toneybabies

2011-12-05T16:58:00.001-06:00

Menu Plan Monday

So, I'm a complete stalker fan of I'm An Organizing Junkie and have decided to jump on the bandwagon of Menu Plan Monday. Mostly, I'm jumping on to make sure I start making my plans on Sunday. :)

I've been a menu-planner for years now. I really don't know how people survive without doing it, but I hear they do. I make my plans "forward" meaning I start with the store circular and base all my meals off of what is on sale for that week. I would LOVE to make them forward by walking around a fresh, open-air market and picking up what looks best, but, yeah. I live here. So.

I have a few tools in my toolbox and one that I've just added. In addition to a handful of tried-and-true cookbooks (Hello, Mark Bittman), I keep a binder full of page protectors. When I pull a recipe out of a magazine or print one offline, I stick it in a protector and put it with my meal plan. If I make it and it gets rave reviews it goes in the Family Favorites Binder. (I'm working on adding all of these recipes to Tastebook and one day I will print the Toney Family Favorites cookbook, but that day is not today!)

My new tool is a coil-bound, 52 page, Weekly Meal Planner book. I made a cover for it and enough copies for one week of the year. See, I've been doing this for years, but have made one fatal error. I have recycled them. I'm currently organizing my meal plans by loss-leaders. In one year I should have a book full of meal plans. I should be able to pick up the grocery ad, determine the loss leader and find a plan that corresponds with it. Each page also has a column to make a grocery list so I shouldn't have to make the lists each time, just cross-check with my pantry. I can't even begin to imagine how much time this will save!

Without further ado, here is my first plan for Menu Plan Monday!

Monday - Blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage
Tuesday - Baked ham, cheesy potatoes, salad, fruit
Wednesday - Hamburgers, baked beans, baked fries
Thursday - Squash, Bean and Cheese Enchiladas, corn, spanish rice
Friday - Spaghetti and meatballs, cantaloupe, garic bread, peas
Saturday - OUT (Holiday dinner)
Sunday - Honey Garlic Chicken, brown rice, salad, grapes

2011-11-30T13:40:00.002-06:00

Santa Claus Best be Gettin' to the Toy Store

I awoke to a very marked-up Toys R Us ad in front of me and a sweet 6-year-old voice letting me know that "Its a one-day sale and you probably will want to take the truck." Who taught her how to read? Literally, it was placed over my face before my eyes were even open.

I have to say I love all these Catholic moms that have their kids enthusiasm for commercialism under control. Its running rampant around here! At least she kissed me at the end of it.

2011-11-19T17:53:00.001-06:00

How Dare I?

I had the audacity the other night to pour a can of pineapple in a bowl, set it on the table and call it a side dish. As soon as G saw it she says, "Is this from a can? Is it even organic?"

2011-11-17T16:44:00.000-06:00

Roomba

One thing we try to do with the girls is to talk about the cost of things. It is unfortunate, I think, that we rarely use cash and so it is easy for them to lose perspective with the "swipe factor." In the world of direct deposit and debit cards money is so rarely seen coming and then -inevitably- going. We also talk about saving up money for things we want to buy, watching for sales and using coupons when we can.

After putting in our hardwood flooring, I decided to purchase a Roomba to keep them clean on a daily basis. (Dog-hair dust bunnies drive me crazy and so does any visible dirt.) Now, the thing about the Roomba is that it falls into the category of "Unnecessary Purchases." So. I had to sacrifice some things I wanted to save enough money to get it. ;)

This whole parenting mentality had an bit of an embarrassing side effect for me recently. I thought I would combine a money lesson with a math lesson for C while at the store. I had "saved my money" and brought a 20% off coupon to the store to make my purchase. (See? Aren't I responsible?) I had C look at the price, figure out the discount and get the final price before tax for me. At the end of this little math problem she looks at me and says (NOT quietly), "Do you even HAVE that much money?!?!"

2011-11-16T11:20:00.001-06:00

Cabin Fever

Well, we are dealing with illness early around here this season! I only hope it means we are getting it all out of the way for a healthy winter to come.

There is some sort of "super-cold" going around and its taking us out one by one. I went down last Thursday, G fell on Sunday, C 2 days ago and J yesterday. Better this week than next, right?

I am being reminded of what life is like to be "stuck" at home with kids. Its been interesting. Day 1 with G wasn't too bad - she felt well enough to read, make play-doh, create a band worth of musical instruments, paint, and snuggle. Day 2 was a bit trickier since they were BOTH home. Today its just C - lots of napping, TV watching, listening to Adventures in Odyssey, crocheting and generally whining a bit to make sure your mom knows you don't feel well.

I love my girls and love being able to take care of them when they are sick. I realize, though, that I need some time outdoors and my exercise. I'm getting a little crabby! Of course, I did go outside yesterday for some doggy doo duty. That counts, right?

2011-11-12T22:55:00.000-06:00

Am I Back?
Wow. Last month is the first month since 2005 that I have not blogged at all. Its official. I can't balance being in the office, being at home and being on the internet. I suppose that surprises no one.

Here are a few little life gems I don't want to forget:

G
"Mom, I can spell dog backwards and it makes a REALLY important word. G-O-D."

(On Veteran's Day) "Mom, we watched this video today about soldiers and stuff. That thing made my eyes wet!"

J and I were preparing for our monthly staff meeting over lunch. While in the middle of talking about where our production goals should be set, G walks in and looks at us very seriously. "Mom, Dad, if you really want to make more money you should probably just set out a jar that says 'tips.'"

"Mom! I think my face is shrinking! Wait... Maybe I just need a haircut."

C
My dear sweet girl is slightly less "quotable" than her sister, but no less delightful. Can I just say that she is SO 9? Can I just say that there were really valid reasons that I cried when I found out I was having a girl at that ultrasound? Can I just say that I was RIGHT?

She is a combination of this amazing, beautiful girl and a sullen, staring, quiet, infuriating one. IT'S BEGINNING, PEOPLE! I am treasuring every little girl moment that she has. I love that she has a little sister to pull her into imaginary games still. I love (but a little bit less) that she is starting to explore the world outside our home and family. I adore that she is embracing some great books lately. I must admit hating that occasionally my opinion ranks right above that of the dogs', but hey....a girl has to have her sources, right?

Now...next blog goal is some photos.

2011-09-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

Love is Crazy

So...remember G's little friend from last week? You know, the one that bought her a trip the nurse's office? Today when I pick her up from school she comes catapulting out of the door:

Gillian: "MOM! (Insert boy's name here) told me LOVES ME today!"
Mom: "Oh? What did you say?"
Gillian: "I said he was INSANE!"

2011-09-24T20:41:00.000-05:00

Love at First Book

G got her very own library card last week. She took the entire thing quite seriously. After the librarian handed her the newly minted card she selected three books and took them back to be checked out. As we are walking out of the library she furrows up her brow and says, "Mom, how much do I have left on this thing." (Apparently we have had too many gift cards.)

M: You can check out as many books as you want with your library card. You just have to return them when you are done.
G: (eyes wide) Wow! How much did this thing cost!?!?
M: It was free.
G: (in a decidedly non-library voice) FREE?!?! I LOVE THE LIBRARY!

2011-09-17T17:22:00.000-05:00

Batting Blog Clean-Up

Its amazing when I look back at a few years ago and how very, very busy and tired I felt. It was nothing compared to this! Or, perhaps, the busyness was mostly confined to the home and so it felt less like a swirling vortex sucking away the hours of my day with no time for blogging.

I am hoping to do a nice summer re-cap post since my summer posting was definitely, ahem, lacking. However, if I try to make up for everything I haven't gotten done before dealing with the here and now, well, I ought to just throw in the towel.

So, without further ado... First day of school photos and updates: 4th Grade and Kindergarten, heaven help me.

C was content about school starting again, but is old enough to know better! My happy-at-home girl always prefers to be at home than school. Her backpack was loaded with supplies and a big year of work is ahead of her. She has a great teacher that she adores this year, so that should make everything a lot better. One unhappy development of the year thus far is that she wants to eat hot lunch. I'm hoping its a phase because it pains me to think of her eating that crummy food instead of my healthy, well-packed meals. (Not to mention I had several new "toys" and recipes all prepared for school to begin again. Ahem.) Its difficult for her as the friends she wants to sit by are "hot lunchers." So she has to choose between good food and good company. There are so many things that school does wrong when it comes to lunchtime, in my opinion! (Like the fact that they aren't allowed to talk...)

G was totally pumped about school starting. Kindergarten is only half-day and she didn't seem worried about leaving home for that amount of time. She HAS had a serious case of "Kindergarten Grumps" this week. I know it is rather typical, but still not easy to live with. I hope she settles into the swing of things in the next couple weeks.

It took G less than a week to get into a little "situation" at school. On Tuesday she apparently told another little boy - in no uncertain terms - to vacate a friend's chair and was rewarded with 4 long scratches on her arm and an elbow to the nose for her troubles. When she told J about the incident she described it as follows, "Dad! A boy in my class scraped the skin off of my body today!" No drama here. Nope. No sirree. She handled it well and went to tell the teacher instead of retaliating. She wasn't, however, sure about returning to school the next day. "Mom, I think I might need a little break from Kindergarten now." Fortunately, the next day was a positive one and she is giving the boy another chance. She even apologized to him for "how she said her words" all on her own.

Overall, not a bad first week of school. I can't believe how big they are. It will surprise no one to learn that I haven't managed to spend one of these mornings at home yet. We are hiring a new staff member at the office and the faith formation program that the girls participate in at church lost the Director 2 weeks ago. Basically I have bounced from drop-off and pick-up at school to the office to the church. My house will be clean one day, right?

2011-08-26T08:24:00.000-05:00

Magic Extractor Extraordinaire

Most will remember that G penned me into a corner and got the "truth" about Santa out of me during the spring. Which left us in the odd position of our younger child "knowing" and the older...um, not. Last week we were watching home videos - some of Christmas - and clearly it was on G's mind. After a couple of scenes she looks at me and says, "Mom. Tell her."

C: Tell me what?

I promptly ignore both of them.

G: Mom, TELL her.

That gets a warning look.

C: Mom, seriously, tell me what.

Deciding that I'm probably not getting out of this, and taking into consideration that the child is going into 4th grade, I take a deep breath...

M: Okay, honey, you know how we've always told you about St. Nicholas and how he was a real person that used to bring gifts and food to children and families that needed it. And I've always told you that that is where the ideas of Santa came from and that Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus, right?

so far so good, she's nodding thoughtfully

Well, the truth is that there is no man with a bunch of elves living at the North Pole. Moms and Dads got the idea of Santa Claus from St. Nicholas and continued doing nice things for their own children.

long, long, long pause
crestfallen look

C: So, I suppose this means there is no Tooth Fairy either. And you and dad were the ones that did _________ and __________ and ___________. (Fill the blanks in with any manner of gift giving, audible "Ho, ho hos" or money left under pillows.)

She is completely defeated. Saddened. Disappointed. Just as I knew she would be. It was obvious to me sometime in 2nd grade that this dear child was not going to peacefully transition to this "wink, wink" stage about Santa. And for 2 years I've been putting this conversation off.

Turning to G, I say, "You see? THIS is why I didn't want to tell her." To which G replies, "Yeah, well, it was still the right choice."

I know, but why oh why, did I have to be the one to suck magic out of the world for her?

2011-08-23T20:56:00.000-05:00

(Super) Chore Girl

J is taking G to a Twins game tomorrow evening. (He gave C first dibs, but she gently let him down on the whole baseball thing.) G, however, was all about it. "Oh! I WILL go with daddy! He needs to spend some time with his Gilly-bug!"

So tonight they are hashing it over.

G: I'm going to have a lot of fun with DAD tomorrow.
C: Well, mom and I have plans too. And we are going to have fun.
G (doubtfully): Yeah, well, you know, C, mom is kind of the chore girl.

Again, my reputation precedes me.

2011-08-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

Lunch Tips and Tricks

In second grade, C's teacher would always comment on her interesting snacks. In third grade, her teacher gave her an award for being the "Best Lunch Girl" and would often joke when she saw me that she wished I would pack her lunches. I'm still learning and experimenting along the way, but I promised a few friends some back-to-school lunch packing tips. Since the list could be quite long, I decided I would just post it here.

First, a few caveats. C and G are excellent eaters, giving me a wide variety of foods to work with. This is extremely helpful when packing lunches. Second, they get a snack at school in the morning so I always count that snack as a portion of their lunch. They don't have very much time to eat lunch at school (think 10-12 minutes by the time they are sitting down) and so the extra snack time has to be a nutritious one, in my opinion. That being said, its a great way to get the fruits and vegetables in as they are very likely to eat it at that time since that is their only option! Third, it irks me to NO END that every elementary school hot lunch in Rochester is served on a Styrofoam tray. We try to avoid disposable packaging. I do occasionally have to resort to some saran wrap depending on what I am packing.

Okay. That was a lot of fine print. Onward we march.

A BIG part of happy lunch packing is the right tools. Below are my go-to items to have for packing a variety of lunches.

I use a Bento-style container 90% of the time. This is the one I use (above). Now, the lid on this particular box is not like a Tupperware seal. That is both a plus and a drawback. Before I used a Bento box, C was wasting a lot of food due to too much time fiddling around with packaging and not enough time eating. This lid is easy for young children to remove but is best for "drier" foods. The lid comes off with a gentle tug and then the entire lunch is there tray style. Not only does it make it easier for her, but I feel a lot better knowing her lunch is not sitting on the surface of the lunch table. (Yes, I am a bit OCD.) I will occasionally put yogurt in this with some fruit on top, cover the entire tray with Saran wrap and rubber band it before putting the lid on. I really do recommend these boxes. Just be sure you know what you are getting here. The clean easily, are BPA free and can go in the dishwasher.

A great side item for this set is a small container for dips. I have yet to discover a small enough one that isn't disposable. (But I'm still looking!) I purchased disposable ones at Rochester Restaurant Supply. They are exactly like what you would put your salad dressing in at the Hy-Vee salad bar.

Pocket Sandwich Maker - because everything is better in a pocket! Pampered Chef makes a good one as well.

Diamond Cocktail Stirrers - Don't worry. All Toney lunches are alcohol free! I buy these at Target and they are perfect for lunch kebabs. Fruit, cheese and meat, etc are all more fun to eat on a kebab! And, yes, I wash and reuse these many times. They run through the dishwasher just fine.

Sistema also makes great BPA free lunch containers. These containers have a good seal, but the latches are easy to undo, even for younger kids. We use the Breakfast-To-Go container for fruit parfaits. I put yogurt and fruit on the bottom and granola in the top. Then all she has to do is dump the granola into the bottom. (Because no one loves mushy granola.) It also comes with its own spoon, which C loves. I bought mine at The Container Store, but I noticed that Old Navy was carrying these up at the check out this year.

Foogoo Thermos A good thermos can be your lunchtime lifesaver. This one will keep leftovers warm until lunchtime. Be sure to fill it with hot water while you are heating the food. Then dump the water, quickly fill and twist down snug.

Mini Cookie Cutters - Rochester Restaurant Supply is an excellent place to get a few of these inexpensively. Otherwise, Hobby Lobby or online.

Mini muffin tin

Melon baller

So, what to carry it all in? That is totally up to you and the answer really is - whatever it fits in! The only thing to take into consideration is where your child has to store their lunch for the morning so that whatever you choose is the proper orientation. No one likes an upside down lunch in the bottom of their locker/backpack/etc. We like this style bag from Lands End. I don't recommend the bag that is sold with/recommended for the Bento boxes above.

Okay, but what about the food? Basically, I make what I would normally serve at home, but a bit more fun. C thinks Lunchables are fantastic. I know they are nutritionally defunct. With a few mini cookie cutters you can make a Lunchable-style meal, but a whole lot healthier. (I cut EVERYTHING with mini cookie cutters at one time or another. Fruit, ham, cheese, bread, etc. etc.)

I'm a big fan of mini muffins for kids. A few good recipes in your back pocket and you can get some yummy tasting whole grains in each lunch. Here is one to try:

http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_lunchbox_muffins_mac_n_cheese.php
(These travel well inside the thermos.)

Little taco salads are a big hit in our lunches. Trader Joe's makes an excellent mild salsa that my girls love. I usually toss in a mini corn muffin and some fruit with this. Its perfect for when you have just that little bit of taco meat left after taco dinners.

Mini pizzas - I use a mini whole wheat bagel, put some tomato sauce, mini pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. I heat it up so that the cheese melts, let it cool and pop it into the Bento box. My girls prefer it this way. You could also put it in the thermos, but the bagel will get a bit chewy.

Anything in kebab form! Seriously! I can put the same amount of fruit on a kebab as in a dish and the kebab will be empty every time. Sandwich kebabs are always popular as well.

I find that a variety of "breads and spreads" help keep you creative. Pita pockets, tortillas or wraps for pinwheels, bagels/bagel thins, English muffins. Hummus, flavored cream cheese, pesto, pizza sauce. These are all on a rotating lunch item grocery list for me.

Here are a couple resources to get you started on full meal ideas:

www.bentolunch.net
www.easylunchboxes.com

And if you get really desperate:

http://www.momables.com

Happy lunch packing!

2011-08-02T22:29:00.001-05:00

Nearly Nine

She's half-cooked. Next week she'll be 9 years old. I was lamenting over the journey being halfway over to J. He turns to me and says, "Well, the good news is that children are living with their parents much longer these days." Sometimes he's funny. Sometimes he tells jokes like that one.

Tonight we were driving and she says, "Mom? Do you know what is weird to think about? How you are standing on the Earth, and how like, small, you are in the whole universe. Its really weird, mom."

C, you are the sweetest little girl. And some days your mommy is too hard on you and expects too much of you. The first 9 years have been so spectacular with you, my baby. I hope you stay just the way you are as you grow and start thinking about the world outside yourself and our family. The lyrics of this song always make me think of you:

{From Sara Groves: Small Piece of You}

I just want a small piece of you
a token to put in my pocket
and I will own that one thing
and it would make me happy
I just want a small piece of you
somethin to put in a locket
and i will look at it daily
and that will make me happy

free to fly free to go free to come back home

I hope that as you grow and move further and further away from me and daddy that you are always, in some sense, my homebody girl that loves being here and being with your family. I know I will forever carry small pieces of you around with me for as long as I live. Thank you for making me a mommy.

2011-07-30T13:26:00.000-05:00

Last Day of 5

Sure hope 6 has as much style as 5!

My baby turns 6 tomorrow. 6! To say she is excited would be the understatement of the century.

She is celebrating with friends this afternoon and a family dinner for both birthday girls to follow. (Daddy's famous ribs are on the menu.) Here is my favorite quote from "birthday" discussions:

"Mom, when I wake up on my birthday tomorrow, I need peace. And breakfast in bed. And presents ALL OVER the house."

2011-07-24T13:50:00.000-05:00

Ah, Poetry

G: "C, First is the Worst - that's you. Second is the best - that's me. Third is the one with the hairy chest- that's Truman. Fourth is the one with the treasure chest - mom and dad, but they share with me."

C: "Hey! That isn't very nice!"

G: "Well...do you want to be the one with the hairy chest, cuz that's the only other one available."

I'm betting C is sorry she ever shared that little rhyme by now.

2011-07-11T20:25:00.000-05:00

Truth

I thought - just a few years ago actually - that it was extremely difficult to be 100% responsible for the needs/wants/desires of 2 little people 24/7. It turns out that its even more difficult to teach said little people to be responsible for themselves.

2011-07-07T20:59:00.000-05:00

Ditched

Well, its happened. I mean, I knew it would. I even knew it would be rather soon. I've just been avoiding it. When faced with the choice of an evening out with her family vs. going to an event with a friend, what did she (C) pick? Yup. Friend. She isn't even 9 yet! (NO, I DO NOT round when it comes to the ages of my children.) And get this....it was a water skiing show. I am fairly certain had I suggested a water skiing show I would have been met by surreptitious eye-rolling. How is something immediately cool if an 11-year-old says so?

She was incredibly cute about it. Kind of quietly indicated her preference of evening choices - as if she didn't want to hurt my feelings exactly, but the independence sounded great so she couldn't help herself. (I'm going to enjoy that first concession as long as it lasts.) She came home and told me all about it. "It was so cool! And so fun! And thanks for letting me go and I spent $1.50 of dad's money on ice cream and thanks, Mom!!!"

Thankfully Gilly made up an "I love Mom" song and sang it to me all the way home from taking her out for ice cream.

2011-06-21T18:20:00.000-05:00

Sister Secrets

As J was putting the girls to bed last night he decided to lay down with C on the bottom bunk for a few minutes to give her a back rub. A few minutes after he lay down he hears G, "Hey, sissy, do you want to know who my best boyfriend is?" At which point J says, "I do!"

"DAD!!!! I didn't know you were still in here!!!!"

When I asked her about this little exchange in the morning she looks at J, rolls her eyes and says, "Dad. You DON'T tell the secrets from the sister beds!"

2011-06-13T08:21:00.002-05:00

Heaven Help Me

C: Mom? Have I been out of school for a week?
M: Honey, its only been 3 days.
C: Oh. Wow. Summer goes slow.

2011-06-10T13:10:00.002-05:00

Free The Radicals

At lunch today:

J: I wonder what cherries are good for?
C: Probably Vitamin A.
J: Probably eliminating free radicals or something.
G: Yup! I can already feel it. (presumably the elimination of free radicals)

We all start laughing and she feels the need to clarify.

G: Yeah, because I have to go to the bathroom right now!

2011-05-29T08:03:00.000-05:00

Quiet Morning

The girls were up until 10pm last night so its a quiet morning around here. I was able to enjoy a cup of coffee with J before he went to work today.

I found myself driving home yesterday thinking how lucky I am to have him. Of course, we have our differences, but after 10 years together I appreciate him a little more each day. He's slow to anger, even-tempered, non-critical and patient most of the time. I think most of you that know me well will agree that he balances me out!

I'm happy to report that we have taken a little leap of faith and he is going to start working in his office on Wednesdays instead of traveling. It will certainly be nice to have him around more (no 3 hour commute!) and I hope it eases his burden a bit.

2011-05-27T16:04:00.000-05:00

Spring Planting

Patio Centerpiece

We have had such a ridiculously cool "spring" so far this year. I usually put my garden in mid-May, but we just tilled it today. (I have to admit I felt a little smug when pulling all my compost out of the bin to be tilled in.) I'm looking forward to getting out there and getting the vegetables planted, but not looking forward to the weeds or the constant removal of curious pups from the garden. We are contemplating some kind of fencing to prevent the second problem, but haven't quite figured out a way to make it look, um, tasteful.

On other "home improvement" notes, we added a pergola and shade to the deck. I have the flowers and herbs planted up there and even did a little centerpiece for the patio table. G is thrilled with the aloe plant and is continually asking us if we have "any type of burn at all." I went with a citronella candle, even though they don't really stand a chance against Minnesota mosquitoes.

We also FINALLY decided on and ordered the wood flooring for the upper level of the house. I talked J into paying someone to install it and so the process should be finished over 3 days instead of the 3 months we could probably drag it out. It will be worth every penny to avoid the time, frustration and marital grief that would likely ensue.

2011-05-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

A Carnivore's Dilemma

G (holding up drumstick): Dad? Did this used to be a cow?
J: No.
G: Oh, was it a pig?
J: Um, no.
G: Oh wait! It was a chicken. (looks toward drumstick with a slight frown) I guess that's why they call it chicken.

2011-05-20T00:11:00.000-05:00

Overheard

G: I have 3 boyfriends.
C: You can't have 3 boyfriends.
G: Yes. I can. I do. I have Tyler and Hudson Horner. Plus, there is James. Tyler and Hudson Horner already said they want to marry me, but James just said he wants to be my boyfriend. So I am waiting. I have some choices to make.

2011-05-19T14:33:00.001-05:00

In Training

C: I was having a hard time doing the clicker, the leash and the treats today, mom.

M: I know, kiddo, its hard even for grown-ups.

C: You know, I'm not an octopus! I only have 2 arms. Well, 4 maybe, but I kind of need two of them to stand up.

2011-05-16T18:11:00.002-05:00

Spring Art

Can you tell what we are up to around here?

2011-05-04T15:56:00.000-05:00

I Blinked

I saw a mom today at the grocery store - one screaming newborn and one red-faced toddler in tow. She looked tired. And like she could have used 8 arms. Do you know what I did? I sighed wistfully. No, I'm not joking.

Me. The person who had some many grocery store horror stories that there is blog label for "grocery store."

As preschool winds down for G, I am painfully aware that my time with her is coming to an end. This precious time of having her all to myself for a big chunk of the day. The weeks of grocery shopping with her - our lunch at Hy-Vee followed by her pushing the little cart and me the big one until we knock out the list - are dwindling. I have enjoyed this little ritual with her so very much.

Do I want to go back to being the overtired, harried mom? Not really. But would I have traded it for anything? No way. And was I perfectly guilt-free in participating in book reading, Oreo eating and snuggle time this afternoon. Yes. Yes I was.

2011-04-23T08:38:00.000-05:00

Birthday/Mother's Day Gifts

Was walking dogs with C last night when I reminded her that my birthday was only a week away. She asked me what I wanted.

M: Well, an iPad would be good.
C: Mo-om. You already have an iPhone, a Kindle and a big computer.
M: Oh, well how about a new Macbook. Those are nice.
C: You need to pick something that doesn't plug in.
M: Lame....how about new hardwood floors?
C: AND it needs to be under a hundred dollars!

So many stipulations.

2011-04-21T14:51:00.000-05:00

Make It A Hurricane

We went to lunch today at an Irish pub with some friends. When we were in the bathroom Jimmy Buffet's It's 5 o'clock Somewhere came on the radio. G listens for a minute and comments, "Mommy, I am tall and strong." I had so many great, but inappropriate responses to that one that I sort of had to physically push my lips together.

Speaking of hurricanes, our psychosis regarding storms continues. A couple nights ago she was calling out frantically from her bed. When I got there she asks, "Mom? Can there be a tsunami in Minnesota?" Heaven help me.

For those (2) of you who are wondering, the holy water thing has not come back to kick me in the you-know-what yet. And frankly, even if it does, it will have been worth the week of peace.

2011-04-13T13:44:00.000-05:00

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

Okay, we have A LOT to catch up on. Who knows if it will happen, but I'm starting at now and working backward just in case.

First, upheaval has temporarily subsided. Life schedules are returning to normal. The girls and I had a lovely trip to visit family. (There were no tornadoes. Yay! There WAS snow. In Kansas. Over spring break. Not so very yay.) J and I had a fantastic trip to Mexico. It was relaxing, fun and generally re-energizing. There is a story about a bottle of tequila, a duty free shop, my husband and his carry-on luggage that needs recorded for posterity...maybe tomorrow.

There has been a bit of backlash from all this traveling, upheaval, etc. With no general control of her life and being shuffled from place to place as her mother can beg childcare from friends, then add in a trip and missing her daddy and her parents being gone for 6 days after that - G is not so happy. She has decided that all people are dirty and can't touch her or her stuff. If such an infringement should occur one must bathe, change clothes and possibly go to bed for awhile in order to recuperate from the incident. Obviously, this is not so easy to do in the middle of say, gymnastics or church.

Now, I could spin this funny. On one hand, it is sort of funny. But the truth is that whatever little glitch has settled in her brain on what "germs" are and what they can do to you is not a laughing matter. When you see her with the tears sliding down her cheeks, her hands at her little arms length from her body because of what she thinks is on them, you can tell that she is really upset - not just trying to create a problem.

Obviously, the other part of it is that it is really disruptive to life. One big sister even characterized it as "humiliating."

So, what to do?

Well, I may have set myself for utter failure and questioning of faith, but I got a little vial of holy water from church on Sunday and told her that it was a special kind of water that had extra protection. So far, a dab on each hand in the morning has kept anxiety at bay for 3 days. I'm just fervently praying that she doesn't get sick! And you can imagine how the conversation went when I explained this to her preschool teacher. I can tell you, though, that even if I were the staunchest Protestant, I would be knocking on the door of some Catholics to get some "special water" at this point. Yes, I am that desperate.

2011-03-20T21:01:00.000-05:00

Quack, Quack

Just when I think I have my ducks in a row, someone goes and gets sick.

I finally admitted to myself that I actually could not do all the work for the practice, the work for home, the work for leaving for 2 weeks, everything G wanted me to do minute by minute and haul her around for the entire process. So, I arranged childcare this week. That's right. For the first time in 5 years, my child would be spending 6-8 hours with someone else during the day. Novel concept, right?

So, I finally am able to relax this weekend. Hooray! I'm getting through chores at a decent pace. Laundry has commenced. I got someone to accept the open position at the office and have that all lined up. Things are looking pretty stable for a few hours. Then C gets up last night with a body temperature of 103 degrees. Abort! Abort!

Ah well, the way I figure it there are not many more opportunities to snuggle with a third grade anti-snuggler anyway. EMBRACE!

2011-03-10T16:11:00.002-06:00

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Upon being told that she would not be having dessert yesterday due to the "no treats on Ash Wednesday" rule (which is my 5 and 8-year-old child version of fasting) G announces, "I HATE Ash Wednesday." I told her that I considered that a compliment as it meant I was doing something right. The look on her face said she disagreed.

C, our resident theologian, proceeded to tell her that considering, "Jesus had nails put into his hands, thorns pushed into his head and died on the cross for you, you could probably give up a peanut butter cup." Again, the look was disagreeable. (See right.)

What IS agreeing with me is the playlist I put together for Lent. There is officially a playlist for everything now.

Give Me Jesus     Fernando Ortega
Create in Me a Clean Heart Acappella
Be (Still and Know That I am God)    The River's Voice
What Wondrous Love Is This    Fernando Ortega
Draw Me Nearer           Meredith Andrews
Empty Me                Chris Sligh
At the Foot of the Cross      Generate
Praise You In This Storm       Casting Crowns
Beautiful One                    Jeremy Camp

2011-03-07T14:53:00.000-06:00

Okay, Universe, You Win

As if things couldn't go more smoothly in life right now, my email was hacked last night. So, if any of you sent me money to escape "my" London debacle I'm sorry. I would have sent you a follow-up email noting the problem but the hacker also deleted everything in the account. Hoo-ray.

Let's just say that I don't generally handle early morning problems that well. And a friend got me out of bed before 7am to report this issue. And I'm just a 'tad' overwhelmed right now anyway. I sort of had a "That's it. I'm finished. I'm not leaving the house. I'm not taking anyone to school today. I'm not buying groceries. Nothing. I'm quitting." moment. My poor 5-year-old comes up and hands me a teddy bear and the Throw-Up Bowl (you know you have one too) and says, "I'm supposed to take the Teacher-Teacher book back to school today because I've had it for 3 sleeps and I need to return it. But if you can't take me to school, I guess that's okay."

My life needs a time-out button.

2011-03-06T14:57:00.000-06:00

Its All Fun and Games

I went on a retreat this weekend with some girlfriends. I am not sure what is wrong with me, but I always have a hard time relaxing and enjoying these things. I signed up last September because it theoretically sounded like a good idea to get away with some friends for 2 nights at this gorgeous cabin with craft space, a hot tub on the deck and hours that I could choose to spend as I saw fit. Not to mention the professional masseuse that was providing 1 hour massages...

Honestly, I did enjoy the first day and night. Just having a morning off from getting the kids to school and the normal chores was really a blessing. Devoting time to scrapbook and to work on some new mixed media projects was fun. But the second night I was ready to go home. I couldn't sleep because I was worrying about everything I need to resolve and I am currently facing a problem that - no matter which direction I approach it from - looks like an unsolvable puzzle. I thought about calling J at 3 am to talk it over, but I didn't think he'd appreciate it.

It is probably just a combination of things going on and the fact that I really do enjoy my time with my 3 favorite people in the world.

2011-02-27T14:32:00.001-06:00

Rough Week

Once there was a girl who got stuck in a blizzard with her family. They arrived at a hotel in one piece and the girl had packed extra underwear for everyone and a bottle of wine so all was not lost. Unfortunately, that girl had not packed an extra transmission for her car, so the next morning didn't go as well.

The girl then had a very rough week at work. She wished and prayed for something positive. She got a sick kid. The girl had to clean her house because she had company coming and she had let things slide while dealing with insurance agencies, disgruntled employees, sick tummies and car repairs. There went Friday.

Finally, the kids were well, the car was running, company had arrived and left safely and the next week started. Sadly, after church, her truck didn't.

Sigh.

2011-02-23T14:37:00.000-06:00

Things I Learned From Bambi

You know, most importantly, "If you can't say something nice....don't say nothin' at all." Well the pretty much explains the lack of posting here lately.

I'll be back when I've reached the point that its funny again.

2011-02-13T19:14:00.001-06:00

My Loves

In honor of Valentine's Day, I am remembering the loves of my life. I am sometimes overwhelmed with emotion when I look at the three of them and realize how small a space my entire world is occupied by.

Like one little bench on a shuttle bus.

One of the most apt quotations about parenthood is this one from Elizabeth Stone:

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”

I'm so grateful to have such beautiful walking hearts and a wonderful husband to scoop them up and keep them safe for me.

Love you all.

2011-01-30T22:32:00.000-06:00

The New Plan

Someone - who shall remain nameless, ahem, Gillian - got in trouble with her daddy for yelling this morning. Upon emerging from time out she reported that she had a "new plan." "Take a deep breath before yelling and screaming." A little confused I said, "You mean take a deep breath and decide NOT to yell or scream?" "No," she says "that wasn't really part of my plan."

2011-01-26T09:47:00.001-06:00

Oh Poppycock!

J leaves for work early on Wednesday mornings so the girls don't often see him. Occasionally he will surprise us with muffins or another good morning treat. Today he left a note and some lemon poppyseed muffins.

G: Mommy, these are really tiny blueberries!
M: Those aren't blueberries, honey. Those are poppyseeds.
C: teasing her sister Yeah and if you plant one you can grow some more poppyseed muffins.
G: rolling her eyes Whatever, C, that will never work in the winter.

2011-01-24T21:02:00.000-06:00

Hey! Love Your Shirt!

I love Valentine's Day. (pun intended) I love to come up with fun little gift sets and surprise unsuspecting people. Primarily my niece up to this point. For years I have taken a fun photo of the girls and sent out cards to a few people. (The list is much smaller than the Christmas list, but I think the cards are appreciated even more.)

Lately I've been very restless. I know, its January. Earlier this week after spending too much time on Ana-White.com I announced I was going to build a table this weekend. I will spare you my family's unenthusiastic responses. I still plan on making the table. I've just decided to wait until I can stand in the garage without being able to feel each individual, frozen hair in my nose.

I did, however, whip up these shirts today. They were pronounced "wearable to school." If that ain't success, I don't know what is. I was inspired by the mini-Boden shirts here. However, mine cost under $5 thanks to a great clearance at Target. Add a bit of fabric, some embroidery floss and a bit of Heat and Bond and presto! The cute girl to wear the shirt? That'll really cost ya!

2011-01-22T12:12:00.000-06:00

Something is Happening...

And I'm not sure I like it. Okay, I will admit, I like part of it. That part is the sleeping until 8 am part. And possibly the part where I am not half awake trying to change someone's diaper. I will admit that I don't miss diapers. Purchasing them or changing them.

But guess what all of this means? It means my girls are big! They get up in the morning, take care of their own bodily functions and get themselves some fruit or yogurt if they are hungry until breakfast is made - all by themselves. I am becoming obsolete. Already.

Yesterday they were playing downstairs and I asked them if they wanted to play a game with me. Yeah, they didn't. They were busy with what they are doing. Okay, I guess I'll just go find your dad....

Which then brought me to the realization that one day in the not distant enough future my children would leave me, my dogs will pass on and I will be left with only my husband. I started to panic a little until I came to the realization that I could always buy another dog. That helped a little.

Excuse me now. I'm going to go find my children and force them to snuggle me.

2011-01-18T19:59:00.000-06:00

Story Time

Tonight while picking out bedtime stories, G was dawdling by going through our entire collection. She came across some Arch story books and immediately dismissed them. I held one up and said, "But they are about Jesus!" She asked me to read the title. "Um, The Day Jesus Died." "Mo-om, I want something a little more fun than that."

Point well taken.

2011-01-15T08:23:00.001-06:00

1, 2 skip a few, 99, 100

If you would like to know what my day was like yesterday just watch this video on an endless loop.

For the record, she actually did it perfectly several times. When she realized the camera was on her, she couldn't decide if she wanted to count or be totally goofy.

Also, it is worth mentioning that she is sitting in her "mini-van." This combination of doll stroller and step stool have been occupying my living room for most of the week. The babies tend to fight over the "up high seats."

2011-01-12T14:38:00.000-06:00

Lilapsophobia Anyone?

Last June we had a tornado in Minnesota that uprooted trees, took out fences and just caused some general - but not too severe - property damage in our neighborhood. After the storm, G developed a pretty serious fear of tornadoes after asking some questions about what they were capable of. After we moved into winter the discussion hadn't come up (and I wasn't about to bring it up!) so I thought maybe it had subsided. Wrong.

G: Mom, what year is next?
M: Um, 2012.
G: No! I mean, like winter, spring, summer or fall?
M: Oh, you mean what season. Spring is next.
G: NOOOOO! I HATE spring.

Now, hating spring is just not a Minnesotan quality so I knew something was afoot.

G: There will be TORNADOES!!!!!

It doesn't help that somehow we ended up owning a book called Storm Chasers. The photographs alone are enough to send her into therapy for years. AND it mentions that a man in Wichita, KS was swept up in a tornado. There goes my spring break trip to Kansas!

2011-01-04T13:08:00.002-06:00

Quote of the Day

Gillian: Mom, if I can pass my nap today I promise to take two naps tomorrow. Please????
This is the kind of thing I'm up against on a daily basis.

2011-01-02T20:44:00.000-06:00

Resolutions

I tend to shy away from making New Year's Resolutions, but decided to ask C if she had any for the year.

C:What's a resolution?
M: You know, like a goal.
C: Yes. I do. My resolution is not to go to school in 2011. I'm going to get started tomorrow.

Nice try, small fry.

Truth be told, it would be fine with me if "life" was not resuming tomorrow morning. Ah well.

2010-12-31T17:24:00.000-06:00

Good-Bye 2010

2010 was a great year in many ways. The girls' are at such wonderful ages that we would be hard pressed not to enjoy them. (My 2015 post may not end on such a high note!) I relish the fact that all members of our family currently enjoy each others' company. Watching the girls play over break makes me wish we could be on perpetual vacation. I know a lot of families struggle with boredom over breaks, but I can honestly say that I've never heard those words from my girls. And despite their need to eventually spread their wings and fly away from us, I hope that we can maintain at least an undercurrent of this spirit as our family grows older.

So many questions are on the horizon for us in 2011! Most notably for me is, "What shall I do when I grow up?" I received kindergarten registration papers for Gilly yesterday. Just looking at them had me sniffling. I don't want her to go away from me! (She does promise to come home every day and snuggle.) But coupled with this is the fact that very shortly my days are going to change drastically and I have to figure out the best way to spend them. And, oh my gosh, that could mean a J-O-B.

We just keep hoping and praying over here that God leads us down the right paths. Well, more that we can hear His directions! Is it just me or would anyone else prefer more obvious messages? Like a memo?

2010-12-24T10:08:00.000-06:00

December in Pictures

Snow is here!

Can't quite reach the top!

Baking Day

Santa on her "sleigh"

Third grader face after being told school was canceled due to snow!

I had to bribe C into this photo. Not because she doesn't believe in Santa, but because insert eye roll here "He isn't even the REAL Santa."

G's Christmas concert a church.

Our angel led the congregation in Silent Night at the end of the nativity program this year. She did a wonderful job!

2010-12-20T18:21:00.000-06:00

Snow Days

We have had a ridiculous amount of snow this year already (something close to 30 inches)! As I type, we are piling on another 3-6 inches. The good news? Snow days! (At least as far as the kids are concerned.)

I got a kick out of Gilly the other day - We were outside playing in the snow the other day and G grabbed a sand pail, filling it with snow. "Mom? Can you go get me some hot water?" she asks.

M: What do you need water for?
G: I just do! Please?
M: sigh Okay

After I bring the water, I sit back to watch. She pours it into the pail and proceeds to walk to the end of the driveway, pouring it into the street.

M:What are you doing?!?
G: Making ice.
M: Um, whhhhy?
G: Because if the road is icy, we can't go to school!

The world according to Gilly really is a more interesting place to live.

2010-12-19T23:18:00.000-06:00

Hint?

I'm notorious for trying to weasel information out of people about my Christmas gifts. Its not so much that I really want the surprised ruined as it is fun to try to trip them up. I was working on Gilly the other day:

M: Gilly? Don't you want to tell me what you got me for Christmas?
G: Mom. Dad and I talked it out and decided what we were getting and I am not telling you.
M: Come on, just tell me a clue. What does it start with?
G: clearly fibbing It starts with 'L.'
M: GILLY! Just tell me.
G: Okay, mom, I'll tell you one thing you are getting for Christmas. starts coming toward me But this is the only thing and its name is a hug. And a Christmas kiss. gives me a hug and kiss There. Now stop asking me!

2010-12-08T09:19:00.000-06:00

Here Comes Santa Claus, Here Comes Santa Claus

Christmas always brings with it some little gems of conversation that offer insight into where my children are. I'm working on a big post for C right now that attempts to encapsulate all the ironies and struggles of being little and big all in the same year, but here are my 2 favorite conversations with her right now:

C: I'm not going to go see Santa at the mall this year.
M: Really? Why not?
C: Mo-om. He's, like, not even the real Santa!

Last night she started listing off evidence of Santa and was espousing how she just didn't understand how people could not believe in him. One of my personal favorites was the fact that when you went to bed there were a few presents under the tree, but when you woke up there were "stacks and stacks" of them and ONLY Santa could have done THAT. I thought that at some point we would make a subtle transition to a "wink-wink" about Santa and continue to play along for G's sake, but it appears not.

Another conversation centered around Christmas:

M: So, what do you think you want for Christmas this year?
C: Well, I told Grandma that I would like another big Littlest Pet Shop house.
M: Oh? Anything else?
C: Well, an iPhone would be good.

The best part about this was that I started talking to her about how much money an iPhone costs up front and then there are service plans to pay for each month, etc. - Gently guiding her to the idea that it was a pretty costly gift for an 8 year old. The NEXT time someone asked her what she wanted this year she mentioned that she had wanted an iPhone but she didn't think I should have to "pay all those taxes and things." I'm starting to wonder if J is driving around with them in the car listening to conservative talk radio....

Of course, G never disappoints when it comes to quotable moments! Last night:
G: So, mom, did you buy me the perfect present yet?
M: Well, Gilly, that depends. What is the perfect present?
G: You know, like a hamster or a new puppy, kitty, guinea pig or horse.
M: I think you should start preparing now for a very disappointing Christmas.
G: What? What did you say? I don't even know what you are talking about.

2010-11-28T17:33:00.000-06:00

Shutterfly Me Away

I love photos. Truly. If you've ever come to my house, you will find them everywhere. I admire art, but adore photos of the ones I love. (I have often wondered if its narcissistic to only put up pictures of my family in my house. But I digress.)

The first week of December to-do list always includes starting on Christmas cards. Gathering the perfect photos to reflect our year and updating the address book are a good place to start.

One of my favorite photo product companies has always been Shutterfly and when it comes to Christmas cards and holiday cards they are hands-down my favorite. Years ago, when C was little, I handmade each card. As our Christmas card list grew and grew with family, friends and business contacts and my December obligations grew and grew and grew with the birth of G and the business, I turned to Shutterfly for their awesome designs, excellent printing quality, and ease of use. I have never looked back. I love the collage cards that can highlight the year in multiple pictures. Last year they even started printing photos on the inside and there is just enough room to put a few sentences in about what the family has been up to.

When I look back through my Christmas cards, some of my adhesive is starting to fail on my first cards, but my Shutterfly cards look as great as the day I ordered them. This is one task for December that I actually look forward to

(I've also started working on my photo calendars for next year so if you are on my nice list things could be looking up for you!)

2010-11-17T15:05:00.001-06:00

A Few Good Things

Thanksgiving things I am loving -

This quote:

Care less for your harvest than for how it is shared and your life will have meaning and your heart will have peace.
Kent Nerburn

This Centerpiece:

I created this centerpiece for our table for November. Any time someone in our family is compelled to, they pick up the pen and write something they are thankful for on a leaf and put it on the tree. The idea is to see how full we can get the branches before Thanksgiving.

And, really, who couldn't love THIS leaf?

This free printable:

This poem:

Thanksgiving
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

2010-11-13T11:28:00.001-06:00

PJ Day

I really enjoyed the PJ day that G and I had last week. I wish all days could be like this!

2010-11-08T08:01:00.000-06:00

Vegetarian Anyone?

On the way to church yesterday we drove by a sure sign that you are in Minnesota during deer season. What was that, you say? Oh, just a pickup bed full of dead deer - complete with antlers, hooves and even a nose poking up over the edges.

Neither J nor I come from hunting families, but we have enough born 'n' bred Minnesotan neighbors that the girls have a fair understanding of the concept. And while I am still a little nauseous about seeing my dinner with its face still on, I can appreciate people who hunt responsibly and consume or use all the parts of their kill.

My children, however, feel a little differently.

C: Are those real dead deer?!?
M: Yup.
G: I HATE those people!!!
M: Girls, you know that hunting a way to get food and keeps there from being too many deer in Minnesota. And we don't use the word 'hate.'
C: Yeah, but that is disgusting in the back of that truck!
M: sigh Well, if you lived before grocery stores, someone in the family would have to hunt if your family was going to be able to eat meat.
C: Then I would just be a vegetarian!
G: You would?
C: Yes.
G: Well, okay, but then you would have to eat dogs.

pause

M: Um, Gilly, vegetarians don't eat dogs.
G: Really? Oh. What do they eat?

You have no idea how bad I wanted to say cats.

2010-11-04T14:57:00.000-05:00

Trick or Treat

If I do say so myself, I had the cutest little ghost and pirate on the block. Not exactly your traditional "girly" costumes, but they had fun putting them together. G's didn't exactly match what was in her mind's eye and was wishing for a different costume at about 5:30pm. But, sadly, her mother didn't have a magic wand so she had to stick with the original plan!

Aunt Erin always shows up and adds to the fun. The girls thought her costume was missing an accessory, but they hooked that cowgirl up! Sadly, she did not ride her pony throughout the entire evening.

Dad had to work, but he was around earlier for pumpkin patch selection and carving.

We gathered this loot just walking around our block! Fortunately, our baskets were full because our toes were cold.

C divided her haul into three piles. Pile 1) Candy Buy Back at dad's office Pile 2) For the Candy Fairy Pile 3) Eating. The next morning the Candy Fairy left her a small toy. G, who had poo-pooed the idea of the Candy Fairy was quite disappointed. When I put her to bed the next night and was tucking her in I discovered about 6 chocolate bars under her pillow. Somehow we had melded the Tooth and Candy fairies together - and managed to melt a bit of chocolate in the process!

2010-10-31T11:06:00.000-05:00

Sunday Quips

Wake Up Call

G: Hi, mom! Can I have my breakfast RIGHT NOW?!?!
M: Why are you up so early? And since when do you want breakfast right away? Oh wait, you didn't really eat much dinner last night, did you?
G: Mom. sighing I didn't really like your dinner thing last night. long pause But I do like that you work so hard!

Long Mass

Quite loudly at the end of mass G says, " UGH! Why am I always the on that ends up with ants in my pants at church?!?"

2010-10-26T18:43:00.000-05:00

Parking Ticket

C has a bit of a problem keeping her behind in her chair during dinner. She will often stand up while eating and we have to remind her to sit back down. I got a kick out of tonight's conversation:

M: C! Park it back in the chair.
C: I don't want to!
M: Too bad. Park it or I'm going to give it a ticket.
C: rolling eyes Whatever, mom. You can't give my behind a ticket.
M: Oh really?
G: Yes, she can! It starts with an "s" and its name is a Swat.

All I can say is, I've taught her well.

2010-10-25T17:06:00.000-05:00

Disney Part Two

Things did improve dramatically after Day One. (Which I shall not speak of again.) We did the 4 major parks over the 6 days and a lot of playing at the resort pool. What can I say? I learned my lesson.

I think the key to Disney might be admitting to yourself from the get-go that while there is a lot of fun to be had, there is also going to be a fair amount of disappointment about things not working out. There is something about the marketing tactics of Disney that make you think that your children should be walking around with their mouths agape and eyes sparkling for 96 hours straight. When the truth is that they are still (your) kids and it is very likely that on your perfect Princess dinner they may look like this:

Keep smiling, Dad!

And at times you may feel like doing this:

Don't be fooled by the innocent expression of this child. It was a different story 10 seconds before.

But at other times there will be these:

Crystal Palace

Leaving Hollywood Studios on our last evening.

On the way to the Princess dinner at Storybook Castle.

Unfortunately, for our family we have one thrill-seeking child and one, um, not. This means that while theoretically we would all be together doing great things, it just didn't work out this way. On our first evening we were at Epcot we were all going to ride Test Track. C was uncertain, but we got our FastPasses anyway. We came back three hours later with a petrified 8-year-old who ended up "refusing" to ride. On the other hand, it ended up being G's favorite thing the whole week. I did enjoy overhearing this conversation the next day:

G: Haha. You're a scaredy cat. You wouldn't ride Test Track yesterday.
C: You had better be quiet. You're afraid of going in the basement by yourself.

Point taken.

C's favorite things were definitely The Lion King show (Animal Kingdom), Beauty and the Beast show (Hollywood Studios), Peter Pan's Flight (Magic Kingdom ride) and Buzz Light Year (Magic Kingdom ride.) She also spent a good deal of time collecting pins for her lanyard and character signatures in her autograph book. Neither of those surprised me as she has always been a "collector." G loved Test Track (Epcot), Soarin' (Epcot), Peter Pan's Flight and Buzz Light Year. J reports that the best roller coaster at Disney World is the Rock N Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios. And he should know. He rode them all.

For my part, I was pretty happy when I wasn't in a public restroom with someone.

2010-10-21T16:09:00.000-05:00

Dumbo or Die in A Day

We did the "once in a lifetime" Disney World trip last week. I can't tell if Disney World is a "once in a lifetime" trip because it is a) so expensive you can only afford it once every 80 years or b) so exhaustively fun you can only do it once every 80 years.

So, I have to admit here that at the end of the first day I hated Disney World. Hated. Wanted to go home. Hated the Whole Thing. Couldn't figure out why weren't all relaxing on a beach somewhere. I think I should preface this with the fact that I spent a lot of time planning the Disney trip. And during that planning I tried to accurately assess everything from how tired people would be at different times, balancing everyone's interests (G and Dad = big, fast rides vs. C = animals and shows) and attempting not to do too much backtracking and traveling about the Disney property. Sadly, nothing prepared me for Day 1.

Cape May Cafe Breakfast

The day started out fine. I had reserved a spot at the character breakfast (Mickey and friends) that happened to be in our resort. I had the presence of mind not to schedule it until 9:15am and all was well. We headed to Animal Kingdom for the day and had plans to meet up with some friends that evening who were, incidentally, at Disney at the same time. Problem #1 was that the girls had seen the spectacular pool area (complete with sand, water slide, whirlpool and lazy river) at our hotel and basically wanted to stay there for the day - not get on a bus and be "forced" to spend the day at such a horrific a place as Animal Kingdom. But they went. And the day was okay. AK is very spread out, there was a lot of walking and it was hot outside. We didn't make it to everything and ended up leaving before the parade, but I was okay with that. We got back to the hotel around 5 for a rest before attempting to meet up with our friends that evening at 7.

Super Cute Girls with Minnie Ears


All of us with the Tree of Life

That was when it took a turn for the worse with Disney Transportation.

We were supposed to round the day out with our friends and the Chip and Dale Campfire Sing-a-long at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. We hadn't eaten dinner before leaving because we were a) off on our eating schedule between the day's events and the one-hour time difference b) G had been napping and c) there was supposedly a place nearby the event where we could get a decent quick-service meal. Disney has no resort-to-resort transportation so our only option was to get transportation from our resort to a park to the other resort. At the desk they suggested taking the bus from our resort (Beach Club) to Hollywood Studios over to Fort Wilderness. We head out to the bus stop to wait only to then read the signs that indicated there was no bus, but that we had to take a boat. (You would think they would have known that inside. Grr. Whatever.) We traipse over to the dock and wait for the boat, ride to HS and wait for a bus to Fort Wilderness. Each time we wait it takes approximately 20 minutes making this little venture take well over an hour. I am hungry and have told J that when we get to the next resort I am reserving a cab for the way back to ours. (This is a good plan for several reasons, most of which have to do with the fact that a lot of the transportation options will have closed down by the time the campfire thing is over.)

We step off the last bus at....wait for it....another bus stop. I am -mistakenly- under the impression that there is both a RESORT and CAMPGROUND at this place called Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground and that we will be dropped off near a resort. With a concierge. That can hail a cab. WRONG. We are in an entire new land of bus routes, none of which I am familiar with. I am hungry which will mean that if I don't eat soon I will have a headache. (And by then we had already exhausted my supplies of granola and energy bars.) We are still NOT THERE and there is no end in sight to this ghastly transportation debacle.

I cry. At the bus stop. I cannot believe how much planning I have put into this to be standing at a bus stop in a campground with no food in the middle of Disney World in the middle of Orlando, FL. Seriously. How can this be happening? My family holds me together (G is assuring me, "Everything will be fine, mommy. We are all still together!"), we find the right bus and we FINALLY get to the appropriate location on the campground. And I was wrong, the food is not at the same stop.

I am so hungry that I consent to eating a snack stand hot dog (its that or nachos) and go over to buy 4.

M: I would like 4 hot dogs please.
Concession Stand Employee: Okay, they will be ready in about 15 minutes.
M: What?
CSE: We are out of hot dogs and someone went to get more.
M: BUT THIS IS A HOT DOG EMERGENCY! (okay, I just thought that part)
Actually I just walk away. Trying not to cry, because hello my friends are here and THAT would just be embarrassing.

I find J who agrees to go to the next stop and obtain actual food. He comes back 30 minutes later with a bucket of chicken; my husband has never looked more like Bear Grylls to me.

When we decide to leave we have no choice but to try to get back to our resort by way of Magic Kingdom as it is the one park that is open late enough to still have running transportation. This is unfortunate for the following reasons: 1) MK is the furthest park from our resort so this will add time and 2) It is 10pm. The fireworks will have just ended and there will be a mass exodus out of there.

We take a boat to MK and proceed to get in a line that indicates this a monorail to the main transportation hub for buses. We get in this line with thousands of other people. After about 15 minutes we are nearing the front and I decide to do a double check with the "Cast member" there.

M: This is the monorail to the bus where I can get to the Beach Club right?
CM: stares at me horrifically No. That stop is WAY (pointing) over there. Your only choice now is to swim down.
M: Excuse me? Swim down?
CM: pointing at the thousands of people behind me Through all those people.
M: grabbing CM desperately on the arm JUST TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET A CAB!!!!
CM: Ride this to the next stop, get off and there should be a cab off to your right.

I turn around and locate my family. We get on the monorail only to literally be pushed in by several people behind us. We are crammed in so tight you can barely breathe and you certainly can't turn around. The doors close and....nothing happens. We go nowhere for 15 minutes while a recorded voice tells us that, "The monorail is stopped for track interference. We will resume the monorail shortly." and a toddler screams and kicks my children in the head. For 15 minutes. And C has to go to the bathroom.

We finally reach the monorail station, stare wistfully at the closed monorail that would take us right near our resort and find a bathroom. We then find a cab and arrive back to our hotel room at 12:15. 6 hours after we left.

And that was the beginning. (But don't worry, it gets better.)

2010-10-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

The Middle Finger

On the way home from church this evening with C:

C: Mom, is holding up your middle finger bad?
M: Um, why?
C: Well all the kids at school said that it is so bad, but I was like, 'Its just a finger. What's so bad about a finger?'

I wish I could just freeze her like this for forever.

2010-10-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

On Baseball

Great. As if phonics were not enough, we have added baseball - well, more specifically, batting - to our list of Gilly obsessions.

"Mom, can we go out and play baseball?" is what I hear over and over and over and over and over....

She has a cute little stance and takes the whole thing very seriously. Yesterday, on our second trip out she was really connecting with the ball and she looks at me and says, "I think I am better at baseball with gum in my mouth." chew chew chew "Yes, I reply. All the professional baseball players chew gum. Maybe that is why they are so good." I toss a few more balls and she seems to be mulling it over a bit. "Mom? You are probably just joking about that gum thing, right?"

Yes, dear.

2010-10-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

Good Morning

Yesterday, before we could even open our eyes, G walks in the room and starts talking, "Hello, Mommy. I know what the letter 'T' says. It says "tuh." And you spell Toney, T-O-N-E-Y. There are only 3 sleeps until we go to Florida. I already got dressed and brushed my hair. I am ready for my breakfast."

If only I could get her to hand me a hot cup of coffee after all of that.

2010-09-28T13:37:00.000-05:00

Hooked on Phonics

G has entered what they call in my Montessori training a "sensitive period" for phonics. (Otherwise known as a Gilly Obsession.) We are eating, breathing, sleeping, reading and writing letters around the clock right now. Of course I am thrilled because when she decides on doing something she really hits the ground running. I am quite sure this personality trait will cause me angst in the future, but as it relates to learning to read I can enjoy it.

I started with "Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons." This book has been around for ages but I am not in a position to really review it one way or the other because after the first lesson G decided that she didn't like it and proceeded to teach me in 100 Easy Lessons why she didn't need to do that "boring" book.

I am far more prepared for my second child than I was for my first. When C started showing an interest in phonics I was scrambling around for the appropriate materials for her. The second time around our environment is ready. Plenty of writings spaces - dry erase board (my FAVORITE thing I have ever added to the art space), paper with pencils/crayons/colored pencils, window markers - and age appropriate books that can be challenging but afford many successes between the challenges.

Of course, any worthwhile activity is not without debris and I run across things like this all the time.

Numbers Too!

She will add letters to the end of a word if she goes back and realizes one is forgotten instead of putting it in the right place.

Not so sure I love the phonetics of this one!

She redeemed herself with this one!

Its fun to see her grasping a new concept like this, but bittersweet as well when I think about it as one step further into her independence!

2010-09-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

An Afternoon in Pictures

Made Some Lunch

Did Some Letters

Snuggled Daddy

Got Some Exercise

Got a Snack from the Neighbor

Sidewalk Chalk

Found a Caterpillar

Got A Little Mad

Recovered with a Freeze Pop

Fully Recovered with a Freeze Pop AND a Swing


Greeted Sister

2010-09-23T14:57:00.000-05:00

No More Pooping Things

G is really, really, really, really interested in getting another pet. Sadly, her father has thrown down a "No More Pooping Things" rule for the house. Apparently 2 dogs, a rabbit and a fish are enough.

In fact, for her birthday her grandmother called (J's mom) to see what she wanted for a gift. When I asked G, she suggested a hamster. After explaining that Grandma wasn't actually going to be in attendance at her party and couldn't mail a hamster G changed her request, "Why don't you just tell Grandma that I would like a pony. She can ride it here from Omaha and that way she won't have to mail it." Good thinking, right?

In light of this current infatuation/campaign to wear her parents down, we have had a lot of discussions about how much responsibility there is in taking care of a pet. And, truth be told, G participates a lot in animal care around here. So I got a kick out of a recent comment she made. We were on a bike ride and she was behind me on the trail-a-bike when we passed a house with 5 doghouses lined up in the backyard and several dogs running around. "Wow, mom, those people must be really responsible."
No doubt.

2010-09-16T09:40:00.009-05:00

Grilling Season

My husband is not an early riser by choice. He's an amazingly hard worker, but I wouldn't call him a "morning person." However, there is one thing that gets him out of bed early on the weekend - the prospect of eating some amazing grilled or smoked meat for dinner. And, trust me, we eat like kings around here. But it usually starts around 6 or 7 am, depending on what is going on the grill.

First there are rubs to be done.

Next up, sauces to make. Why would you use store-bought when you could make something using every condiment in the kitchen? He even has me canning his sauces for him! Don't ask me how he worked that out because I'm still trying to figure it myself. (Please don't worry about my canning abilities when looking at the picture below. He puts foil over the top until I properly seal it with a lid for him later in the day.)

Of course, there is a late afternoon beer consumed while listening to an extensive blues soundtrack he has compiled. I was recently told that he only has to add about 6 more hours to the existing playlist to cover the entire process. Great.

There is some process that he is perfecting due to the fact that he "acquired" a new smoker this summer and is using that instead of a traditional charcoal grill. But the end result, looks like this.
The final step is to be sure that you invited over some friends to marvel at your awesomeness.

The caveat emptor of this post is that the last photo was not taken on a "rib" weekend, but a brisket. They are actually eating J's first attempt at making burnt ends. Which even I will admit was exactly like eating candied meat.

The bad news is that this hobby can really suck up a Saturday. The good news is that at least I can eat it!

2010-09-15T12:28:00.004-05:00

First Day of School! First Day of School!
Ready to Learn and Get Some Knowledge

Third grade! I seriously don't know how this happened to me. Can I just say that I miss this girl so much when she is at school? She has an awesome teacher this year - just the one she was hoping for - and a good class. Third grade is a bit of an adjustment. She has nearly 35-40 minutes of homework a night and that is after 6 hours of school per day. As she SO frequently likes to remind me. Given her druthers she would stay home, but I think after she gets there each morning she has been having pretty good days.

G is in her second year of preschool. She is really in her element as she knows the teachers and the routine of the day. She LOVES going to preschool and mommy loves having a little time to exercise and get errands and things done for work without plugging her into the TV or sending her to the gym childcare. Today she brought home some "happy mail" for me which consisted of a piece of paper on which she had drawn a smile and put in an envelope. Its so fun to see her excitement about her new friends and all the fun she has at school.

2010-09-14T14:43:00.008-05:00

Who Said You Could Turn 8?

For the first time the girls wanted their own birthday parties. Of course, G wanted a million people and a lot of fanfare for hers and C wanted her closest friends and a little sleepover. Should sound about right to those who know them. C wanted her daddy's ribs for dinner, but as her birthday was a Monday that wasn't possible. Instead we took all the kids to Red Lobster for dinner.Nothing says "birthday" like a new dress and going to get your hair done.

C with her closest friends. The three girls she has known since she was just 1 year old. The boy is her best school friend. In fact, here is a picture of the same 4 girls at Halloween when C was just 2!

G went to her friends house for the party and then came back for the sleepover. (Don't worry, the little boy in the striped shirt went home after the movie!) I think she had a great evening. Its hard to see her grow so big, but at the same time lovely to watch her turning into such a well-mannered, caring person.

We love you!

2010-08-28T22:14:00.003-05:00

Excuse Me, Is That Your 5-Year-Old at the Altar?

G has a certain love for our parish priest. He's funny and loves kids, so I get it. During mass the children are invited to bring their offering up to a basket near the altar. At some point about a year ago, several kids started taking this opportunity to give Fr. Joe hugs instead of heading straight back to their pews. Its a win-win for them really. I mean, the head honcho of the parish is loving it, how mad can the parents really get about this diversion? As a bonus, you get to walk around church longer instead of sitting quietly in the pew.

Fr. Joe has been in Italy on vacation for a couple of weeks now. Before he left I mentioned to G that he would be going to Italy so she should tell him good-bye. We went to mass tonight and he was back. Let's just say her hug was a little, um, long. As in, stalling the service long. As in, people turning to look at me long. As in, the family waiting to bring up the gifts could have gone out for a quick dinner long. I was willing her back to the pew with my mind to no avail.

She didn't seem to notice. She finally marched back the pew happy as a clam and said, "I'm just SO HAPPY that he came back!" Apparently I hadn't actually mentioned it was just a vacation.

Details.

2010-08-28T00:03:00.002-05:00

Late!

Okay, so its technically after midnight...12:03. I didn't know the movie was so long! Forgive me, oh internet. I'm sure you'll get over it.

Rosemary Tomato Tart

One of my favorite ways to use up late summer tomatoes and garden herbs is this recipe. Paired with some grilled chicken and corn on the cob, its a great summer meal.

1 refrigerated pie crust (Unless, of course, you are my mother-in-law. Then you can use your world famous, never to be beaten, pie crust.)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
3 Roma tomatoes - sliced
1 tsp garlic salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tsp. chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Grease 9 inch pie plate. Spread crust into pie plate. Add cheese, sprinkle with garlic salt and basil. Top with tomatoes, rosemary and salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

2010-08-26T11:50:00.009-05:00

National Dog Day

Happy National Dog Day! What? You didn't know? Yeah, me neither. We are blessed with two, happy, healthy dogs over here.

Our beautiful golden retriever, Truman. aka Tru-boy, The Trumanator

Our somewhat temperamental, but always lovable, wheaten terrier, Izze. Better known as "Izze Lu-Lu."

In honor of our dogs and their doggie friends we whipped up some homemade peanut butter dog biscuits today. I was inspired by yesterday's post over at The Crafting Chicks. We adapted the recipe from Martha Ste wart.

Her ingredients list is as follows:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus more for brushing

We substituted 1/2 cup of peanut butter for the chicken stock because our Truman can't get enough peanut butter. You will also need to add some water to this. Approximately 1/4 cup then add one tablespoon at a time until it has a nice peanut butter cookie-like texture. Mix the dry ingredients. Then add the oil, peanut butter and water. We found that our hands were excellent for mixing. Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters - we used hearts and dog bones. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

As soon as the peanut butter jar was opened, Truman was on-hand for necessary floor clean-ups and just generally getting in the way.

Of course, all good homemade treats need cute packaging! Cellophane bags with a little treat topper are a good way to go for these. (Patterned paper by Karen Foster Design Bone Zone line. Cute little pup courtesy of NitWit Collections Farley and Friends.)

So, go get an extra doggie snuggle today. Throw a frisbee, hit up a dog park, visit the pet store for some treats. If all you have is a cat....well, I'm sorry about that.

2010-08-25T15:02:00.004-05:00

Its In The Eyes

This was going to be a Wordless Wednesday post. (Hey, when you are posting all week, you need some slacker options.) The problem is that this girl just begs for words. I'm so happy about this picture. Its rare in my photo library to have on of Mack like this. Generally she isn't too happy about the camera in her face. I have a lot of them where she is turned away from me partly, grinning sheepishly as she knows she's being uncooperative, but you love her too much and there isn't anything you can do about it anyway. So happy to have the eyes and the smile all in one shot!

2010-08-24T16:38:00.003-05:00

She's a Handful!

My baby turned 5 a few weeks ago. I am in some serious denial. Of course, she's helping by still being the 5-year-old that crawls into bed with us in the middle of the night, still having random meltdowns and generally snuggling her mommy numerous times a day. Man, I love that girl. (As I type this, I can hear her arguing with her sister....)

G really wanted to have a "friend" party this year. As we were to be out of town on her actual birthday - camping with Grandpa Steve, Aunt Erin and Katie's family - we let her have a party 2 days before her birthday. (Listening to 4 and 5 year old children discuss, "Well, its my 5th birthday party, but I'm actually still 4." and all the confusion that ensues is very Abbott and Costello.) Me, thinking, "Oh, how many people will be able to attend a Thursday afternoon birthday party?" let her invite 12 people. Mistake. All 12 could make it. Hooray! Next step? Hire 3 teenagers to assist with party. That was one of the best ideas I had all week.

Can I just tell you this child wanted the works? And she got it! Here is the layout I've managed to get done from her party.

The journaling reads:

What do you get when you combine 13 friends,
a bounce house, a backyard full of games, dozens
of cupcakes and vats of candy? One spectacular 5th
birthday party!

It really was a fun party. The hardest part was leaving behind all of those new presents for our week-long adventure to Kansas!

2010-08-23T08:28:00.004-05:00

Mad Monday

This week I'm making an attempt to get back on the bloggy wagon with a post every day. Yup, you heard me. Every. day. One week. I can do this, right? Anyone want to join me? (Ahem, kenandbelly, I'm looking at you.)

So, does anyone remember the Excuse Me! problem I was having in January? Well, I still had it in July. (So much for hoping it would be short-lived.) In fact, it actually got worse. Because in addition to prolific excusing of actual toots, we added, "Excuse me, I tooted. If I did." That's right, we were excusing ourselves in the event that we had passed gas and just weren't sure. I can't even imagine what was going on with her body that warranted this practice. We tried everything. We tried ignoring it, we tried explaining it away, we definitely tried our patience.

People, I had to create the "Tooting Rule." What could the "Tooting Rule" be, you ask? Oh, trust me, you know this rule. Its the one where, "If you can't hear it or smell it, you don't have to excuse yourself for it." Most people figure this rule out for themselves, but not G. At first we just attempted to convince her of its existence. We tried to explain to her that everyone else follows this rule. (I even overheard C trying to explain to her that, once you got past preschool, your peers are much less forgiving and that you really wanted to have this rule figured out.)

Oh, there was some trial and error. She was still yelling to me (upstairs) from the basement, "EXCCUUUUUUUSE MEEEE! I tooted." When I told her she was breaking the Tooting Rule, she yelled back, "Well, I heard it AND I smelled it!" Foiled again.

I am happy to say that once a sticker reward chart was introduced we began to make progress. I doled out a sticker for every 3 hours she followed the Tooting Rule. When the chart was full, I gave her a reward. Finally, there is some peace and quiet in this house! Except for the occasional, "Um, did you hear that?" the subject seems to be on its way to resolution. There may still be gas, but at least I don't know about it. I can honestly say that no parenting book covered this topic.

2010-08-12T08:33:00.002-05:00

This Hiatus Has Been Brought To You By: Birthdays

Every year I think I will be more organized and prepared for the whirlwind of 3 birthdays in 13 days that happens here. And every year, I am here at the end of it - my house an organizational disaster due to the generosity of all those who love my girls (all these presents need homes!), balloons limping around the house gathering dog hair, and a pile of unwritten thank-you notes to attend to.

Birthday summary posts with be posted forthwith. I must do them here because in another year or so I will get around to scrapbooking them! But today is the birthday of the man who started all this nonsense with me so I leave behind this video to entertain you until then. (You know, the 5 of you who are still coming back at this point. ;)

G woke up yesterday with a goal in mind: Tie shoes today. Anyone who has witnessed this child's single-minded determination at a task will understand what I went through yesterday. Here is a video of her progress. For the record, she did master it in the second take of the video, but this one is cuter!

2010-07-19T09:46:00.003-05:00

Theology Lessons

Despite G's rather nutty personality, she can be surprisingly thoughtful and deliberate. And one thing I am sure of is that she is ALWAYS listening, whether or not it appears to be so. To the person in the pew behind us she might seem to be quietly coloring away in mass and then distracting her mother with her talking, but 9 times out of 10 she has a pressing theological question for you. Here are some of the latest, nearly always delivered in a very forced whisper:

"Mom! I know that the Bible is God's words. But how did they make the book? I mean, how did they get the words and who wrote them down and how did they hear them and when did they hear them?"

after a reading about the prophet Nathan: "I have a friend Nathan, but I don't think that is who they are talking about."

"Mom! I know that that is really Jesus' blood, but can you tell me if it tastes like blood? Because I tasted my blood once and it did not taste good."

Last night we went to mass at a different church in town because I wasn't feeling well in the morning when our church has services. This church is associated with an elementary school and you can tell the priest is used to saying daily masses with children. We have attended mass here a few times and he generally draws out these large analogies before wrapping around to the point. As he was laying the groundwork for a big one last night, G turns and looks at me, "Why isn't this guy talking about Jesus?"

Oh yes, the other 1 out of 10 time she is talking to me she asking me something like this, "How do you spell 'McKenzie?' How you do spell 'I love you McKenzie. I love you Ethan and John and Katie. Please come to my birthday party because I love you.'?"

The good news is that the same response generally covers all of them. "We'll talk about this later."

2010-07-18T00:18:00.002-05:00

Not My Best

I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. I couldn't shake my funk, despite everything I tried. Sadly, this means it wasn't my best mom day. And now, after going in to snuggle my girls before I go to bed, I'm just kicking myself for letting the frustrations get to me instead of embracing them totally today. Why couldn't I just laugh about it instead?

{sigh}

2010-07-12T08:49:00.004-05:00

4th of July - The Not So Cute Part

Well, technically this "incident" was on the 5th of July, so I guess I'm not quite being fair.

After our lovely evening, the girls and J got up to hit the hotel pool while I planned out our day in the Twin Cities. When they came back to the room I got the girls showered. As I was toweling G off, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning over as she was insisting on crouching down. (If you've ever tried to dry a Gilly, you know you just have to kind of go with the flow or you'll never be done.)

All of sudden she decides to shoot up - and I don't mean hop, or stand or jump - whacking my face with the top of her head. Have you ever been hit directly in the face? The whole face? Where your nose feels like it has inverted and you can't breathe for a little bit? I screamed. I admit it. It hurt big time and surprised the you-know-what out of me. Not to mention the fact that my mouth was bleeding where my lip had been cut on my teeth. I cried. I can't even remember the last time I've been hurt so bad I cried. Grade school?

J, of course, is in the shower. And G was clueless as to what was going on but was pretty sure it was her fault. J is yelling from the bathroom, "What?!? What happened???" I had to go in there to get a towel for my bleeding face and all I could manage - with my face quickly swelling up - was a point toward G. (Isn't that all the explanation anyone needs?) J jumps out of the shower with his hair still mid-shampoo and is standing there with a towel around his waist. G, still in her birthday suit and not dry, is crying because her daddy's worried tone is freaking her out and she thinks she's going to be in trouble and I'm crying and bleeding. It was a beautiful sight I tell you.

My first clue should have been when I noticed the ice dispenser directly across the hall from our room when checking in.

2010-07-08T15:05:00.004-05:00

The 4th of July

I made this page with a free QP from The Crafting Chicks. Spruced it up with a few accessories from Miss Jenn Designs Happy Fourth Kit.

The journaling reads:

We had a rather non-traditional 4th of July this year. Instead of our usual BBQ and fireworks display, we headed to the Twin Cities. (Daddy was working and didn't want to miss out on the evening festivities.) We spent the afternoon at the zoo with Grandma Jo and then went to downtown St. Paul. We had rented a hotel room right on the river. It turned out the Room 1708 had the best view we could have hoped for seeing the display. Instead of going downstairs and out into the crowd, we put on some pjs, brushed teeth and watched the show from the comfort of our room - at eye level!

We may have formed a NEW 4th of July tradition this year!

It was nice of the girls to both fall asleep this afternoon so I had time to put this page together. It seems I haven't scrapped in ages!

2010-06-27T14:35:00.006-05:00

Neighborhood T-Ball

Up to this point getting C to do any type of activity that didn't involve wearing a leotard (and preferably a tutu) was a bit complicated. Coupled with the fact that the possibility of embarrassing herself in front of her peers is enough to turn her into an ice statue, you can imagine the conversation that ensued when we tried to get her to sign up for her school's t-ball team. J had to promise her that after three games she could quit if necessary. (There was some whining about mom's rule that doesn't allow you to quit in the middle of something if you change your mind...) When her coach called to give me all the information and I told her about it, the words out of her mouth were, "And why would I care about that?" Trust me, she had the facial expression to match. We are so nearly 8.

Third Base

Good hit!

Despite all the hullabaloo (that word isn't used nearly enough, in my opinion) she is really enjoying t-ball. The games are hil.ar.ious. Since the teams are made of up 5-8 year olds there is a lot of running to third base instead of first and generally just sitting down and playing with bugs when right field gets a little dull. C is doing a great job and there is no pressure to be "perfect." I'm really glad she took this opportunity before sports get too competitive.

Snack time!

2010-06-21T15:33:00.002-05:00

Monday, Monday

After a busy trip to Omaha this weekend we slid into town around 9:30pm. We are always burning the candle at both ends when we visit Omaha as there are many friends and family to be seen. (And by both ends I mean, staying up far too late with friends and getting up far too early with kids. At least as they get older they sleep a little later!) The girls had a wonderful time. I tried to talk them into going to a world-class zoo or the childrens' museum with me on Saturday. Unfortunately they were busy. Playing legos in Grandpa's basement. After turning me down for both events they darted up the stairs and were in the car in no time when the opportunity to go ride Grandpa's tractor was available. (Pictures coming of this when I get them from my FIL.)

After a few late nights and no naps, we had to drag them out of bed at 7am for Summer Church Camp this morning. Camp week is always quite crazy and hectic. G is very happy about finally being old enough to be an official "camper" instead of in the nursery. C was hesitant to leave the house but ended up having a great morning.

The routine is out the window this week for camp. (I already anticipated this!) Afternoons are going to be spent with friends that are moving soon and relaxing together. Since camp accomplishes faith formation, crafts and physical activities all in the morning I figure we can "slack" in the afternoon. It IS summer, you know.

2010-06-17T14:50:00.003-05:00

Wake Up Call

It figures that I am perfectly healthy all winter (for which I am VERY GRATEFUL) but have a cold right now. What is it about summer colds anyway? They just drag. on. forever.

I'm stumbling around this morning without my glasses seeking Kleenex and the dogs want to go out. Even I can manage to make it to the back door at 5 am, blind and useless as I generally am at that time of day. All of a sudden, there is scurrying, barking and what can only be described as screaming. I run down the hall to find glasses and yell at my husband that some sort of attack is occurring in the backyard. He runs outside in his boxers with me right behind him. I call the dogs inside and look around for the problem. The problem is huddled behind our playhouse and its name is Cooper. Yes, our rabbit.

Apparently in her hurry to get to t-ball practice last night, C left the lid of his hutch open and he decided to climb out and have a look around. What do you get when you combine a bunny and a terrier? Nothing good. So far he seems only a bit worse for the wear. He is missing small amounts of fur in some places. Ahem. But no heart attack yet! Hey, I'm looking on the bright side here.

I suppose you really shouldn't expect anything different when you own a 7-year-old, predators and prey.

Of course, neither one of us could get back to sleep after all the excitement. Then when I did doze off I dreamed the the girls were being attacked by raccoons. I was trying to remove the raccoons from their backs with garden tools. Which wasn't even successful in a dream.

Oh, did I mention that the air conditioner is broken and that its 87 degrees?

2010-06-14T09:48:00.004-05:00

The Collected Summer: Part 2

I truly despise the word "chore." Is there anyone that can happily do something called a chore? And yet, they must be done. I've decided this year to try a bill them as "tasks." I have found occasionally that by reshaping the language around something the kids receive it in a more positive manner.

I've attempted to be much more reasonable on the household tasks the girls will be able to accomplish each day. In the past when making "chore charts" I've added all the things they "should" be doing in a day and the whole thing is much too daunting to be successful. This year I've focused on one task for each day (plus feeding their menagerie which obviously must be done each day) and made the charts in tandem so that one area of the house is addressed completely by the time all three of us have done our tasks.

I added their names to the sides and laminated them so that tasks can be crossed of with a dry erase marker and wiped clean each week. I found the icons for the chart over at www.lisatong.com. I had to make my own for the cleaning of the rabbit cage, but her list was quite extensive otherwise.

Here's to hoping that the house is a bit more collected this summer too!

2010-06-11T17:08:00.006-05:00

The Collected Summer: Part 1

I have been visiting some spectacular blogs lately and gathering ideas for my "Collected Summer" plan. Sometimes the blogosphere overwhelms with me with all the prolific women out there. I start wondering what I am doing while the rest of the world is turning $2 napkins from Target into throw pillows and selling them for $35. Other times my creativity is ignited and I start churning out ideas. And then there are the times that I look at the idea and think, "Oh! That's great and I can do that myself so I won't be buying it. But THANK YOU!"

First off, the schedule. I don't know if it counts as a schedule since it doesn't have any times. What should I call it? I've never been one to wrench my children from something they are enjoying for the sake of checking the next thing off the list. However, I do want to keep everyone getting up at a reasonable time, eating and generally getting ready for the day. (As opposed to staying in our pajamas until mom makes us leave the house.) So, its a plan of some sort.

Breakfast
Dressed/Brush Teeth/Brush Hair
Household Task of the Day
Physical Activity (bike, swim, park, gym)*
School Task/Library/Field Trip
Lunch
Free Play
Rest/Read
Art/Music/Cooking*
Free Play
Dinner

*May be switched based on weather or plans with friends.

I've also established themes for each week of the summer. This will give me a direction when planning activities and art projects. I chose the themes based on our family faith formation lesson for the week. We will be using Bible Stories for Preschoolers: Family Nights Tool Chest this summer. I picked up this resource about a year ago and G was too young for some of the activities. Now it will be just right for both girls.

Of course, there will be some interruptions to this- summer church camp, nature camp, and summer trips - but overall I'm pleased with the plan. Now to get those monkeys out of bed!

2010-06-09T18:18:00.003-05:00

Endings and Beginnings

As another year of school draws to an end I am reminded how much my girls are growing. Its so bittersweet. I miss their sweet, little baby selves, but there are many things that I enjoy about them at this stage. For instance, they are both safely playing in the backyard together as I type this. And I can't even see them and I might not see them for 8 whole minutes without one of them needing a trip the the ER. What I do not appreciate is the fact that each day that they grow a little more independent of me eventually means they will be leaving me. Humph.

One marvelous thing about this age is that they are still young enough to like us. (Us being their parents.) They even enjoy spending time with us! And adventures are around every single corner. We went camping 25 minutes from home over Memorial Day weekend and they had a wonderful time. Caterpillars are fascinating enough to spend hours "hunting" and examining. A hike or a splash in a stream is just as good as a waterpark. Everything is an opportunity to learn something you didn't know before. I plan on capitalizing on this fact a lot this summer.

This is shaping up to be a great summer!

2010-06-04T18:00:00.002-05:00

Are We Laughing Yet?

G has a tendency to go for the laugh. It started when she was about 11 months old. Funny faces, silly expressions and impersonations were beginning. Last night funny turned ugly, and then, today, its kind of funny again. Oy vey, this child will be the death of me.

The girls had gone into the bathroom to get ready for bed - wash face, brush teeth, pajamas, etc. etc. They were messing around and I was losing patience. All of a sudden G lets out a huge scream and I go in there - my mama guns a blazin' to lay down some bedtime smack. I turn the corner and see that this is a scream of pain. And that the screamer is holding her (naked) bum. I can't understand a word she is saying, but she is pointing between a bottle of lavender air freshener, her butt and her sister. C takes this moment to utter, "But she TOLD ME to do it!"

Well, it doesn't take much more imagination to figure out what happened. There was some crying, some yelling (something along the lines of "Well! If she told you to THROW HER OFF THE DECK would you do that?!?!) and more crying. Then there was a bath. And finally, face washing, teeth brushing, and pajamas. And then I fell asleep. I have no idea what they did.

2010-05-31T20:20:00.002-05:00

Summer Slide

As the school year winds down (G was done last Wednesday and C is out on June 11) I am trying to decide how to approach the summer. On one hand, the freedom, lack of schedules/planning, and long beautiful days sound refreshing. And then, on the other hand, is my memory. And my memory tells me that that lasts for about 4 days. Then people are bored, and whining and generally driving their mother nuts with the bored whining.

So I've decided to {shudders slightly} make a summer schedule. Just a loose one. (I know, some of you are rolling your eyes at me.) Basically my goal is establish a framework for each day and within this a consistency for the days of the week. I also know that I need some new daily checklists for the girls to help them remember their responsibilities now that their school schedules will be out the window.

Now I'm just waiting for all the inspiration needed to get these done!

2010-05-22T22:39:00.002-05:00

Random Car Question #437

G: Mom? When you had me and C did you get the needle in your back that made it so you couldn't feel your babies come out? Or did you feel us coming out of you?
M: Um, I had the needle.
G: Oh! That was a GOOD choice!

Why does this child know about an epidural at the tender age of 4? I'm fairly certain that she was obsessing over the pain of having babies (she says she wants several of them) and J told her not to worry about it because the doctor could just give her "a shot in the back" so she wouldn't feel anything. Now if that doesn't sound like a daddy trying to shut up a preschooler, I don't know what does.

2010-05-11T08:19:00.004-05:00

Viva Las Vegas

It started with a die on the coffee pot. (And a search for 9 more of them and an Ace of Spades.) You know, the kind you roll, cross your fingers and hope for the best. It ended like this:

He cleared my schedule, arranged the childcare and whisked me off to Vegas with about 12 hours notice. On top of that, he convinced 4 of my friends to meet us there. If you have to turn 30, its a great way to do it!

2010-05-06T15:51:00.008-05:00

First (Communion) Things First

My grandparents arrived at our house on the 23rd of April and things haven't stopped since. Nearly 40 friends and family members joined us on the 25th to celebrate C's First Communion. We were able to see many extended family members and really enjoyed visiting with everyone. I am grateful to Aunt N for acting as our personal paparazzi as I was too distracted to capture many of the images from the day. Credit for the following images belongs to her!

C spent so much time preparing for her reception of the Eucharist and I was so proud of her on this day. I especially enjoyed seeing her serve each of her guests cake at the luncheon and just watching her soak in all of the love and support from our family and dear friends.

No sooner had we said good-bye to our guests than my birthday rolled around. Which was very surprising this year. More on that later...

2010-04-19T14:18:00.005-05:00

Slack-a-lackin

Well, spring has sprung again in Minnesota. Every year I'm not sure I'll make it through to see green grass and tree buds and then, voila! I make it. Of course, this means lack of blogging. (There is a trend here at toneybabies, trust me.) Its just very hard to sit in here and write down life when I'd prefer to be outside living it!

To top it all off I've been participating in an online photo "course." (That is in quotations because even though it was billed as a course, its more like online photo prompt with shared gallery.) At any rate, I've been spending my "free time" taking photos and editing and posting to the gallery instead of here. Except I've even been slacking at that for the last few days. Just to prove it to you here is what happened at our house when the subject was "water" and no rain in sight....the bottom right photo shows how it all ended after mom was done shooting!

So here I am and life is crazy, busy, wonderful as ever. Let's see...C lost 2 teeth last week. Its getting a little ridiculous. Remember the ones she lost near Halloween? There are starting to make an appearance, but just barely so there isn't much to speak of in the front of her mouth. I refuse to pay her dentist more than 2/3 of his normal fees. I feel this is only fair.

G learned to start herself on her bike w/o training wheels this weekend. She was riding without the training wheels near the end of last summer, but required someone to hold the bike steady for her to start. This involved running along side her so that you were next to her and could turn her around and hold the bike again whenever she stopped. She spent the better part of the day on Saturday, in the single-minded determined state that only she seems to muster, until she could do it. Obsessive, I would say. I will be posting a video of her later today. (You know, after I take the video.) I don't expect her knees to be free of road burn until sometime in October.

And if you've ever had any doubts that we are crazy over here I am prepared to put them to rest right now. We are getting another dog. I know, I know. But its a good crazy, right? She is a "retiring" Wheaton terrier that we are adopting. (Retiring from the AKC show ring. Apparently her legs are not long enough for breeding.) Aunt N has her now and my sister is bringing her up to me on Friday. Remember Aunt N? She (and Uncle D of course) are the ones who gave Truman to us. Its only fair that he has a friend! Her name is Sizzle, but we are planning to call her Izzy. Well, J and I are planning on calling her that. The girls might call her Daisy or Lily or Hot Potato. (The last one is G's suggestion.)

Oh yes, why is my sister coming? (Other than the fact that she LOVES me?) C makes her First Communion on Sunday and we are fortunate to have many loving family and friends that are visiting for the big day. So next week will mean a lot of great photos! I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone. My Gran and Gramps are even making their first trip up to our home and staying for most of the week which will be a great visit. And Emily is flying in from Idaho. Its always wonderful when all my sisters are together.

2010-04-09T18:02:00.002-05:00

Quips

M: Gilly, I love you.
G: Well, I love you more than you love me.
M: How do you do that?
G: shrugging I don't know. I just have skills.

G: Mom! Dad! Watch my magic trick!
M/D: Okay.
G:Okay! I am going to make this ball disappear! Close your eyes now.

2010-04-07T15:08:00.005-05:00

Easter

A few weeks before Easter G stops me and asks, "Mom? The Easter Bunny isn't real, is he? Because that would really be weird." What? Even a 4 year old recognizes that a giant rabbit hopping around your house hiding eggs makes no sense? I mean, why eggs anyway? So, I told her the truth. "No, honey, a large bunny does not come into our house or yard and hide eggs for you. Its just a game that mommies and daddies play for fun. Easter is about Jesus rising after dying on the cross for you. BUT, some mommies and daddies like to play the game as a surprise, so we shouldn't ruin that surprise for other kids. Especially our preschool friends." (The last thing I need are a bunch of irate parents calling me.) She was quite satisfied with the answer and had a very "I knew it." look on her face.

Considering this conversation I thought it would be wise to clear up the issue with C as well. All I can say is that I tried. We were shopping and walked past the mall Easter Bunny. This seemed as good a time as any. "Sweetie? You know that there is no real Easter Bunny, right? You know that its a game and that mommy and daddy are the ones that make Easter baskets and hide eggs for you? Easter is about Jesus." (Yes, I was prepared for her to extrapolate this little gem to the issue of Santa Claus.) She stops right in her tracks and with busy mall traffic rushing around us says, "Well, that can't be true. Because on one night before Easter I saw big red shoes in my room. I think it was last year." She then proceeds walking. Conversation over.

Here are a few shots from Easter morning (click photo for album):

Easter 2010

Granpa Steve sent most of the goodies that filled the baskets.

For the first time I managed to attend Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil services. (Actually, C wasn't quite up for the Easter Vigil so we went on Easter Sunday too so that she could attend.) G, on the other hand, DID want to attend Easter Vigil with me....all 2 1/2 hours of it. She did an awesome job. I thought she might fall asleep, but no. She was still awake and ready for an 11 pm snack when we got home. It really was a lovely service and I was glad for her company. I took this on my iPhone so the quality is low, but it is my favorite image from this Easter.

2010-04-02T00:11:00.002-05:00

April 1

When most people hear that my wedding anniversary is on April 1 they look at me strangely and go, "You got married on April Fool's Day?" My oldest daughter, however, looked at me today and said, "You got married on Holy Thursday!?!" As if asking, "HOW could you be getting married on the day that Jesus is preparing to DIE???" Yeah, what a celebration that would have been.

We managed to have lunch as a family today, but dinner was in shifts due to J's work schedule and 7 pm mass. J and I sat down to leftovers by candlelight after tucking the girls into bed around 9:30. He gave me a lovely ring. So lovely, in fact, that it is the exact SAME ring he gave me 8 years ago today. No, its not a joke and he didn't do it on purpose. I, too, thought it was an April Fool's Anniversary moment until I looked at his face. Then at C's face, who shrugged and looked at her father and saying, "I told you yesterday that it was the same ring." (After witnessing this type of gift giving and our lousy meal effort this evening I am pretty sure she is taking over my next birthday party.) The bright side of this is that his taste hasn't changed much over the last 8 years and I'm going to assume that includes me as well.

The evening ended splendidly - we enjoyed the last few warm minutes of the day with glasses of wine on my hammock swing in the backyard. We are going out tomorrow for our "Anniversary Dinner" but you can't get much better than a warm evening, a glass of wine and your best friend.

2010-03-29T14:02:00.003-05:00

Oh, I See....Your Collection

So. Remember my word for 2010? Yes, that's it, Collected. And how am I doing? Let's say I'm a work in progress. But it is interesting progress! I picked up a couple of books that I am reading and enjoying.

Steady Days and The Artistic Mother: A Practical Guide to Fitting Creativity Into Your Everyday Life

I'm not done with either one, but I bought both in an effort to fine tune a couple of my goals for the year. (My sweet husband saw me reading them and told me I didn't need either one.) The largest challenge I have is ongoing. I feel that to really make progress this year I have to get rid of some, um, collections. That is, the STUFF that has accumulated over the past 7 years in this house. Sometimes the problem is knowing where to start.

Last week (okay and a bit of the week before if I'm being honest) I tackled the guest room. Took everything down, repainted the ceiling and walls. Purged the bookshelves. Threw away an old, leaky air mattress that had been hiding under the bed. The closet of the guest room is still "in progress" but I passed on it yesterday to address the girls' art supplies. Second verse, same as the first...purge, reorganize, freshen up. Also, I've moved them upstairs where they seem to do most of their creating.

Its small steps, but they all count, right?!?!

2010-03-23T10:19:00.004-05:00

Meet Cooper

What do you get when you add one crazy mama to one bunny? A happy, happy little girl.

2010-03-17T22:11:00.001-05:00

Dear Sun,

Welcome Home.

Sincerely,
Us

2010-03-10T17:20:00.001-06:00

Quote of the Day

G:holds up pinkie finger "Mom? Do you pinkie square me?"

Oh yes, I do, darling.

2010-03-08T14:36:00.003-06:00

Hey Look!

Yes, I finally did a layout.

I snapped this photo of the girls on Valentine's Day. It was a little underexposed on the left side so I added a grunge paper texture.

The journaling reads:

Today you are the best of friends. Side by side you while away a day at home together. We usually spend Valentine's Day as a family - we have chocolate fondue and this year we played Bingo together. You think prizes are the best, but daddy and I know that its this precious time together.

(I used the Romance Me Kit from Vinnie Pearce.)