Attack!

There was an attack in our home three days ago. It all started when the piece of wood flooring came up where it meets the carpet... I quickly demanded that everyone evacuate the area so as not to disturb or destroy it any further. Well, later in the evening we were hanging out in the living room together. Some were sitting on the couch some were on the floor and Aiden was spinning on all fours around the carpet area. No problems. Just a little silliness. Well, Aiden's spinning was sort of like the tasmanian devil except there was no center of gravity. There's flailing body and limbs all over. Fun times. But... then, he loses his balance, oddly enough, and does a face plant into the ground. It would not have been such a big deal if it were not for that small area where the wood was gone, leaving a small wood strip with nails sticking out of it... It was a horrible sight. The floor attacked his face leaving it bloody and scared. Five different spots, in one swift movement, were altered for a time yet to be determined. As the crying slowed and we began talking about his owies, he just couldn't bare it. He would cringe as someone would speak of the injuries. He calmly said," When you talk about my owies my brain gets all malfunctional and it sends lightning to them!"

So, please don't talk about it. He'll know!

Dust to Dust

It's Earth Day today. Aiden, Ben and Izzy walked around our neighborhood picking up trash. It was kind of funny when they came back two different times because Izzy kept wanting to dump out her sack like it was halloween candy. I kept saying, " Whoa, whoa. Don't dump it on the couch! I'll just look inside." I really do want to treat the earth well. I've been reading and preparing to go chemical free in our home. It's so hard to go organic sometimes because of the higher cost. I really want to eat a lot of fresh produce instead of boxed or canned this and that. I want to take the time to feed my body things that are actually full of the nutrients and vitamins that I need verses microwaving everything out or eating things that are processed to "death." It's just tricky to balance the frugal budget with the healthiest lifestyle. Now, NOT using chemicals is actually a money saver. Jessica and Ryan can attest. Yes, I will buy some safe products like laundry soap and hand soap but, for the most part, cleaning without chemicals is using vinegar and baking soda for the majority of the cleaning. I'm going to buy Green Clean which is sooo helpful for problem solving stains and other issues. I got to read Jessica's copy and I'm hooked. I want to change my lifestyle so that I'm not as wasteful and just wiser with my water usage and what I send down the drains. Also, with how I pollute the air in our home. Eventually, I'm going to try to keep some indoor plants alive to help with our indoor air. I've got some plants started on the windowsill like, herbs and some tomatoes. The tomatoes will join the other pots I have on my deck in a month or so. I think I want to keep the herbs inside so I have easy access but... we'll see. I have started a few plants on our deck so far but will wait for the warmer weather to start the rest of the vegis I have planned. It will be great to be able to eat from our labor later on. It's so exciting to see them sprouting and growing already.

Well, that was a big bowl of goodness. Hope it wasn't too random. Do any of you make efforts to protect our home? However temporary it may be, it is our gift to take care of...

Mothers of Preschoolers

Well, I'm doing it again. I chose at the beginning of this year to participate in Bible Study Fellowship instead of MOPS. I don't want a full life with no room for others or for being spontaneous so it wasn't an option to do both. At the Christmas break I stopped BSF because it was really overwhelming. This week I thought, I'm still a mother of a preschooler for one more year after this one... And I haven't found a really close friend yet and I'm suffering a little... I better go to MOPS to find my friend! She's waiting for me. I know it. Or I hope it. So the first and third Tuesdays me and Izzy are going to MOPS. Wish us luck!

Spontaneous Combustion

So, here was my quick response when asked how our train ride went.

"It's never heaven like you envision... It was a poor choice, yet unavoidable, to have three different head phones for our dvd player. Their was much turmoil over the head phones. The two guys behind me started off drunk and continued drinking all the way to Seattle... Snacks were our Savior, at times. We did take a trip to the "bar", as the kids demanded to call it, and got a couple things to share. That was fun. In Seattle we moved to the seats that face each other. And the last bit from Mt Vernon to Bellingham was a free for all among the children left on the train. They came out of the woodworks and were climbing and hiding and playing with each other and no one cared. I am so glad we did it but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to take a trip by myself or, at least, not with my children, no offense."

The Cheryl's response:
"I am continually amazed at your ability to take new adventures (that seem extremely stressful to me)that may not end up as planned. You make me laugh so much! You never let the stress of your children keep you from always "trying" to have fun. They will thank you someday for how fun you are."

You have a valid point. Fun walks aren't actually so much fun because someone's always collapsing... Trips to the zoo or a museum, there's always a child who's legs are seemingly incapable of going any further, not to mention, they forget that it's fun to be cheerful... Then there's snow! Who takes there kids to the snow with no tears? Do you wait til they're not wimps anymore? I mean, I have not taken my kids on a snow trip until this last January. 3, 5, and 7 years old and everyone still cried! I still haven't made it to the Rose Parade with children. I may be fun but, I assure you, I'm not crazy!

Let's be honest though. If Ben had ever been willing to go to the Rose Parade, I would have gone!:)

When is it in life that you choose to do the memorable things with your kids? I mean, for their sake, no sense in taking a 2 yr old to Disneyland! That's a waste.

My question is, Can you have a memorable time with your family ( a happy one, I mean) when it seems utter chaos and agony? Like, in your children's minds? Are my childhood memories unrealistic because they are not through the eyes of my parents who actually witnessed the real story? I just figure, all I have is now, so let's do it well. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
And, if it makes people feel any better, I don't get out projects to do with my children. I prefer the big shabang, not a phenomenal every day life. I have to set myself up, you know? I can't be "Fantasto Mom" all the time! See, good ol' aunt Tara got the kids cute little dishes with special foods to prepare in them and did I do that stuff with my kids? Nah. I wanted to. But Fantasto Mom doesn't come out all the time. No she doesn't.

Do you guys have good family memories to share? Were you 8 yrs old or 15? 'Cause if you were 15 , that is completely off this topic!

Another toot toot?

Yah, we're going on a train!  

See, our spring break plans included Jess and her kids coming to visit and then some relaxation at home until school starts again.  Well, it was so exciting to have Jess and the kids at our house but India was feeling bad and very sad and needed to see a doctor.  So, when Jess decided she needed to leave early she asked if we would like to come back down to Portland with her. We could have driven down but wouldn't it be so much more fun to ride with Jessica and then ride the train back home?  We decided to make it a surprise.  The kids never saw any packing and they didn't notice us making lunches for the road.  Ben took them out to play for an hour and we packed the car up and were ready when they got back.  We told them we were going on an adventure.  They were all set up with dvd players and away we went.  They did great traveling and Emma eventually guessed what we were doing.  They were very excited to find out that we would get to ride a train.  We've had a fun few days and are going to the Children's Museum today.  Tomorrow, the train! 

Toot! Toot!

Don't mind if I toot my own horn, but I did create the greatest Minestrone soup recipe ever! I looked at a few different soups and put together my own concoction. Yah, it rocks...

My Minestrone Soup

1 package Italian sausage
3 carrots, cut small
1 onion
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 zucchini
1 can kidney beans
1 can stewed tomatoes (I prefer diced tomatoes)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 c. fresh spinach
8 c. broth (I use vegetable)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. tomato puree
pasta, spinach pasta if you can find it (optional, soup is great without pasta!)
salt/ pepper to taste

Add 2 extra cups broth if using pasta!

Cook Italian sausage. Get broth heated up on medium heat and add ingredients starting with carrots and celery to allow for longer cooking time. In no particular order combine ingredients ending with spinach and zucchini. You can saute the onions to get them soft if you want. Let flavors blend for around 30 min and enjoy! (I didn't use pasta so just figure out when you need to add it in.)

Prepare for a scare! It's a scary party!

We asked everyone to dress up in something scary. Aiden was Jack Sparrow.
In order of appearance, scary cowgirl, witch, scary soccer monster, and Jack.
You may not agree, but I was told that this is batman...
There was a bit of pirate theme mixed with scariness. Here is a treasure box with some edible gold among other precious gems and a few snakes!
We began with scary snacks. We had brains (spaghetti noodles), eye balls (black olives), and a fish bowl with goldfish for the eating. They also had there choice of blood (tomato juice) or a secret potion (little water bottles with different colored dye in them) to drink. The blood was not the prefered beverage. I should have thought it through and just bought V-8Fusion. That, at least, tastes good.

Here we have pin the spiderman on the web.


This is Aiden's best friend at school, Hayden. Hayden and Aiden BFF.
We missed out on pictures during the other two games. One was target shooting with a Nerf dart gun. I intended to shoot these stretchy gooey bugs I bought but they wouldn't stay stuck on the window. The other was are "war" game which consisted of two teams with a bunch of army men and a larger warrior man that they had to protect. They set up their army men to protect their big man in the back and the other team had small soft balls to roll and knock down there army. They all ended up getting pirate plates to take home.

We had dirt/mud with worms and ants for our "cake". It was delish'.
Aiden was so fast blowing out the candles that we missed it completely.

The kids took a bag of loot home with them as well as a large handful of army men. Oh, and gooey bugs! Each of my kids thought their own party was the best and that's just how it should be!

It's a puppy party!

When the little girls got there they received collars and puppy ears and puppy noses. This is Victoria. She came as a black labrador.
Our first game was "take the puppy out to potty." I know I could have made it slightly easier by pinning the tail on the puppy but... It was my first idea...



Next, we had lunch. They ate out of their own personal doggy bowls. Their dog chow was cut up hotdogs and ketchup. also, string cheese pieces and pretzel chunks. And, water, of course!

We ended with a bone hunt. They searched the house for bones and some crabby patties that they had to carry one at a time back to their bowl. Then we handed out stuffed puppies to take home. Instead of cake we just had superman ice cream in dog bowls. Then they all received doggy bags with treats in them to take home, as well.

It was a great party. They were really into being cute little puppies and only had to be quieted a few times when the barking got too loud.:)

The gym

Like I said, I've got ideas...

Right now I have a 2 week pass to Gold's Gym. My friend Diane and her husband got a membership recently there so I decided it would be nice to have the same gym as someone else so I have someone to workout with every now and then. Is it necessary to go to a gym? For me, definitely! Chelan and I had a gym membership in Abilene together and it was awesome. I always went, my kids had a fun place to play, and I didn't have to figure out how to be healthier amidst my children and there ever-so-present needs. Working out at home is like phone calling, for me. There are other things yelling way louder. And whenever I start pilates or step or anything, that's when Izzy is incapable of doing her own thing. "You could walk," you might suggest. If I lived in Texas still! Walking in cold weather doesn't really inspire me. Or rain or snow.

Will I be buying my own membership? I've not given up fighting for it... My jeans are getting tighter. I'm tired of the belly bulge. I'm ready to head to size-six-ville. It's been a long time!

Go team!

Oh, and ask Ben how running is going...

BIRTHDAYS!

Today is Izzy's birthday! She is four. On Sunday was Aiden's birthday! He is now six years old.
With family having been at our house we opted for a weekend filled with nothing. We have scheduled their parties for this coming weekend. Izzy will be having a puppy party and Aiden will be having a scary party with a war. (Let me tell you, Ben is really proud of that one. Not.) So far, for Izzy's, we've thought of having a hunt for bones for the little puppies. We have puppy plates and napkins. And we still have more to think of. For Aiden's we will have a scary pinata with all of them dressed up in something scary. Aiden will dress up as Jack Sparrow. We have Pirates of the Caribbean plates and napkins. We have yet to decide what this war will look like without any one getting sad or hurt. We are off to the Dollar Tree later for some inspiration. We are also going to play pin the Spiderman on the Web. We will report with pictures, battle wounds, and a few puppy treats.

Blah, blah, blah

I'll admit, I'm holding back. There are days when I think of, like, three different things to write about. Then, I think, "You just posted yesterday. You can't give 'em more yet! No one's probably even read yesterday's since you haven't written in two weeks!" My heart says, "Be creative, let loose." But my laundry says, "Yoohoo, excuse me... fold me..."

So, one thing I've been meaning to tell you is that Aiden lost his first tooth. Of course, he's my second child and so I didn't even get a picture of it... Well, aren't I the tooth fairy? Yes, but I'm a nice tooth fairy who paid profoundly for the first prized tooth and left it under the pillow so he could still take it to school and show his class. Then, my nephew touched the little box it was in and so now it's somewhere in my room... No picture. I'll probably find it soon but maybe his other front tooth will be out by then. It's so close.

Emma got a second tooth pulled and it went much better than the first. This dentist had a tv on the ceiling and laughing gas! She even got to pick the movie to watch. High School Musical, of course. There was a little pain at times but at least they cared and were careful. I did love the moment when she asked if they were going to pull her tooth yet and they had already done it! Score for the dentist.

Izzy and Aiden have been to the dentist now to get there teeth cleaned and this was there first time. Aiden has had an appointment before but he was barely 4 and not ready for anything except the counting of the teeth. He will have to go in and get some fillings but, thankfully, Izzy has a healthy mouth. She was fantastic and very proud that she got picture taken of her teeth. I told the kids I should have brought my camera because their hygienist gave them permission to play with the chair. So, when she came back with the x-rays, Izzy said, "My mom forgot her camera. Can she have those pictures of my teeth?" It was funny and fun. And it happened to be the very same place that Emma had her awful experience. You never know what you're gonna get!

There's more to say so I promise I will be back soon to share!