Tatro Family

Halloween

2011-11-29T09:22:00.004-06:00

This will be primarily a picture post. We did NOT host our annual Halloween party this year due to scheduling conflicts. We trick-or-treated in the neighborhood with the Knouses and then had our usual Halloween dinner, with one minor change. Instead of making stew this year, I used the cheddar broccoli soup I had purchased through a school fundraiser. It was delicious and easy. We also had the mainstays- bread bowls, monster eyeballs, witches fingers, finger jello.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-29T08:46:00.003-06:00

Trying to catch up with blogging seems pretty pointless, so I'll just pick up with what is current.

This year for Thanksgiving we got together with two other (large) families for dinner. Our friends, the Howells, hosted so I was able to enjoy a completely stress-free holiday. On Wednesday I made blueberry cranberry pie, chocolate peanut butter pie, chocolate cheesecake, pumpkin cream pie, and cranberry bars. On Thanksgiving morning, Lincoln, Kennedy, and Julia went to Madison to run in the Berbee Derby 5K. I was signed up to race in the 10K, but I have been having some knee issues so I decided not to run. While they ran, I put the turkey in the oven and started on some side dishes. I made roasted root veggies, green bean casserole, and spicy teriyaki mushrooms. Renie assembled candy turkeys. I had thought this would be a great project to keep the three younger kids busy while I was working in the kitchen, but it ended up being Renie's project alone. The boys put about one candy on one turkey and then were done and just wanted to eat the pieces. Renie, however, sat there and assembled 20 turkeys, with a little help from me.

A little before 3:30 we packed up all the food and went to the Howells. Kym had a great system set up with all the food buffet style on the kitchen table and plenty of tables and seating in the basement for the 16 kids and 6 adults in attendance. We had so much delicious food! Kym and Jeff had cooked a turkey in their dutch oven and it was fantastic! They also cooked a ham, a huge pot of mashed potatoes, apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie, sweet potatoes, and stuffing. Jen was a trooper and despite having surgery on her foot the DAY BEFORE, she brought piles of rolls.

(I forgot to take any pictures. Luckily Kennedy thought of it, so she took a bunch. Unfortunately the camera was on a setting that led to lots of blurry pictures, but at least you get an idea.)

After dinner and dessert, we spent the evening playing games and laughing with great friends. And I schooled everybody in Perpetual Commotion. It had to be done.

We took the kids home at about 11:30 and put them to bed, then I picked up Jen and we went to Walmart to do some shopping. I am not a Black Friday shopper. It's just not my thing. But Jen loves to do it and wanted someone to come along and push her around in her wheelchair, in case there wasn't a motorized one available. I figured it would be fun and I could look for a few things for the kids. As it turned out, we were able to procure a motorized wheelchair so we were good to go. We split up to search out the deals we wanted and then met back up at the checkout less than an hour later. So that was the extent of my black Friday shopping: 45 minutes between midnight and 1 am.

And so, another Thanksgiving has come and gone. Time sure does fly.

NY Vacation

2011-10-05T18:32:00.011-05:00

Back in August we made our yearly trek back to Northern New York to see friends and family. As usual, we very much enjoyed our time there and the opportunity to get our kids together with their cousins.
One of the highlights of this year's trip was taking the time to stop in Palmyra, New York on our way through. We have wanted to take the kids to see the church history sites and the temple there for a while. This time we made it happen and we had a lovely time. We stopped at the Hill Cumorah and climbed to the top.

The path was really steep, so here the kids are pretending to fall down the hill.

We then drove down the road to the Smith farm and walked in the Sacred Grove.
It was fun to bump into my niece, Molly Bryn, and cousin Alexis there.

We finished up by taking the kids to the temple. We walked around the grounds and touched the temple.

Another highlight this time was being able to attend family reunions for both Lincoln's family and my own. It was great to see extended family that I hadn't seen in ages, and lots of fun to meet so many people in Lincoln's family that I had previously not had the opportunity to meet. I was really struck by how friendly and welcoming his extended family was. They seemed genuinely excited and happy to see us. I'm so glad we were able to be there, despite Lincoln's father telling us the wrong location for the reunion. (We love you anyway, Grandpa Jesse, but we are a little concerned about the fact that you are losing your mind.) It was not easy to make the connection and we were almost ready to give up and go home but luckily we persevered and found the location.

Lincoln's aunts and uncles. You can tell from the pictures that they are a fun crew, can't you?

Lincoln and I participated in a horse tournament with his Dad and his Uncle Larry.

The kids had a blast in the pool with Grandpa Jesse.

We had to leave my reunion early in order to make it to Lincoln's, so I only got a few pictures.

Later in the evening, after going to Lincoln's reunion, we went back to my parents' for the post-reunion campfire. I don't always enjoy campfire sing-alongs these days, but I had a lot of fun at this one!

Coming soon: haying, horseback riding, and Lake Placid.

Madison Children's Museum

2011-07-10T22:36:00.003-05:00

One hot and humid afternoon while Lauren was here, we decided to go to the Children's Museum in Madison. Our family had not been since it was redone a year or so ago. We had a lot of fun checking out the new exhibits. My cousin, Karen and her family joined us.

Walter loved the baby pit.

The big kids- right on up to Alexis who is 15- enjoyed the awesome play structure. Seriously, it was so cool.

Marley liked anything she could "drive".

Lauren and her kiddos.

Marley and her fan club.

Jesse sucked Orion into watching the electric train with him. Jesse could have watched that train for hours.

See? Cool, right?

Another fun outing. We managed to cram lots of fun stuff into the two weeks Lauren was here. More to come!

Governor Dodge State Park

2011-07-10T19:56:00.007-05:00

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is to go to the state park and splash around in the lake. This year we have not been as often because the gnats are unbelievable this year! In the four years we have lived here I have hardly noticed a single gnat until this year- and now they are everywhere. I hate it. They are especially bad at the state park. Once you get down the hill and out of the grass into the sand, the gnats aren't as bad. Coming down the hill, though, you literally walk through clouds of them.

The day we went with Lauren I was actually more concerned about a horse fly that kept buzzing around the baby. After his nap, though, he was able to join us at the lake and leave the horse fly behind.

I love the rolls! It's the Michelin Tire Man!

A Sad Sad Day

2011-07-10T19:48:00.002-05:00

On day one of Marley's visit here, she got dropped face first in my driveway. If these pictures don't break your heart you are dead inside.

Strawberry Picking 2011, With Lauren!

2011-07-10T19:24:00.007-05:00

In June, my niece, Lauren, and her two beautiful babies came to visit. It was so great to get to spend two whole weeks with them. I got to cuddle and kiss babies and reconnect with Lauren. Her visit coincided with strawberry season, so one morning we packed up the crew and went strawberry picking. I always look forward to this, but this year I was a bit disappointed. The strawberries weren't that great. I could have gotten better ones at Costco for less money--without being out in the hot field. But then we wouldn't have these great memories. Plus I like to support the local farmer.

This year I only made freezer jam. My family prefers it over the canned- at least with strawberry.

I had a helper this year. He came to the show a bit late, but he helped me fill jars.

Our freezer is now stocked with strawberry jam. Next up- Raspberry!

Moments...

2011-05-25T15:17:00.003-05:00

Parenting is sprinkled with moments. Moments when you want to tear your hair out, moments when you want to lock all your children in their rooms, and moments when you just want to run away. *BUT* it is also filled with moments of unfathomable love, moments of pure joy, moments when you just can't kiss your babies enough, moments when your heart is bursting with pride, and moments like this when you feel complete and utter contentment. I had been reading to the three youngest kids and I had to get up to answer the phone or something. When I came back in, Devon and Renie were taking turns reading aloud to Jesse and each other. They were happy and not fighting, thoroughly engrossed in the book. Definitely a sweet moment.

Zoo Trip

2011-05-25T15:11:00.003-05:00

Last Friday Lincoln was able to accompany Renie's class on the kindergarten field trip to the zoo. I wasn't there, so I don't have any details, but here are some pictures from the trip.

Spring Soccer

2011-05-25T15:01:00.002-05:00

Soccer season is almost over but I FINALLY remembered to take some pictures. During the fall season, Kennedy's team didn't win a single game. In fact, they didn't even score a single goal until the last game! This spring, with the same exact team, they are undefeated. What? And in last Saturday's game, she scored her first goal! Julia and Devon's teams having been doing very well also. Julia has one more game and I would be so happy for her if she scored her first goal!

The Latest at Chateau Tatro

2011-03-14T08:20:00.004-05:00

Well, my friends, here we are, halfway through March, and life continues to fly by. By the end of this week, the snow should all be gone and the earth will be stretching and rubbing her sleepy eyes. Of course we'll get more snow, but that doesn't change the fact that the awakening is happening. Once again, daylight savings comes just in time to invigorate my weary soul. The days continue to lengthen and at the conclusion of yet another winter, I'm left wondering if I need to move somewhere warmer. And yet, at the same time, I also find myself thinking that the seasons pass so quickly, even the 5-6 month winter. Once again, I conclude that a sunny vacation in January might be all I need.
So as we rush through March, I am struck by the fact that things will just continue to speed up and get more hectic from here right on through the end of the school year. Kennedy is in the middle school's production of The Fierce Pirate Frank, (I actually can't quite remember the name of the play. But it's some thing like that), and will continue to have play practice leading up to the show in mid-April. Last week, we attended her Spring Pops Concert and I kept thinking, weren't we JUST here for the winter concert? And in other Kennedy news, spring soccer season begins soon. We'll be saying good-bye to our Saturdays once again.

On the Julia front, look soon for haircut pictures. Tomorrow she has a dentist appointment, and afterward she plans to get her hair cut very very short. Also this month, her dance and cheerleading class at Lands' End concluded with a recital. Julia is a really good dancer and I'd like to get her into a studio.

Devon started piano lessons last month. He has mixed feelings about it. Most of the time he's very excited about it, but if he's tired or grumpy he says he wants to quit. He's always excited afterward, though. On Friday we attended his music program at the school. I was happy to see a bit more enthusiasm from him this time. He actually sang and did the motions. He's really come a long way!

My little Renie lost her first tooth! I can't believe it! Unfortunately, she apparently swallowed it. It went the way of the grilled cheese sandwich she had for dinner. Luckily, the Tooth Fairy took pity on her after reading her sweet note, so she still received compensation.

And the other big news of the month is that Jesse learned how to write his name. I know that it isn't really that impressive that a four year old can write his name. What IS impressive, I think, is that he figured it out all on his own. No one has ever sat down with him and showed him how to make the letters. He just suddenly could do it. He first wrote it in the dirt on the side of my car. (See? I keep my car filthy for educational purposes!) I was very amazed and impressed, so I challenged him to write it with a marker when he went to his preschool class. Sure enough, he was able to do it. (I talked to his teachers and they tell me that they haven't done it with him either.) My smart little baby.

So that's the latest. This week I'll be hosting a baby shower at my home and making the cake for the shower. I'm really excited to make the cake and decorations. Fun stuff! Pictures from the event will probably go up on my other blog, Pieces of Molly.

Goodbye, February

2011-02-28T10:18:00.006-06:00

I figured that since the last time I posted on this blog was the first of the month, it might be fun to round out February with one last post. This is just my little way of celebrating the end of what is always a trying month. Spring is truly around the corner now. I need warm sunshine on my face, no doubt.

So what happened in February that might be of interest to you? Well, for starters, I did two cake orders and received another order for April. I hope this is the beginning of a side business. At this point I'm really still learning and discovering what I can do, but getting an order here and there is lots of fun. It keeps me motivated to keep developing my skills and learning new techniques.

Also in February, Devon turned seven.

He is growing up so quickly. He continues to be bright and funny and organized. We implemented "Special Nights" this month. Each child gets an evening once a week where they get to stay up half an hour after the other kids and spend time with Mom and Dad. They get to choose the activity (it has to be at home, free, and able to be completed in the 1/2 hour time slot) with Mom and Dad holding veto power (no Monopoly). For Devon's special night last week, we spent half the time moving a set of drawers into his room and organizing and cleaning up. Lincoln thought he was crazy to use his special time for that, and maybe a little too much like his mother. Devon loves Legos and is currently on an Indiana Jones kick. Which is why he requested this birthday cake.

Renie, and the rest of the kindergarten, had their mid-winter program. It's always a treat to watch kindergartners sing and dance.

We held our annual Valentine's Party on February 11th. We kept with the format of desserts and a poetry contest. It is so much fun to hear the poems that everyone comes up with each year. I also had a lot of fun making these pom-poms for decorations this year.

On the last Saturday in February, Lincoln took the Young Men from church to Madison for a basketball tournament. They won one game, which was their goal. It was the first time a team from our branch had ever won a game in a Stake Tournament. Lincoln really enjoyed coaching the boys and I'd love to see him with a regular coaching gig. He's really good at it and derives a lot of joy from it.

That same Saturday Julia had her dance/cheerleading recital. She's been taking a class at Lands End and continues to love dancing.

We also had parent teacher conferences this month. We got great reports on all the kids and I'll spare you the details, other than to say I was so pleased to hear how well Julia is doing. When we first moved here, her teacher was concerned about her reading level. They put her in a special reading group and kept a close eye on her progress in first grade. Fast forward to fourth grade and she's a top reader in her class. Her test scores- in all areas- are well above the average. She seems a bit more motivated lately, (maybe because of the monetary incentive we give our kids. But does it really matter what motivates her if it encourages her to be more responsible and make the extra effort to keep her grades up?), and this helps her to be a bit more organized and responsible.

February is pretty busy around here, but I like it that way. It keeps me distracted and helps the month to fly by so we can get on to March and springtime.

The Caboose is Four!

2011-02-01T22:30:00.005-06:00

My beautiful baby boy has turned four. What a sweet little boy he is! He is always ready to show some love to his mama. Hugs, kisses, snuggles, I love yous, they all flow freely for Mommy. What more could a mommy ask for in her baby?

It took us a while to find out what Jesse wanted for his birthday dinner. Every time we asked him, he told us he wanted a Thomas cake. We assured him he could have that, but what did he want for dinner? Cake. I finally led him to say he wanted chicken nuggets and french fries. I know that's probably his favorite thing to eat, so I figured we'd just go with it. At Lincoln's suggestion, I decided to make them from actual potatoes and chicken breast. So glad I did. It was really yummy.

I found a great inspiration cake online. I was prepared to make a roundhouse with Thomas and Percy coming out of it. Then, two days before his birthday he decided he wanted a Buzz Lightyear cake. So I made a plan and made a Buzz Lightyear cake. He LOVED it. As I was working on it he pulled up a stool to watch for a bit. He smiled, gave me a little pat on the back, and told me what a great job I was doing. It was after I had taken pictures that Renie pointed out that i had forgotten the big red button on his chest.

After the birthday fun, Lincoln and I put the kids to bed, left Kennedy in charge, and drove to the front of the neighborhood to dig out his car that he abandoned in a drift on his way home. In whiteout conditions, it was pretty hard to avoid the drifts and he buried the car in it. By the time we went back, four hours later, it was pretty solidly ensconced. The wind was whipping stinging bits of snow against us as we dug. There was at least a foot of snow in the road. At first, the car felt like it was frozen in place. We dug some more, tried some more, pushed some more, dug some more, tried some more, etc etc, and suddenly it started to move, ever so slightly. Eventually, I was able to rock it out, with Lincoln digging a path to the clearer part of the road. Once I had it moving, I just kept on going. On the hill in front of our house, it got stuck again briefly, but I was able to get it moving again without any digging or pushing.

I've go to say, this is one fantastic storm. I don't remember seeing a storm like this before. It's a true blue blizzard.

Sickie household

2011-02-01T11:23:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been about a week now since Lincoln started getting sick. There rest of us decided to join him later in the week. On saturday I was feeling really miserable, but I took some Ibuprophen and headed to Milwaukee with Lincoln to watch the Syracuse/Marquette college basketball game. We had purchased the tickets a couple months ago, so we weren't about to let a raging fever keep us from using them! It was a very frustrating game, with Syracuse going down by 10 points pretty quickly in the first half. It took them the entire second half to pick away at that lead. They tied it up a couple times, but never managed to secure a lead. It was interesting to be in hostile territory. Not a lot of Syracuse fans there, it turns out. Between the pep band, the yelling, and the frustration, I thought my poor aching head was going to explode. But--it was a fun afternoon out with my favorite guy.

Concert Time

2011-01-24T20:31:00.000-06:00

Kennedy's Christmas concert was postponed in December due to a winter storm. It was rescheduled for the first week in January. On a Thursday evening, we loaded up the family and drove over to the middle school. It was a night of many firsts. For starters, Kennedy wore my dress and my boots. She will soon pass me in shoe size. She looked so grown up and beautiful. She wore her hair in a low french braid across the back of her head. She was stunning.

The next big news was that it was an enjoyable concert. Kennedy plays flute in the band and sings in the choir. Lincoln and I were both quite pleasantly surprised with the quality of the music.

It was a nice evening and left me looking forward to future concerts. They will only continue to get better.

Exhausted, I am.

2011-01-19T09:23:00.002-06:00

At about 3am, I heard Jesse coming toward our room, making coughing/gagging/hurling-type noises. I lept out of bed and ushered him quickly to the bathroom. He leaned over the toilet and spit some foamy, slimy, saliva in the bowl. But that was it. It almost seemed to me like he had gagged himself on his finger or something. It put me on alert, though, and I worried that before long he would come in spitting up more than saliva. He went back to bed and I crawled back into mine as well.

We did this every hour until it was time to get up anyway.

He didn't want to eat breakfast right away this morning, saying his stomache hurt, but he seems to be doing fine now.

I wish I could say the same for myself. I am looking longingly at my warm, comfy bed.

December Highlights

2011-01-12T20:48:00.007-06:00

Hey! Remember Christmas? Was it a whirlwind for you like it was for me? December is always pretty crazy, so why would this year be any different? So let's see what I can remember.

I posted over on my other blog about going to get the tree on the first Saturday in December. The weather was perfect and we had a lovely time.

We managed to miss the parade this year, but we didn't miss Santa's Secret Shop. The kids look forward to this every year. They have fun buying gifts for their siblings and Lincoln and I get an hour or so to go do a little team shopping of our own. This year, unfortunately, the kids were grouped together so they all saw what they were getting. Jesse kept asking us when he could open up his cars from Julia. This was the first time that Jesse was big enough to be in on it. He almost didn't stay, but curiosity got the best of him.

I didn't even bring my camera to the church Christmas party this year. I am happy to report that the highlight of the event was that ham was served instead of sloppy joes.

We spent an evening decorating Christmas cookies, as we do every year. You'll be shocked to learn that I didn't get any pictures of the kids with their cookie masterpieces, but at least I got some of them during the creative process.

You can't really tell from this picture, but Renie did an amazing job on her cookies. The were neat and had lovely details.

We went caroling in our neighborhood with the Howells, Thompsons, and Spencers. This has become one of our favorite traditions. The Howells kindly hosted the after caroling refreshment party.

Christmas Eve it was just our family, but, as per tradition, I prepared enough food to end world hunger.

We had our usual orange chicken, cheese, crackers, chips, dip, rice krispie treats, wassail, and homemade candy, and this year I added spicy bean dip, AKA baby poop dip. Despite its fecal appearance, this was a hit and I'm pretty sure it will make the list going forward.

While I prepared food, the kids decorated a gingerbread house. I had planned to make one this year, something from scratch and fabulous, but I just ran out of time. At the last minute I grabbed this kit from Walmart and it really was the perfect solution. The kids were totally independent as they worked on it, giving me a few moments to get stuff done without them fighting or getting into stuff or asking me repeatedly if it was time to eat yet.

We opened our Christmas Eve jammies and I forgot to get a picture of everyone in them.

What is my problem? This year I bought myself some Christmas Eve jammies too.
Even Graham got in on the festivities. You can see he's thrilled about it.

We read the story of Christ's birth from the scriptures, inserting Christmas carols where appropriate.
Before bed, the kids went outside to sprinkle reindeer food for our guests we were expecting.

Then we tucked the kiddos in bed and sat down to watch White Christmas while we waited for Santa to arrive. This year, Santa had not one, but TWO elves to help him stuff stockings, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if there was a new elf next year. How do they grow up so fast?

The kids held off Christmas morning until almost 7:00. I love that you can see the motion and excitement in this picture. (And Hey! The Christmas Eve jammies. We did get Jesse a matching set, but he had a little peepee accident.)

Christmas morning mayhem ensued.

The Knouses, Aunt Di, Uncle Al, and the Johansens came for dinner at 2:00. We had, once again, a ton of delicious food. Natalie brought two gigantic salads, Knouses brought a ham, a pumpkin pie, and a cheesecake. I made another ham, rosemary roasted potatoes, sesame garlic green beans, cabbage salad, different salad, crescent rolls, chocolate pie, and orange cranberry strudel.

After cleaning up the kitchen, we played a few games. Jesse, who had been complaining all day that he didn't fell good, finally threw up that evening. Around 1am, Renie started throwing up. She threw up many times in the night. Not a lot of sleeping went on.

She was still pretty yucky the next day. I went to church by myself and sang in the choir. At some point that day Devon threw up. Kennedy and Lincoln both felt yucky Sunday night. Neither of them threw up, and they both felt much better on Monday. Julia and I seemed to make it through the carnage without falling ourselves.

Thursday we drove to Iowa to cabin we had rented with the Howells, Thompsons, Prowses, Lindners, and Rasmussons. The Thompsons couldn't come at the last minute and sent their kids with the Johansens in their place.

Lincoln and I stayed up until 3:30 playing games.

After going to bed, I didn't sleep well. I got up with the boys to go potty at about 6am, and once I was upright, I realized that I was incredibly nauseous. I crawled back into bed and waited for it to hit. At about 7:00 or so, it got me. I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Let me just say here that I do not like throwing up. 'Nuf said. I spent the rest of the day in bed sleeping. Luckily I only threw up the one time. By about 4pm, I was able to get up and play a couple games. I was still weak and achy, but I hung in there to usher in the new year.
I was back in bed by 12:01. Meanwhile, Lincoln had gone to bed about 9pm. He spent New Years Day in bed. He just had the fever and aches, but no nausea.

I know that sounds like a crummy vacation, but it was actually kind of nice to be able to just lay in bed and be sick and not have any responsibilities pulling at me. Meals were already planned, with plenty of people to make sure they happened, Lincoln was there to take care of kids, nothing had to be cleaned, no laundry to be washed. I just slept. And it was bliss. I'm sure if I'd had to get up to deal with those things, I would have thrown up a few more times.

Of course, because I spent a day totally in a stupor, I didn't get a lot of pictures. But trust me, the cabin was beautiful, the views were gorgeous, the company was fantastic, and we had a lovely time.

And that brings us to January. Whew. That wasn't so hard. Now I feel like I can go forward with this blog and quit looking back. So here's to a new year.

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-05T18:39:00.004-06:00

Remember Thanksgiving? Well, in my blog-slackery I never posted anything about it. So I thought, Hey! I'm gonna go ahead and still blog about it.

This year it was just us here for Thanksgiving. My cousin Karen, and her family, went to NY over Thanksgiving to attend Karen's sister's wedding. Knowing it would just be us took a lot of the stress off the occasion. I knew that even if it took until Friday for the turkey to cook, it wasn't a big deal, we would just eat on Friday. Because of this approach, the days leading up to Thanksgiving were pretty laid back as well.

Kennedy, Lincoln, and I got up early on Thanksgiving, bundled up, put on our running shoes, and drove to Madison to participate in our first Thanksgiving Day run. Kennedy and Lincoln had signed up to run the 5K (Kennedy's first race ever), and I signed up for the 10K, my first 10K ever. My stomach was in knots the whole way there. I had done no hill training and a few days before the race I had heard that there were a few hills near the end of the course. This really worried me. My goal was to run the entire thing, but I began to have some serious doubts on the drive over.

The spirit of a race is lots of fun, and I found myself anxious to just get started. The 10K started first, thankfully, and we were soon jogging over the start line. I determined early on that I wouldn't worry about people passing me, which was good because I was passed by thousands of runners. I am known for being a slow runner, but they just kept passing and passing like I was standing still. I wondered what on earth my time was looking like, but was pleasantly surprised when I passed the first mile marker and found that although I was slow, it was my best time. And I just plugged away at it. 2 miles, 3 miles, 4 miles. Each mile marker revealed that I was maintaining my personal best pace. Around this point, however, I began to be concerned that I would finish the race in dead last. I determined that if I died trying, I would keep from being passed by the last runner. Mile 5 is where the hills began. Challenging, but not a deal breaker. I was still running. Mile 6 seemed to be all hill. The last, big hill seemed to go on forever. I was neck in neck with an old lady that come hell or high water I was NOT going to finish behind! I dug deep, proud of the fact that back in the stragglers, the back of the entire race, I was the only one, in my view, who did not walk at some point on the hills. At the top of the last, big, hill, the finish line was in sight and I had left the old lady behind. I dug a little deeper, pushed a little harder, passed another lady I had been leap-frogging the whole time, and finished my first 10K without walking. It was a personal victory, despite finishing last in my age group. Kennedy and Lincoln were waiting at the finish line to cheer me on and take some pictures of me. (Those pictures are on our other camera still. Someday I'll transfer them. Maybe.) We grabbed some goodies at the food tent and munched them and sucked down water on the way to the car. Kennedy was frozen through and through and said she would never do a winter race again. I think she would have been OK if she hadn't had to wait for me. We headed home, grabbed some hot cocoa on the way, and cranked up the heat in the car. I seriously never thought I'd be able to run a 10K, but now I'm wondering if a half-marathon might be in my future.

We spent the rest of the day cooking, watching the Thanksgiving Day parade, and eating.

It was quiet, easy, relaxing, and fun. Except I was exhausted by the end of the day. Running in the morning and then spending a lot of time on your feet in the kitchen and then eating turkey will really take it out of you! Lincoln built the kids a fort in the living room. I think they actually slept in it that night too.

I am thankful for my beautiful children and amazing husband. I'm thankful for my health that allows me to do all of this. I'm thankful for my husband's job that provides our food and home and the comforts we enjoy there. And I'm thankful for my husband and friends who encouraged my to go for the 10K and never doubted I could do it.

My New Year's Resolution

2011-01-04T21:05:00.003-06:00

Blogland is filled with posts of New Years Resolutions these days. I'm not against resolutions. In fact, I think the beginning of the year is a great time to reflect on where we are and to contemplate where we want to go in terms of personal growth. Goals are a positive format for pushing ourselves to be more than we currently are. They give us direction and a plan of attack. I am sure that I will set some goals for myself in terms of exercise and organization, but my main thought and subsequent resolution has been this, To Be Content.

This year, instead of agonizing over the five pounds I want to drop, I am going to be content with the fact that I weigh 135 pounds, instead of 235, or even instead of 136 pounds. Or instead of 55 pounds, like that model that recently lost her life to anorexia.

This year, instead of getting worked up about the constant mess and chaos around here, I will be content with the fact that I have five healthy, happy, kids who run in and out of this house.

This year, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the mountains of laundry- dirty, clean, folded, stacked, or otherwise, I resolve to be grateful and content that we have so many nice clothes to wear.

Instead of spending my time longing for a house in the country, I will be grateful for the beautiful home that we have that keeps us warm and safe.

I know I have been blessed greatly, and I simply want to more actively appreciate what I have been given. I want to spend more time living in the moment and finding humor in the unexpected. I find myself wanting my children to behave perfectly, my house to stay clean and tidy, my husband to read my mind. I want to be skinnier, want to feed my family a perfect, well-balanced meal three times a day, want to organize every aspect of our lives. But trying so hard for all that means that I get grumpy, because, realistically, it's just not possible. I knew an elderly woman in Georgia who had had 8 kids in 9 years. She told me that she was very particular about how her kids looked. They were always neat and tidy. She ironed every piece of their clothing, right down to their underwear. Her house was always immaculate and she managed what is impossible for me. But she also told me that she was filled with regret that she didn't spend more time with her kids, just enjoying them. She told me she spent so much time and effort taking care of them, she never had time to play with them. I don't want to have that kind of regret. (Disclaimer- I am no where near as good as her at keeping things clean and organized. No. Where. Just sayin'.)

So, long story short, I resolve to be content. And it really shouldn't be hard because I have been blessed in myriad ways.

New Year's Resolution

2010-12-27T22:00:00.002-06:00

Hello, my few dedicated followers. Sorry I've been such a slacker. I've been sitting here this evening reading the posts from the past year and lamenting that I was not a more diligent blogger. And so, I feel renewed and ready to rededicate myself to this blogging thing. Maybe I needed a break. Maybe my other blog was just taking too much of my time. (you should probably read that one too, if you want to keep up with us a little better. It's over there to the left and it's called Pieces of Molly.) Anyway, here's hoping I can get back on top of things.

Peck's Market

2010-10-27T11:38:00.006-05:00

Saturday we made our way up to Peck's Farm Market. We go there each fall, usually in conjunction with grape picking and apple purchasing. This year, unfortunately, we missed grape season. The farm we usually go to for grapes and apples had a fire on October 10th. Apparently the orchard and vineyard are OK, it was the buildings that burned. They closed down for the rest of the season but hope to be open next year. I'm so sad! I'm not sure if we would have made it there before the end of grape season anyway, but I hope the damage was not too extensive and that they will indeed be up and running by next fall.

We enjoyed our time at Peck's, as usual. Next year, I hope I remember that Peck's Farm Market EAST has the free "train" ride.

DO NOT pay for the train at Peck's Market WEST. It is shorter and costs a dollar per rider.

Peck's Market West DOES have more kiddie activities, many free, some for a dollar.

Oh yeah, and the corn maze is better AND cheaper at Peck's Market EAST. So you really have to go to both of them.

Saturday night we made caramel apples with a new caramel recipe and apples from Peck's.

Monday night we picked out our pumpkins and Tuesday night we carved them.

Tonight we are off to the Trunk or Treat at church, then the kids are off school Thursday and Friday, and Friday night is our Halloween party at our house. Busy busy, but fun fun!

(For more pictures from Peck's, go on over to my other blog, Pieces of Molly.)

Stage Two

2010-09-20T21:24:00.002-05:00

Today I became aware that I am totally and completely OK with my family being complete at five kids. Now, I have known since Jesse was still a newborn and I had a DVT that I should and would be done. But for a few years I still had these lingering thoughts about how dangerous would it be- REALLY- for me to have another baby. I could do the daily injections of bloodthinner (which I always knew I couldn't really do because I'm a big fat wimp) or something. I just would get baby hungry. And pregnancy hungry. I love being pregnant. I will never get over the loss I feel at not being able to feel another baby growing and moving inside me. I will never get over the loss I feel at not being able to hold another baby in my arms as I nurse him. But babies grow up. And they become sassy and independent. They delight in pushing Mom's buttons. They go to school and they come home with piles of homework and want your undivided attention and assistance as they plow through it. They can no longer suckle at your breast and instead demand cheese crackers and granola bars-- and lots of 'em. They run around like maniacs rather than cooing contentedly in the bouncy seat. They dump your nail polish on the bathroom floor and use your favorite scarf as the sail of their ship...then leave it in the yard for several rainfalls. They make some sort of pact with their siblings to all demand your attention at the same time using the most obnoxious whiny voices imaginable. Also in their agreement is a schedule they follow to be sure they are not all happy at the same time. They pretend they can't hear you asking them to do something until you are finally screaming at them, then they say, "You don't have to yell at me, Mom!" They break your stuff and create mounds of laundry. More babies would just become more kids.

But they also learn to bathe themselves. They do- eventually- move out of diapers and master using the toilet. They learn to read- to themselves and to their younger siblings. They develop a sense of humor and they eventually learn how to use it. They can play outside without supervision and can even walk home from school. They thank you for making their favorite dessert. They will bring you dead dandelions and present them to you like it's the rarest bloom- with a big smile and a wet kiss. They will sing to you in church on Mother's Day and bring home art projects featuring their handprints. They bring you breakfast in bed and they serve it with dancing eyes full of excitement. They love you despite the yelling and are infinitely forgiving.

And you know? I'm ready. I'm ready to move on from the baby stage. I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get into this "raising them" stage. I'm not saying I'm good at it or that I have any idea what I'm doing, but we'll learn and we'll make it. And I really don't think I will wish that I was having more babies. I've got my hands full as it is. I'm good with not having diapers to change and baby swings and bouncers and exersaucers and carriers and jumpers all over the house. No diaper bag to pack and no rushing home from a short date to make it in time for the next feeding.

Let the next chapter begin.

Renie's First Day of Kindergarten

2010-09-03T13:35:00.003-05:00

Renie's favorite things about full day Kindergarten? Bringing a lunch and gym class- or PhyEd, as they call it here in the Dairyland.

Try as I would, I could NOT get a normal smile out of her.

Sunset After A Storm Last Night

2010-09-03T12:20:00.003-05:00

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-01T21:35:00.002-05:00

Kennedy- 6th grade- MIDDLE school!

Julia- 4th, Devon 1st

Renie's first day is tomorrow.

Devon

2010-08-11T11:02:00.003-05:00

Turns Out, Life Gets Busy When You Have Five Kids...

2010-08-11T10:32:00.000-05:00

I really wish that I was writing more. And I especially wish that I was writing HERE more. Life is busy, sure, and I'm sad that I'm not better at recording the events of our life here. Because in all that busy-ness, funny, special moments happen. Moments that it is all too easy to forget if you don't capture them in word or picture. Little things like Devon suddenly becoming attached to the quilt my mother made him when he was a baby. He pulled it out of his closet one day and started using it on his bed. Now, keep in mind, it is baby-sized. It doesn't even cover his whole body. But he likes it. I reminded him one day that Grandma had made it for him when he was a baby and that somewhere I have a picture of him laying on it when he was just a few days old. He thought that was pretty cool and asked me to take a picture of him with it now.

In more event-type news, Renie had her spring sing:

Kennedy had her spring concert:

Julia had her spring concert:

But now (I'm just finally getting this published in August) we're at the point that we're winding down the summer. As usual, the last couple of months have been a whirlwind, but it has been (mostly) fun!

Balloonfest 2010

2010-08-10T13:16:00.002-05:00

The end of the school year is always marked by Balloonfest at Bloomfield Manor. It always takes place the night before the last day of school and attending it has become a bit of a tradition. The theme this year was Hollywood, as you will see in the photos. We took a whole slew of kids with us and had a lovely time as usual.

Memorial Day

2010-08-10T13:02:00.003-05:00

This year for Memorial Day, our friends the Prowses invited a few families to camp in their lovely backyard. We had a fun time jumping on the trampoline, having a campfire, watching a movie in the backyard, and taking a short hike. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Remember May?

2010-06-27T21:22:00.006-05:00

Let's talk a little bit about May. I like May. This year was no different. In fact, I was so busy enjoying May that I just didn't have time to blog about it. But lots has happened in the last couple months. End of the school year activities kept us busy throughout May, Memorial Day, then school let out, then we jumped right into summertime fun.

Let's start at Spring Holiday. I've written about our tradition before, so if you're not familiar with Spring Holiday, you can click on that link and see what I'm talking about.

Once again we decided to celebrate at the State Park. We packed up our lunch and our egg hunt goodies and headed over to the park. We picked out a picnic table, let the kids loose at the beach and lit the charcoal. It was windy, so a bit on the cool side, but that didn't stop the kids from getting wet.

We had our usual grilled chicken, pasta salad, fruit kabobs, and whoopie pies.

After lunch, the kids played for a bit while Lincoln hid the eggs. Usually I hide the eggs but thankfully Lincoln was willing to do it this year. I do not really enjoy the job now that we have so many to hide. I don't really go overboard with candy, but there is just no getting around the fact that with five kids, there are lots of eggs to hide.

We didn't stick around long after that. The wind was very annoying and we were ready to be out of it. But regardless of little annoyances, Spring Holiday is always a fun way to welcome the warm weather.

Some Thoughts Upon Turning 35...

2010-05-04T18:52:00.005-05:00

Time is flying. Not just the days or weeks. Or months. But the years, my friends. A little over a week ago I turned 35. I was not looking forward to this milestone. I'm not really sure what it is. I guess I'm now on the slide to 40. This wasn't settling well. To make matters worse, I had been gaining weight at an alarming rate and feeling very tired. I thought it was amazing that I would start falling apart right as my 35th birthday approached. As it turns out, a little bloodwork revealed that my existing hypothyroid disease was rearing its ugly head and I was in need of a medication adjustment. To top it all off, I'm a bit anemic. Though not ideal, I was happy to know that there was a reason for my symptoms other than middle age. So I'm taking an iron supplement and my synthroid dose has been bumped up.

And my birthday was fun. The friday before, my cousin Karen took all five kids for the night. She had been planning on taking the older three for a sleepover, then ended up with the other two at the last minute. I was so happy to be kid-free after a long week with extra kids. Lincoln showed up from work early to take me out to dinner. He had made arrangements for a baby-sitter who was no longer needed, but the gesture of getting the sitter did not go unnoticed. We went to Madison and did some shopping, then had 7:00 reservations at Quivey's Grove. I wish I had brought my camera. The restaurant is an old stone house surrounded by lovely lawns and flower gardens. The menu is traditional early american fare. We were seated at a tiny table by a little window upstairs. Very cozy.

Over dinner, Lincoln presented me with a bank account that he had deposited a chunk of money into as the start of our Greece fund.

After a delicious dinner, we made our way to the movie theater to catch a flick. It was nice to be able to spend as much time as we wanted doing whatever we wanted without worrying about the tab we were running up with the sitter.

Saturday morning we slept in, then went out to breakfast here in town. We checked out a few garage sales, then we went home and watched a movie right in the middle of the day. We are crazy, I tell ya.

Karen kept the kids at her house all day. We met up with Karen and Jamie at 3:00 to drive to Madison for the Priesthood and adult sessions of stake conference. Karen and I shopped while the men went to their meeting, then we all went to dinner before the adult session.

On Monday, my actual birthday, I felt really good. I felt full of joy, contentment, and gratitude. It really hit me that 35 isn't any different from any other birthday. Every year we get a little older. It's what happens. I am so blessed at 35 to have a good and loving husband, not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, but FIVE beautiful healthy children. My husband has a job- a GOOD one that he likes, we have a beautiful home to live in, and plenty of food to eat. We live in a beautiful place surrounded by fantastic people and great friends. That's a good place to be at 35. Instead of feeling like I was headed downhill, I thought about the now. I couldn't ask for more at this stage in my life. And instead of looking inward at my aging self, I began to think more in terms of what the next decade holds for my children, what my reponsibility is to them. In ten years, two of my children will be graduated, the other three all teenagers. 10 years is not much time to ensure their development into good, kind, reponsible adults.

So, bottom line, I'm 35. Big deal. I'm all grown up. I have experience and wisdom on my side. I know why I'm here and where I want to go. I know my Savior and i know from where my blessings flow. And I am happy.

(I should mention that Lincoln cooked my requested birthday dinner- ham steaks, mashed potatoes, home-canned green beans- and made me an eclair cake. We took our first bike ride as a family which I enjoyed immensely, and I got some cool gifts.)

My Dream Home

2010-04-19T10:10:00.002-05:00

If you are interested, click on over to my other blog to see my dream house I recently found in the magazine House Beautiful. It is gorgeous.

Springtime

2010-04-16T08:10:00.004-05:00

I have been enjoying every moment of spring this year. Every moment. And not just because we've had a couple days like this:

You see, I usually look forward to spring wistfully as January and February slowly pass by. I say to myself, "If I can just make it to March, then we'll start having some warmer weather mixed in, some days in the 40s. The snow will start to melt and the end will be in sight." But then March comes and I find myself unsatisfied still. I find myself wishing it wasn't so muddy or annoyed by the chilly wind. If only the wind would stop... By the second week in April I'm usually wishing the leaves were out. By the beginning of May I realize that what I've been longing for is MAY.

But not this year. Granted, we have had some beautiful weather. March was a perfect succession of gradually warmer weather and slowly melting snow. There wasn't a lot of run-off, just a perfect seepage into the ground. Over the course of about one week, the snow just disappeared.

Mud season seemed short, and the chilly wind didn't bother me as much.

My grape hyacinths I planted 2 years ago are really taking off and have bloomed beautifully this year.

The grass is a lovely green and every moment of warm sun on my face has been noticed.

I have also found myself nostalgic this spring. Spring is passing so quickly and soon it will be gone and summer will beupon us. I have this overwhelming desire to take in every moment this summer, to live in each moment, to simplify, to savor. I want to drink lemonade and swim in rivers. I want to walk in fragrant meadows with daisies and buttercups nodding around me. I want to breathe in the scent of fresh-cut grass. I want to hear sleeping bag zippers being pulled up and the muffled sound of my children's voices as they settle down to sleep in the tent, while Lincoln and I linger at the campfire. I want to snuggle into a blanket and stare up into a night sky heavy with stars. I want to listen to my children giggle as they chase lightning bugs. I want to watch my children play tag in the front yard as the sun sets in all its fiery glory. I want to catch the scent of warm, drying hay on the breeze. And corn fields, the sweet, heavy smell of corn fields in high summer is heavenly. I can't wait to work in my vegetable garden, among varied scents of tomatoes, dill, and green beans. I am eager to watch my food storage grow as I can produce. I want to savor the first, warm strawberry of the season, fresh from the field. And don't even get me started on the first tomato sandwich! I want to stretch out in the dappled sunlight under a towering maple tree and read all afternoon.

All this and more, the simple joys of summer. My heart almost aches for it. And yet, in my anticipation of summer, I am still enjoying each moment of spring. The gradual transition, the awakening of the earth. Each tulip and daffodil makes my heart sing.

Each warm spring rain that falls on my face and every booming thunderstorm is a joy. Ah, the age-old desire to slow down the passing of time! Happy spring! Embrace it.

Chicago, Again...

2010-04-05T08:17:00.007-05:00

...but this time with the kids. This past week was spring break and in the interest of saving vacation days and money, we decided not to take a big trip. We did want to do SOMEthing as a family, though, so we decided it was time to take the kids to Chicago. Lincoln decided that Wednesday would work well for him, so he cleared his calendar and took the day off. Let me just say, he picked the PERFECT day. It was sunny and warm- close to eighty degrees. We could not have ordered better weather for the last day of March.
We left the house at about 8:15 and drove to the Cumberland Station park and ride. It took us some time to figure out exactly how much money to put on our transit cards to have sufficient passage for a family of seven. Once the attendant had helped us figure it out, we discovered we needed some change. Renie was also desperate for potty break #1 of the day. I waited at the station with the other kids while Lincoln and Renie walked to a nearby grocery store for change and a potty. While we waited, I suggested the kids try to jump the cars as they passed below us on the interstate. This kept them quite entertained for the 15 minutes until Lincoln returned.

We finally got our passage paid and headed down to the platform. The kids were pretty excited about riding the train and i was actually glad we had to wait a few minutes so they could really enjoy the anticipation and excitement. Jesse, who is obsessed with trains, was very excited once we were on. Devon just kept asking me when it would go underground. Once we did go sub-terrainean, he realized it wasn't so exciting after all to just see the black walls passing. Then he kept asking me when it would go up high again.

We got off the train downtown and transferred to a bus for the remainder of the trip.

I think the kids, at least Kennedy and Julia, may have actually liked the bus better. The idea of driving down the street, UNbuckled, and STANDING was thrilling to them. Even if there were ten seats open, the girls preferred to stand and hold a strap.

The bus dropped us off right in front of our destination, Shedd Aquarium. We corralled our crew and headed to the entrance, only to discover a line that wove back and forth through the large lobby, then stretched out the door, down the steps through the tent, and across the concrete to a little behind where I was standing when I took this picture.

I had not anticipated this at all. It was nearing 1:00, the kids hadn't eaten lunch, they were already tiring from the excitement of the train and bus, and we had at least a solid hour of line-waiting ahead of us. We had discovered before we came that it would be cheaper for us to purchase a family membership for the year than it would be to purchase a single day pass for each of us. The kids and I held our spot in line while Lincoln went to ask someone if we could go through the door to the right labeled Membership, if we were planning to purchase a membership that day. Luckily we could. We walked right up the steps, in the door, through the lobby to the membership desk where there were about three people ahead of us in line, and within 15 minutes of arriving, we were stuffing our jackets in a locker and making potty stop #2. I can't even begin to tell you what a relief it was to skip that line!

The aquarium tour began and I was worried we were in for a rough day. It was pretty crowded and so hot in there I thought I was going to pass out. The kids were having trouble finding a viewing spot at the galleries and complaining of the heat. My backpack was making my back sweaty and I was stressing about losing my wandering Renie in the crowd. Of course, stressing made me even warmer and I was beginning to feel like I couldn't breathe. We decided that if we left the Amazon River section, the temperature might feel less like the Amazon River climate. We ducked out of there and found immediate relief.

The rest of the day was much like any aquarium tour, with a few highlights along the way like:

The penguin play area:

The kids had a lot of fun here, dressing up like penguins and playing around. It was impossible to get a picture of all my kids, in costume and in the frame. Every time I heard the attendant say something like, "Let's not climb up there, OK? That's kind of high." Or, "Penguins slide head first, but children slide feet first, OK?" I knew Renie was close by.

Fantasea:

This dolphin/beluga whale/sea lion/red-tailed hawk/penguin show got mixed reviews from our family. It was very theatrical, with the trainers in costume, people being carried across the water by cable,

colored lights,

music, movie screen. But to me, it seemed like lots of smoke and mirrors to make up for a pretty lame animal show. I mean, I know it's not Seaworld, but I felt like the animals' participation was overshadowed and it wasn't very intimate. The trainers never talked (at least, not so we could hear them) so it was hard to tell what the animals were doing. The sea lion was in the show for approximately 1 minute.

The red-tailed hawk just flew across the water a couple times, the penguins walked in front of the bleachers one time and a few people got to pet them.

But the thing I thought was the lamest, was the "Trainer for a Day" portion of the program. They picked a young girl ( probably 11 or 12) from the audience to be the trainer for a day. She was given a "magical pendant" and flown across the water in a boat. She got to help give commands to the animals and otherwise participate in the entire program. They made a big deal out of giving her a pair of rubber boots to wear and and acting like they were telling her where to stand and and what to do. Yet it was painfully obvious that she was part of the show and not a randomly selected child. I mean, to the point that my eight year old picked up on it.

The rest of the family ranged in their reviews from "it was OK' to "That was really cool."

Lunch:

We grabbed lunch in a little cafe at the aquarium. Lunch itself was nothing to write home about, but the tables were set up around the underwater viewing area of the dolphin tank. It was pretty fun to watch the dolphins from underwater. They were doing a show so we were able to see it from both above (Fantasea) and below.

Caribbean Reef:

This was the last viewing area we visited and it was my favorite of the day. It was a huge tank with a very large viewing area, colorful fish, not many people, and cool air.

Most of my pictures of fish are grainy and/or blurry because you are not allowed to use a flash when photographing the fish.

This was a cool spot where the viewing area was mostly under your feet. There were some rays swimming around down there.

A Staring Contest:

We came out of the aquarium to lovely warm weather. We took some pictures and enjoyed the day a bit before catching the bus back to the train and riding the train back to our parked car.

That's Navy Pier across the little bay from where we are. We'll have to make a summer trip there...

I am happy to say we managed to navigate downtown Chicago and public transportation without losing even one of our five children. I'd say that was a successful day! It was a long, exhausting day, and we arrived home about 10pm. Next Chicago trip will be Legoland and dinner at Medieval Times.

Argh...

2010-03-23T08:12:00.001-05:00

Why won't my pictures fit in my header anymore? I've never had this problem before. It says it's shrinking them to fit, but it's not working. Help.

Remember Me?

2010-03-19T09:00:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure what my blogging problem is lately. Actually, I'm pretty sure the scarcity of blog posts is due to Facebook. It's just so much quicker to throw a quick status update on FB, rather than take the time to type up a full post on my blog. Not to mention it takes me less time to upload a whole album of pictures to FB than it takes to put FIVE pictures up on my blog. It's just so time-consuming. On top of all that, I feel like my brain is a vacuum lately, completely void of worthwhile thoughts. So here we are.

I will share with you that Lincoln and I went to Chicago in February to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of our temple sealing. We stayed in a lovely little hotel right next to the temple so we could get up and go to the temple first thing in the morning. (I mean, after sleeping in, of course.)

We spent the rest of the day in downtown Chicago. We took the train in, which is definitely the way to do it. Coming from the west, it's pretty easy to park at Cumberland Station (I think it cost us $4 for the day), and just hop on the train. No traffic to deal with, no parking to find and pay for downtown. We got off basically across the street from Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.

Let me back up and say that we knew we wouldn't have time to do much in a city with so much to do, so we had to decide what we wanted to do the most. I chose going to the Sears Tower. I have this thing about (1) being up really high, and (2) visiting famous buildings. So that is what we did. I really enjoyed being up there. My very favorite part was walking out on the glass observation deck. What a feeling to look down 103 floors directly under your feet!

I'm wondering, now that I've done that, if I'll ever have my recurring dream again about being in a place that looks just like that. Strange that I had never even seen one of those observation decks before, but had dreamt about it. (Of course, there is usually more going on in my dream, parts of the building are collapsing or something, I think. But it's not really a scary dream, just kind of exhilarating.)

After Willis Tower, we ate a late lunch at a little Chicago-style pizza place close by.

By the time we were done eating and had taken the train back out to our car, evening was upon us. We ended the trip with a visit to Ikea. We came home with a few fun purchases.

We're looking forward to taking the kids to Chicago. We've lived right here for nearly 3 years now, and still haven't taken them into the city. They will love the El. In fact, Renie recently learned about subways in school and thinks it's so cool that a train can go underground. I have a sneaking suspicion, however, that the favorite part will be the elevated portions, zooming along a few feet from the rooftops. We really want to make it to Legoland for Devon, and all the kids will enjoy Shed Aquarium. Navy Pier and the natural history museum will be fun too. And we should probably go the American Girl store for the girls. So much to do, so little time...

Go Check Out This Awesome Giveaway...

2010-02-26T08:27:00.002-06:00

One of my very favorite blogs to read is Navel Gazing at its Finest. Sue is hilarious and never, NEVER disappoints. So now, she's doing this great giveaway- it's a laptop, people! Yes, I said a laptop. So run on over there and find out how to enter. While you're at it, if you've never read Sue, you need to read her archives. Beware though, you'll be sucked in for hours. I speak from experience.

We Are Easily Amused...

2010-02-25T09:42:00.001-06:00

Lincoln didn't find it quite as amusing as the rest of us.

Kindergarten Program

2010-02-25T09:11:00.004-06:00

It's always amusing to watch Kindergartners perform. Case in point: Check out the following picture, randomly snapped during the program. I was watching Devon and his shy, barely there motions. But look at the treasures I managed to capture. First of all, the boy in the front with his finger up his nose. Predictable? Yes. But still funny. Then there is the kid yawning in the back. And the kid in the front staring off into space. The girl to the right of Devon was quite a little performer, not that you can tell in this picture, but take my word for it.

Renie got to come watch the program with her class.

Here are some of those shy dance moves I referred to.

Devon told me that sometimes he likes to just mouth sing (aka lipsinc). I told him I didn't think he was singing very loudly and he told me he didn't need to because everyone else was singing loud. Wow, a 6 year old concerned about overkill. Who woulda thunk? This did give me a little insight into his music grade. On his report his music teacher put down that his voice was "not meeting grade level expectations". This really surprised me because he is really a pretty good singer. He has a good ear and can carry a tune well. But I guess if he's just not singing at school, it would be kind of difficult for his teacher to know that. Devon has had some minor anxiety issues for a while and is pretty shy at first. Recently, however, I think he has really started to overcome some of this and do some things that would have been very difficult for him a year ago. My boy is growing up. Birthday post to come soon!

National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

2010-02-15T14:29:00.007-06:00

The kids had been itching to visit the NMRMA again lately, so we decided it was high time we took a Saturday afternoon and made the drive down to Dubuque to spend a couple hours there.

Now, the kids and Lincoln have been a few times, but this was a first for me. We decided to go ahead and get a membership ($80 for the family, daily admission for a family our size is $50. One more trip and it has paid for itself!)

First of all, let me say again how much I enjoy visiting Dubuque. I'll link you to an old blog post so I don't have to repeat myself, but we really enjoy visiting this old river town on the banks of the Mississippi.
The Museum and Aquarium are pretty fun. It's perfect for a young family- things to see and do without being overwhelming.

We especially enjoyed this "log run".

There are mirrors on each end so it creates an infinity effect with the logs.

My favorite thing was the frogs. I love how they just sit there looking fat and content.

Oh, and I really liked this little bugger with his eyes looking in different directions. This is normal with lizards, but it seemed really pronounced with this guy. It was cool to watch him walk away from us, but see that he was still looking right at us.

I also thought this lizard habitat and viewing area was cool. The kids could crawl right through to a bubble in the middle of the enclosure and have an eye-to-eye, 360 degree view of the inhabitants.

There were exhibits telling the history of riverboats. In the summer you can ride a riverboat from here.

And I also really liked the ducks. I don't know, I really like ducks.

Looking out the window you can see the bridge over the Mississippi River.

A fun way to spend a winter afternoon.

Jesse's Birthday...Finally.

2010-02-09T11:09:00.003-06:00

My baby is three. I just keep saying that over and over. My baby is three. It's the strangest feeling. Because my kids have all come so close together, my baby has never been three before. By the time any of my kids turned three, there was another child in the family to take over the title of baby. So here we are. He is such a sweet, loving, delightful child. He loves to randomly come up and hug or snuggle me and almost always when he does, he says, "I'm your best friend and you're my best friend!" He kisses me and nuzzles me, and tells me he loves me. What more could you ask for in your youngest child? I've always wondered how on earth moms could be so sad about their kids going off to school. But I'm beginning to understand as my last child approaches that age. Of course, I also know that 3 is generally the hardest age, so maybe I'll be back to looking forward to him going. Of course, we also will have more bonding time than I've had with any other of my children. It will be just the two of us next year while everyone else is in full day school.

I made Jesse a Thomas-themed cake again this year. Since I did Thomas himself last year,

I decided that this time I would do the island of Sodor and place one of his engines in the scene. I did just a basic representation of the island, but Jesse loved it. After I was done making the cake, he spent the rest of the afternoon using it as a train table, driving his engines around it and through the tunnel.

He was very proud to announce that his Mom made his Thomas cake, and it made me feel good to see him so happy. Birthday cakes are definitely a labor of love for me so it makes me infinitely happy when they are so appreciated.

Happy Birthday, my sweet sweet boy! I am so grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to send us one more spirit to finish our family and to bring even more joy into our lives!

Kennedy The Maiden...

2010-02-04T08:12:00.004-06:00

Kennedy had her theatrical debut last weekend as a maiden in the play Aladdin and His Magical Lamp. Although she was terribly disappointed she didn't have a speaking part (other than a group line), she ended up having a lot of fun. I was very impressed with what Prairie Fire Children's Theater pulls off when they do these residencies. In only a week, they were able to prepare elementary age students to perform a 1 1/2 hour play including a couple songs and quite a lot of dialogue. The two actors from PFCT participated, one played the Evil Magician and the other was the Genie of the Lamp, helping along the kids and leading them to their lines when the students forgot what to say next. They all did a great job and I'm thrilled that Kennedy got to be part of this experience.
The Leads; The Sultan, the tiger, the Vizier, Aladdin, Princess Serena, Harmonia

Kennedy and the rest of the maidens (Serena's ladies in waiting):

Merchants:

Slaves of the Lamp:

Vagabonds:

A terrible picture of the cast:

(No flash photography was allowed during the show so these pictures are all from the photo op they gave us afterward. Not ideal.)

Monster Trucks...

2010-02-04T07:58:00.003-06:00

Last weekend Devon and Lincoln had a guys night out to go see the Monster Truck Nationals. This is something we've talked about taking Devon to for a while now. Last year when they were in town, Lincoln almost took him, but didn't quite get around to doing it. In the end we were relieved because that night a guy was run over and killed at the show. Everyone was buzzing about it and we knew a couple people who were there. It was pretty awful.
So why would we take Devon this year after that? Well, statistics, I guess. What were the odds that it would happen again, at the same arena, a year later? Not likely. So the boys went with another father/son duo we're friends with.

Devon had fun, but apparently those trucks are pretty loud even when you have earplugs in.

They didn't get home until 11pm and Devon was exhausted, but it was a fun male-bonding experience and perhaps a new tradition. Next year maybe Jesse can go too!

Oh Thrifting! How I Adore Thee!

2010-01-27T08:52:00.002-06:00

Check out my cute Eiffel Tower lamp I got at Goodwill:

I love it. I had the shade in storage.

Kennedy's Debut

2010-01-27T08:39:00.003-06:00

This week Kennedy is participating in her first drama production. I am so excited for her! Each year a local drama group comes to the elementary school to help the kids put on a show. (For 5th grade, Kennedy attend the other elementary school in our district, so this is the first time she's had the opportunity to participate.) This year's show is Aladdin. (I think the kids were all a little surprised that the story is a leeeetle bit different from the Disney version.) It's a pretty interesting approach. The Prairie Fire Children's Theater group comes, they meet on Monday to do try-outs and assign parts and begin practice, they practice Tues, Wed, Thurs, have dress rehearsal on Fri followed by opening night on Friday night and a second show on Saturday afternoon. It's pretty intense. They stay after school, have a snack, practice for 2 hours, have a light dinner, and then practice for two more hours. Kennedy was pretty disappointed in the part she got, "just" a chorus part, but I'm really excited for her. I keep trying to tell her how much fun it will be to perform for an audience, regardless of what part she's playing. It's such a rush. So I hope I will be able to get some pictures. Flash photography is not allowed and our videocamera is broken, so we shall see.

Behind Every Great Man Is A Lucky Woman...

2010-01-27T08:31:00.002-06:00

Lincoln recently had to travel to Maryland for work. It was only for one night, leaving Sunday and returning late Monday night, but I hate Monday mornings. It's never easy to get the kids moving for school at the end of the weekend. So I was dreading the whole thing, and missing my husband. Imagine my delight when the doorbell rang mid morning on Monday and a gentleman was standing at my door with these:

It was so nice to know my sweet husband was thinking of me and wanted to brighten my day even while he was away.

Thank you,sweetie!

Good Morning Starshine! The Earth Says "Hello!"

2010-01-27T08:27:00.002-06:00

When I went into Kennedy's room this morning to get her up for school, I discovered that Jesse had snuck in there at some point and his loving sister was using him for a pillow!

Oh What A Beautiful Morning...

2010-01-19T13:04:00.005-06:00

This morning started out like every morning has for the last several days: foggy. I'm talkin' seriously dense fog. The kind of fog that clings to everything and leaves behind a thick hairy frost on everything. (Is that what hoarfrost is?)

Every morning I've thought I should go out and take some pictures before it melts/blows off, but I hadn't gotten around to it. This morning, by the time I was ready to leave for the gym, the sun was shining brightly through the fog.

It had not successfully burned it off yet, but was doing its best. It was absoutely breathtaking. I grabbed my camera so I could snap a few pictures along the drive to the gym.

(My apologies that there is a little squiggle on the pictures. Apparently there is a scratch on the lens of my camera.)

There were these bands of fog.

I couldn't get a good picture of the most beautiful one. There were too many houses in the way. I was at the top of a hill. There was a band of fog in the valley between my vantage point and the crest of the next hill. In the valley was a grove of trees. The sky and air were crystal clear from the top 1/5 of the trees up. The air was also clear at the bottom fifth. But the section in between was shrouded in fog, making the treetops appear as if hovering in the air.

This is the spot, though you can't get the full effect. I had dropped down the hill a bit here, so the perspective is different. And the spot I really was mesmerized by was to the right in the picture, behind the houses.

Trees in the fog:

And best of all, when I came out of the gym, the sun on my face was actually quite warm. Warm enough that the interior of my car was warm as well. Sweet heaven. I needed this.

It Feels Like January Or Something...

2010-01-14T08:14:00.002-06:00

I am tired, discouraged, and unmotivated. I clean my house and it is immediately trashed upon the kids' arrival home. I finally got back to the gym, then Jesse threw up yesterday and Devon is threatening to today and so no workout again. But sadly I'm still feeling the muscle soreness from Tuesday's class anyway. I'm ridiculously tired and I feel like my brain needs to be mucked out. Every day feels very much like the last. There is nothing to anticipate, just day to day grind. I get this every January, i suppose. I think next year for Christmas I want my husband to whisk me away to somewhere beachy and sun-drenched in January. To take a week and run away together. To lay around with no responsibilities, just talking to each other or basking in comfortable silence. I'm desperate for sun on my skin and a good massage.
But January continues, like it or not. I'll do what I usually do- I'll find another project to work on around the house, sneak in an afternoon nap, endure. And soon the blahs will go away. The sun will begin to shed some warmth. All will be well in my world.

Darn January.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T19:37:00.004-06:00

We spent a lovely Christmas here in our home. It was quiet, low-key, low-stress, and just generally pleasant. We did our usual Christmas Eve goodies,

followed by opening our Christmas Eve jammies,

reading the scriptural account of Christ's birth, singing Christmas hymns, hanging our stockings,

and waiting for Santa to come.

Mom and Dad always get to stay up a little later to watch White Christmas.

My two big projects this year were a vanity for Kennedy:(These are copied from my other blog. Nothing new if you've already read these posts there.)

Kennedy is becoming quite the young lady these days. She is beginning to catch on to how to put together a cute outfit, desiring to shower often, taking good care of her skin. We also knew we would be taking her to get her ears pierced (again- the first try didn't take) for Christmas. So I thought it would be nice to give her a vanity for Christmas. Of course, a vanity can be a bit pricey. Even a used one. I started scouring Craig's List adds for an old vanity or desk that I could repurpose as a vanity. Not having much luck, I decided to try Goodwill. There I scored this old desk- the PERFECT specimen for making over into a vanity- for only $14.99.

I loved that the top would open to expose a dropped area, the perfect height for setting all the lotions and potions a woman- or young lady- needs as she's gussying up. What I didn't like was that the surface tucked down in at an angle for storage, then, after opening the top, you could slide it out, tilt it up, and slide it back in flat. In that position, the surface stuck out a few inches. I cut it down so it would rest flush with the front of the vanity, with the intention that it would never be stored down at an angle. I wanted her to be able to keep things stored in there. With the dropped surface flush with the front, I also had to trim some of the height off the front flap of the lid so it could rest on the newly trimmed dropped surface. I think it looks really cute with the scrapbook paper I mod podged to the surface exposed. I also removed the lower, center-back panel of the desk so it would have a lighter, airier look to it.

I purchased a new, but very cheap mirror at Walmart that is the perfect size for the inside of lid. I adhered it with liquid nails. I kept the old hardware and didn't paint it or anything. I like the look of it with the dark border of the mirror and the dark tones of the scrapbook paper.

I also mod-podged the pull-out writing surfaces with scrapbook paper and photos.

I lined the drawers with cute wrapping paper that, you guessed it, I mod-podged into place. (The book was another Christmas gift from us- also appropriate to the theme. It's actually a pretty cute book with some very useful information for any girl on the brink of Young Womanhood. You may also notice a tin with a K on it in the front of the drawer. That is homemade chapstick I made at a church craft day. This being the Mod Podge Christmas, I made a cute label for it, adhered with mod podge. The flower hair clips were also a handmade gift that I did at the same craft day.)

Kennedy loves her gift, and I couldn't be happier about how it turned out.
And a dollhouse bookshelf for Renie:
I've loved these cute dollhouse bookshelves at Pottery Barn for a long time.

I've not loved the $400 + price tag. (They have taller ones for about $800)

But one day as I was sighing over the picture in the catalog, it struck me. I could totally make one of those things! Then I smartened up and I thought, "No! I can just buy a used bookshelf and with a few modifications, repurpose it into one of those things!"

So I bought this for $5 on Craig's List. It is incredibly solid and sound, and the perfect height.

I cut out some windows and doors, painted it, added a floor to, well, the floor, to cover the hole, added some trim, covered the back wall with beadboard to cover up some cracks in the wood, and added a roof and Voila! A dollhouse bookshelf. I stuck with basic stained wood trim so the piece can grow with her and match any room without needing another paint job.

She loves it and I have to admit, I think it's pretty fun too. The kids' only complaint is that Barbies can't stand in it. But it works well for Loving Family dolls, my original intention, and even Polly Pockets. And Barbies manage to squeeze in as well.

Kennedy's Vanity

2009-12-28T22:39:00.001-06:00

Interested in seeing Kennedy's Christmas present? Click on over to Pieces of Molly.

The Weather Outside Is Frightful

2009-12-10T20:41:00.003-06:00

I braved the storm the other night, at least as far as the porch, so I could snap a couple pictures of the blowing snow.

It snowed for about 36 hours straight, but at the time of the pictures it was starting to work up into a fury. We missed seeing most of it because it finished with a bang during the night.

The following day we had a few flurries in the morning that gradually tapered off and petered out. But boy, did the wind blow. I went out around noon to shovel and I had to be very strategic about where I threw the snow or it would blow right back in my face. This picture was taken at about 7:30 in the morning.

Now, a day later, we are facing sub-zero temperatures and even worse wind chills. It was clear and sunny today, blindingly bright. I hope it warms up a bit soon because I'd like to go out and play in this snow, but I am NOT a sub-zero kind of girl!

Miracle on Iowa Street

2009-12-07T08:44:00.005-06:00

Saturday was the annual downtown Christmas celebration. The day is filled with events for families. We began the day at home with a big breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausage. With our bodies full of warm, satisfying food, we set out to do a bit of shopping. The United Methodist Church hosts Santa's Secret Shop each year. It is a fantastic service to the community. You're invited to drop your kids off for an hour to do independent shopping. We take them inside and sign them in with the head elf who gives them a name tag and a number. She then turns each child over to their own personal shopping assistant elf who asks them exactly how many people they need to shop for (you can send them with a list!). They take them downstairs to the shop and help them choose, purchase and wrap their gifts. Gifts are priced $1-10. When shopping is completed, they are escorted to a room where they watch Christmas movies and partake of cookies and hot cocoa until their parents return to pick them up. We gave each of the kids $10 to spend on the sibling whose name they drew this year. When we picked them up they had $18 in change and had purchased a couple things for Lincoln and me as well. We were a little concerned that perhaps they just got junk, but we shall see. I remember thinking the same thing last year and being pleasantly surprised on Christmas morning. They love being able to do this, though. It means so much more to them to go in without Mom and Dad breathing down their necks making suggestions. Plus, Lincoln and I get an hour to do some of our own shopping. (We kept Jesse with us, but he's still totally unaware as we put things in the cart while he's looking the other way.)
After shopping, we came home and had some lunch, then Jesse and Lincoln napped while I took the other kids ice skating. This was a first for everyone but Kennedy.

Let me tell you, I was having some regrets when we first got there. Renie cried from the time I started getting her ready at home, right straight on through the first 45 minutes of skating. Let me back up and say that I was not planning on bringing her at all. She threw a fit about being left behind, so I let her come along. Then she threw a fit about everything she could think of for the next solid hour. Neither she nor Devon could even stand on their skates on the ice at first, so I was dragging them both around, trying to help them get a feel for it. There were little walker things for little kids to use to help them stand, but we couldn't get our hands on one for quite some time. More than once I spotted an abandoned one and sent Kennedy after it and this one little kid kept zipping across the ice and grabbing them right before Kennedy got there--and then used it for herself! I was ready to trip her. Here I am, I haven't been on skates myself in years, and I'm dragging two non-skaters around and can't get to one of those things before the incredibly annoying and obnoxious child. And where is the kid's parent anyway? Another 8 or 9 year old girl was sitting on the ice, not skating, but had 3 adults guarding her claimed apparatus. Kennedy asked for it for us and they wouldn't give it to her. Sometimes I really despise people. My faith in humanity was restored later when this sweet little girl saw us struggling and brought us one. In fact, by the time we were done, 2 or 3 little kids did that.
Kids in a heap.

By the end, Devon was able to skate a bit on his own. He fell a lot, but he did it.

Renie did really well holding my hand, and skated independently a little tiny bit, (after she finally finished her fit.)
She refused to wear the mittens I brought for her, so she didn't like holding onto this cold metal thing. It sure made life easier for me, though!

Julia picked it up very quickly and was soon skating around like an old pro.

In the end, everyone had a great time and can't wait to go again. Everyone wants skates for Christmas now.
We took a Christmas movie break after skating and I made homemade pizza, carmelitas, and hot cocoa for later.
At 6:00 we went to the Christmas parade. We really enjoy this event every year. I'm not sure why, but we do.

Waiting for the parade to start.

Jesse watching up the street for a fire truck. They spaced everything out really far this year. I don't know if it was an attempt to make the parade last longer, but I'd like the powers to be to know that we're fine with a 15 minute winter parade. Really.

The best float was a nod to A Christmas Story.

Renie scored a bird's eye view.

Santa actually showed up in a one horse open sleigh this year.

After the parade we ate the yummys I had made earlier, finished the movie we had started, and played Ticket to Ride with the two big girls. Once the kids were in bed, Lincoln and i snuggled onto the couch with hot cocoa and watched another Christmas movie.

It was a perfect, fun-filled, Christmasy Saturday.

It's Tree-Getting Time Again!

2009-12-02T11:30:00.006-06:00

Unbelievable, but true. We went last Saturday to get not one, but two trees for our home. We debated when to go for the tree. We had gone back and forth and around and around. See, we really wanted to have snow for the outing. It just doesn't seem right to get a tree without trudging through snow. You would think after six years living in NC, this wouldn't be an issue for us anymore. However, it always bothered us then, though we accepted it and looked past it. But now that we live up north again, it just doesn't seem right. There is no snow here. I checked the extended forecast on Friday night and saw that there was a chance of snow the following Friday and Saturday. We decided to wait. Saturday morning, when other plans fell through, (I was supposed to go shopping with my cousin who at that point had been up barfing most of the night), we started thinking again about getting the tree. I checked the forecast again and already the chance of snow was gone. We determined there was certainly no guarantee there would be snow next weekend so we might as well go ahead and get it now.
In the early morning it had been quite chilly, temps in the low30s or upper 20s, so I put hats and gloves and big coats on everyone who would let me and we headed out. By the time we had arrived and started walking out into the trees, it was quite warm.

(Remember this?!)

Lincoln just had on a sweater and the kids had started stripping off layers. The sun was shining brightly- and warmly. We wandered around, inspecting trees, walking a circle around them, judging their size and fullness.

We decided on a lovely, thick tree for the family room, and a smaller, narrower tree for the living room.

Lincoln cut them down easily, this year laying in dirt and mud to do it instead of snow,

and we dragged them back to the barn for binding.

The kids and I went inside for free hot cocoa and Lincoln secured the trees to the top of the car.

As I was standing in line waiting to pay, I struck up a conversation with the lady next to me. We talked a bit about the weather and I expressed to her that we had thought about waiting until next weekend. She said, "Oh no! This weekend is perfect!" Obviously she missed my point that we LIKE to have snow for tree-getting. I will admit, however, that it was easy. No dragging a bundled up toddler through knee-high (to him) snow. No biting wind whipping across the hills. No frozen fingers. No mittens lost in the rows of trees. BUT, there also were no rosy cheeks, no snowball fights, no trail through the snow from the dragging tree, no marshmallow world, no mist of snow blown off the tree in the shaker, no sled rides, and honestly the hot cocoa just seemed superfluous.

I still haven't really gotten a picture of the trees put up. The big tree fell over yesterday and has yet to be properly redecorated.

Snow is in the forecast again for next week. I'm ready for it. I need a little boost to my Christmas Spirit.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-01T10:02:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and considering all the sickness we've had around here, it went pretty well.
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving Renie threw up. Again. After having the barfs a week and a half previous. I was so discouraged! It had been through everyone (but me) and I was convinced we would all be on the mend for Thanksgiving. I still had a glimmer of hope, however. I mean, how likely was it that everyone would go through the whole thing again? On Wednesday, my cousin Karen called me to see how everyone was doing and whether they should still come or not. I told her that Renie had thrown up the day before but would have a full 24 hours to recover before the holiday. She told me she would call in the morning before they came to make sure all was well.
At about 10:00 that night, Devon threw up. That's when I threw in the towel. I quit my preparations for the next day figuring it didn't matter what time things were done because it would just be us anyway. I crawled into bed and read for a while.
I got up Thanksgiving morning and put the turkey in the oven at 7:00. Around 7:30 I called Karen and broke the news to her. We talked things over a bit, trying to convince ourselves that it would be OK for them to come. In the end she said she would talk to her husband and call me back. Ten minutes later she called and said they were coming- on one condition that I had to agree to: If her kids were sick the week that Jamie was gone, I had to help take care of them.
Of course I agreed and my spirits lifted. The Thanksgiving celebration would proceed as planned.
I immediately busied myself with preparations and thanks in great part to my previous planning, organizing and preparing, things went quite smoothly. I was ready on time and the food was mostly still warm.

This year's menu:
Turkey
Cheesy mashed potatoes
Sauteed garlic and sesame seed green beans
Spicy teriyaki mushrooms
Brown bread and squash stuffing
Lavender and honey butternut squash
Gravy
Rolls
(And the Knouses' contributions)
Sweet potatoes with marshmallows
Traditional stuffing
Another turkey

Of course we had a pickle tray (homemade pickles, some really tasty ones and some that none of us were brave enough to try.)
Green and black olives
Black olives in a marinade
Jellied cranberry sauce

We had almost enough pies/cheesecakes for each of us to have our own. 13 people, 9 desserts. Oh, and a loaf of banana bread.

Jamie made a plain cheesecake, a marbled cheesecake(plain and pumpkin- delectable), two pumpkin pies, and the banana bread.

I made a chocolate peanut butter pie, apple cranberry pie, Pumpkin tart with walnut shortbread crust (with a cranberry coulis for the top which was fantastic on the marbled cheesecake, by the way), and a layered pumpkin pie.

We visited and played a game in the evening and then the Knouses headed home early, since Karen had to work the next day.

By Friday night, Karen and Orion were throwing up.
Surely they must have had it in their systems before Thursday, though. It certainly wouldn't have them sick that fast. Right? So we'll see if I have sick kids to watch next week.

I am so thankful to have family nearby to celebrate with.

For many years Karen and I have wished we lived closer to each other. What a blessing to finally have that be a reality. I'm so glad that our kids will have memories of holidays together-

and that we can do the everyday things together as well.

Regurgitation- just had to get that one in...

2009-11-30T07:46:00.003-06:00

Meredith thought it was funny that I labeled the last post with "Barf Fest". She naively asked me if I thought there was a likelihood I would be using that label again. Obviously she wasn't reading this blog back when Barf Fest 2008 took place. Or when we discovered that Barf Fest 2008 was a week-long event. Somehow she must have missed LAST Thanksgiving when we made the trip home to NY and the kids decided to have a Holiday Barf Fest.
And as I was searching my blog for barf posts, (it would have been SOOOO much easier if I had started using the Barf Fest label sooner), I discovered that all in one post I used the terms barf, puke, vomit, and throw up. Wow. That's impressive.

Barf Fest 2009 Thanksgiving Edition

2009-11-24T22:37:00.003-06:00

If you don't follow my daily, sometimes hourly, updates on Facebook or talk to me frequently on the phone, you may not be aware that we've been fighting the barfs here since two Saturdays ago when Renie threw up after her dance recital. She threw up once, slept for several hours, then was fine. We kept her home from church on Sunday as a precaution, then went back to normal on Monday. On Wednesday, Jesse threw up. On Thursday morning he had horrible diarrhea, but acted fine. Friday he did great most of the day, his usual happy self. Then Friday night he threw up again. Saturday he was fine, except the lingering diarrhea. Sunday we all went to church. Sunday afternoon, Julia threw up. She threw up repeatedly into the evening. At bedtime Devon threw up. They both stayed home on Monday. Devon ate heartily by Monday afternoon. Monday night at bedtime, Kennedy threw up. Sometime in the night, Lincoln started throwing up. Tuesday morning, Devon insisted on going to school for fear of missing too much work ( he's in kindergarten). I sent Renie to school as well. Lincoln, Julia, and Kennedy all stayed home. Convinced that everyone was now done throwing up, except, of course, me (please let it miss me. please), I bleached the entire bathroom. Tuesday afternoon, Renie started throwing up. (*Please refer back to where this started. WHAT? WHY IS SHE PUKING AGAIN!!!???)

*Just in case you forgot, Thanksgiving is in 2 DAYS! Ugh!

*A little humor in the situation. Devon went to the bathroom this afternoon. When he came out I asked him if he had diarrhea. (I'm trying to keep close tabs on what everyone is doing in the bathroom).
Devon: No. Why?
Me: I just thought it sounded like you had diarrhea in there. But you didn't?
Devon, raising his eyebrows and kind of shrugging like, "No crazy, woman, I don't know why you'd ask": Nope. Just water-poop.

*Lincoln told Kennedy she would get a prize if she managed to be the only child to not barf on the floor.

*Kennedy will not be receiving a prize.

Dance Recitals

2009-11-17T15:03:00.006-06:00

Saturday was the last day of dance in this session for Julia and Irene. They have both very much enjoyed their classes and have done well in them. Julia seems to really have a knack for dance, she is graceful and coordinated. Renie's "recital" was really more of a demonstration of the skills they have learned. She did very well with her leaps and ballet positions.

(Is that a cute little mug, or what?)

Julia's class performed a dance to "Thriller". It was really good and Julia was fantastic. I'm so frustrated that I had no way to videotape it. But here are a million pictures.

(I'm sorry, is it just me, or is my daughter incredibly beautiful?)

Kennedy's Veteran's Day Program

2009-11-17T14:51:00.002-06:00

The school district always does a nice Veteran's Day program. I attended the one at Kennedy's school because she was selected, after trying out, to sing the harmony part in the songs they performed. Four kids from each class were chosen. She was very excited to be selected, and I'm proud of her for trying out for it.

This is the entire student body, K-4. 5th graders are half the school and were in another spot.

A local Veteran guest speaker.

Jesse found the speaker a little dull.

I know this is blurry and Kennedy's eyes are closed, but it was pretty crowded in there and this was the best shot I got.

More local veterans, the guests of honor.

2009-11-17T14:32:00.002-06:00

My cousin Karen and her family moved to the area back in August. Thrilled to live near each other for the first time in our adult lives, we have tried to get together a couple Sundays a month after church, in addition to any other time we can hang out. Generally, we swap whose house we go to, we combine resources for a dinner, and we play a game or go for a walk or just sit and visit. Last Sunday, the Knouses came to our house and we went for a walk.

Along the way we passed a corn field. Karen told Orion (her 12 year old) that this was his chance to run through a corn field. He looked at her uncertainly. She said, "Go ahead!" He still didn't believe he could really do it, so I took off running into the corn like a maniac. When I stopped to turn around, I could hear lots of crashing footsteps and rustling corn behind me. I moved over a row and started running back. When I got back out I tried to get pictures of everyone as they came out.

There is something about running wild through a corn field that just makes me feel youthful. Once in while I do something like that, something I haven't done in years. Something I have forgotten about or grown out of or haven't had the opportunity to do. Immediately I return to my childhood, to corn fields, to haymows, to horseback riding, to playing in the brook, to rivers, to ice skating on a frozen pond. I am so very grateful for the way of life I experienced growing up. I am grateful for a simple time and a simple place and for a secure, loving family. I've said before that I wish my kids could experience more of the simple joys that I got to as a child, but I am glad that they too are part of a secure, loving family, and that they are experiencing simple joys of their own.

ELP Playdate With Renie

2009-11-17T14:21:00.002-06:00

Those of you who have read along on my blog for the past year or so, know that ELP stands for Early Learning Program. This is the 4 year old kindergarten program at the elementary school here. It's preschool through the school district, free to all 4 year old children in the district. Devon attended last year and already this year with have another child old enough to attend. Once a quarter, the ELP classes invite parents in for a playdate with their child. This first quarter, the playdate focuses on literacy concepts. Renie's teacher, Mrs Davis, had stations set up around the room with fun, educational activities for us to do together. Renie loves school- though she is not a fan of getting READY for school- and it was fun to be with her in her classroom. At home she's one of the little kids, simply by birthright, but at school she is a big kid. We had fun doing puzzles, cutting our names out of play dough, writing our names in magnets, and having a snack together.

A Boy and His Bologna...

2009-11-17T14:16:00.003-06:00

Jesse wanted some bologna the other day. It wasn't lunch or snack time, so I told him no and continued about my business. When I returned to the kitchen, this is what I found:

The poor lad hugging the entire contents of the bologna package.

Be Jealous, Be Very Jealous.

2009-11-09T22:48:00.003-06:00

This past week was a rough one in terms of my parenting partnership with Lincoln. Monday and Tuesday he had to work late in preparation to be away from the office on Wednesday. Wednesday was his birthday, so I felt like it should be his day off from domestic responsibilities. (He didn't really take it off, he's always helpful, but I didn't feel like I should ask anything of him.) We had anticipated him returning late from Chicago that day, so we planned his birthday celebration for Thursday night. I spent Thursday preparing for the evening, baking bread and making cheesecake. The rest of the evening we celebrated his birthday. Friday night Lincoln went to a game night with "the guys". Saturday morning, Lincoln went fishing. I knew he wouldn't be back until at least noon, because immediately after fishing he was going to help Karen and Jamie get a piano an hour away.

So this gets me to my story.

Saturday morning the kids woke up around 6:45. (Maybe earlier, but that was when they came upstairs and roused me.) I told them to go eat breakfast and wake me up at 7:30. I rolled over and curled up in my nice, warm, comfy bed, looking forward to another 1/2 hour of rest. Ten minutes later they came in the door, and excitedly surprised me with this:

I was bitter about being awakened before 7:30, but how can you be angry when your kids have been so sweet? I thought Julia's candles were a nice touch. Don't be fooled! They are actually cheesesticks! (I didn't eat them because we hadn't had any cheesesticks in the house for weeks, to my knowledge.)

I sat up in bed and began to munch my toast. Approximately 2 minutes had passed since the surprise, when I heard Jesse and Devon fighting about my grape juice that I had requested they leave in the kitchen for me, to avoid spilling it in my room. Approximately 2.5 more seconds passed before I heard the glass hit the kitchen floor. Ready to weep, I called, "Please tell me that wasn't grape juice hitting the floor!" Renie ran to investigate for me and reported, "Yup, Mom. It's grape juice spilled all over." I moaned and left my warm cocoon to stomp to the kitchen and sop up sticky grape juice. I cleaned and lectured no one in particular, then returned to my bed to eat and hide. Approximately 1.5 minutes passed before I heard the tell-tale splatter of liquid once again hitting the floor. Incredulously, I lept from my bed and found Jesse's cup of grape juice emptied on the kitchen floor. I still don't know if it was an accident or a deliberate act to empty his cup to make way for water. I do know that my cleaning was not very thorough when completed with blurry morning eyes. The floor was sticky for several hours until I got up the energy to tackle it again.

So lesson learned. It's not a good idea to attempt to sleep in when the children are awake and the husband is away. Duly noted.

Another Blog

2009-11-09T22:42:00.002-06:00

Ok folks, I've started another blog. That doesn't change the staus here, I just thought it would be nice to have a spot to dump all my projects into, gathered in one place. If you're interested in seeing what I'm doing around the homestead, come over and check it out. piecesofmolly.blogspot

A Visit From Jack Frost...

2009-11-05T08:07:00.002-06:00

We had a pretty hard frost last night, or at least, a thick one. Roofs, cars, grass, mailboxes, patio furniture, all of it was covered in thick, fuzzy frost this morning. It was really pretty and actually helped put me in the Christmas spirit. When Lincoln takes the kids to school in the morning, I stand at the front window and wave as they drive away. As they walked out the door and down the sidewalk to the car this morning, all three of them (Devon, Julia, and Renie), stopped to touch the frosty grass. Not a huge thing, but a small, beautiful moment, that served to lift me over the frustration and desperation I've been feeling with my kids lately. In that one, innocent act, they reminded me about the joy of being a child, the curiosity, and wonder of still being new to this world and trying to learn and enjoy every minute of it. It made me grateful to be their Mom, humbled by the magnitude of the responsibility, eager to be better. I don't know how I can possibly be for them all that I want for them, but renewed by this simple, early morning observation, I will try.

Halloween Festivities...

2009-11-01T11:06:00.007-06:00

This could potentially be a very long post. If only I was better at posting more often...

Last Monday we carved our pumpkins.
We usually reserve the last Monday before Halloween as our Pumpkin Carving Family Home Evening.
Without fail we underestimate how long it will take us to carve pumpkins with/for 5 kids and the kids get to bed ridiculously late.
This year we didn't even manage to get a fifth one done for Jesse. He just kind of had fun getting his hands into everybody else's pumpkins.

The final results:

On Friday night we hosted our annual Halloween Party. This is so much fun. All of our guests are such good sports about coming in costume and bringing a pie for the bake-off. We had 10 delicious pies to eat this year, along with the sugar cookies, popcorn, and doughnuts I made.

A close-up of my punk chick costume. That nose stud is a screw back clip on earring. It was my grandmother's. I wish she could have seen this!

Karen as a biker chick and the full shot of my punk look. Do we look tough or what?

Alexis and Kennedy after the mummy-wrapping race:

The Howells as hard rockers. Kym and I both kept flashing people the hardcore "I love you" sign.

Me and Balloon Boy

Wall-E, my pick for best overall costume. Drew and her big sisters put a lot of work into this one!

The Mario Brothers, better known in our circle as the Pimentels!

The Deckers. The Deckers won best costume last year and could easily win every year. Melissa made these costumes! Sooooo talented! The whole family was dressed in Sleeping bEauty costumes. Mason as the prince, Megan as Aurora, and Jesse was my pick for funniest as the fairy Meriwether!

The Waterfall Family. In costume? Or just concerned about a Swine flu outbreak at the party?

The Prowses won funniest costume. They were pretty hilarious- Spencer in his painfully tight pants, Michelle with her hairy mole.

The Mayorgas showing off their perfected Goth Death Stare:

The Sandstroms. Billy's Robin costume was fantastic, even if I couldn't look him in the eye all night because he was wearing tights!

And the full shot of Balloon Boy:

Trick-or-treating was pretty chilly this year. OK, it was downright cold. Luckily, I got the job of staying home to bake bread, boil stew, and hand out candy.

Kennedy was the Bride of Frankenstein:

Julia was Cleopatra:

Devon as Obi Wan Kenobi:

Irene the wingless, wandless, crownless, flower fairy:

And Jesse. He refused to wear the costume we had for him, despite the fact that he insisted he was going to be "Dark Bader". (He would even sing the Imperial March after saying that). So we forced him into this Spiderman costume. Alas, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. He refused to trick-or-treat. Instead, he stayed home and took over candy distributing duties:

Testing the goods:

After trick-or-treating with the Knouses, we had a warm dinner of stew in bread bowls, witches fingers, eyeballs, Halloween shaped jell-o jigglers, meatballs, and candy.

I enjoy Halloween but I find it a bit exhausting! It's nice to lay low today and start looking forward to the winter holidays!

The Final Tally...

2009-10-23T10:43:00.002-05:00

Ok, I've just completed inventory and here are the numbers for this year of growing, picking, preserving.

Freezer:
(8) 1/2 pints of jam (strawberry-rhubarb)
8 pints of jam (strawberry and raspberry)
4 quarts of beans
2 quarts or rhubarb
1 quart of peppers

Pantry:
5 pints of jam (strawberry and raspberry)
15 pints grape jelly
40 quarts of green beans
14 quarts of tomatoes
6 pints of relish
9 pints of salsa
11 quarts of pickles
3 pints of pickles
3 quarts of rhubarb
10 pints of carrots
2 1/2 pints of apple butter

All the beans came from my little garden. The peppers and tomatoes for the salsa came from my garden, as well as the carrots and quart of frozen peppers. The canned tomatoes came from a friend's father-in-law, the rhubarb from a friend's garden, cucumbers came from a couple friends as well. The dill for the pickles was from my garden, though. The jams and jellies were from produce I picked at farms, and the apples for apple butter I purchased at a fruit farm. Next year I'd like to finally do applesauce. This year I felt too burned out. I am very happy with the results, though. Next year I think I will skip the green onions and grow regular onions. I'd also like to try to find room for potatoes. I don't think I will bother with peas next year, but I'm thinking of doing a few more root veggies. Maybe a few beets and turnips.

So happy harvest to all. Time to close down the garden until next year!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-21T08:19:00.004-05:00

Last Thursday I got to go on a field trip with Devon. The weather did not quite cooperate, but we had a great time anyway. It was something like 39 degrees and raining, but we dressed for the weather in warm winter coats, hats, and gloves. We had seven parent chaperones per class, so I only had Devon and one other boy, Alex, in my group.

The first thing our class did when we arrived, was go in the barn to watch a video about pumpkins. It takes a hundred days to grow a pumpkin, apparently. Devon didn't find this information too thrilling and a fell asleep. Not really, but for some reason he pretended he was asleep when I took the picture.

Next, our class got to hang out in the play yard while we waited for our turn in the corn maze.

The corn maze was quite an adventure. The paths are dirt. In the rain they were mud. Very sticky Wisconsin clay mud. Kids were slipping, sliding, falling in it. It would build up on the bottoms and sides of our boots, big, sticky, lumps.

After cleaning up the kids as best we could with baby wipes, we played around a little longer, waiting for our turn on the wagon ride out to where the pumpkins were.

We enjoyed the wagon ride with the friendly farmer, though the seats were wet. The benches were covered with plastic garbage bags, so I just shook off the excess water, wiped it with my glove, and we were good to go. I was amazed at how much a lot of the other folks were complaining. But then I realized, back to my earlier comment, that Devon and I had really dressed appropriately and that makes a world of difference. It's a lot easier to have fun that way!

Devon found the perfect pumpkin.

Here I am with my two little charges. It was so much fun, even though the weather was less than desirable. I love having the opportunity to spend time with one of my kids that way. It's fun to see them in their home away from home environment. And it's fun to be able to give them all my attention. (Yes, I paid attention to Alex. Even paying attention to your child's friend can be giving your child attention.)

A Project I've Been Working On...

2009-10-20T11:36:00.006-05:00

I wish you could really get an idea of how nasty these were from the before pictures. They were chippy, mildewy, stinky, and stained. Perhaps if you click on the picture of the chair you'll get a better idea. But I loved the lines and WOW! these things are solid! I scrubbed, sanded, painted, and recovered them. I tried to go with a fun, colorful look since these are for playing games in the basement. I bought the set for $40 on Craigs List. All the paint I already owned. The vinyl for the seats cost about $2.50. So the big expense was the slipcover to cut up for the fabric seat covers. I bought a couch slipcover (the same as the one on my couch) and have been using it for different projects in the basement.

I actually sanded off the entire tabletop finish and restained in a darker, red mahogany.

My favorite detail is the tie on the back.

And that $20 Craigs List dresser in the background? Watch for a makeover of that as well.

The Big Race...

2009-10-14T18:44:00.007-05:00

Last weekend my parents stopped here on their way back to NY from Montana to babysit our kids while Lincoln and I headed north to run our first races. You may recall that I've been preparing for a 5K since July. Now, I know, most people could prepare for a half or full marathon in that amount of time, but for me, this was a huge step.
Lincoln got out of work early on Friday so we could drive the 6 hours north to Ashland, WI.
The funniest sign ever. We saw this in Hurley, WI at a restaurant:(Lincoln's favorite joke about the sign, Once you get married you just don't get ho-made meals anymore!)

Ashland is right on Lake Superior. We met up with the rest of our group at the cabin. Jo and Kevin Busby, Spencer and Michelle Prows, and Kym and Jeff Howell.

Our little cabin in the big woods, and the view of the lake:

After a night of restless sleep, we awoke at 5:45 to throw our clothes on and head out to the start line. We stepped outside into a winter wonderland. It had snowed in the night and it was still coming down.

The wind was blustery and cold and I wondered what on earth I was thinking. I don't even like to run! But I sure like to sleep in my cozy bed or read a good book by the fire. We drove the 20 minutes into town, parked, and then hopped on our buses to our start lines. Jeff and I were the only two from our group doing the 5K. By the time we arrived at our start line, it was light out and the snow had stopped. By the time we started our race the sun was trying to peek through. Standing at the start line, waiting the 1/2 hour for the race to start, reluctant to give up my coat, I continued to ask myself why. Once I got started, my legs felt like lead and within the first 1/4 mile I thought there was no way on earth I would be able to do my 3.1 miles. But, by the time I had finished one mile I wasn't quite so frozen anymore, and by the time I had completed the second mile I was determined to jog the whole thing or die trying. There were a few intense power-walkers who passed me, but I pushed through maintaining my pace and completed it in my usual time. I was worried that my pace was slower, but I guess not. Jeff was at the finish line to cheer me on, which I really appreciated since Lincoln was in the middle of his 10K. After I finished, Jeff headed to the marathon trail to find Kym and I waited for Lincoln's finish. It was so fun to see him come running in and finish up his first race.

We took a quick spectator break at this point, ran to get some breakfast and hot cocoa, then returned to the finish line to see the Busbys,

the Prowses,

and our friend Luly

complete the half-marathon. Then we took off to try to find Kym on the full-marathon trail. After waiting near a water station for an hour in the cold wind (it was now only sunny in short spurts), we finally got to see her and cheer her on.
Mile 21.6 She had just downed 3 Aleve in an attempt to dull the pain of her aching knees.

Then we raced to the next spectator spot to see her again. Jeff was at this point and he went down the trail to meet her and run a mile or so with her.

(A little aside, Jeff had been trying to locate Kym most of the day so he had seen many of the marathoners at various points on the trail. He was on a first-name basis with many of them by this point and was high-fiving people left and right. It was pretty cool.) We hurried to the finish line and witnessed Kym's triumphant completion of her first marathon.

The rest of the day everyone was plumb tuckered out. Some of us from running 26 miles, some of us from standing out in the freezing wind for 6 hours. We dragged ourselves out for a late dinner in the evening

and then crashed into bed immediately upon returning to the cabin.
Sunday morning we woke and got on the road right away, arriving home to Mom's boiled dinner and good company.
Did I mention that Saturday, the day of the race, was our 11th anniversary? What a fantastic way to spend our anniversary.
Thanks again, Mom and Dad, for watching the kids for us. We couldn't have done it without you!

A Visit To Our Old Stomping Grounds...

2009-10-04T20:25:00.005-05:00

Lincoln and I just returned from a quick trip to North Carolina. Thanks to wonderful friends and family, we were able to leave our kids in WI in good hands so we could have a few days to ourselves. Some of you may recall that Lincoln got us tickets to a U2 concert for my Mother's Day gift this year. Well, this was that trip.

We left Wednesday morning after delivering kids to school and babysitters. It was a bright, sunny, fall day- perfect for traveling. We drove all day through Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and on into North Carolina. It was strange and exciting to be on the road without kids. We were able to talk uninterrupted for 15 hours straight. We could stop at a restroom and be in and out in 3 minutes. There was no bickering, no complaining, no unscheduled bathroom stops, no buckling and unbuckling of car seats, no begging for drinks or snacks. Just me and my best friend on a road trip together.

We stopped in Asheville, NC, planning to get up in the morning and drive the Blue Ridge Parkway to Blowing Rock. After a delicious night of rest in a tasteful hotel, we got packed back up, grabbed breakfast at a diner, and got on the road in the amount of time it would have taken us to get everyone dressed if we had brought the kids along.

In hindsight, the scenic drive from Asheville was a bit long. Most of our morning was taken up with driving the parkway, limiting our time to hang out in Blowing Rock. The drive was beautiful, though. The morning started out chilly and cloudy, but within a few minutes of getting on the road, the clouds burned off and we were bathed in golden sunshine. We stopped to climb a short trail along the parkway and marveled at the beauty around us.

After a while on the Parkway, we decided it might be quicker to get on a bigger road to drive the rest of the way to Blowing Rock. I think it may have been true, but the road wasn't a whole lot better. Lincoln spent a solid hour and a half maneuvering our car through the switchback route through the mountains.

Just outside of Boone, NC, we made our first destination- the Mast General Store. This has always been one of our stops when we head to that area. This time was no exception. We bought a big old basket of candy from the candy barrels to bring home to the kids. We drove on into Blowing Rock and enjoyed a leisurely walk through the downtown shops. We drove out to the Blowing Rock and enjoyed the views.

Our descent from the mountains down to Charlotte was slow going, especially when we reached the interstate and city traffic. Softened by a couple of years of country living, we were not impressed with the gridlock and wondered how we had been able to stand living there. We reflected on how traffic adds so much stress-and time- to everyday activities that otherwise wouldn't be stressful at all.

We arrived that evening at my sister, Luella's house. She had a delicious roast dinner ready for us. We filled our bellies and relaxed for the evening. My brother Derek and his family came over to join us for the evening. We visited and hot-tubbed in the backyard. Losing the opportunity to hang out with my siblings like that on a regular basis is one of my biggest regrets about not living in NC any more.

Friday we drove around our old stomping grounds. We shopped as long as we wanted at a bookstore, ate at Firehouse subs (I've missed those subs), and even did a little car shopping. Mostly we just enjoyed driving around the area. By day #2 we were remembering that you get used to the traffic and it's not that bad, especially when you don't have to be on the interstate at rush hour.

A picture of our old house in NC

Friday evening we went out to dinner with our friends Joe and Anita. We had so much fun catching up and being silly. Oh how we miss them! We kept them up much too late, but we wanted to cram in as much time with them as we could.

Saturday morning we slept in again, then went to breakfast at Lue and Tom's favorite greasy spoon, Penny's Place. Breakfast was yummy, though I would pay for it later. We hit a few garage sales, then headed back to Lue's to load up the car and say our goodbyes.

We had a lovely stay at Luella's, though it was much too short. She has a beautiful home that is tastefully decorated. She put us up in a comfortable guest room with all of our needs met. That was nice, but what I miss is being with her and sharing our connection.

We drove 1/2 an hour north to Derek's house, arriving in time to join him for lunch. Stillman, my nephew, was just rising from a nap so the timing was perfect. We spent a couple hours visiting and playing with Stillman. What a cute little tank he is! He is a ball of energy in constant motion, running tipsy across the room, belly-flopping on the floor, rolling, twisting, hopping, leaping. He has gigantic dark eyes, making him look always intrigued and curious about the world around him. I dare say, however, that judging by the light behind his eyes, it's not just a look.

Sophia is due with their next baby, Zoe, who will arrive in just a few days. I'm so sad that our trip didn't coincide with her birth. Sophia looks fantastic, just a tiny little thing with a basketball under her dress. Like a fool, I didn't get a picture of them all together. I was a slacker with the camera this time, I'm afraid.

After a much too brief visit, we had to get on the road to Raleigh for our concert that evening. We arrived a little late to the concert, but the opening band was still playing. I'm actually glad we didn't arrive any earlier. U2 put on a fantastic show. It was so much fun. I seriously could have stood there another couple hours soaking it up. In fact, now I wish I could catch them again this tour...but I will just be grateful for the opportunity I got to see them at all.

Lincoln drove straight through the night to get us home at a decent hour on Sunday. I slept most of the way, though I did take a turn driving in the morning. Not much conversation took place on that end of the weekend, needless to say. Thanks again to everyone who helped us out with the kids and everyone who hosted and hung out with us in NC.

Fall Family Fun

2009-09-28T18:10:00.004-05:00

Saturday we did our 2nd Annual Grape Picking Pecks Market Extravaganza. Well, an abbreviated version of it, anyway. It was sunny, with a hint of cool in the air, about 72 degrees. After doing Saturday morning chores and having lunch, we loaded into the car and drove to Oakwood Fruit Farm. Last year we kind of accidentally stumbled onto this place and ended up loving it. We wandered around a little in the market first, taking advantage of the opportunity to each try a sample apple from the variety of our choice. I had an absolutely perfect Jonamac. Just the right balance of tart and sweet, firm, crisp, bright white flesh, tender and tasty skin. Sooo good. Then after a bit of browsing, we headed out to the vineyard to pick our grapes. I just love being out there on a lovely fall day, the scent of the grapes filling the air. The kids darted around under the leafy vines cutting bunches of grapes that filled our boxes quickly.
It ends up being the perfect amount of pick-your-own fun for our family. It matches the attention span of our little ones perfectly. In no time at all we had 16 pounds of grapes. We carried our boxes back to be weighed, picked out a bushel of apples, and selected some treats we couldn't resist. It has become part of the tradition to buy the kids some yummy caramel apples. Lincoln picked out a box of the best toffee I've ever tasted in my life, and we grabbed a bag of fresh, squeaky cheese curd. We snacked on our treats in the car on the drive to Pecks Farm Market and Petting Zoo. Once we arrived we wandered around feeding the animals, walking through spook houses, playing on the playground, and jumping in the bounce house. This year we even took the horse drawn wagon ride.

We did all that for free. Soo fun, and you can't beat the price! We didn't do the corn maze yet. We're thinking we'll challenge another family to a race through the corn maze later in the season.

Halloween Decor...

2009-09-28T18:00:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to do one of these spooky vignettes for a while and this year I finally got around to it. I bought a bunch of frames at Goodwill for about .99 each. i also found a candelabra that looked like it would work with the look. I spray painted them all black, then added old photos and creepy prints I found online. Throw in the skulls, a few plastic spiders, the ratty runner, and a raven I purchased last year, and I've got the look I was going for. I need to replace one print though. Nobody thinks the freak show poster of an albino family works. I just wanted something that wouldn't be too scary, just different. The votes are in, however, so I'll find something else.

Renie's Fourth Day Of School

2009-09-22T21:53:00.002-05:00

I really wanted to get a picture of Renie getting off the bus on her first day of school. Unfortunately, I wasn't right out there when the bus arrived, so by the time I got down the sidewalk she was already off the bus. The next day, I was out there, but she still came so fast I couldn't get the shot. I prepped her the next morning and told her to wait on the steps of the bus so I could take the picture. That day, at the last minute I took Devon to get immunizations and wasn't home when she got off the bus. I forgot to ask Lincoln to get the picture. Finally, on the fourth day, I was home, Renie was prepped, and I was outside waiting when the bus arrived. It was worth the hassle, she's pretty darn cute!

Curse These Fruit Flies!

2009-09-20T10:04:00.002-05:00

We have had an ongoing fruit fly problem ever since I canned tomatoes about a month ago. A bunch came with the very ripe tomatoes that a friend's father in law brought me. In the weeks following, I have had a lot of produce from our garden, as well as the usual fresh fruit from the supermarket, passing through my kitchen. Yesterday I had reached my breaking point with the little buggers when I lifted Kennedy's head of cabbage from the counter and a whole swarm of them lifted into the air. I got online and looked for some extermination tips. I'm pleased to say that the simple remedy made from ingredients found in every kitchen is working like a charm.

So here's what you do:

Put a cup of apple cider vinegar in a cup/jar/bowl/bottle
Add a couple drops of dish soap.
Cover with plastic wrap (for good measure, it would work without, I think.)
Poke four or five holes in the plastic wrap.
Set it on the counter and watch those pesky little buggers die.

I couldn't believe how many fruit flies came hastily to the jar as I was getting this ready. Apparently apple cider vinegar is some sort of delicacy for them. The flies follow the sweet aroma through the holes in the plastic wrap. They try to alight on the liquid, but the dish soap has changed the surface tension so they fall in and drown. The plastic wrap helps keep the ones in there that enter but don't get sucked in. My kitchen was almost fruit fly free (say that 5 times fast!) by the end of the day, save the few that continue to hatch, I assume (yuck). (Did you know that a fruit fly lays 500 eggs in one sitting?!) I'll keep my little trap out until they are all gone.

Stand for Truth and Righteousness...

2009-09-18T08:20:00.002-05:00

Kennedy came home from school a couple days ago and said, "Mom! Know what I did today?" After I made a few silly guesses, she informed me that she had talked to her teacher and explained to him that it made her uncomfortable when people in the class take the Lord's name in vain. He agreed with her and said he didn't like that either, and he put in place a new rule in the classroom that no one should say it.

I was so proud of her for having the courage to say something. I was also very pleased that her teacher was so responsive. I'm glad that she feels so comfortable in her class and with him that she can express ideas and feelings that might be difficult to share in a less friendly environment. I have a feeling 5th grade might be a year she will always remember fondly and her first male teacher might end up being one of her favorites!

Whatchyou laughing at, dimple tush?

2009-09-16T09:39:00.002-05:00

So my 2 year old completely destroyed my self-esteem yesterday by laughing hysterically at me when he happened into the bathroom while I was naked. "I see your b*tt! Hahahahahahah!" This was accompanied by lots of pointing and taunting. I've never gotten dressed so fast before.

It's summer...

2009-09-10T08:16:00.006-05:00

Finally summer has found us here in the northern reaches of the country. It was hardly warm enough to wear shorts all summer vacation. Now that school has started we are getting our Indian Summer.

Sunny and 75-80 degrees. I love Indian Summer. Just when you begin to feel that summer has passed and fall is in the air- BAM! Indian summer comes along and gives you one last taste of soaking up sunshine and dabbling toes in cool water before the Big Change officially occurs. Today after school we'll have to make a trip to the state park to do just that.

The night before school started, we had a Family Night gearing up for school. We talked about goals and expectations for the school year- including revamping of chore charts and Saturday morning family chores- and Lincoln gave each of the children father's blessings for guidance, comfort, and success in the coming academic year. For refreshments I made caramel apples. You know, September, teachers, apples, it seemed appropriate. I made my own caramel for the first time. It tasted great, but perhaps I could have cooked it a little longer to get a slightly thicker result. But it did the job. We dipped them in chocolate and M&Ms. Yummy!

I have a tweenie..

2009-09-09T14:40:00.003-05:00

Well, it has happened. I have now been a mother for a DECADE! My beautiful firstborn is ten. She is emotional, moody, and somewhere in between barbies and boys. She has Naired (is that a word?) her legs, wears a training bra, but still cries when she doesn't get her way. Tweenie, I tell ya. Seriously, though, she is definitely growing up. I love that she loves to read, that she is aware of the consequences of her choices, that she really is trying to be good. Sometimes the lower half of her tweenieness takes over and she struggles with choosing the right, or her emotional, hormonal half takes over and she is weepy and racked with guilt over those same choices. But she is learning and she is becoming a young woman right before our very eyes.

For her birthday dinner Kennedy requested lasagna, homemade bread, and corn.

For dessert she asked for raspberry apple crisp. This was a welcome break from birthday cake, in my opinion. Three birthdays in a little over a month is a lot of cake.

For her birthday we finally got Monopoly. She also got a Hannah Montana book, and let's not forget the tickets to see American Idols Live. (We went the night after her birthday- a post of its own. We had a LOT of fun.)

Galena IL and Dubuque IA

2009-09-07T21:35:00.005-05:00

We had absolutely gorgeous weather today for Labor Day. We packed the cooler, loaded up the kids, and took off for Galena, Illinois. We've been wanting to check out Galena for some time. We had heard it was a pretty, historic town, with an old downtown full of fun shops. (For my North Country readers, think Lake Placid. For my NC readers think Blowing Rock.) We met the Knouse family at 9 a.m. and set out together.

The Tatro family has never met a popcorn shop we didn't like.

The Dowling House. I believe the sign said it was the oldest residence in Galena.

An original cobblestone street.

A picnic in the park. As we were walking around the shops in Galena we got more than one comment about "a whole classroom of kids" and "a busload". Two families, nine kids. People were impressed.

The old depot.

I love the old fire station.

After walking around Galena and having our picnic, we headed to Dubuque, Iowa, just 15 minutes up the road. We first went to The Mines Of Spain Recreation Area. It's a great spot overlooking the Mississippi River.

Then we went into Dubuque and walked along the Mighty Mississip a little bit.

I took about a bajillion pictures- I'll probably post a bunch on facebook if anyone is interested in seeing more. It was a perfect day. I always enjoy visiting historic towns with interesting old buildings and fun shops. It's so fun to have Karen and her family here to do it with!

Julia's birthday, baptism, and party

2009-09-02T07:59:00.006-05:00

Julia's birthday was August 6th. Since her eighth birthday is a milestone year (getting baptized), she got to have a friend birthday party. What that translates to is several celebrations. A family birthday on the actual day, a friend birthday party, and baptism day and celebration. For her family birthday, I made cupcakes- bugs and frogs.

Julia and Kennedy have birthdays a month apart. This year we got them both tickets to see American Idols Live in Madison.

Carson thoroughly enjoyed the cupcakes and minty ice cream.

On August 9th Julia was baptized. Grandpa gave the talk on baptism, Grandma spoke about the Holy Ghost, Sister Luly Rasmusson gave a prayer, Aunt Nichelle gave a prayer, Julia and Mom did a special musical number, Uncle Jonathan was the accompanist, Daddy confirmed her assisted by Uncle Jonathan, Grandpa, Jim Deitrich, Billy Sandstrom, and Woo Hong.

For Julia's friend party she found a cake online that she liked- bug mountain. Basically a chocolate cake mound made to look like dirt with fake bugs all over it. Not the most beautiful thing. Here's my take on it.

We went to the state park for the party. The idea was to go to the beach and hunt for frogs and go on a scavenger hunt. It was very chilly, however. The kids still got in the water- in their clothes- but when they got out they were pretty cold. The water felt warm because the air was so chilly. So then we had a bunch of wet, freezing kids who had to huddle together to stay warm. We passed on the scavenger hunt. We had grilled hot dogs, potato chips, and lemonade.

Here I'm snuggling a frozen little Renie-boo.

Julia is excited about her Webkin from the Molldrems.

Here's the crew waiting for dinner.

And last, but actually before the gifts and certainly not least, the cake. It was difficult to keep all those fingers out of the cake and all the bugs in place until cake time.

Just as we were finishing up the sun peeked out, too little too late. I think all the kids had fun, though.

Back a few weeks ago...

2009-09-02T07:50:00.002-05:00

Kennedy participated in the Parks and Recreation Program's two week dance camp (for $10!) They put on a recital on the last day. Kennedy looks forward to this camp each year and really has a great experience with it. For some reason, Julia chose not to participate this year.
That's Kennedy in the middle of the group on the left.

For the finale, the older kids were paired with a younger kid as their dance partner. We managed to pick the perfect seats- they danced in the aisle right next to us.

Strike a pose.

It's back to school time in America's Dairyland...

2009-09-01T20:50:00.002-05:00

Kennedy was the first to leave today. Because she attends 5th grade at a different elementary school, she has to be at the school at 7 am to catch the bus to the other school. (All fifth graders in the district go to the other school.) She will be up and ready to leave by the time the others are waking up.

The next crew leaves the house at 7:30. Lincoln drives them to school on his way to work. That means that handsome little fella in the jammies gets to stay home and have some one on one time with Mommy four mornings a week.

Julia is now in third grade and as of the end of day one, she loves her teacher and is very excited about the school year.

Devon is in kindergarten this year. That means he has made the transition to a full day and full week of school. Though he was reluctant today to go for his 15 minute Meet The Teacher, he overcame his anxiety and says he likes his teacher.

Renie gets to have her first taste of school this year in the Early Learning Program, or 4-K. She will go mornings four days a week. When she gets home she'll have lunch with Jesse and me, then Jesse will go down for a nap and Renie will get afternoon one on one time with Mommy.

Everyone seems excited for the school year, though tomorrow is Devon's first actual day of class and Thursday is Renie's. I think they will both settle in well and have fun this year.

Renie's Birthday

2009-08-19T21:51:00.004-05:00

Let me start by saying that with three girls in the family, this little doll cake set has been a sound investment.

So back at the end of July, Renie turned four. My little firecracker girl has definitely made the transition from toddler to preschooler. This is one headstrong, independent, bold little girl. She is not easily intimidated or pushed around. She doesn't care who it is, she will set her jaw and stand her ground. Not necessarily an ideal trait in a 4 year old, but I'm banking on it being an asset one day. As long as I can teach her what is worth standing her ground for, and she doesn't use it for evil. Renie is beautiful and funny and her strong personality demands attention and holds a huge place in our family. (Typical middle child, right?)

Renie's birthday dinner was homemade pizza, a popular choice with the whole family.

Blowing out the candles was a little tricky because her thoughtless mother spread them around the cake.

I was babysitting that day as I made the cake. Normally, when I'm making a birthday cake, I like to have the house to myself so i can concentrate and create. Well, with my kids PLUS two extras, that didn't happen. Instead I was here with 6 kids ages 2,3,4,5,7,8. Carson, the three year old, asked me AT LEAST 6 million times if it was time to eat the mermaid cake. Every time I turned my back, some kid was trying to stick their fingers in the cake or swipe some of my fondant. But, other than a few fingerprints in the frosting, she survived until the proper time for consumption.

Gift time:

So the scooter is from her father and I. Kind of. My neighbor brought over this scooter thinking that maybe Renie would like it. It was still in the box. And it was a week before her birthday. I said thank you and put it up on a shelf in our closet, then wrapped it up and gave it to her for her birthday. Is that wicked of me?

A mermaid barbie from her siblings

Giving the scooter a test run on the hill out front.

Happy Birthday my beautiful little handful! You have challenged me in new ways as a mother, but I love your powerful little personality. Thanks for being ours and making us laugh.