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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.

Drama on a Monday night

Our religious education program has gone through some frustrating changes. Opinions will be voiced on Friday. I am not one for confrontation. I hope to have my facts together and not be too nervous. My list is started, but perhaps not complete. Hopefully I get all my ducks in a row, say a few prayers and progress will be made.

Zinnia came over and helped me carry my junk to the basement. We cleared out the area outside the bedrooms. We will move the computer to the living room. The basement is chaos. I hope to make progress tomorrow. I plan to create a work area for the kids and myself. They love to do projects, but it is so miserable doing these projects at the kitchen table. A work area would help us to do projects and be able to come back to them, or let them dry.

N will be home tomorrow, he is sick. I hope he feels better tomorrow. Not sure why he suffered through work feeling ill. Hopefully a day of rest will help. Tomorrow, Four and I can take good care of him and get stuff done. We have no plans tomorrow, hopefully we make progress.

The boys had a good day of school. On the weekend, they created Angry Birds out of Lego's. This morning, they stated they wanted to make a video. We made one tonight. They were really excited. It wasn't exactly what I thought it would be, but they had a good time. Someday I'll get it posted on Utube. They want to try again another day.

Four had a great day at preschool. She came home with Homework! She was so excited to do it. She is supposed to bring it back and get a star or sticker. It was fun to see her happiness and pride with a worksheet.

This is the info from today. Boring, dull, but now you are up to date. More adventures await us tomorrow, praying to have faith, patience and guidance.

Sorry Sunday at 8

I tried so hard to have more patience today. I was successful, right up until the 8 o'clock hour. Why do I lose patience then? N was home when we came home from dinner at Zinnia's. The entire house smelled like can chilli. Sort of turned my stomach the wrong way. Yuck.

Kids were ready to get to bed, just needed PJ's on two and teeth brushed. For some reason, everything Four said was driving me nuts. I felt bad, but that's the way it was. They showed their new Lego projects to N and were in bed before 8:30. I took them to the park this afternoon. They ran non stop with a boy (and a little brother) from school for at least 45 minutes. Amazing how a game of tag and two other boys can keep kids going.

Alas, it is not yet 8:30 and everyone is in bed. Ready to enjoy a nice night with N, if the smell is gone from downstairs.

Gotta have faith

Yesterday evening, I lost my patience. Not so much that it was tragic evening, we've had worse. I still felt guilty how irritated I was with my children. I pray for today to be a better day. I need more faith to get me through the evenings. Granted, we didn't leave the house all day. I'm sure my Mum sensed my frustrations last night on the phone.

We started it out right with going to church as a family. Seven will make his first reconciliation in December. We attended two meetings on this topic today. I am eager and excited to share this experience with him.

Bonus: cookies and donuts after mass. Since we were at the meeting, we got some before mass as well. Kids are in good moods. The sun is shining and it is warm outside. We will spend some time out there and I hope the boys let me cut their hair.

Saturday Update

While I did get a lot done today, my patience was nil by the end of the night. I took them outside to ride bikes and run, you'd think they were crazy kids. Six was riding his bike screaming "fire!" Someone had a fire going, the scent was in the air. Maybe that is where the thought came from. They ran and we came in for baths. I am sure this time change will mess them all up tomorrow.

N helped me with the living room. Everyone was excited to make a change. We moved some things around and got rid of a set of kid bins. We brought the desk downstairs, but did not get the computer moved and set up. Now we really need a filing cabinet.

Tomorrow Seven begins his first reconciliation class. He and I will go to church early, before mass. N and the other two will join us in time for mass, if we remember to set our clocks back. Lunch for tomorrow is already done and will just need to be heated up. No clue what I will do to entertain them tomorrow. We were home all day today, can't have that two days in a row. Maybe we will go to the park. I want to get into the basement tomorrow, we'll see how our morning goes.

Last night Zinnia came with a movie, tonight a new friend is coming with a movie. Yeah for mom time! Just hope everyone stays in their beds. Four hasn't had the best track record lately. With being home all day, I hope they are tired. It's quiet for now, I'll just cross my fingers.

Saturday, let's get busy

A slight headache is holding me back, but it is Saturday. Our house is clean, though the living room once again needs to be picked up from children morning activities. The kitchen is slightly out of order after N made breakfast for everyone. Zinnia and I have many projects in the works that need completion before the end of the month. I want to try to get a Christmas picture before the 18th to get 75 free prints from Shutter-fly. I've wanted to rearrange the living room, move the computer and a desk downstairs. My corner in the basement needs much attention. I need to find totes to put in the truck at Christmas time to keep items we travel with clean. N needs me to find a paper in a pile. We need a new file cabinet. I have socks that need matching. I believe there is still a load of laundry in the dryer from yesterday. The kids rooms were clean when they came home from school, but the baskets of junk I removed are still in the hallway.

This is what sits before me as I type. All these tasks, and not much motivation to get them done. You'd think people coming over tonight would motivate me, maybe once my Tylenol kicks in. I'll keep you posted. Some tasks I cannot do alone. I will need more muscle for the moving of furniture. N has a little over an hour before he has to be to work, maybe he could move the desk and I can get the rest done. I do have free labor, they just need the right motivation as well.

Phrases from Six

Yesterday Six used some phrases that caught my attention. Nothing mind blowing or profound, just interesting. While we were working on Seven's turkey project, Six was pulling pipe cleaners out of the package. "For your information, there are not very many green pipe cleaners in here."Thanks Six. Later, while brushing his teeth, he tells me "I notice you got some new cups in here (the bathroom.)""They are stronger and made of plastic." He's growing so much. Using bigger words correctly. He's grown into bigger clothing too. He seemed to be in 5's forever. Even the underwear that were once too big and really bothered him, now fit perfectly.

I've exchanged some emails with his teacher. She told me he's really working on slowing down when writing, thus the improvement. He still has his moments and we've seen a few steps backwards in the wardrobe area. I'm hoping some patches on jeans will add 3 more regular pants to his drawer of approval.

Friday lunch

We made it to lunch at the school today. Ivy was there to see her boys. We haven't seen much of them this year, hopefully that changes. Schedules are had to coordinate. She is on board helping with the next bake sale, which is great to hear.

N and I ran to the grocery store while Four was at preschool. It is really nice to get those errands done together without kids. I dread taking them all myself anymore. Four had an accident at preschool today. I felt like it was karma getting back at me. I had N take her this morning, thus forgetting to ask him to be sure she went potty when she got to school. My morning had gone so well, here was it's revenge. I didn't have clothes in her back pack. Apparently her shoes were wet too. We made our way back to Mland to bring her clean clothing. They had clothing for her, but she wanted to put on her own. Could be worse. After our shopping, we picked Four up and made a unplanned trip to lunch at the school. The boys were so happy. I love seeing them during the day. It reminds me of how much I miss them. I am sure by Monday morning, I will be ready for them to go back to school. They are growing too fast.

I remember how big the second graders seemed when we first came to town. Now Seven is one of those big kids. And Six has come a long way, even in the last few weeks. His handwriting is improving. We have parent teacher conferences this month. I am curious what Mrs. L thinks. He helped me write the grocery list this morning. I love to see how eager he can be.

No big plans for the weekend, but I heard from Ivy Toysrus is letting kids try out the latest toys this weekend. Maybe we will do that to break up our day?

These kids on a Thursday

This week has been a little tough. The behavior was not desirable. I believe it to be the after effects from Halloween. Days with care free games, candy and fun are done! Today, I got a new plan. It just came to me after supper. I was tired, N was tired. N cooked, I agreed to clean. With all this energy running around me, I decided to put it to work. Yup. They each got a job. I had Seven washing dishes. Four loves to wash dishes, but I think Seven needs to learn how to wash dishes. He only needed to wash four things and they were not very dirty. He did a great job. He also wiped down all the chairs and bench.

Six has been on the loud side these days. He blows up when slightly frustrated or irritated. He kicked Four tonight when she was about to tattle on him. He was the loudest during our clean up program. He picked up the disaster in the living room, with much protest. I believed since he was so loud he only deserved half of his reward. It is still in the works.

Four picked up everything I asked, no protest. She washed the table, counter tops and stove. She is a great helper. Zinnia put her to work on Tuesday while I subbed at the school. They took out all her kids Halloween clothing out of their drawers.
Four was tired today. I had to wake her up to run errands this morning. She was a little frustrated towards the end of the errands. We went home and found N. He shared with us that there was a potluck at the tower, would we like to go? Sure. Too bad it started in 20 minutes, not enough time to bake anything. We picked up some cookies and went to meet the co-workers. It was nice and fun. We had never been to the tower before, nor had we met any co-workers. They are a funny group with a great sense of humor.

Tomorrow is Friday, the start of the kid weekend. No real plans yet, who knows what might come up.

All Saints Day Tuesday

We celebrated All Saints Day at RE tonight. We brought St. Peter, St. Theresa and St. Francis of Assisi. It was fun and the kids seemed to have a good time. I was surprised at how excited they were to be saints. They marched around the church for a parade and parents handed out candy. They sang "When the Saints go Marching in." It was fun to see them enjoy themselves so much.

Today was a busy day for me. Toucan can Tuesday was today. The children are asked to bring in 2 cans to be turned in for money. Cans are returnable for 10 cents in MI. The money collected each week will go to buying new books in the Media center. Today we collected $30.00 worth of cans. Not as much as last week, but it was the day after Halloween. That was when school began, then I got my haircut and had a Dr. apt. During my apt. they called me in to sub. 2nd Grade for the day! Seven goes to specials with this class. The kids all thought it was hilarious I was his mom. I got to chat with his teacher, she is ever so sweet. Home for a quick supper and homework, we were off to church before we knew it. They are currently enjoying each others company, almost ready for bed. What a day!