So very frustrating. Four trips to stores in I don't know how many days, and N gave up. We are a no printer household. $12.99 for the first cartridge, which was returned; $17.99 for the next that just plain did not work and could not be returned; and finally $73.08 for multiple cartridges to a different printer that also would not work. The last ones were returned as well. With all that frustration, our letter was taken to a printers and we were happy to hand over our pretty paper and $8+change for our 65 pages of a Christmas letter. To another point, 65 cards, pictures, letters and stamps. I love doing this, but have to cut back to send only to the people who send to me. So many do it that way, but I have a hard time holding back for the people I know really appreciate it and don't do it in return. I am going to keep track of all the cards we get this year, and send to them only next year. My exceptions will have to be the Great Aunties in their 70's or older who can't send cards anymore. Actually, I may have cut some of them already. I just don't know how to handle it anymore. It's not just a simple task. I start, then they sit. I need some different addresses and people take forever to respond. It's rough. Where is the medium? Does anyone else have this problem? Alas, the job is done and the cards will go out tomorrow.
If you get one, consider yourself truly special! If you don't, sorry send me one next year. I'll add you to my list.

Shopping with Three

She is determined to push the cart alone. It is sort of a nightmare at times. Today, I try to assist and I simply stated that she can't fun into anyone or thing. Her response: "And at that time, you may help me." Oh boy.
This week she also realized when we bring her to preschool, it's just Daddy and Mommy. When we pick her up, then it's the three of us again. I think she is enjoying the one on one time with us. Poor Five never had that. He was always surrounded by a sibling. We brought Mr. L a pumpkin pie today. Boy was he thankful and happy! Thrilled actually! I was glad Zinnia suggested it. I have two more to bake this week. Didn't know what to do with the extra pie.
We are so close to our big trip to MN. I am still hearing of more people getting sick every day. I am afraid to have sick kids on the road. We will be having Emergen C every day and pushing the sanitizer. We've made it this far, I hope to stay healthy!
Five has gingerbread house making next week. The house is due tomorrow. Gotta get busy on that. I helped Six make one last year. It was a good time. Trying to decide if I should go help or maybe N wants to experience it.
I was in touch with a friend from the past recently. She is so sweet and I miss her terribly. I look forward to the day we see each other again. She has had health problems in the last few years. Sure do wish I could be there for her. I've been thinking of my time with her since the St. Nikolaus tag at school. So many fond memories. I can't wait to take my kids to meet her someday.
Brick projects will be finished tomorrow. Then we have cans to get ready for RE and angel ornaments to make too. Almost finished with Extreme Baking. Maybe two more rounds to go.
Just can't wait for the MN trip to get here! Hope next week flies by.

Five Amazes me

He reminds us to pray at meals and before bed. Tonight he was thankful for his family. It was so sweet the way he said it. At first, they were thankful for material things, Legos for example. Their thoughts have come a long way with the more prayer in our house, for that, I am thankful.
Six really took an interest in a learn to draw book I found. It is from my mom, she gave it to us last spring. It disappeared in the coloring book chaos and has made a come back.
They were thrilled to find candy canes in their lockers on their St. Nikolaus plates this morning. Mr. L didn't forget!
Three spent the day with us. Her daddy had the day off and was able to play a princess game of tic tac toe and card with her. They did puzzles and read books too. It was great, but I wish the boys could get that one on one with him. It is hard to work out with this crazy schedule. I am really looking forward to the holiday vacation ahead.
Three also went to bed no problems tonight. For some reason, she has been difficult with bedtime lately. As soon as I mentioned going to preschool tomorrow, she knows she needs rest and stays in her bed. The boys are chatting with each other as I type. I love how close they are, sharing experiences together. I am thankful they are right after each other in school. Five is reading and it is amazing! He has grown so much in the past few months. I am very proud of him. We have lots to work on and he has the desire to do it. He was thrilled when I finally put together all the little books he brings home. They are eager to read. It excites me.
Tomorrow will be day three of Extreme baking! Hopefully we get everything done, except for melting moments. I plan to do those later on, closer to the time of delivery. They are the most fragile of all the cookies. Better to save them to the end.
Illness has set in at school. I am just bracing myself for it to hit our house. I called to schedule a haircut for Three with my friend tonight, her daughter just got sick. I pray it either comes and goes quickly now, or we miss it all together. I hope we don't have to delay our trip to illness. We have had sick kids in the car in the past, not fun at all.
Praying for everyone to be healthy and happy in the next two weeks!

Training Complete!

N finished his training today. He came home, asked me if he looked different. I said no and he said he was done! Such a big day for us. We celebrated at the Freeland Pub. Kids were happy, especially when it snowed the entire time we were in there. Snow tomorrow, Christmas vacation soon, lots to look forward to. I am trying to get it all down on the calendar to be sure we don't miss anything. We have two weeks until we leave for MN.
We have had two days of baking and a third scheduled. Looking forward to handing out our special treats!

St. Nikolaus Tag

Happy to report I succeeded in passing along St. Nikolaus to the kindergarten and first grade classes in town. They really seemed to enjoy all the information I passed along. They were thrilled with the plates we decorated and showed much interest in seeing the process of cracking open a nut. We saw almonds, walnuts, Brazilian nuts and peanuts. We topped it off with small slices of bread and Nutella. They enjoyed the German Christmas music and even recognized O Tannebaum. The teacher want to do it again with other German things. Guess I will get to work after Christmas. It was fun, but I am tired. These people are full of energy. Reading time for now and to bed soon.

Worry

Well, here I am procrastinating. I still have 21 plates to trace on tonight. I need to type my notes for the German lesson tomorrow. Why did I not do this earlier? I have no clue. All my stuff is together in a bag, ready to go. Just need to finish the last few things. Kids are off playing quietly. Tomorrow will be a big day. For some reason, I feel nervous! They are kids, kindergarten and first graders, yet I have this anxious feeling. I think when I finish the plates, it will go away. Lets hope that's the way it goes.
I will let you know.
Three had a great day at preschool. She walks around our house singing songs all of the time. She is constantly changing her clothes and loves to wear fun shoes. We ran some errands today and she was a good sport. She has always been a good shopper.
Five and Six are hard up for snow. The weather man said the snow would fall and stay on the morning news. Five heard this. When I picked him up, first thing he says to me is "he said it would stick. He tricked us!" The things they remember. Six couldn't wait to get to the car, he is usually so poky. We got home and they wanted to play outside right away. There was a thin layer of snow on the ground. Some yards were bare, some not. They "shoveled" the snow off the top of our neighbors yard into their sled. This was the best way to collect snow. They were thrilled. Their sister wasn't so cooperative though. She kept jumping in the sled and knocking snow out. This irritated both brothers. We weren't out too long after that.
At the dinner table, our conversation frequently turns to Mrs. M, the gym teacher. She has influenced the kids on what food is healthy and which is junk. Five has really been taken with this subject. As he eats his food, he shares with me he enjoys the greasy stuff the most. He knows its junk, but it tastes good. At this point I tell him to eat his peas. He decides he doesn't care for peas anymore. Then we discuss what other foods on the table are good and which are not. Three soaks it all in. They love to use trays to eat. We have a few that separate their food. They love this and talk about how much it is like hot lunch at school. Then I hear about who brings cold lunch, what kind of bag they have and who eats hot lunch all of the time.
After eating, the boys retreat to Lego's. The girl is in new clothes doing her own thing. I straighten out my plans for tomorrow, neglecting the plates. I did six tonight, need 21 total. There are 23 done for Five's class. Then I got the bright idea that I should probably color one for a demonstration to the kids. More to do. Why am I on here? Just need to think it all through first I guess. Well, screaming coming from Five. Six is harassing him about something. Better get.

Pizza Pizza

The boys get in the car after school, first thing they comment on is how much they enjoyed the pizza for lunch. Pizza? They were supposed to eat cold lunch. Forgetful mom sent lunchables pizzas with today for a special treat. Boy were they a hit. "And the pepperoni wasn't even spicy!" according to Five.
Six was up late hanging out with his dad. I wish they had more time together. After watching Criminal Minds tonight, each day with our children is precious. Really don't want to take this time for granted. Just a TV show, but still can be so real. Scary.

Monday Monday

Monday has become my day to really get the house in shape. We had lots of extra things to accomplish today. We did almost all of them, except cleaning the fish tank. I dread cleaning the fish tank. I have to get it done sooner than later. It was the thing I could not think of to add to my list until I went into the boys room.
I feel I am always trying to find ways to change things around the house. I made a "honey do" list for N today. It's not too long, 4 or 5 things. Hopefully we get it done sooner than later.
Three was too funny today. We went out to the store. She was dressed in brown leggings with a brown shirt and a navy blue skirt with a pink and white pattern. She had white socks and ruby red shoes! I was going to make her change, but N said she looked great and we should go. So, away we went! She was complete with a red Christmas bag to keep our list in. She has grown used to not being able to get everything she wants at the store. She has caught on to why we aren't getting it by saying "because it's not on sale?" We are working on it.
Five came home very dirty. He confessed to me he fell in the mud at school. He seemed pretty worried when telling me his story. I guess he wasn't wet, still not sure I understood it all. This week I teach the boys German. I have 20 + plates to draw birds on for the kids to decorate. I already did 20 so I am halfway there. I am trying to get everything together for this week and the weeks to come. We have lots planned in a short time before we make the big journey to MN! The kids are so excited. They already have a ton of snow. A classmate from high school called me tonight to make some plans. Should be fun. I am anxious to see everyone and excited to attend a new years eve wedding!
I have been recently in touch with a friend from Romania. I am so thankful for the Internet and bringing my European group of friends back together. She has a beautiful daughter I may have never seen without Facebook. Looking forward to getting to know her all over again!
We had a nice evening today that will end with a movie for N and I. I hope your night was as good as ours.

Things to know about Three

I hear a snap noise coming from her room. Silence, then something hits the wall and snap again. She has shut all the doors to every room upstairs. I open them, she closes them again. We meet in the hallway, she is dressed in new clothes. I ask "How many hangers did you break?" Not really expecting an answer then she says "Only two." Oh boy.
Three.
The day she was born was one of the happiest days of my life. I could not believe God had truly blessed us with a baby girl. Of course my feelings were strong after having two boys, and I would have loved a baby boy no matter what. My grandmother had prayed every day for us to get a girl. The feelings that came with a girl were unexplainable. As she grew, she gave me strength. She less than 4 months old and N had to go away for 3 months. We saw him for a few days at Christmas, but that was it. I was with my family, which made being alone with three small children much easier. Still, even with family around, its not the same without the dad. The time seemed to pass just fine thanks to her. It didn't matter if I was the only one getting up with her in the night. We were a pair making it through this time together. Tough times were around the corner, we were not aware. I am not sure how we survived that winter, but we did and prevailed.
She learned to sleep through the night and enjoyed being in a room with her brothers. It wasn't until they started school and she didn't want to go to bed, we had to separate them. At first they all wanted to be together, but she would try to wake up Six. He needed rest for the long days at school. Eventually she got it too and went to bed as good as the rest. She enjoys her space, its just for girls. It's her own area to do as she pleases. Attending school has been great for her. She's grown so much and has much more to learn. Each day she impresses me with something new. She is sweet and sassy. She has her daddy wrapped around her finger. She can pull his strings and get him to do almost anything for her. She loves to read and paint and draw. Her pictures are in the lines. She sings though out the house her songs from preschool. She can be independent and proud. Babies are her thing. She loves babies. Theresa and Lucy are among the favorites. They have replaced her first Purple baby. She tells people she is a big sister because she wants nothing to do with being little. She can have fun with and irritate her brothers beyond anything else. They too will cater to her needs and wants. She loves to pick out her own clothing and eats really well. She eats the most vegetables and fruit of all our kids. We recently started braiding her hair. I only do it when she is interested. She loves to wear dresses and has finally agreed to tights. Her red shoes are her favorite. My sister supplies her with really cute coats. She calls them her "J coats." When asked why she calls them this, her reply is "Because they are from My J." She talks about her grandma all the time and misses her terribly. She loves her Uncle D and giggles when talking to him. She is shy around strangers and cautious around animals. She loves the zoo and swimming activities. At a very young age she had no fear of the water and just went right in. For sometime she was a boss and not very nice. She attacked one of her cousins and scratched his face. She was the first to bite at ECFE. Snap. There goes another hanger. That makes Three!
She is eager for Christmas and will give us trouble on our long trip no doubt. She has been the queen of the back seat, right in the middle of the boys on her throne. This year she is behind her daddy, we will see how that goes. Three, as sweet as can be. Three, the spice in our life. Three, brought nail polish and hair ties back into the house. Three, with blonde curls and pink lips. Famous words from Three "I want you."
I love you Three.

Report Card

Received Five's report card today. He is doing great. He needs to work on being responsible for his personal belongings. Not sure how we are going to drill that into his head. He also has a few letters to recognize the sounds, but other than that he is swell. We have conferences tomorrow for Six. Both Six and Three have Thanksgiving specials tomorrow at the same time. Six is proud that his dad will be attending and even volunteered to run a game! Three is thrilled with me. Poor Five felt a little left out, until I told him maybe we could come for lunch when we were done with everything else.
I am almost finished with my can turkey project. I have 20 some cans with Popsicle stick feathers, but no heads. I still have to cut out heads and beaks. The kids will glue it all together. I am halfway packed for the holiday weekend. My brownies for church need toppings and I finished manicotti for supper tomorrow night. On a role, but still lots to do. Running out of steam now that I sat down. Two out of the tub, one to go. Kitchen is still a mess. I made Miss Ruby's stir fry tonight. I even bought Jasmine rice! Well, N is back from fishing. Better not get caught down on the job!

Things to know about Five

What is it to be Five?
It's Lego's and Nerf guns. It's learning to ride your bike without training wheels and daring to do tricks on your scooter. Our Five is independent and stubborn, determined and strong willed. He has many little quirks about himself, little ism's that make him unique. He is the joker in the bus line that makes the big kids smile. He reminds us to pray before our meals and at bedtime. He accommodates his little sister when she insists she is big. He wants tie shoes even though he can't tie. He tries new foods and thinks spinach is going to make him bigger than his older brother. He can call my bluff when he doesn't want to do something. He is a peacemaker between his siblings and others. He is a leader with his younger friends. He can completely frustrate me, wanting to pull out my hair. He is concerned about the feelings of others. He needs a particular wardrobe that accommodates only him. He needs to decide what to wear and when without suggestions from anyone. He is sold on clothing from other kids that he knows. He loves to hear stories about living in Texas before he goes to bed. He is eager to read and write. Sometimes he reminds me of my dad. There are some similarities there besides the name John. He is eager to please me and notices things that I do. He can spy things in a room, Grandpa calls him I spy. Grandpa says "The eyes (I's) have it!" He is kind and loving. He likes to sleep with his baby blanket folded under his pillow. He is proud to be in his Sunday school class and lead his sister. He enjoys all his new friends from school. He is eager to play with others. He can page me from anywhere in our house. He likes to know where I am in the house. He likes to use a blanket from my bed and be wrapped up like in a sleeping bag. He loves to draw and color. He wants to do his older brothers homework. He cares what others think and at the same time does not. He wore play clothes to church our entire first summer in Michigan. He wore no clothes our last two weeks in Minnesota. He loves flip flops and hated tennis shoes for many months. He loves pictures from the past. He loves going to Grandma's house. He loves animals. He once wanted a lion for a pet instead of fish because "fish are boring." This was after his fish was eaten by the other fish. He had the most unique Halloween costume and didn't care if no one knew what he was supposed to be. He wants to wear shorts outside when it is under 45 degrees. He loves telling our neighbor stories and always wants to go to her house. He loves adult toothpaste and enjoys using flossers. He is the worst customer for a haircut, but did great at the dentist. He loves his Aunt J's basement and all her treasures. He misses going to her house. He can give a friend a nick name that will stick. He thinks of others for awhile after he has heard what happened to them and stays concerned. He loves babies and prays for his little cousins. He is almost always the first one awake in our house. He loves to bake and frost cookies. He likes to get messy, but not too messy. He does not like sunscreen. When he learned to swim, he was always under the water. He got his first pair of goggles when he was three and barely came up for air. He gets frustrated easily, but can turn it around just as quickly as the frustration came.
He did not get on the bus on Friday morning. He looked at me with big eyes, took off and ran for home. He was scared, yet confident. He did not want to wear the coat he had on. He was worried about its length and that people would laugh at him. It is the same length on him as the rest of the children. It looks almost identical to the other boy getting on the bus. He changed his coat three times before going to the bus stop. Three was shocked when he ran away from the bus stop. It is unheard of to miss the bus! I love Five with all my heart and cannot imagine our family without him. He is a great kid and wonderful son. He makes us laugh daily. I cannot wait to see what he grows up to be. Whatever it is, I am sure he will be brilliant at it.

Ahead of schedule

We are doing things early tonight. The kids spent the morning with their dad. I was able to get my Christmas shopping done. I have three gifts left and we are completely done. Great deals so far and everyone will be happy.
The boys are in the tub already. It is early, but that's alright. We have no where to go the rest of the night. The girl had an accident, thus the early bath for her. She seemed truly sorry. We have one or two per month it seems.
I think my kids are missing the pool. The boys are practicing holding their breath under water. They are also practicing swimming techniques. I hope during the holidays we can get to a pool a few times.
We finally figured out our Thanksgiving plans. I am very excited this year. We will travel to N's parents on Wed. Rare moment, both he and the kids are off from school. That night we will go to his Aunt and Uncle's house. He will either leave us there that night, or drive home the next morning for work. We will spend Thanksgiving there. Not sure when we will go home yet. N might pick us up Friday or Saturday morning. We will see. The kids are very excited to see everyone. We hope to see their cousins and maybe the newest cousin. I don't even know his name yet. I have been thinking of them often and hope they are doing well.
I have turkeys to make out of cans and sticks for RE on Thursday. I am also trying to figure out the St. Nikolaus thing. Just not sure what else I should bring with me. I would like to find a picture. Five asked me what color he wore, if it was green. We will see how it goes. They are anxious to decorate for Christmas. I am anxious to get baking. Zinnia has some blue jars she wants to part with. We plan to fill them up and give them away. They will look pretty with Christmas treats in them. I have more people to give to this year than last. I would like to give to more neighbors and people from the church. Should make for a large baking session. I am sure it will be quite a few days. I am excited she wants to do it with me. She might even bring over her Kitchen aid mixer! What a treat that will be. I hope to post some pictures of our creations. We will see if we come up with anything new this year.
Our trip to MN will be here before we know it. We get to leave early this year, for that I am thankful and excited. It will be nice to have more time in the MPLS area. We skipped that visit last summer.
Praying for a smooth, quiet night this evening. Hope they are calm and happy.

Just when we were on a role

Five put me up for a challenge this morning. He did not get on the bus like he was supposed to. All sorts of fuss over his coat. "Why does he have so many?" Was N's reaction. He was right. Why does he have so many? They were either left from last year or inherited. The church is having a coat drive this weekend. Guess we can narrow it down to one or two and donate the rest.
I struggle with the morning routine once again. We were doing great. The change is the winter clothing. There is too much protest. We watched the weather report this morning, it is time to bundle! Those were the exact words from the weather person. Now to wait for Five to accept the change. Hopefully next week will be better. They only have two days of school next week, then the holiday. Our plans are still not final. Looks like Wednesday we will go visit N's family. Thursday, we may stay at his Aunt and Uncle's for Thanksgiving, then stop and visit the new baby at his sisters house. We will see how it all turns out.

For the Bible tells me so

I have heard this over and over today from Three. She is singing such sweet songs at preschool. Reminds me of my little sis and myself when we were younger. The boys are currently making a lot of noise in the garage. Not sure what they are doing, but glad they are getting it out of their systems.
7:30 bedtime! The Big Bang Theory and Greys, all in one night!
Not sure why, but everyone was very whiny tonight. From the moment they walked in the door, they were whining. We had an early supper and played outside. A snack and lots of books completed our night. Baths too were early, including a hair trim just before. That was not pleasant, Five is so very difficult with hair cuts. I don't know how that will ever get better.
I am happy to report on my Reformation ideas. We are kneeling at Five's bed each night to say the Our Father and then something each of us would like to pray for. Five reminds us each night. The Lord has found his way into that boys heart. He is always reminding us to pray. I am so grateful for him at those moments. Others, I am not sure why he acts the way he does, but it is all in His plan. He completes us with all his little quirks. He is getting better.
We still have tense moments, but I feel I am handling them much better. I was on a role with my workout, but did not make it today. I had a migraine, hopefully the last for this month. Tomorrow will be better. I had a terrible dream last night that the world was ending. Not sure where that came from, but it was stressful sleep.
It is amazing what changing your outlook on things can do for your spirit. I feel much better about many things after my Reformation blog. Perhaps putting it down and making such a statement helped me to really change my focus. We will see how the long weekend goes. We have many things to get done this weekend.
Six was reading to Five and Three tonight. I am loving this part!
Oh someone is still up. More to come....
It's Five, he needs to use the facilities. He comes and makes his announcement with a smile. He is wearing a baseball cap and new Darth Vader PJ top I found at Old Navy today for 99 cents.
My sister in law had a baby today. My mother in law called to share the news this morning. I was happy for them, but also sad. We have become very distant. I guess it is my fault for bringing up my frustrations with a situation last spring. I want to call, but really don't feel I can. When the situation was all said and done, I was left still feeling awkward. I do not regret standing up for myself. My greatest sadness is for the children. My kids loved spending time with theirs. We had wonderful times and made many great memories. She made it clear that the trust was gone. It is as if we are distant relatives and do not communicate anymore. So is life I guess. Not everyone gets along at all times. Maybe some day we will get together again. For now I will pray for them and their new addition. They have been on my mind many times for the last six months. Each time my kids mention them, I feel a pain in my heart. It has gotten better over time, I don't feel quite as sensitive about it anymore. Prayer and time will only tell.

Good things come to those who wait

We have been waiting for the right van to come into our lives. Yesterday, we thought we had found that van. Just when we decided to commit, it was already sold. So, that is life. No worries. I was slightly disappointed, but we have waited this long, it will come in time.
I have also been amazed at Five and how interested he is in writing. We have an art easel. On one side is chalk, the other dry erase. He has been writing Six's spelling words on it and other words he knows. I think it has helped his knowledge of letters. Last week I noticed a broken dry erase board in a room at church. Today I asked about it. With a phone call to Zinnia to bring her truck into town, it is ours! I am so excited. Not sure where we will put it, but I can't wait to see where it takes the kids and their handwriting. I hope to find dry erase markers in ever stalking this year! Will post pictures when we get it placed and all figured out.
It's all in His plan, just need to be a little (or a lot) patient, and good things do come.

Reformation

After my last post, I was told I needed to "chill out." I upset some people with that post. For that, I apologize. Life is hard. I am still trying to figure this all out.
Why to I get so upset so easily? I have sort of lost track in handing it over to God and keep my faith in whatever the situation is. It is so easy to give in to the frustration. I am reading the book "The Shack" and still am not sure what to think of it. Makes you analyze the things you have learned in the church. What would it really be like to meet Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit? I hadn't put that much thought directly into it until I started reading this book. I am about half way through. So far, the beginning was good, but I am a little lost for interest in the middle. He spends time with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It seems a little repetitive and just filler. We will see where it takes me.
To deal with all this frustration, I am trying to get more organized with many areas in my life. Today it is the house, which is a never ending task. I rearranged the entire living room. Almost everything is in a different place. Went through the kids books, created new areas for them. I started on Saturday and Zinnia came to help me on Sunday after mass. She was most irritated by my blog.
It's hard to feel settled with life when there are so many questions, things up in the air. Will we stay here? When will we leave? Nothing is permanent. I don't think I will feel settled until I know N has a job he likes and we own the house we live in. I feel like we are stuck in limbo, not sure which way to go. How do I get past that and be content where I am right now?
Reformation. Is that the right word? Do I need to change the way I look at everything? Try not to let the evil of frustration take over so easily and give it over to the Lord. Just go with things as they come. I am such a planner, it is hard to not have it all straightened out ahead of time. For some reason, Thanksgiving is on my mind all the time. It seems I have a fear of spending the holiday alone as we did last year. It was so very depressing. Just not sure which direction to turn. Maybe I just need to put it out of my mind and not worry. Sometimes I feel this frustration occurs after I have had a migraine. That experience can be so hard on the entire house. I try my best to power through it, take my meds on time and keep moving. I don't want the pain to take over and crawl under a rock. Many times that is how I feel, but can't for my family. These kids need my. All I want is to give them a great foundation and wonderful memories. I need to embrace motherhood more. Worry less about the schedule and mess. We have three great kids. I am proud of each one of them. They are getting easier to handle as they grow. I know different challenges are around the corner. I have to keep the faith that things will work out the way the are supposed to for all of us. I had more faith before we moved here. I don't know why, but some of it has been lost along the way. This journey in Michigan has been rough. Minnesota was rough too. We experienced many difficult times there, but I didn't lose faith. I had my family right there to help me through. Friends, new and old were there to be with me. It was reassuring and comforting. Knowing my sister was just a short drive away gave me great comfort. Being able to put the kids in the car and head north to my parents house put me at ease. I didn't feel pressure to fit so much in to a short visit. We had all the time in the world to take trips up north. I don't feel I wasn't able to take advantage of that time. We made many trips and saw each other throughout the year. It was just as I pictured it would be. I may have overlooked N and his job. I assumed he would be a success. He is smart and good at everything he does. We worked well together parenting. I never had a doubt about us, being parents, and our life together. I had total faith in us. The last year has left me questioning so many parts of my life. Not that I would ever leave or want to, it's just that something has changed. I feel unsure of so much. Once again, limbo.
So, today I will try my best to change the frustrating parts in my life. I want to pray more and be thankful. Embrace my children and each day I have with them. I want to be happier and satisfied. In order to accomplish these things, I need to change our daily routine. Maybe by starting out the morning with a daily prayer and being sure to get my work out in. I have caved the last two weeks with the work out schedule. I was on a role, but the migraine won, defeating my motivation to work out.
Maybe this is too raw to publish on a blog, but if I don't, I just keep it all inside. The frustration builds and chaos begins. Publishing a blog like this gets my feelings out to those who I don't talk to every day. Gives them a window into our life. Maybe it is a good thing, maybe not. I have so many people I miss terribly and wish I could talk to on a regular basis. I wish I knew more about who was actually paying attention to this and reading it. Perhaps, if you are reading this, you could leave a comment of some sort. Just that you were here. Leave your mark for me to know you understand or follow.
I read the book "Eat, Pray, Love" recently. In one of the sections, she discusses Catholics and Lutherans. I can't find the exact quotes, but basically she discusses the Italian Catholics as being unable to make plans. Who knows if we will be here tomorrow or next week to commit to these plans, its all in Gods hands. She states that if you ask a Lutheran to be at a location on a certain day, they will be there. Signed up and committed. Maybe this was a bad comparison without the exact words from the book. It left me wishing I could be more like the Italians in the story. Less internal stress and free. I still want to commit to things and follow through, but maybe have it not be so much of my focus. Take the days one at a time and see where they lead me. Like today, I didn't have a plan. So far, I have half the house clean and my thoughts poured out on the Internet. We will see where that takes me.
I would like to enjoy more time with the kids and worry less about other things. That is my goal. We will see how the changes go. I better return to my tasks so I can be sure to get the work out in before Three changes her mind on what she is doing. Thanks for listening, but please let me know that you are!

A Crummy Day

We started out alright. I had to sub today. I have been excited to do so and happy to have the extra money. At the end of today, it seems selfish. By doing the sub jobs, I have to count on others to take care of the kids. Not sure it is worth it anymore. N had to work at 1 today. I made arrangements for Zinnia to pick her up and spend from 1 to after school pick up at their house. I know she doesn't mind and I do it for her in return. Today turned out to be different. I talked to N just before noon and everything was fine. I did not have a chance to check my phone after that. Six got hurt during school. He fell of playground equipment. He couldn't remember what or how it happened. He has two bloody sores on his gums and a fat lip. No one was able to get a hold of me on my cell phone. I felt like the worst mom when I met Zinnia at the school with not one, but two of my kids. She is his emergency contact. I guess he was able to see N for awhile before he went to work and then went out to Zinnia's for the afternoon. I wish N would have called me through the schools phone line and told me what happened. I was frustrated with hi m because of that and the way Three was dressed when I picked her up. She was wearing a summer dress and a skirt. It's November! Then when we got home, the house was a mess. Laundry all over upstairs. Noodles on the carpet. UGH! Needless to say, I think my subbing days are over. It is not like its a big money maker. I only get $65 a day. Doesn't seem worth it for all the stress it causes at home and for involving others. Here I was on a role, eager to write a Christmas letter and enjoy our time until Christmas vacation. Now, just all seems down.
As frustrating as I felt today, I still tried to come up with something to eat at home. I had bought some really cheap cheese pizzas. Felt guilty, they are even more cheap than tottinos. When they were done, I cut them to find a clump of black hair under the crust. Whether it was there from the package, or somehow on my pan, I do not know. At that moment, I caved. Packed them up and went to Little Caesars. I don't care if it was our last $8.00. I got them a crazy bread, sauce and a hot and ready pizza. Can't eat any of it myself, too disgusted. Back to disliking Michigan, wishing we were still in Minnesota and dreading Thanksgiving. Won't set tone very well for December.

There will be days like this

Subbing is hard work. Third grade is great, I really enjoyed the kids. They are old enough to sit and do what they are told without repeating too much. I was exhausted by the end of the day. Would have loved to call in sick to RE, but that is not really an option. It was a very full day. N took Three to preschool and picked her up. She then went to play at Zinnia's so N and Mr. D could do some fishing. They came back with some small ones for the pond. The kids were so happy to see them and the fish. It was nice, but I was very tired. I was glad N was able to fish. It is beautiful out today also. He just left to try his luck at it again. Six loves to eat fish. He was disappointed there was not more last night. Hopefully N will get some today. Five seems to be hard up for N's attention. He threw a fit last night and the night before. He gets enough sleep, but is always the first to wake. Thanksgiving break can't come soon enough.
I finally got back on my elliptical today. It felt great. Last week was rough. I had a migraine yesterday, that didn't help.
Thanksgiving has been on my mind. A holiday I used to love, now is just depressing. It wasn't even this depressing when we lived in TX, but here is different. There is just no way around it. N works and we stay home. Sure do miss those days at my Aunt and Uncles when the kids had to go down the hall and eat on the floor. Never figured it out until now, wish I had a hall to send my kids too. I have happy memories of it. It wasn't a sentence. We had our own little area for our conversations. I can see why the adults did it and probably liked it. They had a peaceful meal too. I always think of stuff like that during the holidays. I am thankful we will be able to leave early this year for Christmas. Should be a nice long visit. I am sure it will go by fast, it always does. Just looking forward to spending time with family and friends.

Kindergarten Bake Sale

We brought cut out cookie airplanes. Predictable, yet disappeared right away. Wasn't sure how to frost them, with some creativity, they were approved by all.
It was a busy morning.
Two subbing jobs set for next week! Third grade first, then fourth on Friday. Very exciting.
We made tortilla soup today. First time this season. It was great. Everyone loved it as usual. Sure do miss those Texas nights sharing tortilla soup with the neighbors.
Friends came for pizza and soup. It was fun.
As boring as this is, I am so tired. Even after a cup of coffee around 7, I am kaput.
Getting excited about the German time with Mr. L. Talked with Mr. T today too. He is excited to teach Six's class German as well. Have to get a schedule set up and figure it out.
Lots to do in the next two months!

Kindergarten

Spent the morning with Five's class. Mr. L is going to let me do lessons on German Christmas with the kids. He is just as excited as I am! Should be fun. Now to dig out my lesson plans and find my books! Sure do miss being able to speak German on a regular basis. Maybe I can have some lessons done with Six's class too.
Yesterday while hanging out with Third Grade, I noticed a change in them. When the office would call for an early dismissal, their faces were hilarious. At first the person whose name was called would act shocked and surprised. Their face quickly changed to proud as they gathered their belongings. It was followed by envy from the other students. You'd think they won a golden ticket! Everyone was green with jealousy that they were not called. It was comical, just had to share.

Update

Well, we made it through Halloween. It was fun, but I hate to admit, not my favorite holiday. The parties at the school were wild, but a good time. I was able to go thanks to Mr. D who watched Three that afternoon. Did I mention that already? I can't even remember. It's been so long since I blogged. Halloween was good, but we got off on the wrong foot. We weren't ready when our friends were. We rushed out the door to catch up and didn't get good pictures. Oh well. I may have them get dressed one more time and stand in front of the house for fun. We carved our pumpkins that night due to N being at work. Just took longer than I thought. It was cool outside, I wasn't prepared with Three. At the last minute, she changed her mind about her costume. She went as Nemo, which was better because it was warmer. I forgot mittens for her though and had to run home for some. They had fun. Half way through, Five decided the heck with his headpiece. I was thankful because then he put on a hat to cover his ears. He looked like a Shepard boy or something. I know the only reason he was ok without the headpiece was because without he thinks he is Ben Kenobi. When he lost his belt, Zinnia said he looked like a waffle with a strawberry on top. He really did, but didn't appreciate the comment. You know his sensitive ego. I think they had just as much fun handing out candy as they did getting it. After the parties at school, Six said he wanted to save some of his candy to give to the kids that would come to our house. He is so sweet.
That was our weekend. Thankfully, they did not have school on Monday. We needed a day off to recover. We stayed home all day. It was nice. Today was a whirlwind though!
My first subbing job was today. It was only a half day with third grade. Three had preschool and we needed to vote. Once we were childless, we voted and hit the grocery store. N made some stew in the crock pot. We did not have RE tonight so I planned to go to the PTO meeting. I can never go because of teaching RE. Wouldn't you know, the day I go to sub, they call N into work for overtime. He was able to pick Three up from school, but had to go to work shortly after. Zinnia to the rescue! She picked her up and kept her until pick up after school . So glad she isn't working on Tuesdays anymore! We made it to PTO, excited for an hour without children. (They have free babysitting!) Or so we thought, the teenagers never showed up and I watched the kids while the meeting was going on. They were all perfect. They sat and colored during the meeting. I still had to run some to the bathroom and didn't get in on most of the meeting but oh well. It was nice. The principal made a comment about be being there ALL DAY. They have asked me back for next Friday. 4th grade this time, we will see how that goes. The third graders were nice. I enjoyed them. They know how to keep you on task. It was good to get back into the school again. Left me excited to do it again. Tomorrow I help in Five's classroom. Should be a busy day.

Saturday Mornings

I used to wonder how my mom did it. We would have stayed up late visiting, getting ready for some holiday and the next morning she would be up making breakfast. Well, I think I have (as with many things in my life) followed in her footsteps. Three was awake at 5:45 am today and I was up with her. We had potatoes, sausage and eggs for breakfast. I finished my book. Why is it so hard for me to sleep in? I can't sleep past 7 even without interruption. Must be a mom thing.

Freitag

What a day. I am spent. Got the boys out the door, ready for Halloween festivities. Three and I headed to Zinnia's at 9:30 am. Never thought we would not come home until after 5. Chili for lunch and off to the school for a Halloween parade. The kids come through the cafeteria to show their costumes. It was great. Five was so proud. I am positive no one knew what he was, but he was happy. Mr. D watched Three for the afternoon. I was able to stay and help out in both boys classrooms. It was fun. I learned a fun new game called 1, 2...11. They love it and it is so easy!
After the fun filled day at school, we went trick or treating to a local nursing home. The kids did great and we sure made some people smile. Mr. D's dad is there. The kids were able to trick or treat with the patients, then they had free ice cream in the soda shop. There was also a buffet with chocolate fountains, fruit, crackers, cheese, and all sorts of sweets. We made it home just after five. They all went straight to the tub. Chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese made everyone happy. We missed out on pizza night. Still feel bad about that, but after today, I am sure I would have had very crabby kids. Plus, the budget ran out early and there are no funds for pizza. Just getting by with what we got.
Not sure how I feel about Halloween anymore. Yes, the costumes are fun and the kids love it. I just saw so much waste today. All the classes had parties and many from Fives class threw out plates full of cupcakes. It was a lot of sugar today. After spending time at the dentist, I sort of feel like sugar is the enemy. Guess I need more sleep.
We have tomorrow to recover and Halloween is on Sunday. N will be home in time to enjoy the festivities. Looking forward to having nothing planned for tomorrow except pumpkin carving.

The Doll House and Fire Station are built!

Poor N, participating completely in my projects. I got him involved, way more than planned. He is such a trooper. He supports me and my crazy ideas. My friend "They call me Mommy" made these really cute doll houses and peg people. I loved them and wanted to make the too. Well, had a few issues. I couldn't find what she used for a house. N helped me by building houses for me. I decided to take on the project as a bday gift for Zinnia's twins. Of course I couldn't give a Four year old boy a doll house. We made his into a fire house and it looks great. We even have a fire pole! I can't wait to post pictures. I have had so much fun making these. I don't know what I was thinking when I started, but some how I thought I would get away with just making two. Our group wants one too. I think N plans to make them one, but we need more plywood.
Halloween excitement is all over our house! Tomorrow is a party for Three at preschool. The PTO sponsors a pumpkin festival tomorrow night.
N decided to get on the elliptical now. It's late and it may have woke up Six. He is chatting away random thoughts. He is a funny boy. I can't believe all the things he is learning. I wish he would take more time with his handwriting, but no. I think it's his least favorite subject. He loves math, just like his dad.
Five wanted to do Six's homework again tonight. He is loving the dry erase board and was writing new words down. He is very eager to learn to read.
Three always fights for attention during homework time. Never fails, she will make as much noise as she can to draw the attention away from the boys and on to her. She wanted to "go somewhere" all day today. We stayed home. It was nice.

A Case of the Mondays? Oh wait, it's Tuesday.

I went to the dentist. I think he is so nice to you because he knows, he may ruin the rest of your day. I have had plenty of experience with orthadontics and jaw surgery, but not the dentist. It was rough. Thankfully N came home and made me a shake. We ate early and the kids played outside. Six is in love with his bike, just in time to put it away! Five took off the training wheels and did very well. Three got on the Deigo bike, but didn't last long.
I have been working on a doll house project. I am looking forward to posting pictures. N made one house today. More progress on Nuthatch!

"Five takes casual to a different level."

This is what N said as we were leaving church today. Five does what Five wants sometimes. I pick and choose my battles with him. He went to church in his gray puppy Minnesota bound tshirt with camo pants and flip flops. It is very nice outside today, I let it go. He went to Sunday school during mass. Three was with him. She too dressed herself with her favorite tshirt from Auntie J and jeans with butterflies. She did have on tennis shoes, as did Six.
Three's latest phrase is "Over here, come and get me over here boys." Of course she is talking about her brothers and dad. N chases her around the house and she squeals. When days like this happen, I can't help but think about being at my parents for the holidays. How great it will be, but also how much they are missing. This situation still bugs me on a daily basis. There is nothing I can do about it for the time being. Just get through it and keep going I guess.
We are working on projects for different friends today. We just finished painting in the front yard. Two pictures per child and a few colorful rocks to decorate our front yard made for some pretty happy kids. We are going to make books later, as soon as I find the energy to do my workout. Our neighbors think the duplex is sound proof. 2 am, I had already fallen back asleep at least 4 times. I went over there in my pj's and jacket. They couldn't even hear the door bell, the music was so loud. All I said was "It's 2am. My husband has to work tomorrow. Can you turn it down?" She was very apologetic, but it seemed a little fake. Who knows. Sure do miss the other neighbors who lived there. With that, I hope the rest of the day is calm and smooth. Not sure I have the energy for chaos today. It was great N was able to come to church again this morning. Not sure when it will happen again. Maybe after January, when his schedule changes.
Oh dear, I spoke too soon. Both boys are in tears over Legos. Looks like no one had a restful night last night. Bedtime will be early tonight!

Samstag

Well, I am behind on my blogging. Sorry for that. Busy time with this group. We had parent teacher conferences for Five. I was very curious what Mr. L had to say. With so many parents putting their kids in school later, I wondered what kind of review Five would get possibly being one of the younger kids. Mr. L said we have sent him another very nice little boy. He is very different from the last, but very nice to have in class. He had a good report all around. He can work on some letter sounds and being responsible for his personal belongings. I was proud to hear how well he is doing. He has adjusted to the routine and things are going very well.
We had our last soccer games last weekend. The boys were happy and did great. They were very proud of their trophies too. We took some pictures. It was officially a successful season. N and I did alright as coaches. The parents seemed happy and thanked us for stepping up. Six loved every minute of it. I bought some Halloween oreos for them to pass out at the end. Proud moment for all. I think they will want to play again in the spring.
Five is the first one to wake up every morning. One morning, he was up extra early, as was I. He wanted to take a bath. I set him up and went down to make breakfast. Later, he came down when everyone else was still asleep. He was in his pj's again. He shared with me that he had put on clean underwear. I told him I was just about to ask him that. He smiled big and said "I can read your mind!" I laughed and told him maybe he should be a magician for Halloween. He told me about his student teacher at school and how he had read her mind earlier in the week. He also said a kid at his lunch table turned one napkin into two! Oh the minds of five year olds. He brings us so much joy in his own special way. His name means laughter and he is the joker of our family.
Six has aced all his spelling tests so far. This week was pretty easy. Now he brings home flash cards with addition for homework, along with his spelling words, word wall work sheet and math work sheet. He really likes his teacher. Our mornings are easier now. There is less complaining and everyone falls into place the way the routine goes. We are like a well oiled machine getting ready to leave for the bus. Six is such a happy boy. He rarely complains and always has his things in order. I can't complain about him one bit. We are very proud of the big boy he has become. Tuesday nights I teach his religious education class at the church. I am really enjoying that time with him. Its something we are doing together, just the two of us.
Three is having a great time in preschool. She has come home sharing songs and stories with me. She can't always think of them when we get in the car, but later on that day or in the week, something will remind her of what she has learned. Today she told me she learned about Adam and Eve. The comment came from out of nowhere. It was sweet.
We worked on Halloween costumes today. Six wants to be Darth Vader. We found a mask at goodwill for $1. Grandma had made the boys a black cape last year. Today we put black fabric on cardboard, then painted the red, green, white and silver buttons for his chest. We are going to attach it to one of N's old black tshirts. He should be set. Three wants to be a ballerina. Fair enough, Grandma had made her a tutu last year. A pink shirt, white pants and Zinnia had ballet slippers. I made a pretty hair tye with ribbons, lace and beads. We might try a wand too. She was so happy. And Five, oh dear Five. He and his wonderful ideas just make my head spin. He wants to be Kid Visto. I am not sure how to spell it, but Kid Visto is the ultimate Jedi on Star Wars. We googled him and there was no way I could make the movie character. Well, that was fine with Five. He wants to look like the Lego Kid Visto. OK, I can work with that. He has a green face and these hair like things all over his head. Two come down over his shoulders. I just happened to have some upholstery fabric that is the right shade of green when turned inside out. So, I begin to create my best version of Kid Visto, Lego man. I took a winter hat that was almost too small and stitched the upholstery fabric all around it. Then I made tube like pieces and stitched them on too. I had a piece of camel colored fabric that I cut a square in to slide his head through. Tied my brown belt from my coat around his waist, and we have Kid Visto. He loved it. He was so happy and proud. I am pretty sure no one will know who he is, but oh well. He is very excited about it. That is what Halloween is about, right? I will try to post pictures. I would like to post the Lego guys picture too. We will see if I can figure it out.
Everyone needs a bag of candy to pass out. There is a Halloween parade on Friday at the school. Looking forward to that and the pumpkin festival. Come over if you can! The kids love to hand out candy. Six told me he likes handing out candy the best. Another successful week!

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

I just made this tonight and it turned out great. Wish I would have taken a picture. It could have been a bit stronger with the red pepper flakes. Next time I think I will add more. Kids didn't try it. They couldn't wait that long. Let me know if you give it a try!

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

Prep/Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Cost: $1.33/serving

8 oz uncooked thick rice noodles (I only had linguine, tasted great!)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter
4-1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 Tbsp canola oil, divided
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup shredded carrot

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, peanut butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, garlic and pepper flakes; set aside.
In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 1 Tbsp oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Stir-fry broccoli and carrot in remaining oil for 4-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir sauce mixture; add sauce and chicken to the skillet. Drain noodles; toss with chicken mixture.

Recipe from Taste of Home Simple and Delicious October/November 2010

Sunday

Sunday used to be a tough day for me. First, it was difficult to get three kids dressed and out the door on time for church. Then, buckle, unbuckle, followed by a long mass still alone. I would look at the other families in church with a hint of jealousy. They were together on this day. I remember being with my family on Sundays growing up. It's not like there is anything I can do about it, I have learned to deal. I have a husband who works on Sundays, it's not optional. So, I continue on getting them ready, bringing them and sitting through mass. Today was so very different from all the other Sundays. Today, N was able to come with! I don't think he had ever met Fr. L. It was a great morning. He was able to see where the kids go to religious education/Sunday school. We sat together during mass and it was such a great feeling. I appreciate each moment like that more now than ever.
Following mass, there was a mother daughter brunch. Zinnia's brave husband offered to have a "boys day" with the boys during the brunch. She took the boys out to her place after and said she didn't recognize Five in the back seat. He was SO excited for boys day.
The brunch was great. Three was cute with her friends. We took a picture of our little group of five and visited with some other mothers.
When we arrived to pick up the boys, we were not received in a friendly fashion. Five was so upset, he stomped his foot and said to Mr. D "We didn't get enough time!" He wanted us to leave. They had such a great time. They ate lunch on the playground in the fort area. They drove the tractor, played basketball, threw leaves at each other and enjoyed every minute. Five was really tired when we got home. They were outside for most of the day. It was a great day. I have to thank Zinnia and Mr. D for the wonderful afternoon. So many Sundays we spent alone. Now with all of these terrific friends, Sundays are great. I hate to keep repeating myself, but last year was really tough. The Lord has blessed us tremendously. I plan to continue to follow His lead and hope everyone stays happy and healthy.
Hope you had a great Sunday too!

Inspirational Sunday

Saw an infomercial on the magic bullet this morning. Left us wondering why we don't make all that cool stuff. As I type, N is coming up with something.
It's the mother daughter brunch at church today. Three is excited to attend with her little friends. Should be fun. N gets to come to church today! He had to switch his shift. He's never been with us to church here. Boys are off to play with their friend during the brunch. They are supposed to bring old clothing to get dirty in, boy did that make them smile! Should be a great day.

Freitag ist Pizza Abend!

What a day! N made the boys breakfast and were off before I knew it. I have been working on a painting project and got to finish part of it up this morning. I got my workout in and was debating on mowing the lawn. Not sure I had enough time to get that done and everything else, I skipped it. I made cream de menthe brownies and SIX pizzas! Yup. Six. Two taco, two sausage and two cheese. We had plans for Tulip and her family to come over, Zinnia and her group along with a friend, and R & R, (Nathans cousin and beau). My stress of the day was from Three. She was making me crazy. While I was trying to get everything done, it was exhausting because I had to negotiate and explain everything ten times to her. Five put in a request to be picked up from school today. More work for me, but I wanted to do it for him. It was a struggle to get shoes and socks on her. She changed three times. Once we finally had shoes on and were in the car, she couldn't make up her mind which seat to sit in. We were almost late for pickup. Got the boys and Six had half of a melt down. I sent him to his room for quiet time and we skipped his homework for today. We have never skipped it, but today seemed like it was needed. He was fine after 10 minutes to himself. I finished getting pizzas made and put in the fridge. Guests all arrived around 5. We walked to the parade together. The people who lived where we sat seemed very irritated with us being by their house. We came home with treats and an enthusiastic group! We had three six year olds, one five, one four, three threes, a one and almost 9 months.
R & R had their dogs with. My kids love Sophie. They are always excited for her to come. This was our first time meeting R's R. He was very nice. We were impressed.
Pizza was served and kids went to play. Adults had their pizza sort of in peace. As peaceful as it can get with most of the group being down stairs. They came up and it was almost 8pm. Most are in bed before that on a normal night. I had made the cream de menthe brownies and served them to the adults. As the children came up from downstairs, their eyes grew bigger and bigger once they saw a plate of brownies on a pedestal. I had to talk them into a to go box instead. After everyone left, my group would do anything for a brownie. I had my fill of Three and had to get her in the bed as soon as possible. We had a potty accident today and she attacked her friend twice. I don't know what to do with her. Not sure what the accidents are from. It's been a tough week on her I guess, but I am not sure why. I let the boys stay up for a brownie. They were good and deserved a reward. Everyone was in bed by 8:30 and I was able to clean up before N got home from work. He was expecting people to still be at our house when he got home. Everyone was too tired.
In the end, I was left with an extreme thankful feeling. Once again, this time last year, we were at the parade alone in the rain. It felt so good to be there with friends.