Problem Solver

Just to prove the 'ol blog isn't dead...

On the way to see Santa this morning, I did one last check of the kids' lists to make sure we were all on the same page.  Apparently, we weren't.  It went something like this...

Me: Myka, what are you going to ask Santa for?
Myka: Colored paper, tape, and Polly Pocket Dolls.  (more on that another time)
(pause)
Myka: and can I ask Santa for a puppy?
Me: Youuuuu can...
Kurt: (quickly) but he won't bring it since we already have a dog.
Myka: Oh.
Me: Eli, what are you going to ask for?
Eli: A drum because mine doesn't work and walkie talkies because I don't have that.
Me: Sounds like a good idea.
Eli: And I'm going to ask Santa to bring me a new mommy, that isn't allergic to cats.  So then we can get a cat.

Growing

In spite of the heat, our garden has been doing surprisingly well this summer.  After growing up with flowers, vegetables, plants, and apples (oh, the apples) all around me I figured if I hadn't gotten into it by now I never would.  I have horrible memories of picking raspberries and not being sure if the red dripping from my fingers was berry juice or my own blood.  And I know I tripped over and fell into the rose bushes at least twice.  Don't even get me started on picking up mushy apples.

But this house is where we have finally committed to a garden and we are all really enjoying it.

Last year we planted a pumpkin in the middle of our raised bed of tomatoes.  We quickly realized pumpkins need a little more space as it took over a third of our yard.  This year we dug up a bed all along the side and back of the house and planted three seeds from last years pumpkins (shhh, don't tell Monsanto) and did our best to turn them to where we wanted them to grow as they spread.  It worked out and we have a fun green border all around our back yard.  The first pumpkin started right in the corner behind the sunflower in the picture.

A couple of weeks ago, Kurt noticed some strange scratches in the side of the pumpkin.

We knew we had a rabbit living under the air conditioner, but were surprised to find he might have been brave enough to venture through the pumpkin patch.  We also considered that it might be Tetley, although we had no idea why he would care.

Then, about a week after that, we found three of these.

It turns out that mama rabbit had burrowed herself a hole UNDER our first pumpkin in the corner.  We didn't realize that's where the nest was until Kurt noticed that as the pumpkin grew rounder, it kept getting shorter as the rabbits moved out and the pumpkin fell in the hole.

Mama and at least one baby are still hopping around back there.  Tetley goes to look for them every time he is let outside.  I've stood and watched twice as Tetley sniffs around the AC unit and baby bunny hops out the other side and into the thicker leaves of the pumpkins. 

Tetley is a good dog, but he's no rabbit hunter.

*             *             *

The garden has turned Eli's life around as well.  Before this summer, he only ate apples or apple sauce, and occasionally purple grapes as far as fruit went.  Carrots were the only vegetable we could count on.  He had become more willing to try new things, but still never liked them enough to ask for anything again. 

But once the strawberries came in, this kid couldn't get enough.  And so I started mixing them with (store bought) blueberries, and he loved those, too.  Then watermelon, GREEN grapes, raspberries, and even blackberries.  And since the fruit was all tasting so good, he started trying new veggies.  And once the peas were ready, there was no stopping him.

We had measured him in May before we took a family trip to Adventureland to see what rides he was tall enough for, and he was right at 40 inches.  Between all of the healthy eating and the five separate nights of waking up screaming because of  "leg aches", I measured him again. 

This is a six week difference.

 It's an inch and a half.

I guess there is some truth to all those rumors about fruits and veggies after all.

*     *     *

Speaking of growing, I was able to help the Kindergartners plant sunflowers during a spring unit last year.  A couple weeks later Myka brought home her 8 inch stem in a plastic cup and I was pretty sure the experiment was over.  But since we had the room I thought I would see if the droopy thing would come to life in the yard.  The warm, wet spring did the trick and just yesterday the flower opened up at the top.  What a fun thing to watch grow! 

 *       *       *

While our green thumbs are turning greener by the year, don't count on any apple trees any time soon.  I "let" the kids help Grandma and Grandpa Edwards pick up apples in the yard last weekend and they didn't last long.  Somehow I still ended up picking up more than either of them. 

And they were still as mushy as I remember.



High Diver

We finishsed up our second round of summer swim lessons this morning.

Someone, who has never been described as "fearless", did this:

A sucker for a life lesson

Our library has a summer reading program where the kids can earn prizes each week for turning in book logs documenting all of the reading they have been doing over the summer.  It really is a nice program, as the prizes are not only trinkets from a box, but coupons for free kids meals at various (nice) restaurants, as well as treats from ice cream shops, candy stores, and the Auntie Annie's Pretzel Company in the mall.

Today, Myka had asked if she could use her coupon for her free pretzel and I figured with all of our coming and going we could work that out.  After a day of playing on the beach at Lake Michigan as well as swimming in our own backyard pool, I was regretting my earlier answer but stuck to my word and threw the kids in the car after supper for a quick trip (and treat) at the mall.

They each chose their pretzels, and while I suggested they just eat them in the car on the way home, they asked to sit on the edge of the planter in the center of the mall and eat. Since we were already there it wasn't that big of a deal so we did.  Myka was done in about four minutes.  Eli had taken about four bites.  I could write a whole post about how long it takes this kid to eat.  Let's just say, I have taken many afternoon naps at the table waiting for him to finish his lunch.

So after giving him ample time to finish, and before Myka got so antsy that she was jumping INTO the planter, he agreed to finish the rest of his treat in the car.  We made our way out there and as we got close I told him once he climbed in, I would help him buckle into his car seat so he could hold his pretzel without dropping it.  Since he always wants to do it himself, I wanted to give him a little time to adjust to the plan so as not to throw a fit and drop the thing on the ground anyway.  He agreed and slowly started climbing into the car.

Myka headed around to her side but as I waited for Eli to climb in (which also takes a LOOOONG time) I noticed she wasn't opening her door and I couldn't see her head.  I know I said, "climb in, honey," at least twice.  Then, just as I started to buckle Eli in, she came back around to where I was, saying, "MOM, THERE'S ANTS ALL OVER ME!"  I heard her before I saw her, and figured she stepped on some and they were on her feet.  As she got close, I saw that, indeed, there were a few on her feet.

"OK, honey, you just stepped on them."

"NO! THEY'RE IN MY DRESS!  THOUSANDS OF THEM!" and she pulled her dress from her chest and looked down, and then completely freaked out.  As I peered inside and saw what she had seen, my first thought was,

Oh no!  Her dress was on the deck while she swam and we just put it on to come to the mall.  The ants must have got in there then! 

I started to feel really terrible, even though I found it very strange that she hadn't noticed them until now.  I just couldn't think of any other way so many ants would have gotten into her dress so fast. I quickly walked her back around the car to help her get her sundress off once she got in.  As we rounded the back the car, I saw a perfectly in tact Blow Pop sucker in the wrapper lying by the car.   The next thought was,

Hmmmm.  I'm surprised she didn't pick that up.  It looks brand new.

As she climbed in the car, I looked down again while I waited for her to sit down.  I now noticed the Blow Pop was covered with ants, and there were many more on the ground around where it was laying.  It didn't take me more than three seconds to put it all together.  As I pulled her dress off I said, "Did you try to put the sucker in your dress?"

"No...Yeah."

There have been many times in the past where I have gone against good parenting advice to just let the situation do the teaching.  The teacher/mother/perfectionist in me always wants to re-explain why something was a poor choice, just in case it didn't get through the first time.  As I stood by my side of the car picking more than one hundred ants off of her dress so we could take it home, I giggled to myself about the fact that the conversation had ended right there. 

Those ants got the point across much better than I ever could, and all without saying a word.

Last Day

Trying to be sad about the last day of Kindergarten...

 But no hiding it once she got off the bus.

 Last day of 3 year old preschool, but he really has no idea. 

And he thinks he starts 4 year old preschool on June 22.

French Braid Fury

My parents were in town for a few different weekends this spring to help us Kurt with the basement project.  One of the weekends lined up with a mother-daughter event at church, so the ladies of the house got all fancied up and skipped happily off for a wonderful afternoon together.

Almost.

Except that, I tried out a new "do" for Myka's hair (which looked fabulous, by the way) that she ended up HATING.  And I don't mean that lightly.  We have been growing out her bangs since Christmas, so I have been having fun finding ways to keep them out of her eyes for school, including learning how to french braid.  So I made two french braids go around her head and meet in the back like she had on a little crown.  The hair above the braids was all included in the frenchness, the hair below hung down around her.

I'm not sure she had even seen how it looked before declaring it to be awful.  Apparently she was not used to all the pulling at the top of her head.  And it itched.  And it was too tight.  I did what I could to loosen it up and told her it's painful to be pretty.  She wasn't amused.  We tried to get some pictures before we left and this is how it started.

 Then we got her to at least look at the camera.

 And about 3 minutes later got a smile.

It did turn out to be a great time, once she figured out the braids weren't going anywhere and people started complimenting her on them.  It must be a pretty tough life when the thing that makes you feel like you, "wanna DIE" is that your hair is itchy.

Follow the signs

Things are changing around here as we reach the end of Kindergarten. 

 Mostly, said Kindergartner's smile. 

She has managed to lose 5 teeth over the course of the last year.  The first three were no problem, during the day and pretty much falling out on their own.

Number 4 happened at the lunch table while my parents were in town.  She bit into her sandwich and the tooth flipped around and startled her, but didn't fall out.  We told her she should pull it or she probably wouldn't be able to eat anything else.  At the same second she put her fingers on the tooth and got ready to pull, I (wisely) pointed out that Grandma and Grandpa would be sleeping in her room that night and the Tooth Fairy would probably leave them the money.

She yanked it out.

Then started sobbing.

I took her to the restroom to rinse out her mouth, not sure if she was crying because it hurt, or she was scared, or surprised.  When I asked her if she was OK, she said through sobs, "The Tooth Fairy won't be able to find me!"

Way to go, mom.

So we headed back to the table and all talked about what could be done to make sure the money was delivered to its rightful owner.   The adults all had their own clever ideas, but Myka took matters into her own hands.  As we went up to bed that night, Grandma and Grandpa found a sign taped to their door

which said:

 And on the master bedroom, where Myka was camped out on the floor for the night, we found this:

 Much to Grandma and Grandpa's disappointment I'm sure, the Tooth Fairy found the correct pillow.

Dating

It seems both Kurt and I have recently seen/heard/read a lot of speakers/radio programs/articles about dating your children, with the purpose of teaching them young how they should expect to be treated and how they should treat their other half in the real world someday.  While we hope they won't be dating for another, well, 24 years or so, Kurt decided a daddy-daughter dance he was taking Myka to would be a perfect time to start.

Myka was quite upset when she learned Kurt wouldn't be able to take her to the school dance due to another commitment.  But we knew our friends Michael and Michaela would be going to their annual church dance and made plans to tag along with them for the evening.  Kurt gave Myka a call on the phone earlier in the week and asked her to go with him (she was a tad confused) and told her when he would pick her up.  That night, he got home about 10 minutes before he needed to be leaving, ran upstairs, showered, changed, slipped out through the garage and came around to the front and rang the door bell.  I don't even think she knew he had come home.

Tetley was confused as well.

But it was so sweet.

 I gave the nice boy a curfew and sent them on their way.  They had a fabulous night of Myka getting her hair done, dinner at a pizza place (picked by the girls) and tons of dancing. 

 A giant balloon and a meltdown concluded the evening. 
I figure it won't be the last date that ends in tears.  We're just training for the real world...

Which left Eli and I free for the

SECOND ANNUAL MOTHER-SON BREAKFAST DINNER

Since Riley went with the dads and daughters this year, Sarah and I took the chance to bond with our boys alone while the rest of our families were gone.  We went to a fabulous restaurant called Choo-Choo Johnny's where they serve your food on a train that drives around the counter.  The boys were in heaven as they ate, played games, got a treat bag and enjoyed some really blue ice cream for dessert.

We all had a fabulous time.  In fact, part of the reason for Myka's meltdown at the end of the night was when she saw the mini-slinky Eli got in his goody bag sitting on the table.  Apparently, slinky trumps the giant-penguin-mylar-balloon-the-size-of-a-kindergartner-with-two-suckers-attached.

Who knew?

No Trains

There is a health food store nearby that I use for my gluten-free shopping.  Eli is often along when we make the quick dash in there to pick up some bread.  There have been several times in the last few months where, as we approach the door, he says,

"Why aren't trains allowed in this store, mom?"

I have always wondered where in the world he got that idea but just chalked it up to another one of his random thoughts and gave a quick answer along the lines of, "Trains can't go in any stores, bud."

Until today, when, as we approached the door, he pointed to a sticker placed in the very middle of the bottom edge of the door (where a three year old's eyes are probably pointed most of the time) and said, "Why aren't trains allowed in here, mom?"

Then I looked to where he was pointing and saw this:

I couldn't even answer through all the laughter.

I sure hope no body on that train needs any health food.

Lucky 7

I'll admit, I set him up perfectly.

When Sarah and I met our friend Jane at Starved Rock State Park for the day with our combined 7 children under the age of 7, we had no idea how it would actually go.  Added to the daily mystery of any particular child's behavior was the fact that none of us had ever been there before.  So we headed straight to the visitor's center for a potty break, a map, and advice.  I asked the nice ranger guy sitting at the information desk what he would recommend for three moms of 7 kids six and under.

"Um.  Two aspirin.  And a visit to the bar in the lodge."

I think he was mostly kidding.

So we headed out on some kid-friendly trails (not the ones with the sheer drop offs on one side...) with some positive attitudes, low expectations, and an unspoken willingness to let everyone get really dirty.

It was awesome!

The only man-made toys the kids played with all day were two balls Eli had brought along for the ride (of course) which they only used for about five minutes, and two plastic spoons Jane had in her lunch bag for digging in the dirt.  God provided the rest.

Throwing rocks into the creek.  It's all fun and games until someone gets a rock to the head.

One of the funniest moments of the day came when the moms decided we needed a picture of the three of us, so we each gave our camera to our oldest and let them have at it.  We have about a dozen hilarious shots as we tried to instruct and smile all at the same time.  I think this might be the best one of the the group except for the speck of dust on the lens.

The boys.

I was on a quest to find a waterfall after I read about them on the web site.  We finally found one on the last leg of our last hike.  So fun and out of the ordinary for these kids.

Actually on top of Starved Rock.
Ironically, we had just had a little snack.

And 7 hours later we were done.  I don't know how far we actually hiked but I'm guessing the bigger kids legged three miles or so.  Add to that a bunch of rock climbing, creek stomping, and general zig-zagging around and who knows how far they went.

At the end of the day the kids were declaring it the "Best Day Ever!", and after the less than 7 minutes it took my children to fall asleep that night, I couldn't agree more!

Super Babies

Our grout has been getting an overhaul this week.  It started because on Saturday our neighbor girl was over and the kids were occupied for two hours, so I guess I felt like I needed something to do.  A little cleaning job turned into a full fledged project that took over our kitchen and three bathrooms this week. 

Since the neighbor has to go to school, I've been working on it here and there while the kids have "kept themselves busy."

This is how I found them yesterday afternoon.

Yes, those are old (but clean) pull-ups they are wearing and that is a pacifier in Eli's mouth.

And they both have on capes.

I'm not even sure what else to say about that.

Hockey?

We invented a new game today.  Eli calls it hockey.  I pointed out that it involves none of the regular equipment he would need to play hockey.

He didn't care.

This is how he plays goalie.

Oh, it looks impossible to score on all that amazing defense, but I got through on the first try.

Apparently, I am pretty good at ballgolfbuckethockey.

Random catch-up post

So there is not too much to write about.  We have been in a pretty good routine since Christmas with school, swimming lessons, church stuff, and an occasional family movie at the dollar theater.  A couple more teeth have been lost, a few more friends have been made, and winter almost completely skipped us over.  Other than that, same old stuff.

So here are some random pictures to hold you over until something interesting happens again:

Static

Playdate

Disguises

Disaster

Relief

Thursday, noon

Friday, noon

Rock Stars

Christmas Day

We made it to my brother's house in the middle of the night so we would be able to open presents with the cousins on Christmas morning.  Considering Eli had about 6 hours of sleep the night before, we were amazed at all of the kids' patience while the 16 of us that were there took turns opening presents one at a time.  Dressing up seemed to be the theme this time.

Christmas Eve

I know, I'm behind.  That's all I have to say about that.

So this year we ended up with a guitar-themed Christmas (or Buitar, as Eli calls it).  It started with a pink guitar with real strings that Myka noticed in a flier in October.  It was a good deal so I picked it up, thinking it would be her main present. (That will teach me to shop in October!)  Meanwhile, Kurt and I decided that the family finally would get the Wii we had been talking about for two years.  He wanted Guitar Hero, which a year ago was a piece of cake to find but this year is being "replaced" by all of the dancing games and is a bit harder to get one's hands on.  I let him know I couldn't find it anywhere and left it at that.    And then sometime in December Eli started really paying attention to the praise band at church and all of their gadgets.  He turned every bucket/Tupperware/flat surface we have into some kind of drum set, and decided he also needed a buitar with strings, not just the buttons like on the electronic one he has.  I picked him up a smaller one with strings from ToysRUs, and drove 30 miles to another Best Buy to secretly get Kurt the last Guitar Hero game in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

And remember the Santa visit?  Well, as it turned out, Myka asked him for a Wii.  That was fine since I already had it (at a STEAL!  Did I mention I like to bargain shop?)  But then we had the guitar and the doll that was her other main present to deal with.  We decided Santa was just going to have to look very generous this year, because there were just some things we weren't hauling all over Iowa the week after Christmas.

So on the eve of the 23rd, because Santa comes early for Pastor's kids, Kurt and I wrapped what was left and decided what Santa would give and what we would give.  Then he went up to bed and I pulled out the Guitar Hero guitars.  I think Kurt was as surprised as the kids when he came down and saw the guitar-birthing that had happened over night in our family room.

"Wook, Mom!  A buitar with stwings!"

 I love this one because of the chocolate drool on his mouth and the fact that Kurt is trying to set up the Wii while Eli rides around trying to scoop up all the things laying on the floor.

                     

 The day was spent happily playing with the new toys, packing everything up for the next week, and then heading to church for Christmas Eve Services. 

 Merry Christmas, 2011!