The Monteith Family

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-04-24T10:31:00.001-04:00

John and I did not receive any china as a wedding gift. I figured it was better than receiving one place setting and not being able to do anything with it.

When we were moving my maternal grandmother, Mema, out of her house and into my mom's, my mom found 5 *almost* complete place settings of china. It was not Mema's china and she had no idea where this box of china came from until Ana saw it. Ana, a close family friend who is practically family, said that when her friend got divorced, she asked Ana to get rid of some stuff for her. The china was in that stuff and when Mema saw it, she said she would like it. My mom called and asked if I would like the china and I said sure since I was getting my Papa's old china cabinet that belonged to his mother. When I saw the china, I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm pretty sure it is the VERY same pattern that I had registered for but never received! Also there were 7 crystal goblets. How blessed am I to receive this china?

I told John we would be using it for Christmas Eve and he couldn't believe I was going to let the children eat off my china. I believe that you shouldn't just let the china sit in a cabinet for the 60 years you are married. Plus, even though it is a retired pattern, I can still order more on ebay I'm sure.

I wish I had a video of my children sitting down to dinner that special night. They asked things like, "We are going to eat with these?" and kept talking about how "fancy shmancy" it all was. I really enjoyed their reaction and plan to serve many more "fancy shmancy" meals in the future.

I made Chicken Cordon Bleu the German way for John and I and Schnitzel for the children. As you can see, my Cordon Bleu took up half of my plate. It was delicious but I couldn't finish it.

Sorry Ethan, no china for you yet!

After dinner, I sang a song to the children called "The Most Beautiful Story That's Ever Been Told." It was hard to sing without crying and at the end I REALLY struggled but I plan to sing it to them every year. It really is a beautiful song.

Then we sang other Christmas carols and read some Christmas stories. It was a very nice Christmas Eve.

A Twilight to Remember

2009-04-23T13:34:00.006-04:00

On March 21st my friends and I had a Twilight party to celebrate the DVD release. We had a great time and stayed up way too late.

I made these sugar cookies. I was going to make them red to fit the theme but I didn't buy red food coloring paste because I could swear I had some. Oh well. They were a hit anyway because they are so delicious. The Edward ones were gone first of course because we are ALL Team Edward girls!

This was our lovely spread. Sunny Price hosted the party and did a fabulous job decorating with Twilight Michelle.

Aren't these cupcakes so fun?

Here we are with Edward. He was our guest of honor! He LOVED my cookies but he was slightly annoyed that I made some with Jacob's name on them.

We had a fabulous night and I CAN'T WAIT until our New Moon party!

This is for you Kristin! I'm sorry I didn't get this to you BEFORE Christmas but at least you'll have it for next year. You will love these-- almost everyone does!

Soft and Sweet Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt

Frosting:
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 cups powdered sugar
milk

Cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients and blend. Chill dough for 2 hours. On a surface lightly sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, roll out a portion of the dough until about ¼ inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. Bake for 6-8 minutes at 375 degrees. These will not brown unless you over bake them.

Frosting:

Melt butter or margarine. Add vanilla and about 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar. Mix with a whisk. Add about ¼ cup milk. Keep adding confectioner’s sugar and/or milk until you get the consistency that you want. It’s a little tricky because I don’t actually have a recipe for it. My mom just makes it without a recipe and so I just eyeball it like her. Feel free to call me if you have questions!

Makes 2-3 dozen depending on size. May be doubled.

Notes: I usually double these because the recipe is small. I roll them out on a jellyroll pan lined with parchment paper sprinkled lightly with confectioner's sugar. Then I cut the shapes, remove the excess dough and bake.

Think Young!

2009-04-15T15:47:00.004-04:00

We have had a lot of family birthdays in the last couple of months and I keep hearing people say things like:

"I am getting so old."

"I can't believe you are 35! You are getting old."

(And yes, I am guilty of this myself.)

Upon reflection, I have decided that I don't like to think of 33 (my age and I'm not embarrased to share it) as being old because my life expectancy when I was born was 78 and the longer I live the higher my life expectancy gets. I survived childhood diseases, I avoided being in a fatal car accident as a youth, and I am doing well!

If I start thinking of myself as old then I am going to be OLD for a very long time. I don't want to be old for that long so from this day forward I will be thinking of myself and those around me (yes, you too) as young.

Among Friends

2009-04-03T16:30:00.004-04:00

John looks at this image and he sees a girl who disobeyed the "Only two friends to bed" rule.

I look at this image and see a girl who loves to be surrounded by her friends.

How do you pick just two when you have so many wonderful friends? You don't want to hurt the feelings of your other friends. You don't want them to miss you or you to miss them.

I hope that Abby will always be surrounded by good friends.

I am thankful for my many friends. They have helped me through the tough times, laughed with me through the fun times and listened when I needed to talk.

Thank you friends.

A Salute to National Poetry Month

2009-04-02T12:25:00.002-04:00

Little wand slim and gray
I wait five minutes to see what you say.

Will you pronounce a big change in our lives?
Will we soon be the parents of five?

I’ve been so tired and gained some weight
And if allowed will sleep in late

I asked Jen what this all meant
She replied, “Could you be pregnant?”

Shocked and surprised by her suggestion
I quickly said, “No, it’s out of the question!”

Jen smiled and asked, “How do you know?”
I replied that I’d had my monthly flow.

“I'd had three,” she said with a grin.
“But I’m on the pill,” I said for the win.

Not convinced, Jen replied, “So was I.”
Surprised again, I gave it one more try.

“Did you take it at the same time everyday?”
“Yes, I followed the directions in every way.”

“There is only one way to know for sure
Without a test from the store.”

Quickly thinking “What does she mean?”
Then blushing with defeat and understanding

I quietly responded “Oh, I see.”
She had finally convinced me of the possibility.

Days go by and I still feel strange
Often thinking of our exchange.

It was true I didn’t know for sure.
So I got a test from the store.

I was mostly hoping for a negative
But part of me wanted a positive.

I love little babies soft and sweet.
I love their tiny hands and feet.

But with no income and a body that ails me
I feel we are not ready and may never be.

Of course, I would not argue with Our Father who knows best
If He decided with another we should be blessed.

Little wand slim and gray
I’ve waited five minutes to see what you say.

With no further ado, I will say
I do not have another baby on the way.

Couch Cuddling

2009-03-24T20:21:00.006-04:00

I love to cuddle on the couch.

I cuddle with John.

I cuddle with my children.

I cuddle with a warm blanket.

I even cuddle with Daisy.

Everyone needs to cuddle sometimes.

Cuddle with a sister who reads to you until you fall asleep.

Cuddle with a family pet who licks your face to show she cares.

Cuddle with Daddy on movie night.

Everyone needs to cuddle sometimes.

Ah, Memory Lane

2009-03-18T15:21:00.005-04:00

My mother cleaned out her attic and found a big Rubbermaid tub I had put up there ages ago. She asked me to take it or trash it. It was full of old letters and some trinkets. While going through some of the letters, I found this jewel:

I don't quite remember what "promises break crosses" means but I think it was my way of saying that a promise is a promise whether you cross your fingers or not.

I probably kept this as "evidence" but now it will certainly be filed under "humor." Love it!

Under Construction Again

2009-03-05T23:39:00.003-05:00

I'm in the process of changing my blog. I'm hoping to change it into a three column template and I want to add my own paper and header. We'll see how it goes!

Wish me luck!

Well, It's Been a Long Time...Time Changes Things!

2009-03-05T16:33:00.006-05:00

What's changed?

My hair! Don't you just love it?

I had been meaning to get it cut for over a year but I never made time for it. When I realized I was going to have to start looking for a job, I decided it was time to start taking better care of my appearance.

I love my new hair style so much that I've found myself actually enjoying getting made up for the day. It does take me awhile to blow dry and then straighten my hair but it's so worth it when I'm done.

I have received so many compliments and don't we ALL love when someone actually notices that we cut 8 inches of our hair off?

And the best part of all...

I can actually make it look good all by myself! What a big girl I am!

Now I just need to know one thing...

what product would you recommend for the short flyaways on the top of my head?

Ja!

2009-02-02T19:34:00.003-05:00

Ethan has been saying "no" for awhile now but is just now learning how to answer to the affirmative. He says, "Ja!" It's my German coming out in him. On Sunday, I called him my little german boy after he said, "Ja" and then asked him to say, "Nein" (No in German). Ethan replied, "TEN!" very excitedly.

Just a thought

2009-01-30T10:52:00.003-05:00

Is it normal for me to be a little uncomfortable talking to a customer service representative in India about my mortgage that I will have trouble paying thanks to my husband's company outsourcing to India?

By the way, they won't change my interest rate to lower my payments unless I can show that we will have enough income to make payments once John stops getting paid. : )

At the end of the call the woman from India said, "I hope you are understanding everything I am saying today." Hmmm... I think so.

This Sums It Up!

2009-01-22T19:37:00.002-05:00

Have you wondered where I've been? This video Rachel sent me pretty much sums it all up. Thanks for the laugh Rachel!

I still plan to post some Christmas pictures soon.

She's Never Gonna Come, Never, Never, Never!

2008-12-23T14:53:00.008-05:00

When my brother was little, my mother found him on the potty one day with his face in his hands shaking his sad little head and saying, "She's never gonna come wipe my hiney. Never, never, never." (Do I have the story right mom?)

This is one of those stories that still comes up sometimes at family get-togethers. Not as popular as my Trying to Be Like Jesus Phase, or Christi's Kicking Down My Bedroom Door Incident but it does come up.

Well, today I can honestly say that I now know how my brother felt that day.

Don't you hate it when you realize you are out of toilet paper AFTER it's too late to go get it yourself?

This morning I found myself sitting on the potty next to an empty roll of toilet paper. Just so this story doesn't majorly gross you out, I will add here that I had only gone #1. Still, I am not one of those people who can just say "Oh, well" and pull up their pants and go. I must be clean.

No problem. I call to my children to come to my aid. Hmmm. No sound of running foot steps. I call again. Joshua comes and I show him how to take the roll off of the toilet paper holder and send him to get the roll from the other bathroom. Off he goes. I can hear him through the wall trying and trying to get the roll. No luck. He comes back saying he can't do it.

No big deal. I tell him to go tell Jack that I need his help. Joshua runs off to his bedroom where Jack and Abby are playing. Minutes go by. I hear the sounds of Joshua playing with toys. He's apparently forgotten all about me.

I try to call again. No luck. I wait a few more minutes because my children are usually coming to find me every 2-3 minutes anyway. (I know that I'm not the only mom that can't even find peace in the bathroom!) About 2 minutes later and still no luck.

They're never gonna come. Never, never, never.

What am I going to do? I look around the bathroom. There has to be something. The shower? Hmmm. Well, I haven't had one of those yet today so now is as good a time as any. When I get in, who comes knocking at my door? Jack!

I'm Not a Morning Person

2008-12-04T10:24:00.003-05:00

I used to be one of those people that was both a morning and a night person. I would wake up refreshed, keep my energy for the whole day, stay up late and then wake up refreshed again. Now I am neither a morning person or a night person. If I'm going to get something done, it has to be between 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

So, this morning I sat down on the couch to start my work at about 9:00 AM. I figured I could get it out of the way and then use my afternoon energy to do some chores. Then I discovered that Daisy had apparently stepped in her own poo this morning and was getting it all over the couch cushion next to me! I tied her up in the kitchen while Joshua (armed with Folex) and I (armed with paper towels) cleaned the poop off of our couch.

Next I started cleaning the poop off of Daisy's back paw which she did not appreciate at all. She didn't like me cleaning between her toes but it needed to be done. As I was doing this, Ethan apparently dropped the syrup bottle on the floor and it broke open. Somehow Ethan got a big pile of syrup on the kitchen floor whether by accident or on purpose, I'll never know. Then he decided this was a good time to have a little snack and I found him sticking his little finger in the syrup pile and licking the syrup off his finger. Yum! Syrup mixed with a little dog hair-- don't knock it until you try it. While cleaning Ethan up I noticed a strong stinky smell that needed to be dealt with right away. One diaper and three wipes later he was smelling fresh again.

So, now I once again sit down on the couch to start my work (and blog a little) at 10:15 AM. My couch is about 20% clean, my kitchen floor is about 3% clean, Daisy is 25% clean, and Ethan's bottom is 100% clean. It's a start!

Joshua's Fourth Birthday!

2008-12-01T22:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, time to do a little catching up here. I want to have this blog made into a book so I need to make sure I have included certain special occasions. Special occasions like Joshua's fourth birthday! Hooray!

Joshua requested a Texas Fudge Cake for his birthday. Lucky me! It's cheap, easy and delicious!

Joshua wanted a bowling set for his birthday.

So, that's what he got of course! It's fun to set up the pins at the end of the hallway and bowl down the hall. The hard part is keeping Ethan out of the way.

And yes, this is the best picture I have of Joshua and his bowling set. But you know, sometimes when you are just so VERY happy, your big smile pushes your eyes closed.

I love you Joshua! You are so very easy to love.

Yoga with a Twist

2008-11-13T11:43:00.003-05:00

Here is another item to add to my "Things I'm Grateful For" list. When my back is aching, this Yoga video keeps me from being a cripple. These days my lower back has been hurting so much that I have to do Yoga first if I plan to get any chores done. What a difference it makes!

What's the twist you ask? Yoga with a one year old and a three year old! Joshua often asks me, "Want to do yogo?" Here's how it works:

1. While doing any standing position with your legs spread out, have your little ones crawl back and forth between your legs. Beware: They might accidentally bump into you.

2. Let your little ones play with your yogo bricks when you are not using them. When you need them, just ask your little ones to bring your bricks back and maybe they will.

3. Be sure to share your yoga mat. Adjust your poses accordingly.

4. When you are preparing for locust pose, don't worry about lifting up your head. Your little ones will do that for you by pulling on your hair to lift your head.

5. When you are using your brick, let your little ones try to knock the brick out from under your hands. This is a fun game for them and will count as quality time with your children.

Well, there you have it! I hope you try out Yoga with a Twist! Let me know how it goes!

Dirty Laundry

2008-11-05T16:39:00.003-05:00

Yay! All of my laundry is clean, folded and put away! Oh, wait... well, it WAS all caught up... until my children got dressed. Now they are wearing my next load of laundry. Oh wait... there are dirty towels hanging in the bathroom from last night's baths/showers. I guess I am two loads behind. Oh no! I just noticed that Abby has something yucky on her bed sheet that looks like a smashed bug. Ewwww! Make that three loads behind!

Well, I guess I better go get started on the laundry again... AFTER I check my friends' blogs for updates. I have to fill my bucket first, right?

Election Day!

2008-11-04T15:21:00.004-05:00

Susan B. Anthony

I took all four of my children with me to vote today. I waited until around 3:00 PM hoping to miss the crowd and yay! we walked right through. Perfect timing or another blessing from heaven? I took the opportunity to praise my children for their good behavior (catch them when I can) and explain to them the importance of voting.

I am so grateful to live in a country where I have the right to vote. I'm grateful for Susan B. Anthony and how hard she worked for women's right to vote only to die before seeing the 19th Amendment to the constitution ratified in 1920 allowing women to vote.

I voted today and I hope you did too!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T16:18:00.008-04:00

For the last couple of years, Jack and Abby have designed their own jack o'lanterns. They draw what they want on paper and my talented husband John carves them. I imagine we'll have to buy four pumpkins next year. Aren't they cute?

I didn't get to take many pictures of my children dressed up this year but I will try to post some later.

A Touching Story

2008-10-28T16:38:00.004-04:00

I've been following a heart-wrenching but inspiring story that another blogger introduced me to. It is about a couple (Stephanie and Christian) who were severely burned after their small plane crashed. A new article that just came out was particularly touching so I thought I would share it with you here . Her sister Courtney posts updates on her blog and Stephanie's blog is just a joy to read-- you will get hooked to! WARNING: If you read the article, you will need tissues.

I think about Stephanie and her children everyday and I pray for her to continue to improve so that she can be reunited with her family.

Hide and Seek

2008-10-27T16:10:00.003-04:00

I sat down on my bed after picking the children up from school and thought about how tired I was. So, I said to myself, "You should listen to your body and just lay down for a minute."

Those who really know me know that I do not take naps. I wake up from naps feeling absolutely horrible-- tired, grumpy, nauseous and like I have the flu. My children's doctor asked me when Joshua was born if I was taking naps while Joshua slept and was surprised that I never take naps. I told her how I feel when I wake up and she said, "You know what that means don't you?" I didn't. She said, "It means that you are very sleep deprived." Who knew?

I have been sleep deprived for years even when I'm sleeping 8-9 hours a night due to lack of restorative sleep that my doctor is now trying to remedy, but I never knew that's why I can't take naps.

Anyway, Joshua came in my room looking for me a minute or so after I laid down. I couldn't see him because I was laying on my side facing the other way but I heard him go right past me to my bathroom door and then head back out of my room. I thought, "Wow. He's going to let me rest."

Then I hear, "He's (Translation: She's) got to be here somewhere." Enjoying this little game, I of course remained still. Ethan found me about 30 seconds later followed by Joshua and well, so much for my rest but I did have a laugh and for some reason, laughing seems to have restorative powers too!

Go Figure!

2008-10-24T15:36:00.004-04:00

Jack on our back hill in 2004

Getting my children up for school is no easy task. When they say, "Just a few more minutes Mom", I feel for them. I too, have trouble dragging myself out of bed. I don't like to nag them, pull off their covers, turn on their lights or get frustrated with them. I don't like to but I sometimes do.

Today is a Professional Development Day for their teachers so my children got to stay home. Hoping to be able to sleep in this morning and planning ahead, I let them all stay up an hour past their normal bedtime last night. In theory, they should sleep in an hour or so more in the morning, right? WRONG!

My children were all up by 6:30 AM! This is a half hour earlier than I normally wake them up for school! How can this be? I don't think they have gotten themselves up for school this entire school year so far!

Now here's the good news:

Jack made me breakfast this morning and came to tell me at about 6:30 AM. I expressed my appreciation for his thoughtfulness and then told him that I would really like to sleep a little longer. Could he feed my bowl of oatmeal to Ethan instead?

Jack willingly agreed. In fact, he took care of Ethan and Joshua until 8:00 AM when Ethan decided he really wanted me and I told Jack it was okay to let him in my room. I put Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (the only show Ethan watches) on in my room and slept on and off for another hour while Ethan climbed on me, throwed pillows at me and then started asking for a drink.

I finally dragged my lazy bones out of bed and expressed my sincere appreciation to Jack, my nine year old son who let me sleep. What a sweet boy!

Pumpkin Cookies

2008-10-23T10:11:00.000-04:00

Okay, so maybe Pumpkin Shaped Cookies is a more accurate description.

My creative and clever husband John made the children a stencil for a Jack o'Lantern face. Isn't it cute?

Here is a picture of Joshua looking at his cookie. He hadn't eaten any of his dinner and I told him he had to eat a few bites before he could have a cookie. When the cookies were ready, I pulled his dinner back out of the fridge. Even seeing and smelling the yummy cookie wasn't temptation enough to eat any meatloaf, mashed potatoes or green beans.

While rolling out the dough, I ate too many little bites and feel a bit ill. Oops.

When They Grow Up, You'll Miss...

2008-10-21T11:58:00.012-04:00

Women are often heard saying, "When they grow up, you'll miss fill in the blank." Some women say this for everything. I'm sorry but there are SOME things I WON'T miss!

Here are some things I won't miss:

1. Having food thrown at me and all over my kitchen floor.

2. Having my glasses pulled off of my face unexpectedly. OUCH!

3. Having to buckle and unbuckle carseats. It will be nice when I can just hop in and go!

4. Washing bottles.

5. Seemingly endless potty-training.

6. Finding spit up and snot on various objects.

7. Having something I love destroyed by a little one's hands.

8. Wearing dirty clothes 90% of the time. The other 10% being time I am away from my children.

Here are some things I will definitely miss:

1. Seeing little ones in pajamas with feet. So cute!

2. Slobbery baby kisses. (I feel that it is important to add here that I DO NOT like slobbery kisses from anyone but John and babies! So, if you were thinking about giving me one-- please don't.)

3. Snuggling with a little one.

4. Seeing the little ones faces light up when they see me come home.

5. Baby talk.

6. Having the occasional overnight guest in my queen sized bed. *Snuggle*

7. Nursing.

8. Being able to spend so much time with my children.

And lastly, here are some things I hope my children will always provide me with no matter their ages:

1. Laughter.

2. Hugs and Kisses.

3. Seeing my children excited about something new they have learned.

4. Hearing my children share gospel truths.

5. Having my children share their creativity with me. (Artwork, stories, songs, etc.)

6. Having fun playing games with my children.

I love being a mother!

My YouTube Junkie

2008-10-20T09:08:00.002-04:00

Last week I introduced Joshua to YouTube Disney Halloween cartoons. Now he keeps asking to watch videos on John's laptop and he even navigates YouTube by himself with supervision. (I do NOT consider YouTube to be a safe website for children to freely browse!) This is one of his favorites. It is the Silly Symphony Skeleton Dance. Your children might enjoy it too. But, BEWARE, they might become YouTube Junkies too! Consider yourselves forewarned!

Home For The Holidays

2008-10-19T09:56:00.000-04:00

For me, Christmas is about memories and traditions and being with those you love.

We have gone to Virginia Beach for Christmas for five out of the seven years we've lived in Stanardsville. We love going down there and being with our families, having Sauerbraten and acting out the story of Jesus's birth on Christmas Eve with the Niepraschks, having Christmas morning pictures with the Monteiths, giving and receiving gifts, playing games, making and eating the holiday treats we have enjoyed since we can remember, and if we are lucky, catching the fourth Advent with the Niepraschks. We LOVE it!

Many Niepraschks have moved away from Virginia Beach. This year there will be only 4-8 Niepraschks for Christmas Eve instead of 60 plus. There will be less people to play games with and probably no Advents. I guess it will never be the *same*. I loved having predictable traditions with my extended family and I am sure my siblings and cousins will miss them too.

I've been thinking over the years about this and I have decided that we need to stay home for Christmas at least two years out of every three. I want to create holiday memories and traditions with my own family. I believe it is important for families to have traditions for the children to look forward to every year and my children already have many. (Right now they can't wait to make pumpkin shaped sugar cookies to decorate!) Also, I want them to want to come visit me (once every few years) for the holidays when they are grown with families of their own. I plan to go visit them for the holidays too. For me, Christmas is about family.

It doesn't matter where you are for the holidays as long as you are with the ones you love-- creating memories that won't easily be forgotten.

Just for fun here are some pictures of my early Christmases:

Here is a picure of John's second Christmas. Adorable! Don't you think?

Here is a Monteith family Christmas morning picture. They take pictures on the couch every Christmas morning BEFORE opening their presents.

Has this ever happened to you?

2008-10-16T14:51:00.000-04:00

Have you ever made a highly rated 5-star recipe from a site such as allrecipes (my personal favorite) just to find it so disgusting that you feel bad for wasting ingredients on it? I have.

Have you ever had a friend give you a recipe that she absolutely loves and "you just have to try it" only to find it not so tasty and you hope she doesn't ask you whether or not you liked it? I haven't but I know some people who have had this experience.

When you offer to bring a meal over to a new mother and her family, do you worry that they will not like it? I do.

Have you ever been the recipient of such a meal just to discover that your family found it inedible and your husband had to make dinner anyway? I have.

No wonder it is so difficult and sometimes stressful to decide what to make for dinner when you have company coming! You could love it while they hate it!

Want to try a good recipe? Try the Toasted Garlic Bread recipe from allrecipes. Watch them though because they brown very quickly. Oh, and if you don't like them... just keep it to yourself.

Abby's Art

2008-10-15T06:24:00.001-04:00

"Flowers in a Vase"

I love the art that Abby creates for me to hang on my refrigerator! This is one of my favorites!

If you haven't visited her art gallery recently, you should check it out at http://abbysartgallery.blogspot.com/ .

Oh Ladybugs, Why Must You Torment Me?

2008-10-14T16:23:00.012-04:00

Ladybug Legend:

If you find a ladybug in your house, count the number of spots and that is how many dollars you will soon receive.

If this were true, I would be a millionaire by now! I'm not even exaggerating!

Today is the first day of the Fall 2008 ladybug infestation.

Here is a clip looking out my front porch window:

They get much worse than this and I will try to update with a video of the swarming on a REALLY bad day.

Here they are IN my house:

This is what I have to do to my fireplace to keep the number of ladybugs in my living room each Fall down to a few hundred instead of closer to a thousand. Attractive, huh?

Don’t even ask me about my basement! It is frightening down there during an infestation and I don’t even want to think about all of the vacuuming and the sneezing and coughing I’ll be doing thanks to an apparent ladybug allergy. Don’t tell ME no one is allergic to ladybugs!

As I went down the front steps to go pick up Jack and Abby from school, I had Ethan in my arms and I was holding Joshua's hand because he does not like to step on ladybugs and I have to gently pull him down the steps. On the way down, the ladybugs decided to land on me-- my glasses, my nose, my arm, my clothes. I tried to stay calm for Joshua's sake. When I got to the van, we all jumped in the same side door and I quickly closed it behind us. I checked us all out and it seemed that we were now ladybug free (or so I thought) which is unusual after such a trip. As I was driving, a ladybug landed on my neck and freaked me out. When I swiped it off my neck, it pinched/bit me and released some yellow smelly reflex blood onto my neck and hand. Eeewww! I tried to take a picture of the red, slightly raised patch on my neck but it didn’t show up very well in the picture.

Don’t tell me they are cute. Don’t tell me they are beneficial. I LIVE with them. They are disgusting, smelly bugs that leave yellow blood stains on my curtains, walls and windows! Eeewww! I just can’t say it enough… Eeewww!

So, the number one reason that I want to move out of this house and this whole county is not my overgrown yard, having to drive my children to school because the bus doesn’t come here, or the 35 minute trip to church. No, the number one reason I want to move is the LADYBUGS! Eeewww!

Dunkin' Donuts Surprise!

2008-10-14T11:52:00.001-04:00

Daddy surprised us with a dozen Dunkin' Donuts last Saturday. Thank you Daddy! The Dunkin' Donuts store just opened and we do not have a Krispy Kreme around here. Ethan LOVED the donuts as you can see. I think the fillings and frostings were a bit off so if you are thinking about getting a dozen, you should wait a couple of weeks for them to perfect their donuts. In the meantime, check out the Angel Cake Bakery next to the Ruckersville Food Lion. They have the best donuts for about the same price.

My Beautiful Daughter!

2008-10-13T13:40:00.000-04:00

On October 7th my beautiful daughter Abby turned seven! I feel so blessed to have her. She is my one and only daughter. The only one I will get to go wedding dress shopping with. (Which may actually be a blessing.) I love you Abby!

Abby on the day she was born:

Abby on her blessing day:
Abby was my happiest baby. She smiled and laughed a lot!
Abby's first Easter:
Abby's Second Easter:

Thank you Heavenly Father for letting me experience the joys of having a daughter of my own! She is so precious to me!

Looking Out My Window

2008-10-09T14:11:00.004-04:00

Dear Window,

Thank you for letting me see through you. I love to watch for my daddy to come home so I can wave and wave and wave to him. Good Girl Da loves to watch with me. She likes to communicate with her friends across the lake while we look out of the window. If she talks too much, Mommy sends her outside and I look out of the window by myself and wonder what she is saying in her own funny language.

When Daddy pulls up in his trusty car with over 180,o00 miles on it, I giggle and giggle while calling out, "Da-da! Da-da!" in my loudest voice. Mommy doesn't shoo me outside though. She smiles and comes to the window to wave to Daddy too. She looks so happy to see him!

Thank you Window for bringing us joy!

Love,

Ethan

Carter Mountain Orchard

2008-10-06T09:58:00.000-04:00

Joshua, Ethan and I went to Carter Mountain last month for a field trip organized for preschool mothers in the ward. We had a great time! We went on a wagon ride, enjoyed delicious apple donuts and apple peach cider, and picked apples right off of the trees! I had to lift Joshua above my head for him to reach the apples so my T-shirt got all muddy and I had to stop at the grocery store with mud on my chest. I figured, "Oh well, they'll know I'm a mother."

And we came home with two whole bags of Golden Delicious apples. Yummy! Fresh apples really do taste best! We even made some apple fritters one Sunday morning.

What do you do with a BA in English?

2008-09-26T11:40:00.002-04:00

Lexis Nexis has been laying off people for a while now and John's small department just had "the meeting" yesterday. By March they have to lay off 6 of the 20 people in their department. Three of them have to be people with John's job title of which there are only 6 and John is the newest hired. So, it doesn't look good.

I've been thinking, "What do you do with a BA in English?" So, naturally I thought of Avenue Q. I couldn't find one good video of the whole song so here are the two parts:

This song reminds me that we all have struggles. And usually, when I think about the people I know and their trials, I would rather have my own. This too shall pass. : )

I'm Here!

2008-09-23T10:21:00.004-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time. The children are back in school and I am taking a graduate level class. I have been so busy! I am so far behind in my reading that I need to read 250 pages before 2:30 PM tomorrow!

I have a bunch of pictures I want to post but I will have to do it after I finish my reading. For now, I would like to share this picture with you:

You are probably wondering what it is. This is one of those cool Febreze NOTICEables air fresheners. I got it for $1 by combining a coupon with a sale! I enjoy the lovely smell it creates in my home. So, why is it in a bag you ask?

Apparently, my dear husband does not appreciate the lovely fragrance like I do. This is the way I found my air freshener the other day-- unplugged and in a bag.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-08-25T09:49:00.004-04:00

Emily tagged me on her blog so here are my answers and the rules: Answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four other people. I am going to tag Sarah, Robin, Kristin and Tori. Have fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen

2. Your significant other? Best

3. Your hair? Wild

4. Your mother? Busy

5. Your father? Turning 60!

6. Your favorite thing? Games

7. Your dream last night? Crazy

8. Your favorite drink? Water

9. Your dream/goal? Savings

10. The room you’re in? Family Room

11. Your hobby? Blogs

12. Your fear? House fire

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Better

14. What you’re not? Energetic

15. Muffins? Banana

16. One of your wish list items? Water Softener

17. Where you grew up? Virginia

18. The last thing you did? Music

19. What are you wearing? T-Shirt

20. Favorite gadget? Cameras

21. Your pets? Beagle

22. Your computer? Wonderful!

23. Your mood? Stressed

24. Missing someone? Lots

25. Your car? Thankful

26. Something you’re not wearing? Socks

27. Favorite store? Amazon

28. Like someone? Yes

29. Your favorite color? Purple

30. When is the last time you laughed? Today

31. Last time you cried? Unsure

My First Coach Bag!

2008-08-21T14:09:00.000-04:00

My friend, Alyssa, purchased a Coach diaper bag when her son was born. It was so cute that I wanted to get one too! Unfortunately, my budget said, "No!"

It has been almost two years but the Universe has finally seen fit to bring me my first Coach bag!

I decided Jack could model it for me since he is a male model.

Check it out!

First Day of School

2008-08-20T15:53:00.009-04:00

Well, Jack and Abby are off to school for another great year! They both love school. I must say, I love having my children home for the summer but the quiet I enjoyed today in my home was quite nice.

Abby started First Grade today so she received her Schultuete! Being able to continue our German traditions is so much fun! John created this cone for Abby. Isn't he awesome?

Jack just started Fourth Grade!
Joshua... well... he could be starting preschool in October if only he would decide to be potty-trained!

Ethan just likes to wear the extra cone we made on his head and walk around the room! I have had trouble catching him on camera though but I hope to get a better shot or even a video to share with you soon!

Motherhood and Keeping it Real

2008-08-19T21:37:00.002-04:00

We all want to be perfect mothers! Of course, we realize that we can't be perfect so we try to hide our weaknesses from others-- lest they find out we are not the perfect mothers we want to be! Because of this, we all think that the other mothers are better than us! This has even lead to depression in some women that I know. I am trying to make sure that my blogging is real and shows my struggles with motherhood and homemaking. I am trying to "Keep it Real."

Today Joshua and Abby begged to help me put the chocolate chips in the pancakes on the griddle. I told them "no" and explained to them that it was hot and I didn't want them to get burned. They continued to beg and I decided that it would probably be okay since they just had to reach over and drop the chocolate chips onto the half cooked pancakes. On Joshua's second pancake, he dropped a chocolate chip that landed on the stovetop. He immediately went to grab it burning his hand on the griddle. He has a very painful burn that he pretty much kept in cool water for 3 hours. He would go off to play and then run back to the bowl saying "ouch" or "my hand is burning." I called the doctor who wants to see him in the morning and told us to put antibiotic cream on it (not ointment which I have in the house but cream which John had to drive 30 minutes into town to pick up). Joshua seems to be doing better now so I'm hoping he'll sleep okay through the night.

Oh, I almost forgot the cute part of this story! As soon as John came home, I asked him to give Joshua a blessing. John told Joshua he was going to say a prayer. Joshua said "okay" and then proceeded to say a prayer asking Heavenly Father to bless his hand. The faith of little ones always puts tears in my eyes!

A Clean House

2008-08-19T15:16:00.006-04:00

Try as I might, I can not keep this house clean!

I'm not talking about a dirty house with stuff growing in the refrigerator, 1/4 of an inch of dust on the furniture and carpet that hasn't seen the vacuum in who knows how long.

I'm also not talking about a house that needs to be on Clean Sweep. Although, since I'm keeping it real, my basement could be on Clean Sweep!

I am talking about a house with toys, shoes, books and art/crafting supplies on the floor, couch, beds, tables, etc. They are frequently put away by me, my children, and my husband. No matter how many times we put them away, they somehow manage to find themselves a new home somewhere that is NOT their "spot."

At family councils, we discuss the importance of picking up after ourselves and not putting things down in places where they don't belong. We have tried many strategies to try to fix this problem but nothing has worked so far. We can have this house clean as a whiste at 10:00 am and find it in a "We hope nobody stops unexpectedly" state by 3:00 pm! Seriously-- I am not even exaggerating! I don't need to exaggerate because the truth is already unbelievable.

I wonder if this problem is common in homes with more than two children. I remember being able to keep the house neat, cook homemade meals, do all of my chores and STILL have time to read when I only had two children. I considered myself to be a great mother and a decent homemaker.

A couple of years ago (probably when I was expecting my fourth child), I called my mother to tell her what an awful mother and homemaker I turned out to be. She asked me if I remember my childhood home being messy. I told her that I didn't and that her house was always neat. She told me that when we were little it wasn't always neat and pointed out that I don't even remember the mess.

So, I just have to remind myself that my children are not suffering and won't even remember all of the times this house has been messy. We play a lot of games, make a lot of treats and have a lot of traditions! These are the things they will remember! (I hope.)

My Dancing Boys

2008-08-19T12:58:00.004-04:00

In this house we love to listen to music and dance and be silly! Ethan has figured out how to add arm movements to his dancing. Here is a video of Joshua and Ethan dancing. Enjoy!

Help Me Choose Some New Glasses!

2008-08-16T23:28:00.007-04:00

I ordered myself some new glasses but unfortunately I didn't realize the tortoise shell exterior could turn out to be so awful.

Here is the pair I tried on and loved:

Here is the pair I received: (You will probably have to click on the picture to see it more closely if you want to see what I don't like about them which is the coloring.)

Way too much orange for my taste! I almost cried when I first saw them.

So, it was back to the shop to see if I could get a new pair. I was hoping they could just give me the display pair but unfortunately it is a slightly different size than what I need for my head size and so the lenses won't fit in it. They don't want to order me a new frame in this style because they have no guarantee that I'll like the coloring. : ( Aren't they cute though?

So, now I have to pick out a new pair and I need your help this time! Please leave me a comment and tell me what you think. This is a good time for you lurkers to come forward and leave your first comment on my blog. : )

Here is #1:

Here is #2:
Here is #3
Here is #4:
Here is #5:
Here is #6:
Feel free to tell me if you think they are all wrong. : ) I'll figure this out eventually. Thanks for your help! And thank you Abby for coming along and taking these pictures for me!

Abby's First Photo Shoot!

2008-08-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

Recently I have started letting Abby take pictures with my camera. Here are some pictures from her first photo shoot:

Jack Got His First Power Tool!

2008-08-15T22:20:00.003-04:00

Well, I decided that it was time Jack learned how to use a weed eater! John can use all of the help he can get. Those of you that have seen our yard know what I'm talking about. We live on a hill that requires more cutting with the weed eater than the lawn mower. I researched weed eaters and found a cheap one that is only 6 pounds. Sure you have to plug it in but Jack only weighs 47 pounds so I didn't want it to be too heavy. He did a great job his first day and loves his new toy! He actually likes helping John in the yard-- he always has and I hope he always will. : )

Thanks for the help Jack!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-08-06T10:40:00.004-04:00

John's mother's birthday was August 1st. We were actually in Virginia Beach and were able to attend her birthday party. I want to tell you a little about Grandma.

Grandma loves babies! Ethan doesn't let very many people hold him but Grandma just whisks him away and he is perfectly happy to be with her! I love this picture of Grandma and John.

Grandma has done a wonderful job of raising 8 children. She loves each and every one of them.

Grandma loves to dance! Here is a picture of her dancing with John at Rachel's wedding.

Grandma recently graduated from Norfolk State University. We are so proud of you!

Grandma loves to go to the movies. If you ever want to go and are wondering what you should see, call Grandma-- she's likely seen them all and can tell you which are worth seeing!

Our children are so lucky to have Grandma in their lives! I grew up really knowing my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. I want my children to have this same experience.

Thank you Nancy for being such an awesome mother and grandmother! We love you!

Treasures

2008-08-05T16:37:00.005-04:00

Mema is my mother's mother. She has dementia. Everytime I go to Virginia Beach for a visit, I see how changed she is by this disorder. It has progressed to the point that Mema will be moving in with my mother and father. Last weekend my mother asked us all to go to Mema's and see if there is anything there that we want since most of it will have to be donated or sold.

We started going through Mema's treasures. It was exciting to find old pictures, letters and trinkets! I loved seeing old pictures of my grandparents and my mother! I loved reading old letters! Here are a couple of stories we found in one letter Mema wrote to my Uncle Jeff:

"Alex came home carrying his belt, he came from Mr. Blairs, Debbie said 'Alex why did you take your belt off?' He said, 'Mr. Blair was going to get me, so I took my belt off to wack him!"

"Sarah brought a picture of her hand print home, the next day she had her foot print. I said, 'Sarah, how did they get your foot print?' She said, ' Oh, grandma, I had to take my shoe and sox off.' We walked down the road a little way, she looked up at me and said, 'Grandma, I hope they don't take our body print tomorrow!'"

Mema and Papa were able to attend my wedding. If I had known then that Papa would pass away six short months later, oh the things I would have asked him... the things I would have told him... how much closer I would have listened to his stories! I miss you Papa.

If I had known two years ago that Mema would get dementia, oh the things I would have asked her... the things I would have told her... how much closer I would have listened to her stories! I miss you Mema.

I enjoyed going through your treasures and I want you to know that the two of you are my treasures. You are worth more to me than all of the gold on this earth. I am so thankful for our eternal family and that you are two treasures that I will have with me in heaven!

Thank you for all the love you have given me! I love you!

Ethan's New Trick!

2008-07-29T07:56:00.000-04:00

Ethan has decided that he is tired of showing us tricks we've seen our other children do.

So, he came up with a new trick!

I had to snap this photo fast because Daddy was VERY nervous!

Feeling Loved

2008-07-28T07:33:00.001-04:00

I love having my school-aged children home for the summer! I eagerly look forward to it every year. I like the relaxed schedule that summer brings-- not worrying if a family outing puts us home after bedtime, being able to sleep in a little extra, more time for family games, no homework, etc.

One thing has been hard though-- NAPTIME! My school-aged children seem to no longer KNOW how to be quiet during this precious time of day. Ethan, who is the only one lucky enough to still take naps, has been having trouble staying asleep with the extra noise in this home.

On Thursday, Ethan was awakened about half way into his nap. I got him up but after only a few minutes it was obvious from his fussiness that he needed to go back to bed. I took him back to his room and rocked him in my arms. He immediately relaxed and looked up at me while we listened to his music play. I thought about how comfortable he seemed in my arms which reminded me about how comfortable I feel in my husband's arms. I feel so loved when he holds me. And even though Ethan might not understand the words "I love you" yet, I know that he feels my love when he is in my arms. I love you Ethan!

Ethan Discovers New Territory!

2008-07-27T06:17:00.000-04:00

This was Ethan's first time climbing on the table. I was snapping a few pictures while thinking about how I was only encouraging this risky behavior when he dropped that Ragu bottle on the floor. Thankfully it didn't pop open and spill everywhere like one did when Jack dropped it on the carpet a few weeks ago. Remember?

My new kitchen chair cushions were spared for another day. They have already experienced chocolate, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, RED paint and various crumbs. Luckily, all of these happened AFTER I treated them with Scotchguard (Thanks Jacquie!) and I was able to get all of the stains out. I was scared when I saw the red paint but the hardest one to clean out of the cushions was the definitely the chocolate!

Doesn't my boy look so proud of himself for discovering new territory? He is such a cutie!

Happy Birthday Nana!

2008-07-26T06:59:00.001-04:00

For my mother's birthday, we recorded each of the children on video wishing her a Happy Birthday in their own special way. I was surprised when I was able to get the older three children all singing Happy Birthday to You at the same time without being too silly-- on the FIRST try! You mothers KNOW how amazing this is!

Making the Girls Go Wild!

2008-07-25T07:08:00.001-04:00

Jack told me that he should be on a commercial for school supplies. He said that if Walmart ran a commercial with him wearing his backpack and giving a wink, all of the girls would automatically run to Walmart to buy their school supplies!

Sibling Rivalry DOES Help Prepare Us For Parenthood!

2008-07-24T10:27:00.003-04:00

As children, my sister and I learned how to sit on each other in a way that would allow us to hold down our "enemy" while allowing both of our hands to be free. You probably know the move too. The "enemy" is on her back. You straddle her with your knees holding down her arms.

Joshua sometimes gives me a hard time when I am trying to brush his teeth. This too may sound familiar to you. : ) We all know how important dental hygiene is to our health. So, I have discovered that I can sit on Joshua in the manner described above and brush his teeth while he laughs about it. (Don't worry, he is so tiny that I don't actually have to put any of my weight on him.)

Isn't it great how we can use the things we learned as children to help us in these situations?

Family Fun at its Finest!

2008-07-23T13:24:00.000-04:00

Ethan Shows Joshua How It's Done!

2008-07-22T08:01:00.004-04:00

I changed Ethan's stinky diaper and then dressed Joshua for the day. When I went to pick Ethan up, he was stinky again! "I just changed you little stinker!" I checked his diaper and it was clean but he REALLY was stinky so I knew more was coming. I put him on Joshua's potty and sure enough HE POOPED!

No, I don't actually believe he is ready to be potty-trained... but, I saved myself a diaper!

Later that day when I was telling someone about it, Joshua (who was right there in the bathroom when it happened and hasn't pooped on the potty for months) said, "I go poop in the potty." Yeah, right! :)

These Shoes Were Made For Walking!

2008-07-21T10:50:00.003-04:00

When I tried to put shoes on Ethan before, he would always just pull them off. Now that he is walking, I knew he needed some good shoes to wear when we go out. He loves his new shoes so much that he asks for us to put them on by saying "shoes, shoes..."

He looks so cute in his Stride Rites!

Can You Figure Out How Well Potty Training Is Going?

2008-07-17T12:25:00.003-04:00

I noticed Joshua bending over a little and pushing so we had the following conversation:

Me: Joshua, don't poopie in your diaper. Poopie in the potty so we can make cookies.

Joshua: No, I don't want to poopie in the potty. I want to poopie in my diaper.

Me: Don't you want to make cookies?

Joshua: I don't want a cookie. I want a poopie diaper.

Just So Tired

2008-07-12T12:54:00.006-04:00

I gave Ethan some lunch and then proceeded to wash dishes while talking to my mom on the phone. When Ethan was done eating, he threw his plate and cup on the floor and fell asleep. (It was nap time after lunch.) I gave up on washing dishes while holding a phone and sat on the couch and then thought, "Something is weird...it's too quiet...where's Ethan?" It was then that I remembered the poor little guy!

Apparently this has happened to John recently too.

These Is My Words

2008-07-10T23:29:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading this book today! I really enjoyed it and "found" more time to read than I usually do. I stayed up reading until 1:30 AM three nights and told John I would stay up all night reading it if I didn't know I would have to get up in the morning with Ethan. I plan to pick up the sequel tomorrow at the library. Let's hope it's as good as this one! Here is a short description in case you are interested: "Based on the real-life exploits of the author's great-grandmother, this fictionalized diary vividly details one woman's struggles with life and love in frontier Arizona at the end of the last century." The main character, Sarah, is a strong woman and you will LOVE reading her diary! Let me know if you read it or have already read it and what you think about it.

Free Chick-fil-A Tomorrow!

2008-07-10T12:39:00.001-04:00

Dress like a cow and get free food!

http://www.cowappreciationday.com/

Gratitude

2008-07-05T00:18:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I have a confession to make... I haven't been doing very well at keeping a gratitude journal. I really do think it is a great idea though and I hope I can make it a habit and do it everyday. Someone suggested keeping it in a little notebook by my bed so I would remember. I think I might try that.

I have decided to start posting about some of the things for which I am grateful. They will all be labeled "Things I Am Grateful For." I want you to know right now that I am grateful for my loving husband, my beautiful children, my Savior, my country, my home and all of the other wonderful things we are all grateful for. However, I plan for this list to include things that aren't so obvious or things you wouldn't know I am grateful for if I didn't tell you. Here goes:

I am grateful for my Bissell Little Green Machine. This photo is the new and improved version. Mine is old and sometimes leaks but I still LOVE it. Friday night Jack accidentally dropped a Sam's Club double size plastic jar of Ragu spaghetti sauce on the carpet. The lid broke off and when I saw the mess I couldn't believe my eyes! Forensic science must be very interesting to study because have you ever noticed how your children can drop something as small as a child sized yogurt in the kitchen and you can find yogurt on the wall in the living room! It never ceases to amaze me how this kind of stuff can splatter with such coverage!

When I first started cleaning it up I wasn't sure I would get it all out of the carpet but thanks to my Little Green friend, I was able to get it ALL out! I also was very proud of myself for not freaking out when I first saw it. I try not to react too strongly when things like this happen because if I do my children think I am mad at them when I am not. Whoever built this house put red carpet in all of the bedrooms (what were they thinking?) and when I first started cleaning up the mess that was in the hallway and in one bedroom (Splatter!), Jack said, "I guess they should have put red carpet in the hallway too."

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-04T11:45:00.000-04:00

We have lived here for almost 7 years but this is the first year we have been in town for the Fourth. I found out that McIntire Park has the best fireworks around so we went there. It was a great display. Ethan knew just what to say when it started, "Oooo" and "Boom." Joshua kept saying "Whoa." Abby would say "That was a pretty one!" and Jack... silence...which is very unusual for Jack. When it was over I reminded my children how lucky we are to live in the United States and to be free.

We didn't get home until after 11:30 PM but it was worth it!

Our Baby Rabbits

2008-07-04T06:17:00.000-04:00

When John was mowing a section of the yard that was overgrown, he mowed over a rabbit hole with at least three babies inside. They were all fine but the hole was now exposed so John made a protected entrance using an old piece of fencing and covered it with weeds to give the hole shade. I think the mommy likes the new changes.

Girl Scout Camp

2008-07-03T06:32:00.001-04:00

Last week Abby attended three days of Girl Scout Camp with her best friend Kelsey. They are both in the same Daisy Troop and Abby loves it. However, she was a bit disappointed that Girl Scout Camp didn't have fishing and swimming like Boy Scout Camp did the week before! Next year, I plan to sign her up for Boy Scout Sibling Camp on the days John volunteers.

By the way, guess who they asked to be the cookie mom? Cookies anyone?

Don't Let Sleep Get In the Way Of A Good Time!

2008-07-02T06:21:00.001-04:00

John sometimes falls asleep in his chair while playing the DS. On this particular evening, I woke him up and told him he should go to bed. When I finished with my work, I went into our bedroom to find this scene:

Yes, he IS asleep! How he thought he would be able to stay awake any easier in this position, I'll never know! Too funny though!

It's Official!

2008-07-01T17:02:00.004-04:00

Ethan had been taking steps here and there but on June 14, 2008 he started officially walking. Isn't he cute?

Mother May I?

2008-07-01T15:42:00.004-04:00

Isn't it interesting that children often demand to take over the tasks that they are developmentally ready to learn?

Ethan has been feeding himself for a long time but I have tried to continue to feed him the messiest foods like oatmeal, applesauce, yogurt, etc. On this day, Ethan decided enough was enough and refused to let me feed him his oatmeal. I must say he did pretty well!

When he got down to the bottom of the bowl, he decided it would be easier to get the rest with his fingers.

Can you blame him?

My First Digital Scrapbook Page!

2008-06-20T13:55:00.008-04:00

I'm thinking about starting to make a digital scrapbook. I like traditional scrapbooking but I think it is more time consuming, takes up more space and costs more money. Plus, with digital pages, you can share them and back them up. I haven't decided one way or the other yet. What are your thoughts? If you digitally scrapbook, how do you publish your pages?

John told me about a great free program called GIMP that I could use and it seems to work well! Thanks John! Thanks GIMP!

Happy Birthday, Jack!

2008-06-19T10:23:00.003-04:00

Jack's ninth birthday was on June 18th. The Saturday before his birthday, Abby spent hours making him a Happy Birthday banner. She first made one on the computer and then because John and I were "too busy" to print it she decided to use the craft area to make her creation. Then on his birthday she made him a crown that said "I Love Jack". She was being so sweet and John and I were sad that Jack was being so mean to her Saturday and here she was secretly making things for his birthday!

We have a family party on their odd birthdays so this was a family party. Jack had very specific requests for his birthday. He wanted homemade pizza for dinner, a Sam's Club cake with blue frosting and these gifts:

a box of paper clips
a box of rubber bands
clothespins
Lego Indian Jones for the DS
A compass
Legos

I have to wonder about his plans for the first three gifts. His Nana bought him the DS game and the compass and we got him the rest.

For family birthday parties, we always hide the wrapped gifts and then John writes clever clues for each one. For example: If ye be seeking pirate swag, Look ye where every man stows his bag! The kids really look forward to this part of their birthdays .

Ethan was so tired that by the end he could hardly keep his eyes open. He did perk up a little after the cake though! Speaking of cake, I told John he could take the rest to work on Friday. We would never be able to eat the whole thing! I let the children know that from now on family parties have family made cakes. : )

Ethan Wants a Sandwich

2008-06-19T10:13:00.003-04:00

Ethan is not allowed to have peanut butter yet because of his soy/dairy baby allergy that he has grown out of-- YEAH! The rest of my children eat sandwiches for lunch almost everyday. One day Ethan was fussing and kept pointing at their sandwiches. I made him a sandwich with jelly and margarine and then realized that the jelly was contaminated with peanut butter and had to throw that sandwich away and open a new jelly and make a new sandwich. I hate to put margarine on a sandwich like this . I'm sure there are other spread choices I'm not thinking about-- could you give me ideas of sandwiches for Ethan with no nut spreads? He loves grilled cheese. Thanks for your help!

Abby's Art Gallery

2008-06-11T19:38:00.003-04:00

A Fly-Catching Frog

My sweet Abby LOVES to draw, paint, color, craft, etc! She has started her own blog so that she can post her artwork for you all to enjoy. She even named them herself!

Check it out at http://abbysartgallery.blogspot.com/ .

The Things They Say

2008-06-10T09:52:00.003-04:00

This is for the bloglines readers that do not get the sidebar content. (John)

I have decided to post "The Things They Say" on a separate blog so that I won't have to erase them to put up a new one.

Check it out here: http://quotablekids.blogspot.com/

Email me if you want to add one of your kid's quotes!

A to Z

2008-06-10T07:16:00.001-04:00

A- Attached or Single: Attached
B- Best friend: John of course! I have been blessed with great friends and they are all the BEST!
C- Cake or Pie: Cake, baked goods are my weakness (along with ice cream)
D- Day of choice: Friday-- no homework, Pizza Movie Night, what's not to love
E- Essential item: Curel lotion
F- Favorite Color: Purple with blue a close second
G- Gummy bears or worms: Bears
H- Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
I- Indulgence: Girl's Night Out once a month
J- January or July: I would say July but my AC isn't so great so I'm going to have to say January K- Kids: Jack (8) Abby (6) Joshua (3) Ethan (1)
L- Life is incomplete without: Fun and laughter
M- Marriage Date: May 3, 1997
N- Number of siblings: 3
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples
P- Phobias or fears: House fire in which I am unable to get to my kids, watching someone I love suffer pain
Q- Quotes: "Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake, To guide the future as he has the past."-Katharina von Schlegel I can't get through this song without crying.
R- Reason to smile: My lovely family : )
S- Season of choice: Fall, it seems to have the nicest weather.
T- Tag 3 times: Sarah, Tori, Desiree and anyone else who wants to do it.
U- Unknown fact about me: I love to sing! My children know because they hear it all of the time. I don't like to sing in front of others because I don't think I'm any good. : )
V- Very favorite store: Amazon.com Great prices and free shipping! I love to read reviews too!
W- Worst habit: Surfing the Internet-- what a time waster!
X- X-ray or Ultrasound: Ultrasound
Y- Your favorite food: I have so many favorites! Mint chocolate chip ice cream on a brownie
Z- Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Ethan Loves His Mema!

2008-06-09T12:40:00.000-04:00

Ethan still doesn't really like other people to hold him but he does let Mema hold him. Here she fed him a bottle and he took a nap in her lap. Mema is his great-grandmother, my maternal grandmother. My children are lucky to have 4 great-grandparents still alive (3 on my side).

Mema is the youngest of 16 children (no multiple births). Can you imagine being pregnant and giving birth 16 times?

Out With The Old and In With The New

2008-06-08T06:15:00.000-04:00

I wanted to buy a new kitchen table with our stimulus check because ours was way too small (32" x 60"). I had even picked it all out, showed it to my mom and was waiting for an upcoming 1/2 price sale. Unfortunately, we had a *death* in the family and had to change our plans. Our washing machine tried so hard to survive but it seems it was just her time to go. With a smaller budget to work with, I turned to Craigslist and was able to find a great deal on this table that was owned by a single man. I am a bit worried about the seat cushions but this table matches my cabinets and was the best deal I found on Craigslist after following it for about 6 weeks. It's so nice to have a bigger table (40" x 72")! I just hope my kids don't destroy it too quickly. Any suggestions?

Out with the old...

In with the new...

Strawberry Fields Forever

2008-06-07T18:00:00.000-04:00

Abby, Joshua and I went strawberry picking with my sister Christi. She makes delicious strawberry pies with these fresh berries!

Joshua mostly just ran around while Abby picked a few and then got bored. Abby borrowed this lovely Elvis hat from my mom. She wanted to go on the hayride pulled by horses but they were on their last run when we arrived. She was SOOOO sad that it ruined her fun!

Yeah! Strawberry fields forever!

Abby Graduates From Kindergarten

2008-06-06T18:38:00.004-04:00

Abby has had a wonderful year in Mrs. Baggett's Kindergarten class! When recording her Kindergarten memories she wrote that the hardest thing about Kindergarten was staying home sick. She loves school and I am so happy about it! Abby was the only one in her class that was already reading at the beginning of Kindergarten and one of only a handful reading in ALL of Kindergarten. I was worried that she wouldn't get the attention she needed at her level but luckily, they pulled her into a reading group with the other 4 readers and WOW! By the end of Kindergarten they told me she is reading on Rigby Level 22 when Level 5 is considered to be on grade level at the end of the year. Way to go Abby! We love you so much!

Was I good at Abby's graduation?

No.

Bloglines

2008-06-03T10:27:00.002-04:00

John has been using Bloglines for years to keep up with all of the blogs he likes to read. I just started using it too. If you like to keep up with more than a couple of blogs, you should check it out! I save a lot of time because bloglines shows me when there are new posts to read. It is constantly checking for new posts so I don't have to. No more checking each blog to see if there is something new! It is easy to set-up and the BEST part is that it is FREE!

Check it out at http://www.bloglines.com/ . It just may be what you need too!

Women & Money

2008-06-01T09:06:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading this book and I am recommending it to everyone. Suze gives us steps to complete each month to get our finances in order including opening a savings account that pays more interest, getting out of debt, setting up retirement accounts, getting life insurance, setting up trusts, writing wills, etc. She writes in a way that is very easy to follow and understand. I found the whole section on retirement accounts the most useful because with all of the choices out there, it can be confusing.

Christi Graduates From Law School!

2008-05-17T17:45:00.002-04:00

My beautiful sister Christi graduated from George Mason University School of Law today! We now have a lawyer in the family! Yeah! Time to do our will. : ) Christi has accepted a great job with a wonderful law firm that she has been working for during school. They must have seen what we already knew... Christi is a smart lady and a hard worker too!

Congratulations Christi! We are so happy for you!

This is a picture of some magnets I made for Christi as a little gift. The pictures from the top left are Christi's dog Molly, Elvis, shoes from her graduation party invitation, my mom's dog Sadie, and Joshua who she calls "my boy." They look much better in person and I plan to make some more. Hey, maybe you'll get some for your next birthday!

Ethan's Birthday Party!

2008-05-16T14:23:00.002-04:00

We had a party for Ethan on May 4th while we were in Virginia Beach. Grandma, Nana, Papa, Aunt Rebekah, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Geoff, and Cousin Jared were able to be there. Thanks for coming on such short notice everyone!!!

We started with birthday cake and icecream. Ethan doesn't seem to like cake very much but he made a mess anyway so that I could get some pictures. Isn't he sweet? For his actual birthday we picked up a Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake at Sam's Club for $6 and he actually liked that much better. Chocolate, now we know.

Then Ethan opened his presents. We asked everyone to please give him books instead of toys. We have so many toys and Ethan loves to read! So, he received a great variety of books with flaps which he LOVES! Thanks for the books everyone! There was one toy that I wanted him to have though so I had my mom get him this ride on toy. Joshua loves to ride his train around the house and Ethan tries to get on it but it is too high. Now he has his own! Thanks Nana!

While Daddy put it together, Ethan played in the box. Sometimes I wonder "Why didn't I think to just give him a box?"

Yummy Trifle!

2008-05-12T10:04:00.002-04:00

John, Abby and I made a Strawberry Angel Trifle for Mother's Day. It looked so beautiful and tasted great! Of course, my children wouldn't touch it. Silly kids. Oh well, more for me and John!

A Tribute To My Mother

2008-05-11T06:36:00.000-04:00

My mother is a special lady.

She is an amazing wife and mother of four children. She has raised us well and we all turned out to be great people ourselves because of her. She has 7 grandchildren who love her and are all smart as can be! She has one dog and one granddog that keep her company and bring her happiness during this empty nest stage of her life. She also has 4 other granddogs and a grandcat but I'm not sure how much happiness they bring because they make a mess when they visit!

She is a wonderful cook! Her kitchen has always been a hang out place for family and friends. I remember one of my friends in high school came over for dinner once and asked me why my mom had cooked a Sunday dinner on a school night. Before this, I had no clue that other mothers weren't cooking like this everyday! She likes to try new recipes and has even created a Niepraschk Family Cookbook full of recipes from the whole extended family! What a blessing it has been to have these recipes to use in my own home!

Everyone loves to talk to my mother so her phone is always ringing off the hook. One thing I've learned though that's interesting...she doesn't like to talk on the phone! When I am visiting her and she isn't home, the phone drives me nuts with all of that ringing. So, I've been calling her less than everyday now. : ) I hope it helps Mom!

My mother is an awesome teacher! She teaches second grade and was recently named "Teacher of the Year." She also teaches in Young Womens and has been since I was in Young Womens myself. She is so wonderful that bishop after bishop feels that they cannot replace her!

She is a wonderful grandmother and her grandchildren LOVE her! Joshua tells me almost every other day that we need to go to Nana's. We usually leave here after dark to go to her house. One day after it got dark, Joshua pointed out the window and said, "We need to go to Nana's house." He was so upset when we didn't take off for Nana's that I had trouble getting him to go to bed. When I left my children with Nana for a weekend vacation, Ethan was so good and she said he didn't even cry. He cries and whines several times a day when I'm watching him! Nana sends my children cards for Halloween, Easter, Valentines Day, and their birthdays. They love to get mail from Nana!

John calls Nana's house "The Plaza" because he also loves to visit her and be spoiled with her good cooking and hospitality!

My mother has always been there for me. She is a good example to me and my children and I feel so blessed to have her as my mom! I know that when I'm having a bad day I can call my mom and she will be able to tell me what I need to hear. My father, my siblings and I depend upon her and her wisdom. She is the one that makes our family strong! That is why I plan for her to live well past 100! Sorry, Mom.

I love you Mom! Happy Mother's Day!

Our Anniversary Trip!

2008-05-10T13:42:00.005-04:00

John and I decided to do something really special for our 11th anniversary which was May 3, 2008. Last year we celebrated our 10th only 9 days before Ethan was born so we couldn't go on a trip like we wanted to. We haven't done a vacation without the children before so I didn't want to go too far with Ethan so little still. We decided to drop the children off at my mom's in Virginia Beach and head for a hotel on the beach. We stayed for two nights in an awesome room with a 2 person Jacuzzi tub right in the bedroom! It was so nice to not have to worry about taking care of the children for these two days and to be able to concentrate on each other!

We did bring the children to the hotel when we checked in because my mom was still at work and the children wanted to go to the beach with us. Looking at the three of them in the tub really shows how big the tub was! If I ever build a house and can afford one, I'm putting one of these babies in! I don't want an outdoor hottub because they require chemicals and are hard to keep clean. I would much rather have a jacuzzi tub I can fill when I want to take a nice relaxing bath and then empty away the water when I'm done.

John and I didnt' take many pictures but here is one I took of the two of us. When we looked at the picture we both laughed. It's kind of fun to take one of these pictures because you never know what you're going to get!

John is an amazing husband! So many people have told me how awesome he is and how they wish their husbands would do some of the things John does for me. I don't need other people to tell me how wonderful he is because I've known since we starting dating 12 1/2 years ago. He is so supportive of me and works hard to support our family. He spoils me rotten and I love every minute of it!

Don't Forget National Teacher Day!

2008-05-05T11:05:00.001-04:00

National Teacher Day is tomorrow, May 6th.

I appreciate all of love and dedication my children's teachers give them!

Abby's teacher Mrs. Baggett is a wonderful, caring teacher. She was Jack's teacher too and will be retiring after this year. I am sad that my other children won't be able to be in her class. She is a teacher who continues to squeeze in a lot of fun activities even with the pressures of No Child Left Behind and the Virginia Standards of Learning. She is always teasing the children and making them laugh. Mrs. Baggett is the perfect teacher for getting Kindergarteners on track for loving school! Jack and Abby both love her and I love her too!

Jack's teacher Mr. Wills is a very hard-working, truly dedicated teacher. John and I were so happy to learn that Jack would have one teacher for all of his classes this year because Mr. Wills teaches all of the highest groups! Last year, it was hard for Jack to switch between teachers and get right back on task. It was also hard for me to communicate with so many teachers! (He had five teachers last year in second grade. Isn't that crazy!?!) John, Jack and I immediately loved Mr. Wills when we met him on Meet the Teacher Night and were so excited for this new year. Mr. Wills in one of those teacher who is often caught working in his classroom hours after his contract time. He also leads a drama club after school that Jack plans to join next year. He helps Jack stay on task and Jack has been completing all of his classwork on time. Yeah! I need to start praying now for another teacher like Mr. Wills next year. I told Jack to ask Mr. Wills if he will switch to fourth grade next year. : )

I plan to show my appreciation by giving them some very rich Frosted Brownies with a note of appreciation from me and one from my child. I also plan to give Frosted Brownies to various other teachers and assistants who work with my children--PE Teacher, Music Teacher, Mrs. Baggett's Assistant, etc.

Don't forget your child's teacher!

Today is National Scrapbook Day!

2008-05-03T19:19:00.000-04:00

Be sure to dust off your scrapbooks and supplies. Today is National Scrapbook Day! I won't actually be scrappin' since I am on a romantic vacation with my husband because today is our 11th wedding anniversary. Anyway, I am more of a scrapbooking collector than an actual scraper. I tell people that I collect scrapbooking stuff since I can't actually say that I scrapbook. : ) I did buy some ribbon today!

For those of you who also see yourselves as "Scrapbooking Collectors", here is a spoof my great friend and fellow scrapbooking collector wrote and dedicated to "Scrapbooking Collectors" everywhere!

Scrapbooking Girl

(Maybe he's right. Maybe there is something the matter with me. I just don't see how a girl that makes such wonderful things could be bad.)

Look at this stuff
Isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl
The girl who has everything?

Look at this trove
Treasures untold
How many wonders can one album hold?
Looking around here you'd think
Sure, she's got everything

I've got cardstock and stickers a plenty
I've got papers and punches galore
You want mono-adhesives?
I've got twenty!
But who cares?
No big deal
I want more!

I wanna be where my scrapbooks are
I wanna see...wanna see them instead of
Fiddlin' around with those--what do you call 'em?
Oh - kids! :)

Tendin' my kids, I don't get too far
Time is required for scrappin',
stampin'Strollin' along without going - what's that word again?
Insane

Oh, I would crop, I wouldn't stop
Until my pages were over the top
With time for me--wish I could be
Scrapbooking girl

What would I give if I could live without piles of laundry
What would I pay to spend one day free of demands
Bet'cha my man, he'd understand
Just why his wife is so exhausted
After a minute, he's sick of cleanin'
Ready to quit

I'd like him to know what I already know
Maybe by then he would finally get it
What's for dinner and why is mine - what's the word?
Burned?

When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love
To actually use my scrapbooking stuff
My fantasy
Wish I could be
Scrapbooking girl

Thanks Robin!

Happy Scrappin'... or collecting!

Monteith Family Picture

2008-04-30T16:48:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture of the whole Monteith Clan!

Here is a picture of my family!

Kiss Your Mate Day!

2008-04-28T10:53:00.001-04:00

Be sure to plant a few extra kisses on your mate today!

These Are For You Sarah!

2008-04-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
By Heidi Monteith

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans. (I use a medium sized scoop.)
Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until edges are nicely browned. Be careful not to overbake.

Yield: About 24 cookies.

Tips from Heidi:
I use Land O’ Lakes Margarine.
You can double this recipe.
You can drop the spoonfuls of dough onto a pan almost touching, put the pan into the freezer for a couple of hours, then move the dough balls into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for the next time you want cookies. When you are ready to use the dough balls, take them out and put them on an ungreased pan. Then preheat the oven. When the oven is ready you can go ahead and bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Yum!

Snickerdoodles You Are Sure To Love!

2008-04-23T09:50:00.002-04:00

When you try these Snickerdoodles, you will say goodbye to store-bought dough! There really is no comparison!

If you think making cookies from scratch just sounds like too much work, I get it. I was there about 4 years ago. Then one day I had a craving, made some cookies and realized that not only are cookies pretty easy to make, they taste way better than the ones I was buying at the store or making from store-bought dough! Now I love to bake cookies and often experiment with different recipes until I find the perfect combination and write a new recipe to call my own. Here is one of my favorites:

Snickerdoodles
by Heidi Monteith

½ cup butter or margarine (1 stick), softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Topping:
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
Put dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
Take about 2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes. They will seem undercooked when you take them out of the oven.

Yield: 18-22 cookies

Tips from Heidi:
After experimenting, I have found that Land O’ Lakes Margarine gives me the best results. I now use it for all of my cookies.
I have successfully doubled this recipe but tripling is not a good idea.
I use the Medium Pampered Chef scoop to shape the dough.

Good Girl!

2008-04-22T09:44:00.001-04:00

Ethan used to call Daisy by her name but now he only calls her "Good Girl." I guess this shows how much Daisy's behavior has improved since Joshua started talking. His first word was not Mommy or Daddy-- No, it was Daisy! He also quickly learned how to say "No, Daisy. Bad Girl." This is when I realized I was calling her a "Bad Girl" too much.

Ethan loves to feed Daisy his food! I often have to send her outside while he eats or else he will give almost all of it to Daisy. John gets mad at Daisy for taking the food from Ethan but hey, if he is handing it to her or throwing it on the floor, how can we expect her, a Beagle, to stay away!

Hand-Me-Down Toy

2008-04-17T16:54:00.007-04:00

Ethan now realizes that he can stand by himself. He has also figured out that he can walk while holding our hands-- it took him a while! He likes this "new" toy we introduced to him today. Gotta love hand-me-downs from your older siblings!

I told Ethan to say goodbye as I was turning off the camera and he actually did it! I didn't even wave and I had no idea that he knew that trick yet! Unfortunately, the camera didn't catch it because it had already turned off so I had to turn it back on and take another video. Isn't he cute? Sorry about my annoying mommy's-excited-about-what-you-did voice. : )

Respect For My Kitchen Table

2008-04-17T13:01:00.003-04:00

I really need a bigger table. My table is only 30 by 60. The width is so narrow that we have trouble fitting the food and our plates on the table. Ethan is now joining us at the table so I am getting more desperate. I've decided that maybe if I start giving more respect to the table I have, the universe will give me a new one! : ) It's worth a try, right?

So, I made this flower arrangement for my table with stuff I had laying around the house. I think it turned out cute even though I am a novice and didn't purchase anything new. If you don't like it, please keep this to yourself so I can go on loving it! : ) Yes, I am a timid crafter!

Joshua to the Rescue!

2008-04-16T15:41:00.002-04:00

"Oh no! Jack is at Nana’s house! He’s sick! We have to go get him! The blue car will go rescue Jack!" (He was playing with a blue car.)

Oh No! Ink on the Couch!

2008-04-16T14:47:00.002-04:00

One day when I wasn't looking, Ethan decided to create his first piece of artwork! He used a ball point pen to draw all over not one, not two, but three couch cushions and an armrest. I didn't even notice until the next morning. After scrubbing and scrubbing at the marks with dish soap and water as recommended by the salesman, I turned to the internet. After one super quick search, I found out that rubbing alcohol was the cleaner of choice. Let me tell you, it was like magic! The ink disappeared before my eyes with only the slightest rubbing. I was sure to declare my gratitude for rubbing alcohol and the internet in my gratitude journal!

Gingerbread House

2008-04-16T14:28:00.003-04:00

I know this is a weird time of year for making Gingerbread Houses but we received this kit as a Christmas gift from Daniel and Karen and just now put it together. Joshua saw it in the cabinet and asked if we could build it. So, we put this together after family council Thursday. We had lots of fun and it turned out cute!

Another update! Read Previous Post 1st!

2008-04-11T12:24:00.001-04:00

Well, Jack is throwing up again and must be picked up. Mind you he is at least 2 1/2 hours away! My sister is actually going to pick him up and bring him back to Virginia Beach and we will then come up with a plan for getting him home. We will probably meet Christi in Fredricksburg when she is on her way home Sunday. Isn't this crazy!!! Apparently two other children in other classes are throwing up too! It's times like these that I am thankful for our big families! Thanks Christi!!! You're the best Aunt ever!!!

Jack Update! Read Previous Post 1st!

2008-04-11T10:48:00.003-04:00

Someone in line actually paid for Jack's new shorts. How cool is that? The only time I ever tried to help pay for something for someone in line was once when the cashier dropped a dime that was supposed to be part of the customer's change. The lady would not leave without that dime! I had my boys with me and I couldn't believe we were standing and standing there because of a dime. They kept looking and looking and then the cashier just gave the lady a blank stare. I finally said something like, "How about I give you a dime?" She said, "No, it's okay." Then looked for the dime for another few seconds before leaving. I do really believe in the pay it forward idea though. So I plan to pay this good deed forward!

A Mother's Bad Call!

2008-04-11T10:03:00.002-04:00

Have you ever made a judgment call you regretted later?

Jack's class had their big field trip today. The one they talk about all year! They took charter buses to Jamestown which is about 2 1/2 hours from here. Well, this morning Jack woke up excited but then said he didn't feel very well. He said he might even throw up. He got really upset about the possibility of missing the trip. I took his temp which was only 98.4 and told him to eat breakfast and see how he feels. Now, we woke him up almost 2 hours earlier than usual and when I wake up really early, I usually feel a little queasy. I always have. I can remember as a child, if we got up early to go on a trip, I would often be too nauseous to eat anything. After having a little breakfast and asking for us to say a family prayer for him, he said he was actually feeling better. So, off he went!

About two hours later, I got a call from Mr. Wills. Jack has thrown up all over himself on the bus! Someone driving behind the buses is going to stop to get him a new pair of shorts for today. I am hoping and praying that he got it all out of his system and will feel better for the rest of the day. If not, it looks like Aunt Christi, Nana or his father will be making a trip to Jamestown today!

What could I do? If I kept him home and he didn't turn out to be sick, he would have missed a very special and expensive trip for nothing. He would have been really sad all day. I really thought it was just a morning thing and that he would be fine. No one we know has been sick. But, now I feel really bad for his teacher and the other people on the bus and poor Jack who is sick and not home. I felt like I made a responsible decision until he threw up.

Was it wrong of me to send him?

Under Construction

2008-04-09T19:23:00.002-04:00

I like this design better but I am also trying to figure out how to make my own background and header. I let you know if I figure it out!

Spring Break Bowling!

2008-04-09T12:22:00.030-04:00

My children only made one request for Spring Break and that was to go bowling. They love to go bowling so we try to go about twice a year. (It's really expensive!) Abby even came to me and said that she would like to contribute $5 towards bowling and then Jack and Joshua each contributed $5 too! (My children each have a wallet where they keep any money they get. This way if they want something like a toy or special treat, they can buy it with their own money. I RARELY buy them toys unless it's a birthday gift or other holiday gift. This has really helped them understand money and how to save for what we want!)

We had a lot of fun bowling! Bowling with a three year old can be a little embarrassing though. If we weren't careful while helping him, the ball wouldn't roll fast enough and it would stop in the middle of the lane. Then an alley worker would come to get the ball for us! Joshua had a great time and even bowled two whole games without wanting to quit!

Abby's ball even jumped the bumper once! Look at her! She has such a fun personality!

Here's a video of Jack bowling!

John and I bowled with Daniel and Karen who were visiting. I even won the second game when I bowled 4 strikes in one game! Go Heidi!!!

It was a fun night for everyone!