Another post about you know who...

This girl is nuts! Two nights ago she insisted on saying prayers after reading her bible story. She said she had a new prayer to sing and since she goes to a bible based preschool I figured she had learned a new prayer. So, I finally settle Ryan down long enough to listen and get both of them situated for prayers (eyes closed, hands folded, etc.) and then give her the o.k. to go ahead. And then it happens... We hear "Five little hot dogs sitting in the grease!..." Oh my goodness - how do you not laugh?!?

Celebrate Everyday Life

I have missed scrapbooking! I can't even begin to remember when the last time I scrapbooked was...In October/November I began all of the Christmas projects that were on my "To Do" (shopping, Christmas letter, wrapping, gifts to make, gifts to bake, etc., etc.) list. Those projects took me through the middle of December. Then, there was all of the Christmas activities, thank you notes, etc. January hit and I had to organize the 2008 digital pictures, opened up the Etsy shop, and spent a lot of time with the kids and their snow days, planned out our Red Letter Days, etc. Aahh... My scrapbooking mojo gets going...Then, I get an email for a free photo book. I just had to do it!! There was one that I really wanted to do called "Our Everyday Life" and it was worth $34 so, I can't let that deal pass me by. I finally completed the book this past weekend and ordered it so that I could move on...To what?? Scrapbooking, wooo hooo!! Not so quick... The phone rang Monday afternoon and now I am preparing to speak at a mom's group - This is a wonderful thing and I am thrilled to do so, but I am really anxious to get into my stacks of paper, play in my sugar coating glitter, get adhesive stuck between my fingers, and to spend hours on end on one layout...Sounds a bit pathetic, doesn't it? Oh well... I miss my papers, glitter, chipboard, and paint!
Oh, below is a copy of the book. 2 pages were omitted for web purposes. (1. house plate with our name and address 2. street sign for our street)...Update: Removed entire project as our last name was on one of the pages and I had forgotten to omit it.

Writing on the Wall...

The two little ones both have a fascination right now with letters. Ryan has loved the alphabet since a few months after arriving home. If we showed him a sign language book, he would grab it from you and immediately turn to the alphabet hand signs. Both know all of their letters at this point and the majority of their sounds. Letter activities and books are all over our house so, it is no wonder they love them. Twinks, for those of you who don't know she is our resident fairy, is now leaving a sight word on the bathroom mirror each week. Rylee is reading very simple 3-letter words (consonant, vowel, consonant) and Ryan is showing an interest in these activities as well.

I had Mike write out his experience this week with letters as the last time I posted about something that happened under his "watch", I got the story a little mixed up. So, here is Mike's latest experience:

So the kids are in my office (at the university) watching "Nemo" while Darcy is at the doctor. I'm sitting there answering some emails when Ryan decides he has to use the bathroom. I get up, pause the movie and we head off to the bathroom across the lobby. There's no one else in the bathroom so I wipe off the seats, sit them each on their own throne in their own stall, and step out to let them do their business. Next thing I know, from stall one I hear "Hey, Ryan!".....when she gets no answer (some people just have to concentrate a little harder than others you know), I hear "Hey, Ryan!" again. This time not waiting for a response I hear "Look at this - Letters! "F"......."U"....... Knowing where this is going (as you do also I'm sure) I loudly say "Rylee!....finish your business and let's go!" I hear two toilets flush, we wash-up and return to my office.

Note to self: When your children are learning their letters, avoid public restrooms!

National Pancake Week

Last night we celebrated National Pancake Week...On the menu - PANCAKES, of course! After a filling meal of pancakes and bacon we read the book "If You Give A Pig A Pancake". The evening ended with a little activity of putting the corresponding number of blueberries (blue circles) on the pancake (brown circles with a number written on it). The little ones loved it and it was a great opportunity for Morgan to help one of them. Be sure to enjoy a big stack of pancakes with oodles of syrup this week!

Build A Bear...Or A Zebra!

Today, Ryan and I spent the morning just the two of us. Since he had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon from the Scooter incident, we decided to make a morning of it. We dropped Rylee off at school and then headed out. Ryan got to go to Build-A-Bear Workshop with his Christmas gift card from Aunt Cindy. He was a bit overwhelmed with the number of choices of animals to choose from: He was immediately drawn to the pink monkey. I thought he would chose the turtle since he really, really loves the Beanie Baby turtle the judge gave him during his adoption proceedings. He swayed back and forth between the numerous dogs, elephant, and zebra. He finally decided on the zebra. Then, it was off to stuff him...I think Ryan thought the woman was crazy as he had no idea what was going on..."What? You want me to push this button with my foot? But, mom always tells me not to touch!" Let's just say that he caught on fast and loved it. He especially loved the bathing station (more buttons). Zebra and he have become fast friends...Guess what, the doctor's office that we went to after our outing also has a button just like that on the examining table... The whole check zebra out in the mirror was entirely his doing. Guess he wanted to make sure he was lookin' good for the girls. Thanks, Aunt Cindy!

Backseat Accountability

Yesterday, I had to go to the doctor so, I dropped the kids off at Mike's office. As always, I had to wait forever to be seen. On the way home from picking up the kids again, I drove through a fast food place to grab something to eat because I had not eaten all day and it was after 2:30. So, I order, get my food, and start munching on the fries...I am attempting to get home before the severe thunderstorm with hail hits the area. From the back seat I hear "You forgot to say prayers!" from Rylee... I try to explain to her that I can't close my eyes and drive that we might crash. Then, I hear "Well...You could pull over!" What do you say to that?!? Don't you just hate it when your 4 year old has a point!

Breakin' Habits

Ryan, Ryan, Ryan...We thought Morgan was the one that thrived on routine and was the one that was very black and white. Little did we know, he was paving the way for Ryan. Ryan loves routine, which generally is not a bad thing, it is when he starts his own routines and you deviate a little from the routine. Ryan started this getting up to go to the bathroom at 3:00 a.m thing. No complaints there as it is better than wetting the bed which he had been doing. For the longest time, we would help him get there. Over time he became able to do it independently, but just had the need to announce it. Now, you must recognize that he does not wear his BAHA to bed at night so, his announcements were LOUD and would scare us to death when we were in a deep sleep. One day, I thought I just need to talk to him and tell him that he doesn't need to come tell us...So, I told him that he can get out of bed, go to the bathroom, and then go back to bed - That he didn't need to wake up Mommy and Daddy - You know what he did, he laughed - little stinker! I told him that if he could do that he could have some raisins when he got up-he eats breakfast at school. Voila! It worked...Mike's internal alarm clock is still waking him up at 3am and Ryan is not exactly quiet, but there is progress! Our next battle will have to be transitioning him out of expecting the raisins every morning...Oh well, one step at a time. We have been battling another sleep issue with our little guy - Some nights he just wakes up crying. If you try to soothe him or pick him up, he will throw the loudest, longest tantrum you have ever seen! We have no idea if he is awake or if it is a night terror/nightmare, but it is really bad!! Many weeks we feel as if we are living with a newborn as sleep is interrupted continually throughout the night.
One of the biggest habits we have broken is the drinking all the milk in one gulp at dinner time. and this one resolved itself naturally. Both Rylee and Ryan drink all of their milk immediately at dinner. and they barely come up to breathe. As a result, they often don't eat their meal. They have both done this since they have been with us. It is amazing what Oreos can do to solve this problem...They love to dunk Oreos in their milk -Thanks to Daddy)..In order to dunk Oreos you need milk. Now, they leave half their milk. Pretty good problem solving techniques for 3 and 4 year olds! ;o)
Rereading this I can't help but think how petty they sound...Yes, they are petty and someday I know that I wish that we could have all these little moments back. These are little "issues" and as they grow the "issues" will be much bigger ones with bigger consequences. I guess what I have recognized is that sometimes we need to take the time to talk to our children from the heart, sometimes we need to let them work through it while we step back, and other times we just need to let natural consequences occur. Our challenge is to figure out which course we take at the given time all the while supporting them at every turn!

Oops!

Nothing really else to say except...Oops! Someone doesn't sit very still!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! If it is Valentine's Day, that must mean that spring is almost here! Although we enjoy Valentine's Day here in our house, we do not go all out. I am one of those that believes that every day is Valentine's Day...That you should show those that you love that you love them 365 days of the year! We give the kids a small heart shaped box of candy and decorate sugar cookies, but that is pretty much the extent of it. Mike and I don't typically go out on Valentine's night and usually just spend the evening hanging out with the kids - I guess we are getting old and don't like to have to wait on the waiting list at restaurants over 20 minutes...This year, I got a little creative bug and decided to do something different for Mike and went with my theory that Valentine's Day should be celebrated throughout the year. So, I decorated a little mailbox and filled it with a bunch of numbered disks - 52 to be exact. Each week this year, I am going to do something to show him how much he is loved and adored! We will keep it out so that I can be reminded each week of my commitment...It may be a simple note on the bathroom mirror, a small task that he can mark off his "To Do" list, or it may be something more extravagent like planning a date night down to the babysitter. I am hoping that I might be able to pull together a little scrapbook for him at the end of it. Should be interesting...If you have any fun and creative ideas, please email me!

When I was growing up, it was my Dad who would buy the Valentine's. Every Valentine's Day Cindy and I knew there was going to be a heart shaped box of chocolate and a card at our seats at the kitchen table that morning. It was something we looked forward to and even more special to us to know that it was something he enjoyed doing for us! Dad has continued that tradition by buying and giving the kids Valentine's and candies! He still buys me a valentine, too! Look at that smile on his face! Thanks, Dad!

Congratulations...You Have Won!

I actually won something! I enter for different things here and there never really expecting to win...I figure that if I win, great! Truthfully, I forget half the time what I contests I have entered. To my surprise, I got an email a couple of weeks ago saying that I had won one of the contests through Family Fun magazine which I didn't even remember entering. I was so excited, even though we already have the Leap Frog TAG system, it was the fact that I had won something! The only other contest I ever remember winning was a costume contest for my age group at Ellsworth A.F.B. in South Dakota when I was in elementary school. Mom and Dad had bought two costumes while we lived in England. Since I had outgrown the Buckingham Palace guard uniform costume, I wore the Dutch girl costume complete with wooden shoes. I won a travel alarm clock and Cindy, who was wearing the Buckingham Palace uniform won a bike. I will admit, I was a bit jealous...Travel alarm clock and a bike - what 11 year old wouldn't rather have the bike?!? Today, the package arrived and you would have thought I had won the lottery...Mike tends to have the winning streak in our family - Has won a red, Nano iPod and a cell phone all within 7 years...Being the great guy he is, he gave them to me...I can't decide whether or not he would be as excited with my winnings as I am with his...Not sure how "Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetheart - I got you your very own Leap Frog TAG Reader!" will go over. ;o)

Rylee is getting ready for school today and we just can't decide to whether to wear tights and a skirt or jeans - It's not just any ole' day at preschool, it is the "big" Valentine's party day!...Rylee decides she wants to wear her tights and skirt. I am undecided whether the outfit really matches or not, but Rylee is giggling and so excited to wear the bright, striped tights that we go with it. After she is dressed and I am putting her bow in her hair, she states with a slightly deeper voice "I am like a woman!" Oh my goodness!! How I want to say, "Slow down and enjoy these years! You so don't want to be a 'woman' yet." The colorful tights definitely match this little girl's colorful personality!
(Side note: She is not sitting in time out! ;o) )

"Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk" Day

Who knew that February 11th was "Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk" day...Since this is nearly a daily occurrence around here (milk spillage) , I can't let the opportunity pass us by! I will check back later...

Okay, I am back! The little ones and I celebrated the day while Mike and Morgan went to hear a speaker at the university talk about Martin Luther King Jr. We watched a little slide show presentation on the process of how milk gets to our table. Let's just say, Rylee was a bit puzzled on the whole udder thing. Then, we tried to find a Y**T*b* video on milking a cow. We found one and then I told them we were going to go milk a cow. Rylee immediately jumped on that idea and said "Where's the cow?" So, I distracted them and went and grabbed a plastic glove and filled it with milk. We then milked a cow. We also read "It Looked Like Spilled Milk" and they made their own spilled milk pictures. Rylee (top) decided her picture looked like an x-ray. Ryan (bottom) is quite indecisive and said a window, a bird, and lastly a lion.

Happy ""Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk" Day!!

Like Brother, Like Sister

Recently, Rylee decided that she needed a BAHA (bone anchored hearing aid) like Ryan. So, she now wears her BAHA (a.k.a striped headband). She puts it in her "special" drawer which holds her "treasures" such as notes from Twinks, her Fisher Price FP3 player, and her polar bear amongst other items. How sweet is that!?!

Ryan's Wishes Quilt

Mom just finished Ryan's 100 Wishes Quilt and gave it to him this past weekend - We came no where close to 100 wishes this time around, but it is wonderful and so very meaningful to us all. I know it doesn't mean a whole lot to Ryan right now, but in time I know he will treasure it! A big thank you to everyone who participated in the project and for all of your wonderful prayers, sayings, and blessings! Thanks again, Mom!!

Any Guesses?

Any thoughts on what they are doing?

National Weatherperson's Day

Yesterday, we unveiled "Red Letter Day". I think it was driving Morgan crazy as it was on the calendar and he had no idea what it meant. After the day I had yesterday, he asked what "Red Letter Day" meant. I told him that we wouldn't be doing it as I didn't have much time at home to get stuff ready. Well, let's just say that I saw the disappointment on his face. So, what did we do after dinner? We celebrated "National Weatherperson's Day"! Since we missed the evening weather forecast, we pulled it up on our local tv station and watched the weatherman at the kitchen table. Gotta love the internet! We then taped each of the kids doing their own weather forecast. We also read a book about weather with the little ones. It was a hit and a good reminder that the activities don't always have to come with bells and whistles!

Few And Far Between

Thankfully, days like today are few and far between! I am desperately attempting to get everything back to some semblance of order. I am usually fairly organized, but you would not know it from today - Confirmation 3 children is more than enough! Here is how the day has gone thus far...Oh, as you will note it always takes 20-40 minutes to drive between places.

6:30 Wake up
6:40 Make lunches for 2 children
7:00 Get Ryan dressed for school and Rylee started on making her bed
7:10 Get boys out the door
7:15 Feed Rylee and do my hair and make-up
8:00 Leave for Walmart
8:40 Leave Walmart for Rylee's school
8:50 Drop off Rylee and work a shift at our church media center
9:30 Go to Krogers for the cold groceries
10:10 Leave Krogers for home
10:30 Arrive home to put away groceries
10:45 Leave home to get Ryan
While in Pick-up line receive call on cell that Rylee has spilled peaches all over her clothes.
Regroup and change plans to go to Target (next town over).
11:05 Get Ryan and run home for clothes for Rylee - Potty Ryan (Still need to schedule those things around here)
11:45 Drop off clothes to Rylee
12:00 Drive through McDonalds (poor little Ryan has to eat literally on the go)
12:30 Arrive at Target
12:58 Leave Target to drive to parent's house to get our groceries that we relocated after 2nd outage.
1:20 Gas light goes off in car. (Good thing I have something that tells me how many miles I have left until empty)
1:30 Get gas
1:35 Arrive at parent's house for groceries
1:38 Leave their house to pick up Rylee
2:00 Actually get Rylee
2:30 Arrive home with 2 children!

Crazy, I tell you!! Off to make dinner (shower will have to wait til later - It's okay to say it "EWWW!")...Do you ever feel like this?!?

January Beach Babes

"I know that sun has got to be out there somewhere!"

Life Lessons

I decided to create a new label for the blog and am going to title it "Sketchbook for Life". I want to emphasize certain life lessons for our kids as I encounter them...Yesterday was one of those days. Our power was out and the electric co-op happens to be down the street from my parents. So, on one of my several drives past, I decided to stop in just to see if they could tell me anything. Just as I walk in the girl gives me a funny look and I give her one back - I know she is trying to assess my mood to see if I am going to be one of "those" customers. I kind of joke around with her and ask to see what she can tell me regarding a timeline for getting our lines fixed. She goes on to tell me that our street is not on the work orders for the day and that there is no one even assigned near our area for the day. I tell her - Not a problem. I realize you all are overwhelmed and I just happened to be in the area (or something along those lines). I continue to say that I hope that she has not had to deal with too many irrate customers and proceed to joke about moving to different areas of the country while adding what natural disasters accompany those areas. Next thing I know, the other office worker, says "Ma'am...come on over here..." She proceeds to ask my information again and takes it back to the back door and outside the building. She then comes back and says so-and-so is going to send out (another name) to your area. So, what is my point? If you treat all people with respect, kindness, and sincerity, you will go farther in life. If I had gone in with a bad attitude, the customer service rep. would have immediately shut me out. Not only would I have made her day worse, but I would not have been leading a life of integrity nor displaying Godly character. You may be wondering - did our power come on? Yes, it did... But, whether or not it came back on last night is not the point of this whole story - Respect, kindness, and love - that is the point!

Don't Get Too Comfortable!

That is the lesson learned...Yes, after 72 hours of settling back in, replenishing our groceries, appreciating warm water, light, and just being comfortable our power went off AGAIN! Not only did it go off last night, but it went off in the middle of the Super Bowl. The boys are very thankful for our 2" x 3" portable t.v.! If we had had light last night, I would have taken a picture of the two of them sitting practically on top of one another trying to watch the rest of the game. It will definitely be a Super Bowl to remember - in more ways than one! Morgan is a bit bummed as the Steelers now lead the pack of most Super Bowls won and now are ahead of the 49er's. Thankfully, my parents have power today so, the little ones and I are hanging out here until it is time to get home to meet Morgan's bus...Keeping my fingers crossed that it will be restored by then!