Apparently there was a conflict as to who actually won the gold medal in barfing. Both Amy and Misha achieved perfect scores in their individual performances. Never to be outdone however, Amy felt the pressure to outscore Misha. She gave a repeat performance last night.
This morning she bounded down the stairs. "I feel better."
"Well, of course you do." I muttered under my breath as I thought of the glorious piles of laundry and bedding awaiting me again today. Did I mention they had brand new comforters? I think they are cursed.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
If barfing were an Olympic Sport....
Amy would have won the gold last night. You guessed it. Instant replay of Misha's stellar performance last week. Really I think Kristen is getting a little ticked that her sisters commandeer the tv for the entire day as they lay on the couch.
The crazy thing, though, is that Misha is the one that went to bed early last night not feeling so great. Chris set her up with a towel and a bowl beside her bed--just in case. As he's rinsing barf once again from another brand new comforter, sheets and mattress pad, he laments, "There was a bowl and towel already in there!" Ahh, such is the life of a parent.
The crazy thing, though, is that Misha is the one that went to bed early last night not feeling so great. Chris set her up with a towel and a bowl beside her bed--just in case. As he's rinsing barf once again from another brand new comforter, sheets and mattress pad, he laments, "There was a bowl and towel already in there!" Ahh, such is the life of a parent.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
If barfing were an Olympic Sport....
Misha would have won the gold last night. She earned a perfect score in the categories of coverage, creativity, and style. And bonus points for fostering teamwork. So around midnight last night, Misha tapped me on my arm as I lay soundly sleeping. I slowly roused to her saying something about not feeling good and wanting to sleep somewhere else. My eyes fully popped open when she said "I threw up." Come on! Say that part first! I was out of bed in a flash. Chris usually has radar ears for throwing up sounds in the middle of the night, but this time he slept right on.
I walked in to Misha's room, which now has a freshly repainted stripe, and oh....the smell. I hurried to open the window and gave thanks for a nice brisk breeze. The poor girl is covered, her sheets and brand new comforter are covered and she even managed to get the carpet too--10 out of a possible 10 there. Creativity points were earned as she left a trail of "love" all the way from her room to mine. And style, well she managed to completely miss hitting her pillow.
I stripped the bed of its comforter, sheets, and mattress pad and lugged the bundle to the laundry room while Misha changed her clothes. I returned with carpet cleaner and a multitude of rags, BUT before I could begin to clean, Misha had to earn her bonus points for teamwork. I walked into our room and said to Chris, "Misha just threw up, and I need some help." He was out of bed pretty quickly but not happily. There's a big difference between waking Chris up in the middle of the night and waking me up. I'm rarely crabby. Probably why my girls always come to my side of the bed. He proceeds to get after Misha, "You're big enough to make it to the bathroom when you throw up!" Man, SHE JUST THREW UP! Give her a break! Again, that's why they tap on my arm in the middle of the night.
Chris headed downstairs to the laundry room and began that nasty job, and I got to clean the carpet. Woohoo for all of us. First, though, I created a makeshift bed for Misha and stuck a bowl next to her. Amy woke up somewhere in the middle of all of this wondering what was going on. She had no trouble going back to sleep considering the alternative would have been to help. I don't blame her.
I could feel the "love" underfoot as I walked out of Misha's room. I dropped to the floor and began cleaning down the hallway and all the way to my side of the bed. EWWWWW. Chris was still slaving away in the laundry room as I finished. He quickly realized that the comforter filled the washing machine all by itself and had to remove a few things. He still wasn't happy. We settled back in to bed after a half hour of barf duty and hoped that was the end of it.
It was, except for the loads of laundry I have done this morning. I am happy to say the bedroom is back together and has the beginning of cuteness. Just no more barfing please.
I walked in to Misha's room, which now has a freshly repainted stripe, and oh....the smell. I hurried to open the window and gave thanks for a nice brisk breeze. The poor girl is covered, her sheets and brand new comforter are covered and she even managed to get the carpet too--10 out of a possible 10 there. Creativity points were earned as she left a trail of "love" all the way from her room to mine. And style, well she managed to completely miss hitting her pillow.
I stripped the bed of its comforter, sheets, and mattress pad and lugged the bundle to the laundry room while Misha changed her clothes. I returned with carpet cleaner and a multitude of rags, BUT before I could begin to clean, Misha had to earn her bonus points for teamwork. I walked into our room and said to Chris, "Misha just threw up, and I need some help." He was out of bed pretty quickly but not happily. There's a big difference between waking Chris up in the middle of the night and waking me up. I'm rarely crabby. Probably why my girls always come to my side of the bed. He proceeds to get after Misha, "You're big enough to make it to the bathroom when you throw up!" Man, SHE JUST THREW UP! Give her a break! Again, that's why they tap on my arm in the middle of the night.
Chris headed downstairs to the laundry room and began that nasty job, and I got to clean the carpet. Woohoo for all of us. First, though, I created a makeshift bed for Misha and stuck a bowl next to her. Amy woke up somewhere in the middle of all of this wondering what was going on. She had no trouble going back to sleep considering the alternative would have been to help. I don't blame her.
I could feel the "love" underfoot as I walked out of Misha's room. I dropped to the floor and began cleaning down the hallway and all the way to my side of the bed. EWWWWW. Chris was still slaving away in the laundry room as I finished. He quickly realized that the comforter filled the washing machine all by itself and had to remove a few things. He still wasn't happy. We settled back in to bed after a half hour of barf duty and hoped that was the end of it.
It was, except for the loads of laundry I have done this morning. I am happy to say the bedroom is back together and has the beginning of cuteness. Just no more barfing please.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Heigh Ho Heigh Ho, It's Off To School They Go.....
One of my favorite back-to-school commercials portrays a father and his two children at an office supply. The children walk morosely down the school supply aisle while their dad skips happily along selecting items off the shelves. Cue the music, "It's the most wonderful time of the year...." I agree totally with the sentiment of the song, though my children were just as excited to be back in school.
The lovely part about this morning is the wonderful, leisurely walk we took to the school across the street. A crosswalk has been installed on Birch Street with flashing lights and a crossing guard.
Kristen walked to the school with us this morning but was just as happy to bid her sisters farewell and reclaim her role as queen of the house. My only regret is that she no longer takes naps on a regular basis.
The lovely part about this morning is the wonderful, leisurely walk we took to the school across the street. A crosswalk has been installed on Birch Street with flashing lights and a crossing guard.
Kristen walked to the school with us this morning but was just as happy to bid her sisters farewell and reclaim her role as queen of the house. My only regret is that she no longer takes naps on a regular basis.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
My Someone
When Chris and I were dating, we attended a performance of "The Music Man" at the Sundance outdoor theatre in Utah. We were in love and everything was wonderful. We both loved the song, "Goodnight My Someone" and it suddenly became our song. So much so that we both secretly had "My someone" inscribed in the other's wedding band.
Eleven years later and I love my someone even more. He is a wonderful husband, father and friend, and I am so grateful that he chose me.
Last November, I wrote a few things about Chris and what I loved about him. Here's a few more.
1. He makes people feel welcome and included. He is known by a few as "the welcome wagon" because of his kindness and outgoing demeanor.
2. He has a very kind heart. He surprised me by picking up a book for me from a friend that he knew I wanted to read.
3. He is my tech support.
4. Man, I think he is gorgeous. I remember when we were dating and he came to my apartment to pick me up. We were going to a play and he was dressed up more than I had seen before. He looked hot! Still does.
5. He doesn't question the money I spend on our household. I value that a lot.
6. He saves me from doing extra laundry. Since he works at home, he usually wears the same outfit days in a row. Gotta love that and, really, how sweaty can you get sitting in a chair?
7. He likes to go hiking and be active.
8. He is very intelligent. He has so much information stored in his brain to be retrieved when necessary (I might call some of it useless but he hangs on to it nevertheless).
9. He loves living in the quietness of Firestone. I would have thought he would have been the downtown, penthouse condo type when I first met him, but he likes the quiet life.
10. He has great taste.
11. He maintains our vehicles religiously.
12. He is a great pretzel maker.
13. He learned to love country music.
14. He loves chocolate and wishes that I did. He had a candy stash when he was younger and maintains one still today.
15. He postponed graduation at BYU to get a full-time job so that I could stay home with Amy when she was born.
16. He loves his daughters. He doesn't know how he would cope with boys.
17. He eats whatever I cook. I know it's a recipe to keep if he tells me that he likes it.
18. He taught me how to drive a stick shift when we were first married. I think he secretly hopes to get another manual-transmission vehicle so that I won't drive it! I don't drive his car much anyway since he backs it into the garage all the time. I tried backing it in once, so proud of myself, and he redid it. Come on! One inch from the wall. You can't get much closer than that!
19. I love to hold his hand.
20. He is very forgiving and doesn't hold a grudge. He has taught me a lot in our marriage.
21. He still brings me flowers.
Eleven years later and I love my someone even more. He is a wonderful husband, father and friend, and I am so grateful that he chose me.
Last November, I wrote a few things about Chris and what I loved about him. Here's a few more.
1. He makes people feel welcome and included. He is known by a few as "the welcome wagon" because of his kindness and outgoing demeanor.
2. He has a very kind heart. He surprised me by picking up a book for me from a friend that he knew I wanted to read.
3. He is my tech support.
4. Man, I think he is gorgeous. I remember when we were dating and he came to my apartment to pick me up. We were going to a play and he was dressed up more than I had seen before. He looked hot! Still does.
5. He doesn't question the money I spend on our household. I value that a lot.
6. He saves me from doing extra laundry. Since he works at home, he usually wears the same outfit days in a row. Gotta love that and, really, how sweaty can you get sitting in a chair?
7. He likes to go hiking and be active.
8. He is very intelligent. He has so much information stored in his brain to be retrieved when necessary (I might call some of it useless but he hangs on to it nevertheless).
9. He loves living in the quietness of Firestone. I would have thought he would have been the downtown, penthouse condo type when I first met him, but he likes the quiet life.
10. He has great taste.
11. He maintains our vehicles religiously.
12. He is a great pretzel maker.
13. He learned to love country music.
14. He loves chocolate and wishes that I did. He had a candy stash when he was younger and maintains one still today.
15. He postponed graduation at BYU to get a full-time job so that I could stay home with Amy when she was born.
16. He loves his daughters. He doesn't know how he would cope with boys.
17. He eats whatever I cook. I know it's a recipe to keep if he tells me that he likes it.
18. He taught me how to drive a stick shift when we were first married. I think he secretly hopes to get another manual-transmission vehicle so that I won't drive it! I don't drive his car much anyway since he backs it into the garage all the time. I tried backing it in once, so proud of myself, and he redid it. Come on! One inch from the wall. You can't get much closer than that!
19. I love to hold his hand.
20. He is very forgiving and doesn't hold a grudge. He has taught me a lot in our marriage.
21. He still brings me flowers.
Another Reason for Painting
I couldn't stand the mess any longer. Amy and Misha were in the basement bedroom, but they had their room upstairs filled with toys. When they decided to move back upstairs for the school year, the toys went from their room to the guest room. Kind of in a holding pattern until I could empty out the basement bedroom (that used to be the toy room). I can't stand clutter, it goes against my personal code of feng shui. Christopher can attest to how it messes with my psyche.
Kristen enjoyed the disarray though as mattresses were stacked in her bedroom for a couple of days. I had told her she couldn't wear a dress because they were all hanging in the closet. She came out of her room after awhile wearing a dress, and I wondered how she managed to reach it....
Kristen enjoyed the disarray though as mattresses were stacked in her bedroom for a couple of days. I had told her she couldn't wear a dress because they were all hanging in the closet. She came out of her room after awhile wearing a dress, and I wondered how she managed to reach it....
A Wild Hair
When we first moved in to our current home, I created a fun design for Amy and Misha's room. I loved walking in to their room once it was all completed. The flowers were all painted by hand and they took h - o - u - r - s to paint.
Before we left on vacation, I ordered new comforters for Amy and Misha's bedroom. They had worn their previous purple comforters out and according to them it was time for a change to a more age appropriate decor. The new comforters were purple, but far more of a brilliant purple than their previous comforters. The new comforters did not match at all, and I am all about the feng shui according to Jolayne.
The girls have been sleeping in the basement for the summer and wanted to move back up to their bedroom when school started. So when we returned from vacation on Thursday, and I realized that I had basically two days to get their room redecorated, I jumped into action. Mind you, this was without Christopher's help, and I wasn't too thrilled about that prospect, but I wanted it done soon.
Amy was a great help. With some instruction, she helped tape and stayed up late painting with the roller brush. We began by painting the room a chocolate milk brown. I figure, if they are going to change their mind again, I'd rather just change the color of the stripe than repaint the whole room.
Next, we taped off the flowers border and painted them over with a primer. Sob! I was sad to obliterate all that hard work. I wish that I could have transferred them to Kristen's room (which I am now going to paint the same color of purple as Amy and Misha's bedroom used to be.)
Misha really wanted a turn "rollering".
And I am so not in love with the outcome. My first mistake was using the same purple, but I thought maybe a smaller swatch of it would match better. Nope! Double nope! So I still need to find curtains and a curtain rod and a better color of paint to match. Or maybe just make the stripe white or cream to match the molding and add a purple accent or something. I don't know. Any ideas? It is not beautiful, nor feminine.
Before we left on vacation, I ordered new comforters for Amy and Misha's bedroom. They had worn their previous purple comforters out and according to them it was time for a change to a more age appropriate decor. The new comforters were purple, but far more of a brilliant purple than their previous comforters. The new comforters did not match at all, and I am all about the feng shui according to Jolayne.
The girls have been sleeping in the basement for the summer and wanted to move back up to their bedroom when school started. So when we returned from vacation on Thursday, and I realized that I had basically two days to get their room redecorated, I jumped into action. Mind you, this was without Christopher's help, and I wasn't too thrilled about that prospect, but I wanted it done soon.
Amy was a great help. With some instruction, she helped tape and stayed up late painting with the roller brush. We began by painting the room a chocolate milk brown. I figure, if they are going to change their mind again, I'd rather just change the color of the stripe than repaint the whole room.
Next, we taped off the flowers border and painted them over with a primer. Sob! I was sad to obliterate all that hard work. I wish that I could have transferred them to Kristen's room (which I am now going to paint the same color of purple as Amy and Misha's bedroom used to be.)
Misha really wanted a turn "rollering".
And I am so not in love with the outcome. My first mistake was using the same purple, but I thought maybe a smaller swatch of it would match better. Nope! Double nope! So I still need to find curtains and a curtain rod and a better color of paint to match. Or maybe just make the stripe white or cream to match the molding and add a purple accent or something. I don't know. Any ideas? It is not beautiful, nor feminine.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
$2 Tuesday
So we were excited to visit the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point on Tuesday. Yeah, us and a couple thousand of our best friends! It was crowded and chaotic and filled with Mormon-assault strollers of every kind (same type of driver as you'll find on the freeway). The girls had fun with the exhibits, but truly, their favorite part of the whole experience was the huge sand and water moat to play in.
We could have gone to a few other venues for the fantastic $2 price, but we were pretty worn out by this time, and at least half of our few thousand friends were already there. We opted to go back to my brother's house and rest for awhile before meeting up with Shane and Rochelle for dinner. Thanks for the yummy dinner and laughter. Can't beat that Canadian sense of humor!
We could have gone to a few other venues for the fantastic $2 price, but we were pretty worn out by this time, and at least half of our few thousand friends were already there. We opted to go back to my brother's house and rest for awhile before meeting up with Shane and Rochelle for dinner. Thanks for the yummy dinner and laughter. Can't beat that Canadian sense of humor!
Utah
Our girls were excited to finally leave for Utah last Thursday. Amy created a countdown chain and religiously pulled off a piece of the chain until finally V-Day(Vacation-Day) arrived--no weed pulling, no toilet cleaning, no vacuuming, for a whole week! The drive passed quite quickly with movies playing in the back seat and a book-on-tape for Chris and I. Really, the only time we heard anything from them was when they were hungry or needed a pit-stop. De-Lightful.
We arrived in Utah around 5ish, dropped off our stuff at my brother's, and headed to Provo to meet up with Chris' sister, Lori, and her family. The girls were enamored by cousin Addie, but as Kristen likes to declare, "no more babies at our house." They'll have to be satisfied with visiting babies elsewhere.
We dined at Chez Sizzlers. Chris and I use to eat there frequently when we lived in Utah, but you know, it is never as good as you remember it. Maybe that's because we only had a small baby then and now we have three children tagging along. We had an enjoyable visit with the Burkmans and then headed back to Traverse Mountain, thus beginning the routine of long days, late bedtimes, and infrequent naps--and crabbiness!
We got a slow start on Friday but shopped a little bit with my parents (I still haven't been to IKEA yet). The highlight of the day involved attending the Mt. Timpanogos temple with my family (that is, minus Donna, my sister-in-law, whose recommend had expired. Bummer!) The girls were babysat with their cousins so it was a nice evening out.
Saturday was another slow-starting day. We left for our Family Reunion in Heber City just after a quick lunch. The weather was beautiful, the drive through Provo Canyon picturesque, and the girls slept. Those late nights were catching up to them. In fact, Kristen is not a great car sleeper, especially if you stop and move her out of the car seat. I laid her on the couch at the cabin when we arrived and she slept for a couple more hours. So worn out.
Our girls set off exploring the vacation rental we had to stay in for the next two days. The highlights included a playhouse in the basement, a movie theater, a craft room, a motorized tub (jet tub for the rest of you), and a pond across the street.
Chris and I drove to get groceries for our breakfast on Monday morning and even amid all the noise of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma, and grandpa, Kristen slept on. I finally woke her up so that she'd go to sleep later. My sister took Kristen and some of her kids over to see the older kids fishing at the fish pond with Grandpa. I'm not sure really what happened, but Kristen came back wet from taking her own little dip. Swim suits were donned and all of a sudden it was three-cousins-in-a-tub. They loved the jets.
We had fun with a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs play organized by my dad, movies, food, Grandma's fish pond, a white elephant gift exchange and church on Sunday morning. Some left early, but we stayed until checkout time on Monday and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. It is always fun to get together with family--my girls especially love reconnecting with their cousins. What is a family reunion if you don't take lots of family pictures? The stairs gave us the perfect setting for fitting everyone in.
We filled our evenings with friend get-togethers and yesterday (Tuesday) we tortured our children by making them hike to Timp Cave. Granted it was a pretty strenuous hike for the adults in our group. We were joined by our friend, Deni, and her children, Ryan and Sydney. We were impressed that our girls didn't complain nearly so much or so loudly with other children in hearing range.
We passed a bathroom about 3/4 of the way up to the cave. Some of the rangers were cleaning it and had a huge wheeled bin for throwing garbage in and transporting it down the hill. As Misha and I walked by, she quietly lamented, "I wish I was a piece of garbage."
The cave was pretty cool, but I think we were all glad to get back in to the sunlight and to a bathroom.
We arrived in Utah around 5ish, dropped off our stuff at my brother's, and headed to Provo to meet up with Chris' sister, Lori, and her family. The girls were enamored by cousin Addie, but as Kristen likes to declare, "no more babies at our house." They'll have to be satisfied with visiting babies elsewhere.
We dined at Chez Sizzlers. Chris and I use to eat there frequently when we lived in Utah, but you know, it is never as good as you remember it. Maybe that's because we only had a small baby then and now we have three children tagging along. We had an enjoyable visit with the Burkmans and then headed back to Traverse Mountain, thus beginning the routine of long days, late bedtimes, and infrequent naps--and crabbiness!
We got a slow start on Friday but shopped a little bit with my parents (I still haven't been to IKEA yet). The highlight of the day involved attending the Mt. Timpanogos temple with my family (that is, minus Donna, my sister-in-law, whose recommend had expired. Bummer!) The girls were babysat with their cousins so it was a nice evening out.
Saturday was another slow-starting day. We left for our Family Reunion in Heber City just after a quick lunch. The weather was beautiful, the drive through Provo Canyon picturesque, and the girls slept. Those late nights were catching up to them. In fact, Kristen is not a great car sleeper, especially if you stop and move her out of the car seat. I laid her on the couch at the cabin when we arrived and she slept for a couple more hours. So worn out.
Our girls set off exploring the vacation rental we had to stay in for the next two days. The highlights included a playhouse in the basement, a movie theater, a craft room, a motorized tub (jet tub for the rest of you), and a pond across the street.
Chris and I drove to get groceries for our breakfast on Monday morning and even amid all the noise of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma, and grandpa, Kristen slept on. I finally woke her up so that she'd go to sleep later. My sister took Kristen and some of her kids over to see the older kids fishing at the fish pond with Grandpa. I'm not sure really what happened, but Kristen came back wet from taking her own little dip. Swim suits were donned and all of a sudden it was three-cousins-in-a-tub. They loved the jets.
We had fun with a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs play organized by my dad, movies, food, Grandma's fish pond, a white elephant gift exchange and church on Sunday morning. Some left early, but we stayed until checkout time on Monday and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. It is always fun to get together with family--my girls especially love reconnecting with their cousins. What is a family reunion if you don't take lots of family pictures? The stairs gave us the perfect setting for fitting everyone in.
We filled our evenings with friend get-togethers and yesterday (Tuesday) we tortured our children by making them hike to Timp Cave. Granted it was a pretty strenuous hike for the adults in our group. We were joined by our friend, Deni, and her children, Ryan and Sydney. We were impressed that our girls didn't complain nearly so much or so loudly with other children in hearing range.
We passed a bathroom about 3/4 of the way up to the cave. Some of the rangers were cleaning it and had a huge wheeled bin for throwing garbage in and transporting it down the hill. As Misha and I walked by, she quietly lamented, "I wish I was a piece of garbage."
The cave was pretty cool, but I think we were all glad to get back in to the sunlight and to a bathroom.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Just Curious
I am curious if other husbands help with dinner and/or cleanup. Chris has proclaimed that he forgot how to cook once we got married. As far as participation in the cooking process, that is pretty much true. I have tried to convince him that Sunday is his day for cooking, but so far, no luck. My children love his mac n' cheese when he makes it. Not sure what he does differently, but hey, if they like it and he'll make it, we're good to go.
As far as clean-up, Chris is golden. He helps to clear the table, fills (empties if necessary) the dishwasher, and washes anything not dishwasher-worthy. For that, I am thankful. Like I said, he's golden.
As far as clean-up, Chris is golden. He helps to clear the table, fills (empties if necessary) the dishwasher, and washes anything not dishwasher-worthy. For that, I am thankful. Like I said, he's golden.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Call Me Uncaring....
I am not an animal lover--not a bit--and I'm okay with that. So when I saw this ad in the newspaper coupon section, I thought, "That's too much!"
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Funny Things They've Said...
The other night at dinner we were talking about Kristen's friend, Bella, who was in Mexico. We all thought it was cute that Kristen pronounced it "Metito". Cuteness tumbled in to misinterpretation for Kristen who thought her sisters said SHE was in Mexico and then proceeded to yell at her sisters over and over "Metito. Metito." It was one of those moments when Chris and I just couldn't stop laughing.
Amy had a "Meet your teacher" night at the school on Tuesday. She asked me numerous times throughout the day, "Can just me and you go all by ourselves?" The first time she made the request, I answered, "What, are you embarrassed by us?" Her response, "Well, kind of." And thus it begins.
Kristen says her "g's" with a "d" sound. Pretty funny when she says "I'm doofy." Yes you are!
Misha and Amy were watching home videos of themselves as toddlers. As Amy watched she pronounced, "I'm embarassing." Misha quickly replied, "You still are today."
I thought this was the best description of the feeling you get when your foot or arm falls asleep and then gets all tingly. Misha said, "My foot has 'the fizz.'"
Kristen had a green rubber lizard that the girls brought home from something. She was holding it in her hand and then pretended to eat it, "Mmmmm, tastes like chicken."
Amy had a "Meet your teacher" night at the school on Tuesday. She asked me numerous times throughout the day, "Can just me and you go all by ourselves?" The first time she made the request, I answered, "What, are you embarrassed by us?" Her response, "Well, kind of." And thus it begins.
Kristen says her "g's" with a "d" sound. Pretty funny when she says "I'm doofy." Yes you are!
Misha and Amy were watching home videos of themselves as toddlers. As Amy watched she pronounced, "I'm embarassing." Misha quickly replied, "You still are today."
I thought this was the best description of the feeling you get when your foot or arm falls asleep and then gets all tingly. Misha said, "My foot has 'the fizz.'"
Kristen had a green rubber lizard that the girls brought home from something. She was holding it in her hand and then pretended to eat it, "Mmmmm, tastes like chicken."
A Sinking Feeling
You know that feeling you get when you ruin something important or expensive? I was grinding wheat this morning with my Wondermill. I happen to love my Wondermill very much and would hate to be without it. Sadly this morning I almost ruined it. I don't know what I was thinking. It has a maximum capacity of 8 cups of wheat and I put in 10. All of a sudden it starts making awful noises, gets hotter and begins to smoke. I quickly turned it off even though there was still wheat in the mill. That's a big no-no. But the alternative was worse. My stomach suddenly has a sinking feeling of dread. I let the machine cool off while I clean up the kitchen, empty out all the flour from the collecting bin, clean extra flour out as best I can, and turn it on. Whew! It still works...after my best efforts to kill it. I run two cups of rice through it to clean it out and breathe a sigh of relief. The Wondermill lives to grind another day.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Local Celebrity
Kristen loves to get the newspaper in the morning. In fact, one morning I thought she was still sleeping. Our doors have alarms that "ding" when you open them. I was headed out to pick up the paper when I heard from her room, "Wait. Let me get it."
This morning she came running in the house with great exuberance. "Look Mom. It's me." And wouldn't you know it? There she was with twelve or so of her not-so-close friends on the front page of the newspaper. She was so proud of herself, "That's fantastic!" she exclaimed.
She's in the second row on the far left of the picture.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Motherhood
There are some experiences the Motherhood manual simply never mentions. Take for instance my sister-in-law Jenni's recent escapade with baby poop. Sure we can laugh because 1) it's funny, and 2) most of us have had a similar experience--Chris has heard "it's just poop" a few times in our child-rearing days. Motherhood has the amazing ability of refining character, feeling overwhelming and being gratifying all in the same moment. Take for instance this small glimpse into love from last November:
Last night I had one of those "wow" thankful moments. Kristen had fallen asleep at 6:30 pm. With church at 1 pm this year, she has missed her Sunday nap for most of the year (I am so looking forward to 9 am church in January). She woke up around 10 pm, crying, disoriented and hungry. I gave her a snack to take back to bed with her--I didn't want her to be too awake. I left her a couple of minutes to eat it and then returned hoping she would go back to sleep. You know kids, they don't always go along with the plan. So with pitiful tears threatening, I wadded a blanket up for a pillow and laid down beside her. After about a minute, I could feel her shifting off her pillow and so gently touching her head to mine. Her little hand softly touched my face, and I was so overwhelmed with gratitude to be the mom of a sweet little angel--make that three sweet little angels.
And angels they are. Even when they are supposed to be weeding in the backyard and choose to moisten the dirt using the hose to "make the weeds easier to pull." Sure it'll make them easier to pull and easier to get Kristen muddy and wet, and easier to spread mud all over your hands and feet. Motherhood teaches you when to "freak out" and when to realize that they are kids on summer break and the weeds are getting pulled.
And so to the point of my thoughts. It is unusual for me to not wake up in the middle of the night and check on my kids. Since Amy and Misha have been sleeping downstairs for the summer, I don't make the trek two flights down until after 5am when I get up to exercise. But whether it is 2am or 3am or 5am, the experience is the same. My kids kick off their blankets while sleeping. When I find them, they are often curled in a ball as much as possible trying to maintain body warmth while sleeping. I pull up their sheet first because it is invariably kicked further down the bed and then cover them with the comforter. And here's the gratification--they uncurl from their ball, snuggle in to the comforter and continue sleeping. For me, it is as though they are saying, "Thanks Mom, I needed that." That's Motherhood as it should be.
Last night I had one of those "wow" thankful moments. Kristen had fallen asleep at 6:30 pm. With church at 1 pm this year, she has missed her Sunday nap for most of the year (I am so looking forward to 9 am church in January). She woke up around 10 pm, crying, disoriented and hungry. I gave her a snack to take back to bed with her--I didn't want her to be too awake. I left her a couple of minutes to eat it and then returned hoping she would go back to sleep. You know kids, they don't always go along with the plan. So with pitiful tears threatening, I wadded a blanket up for a pillow and laid down beside her. After about a minute, I could feel her shifting off her pillow and so gently touching her head to mine. Her little hand softly touched my face, and I was so overwhelmed with gratitude to be the mom of a sweet little angel--make that three sweet little angels.
And angels they are. Even when they are supposed to be weeding in the backyard and choose to moisten the dirt using the hose to "make the weeds easier to pull." Sure it'll make them easier to pull and easier to get Kristen muddy and wet, and easier to spread mud all over your hands and feet. Motherhood teaches you when to "freak out" and when to realize that they are kids on summer break and the weeds are getting pulled.
And so to the point of my thoughts. It is unusual for me to not wake up in the middle of the night and check on my kids. Since Amy and Misha have been sleeping downstairs for the summer, I don't make the trek two flights down until after 5am when I get up to exercise. But whether it is 2am or 3am or 5am, the experience is the same. My kids kick off their blankets while sleeping. When I find them, they are often curled in a ball as much as possible trying to maintain body warmth while sleeping. I pull up their sheet first because it is invariably kicked further down the bed and then cover them with the comforter. And here's the gratification--they uncurl from their ball, snuggle in to the comforter and continue sleeping. For me, it is as though they are saying, "Thanks Mom, I needed that." That's Motherhood as it should be.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
My friend Mia
So, I happened onto Mia's blog the other day and what did I find? She gave me an award! Woohoo for me.
And I'm required to post these rules:
1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. You must nominate 7 fellow bloggers for this award.
4. Add links to the recipients.
5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.
So, who should I pass the award on to......?
Becky, Lori, and Jenni for starters. They are Christopher's sisters and great bloggers, plus they leave comments.
Claudia--her blog is always fun to read AND she taught me how to make cute bags.
Tami and Caleb, like Claudia, they are a house full of boys and it's nice to see the hormone balance shifting in the other direction.
Hmmmm, someone from my family would be nice, but alas, they don't have a blog and they are extremely allergic to leaving comments.
Kristin because she blogs nearly every day and it is fun to read.
Thanks Mia
And I'm required to post these rules:
1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. You must nominate 7 fellow bloggers for this award.
4. Add links to the recipients.
5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.
So, who should I pass the award on to......?
Becky, Lori, and Jenni for starters. They are Christopher's sisters and great bloggers, plus they leave comments.
Claudia--her blog is always fun to read AND she taught me how to make cute bags.
Tami and Caleb, like Claudia, they are a house full of boys and it's nice to see the hormone balance shifting in the other direction.
Hmmmm, someone from my family would be nice, but alas, they don't have a blog and they are extremely allergic to leaving comments.
Kristin because she blogs nearly every day and it is fun to read.
Thanks Mia
Sunday, July 20, 2008
iCarly No More
You know, the television industry is pretty sneaky. They know when my older children are home for summer vacation and program accordingly. In the morning during the school year, their line up includes shows targeted toward my toddler and pre-K children. When school's out, the lineup changes to offerings such as iCarly, Hannah Montana, Zac and Cody and various other "tween" shows.
Kristen loses out on having a choice because her older sister (Misha's still on the edge-she likes the younger shows as well as the tweener types) can't possibly watch Sesame Street or Higglytown Heroes. But I've noticed a sad trend. I know, I should have seen it coming. My children like to emulate those fantastic characters they see on screen. They get to hang out with cool friends in cool clothes with cell phones, do cool things often without parental supervision, and say cool stuff without consequence.
Well, I'd like to say to Carly, Sam, Hannah/Miley, you're on notice. Amy has learned the hard way that saying "Like I care" DOES have consequences. That's the real world; that's what you should be teaching my daughters!
Kristen loses out on having a choice because her older sister (Misha's still on the edge-she likes the younger shows as well as the tweener types) can't possibly watch Sesame Street or Higglytown Heroes. But I've noticed a sad trend. I know, I should have seen it coming. My children like to emulate those fantastic characters they see on screen. They get to hang out with cool friends in cool clothes with cell phones, do cool things often without parental supervision, and say cool stuff without consequence.
Well, I'd like to say to Carly, Sam, Hannah/Miley, you're on notice. Amy has learned the hard way that saying "Like I care" DOES have consequences. That's the real world; that's what you should be teaching my daughters!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
You're Booful
Kristen has latched on to a new activity. She found my paint brushes one day, and I pretended that I was putting makeup on her face with one. She thought that was a grand idea. So now she'll sit on my desk in front of me with a paint brush and something to dab it in. We take turns making each other "booful". It is funny because she is such a copy cat. If I tell her to lift her chin up, she'll then tell me to lift my chin up. If I paint her ears, she'll paint mine. She gets the better end of this deal--her turns last a couple of minutes, mine...about 20 seconds. I had Chris take a picture of her during "her turn"; she's so relaxed, she's about ready to fall off the desk!
Rhythm on the River
We attended the Rhythm on the River in Longmont on Saturday afternoon. We made the mistake of buying milk and other groceries before attending and an even earlier mistake when we forgot to put the collapsible cooler back into the van after camping. We didn't have a whole lot of time.
Rhythm on the River is a free community event complete with booths, jumpy castles, a climbing wall, canoeing pond, fire engines, food vendors, two music stages, an art tent, a sand tent, and fun give-aways. You just can't have enough clip-on blinking lights! The girls had a blast and even though Roger's Grove was packed with people, most of the lines for kids' events were relatively short.
Rhythm on the River is a free community event complete with booths, jumpy castles, a climbing wall, canoeing pond, fire engines, food vendors, two music stages, an art tent, a sand tent, and fun give-aways. You just can't have enough clip-on blinking lights! The girls had a blast and even though Roger's Grove was packed with people, most of the lines for kids' events were relatively short.
Three minutes
Lately, when we tell Kristen that it is time for bed or a nap, her response has become, "Three minutes." We have learned compliance is easiest to facilitate if she is given a three-minute warning. So, I was talking on the phone to my mom tonight and Kristen wanted my attention. She'd try to slip her little heiny onto my lap or turn my computer chair. I quietly whispered that I was talking and she needed to wait. About ten minutes later I hear her say to me, "Three minutes, Mom."
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Happy Birthday Misha
My little sweetie is 7! She was born in Provo, Utah around 7:30 am. She began her life as Alicia, but Amy's attempts to say Alicia morphed into Misha. The name so totally fits her. She is an adventurous soul in a petite little body who loves to do science experiments, dress up as a cowgirl, and explore. Her smile lights up her face and softens many a heart.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
I did it!
I'll admit, I was somewhat skeptical. But the recipe got so many great reviews, I thought, "Surely I can make them as well." What, you might ask? Pita pockets. Things got off to a bit of a rocky start. I added all the necessary ingredients to my bread maker, but forgot to add one key item. The paddle to mix the dough! Duh! I looked into the bread pan after an hour just to make sure everything was going okay, and much to my dismay, it didn't look any different than when I dumped everything in. Man!
I figured the endeavor was ruined but decided to try and salvage the dough anyway. I mixed it up in my mixer, covered the bowl, stuck it in the oven with the light on, and hoped for the best.
Looking at the picture accompanying the recipe, I'll admit my pita pockets didn't rise quite that much, but still they rose.
My family was duly impressed as well. Note to self: Remember the bread maker paddle.
I figured the endeavor was ruined but decided to try and salvage the dough anyway. I mixed it up in my mixer, covered the bowl, stuck it in the oven with the light on, and hoped for the best.
Looking at the picture accompanying the recipe, I'll admit my pita pockets didn't rise quite that much, but still they rose.
 |
My family was duly impressed as well. Note to self: Remember the bread maker paddle.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Layers
After setting up camp this last week, we wanted to take our children on a hike from Bear Lake to Bierstadt Lake and then to the Bierstadt shuttle.
Bierstadt Lake
Somehow we made a wrong turn and ended up hiking all the way back to the Park and Ride. A little longer hike than we had planned on, much to our children's delight.
Chris was explaining to Misha along the way that when you hike it is good to wear your clothing in layers so that you can remove or add clothing one piece at a time and regulate your temperature. Kristen piped in "Shrek has layers."
Bierstadt Lake
Somehow we made a wrong turn and ended up hiking all the way back to the Park and Ride. A little longer hike than we had planned on, much to our children's delight.
Chris was explaining to Misha along the way that when you hike it is good to wear your clothing in layers so that you can remove or add clothing one piece at a time and regulate your temperature. Kristen piped in "Shrek has layers."
7th Annual Camping with the Hansens
I'd like to say that we are die hard Hansen Campers, but we probably fall short by one night (miserable for all who stayed). I am not much of a camper. Chris knew that when he married me, and somehow he has worked his magic. The first year we drove up to the camp site and joined in the fun for the evening. We drove home as thunder rumbled, lightening flashed, and the rain poured. I was sooooooo grateful that we weren't sleeping over. Some of the campers were soaked by morning, all were chilled that's for sure. Some who got soaked have since bought a tent big enough to sublet.
Chris found an old tent at a garage sale that summer, and I begrudgingly allowed him to buy it. Begrudgingly because I knew what was coming. We purchased sleeping bags at Shopko back when they were in business in Colorado that were warm to 35*. Woohoo. He placated me by saying they were for our storage.
And so the next year, the Klines were pitching their tent right along side the rest of the campers. I had worried that my 1 and 2 1/2 year old would be in the fire the whole time. Not to worry, Amy was a responsible camper and Misha we later found out had strep and an ear infection. I held her the entire time we were there.
Subsequent summers we made our annual trek to Rocky Mountain National Park in our $5 garage sale tent. It lasted through our first summer camping with Kristen. Yes, I took a three-month old camping. Don't worry though, she was so bundled in a snow suit, she didn't move an inch the whole night.
The next summer we upgraded our accommodations to a two-room suite. And each year our camping supply grows in some manner. We didn't completely get rid of the $5 tent; we kept the fly and now use it as a canopy. We now have TWO dutch ovens. And I use them. (Bishop Wilson let us use his dutch oven table, and now I am sold and will have one of my own next year.) We have tarps up the wazoo, a camp stove, halogen light sticks, a propane light, and of course, the trusty dust buster comes along.
For some reason, the dirt seemed especially apparent this time. It is black and nasty, and even Kristen asked to take a shower when she got home. So with another year behind us, I suggested we all go on a cruise for our 10th year. Only fitting since I don't like camping anyway.
This is our van as we were leaving. Amy was stuck in the back seat. Literally.
Miguel A. made the comment that Chris and I were the most organized couple he had ever seen. People made fun of us for bringing the dust buster, but it made the rounds.
We began with just an overnighter, but we all spent so much time setting up camp and then taking it down, that we decided for the extended stay option--two nights. Our last morning is a group breakfast complete with artery-clogging bacon and sausage, pancakes, hash browns, scrambled eggs, juice, milk, fruit and anything left over that you don't want to take home.
We usually go on some kind of hike the second day. This year we detoured from the Alberta Falls hike to visit the Alluvial Fan, a whopping, heart-pounding 0.2 mile hike. Still it was beautiful.
For some reason, the dirt seemed especially apparent this time. It is black and nasty, and even Kristen asked to take a shower when she got home. So with another year behind us, I suggested we all go on a cruise for our 10th year. Only fitting since I don't like camping anyway.Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Swimming with Jamie
Jamie, my kids' adult friend, as they like to call her, invited us to come swimming at the neighborhood pool in her development. She made lunch and brought snacks for us. She is one of the nicest people you will ever know. You can tell as the little boy, Garett, glommed on to her and wanted to play catch all afternoon.
My girls had fun swimming with her and playing "find the quarter" that kept on magically disappearing. Someone was finding soda money.
Oops!
My girls had fun swimming with her and playing "find the quarter" that kept on magically disappearing. Someone was finding soda money.
Oops!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)