Ice fishing adventures

G went to the store and sent donuts with the fishermen this morning. Too bad they weren't lucky donuts, they only came home with one fish. All were happy, even with one fish. More adventures to come!

Wrapping it up

We are down to the last few days of our MN vacation. Our latest interest, ice fishing. Well, when say our, I mean their. Even the fisher lady loves to go sit out on the ice! She usually only lasts an hour. The boys however have spent more and more time on the river with their dad. Just the other night, they came home with 6 walleye! Two were pretty big and everyone was very pleased. We've enjoyed movie nights with G & G. Cars 2 has been the number one choice more than once. We made a trip to GF to exchange Lego's from Christmas that were duplicates. They also spent some gift cards and yes, purchased more Lego's. We checked out the fish tanks at Cabela's, but were surprised to see them so empty. Two painted turtles swimming laps made up for the lack of fish. We drove by the house where N used to live and showed the kids some of the places we went to when we first met. They got a kick out of those stories. Seven said "first you date, then you fall in love." Surprised by this, I asked where he got his information but never found out. We stopped at the Red Pepper East, a local sandwich place I haven't been to since I was in college. They were one of the only places to deliver to campus during a snow storm. It was fun.
We haven't seen quite as many friends and we usually do. Winter makes it more difficult. I'm not quite up to speed these days. I'm usually in bed before 10 or shortly after. Hopefully tomorrow we will get to visit some houses and New Years eve morning we have a date with Daffodil! The favorite fishing spot is close to her mom's house. Should be a good time.
Last night we had pizza and relaxed. Tonight I get to go out for Chinese with my friends. I always look forward to nights like that. I will probably miss out on a walleye dinner, but don't get to see these girls very much, especially without kids around.
Just a few more days and we will head back to MI.

A sense of normal

We are still on vacation, but I think the honeymoon is over. Poor G's house is a mess. I tried to contain our things tonight, hopefully that will help. At least there aren't signs of us around every corner, just half.
The fun and treats are getting to us. It's too much and we need some structure. Late bedtimes, early mornings are not great combinations. Tonight was late. I hope fix that tomorrow night. I will fix it by Thursday night since that is when I want to go with my friends. It's been great visiting with so many. Tonight Rose came over. Poor Rosebud wasn't feeling well and couldn't come. Her big brother came and hung out with the boys for awhile. It's always fun to get our kids together.
Uncle Dv has Seinfeld on upstairs. Off to have a few laughs!

5,555

Just happened to notice that is the number of page views as of this morning.
Great week ahead! China King with some girls! More visits to friends and family. A movie in GF!
We will see where it all takes us.

Christmas Pictures

It's a Minnesota Christmas, or is it?

First time in my life there was not snow in MN for Christmas. I believe that was my children's only disappointment. Well, maybe also the fact that they have to wait to play Lego's until their father wakes up.
We spent a lovely afternoon with cousins on Christmas eve. Lasagna and cheese manicotti were on the menu. Not really the traditional Christmas meal, but delicious all the same. In the past we have attended mass on Christmas day. Never have we been to mass with my kids on Christmas eve. It was a nice change I was thrilled we could make.
The mass was beautiful. Fr. R invited the kids to the altar for a story. Baby Orchid was such a good baby during mass. She is the sweetest little thing. We returned home to enjoy appetizers and open some presents. Six was a little out of control with the gifts. Or perhaps we have too many rules, I am not sure. He jumped the gun and opened some ahead of everyone else. We received many wonderful things and all were very happy.
My children had argued over how to honor Jesus on Christmas. Seven wanted to sing happy birthday with the cha cha cha's like they do at school. Four wanted to say a prayer. Six said he would just smile, as instructed by Fr. B. Six wore his pj top and swim trucks while we opened gifts. He was concerned about sweaty legs and the only shorts he could find were trunks.
Christmas day too was wonderful. We opened Santa's gifts and headed to Greenbush to see Great Grandma M. She told me I looked great. Made my day! She doesn't always know who we are when we have visited in the past. I think she knew this time, at least to start with. She commented on how great it was to see all of us. Baby Orchid made her smile so much! She held Baby Orchid and seemed to be very happy.
Orchid and Uncle T headed to see his family.
We spent the rest of the day enjoying time together. Boys built Lego's all afternoon. We had to talk them into taking breaks for meals. G & G took them to drive and look at lights last night. Coach Pete always has his lawn completely decorated. You can walk through his yard and rumor has it they had 30 lumiaries set up. Two out of three fell asleep on the ride home. Seven informed G & G "my mom and dad don't let them fall asleep." He knows. Four was up too late after her cat nap.
Today we are going ice fishing on the river! I hope to hear from some friends. Tomorrow we need to make arrangements with friends too. Wednesday or Thursday we may head out of town to the movies. I really want to make my coupons for New Years day work. I have a significant discount on shoes, but only good on NYD. We decided to stay two more days! I will get to see some friends who we were going to miss. Still thrilled to be here and want to cherish every day, making great memories.

A relaxing day at Grandma's

Today was very easy at Grandma's house. We wrapped presents and enjoyed time together. Poor Grandpa had to work. It was his last day though, we will enjoy having him home for the next week.
Baby Orchid has been lots of fun! We got to rock her, play with her and some of us have had quite the opinions on her wardrobe. Grandma says Baby Orchid is "as sweet as sugar!" She is a sweetie pie.
We all had a laugh when Grandma tried to get us to take stuff home with us. Orchid and I had a few chuckles. Four was thrilled with some of the things we got.
N has been on the river the past two days. He caught two northern pike today, but no walleye. He will keep trying.
The boys have spent quality time with Uncle Dv. They watched a baseball movie about the Twins today. Not sure what else they are doing, but everyone's happy.
I think we are ready for tomorrow! Relatives come at noon. I better figure out what I am going to wear.

Blessed with another journey

We have arrived! Tuesday was slightly questionable, but over after 6 hrs in the truck. Wednesday was much better. The journey was slightly different with two readers in the back seat. Six read many billboards to us along the way.
Our hotel stop was nice, but I was exhausted. I still made myself go swim for a short time that night. The kids stayed up too late, but slept in compared to their normal time.
The road trip was uneventful, thankfully. In Superior, WI, we were stopped at for a train. Instead of waiting, we decided to make it our last potty break. N took the boys inside and I waited for the girl. Getting out of the car was a slow process for her. A Salvation Army bell ringer was watching our scene unfold. After a long preparation period, we got out and headed into the grocery store. The guy said "I remember those days." He had more sympathy when I told him how much further we had to go.
After that, everyone was anxious for Plummer (the town right before Grandma's.)
We arrived shortly after 7. Baby Orchid was awake and everyone was eager to see her. She had a reindeer hat and shirt on. We had to guess what color she would be wearing. Everyone was right with their guess.
We had a nice meal of ham and cheesy potatoes. Poor Uncle Dv had a movie ready for us, but I was too tired to watch. I am told tonight is game night. I better get a nap in today if I will make it. I am still on MI time and woke up at 5am!
Boys are up now, but with stuffy noses. Hope a little Claritin will help and that be the end of it. Ready for a great Christmas vacation!

Dinner in Freeland

Last night I went to a dinner at Fr. B's place. He invited all the catechists. What a treat! We've never been invited to something such as this. Daisy was there, poor Zinnia was home sick. We missed her.
Fr. B made a tomato bisque soup. It was amazing! There were tons of treats from various people, lasagna from the local restaurant and a fabulous salad with mandarin oranges and craisns. Some of the other catechists I knew, but never really had a conversation with before. It was fun for everyone to relax and swap stories. I got to know some of the other moms in the church community. There was even one dad there.
It was during these conversations I realized how small this community is. Three of the people there were related or very close for many years. I discovered one of the teachers from Sunday morning, her mom is the secretary at the school. It's all connected. People I've run into in the community, but did not realize the multiple locations or things we had in common. Overall, it was a lovely evening. I think I would have enjoyed it more, had I not so many things to accomplish when I got home.
We did not get the truck loaded as planned. I still have one more suitcase to pack and two loads of laundry to run full circle. All my teacher gifts are ready to be delivered, Four and I will take them to the school when we pick up our boys.
Azalea is coming over to get bricks, I'm sure I can twist her arm into helping me carry out my suitcases. She's such a great friend.
I feel 75% ready to go. With a later departure time, I am confident to feel 100% by the time we get the boys. If only I hadn't woke up at 4am! Poor N and his silly early shift. It will be a long day, especially since Four is up already. She is not the early riser of the family. I plan to get her back in bed now, we may have another hour before the boys are awake.

Back in business

After being on the couch Sunday afternoon due to a mysterious pain, we are back to our list and crossing many things off. Four and I were on a role! We got almost all clothing packed. Snacks and kid entertainment are next to the front door. We delivered Christmas gifts today and will finish tonight and tomorrow afternoon. We even managed to squeeze in lunch with both boys. $2 subs were a big hit with all. We picked up our last minute items at the store, which could have been a nightmare, but wasn't. The place was packed, but somehow we found a scan yourself check out without anyone there. We were out of there in no time! I hope to get Four in for a haircut. If not, she can go in MN. She was sort of excited about that possibility. Gifts are organized and packed. All I need left is to do two loads of laundry, pack N's things, bathroom things, toss together snow-pants, gloves, etc. and certain gifts no one can see. N has quite a list of his own sitting next to me.
It will all get done, I feel confident of it. Had a great day and hope the good feeling continues. Spirits are high and people are happy. Can only get better.

Pink is my favorite color

Not really, but I have that song stuck in my head. It's the middle of the night, AGAIN. It's sort of getting old now. I've been up at night too many nights this week. Not sure what my problem is. First it is the bladder, then hunger. If I ignore the hunger part, I am ill in the AM. Earlier this week I was up for 2 hrs in the night. Last night was really bad. stayed up until after 1:30. Finally fell asleep. Woke up by a child at 4:30. Then up at 6:50 to put a turkey breast in the crock pot, which turned out brilliantly by the way.
We had a nice visit with N's parents. The kids were excited for them to come. They had thought about things they wanted to do and discuss with them. You can tell the children are getting older, establishing relationships with those they do not know as well. Before, they would not have hung around the room while guests were here. Yesterday, they made connections with his parents. It was nice and they all enjoyed themselves.
Now the real work begins. Need to finish my projects and pack. Laundry is in need, but I want to hold off until tomorrow or so. The closer to our departure time the better. I plan to just pack the laundry. This is something I've come to practice. Why do the laundry, fold it and put it away, only to pull it out and into a suitcase? The items in the laundry are their favorites anyway.
Hate to say it, but we still have some baking to do. We're going to try peppermint hershey kisses on sugar cookies. They look really cool on the website picture. We also may have more pretzels to dip, this I am uncertain of. I wouldn't mind dipping more Ritz as well. The first ones didn't turn out so great. I hope to bring a nice assortment to my Mum's.
After the final count, we need 15-16 containers for treat gifts. We may be short only one or two. Looking forward to sharing our baked goods. Sent three plates home with the in-laws. I am sure the cousins will be excited for their plate to arrive.
Ok, I've had my snack, got a drink. Best try to get back to sleep.

Someone needs to take these cookies!

Yup, I think I'm done with baking. I love doing it, but this year seemed more of a challenge. I think it's because I've been having trouble with my back and hip. Without those issues, I would have enjoyed it more. I also didn't get to bake with friends. It was just Four and myself. Granted, she is great, but I had a hard time negotiating everything with her. She caught on eventually and was a success in the end. I know Grandpa will enjoy her frosted cut out trees. She loved every minute of it. Just reminded me of how fast she is growing up.
We delivered our teacher gifts to preschool today. Big smiles on the delivery girl. She was proud and happy to give the gifts. I am anxious to give the baked goods away for the joy of giving, but also to get my counter space back in my kitchen.
Picked up our boys today from school. They were happy for the weekend. N's parents are coming to town tomorrow. I have a turkey breast for the crock pot. Should be easy and yummy. Sunday I have to get serious about my list and getting organized. We will deliver the teacher gifts on Monday and hopefully load the truck that night. Tuesday will be here before I know it!

The fun with Baby names and Four

She's got all kinds of ideas! Today she was going with sounds and suggested names like Ping, Ahha, and Sta. With learning letters, how to write them and sound them out, she is all about new things. N read some popular names online out loud, boy was that a mistake. Now she is suggesting all the names I would never want.
Had a great doc apt. today. All is well and we got a green flag for our trip to MN. Just a few more days and we will make the great journey. Kids are excited. We should be all ready by next week.

We made advent chains on Monday night at RE. I am so happy we did them. Six was a little upset, we forgot to get them out the first two days. When we did, it was bedtime and I was too tired to "make something with mom." I promised to dip pretzels tonight after school. He was ok with that plan, reluctant, but ok.

Zinnia's watching the group tonight so we can go out. What a girl! I'd be lost without her. Kids are excited and want to bring pj's and tooth brushes to their house. N made fresh fajita's for lunch and oh were they yummy. The green pepper tasted the best. Boys will be home soon and our evening begins!

Appointments with Six

We have a healthy six year old boy. His visit was fine. Grandpa J calls him I-spy. Today, he showed his skills to Dr. M. Who else finds a screw on the floor at the doctors office? Then the doc says "the youngest one in the room always finds the most dangerous thing." Wouldn't you know, Six then finds a pill on the floor. Oh boy.

It was kind of nice, just Six and me going to his appointment. I really enjoy being with them individually, too bad we don't do it more. I told Six I love you. His response "I LOVE ME Too." Then he giggles and says he meant to say "YOU". What a guy.

Making my list, checking it twice

I've got a count down list started. I hope it is accurate, but I am sure there are things I've forgotten. Today we purchased groceries for our trip. Nothing can be more frustrating than coming home with a food item, only to discover it is open! UGH. This has happened to me three times in the past week. Last week it was a box of spaghetti. There was a lice on the top of the box, didn't even see it. From that same trip, but not discovered until later, I found a tub of yogurt open and some missing. Today we get home and a package of chex mix was open. The seal was completely different than the other package we purchased. Why did it wait until we got home to spill?

Moving on with my day, we will try to make those returns tomorrow. I have been in search of some camo pants for my boys. They carry them at Walmart, but each store I have been to recently did not have the right size. I finally found them, got them home and discovered both pairs were too big for each boy. I really don't want to return them, they will fit eventually. This does not help the fact that they want to wear them now. I hope to find them again tomorrow when we travel to my doctor appointment.

Today I take Six to see how healthy he is. Seven did great, the dentist trip was success, I'm not too worried about this next one.

I think I have all my Christmas presents done. There is room for one more, but just not sure what the gift should be. Now to get organized with the teacher gifts. I am really looking forward to giving those out. Not just because I can't wait to see what they think, but I want my counter space back in my kitchen. I was able to fit all treats on to one counter finally. It was like playing tetris.

N's parents will visit on Saturday. I hope to have almost everything done by then. All the gifts for our trip are together in two boxes, ready to go! Snacks are purchased and hopefully I will just need to load the truck and the cooler.

Bedtime prayers

There isn't much of anything better than listening to my children pray at the end of the day. I am in love with the things they are praying for. Their little minds have great ideas of what is important. Amazing the things they think of.

Tonight at RE we made paper chains. The children wrote on each chain something they were to do for someone else each day until Christmas. There were many sweet comments like hug mom and dad, walk dog, say a prayer to Jesus, etc. One boy really got my heart to break. He kept asking me how to spell different words, they were not like any of the words the other kids were asking about. His words were about no hitting, punching, etc. It was surprising to see his thoughts out on paper. He tried to hide what he was writing, but I knew from the words he was asking me to spell.

In the end, we had happy, thankful kids thinking of others. We shared treats and played games. It was a fun night, but my back was killing me in the end.

Other traumatic news, we prayed for the people that tipped their car sideways near our house. We didn't see it, but Zinnia called 911 when she got to our house. It must have just happened and no one had called the police yet. Many sirens and praying for those in the accident.

Seven has a case of the Mondays

For some reason, Seven had issues when going to school today. He was fine all morning, then didn't want to ride the bus. I gave them a ride and he stood in front of the school in tears. He said he couldn't stop worrying and he had a bad dream last night. Then his belly hurt. I wasn't sure what to make of it. I told him to go use the restroom and see if that helped his belly. Then I said if he didn't feel well, just tell his teacher and I will come to get him. We agreed this was the plan and I would come to lunch to be sure he was ok. Poor guy.

In the end, he had a wonderful day. I am not sure what all these fears and worries are, we need to get to the bottom of it. One week left of school, then we are off to MN. It will be good for all of us to get a break. I pray the weather is cooperative for our drive. We will be breaking it up into two days. The hotel we plan to stop at has water slides! I told this to Seven today in an effort to brighten his spirits for next week. He's not very good at keeping secrets. He told Four right then and there. She has since forgotten. Poor Six is the only one who doesn't know yet. He will soon enough.

RE tonight, last class for the year. Fr. B has invited the catechists to his house next week for dinner! What a treat that will be. Poor N will stay home with our three, plus Zinnia's. We better sneak him some dessert.

I wasn't as productive with the baking today as I should have been. Tic toc the days are numbered. Tomorrow, Four and I will get busy. We need to have the preschool stuff done by Friday morning. Wednesday would maybe be better, but not sure I can increase the deadline to then. Four drew a girls name to buy an ornament for at preschool. Turns out I was pronouncing the name wrong and she didn't know who I was talking about. We have the ornament purchased, but it needs to be wrapped, as do all my gifts. My children used all my tape last week. I had put away one role, they got to it. UGH. Have to buy some tape before Saturday for sure, N's parents will visit. Need to have all my ducks in a row by then. I hope to just need laundry done and pack clothing on Sunday and Monday. The gifts are almost all ready and packed in the basement. Couple more to add and one or two purchases and we are done. No worries this holiday season, this was the message Fr. B has been trying to get across during advent. My only worry is the weather. I can't help it. I hope it is cooperative. I've been stuck in snow storms, they are not fun.
The other things, I know I will get done. There may be quite a few things hanging over my head, but I feel at ease and am not worried. We planned ahead and it will work out.
RE tonight and we're going to play games! Should be a nice night!

Exhausted, but fun

The St. Niklaus party was a very big success today. So much great food at the pot luck. Kids had good times with the games we came up with. Almost all the candy was gone at the end of the day! Necklaces, candy canes made from beads, pin the carrot on Frosty, and many others were enjoyed by all.
Seven made his first reconciliation. It was a good experience for both of us. Could have been better if the siblings hadn't started a fight in the church over candy canes. It was a long morning and afternoon.

Now for homework and kitchen duty. Just a few pans to wash. Low maintenance supper is a must tonight.

From the mouths of babes

Four cracked me up today. I started a holiday baking project, my kitchen was a disaster. After her assistance for the first two dozen, she was out of there. I heard knocking on the bedroom door. She was upstairs, trying to talk her brothers into letting her in. When everything she says doesn't work, she drops her voice down and says she is N. Of course this doesn't work either. She tells them in the same deep voice "If you open the door, Dad will give you a special penny today." Needless to say, that did not work either and eventually they just let her in.

Yesterday she was playing computer games. Sometimes she gets confused and somehow, there are ten windows open on the screen. They all have different voices and it can be rather annoying. N asked her to close some of the windows. Irritated, she gets up and goes to the actual window and tries to open it, but can't because it's locked. Then she complains to him that she can't do it. Hilarious living with this four year old that is just trying to figure it all out.

I also tried to explain to her that we wrote a letter to mail to family and friends for Christmas. She asked me "what letter?" It wasn't until minutes into our conversation that I realized she wanted to know what specific letter it was.

Baby names have been a subject in our household. Seven said he likes Isabella and Riley. Six hasn't had an opinion, yet. Four wants Elizabeth Claire. Wonder where she got that idea? It is still in discussion.

So many projects are in the works, baking, brick painting, card making, etc. At least the Christmas cards are done and ready to be mailed. We will drop them off this afternoon on our way out. Today we will set up for the party at the church. My friends are taking my kids so I can just get the job done without too much distraction. Amen to that!

My frozen potatoes are out, will be thawed by morning. I plan to bake the dish, then put them in the crock pot so they stay warm during mass. Should be a great Sunday! I hope I planned enough and didn't buy too much candy. Guess I better get moving. We leave here in an hour and I still have to wrap my board/present.

Staying satisfied

A few weeks ago, Fr. B talked about being content with what you have this holiday season. I wrote about it, but feel I failed to make the right emphasis on his message. Tonight, I feel as if I am on a friendship high. How lucky and blessed have I become in this community? Just two conversations with supportive friends helped ease my mind on the weekend ahead. I can do it. I can get the job done with a little help from my friends. A lot of help actually, but that's not how the song goes.

Back to Fr. B. In the past I have struggled with wanting more from this life. It has been a daily challenge, but I feel now I am in a place to be content. We still own our house in TX. This fact is preventing us from moving on in MI. As anxious as I am to have our own house and be as those around us, I rewind my thoughts to just being grateful. I am so thankful we found the house we live in now. It's newer, clean and spacious. Sure, it will seem slightly smaller once we add another member and all the baby equipment to our living space, but we work with what we've got.

I am reminded of this with our Christmas tree purchase. We got a small tree. It's not big and that's ok. We don't need the perfectly decorated tree. The kids did all the ornaments themselves. Some are cluttered in certain areas, others are spaced out nicely. Whatever the case, it was filled with love and enthusiasm. My conversations tonight with Daisy and Azalea brought back ideas and feelings from Fr. B's sermon. With supportive friends, I can do anything! Even have a fourth baby. Delphinium and I have had this discussion in the past and agreed, it takes a village to raise a family. I have my village and the right people in it. I am excited to share this chapter in my life with these people. New friends can become our family. Life was like this in TX and boy were those people hard to leave behind. Again, repeated the same thing in MN, but with my actual family closer that time. It was hard to leave there, both difficult, but in the same way. Here we are in MI, it will be three years in April. I never would have guessed we'd add to the family while here. It has become our home. We are satisfied and grateful. What will be, will be. The house, van, yard, space, etc. will come when it is supposed to. For now, we will live on Nuthatch Dr together and happy.

Project days are coming

Wasn't sure what my plans were for yesterday. With many possibilities, all riding on if the in-laws would be able to make it to town. They will come next week. Now to get my ducks in a row. Started painting bricks today with Azalea. Looking forward to passing more bricks out to teachers in the building. We started 12 bricks and we'll see how they turn out. Tomorrow is set up day for the St. Niklaus party. Hope to figure out a time and get it straightened out. Sunday is the party and Seven's first reconciliation. What a big day that will be! Aside from getting any baking project done, I do not have high hopes for being productive the rest of the weekend. Monday however, it's go time. My Christmas cards will be in the mail tomorrow morning, promise! Another thing to cross off my list.

For now, I think I should lay down before the boys get home. It's been a long day.

Sugar and spice, everything nice

That's what little girls are made of! Looks like we are going to be blessed with another little girl this April. If the doc is wrong, he will buy us, our neighbors and friends a pizza party. My SIL said he should buy us a baby shower with his friends instead. LOL

We have been given a peace of mind, she is growing as a baby should. All her measurements were accurate. She waved to us and made kissing lips. At first, we couldn't see her face. She kept her hands in front and to one side. N said she was practicing her boxing moves. When the nurse checked, the cord was in the way and she was not able to tell boy or girl. By the time to doc came, he said probably a girl. He couldn't get a good view of the heart from the front and had me lay on my left side for 5 minutes, then checked to confirm she is a girl. It was exciting to find out. I am still in shock she is there and now surprised to know our baby will be a girl. Some times throughout the day, I forget I am pregnant. Then I feel that little kick and am reminded she is there.

Four predicted a girl all this time. She had the same correct prediction with Baby Orchid, too. We picked Four up first from her play date with her classmate from preschool, then went to get the boys. She didn't want to wait to find out the same time as the boys. As soon as I said she was getting a little sister, she had the biggest smile on her face! She is proud and happy to be getting a little sister. Seven was also thrilled. Six, I am not sure about his reaction. He was disappointed we picked him up, he wanted to ride the bus. That negative feeling lasted a few minutes into our news. Slight disappointment from him, but happiness by the time we hit the parking lot changed his attitude fast. They all have name ideas, guess we won't be having a Pedro in the family after all.

Now to just wait for her arrival, try to take the best care of her I can and prepare. I am quite certain this will seal the deal for us and our family. The doc suggested we give her a little sibling to play with in a year or two and come back to see him. He has 12 kids himself and doesn't want to die a rich man. His children are making sure that is the way it goes. He was nice and fun, thrilled to label us a "big family." He doesn't see many of those. Overall, a very positive day. Lets see what Friday will bring.

Feelin pretty good for a Wednesday

Earlier this week I was a little worried of all we had on the schedule. Today, I feel pretty good about most of it. Dentist for kids was today. He had all praises for their report. A slight concern with Seven. Poor child to inherit my weird mouth issues. He may be developing toward a cross bite. Still not sure what it means, but the Dentist said he still has a lot of teeth to get and growing to do. We get to just watch it and see for now. Sounds slightly familiar. I believe my first trip to the orthodontist was around second grade.

Four was amazing! This was her first time. She wasn't so sure in the beginning. Once she got in the chair, she soaked up all the attention. The lady was awesome and Four left there saying she couldn't wait to go back. Six didn't want to go in first, he and Four saw the same lady. Seven went to the lady who only does grown ups. He of course was great, a model patient. Eventually, Six was impatient and wished he had gone first. Funny thing about this dentist office, he had all the characters from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer movie under his tree. He also had the movie for the kids to see. They really got a kick out of those characters. I never realized/remembered the elf wanted to be a dentist. It was a great distraction while waiting.

While Four was at preschool, I got all my St. Niklaus stuff together for church this weekend. Now to just coordinate a time to set up and we are golden! Last night, Zinnia and I finished some Christmas cards and bean bags for the bean bag toss game. They turned out really great and now I can't wait to paint the board, then turn it into a giant present! I think I have all my ducks in a row and will be ready come Sunday morning. I purchased all the ingredients for cheesy potatoes again. They are easy and oh so good. They will go great with chicken from Pats.

Tomorrow is baby day! Yup, the day has finally come where we get to find out if we will have a boy or girl in April. Still so excited about this and shocked we are going to find out. From what I have heard, we aren' the first to not know with the first three, then find out with number four. Had a great conversation with a new friend this morning. After our chat, she helped me to feel more positive for the rest of the day. Gotta love friends like that!

Now that I've taken five, I better get some food going. N agreed to grill hamburgers for us tonight! Smiley face fries were on sale today. Happy kids, happy mom and happy dad, can only lead to a nice night at home Happy Wednesday everyone!

The Frosty Shoppe

Four and I spent the morning and part of the afternoon at the Frosty Shoppe at school today. The local grocery store brings in many items. PTO parents organize these items in the library. The children come down class by class and make purchases for the people on their list. Oh man, do some of them have quite the lists! Everything costs $1.50. I was shocked to see kids come in with $30-40-50. Trying to keep track of what they pick out for each person was a challenge. We wrote the items down next to the names, but even then there was some confusion. The kids are so proud and happy to pick out these items for their family and friends. We divided family members among the two boys. Grinning from ear to ear, they carefully chose their items. Watching them pick things out is great, but the best part is seeing the reactions from people they purchased for.

We will retrieve a Christmas present today we ordered online. I am almost prepared for the St. Niklaus party at church on Sunday. I have a growing list of things to get for that event. Wednesday we will pick up those items. All three kids have dentist apt. on Wednesday afternoon. What was I thinking? I will never schedule appointments again in December. Thursday we find out if we are getting a boy or girl in April. Four and Zinnia are sure it's a girl. Seven just wants it to be a boy. Six is somewhere in between.

Friday we will mail our Christmas letter. Had to wait for the big announcement to be official. Friday afternoon Azalea is coming over to paint bricks and the board for St. Niklaus party.

The weekend should bring more baking and Niklaus preparation. Saturday Azalea is meeting me at church to set up for the party. What a girl. It's great to be able to count on friends to come and help out when needed. I still need to finish the first reconciliation info with Seven too. Lots to keep us very busy this week!

The decorations are up!

I really wasn't in the mood to decorate. It's dragging so much stuff out, putting it up and away after our big trip that left me without motivation. We did not have a tree, yet another obstacle and purchase. Well, happy to report we bought a tree yesterday. Before N went to work, we got it all out and up. I shouldn't complain, we don't have as much decorative items as others I know.

The kids were thrilled. The tree is small and artificial, but will do just fine for us. Like I said, the kids are happy, that is where it's at.

The things we do for our children

Tonight I have taken on 4 extra kids to humor mine. Energy is high on a Friday afternoon. I promised pizza and snow cones. We have a new snow cone maker, hope it works. I enjoy having extra kids at our house, as crazy as that sounds. It makes our Friday night so much better to have company. Granted, I enjoy a night at home with just my group, but new friends change it up a bit and please everyone. They are outside getting out the energy right now. Luckily we have plenty of winter gear to go around. Two guests tried to take off their hats outside. I told them they needed to keep their hats on. One said he took it off because the flap on top was getting in his eyes. I brought him a red hat to wear. The other boy, younger, said he needed a new hat too and his favorite color was red. Good thing I had another red hat.
We are also lucky to have such a big snow pile right outside our back window. I can sit inside and watch them play, enjoying themselves and each other. We went over the rules, they need to stay where I can see them. Anything they bring out to the snow pile, they need to bring back to our porch. Happy kids = happy parents. I hope their parents are happy with their night at our house.

They are sweet kids. My children were so happy to have them over tonight. The oven is preheated and ready for a big Sams club cheese pizza. We got a new snow cone maker. Not really the right season for snow cones, but again, everyone was pleased with the idea. It will be dark soon, they will have to come in. We still have Lego's and an entire basement of entertainment. Should be a great Friday night!

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5,000 page views! Hard to believe, sounds like a lot. What a day!

First snow day

Today, we got to try out all our winter gear. Turns out, Four needs new mittens and possibly boots. Everyone else is set and well equipped for the winter months ahead. A snow storm last night left us without school today. Kids were thrilled. Zinnia's group came over early, snow or no snow, she still had to work.

My kids were out the door while it was still dark outside. Hot cocoa, pancakes, biscuits and gravy waiting for them when they came in from the cold. They got undressed, ate and went on their merry way to play. Wouldn't you know, only about an hour later they wanted to go back outside. I told them to wait a little longer, their stuff is not even dry. We'll see how long I can hold them off. They are all in the basement for now. Farm, duplos and bricks for entertainment. They made sections on the floor for each activity. What a group.

Pocket projects

After much, much effort, I am proud to say our pocket projects for birthdays/Christmas are finished. We began this journey in the summer months. They turned out really cute. We were able to personalize each one to the child receiving them for the holidays. They were a lot of work to make, but totally worth it. I'll post more pictures of others. We lucked out with this project. It was time consuming, but very affordable. We collected pockets from different people. It was fun to see the different pockets go one. Some from my kids I remember when they wore the pants at a certain age. Different shades gave different looks. Iron on patches and appliques made them unique.

This is for a certain little boy in MN. Haven't found everything for inside his yet, but some trucks that match the outside might be nice.

A little girl in MN will get this one. The big pockets were mine, the small pink ones belonged to Four. She wanted to add the dollies. Those were Four's, but we picked up new ones since taking this picture. The patches really add to finish it off, along with the letter, making it personalized.

This one is for Baby Orchid. Four wanted to fill it with some of her things. The small pockets in the middle belonged to Four. The big pockets on the bottom belong to Uncle Dv.

This one was for Cousin #9 for his first birthday. Boy was the leapfrog guy a big hit! He also loved the hammer. Inside other pockets are books and small baby trucks.

Best reaction yet: Cousin #6. The heat pockets on Cousin #6 were actually from pants she gave Four. She genuinely loved hers. Those were her exact words "I love it!"

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Almost 5,000 views! Yeah!

He fixed the truck!

Last night was one of those moments where N blew me away. Something was wrong with the truck. It's an old truck. We picked it up in MN fairly cheap last spring. We pulled my grandfather's old boat to MI with it. Who wants an old truck to turn into a money pit? Not us. Don't ask me what was wrong, he's told me twice and I still can't remember. The same thing was not working before and fixed by a MN mechanic, but became broken once again. He thinks maybe that was a bad part. Who knows.

Alas, it's Christmas, no one wants to put money into a vehicle this time of year. My engineer took it upon himself to figure it out. The part cost $50. Last time he paid much more than that to a very reasonable mechanic. Who knows what he would have been charged this time around.

Last night we were at RE. I was tired. Spending the evening hauling my kids up there, teaching 10 kids religious ed, then hauling my kids home at 7:45 was exhausting. In the parking lot, who drives up but my White Knight! At least that's what it felt like to me. He fixed the truck and came to rescue me, his exhausted, pregnant wife. Everyone smiled when they saw him, we all felt the same. It was a great moment, one that carried over to the rest of our night. Kids were in bed a little later, but it was alright considering they needed baths and such.

I am proud of him for figuring it out on his own. I would never be able to tackle such a project and know many others who would not even try. Hopefully that's it and we'll be ready for our drive to MN in just a few weeks! Kids are so excited. We found a new hotel to try with water slides. It's going to be a great Christmas!

Christmas letter preparation

I've started to get ready for Christmas. First thing, get the cards and letter out. When discussing this with Four, she didn't get it. I explained to her that we will send a card, picture and letter to our friends and family. "What letter?" she said. I said a letter daddy and I wrote. I explained further. It wasn't until she got frustrated and repeated her question that I got it. She's learning the alphabet and wanted to know what specific letter would be on the paper. Kids. She's getting smart fast.

Sunday night with Santa

We stopped by the township park building for a night with Santa. What a night it was! The chamber had lots of fun activities for the kids. Cookies, donuts and pizza, too. The kids had a great time. Santa was quiet and focused on the children. I had thought he'd ask their names or something like that. We haven't really gone to see Santa before. Mrs. Claus was great too. The school principal was dressed as an elf, reading books to the children. This was a nice touch. The kids were thrilled to see a familiar face. Hot chocolate and apple cider were ideal. There were even two reindeer outside of the building, sealing the deal with all the kids.
We haven't placed too much emphasis on Santa with our kids, but this may be Seven's last year believing in it all. I don't know. My mom always said if you stop believing, he stops coming. Maybe that will be our motto.

Just trying to be grateful

We are home on this Saturday night from an inspiring mass with our St. Agnes family. My kids were VERY well behaved. Just set a positive tone for the rest of our night. We were out the door, all bathed and had a snack, on time. Fr. B always has a warm greeting for everyone coming into the church doors. It makes you feel welcome and aware it was worth all efforts made to get there.

There are now changes to the Catholic mass, today was the first official day. The changes are small, but will take some getting used to. Fr.'s homily was fantastic. He inspired me to reflect on what I struggle so much with, being grateful. He brought up how this time of year, we are on go and move fast through the month. Why do we buy all these gifts and bake all these treats? For our own pleasure? Or is it the spirit of simply giving to someone else? He reminded us where the focus should be: on others, not ourselves. Ironic after my last blog entry, entirely of the deals I found for my children. I stated how excited I am to see their faces. Is that a selfish statement? Do I want to give just to give to my children? What about other children? This was the first year we took three tags from the giving tree at church. We had shirts to buy for a 14 month old boy, 6 year old boy and 7 year old girl. We brought in the shirt for the 14 month old tonight, but have not purchased the other two yet. We have until next weekend. I was glad we were able to participate this year. I want my children to see what it is like to give to those you do not know. I hope to keep the focus on the real meaning of Christmas with them. I think Advent and Seven's first reconciliation preparation will help remind me to teach them. Fr. challenged us to take an extra five minutes this week to pray. I admit, we've fallen out of the evening prayer routine again. We were on a roll, and then something changes our schedule and it is cut from the routine. Four always remembers. She says a prayer from preschool and never forgets. We could all learn from her.

I hope to really enjoy all of our Christmas preparations this holiday season. I don't want it to be like a drill or have to project. Thanksgiving was done with ease and no stress. I hope that is the theme for Christmas. I usually love this time of year, Advent and getting ready for the great holiday. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. What better reason to celebrate? The birth of our Lord brings families all over together. The miles and miles we will travel this holiday will be worth it for togetherness, for that, I am most grateful.

Christmas shopping success

Thank goodness for Santa Bucks! With a tight budget, I did not know if we would be able to get the children all they wanted for Christmas. Today was the Santa Buck special at the local grocery store. I had a list of things in mind, but uncertain of which and how many I would get. We did purchase two spinning Star Wars swords last summer for Christmas presents for $25. This was a good deal since their original price was $42 each. We got both on clearance and with other discounts. I found Star Wars walkie talkies for $9.99. The Lego set they wanted was originally $120.00. Last week, it was on sale for $107. I thought that was the best price to find, but was I in shock today. I found the same set on sale for $89! With $16 off in Santa Bucks, it was a really great deal! Both boys will share the Lego set, each get a sword and walkie talkie. For the girl, I found a digital Fisher Price camera. It's not the exact one I wanted, but was half the price. On sale for $34 and I got another $4 off with SB. She also wanted baked goods to make for her dollies. Found that for $19 with $6 in SB.

All the kids want for around $161. I was happy. It still seems like a lot of money, but I think we did the best we could on pricing. Relief and joy for having that part done. We only have about 6 other people to find things for and we are done.

Santa Bucks really worked for us this year. I didn't use them last year. Can't wait to see the kids faces when they open their gifts.

The big discovery

We're ready for change in our house, at least we think we are. It took some time, but we've discovered change on the horizon. Turns out, we will be adding to our family in April. We were pretty shocked when we learned this news. Due to surgery, not everything is there anymore. Wasn't sure it possible, it's been 4 years.

We didn't share this information for awhile, wanted to make sure it worked out. Once we were past the questionable stage, we told the kids.

We just got rid of almost all our baby items. We still have our crib, but no mattress. We have a swing, but it is missing a foot. Car seat prices have gone up compared to the last time we made one of those purchases.
It will be an adventure. We are excited and anxious to find out what kind of baby we are getting. We have never found out before, but plan to this time around.

I was nervous to start with. We've never had them this far apart. I had never given much thought to what it would be like having a new baby when our kids are bigger. They have ideas and opinions now. They were all so little when each other was born, some remember more than others.

Their reactions were:

"I think I'm going to pass out!" Seven

"For real?" Six

Four was all smiles and a few days after we told them said "I'm so glad we're having a baby."

This will be our only baby born in MI. The boys want to name it Pedro. All these Texans and the MI baby Pedro. What a group. They are all very excited and happy. It will arrive after the birthday of Seven. This made it easy for the kids to understand how long until the baby gets here.

I am at a loss for names. I love the ones we have, don't want to drop the ball now. I have no ideas yet. We find out in a few weeks. I figured we can focus on one gender after that appointment.

We are blessed to be sharing this news. We pray for a healthy, happy baby and safe delivery. Last summer I couldn't believe all the babies that were coming. Never would have thought we would be next. Guess it just shows how out of our hands life really is, He has His own ideas too. He's blessed us so far, praying for continued blessings in the next few months and years to come.

Thanksgiving with family

This is the first year in many yeas we have been able to celebrate Thanksgiving as a family, with family. It was a wonderful weekend. Sunflower was a great hostess. The kids were so thrilled to be together again. She was hearing all the same questions I was: "When are they coming? How long are they staying? How many nights do we get?" I love seeing the kids together. They enjoy each other so much and are making many great memories together. Cousin #5 and the boys are inseparable for the entire visit, always. They sleep in the same room, run around the house playing the same activities. On Thursday morning, they ate breakfast, got their coats and snow pants on and were off to find adventures outside. Cousins #7, 8 and 9 were also entertaining. Cousin #7 is the leader of the three. He is three years old and has lots of his own ideas. Cousin #2 generally follows along, but does get stepped on by the three year old brother. Cousin #9 is walking now! He just turned one year and seems too short to walk. He's all over the place and always has a smile on his face. He loves everyone and is pretty chatty, even if what he says doesn't make sense. Cousins #1, 2, 3 and 4 are always very helpful and sweet. Cousin #1 works at Cinnabon at the mall and brought home some yummy roles for breakfast. What a treat! She helped out with the big dinner and made life easier.
The meal prep was not stressful at all. So many helped and everything got done on time with ease. It was a wonderful day. Aunt Lilac and Aunt Lily were able to join us as well. We stayed until later in the day and then headed home. All children wanted to stay longer, but N had to work and I was tired. I didn't sleep the best the night before.

We are thankful we were able to spend the day together and that everyone is healthy and happy. What a wonderful Thanksgiving 2011 turned out to be!

Over the river and thru the woods, to the cousins house we go!

We are off on a Thanksgiving adventure! We've been celebrating all week. Spirits are high, kids are excited. We haven't seen the cousins since our trip to the zoo. This year is special as it is the first in many, many years that N has been with us. He usually has to work and we either travel without him or stay home. Aunt Sunflower has opened her house to us once again. Aunt Lilac will be there too. Bonus! G and G B are in FL for a wedding. They will be missed.

I've made a pan of pumpkin bars, caramel popcorn and dozens of mini muffins. We are almost packed, just need to get the car loaded.

Good times ahead! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Girl at a Ball

It's a favor for a friend. A night of fun, food and dancing. Her Date is polite, but nervous. There is no connection or attraction. They are simply together to have a good time. The car drives down the freeway, wheels go round and round. She's been on many dates before, all similar experiences and missing something.

They arrive at the Ball. Formal introductions are made to many people. Names and faces flash before her, not noticing any in particular. She's never been here before, does not know much about those around her. In her mind, she won't meet these people again. It's all a new environment, different from any other.

She spots him from across the room. He starts to make his way to her. Four people standing together for introductions, the Football Player, the Date, and the Lieutenant. The conversation starts with the Football Player asking her if there are other "good looking girls like her around because the Lieutenant is looking for a wife." The Lieutenant's face turns red as he grins. She thinks, pick me. Her heart flutters. She is enchanted to meet him.

It's time to sit down. He leaves. Her heart sinks. Suddenly, he turns around and approaches her at the table. His place card is right next to hers, Ms. C and Lieutenant B. They have been seated together. Brought together by something other than their own plan or ideas.

Conversation starts at a table of strangers. She visits with all at the table, her Date remaining silent. Her friends are merely Cadets and are seated at another table. The Lieutenant is to the right of her, pouring her wine. They discuss anything and everything. A sweet lady sits across from them, next to the Football player. She not shy and talks to everyone. Still, the Date is quiet. The dinner is the longest she has ever been to. Many courses. Stand up, sit down, toast everyone possible, including the President.

Finally the dance begins. She finds the Cadets. They are in a big group. Everyone is having a great time. Suddenly, the first slow song is played. There she stands in a circle of friends. The Date does not approach her, but the Lieutenant does. The music plays and they dance around the room. She's wonder-struck, there is no one else except her and him.

Her Date becomes ill. He asks the Lieutenant to take her home. The Date brings her coat and things. Once again, he is polite and says goodbye.

She's filled with excitement. The Lieutenant meets her at the table. They've shared their first meal and first dance. He leans over and gently gives her a kiss. She's forgotten his name. Brian, Ryan? She just can't remember. Then he says "Nathan."

The Cadets inquire about the Lieutenant, but approve. Not ready for the night to end, they drive to have coffee. It's late, but she's not tired. Before coffee, he kisses her again. They share each others story. She's never felt this way before and thinks she will marry him. This is something she keeps to herself because it sounds to crazy to say right now.

He brings her back to her hall. She asks if he wants to walk her up. They are complimented by strangers as they enter the hall. He comes to her room. There are no words held back, they discuss everything. They talk until morning.

He leaves and she can't sleep. A phone call to a good friend to share her experience. Sleep comes, but only for a few hours. She attends early mass and continues her day, thinking of him. Mid-morning, he calls. He shows up with flowers and wants to take her out to eat. It is the beginning of the end. An end to her seeing anyone else. This is it. She has finally found him.

They are truly blessed to have met and shared such a wonderful life together at this point and beyond.

Classroom festivals

Yesterday Four had a Thanksgiving festival potluck at preschool. I wish N could have come with, but it was on his work day this year. We took Zinnia instead. We had a great time. The kids did cute little song and dances, which were really fun to watch. There was lots of great food. It was a nice way to spend a Monday morning.

Tuesday brought another festival. Six celebrated with his first grade class. This was a slightly different experience. All first grade classes came and rotated participating in games. Mrs. L's class was at the hot potato aka hot corn station. After Mrs. L showed us how to play, Four and I took over the game and ran it for the next class. Four got to shake the noise maker or pat the drum. As she did, the children passed the corn cobs around the circle. When she stopped, they were out. It was fun to see the kids so happy and enjoy themselves. They held the same event last year, but N attended with Seven. Four had a party at preschool, it was the same time as the party for Seven. This year we were on different days. One of the best games was all kids sitting in a circle. They took turns in pairs. One child sat on a rolling cart, low to the ground, and shook bells. The other child was on another cart and wore glasses that were taped up so they couldn't see. In a Marco Polo style game, all cheered the kids on as they tried to find the rolling kid shaking the bells. Many had a great time with this one.

Four and I are home and for some reason, I am procrastinating getting my packing done. I need to pack and make pumpkin bars. Instead, I've been washing walls and blogging. Everyone needs to rest. I didn't sleep well last night. I am not sure why, but I was awake from 2 to almost 5.

Parent teacher conferences are today after school. Dinner with Zinnia and her group to exchange watching each others kids during conferences and then I am off to the movies!

I feel so blessed N is such a supportive guy. Last weekend he picked the kids up and put them to bed so I could finish my project with my friend. Last week he got our routine perfect when I helped Daisy out. Now he's letting me go to a movie with a new friend. He's great and I am thankful for him this holiday season.

Not much to report

We had a relaxing weekend at home. N went to work, kids and I entertained ourselves. I did get more things organized. The house is close to complete. Emptied out more closets, de-cluttered kids rooms one more time. I do have a stack of scrapbooks ready to be put away. I enjoyed the smiles and stories I heard from my children when looking at them. Made it all worth it to have created the books. Sad that I don't do it anymore. Just got too expensive. I have switched to online books. They get the job done. I print two to three a year and can include all I need from whats happened in those books. I just ordered a new book and can't wait for it to get here.

Life is different having readers and spellers in the house. Six seems to have taken a new interest in spelling lately. I've heard k-i-s-s-i-n-g lately, more than I imagined. When we ask him a question his answer is y-e-s. Keep up the good work Six!

Church was great. Fr. B is fabulous and gets everyone to wake up and excited. I really enjoy our family time at church. Once again, I've gotten to know more people there. I am coordinating the games and crafts for our St. Niklaus party in a few weeks. I met some new moms who teach the older kids. We plan to have the older kids run the games for the little kids at the party. Should be a good time and hopefully not too painful for teenagers. They need a service project anyway, hopefully leading kids in games will be fun for them.

I took the kids to two playgrounds in town today. They needed to get some energy out. It wasn't too cold and they had fun. We cleaned out the freezer this past week. I discovered an excessive amount of Popsicles. They need to go. I let each kid have two after our park trip. We'll have a lite supper tonight closer to bedtime.

Today has been a pretty good day for behavior. They played well together and have created many projects. There has been a large dent in my scotch tape and staples supply, but possibly worth it for the quietness. They are currently working on projects for Uncle T for his birthday. I am sure we will be late in mailing it with the holiday. He will forgive us, he's just that great of a guy.

What a busy week ahead! Four has a thanksgiving brunch tomorrow, Six will have something similar on Tuesday. Wednesday we will go visit family and Thursday will be turkey day! Friday, we will recover at home together. Looking forward to all of it, hope I can keep up.

Bake Sale Friday

It's bake sale day! Excited kids will bring dozens of baked goods to school today. Parents will pull them out on to tables and separate. One by one, classrooms come down the hall and students are allowed to make the biggest decision of their day, pick four things from the table. Eyes are big and children are happy.

I am thrilled to report the garage did get cleaned up yesterday after school. Bikes are in the basement for the winter. Now if we can just haul the boat to Lilac's thanksgiving weekend, we will be in good shape. I forgot three things on the front porch that need to be brought in still. Other than that, we are ready for the snow. Yesterday it snowed, but nothing stayed on the ground. The neighbors returned and shared some snowy tales from their travels. I believe the snow made them drive further south. They went through 22 states in one month. What a pair they are! Turns out MI has the worst roads ever. I knew that before they left. N had I have been to quite a few states, just not in the same month.

Still have every intention of baking and getting organized this weekend. Next week will be busy. I'm trying to find a way to squeeze in a movie with a new friend, but am not having much luck. Thanksgiving kind of changes things a little. Normally, I would be free on a Wed or Thurs afternoon. Not next week. Mon and Tues are thanksgiving celebrations for two of three kids. We also have parent teacher conferences. We will go, eventually.

Not sure why I am up so early today. I may need a nap later after the bake sale. Oh I hear movement. It's too early for any other people in this house to be awake.

We needed to get some birthday gifts together and in the mail this week. I also need to get creative and figure out what to bring to the cousins. I hope to leave Wed morning. Kids are excited to see the cousins. We haven't seen them since the zoo trip in Sept. N's parents left for FL today. A cousin is getting married this weekend. Rumor on the street is the cousins got a rabbit. I am not sure if its in the house or where it lives. Should be interesting and cause me to come home with kids wanting more than fish in the house. A trip to Daisy's inspires that need thanks to her guinea pigs and dog. The guinea pigs are sort of sweet. While cleaning her house I took a look at them. Usually they are sleeping when we've been there in the past. When fed, they take their carrot and run into their little house. I was so happy to help Daisy out with her house. One might think certain jobs could be more dull than others, but the job that probably disturbed me the most was cleaning the mat under the dogs dish. I am not used to dogs. It was slightly slimy. Kind of grossed me out. Not full of slime, just a corner. Anyway, I'm not much of an animal person anymore. Never thought that way of myself. Guess after three kids and bad allergies, animals seem fun, but only when they belong to someone else. Or I should add, in the right setting or environment. Renters of duplexes aren't really set up for animals. I would want a nice spot for them and a fenced in area or land for the animal to roam and have space. That is not possible for us for now. My kids really want a dog. I am thankful when we go to Zinnia's and they get exposure to animals. Not that she has a farm, but her dog is really nice and good with the kids. This summer they got two kittens. The kids treat them like babies, Four loves holding them. The cats are grown now, but still let the kids carry them like a baby. It's sweet and fun for the children. I'd love a cat, but again, the allergy thing is a problem. Cleo doesn't bother me too much when we go to Orchid's house, but I can't touch her or sit where she has been.

On to a fun Friday!

Thursday Snow?

Ran some errands with Zinnia today. It snowed as we left Midland. Heard there was snow in MN. Guess its that time of year. We still need to get some junk off the front porch and take the bikes to the basement. Thought I could talk N into that project today, but no such luck yet. Guess I have to bring it up first. A request came from the Tower for Miss Paulette's brownies. Four is so eager to bake these days. They are in the oven as I type. I hope they turn out good. This weekend I will make some other things for Thanksgiving.

The neighbors returned home last night. Looking forward to hearing of their adventures. I know it involved a helicopter over the Grand Canyon. I'm sure she has great pictures. Our arrow is still stuck on their roof. We need to find a big ladder to get on the roof to retrieve it.

No plans today, feels good since its cold outside. While I ran errands, N decided to take Four to school for lunch. Somehow, Seven convinced him his belly hurt and he needed to come home. Turns out he was upset from being confused on an assignment. Glad it wasn't really his belly. Poor boy, he needs more time with his dad. N let him come home and did not stay for lunch with Six. We may hear about that later. Correction, we will hear about that later. Six will recover. He got to eat hot lunch today and can have a slice of pizza tonight.

Last night I was exhausted. I helped Daisy clean for 4 hours straight! N was super. He picked the kids up from Daisy's at 5. Brought them home, made supper, cleaned everything up and everyone's homework was done, PJ's on when I got home. I was asleep almost before 10.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning, still tired, but ready for the day. Thankful we don't have anything else to do tonight. It's really nice to have everyone home together and no pressure. Perhaps supper will be left overs, even less pressure. Tomorrow is bake sale day! Very exciting. I love seeing the kindergartners. Their eyes get so wide and they all have big smiles. Boys want to ride the bus home tomorrow. We will stay home, bake and do laundry. Nice, quiet Friday night.

The crabby side of Six

Six is sometimes not a morning person. Today was one of those mornings. From the moment I poked my head in his room, he was frustrated and irritated. I simply asked them to get dressed. Seven says "okay" and does it. All I get out of Six is a growl and scowl. It's going to be a great day!

After he is dressed, breakfast is on the table waiting for him. I run upstairs to get myself prepared. Apparently his egg was not yolky enough and N made him another. When I get back downstairs, he is still angry and ungrateful. I explain that N did not have to make another egg. Most kids don't have eggs before going to school. After a little pep talk and pointing out that we have a play date with his friend today, he straightened out. If you're going to be that crabby, you don't need to have a play date with your friends. I could very well take Seven and Four. This is a friend of Six, but N is home and could keep whomever can't behave at home.

He turned his attitude around enough to help me take the recycling out to the road. This sort of back fired on me, some of his things were in the papers and he was not ready to part with them. I knew this might happen, but had not thought of it at the time.

Our morning continued with boys on the bus and Four to preschool on time. N and I have begun a routine of going to the grocery store during the preschool hours. It's such a luxury for me to have him with. Some days, I am overwhelmed with the entire thing. I am not one who hates grocery shopping, I usually love it. Lately, I'm tired and just need the trip to run smooth. Too many people and too much of a hurry fluster me and I get irritated. With him along, it takes some of the pressure off. He calculates our running total and helps me stick to what is necessary. We make a good team.

I finally picked up a 2012 calendar for the fridge. This was also a questionable purchase to N, but I said it works, don't mess with the system. Under the influence of my Mum, I've always gotten a desk calendar and put it on the top of our fridge. It is large, with all the space needed to write down the weeks events. I depend on it to keep me on the right track.

We had our chicken breasts from Sam's for lunch with a nice spinach salad. N was off to the dentist shortly after lunch and I focused on cleaning up the kitchen. I wanted our house picked up and organized. Tonight I will go to help Daisy clean her house. Can't have mine a disaster after cleaning hers.

Tuesday is the day to bake

Four and I started Christmas cutouts today. I know, it may be early, but cutouts are a lot of work. The recipe I have from my grandmother is the best. Four and I cleaned out the deep freeze in search of butter. We found cutouts from last spring. They tasted great today. I will freeze our Christmas cutouts and frost closer to the holiday. We hand out our treats before Christmas anyway. I like to make quite a few different types of cookies and treats. They all take time. I really love this time of year and the variety of things I get to make. We will try new frosting techniques this year with the cutouts. It's something we saw in the last issue of Simple and Delicious. Butter is on sale this week. We did find two packs at the bottom of the freezer, but I will still purchase more.

We were stuck at home today due to another commitment of mine, couldn't really leave the house much, why not bake.

More kids are coming home from school sick. It's just a matter of time. I hope it doesn't wait until our drive to MN. We have done that before, it's no fun. Parent teacher conferences are coming up. I think we figured out those plans.

Four is whining upstairs, I think it's bedtime.

A Monday morning on my own

What to do, what to do. I never have time to myself that doesn't involve another obligation or commitment. This morning, all kids are at school and I am flying solo. The laundry is done, the house is clean. Errands are run or will be on Wednesday with N. I do have to schedule dentist appointments. That is the last thing on my list for today.

I stopped by the church after dropping Four off at preschool. I think I have an arrangement that will work better for the teachers at RE tonight. Four and I will go back this afternoon and get it all ready for class tonight. I love stopping into the church. Everyone is so nice and friendly. I am excited to get things set up for a St. Niklaus party in December. Have to figure out some plans with Fr. B.

I picked up my medical test I need to accomplish all day tomorrow. Not sure what Four and I will do since we will be home bound for the day. Perhaps we will start some baking. Mr. C from next door returns this week from a trip around the country. The kids wanted to make him a birthday treat. Wouldn't hurt to get some baking done for Thanksgiving either. I'm sure the tower would love treats, they always do. I haven't baked in a long time. Need to stock up on butter and other baking supplies. Actually, I think my supplies are good except for butter. It's just so expensive. I did miss a sale at Meijer too.

Chicken enchiladas are on the menu tonight. I put the chicken in the crockpot this morning and will put the enchiladas together after I get Four. RE tonight and Four gets to start her own class. She is excited to get to come instead of being home alone with N. Hopefully he enjoys the evening to himself while we are gone.

Another busy week begins! Can't believe we're this far into November.

Successful Sunday

Free samples were interesting. Guess we were too early and had too hungry of kids. They were hilarious and had a great time. We met the guy who runs free samples. He's quite the salesman. After collecting all the samples we could, we were out of there. I've become hooked on their mini bagels. The kids love them too. Cinnamon is my favorite. It seems to be hit or miss on deals there. Some things are a decent price for the quantity, but I am not convinced it is the best way to shop. You have to drop at least at least $100+ each time. Everything is $9+. We haven't purchased much from there. I am not certain we will renew our membership. We bought some chicken breasts, 4 lbs for $10. I found some mini dinner rolls for $2.18. I thought they would be perfect for mini burgers this week. Mini items seem to work quite well with kids. They are able to eat the entire portion when it is mini to start with. Sunny D is a good price and my kids enjoy it for a treat. We are usually a water/milk family. I don't buy juice too often, only for their lunches at school. That is something I began last year. The school gets money for the pouches. They are expensive when you think of how little juice is in the 10 pouches combined. Seven always purchased a milk from school with his lunch. That costs even more, but was better for him. When Six started school, he would come home with the milk not even opened. He either couldn't open it, didn't get time to drink it, or could not finish. Needless to say, I switched them to juice pouches.

Our trip was fine, we only spent $30. I don't think we've ever spent $100 there, except when we purchased our membership. Zinnia seems to get better deals with their coupons, we did not. We canceled the higher membership. We did not use any of its perks in the past 8 months. Not worth the extra money for our family. We would make use of the coupons they sent Zinnia, but not those sent to us. Anyway, it was an adventure out on a Saturday afternoon.

My progress in this house is continuing. We went through the kids rooms and took out baskets full of items. I just don't know how the toys multiply up there, but they do. The area outside of the bedrooms is almost completely clear of all items. Ready for the new ideas I have for that space! The computer in the living room is working out, but everyone wants more computer time on a regular basis. It hasn't even been a week yet, maybe the novelty will wear off.

The basement still looks great. Four has impressed me with all she is packing away for the garage sale in April. I am happy she is ready to part with certain items and surprised by her other choices. Her room still seems full to me, but I am sure it is because of the extra bed in there. I think it will come down next summer, after Memorial day weekend when we plan to have a large group of company over. It doesn't seem worth the time and effort of taking it down when we will be using it in the spring.

I am beginning to fund raise for new totes. N is against buying anymore totes. For years, I was not allowed to buy more totes. We didn't need them until recently. We bought two from Menards with the rebate we received in the mail. I am not sure why he's against totes. It's a family thing. Uncle T agrees with N. They keep everything organized. I think I changed his mind after our flood and everything in totes was fine. They are on sale with a mail in rebate. I hate those, but may cave if I can squeeze the money from his budget next week. I also need a new calendar for the fridge.

Today I cleaned my closet and straightened things. I found a shirt I had bought for Six for when he turned six. I forgot all about it. It will be a great discovery for him this week.

One pile of scrapbooks are ready to go to the basement. I need a new tote for these. I will always keep scrapbooks in totes and nothing else. Only one was destroyed in the flood and that was frustrating enough. Only one end was destroyed, I was able to save almost all of the book.

More totes and money to clean the carpets are on my wish list. Hard to have a wish list with Christmas around the corner. I did get ahead of the game and order my pictures for our Christmas card and three photo books today. The books were buy one, get two free. So excited to have that project done. You wouldn't believe how long it takes to make one book. 20 pages, I fit 97 pictures in the book for myself. The uploading to the website is very time consuming, along with picture placement, layout and background selection. Thus, it is done early. Next to write our letter and make the cards. Zinnia and I are going to make our cards this year. I have to check and see how many cards I have already. Use up those numbers first. We are still surviving without a printer. I believe I will hit Staples to print the letter. Last year I had my own paper courtesy of Mum. I am not sure what is in the Christmas boxes now. We will pull that stuff out soon enough.

N had a late shift yesterday. We went to church last night so he could sleep in this morning. Six and Four were not the best behaved. It was frustrating, but I tried not to let it get to me. I took away privileges when we got home. I hope it worked, they seemed disappointed and sorry. I also had them work. This working for 25 cents is really helping me out. Six washed the dishes, not many in numbers. I did find one that needed to be done again, but other than that one he did pretty well. Seven swept and mopped the kitchen floor. Again, it wasn't that bad, but he was very helpful. Four did whatever I asked. She's such a great helper. I've heard it from others, too.

My next issue to figure out are parent teacher conferences. Have to figure out how to get N and I there without kids. It's still a work in progress. Tomorrow I'll head to church and get the crafts together for the lesson plans. Chicken enchiladas are on the menu tomorrow night. Chicken in the crock-pot will make it easier.

Successful Sunday, hopefully more on Monday!

Much to be thankful for this Friday night

Today was veterans day. Veterans ate for free at Applebee's today. N and I were able to enjoy a nice lunch without any children (Thank you Zinnia!) The place was full. We ran some errands and enjoyed our afternoon together. Today brought back many memories from our AF days. We were newlyweds and had many adventures. I try to keep in touch with as many AF friends as I can. What a gift they have given all of us. Some of our good friends are currently deployed. When N was deployed, there was much controversy over the war. He was overseas when it began. I was a wreck. We were living in TX. He came home one night and told me he was leaving. I had made worthless hamburger helper for supper. We never ate it. After many tears, he took me to Red Lobster. We called my parents, asking if I could come home for the next 6 months. They flew down and helped me put him on the plane. One of the hardest things I have ever done, put my husband on a plane and send him to the unknown. It was our first deployment. We had no idea what to expect. He bounced around from base to base until he made it to his final destination in Qatar. He lived in a tent, worked 12+ hour days. He ran 100 miles while over there. Small things were missed. Things we take for granted. The country was torn from the beginning about this war. Many were against it. My parents flew down and we enjoyed our last days together. We rented an airplane and flew to Corpus Christi. We ate shrimp on the beach and soaked up all the sun we could. It was February. After N left, my mom flew back to MN with my fish. My dad drove N's car and I drove mine. We put all our stuff in storage and headed to MN where I stayed until it was close to his return. I tried to keep myself as busy as I could. I went to stay with many family and friends. I subbed at the church, the school I attended when I was a child. I took my sister on a trip to Chicago to check out grad schools. I spent quality time with my little cousins in ND. I flew to MI to see N's family. It was still a challenge to be without him. I could not imagine what it would be like with a family. The first time I saw the deacon that married us, I burst into tears. We were away to a winter cabin with friends and happened upon protesters outside a mall. They were pushy and against the war. They even tried to harass my parents and friends. I was so distraught. They had no idea what my family had just been through. Just because they were against the war, doesn't mean they should have held it against the troops. They were just doing their jobs. By July, my dad and I drove back to TX with our cars and put all our stuff into a new apartment. N came home the end of the month, just in time for us to take a trip to CA for his best friend the AF Academy to get married. We had a great vacation, well deserved. We were back to TX for a few weeks, then off to FL for more training. That was the best vacation we've had. It was the honeymoon we never had. A very nice hotel, right on the beach. After that great vacation, we moved to Biloxi for 3 months for more training. We tried to go to FL every weekend. This was the beginning of something great. We were back together and soon discovered it would no longer be just the two of us. Seven came into our lives 9 months later.

We remember in our prayers our friends who are deployed this veterans day. We remember their families, wives, children who are left behind to try to remain a normal life. I wish I was there for my friends, the wives who struggle without their spouse. I never had that experience with children. My heart aches for them and the long time they endure without their loved one, praying daily for their safe return.

What a day. So many memories, so many great friends and wonderful adventures. Our day continued and Six had parent centers today. N and I went to help for an hour. We were in charge of putting together headbands. The drew symbols on the band and cut out three feathers. Each time I go, I am excited to return. The kids are so sweet and nice. I have gotten to learn many. Some remind me of how I taught them German last year. It was a memorable lesson I guess.

Things didn't go so well this evening. Again, it has been and could have been worse. I am not sure what the deal was, but everyone was a little irritated. Early bedtime was necessary. N has the late shift and will need to sleep in tomorrow. Hopefully the direction has been laid and they know to be quiet in the morning. I feel tired myself and my not be awake when he gets home.

Nothing on the agenda for the weekend. I heard it's a big free sample weekend at Sam's club. We may check that out tomorrow just for something to do.

Bake Sale Crisis

Zinnia sure scared me tonight. Apparently her twins came home with a note about the bake sale being tomorrow. What? It's supposed to be next Friday. After a few phone calls and discussion, the problem was figured out. Lupcke always uses scrap paper with the kids, letting them take what they like and create their own project. JC and Appie just happened to each come home with the same scrap paper stating the bake sale is tomorrow. So glad to have figured it out. My co-chair is on vacation in FL. I felt bad calling her today. She just arrived this afternoon. False alarm, we still got it under control.

After that crisis, we created some new bracelets and necklaces for birthday projects. Cousin #6 will be 5 in a few weeks. We made her a pocket project and plan to put the bracelets and necklaces in one of the top pockets. I took pictures and will add them later. They look even better with items in the pockets. It feels good to have projects done ahead of time. They are complete so we can move on to the next project.

Thursday sunshine

The morning seemed gloomy, no surprise in MI. Boys out the door, pleased with themselves and ready to take on the day. Girl slept in, only after getting up at 6 and coming to my room. After 30 minutes, she went back to her room and slept almost until bus time.

Zinnia and I finished our pocket projects! So thrilled to have it done, it seems like we've been working on them forever. They are so cute. We can't wait to share them with their new owners.

Not much on this evenings agenda, just get our boys and spend the evening together. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Veterans day we will enjoy a date. Four is going to hang out with Zinnia while N and I go out to lunch. We will both get to help during parent centers for Six and his class. Should be a nice afternoon.

Watch me spin around, where I stop nobody knows

Today, I was on go! Seriously, I don't know where this motivation came from. I got terrible sleep last night. N didn't feel well, I slept downstairs on the couch, always a mistake. I was up at 4:30, couldn't go back to sleep. My children were up right at 6am. We spent quality time together. I love how sweet they are first thing in the morning. There was nothing on the schedule today. Get the boys on the bus and the rest of the day was free. N is home sick. He slept all morning. I hope he feels better with all the rest he's had. I may crash this afternoon and he will need to take over.

Motivation, sometimes it is hard to find. For the first hour I was awake, I thought of all the things to do in this house. I'd started to set up the desk and computer area in the living room, but this project was still unfinished. With N not feeling well, I couldn't remember how long it had been since I stripped beds. Boys on the bus and I got busy. All beds were cleaned and I just have Four's to put back together. I'm talking blankets and sheets. I washed the kitchen floor, cleaned both bathrooms. I am still happy with the new arrangement in the living room. Change can be fun, but a lot of work.

My biggest issue that has been weighing on me was the basement. It was a disaster. It's been worse, but still a disaster. Perhaps it was showing it to Zinnia yesterday that motivated me to take on such a project today. I put on my MP3 player and between myself, Four and Pink, the job was done. It looks really great too. I cleaned the entire kid area, vacuum and weeded out toys. We had dress up clothes out and I put them away for awhile. Four requested McQueen cars. We cleaned up the kitchen stuff and I put away the baby toys that were still out from Sweet Pea. My next job, to tackle my corner. Our basement is in an L shape. The long side is the kid side. We have three big rugs, a couch, recliner, TV area and some centers. It's an unfinished basement, thus the need for the rugs. Their area is decent sized and they have lots of room to play. I created a wall of totes to make a corner for myself in the back. They are not allowed back there. I have many items stored back there. From totes with clothing to totes with scrapbooks. There is a fabric section, along with my sewing machine. All our storage is in my corner. When we decided to move the desk down to the living room, a large table was free. I decided to create a project area with that table. One where we could work on something great, and not necessarily clean it all up in time for dinner. I want them to be able to let the creativity flow. They boys will be excited to see the change when they get home. I am excited to show Zinnia. Of course there is a pile of stuff for the Walleye festival in April. There are also a couple of boxes that I need to sort through. I did empty 6 laundry baskets which contained various things. All put away and organized. I feel there is only one shelf that needs more attention. With how many shelves we have, that is progress. Looking forward to making something great in our new space. All this before 1 o'clock! I think its time for a shower.