Finest of Times

A party worthy of 4!

2009-10-11T16:10:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Grace had her Princess Birthday Party, and she certainly was the princess! We had a blast with many grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, and of course a brother, sister, mom and dad!
My mom made the princess dress for the party, and Grace loved it! She looked so beautiful and just like a princess!
I made the cake- a castle with a princess, of course. She had hot dogs with pickles, chips and dip, veggies and dip, punch, and cake and ice cream. Lots of yummy favorites!
Grace had a great time being with family, and received some fun gifts from some very fun people! It is always fun to get together and celebrate something as wonderful as a fourth birthday!
Here is a picture of Grace and Emma, at the table after eating their birthday food! Emma is wearing the party hats that all guests were offered, but not required, to wear.
This is a dress that my mom made for Grace for her birthday gift. It is super cute, and Grace loves it.
All in all, it was a great party, a great birthday, a great week for a fabulous girl!

Four is a lovely number

2009-10-11T16:01:00.003-05:00

Grace turned 4 on Tuesday, and has had a fun week of celebrating! We do weeks in our house, not just one little day. Happy birthday to our sweet girl!
She started the day with gifts from Mom, Dad, Ben, and Emma- she got many fun things, but new Playdough was one of the highlights. She loves anything that she can sculpt, draw, paint, cut, or otherwise do arts and crafts with!
She got to have a special lunch with Mom, a special dinner with Aunt Janelle, Grandma Pam and Papa Randy, and a fun day in general!
She also got to bring cupcakes to school, where they sang to her and gave her gifts!
A fun time, and it was not over yet!
Grace is such a sweet girl who loves to be helpful to anyone, loves her family, and loves to play and have fun. She loves the Fresh Beat Band, Dora, and princesses. She loves to dance, sing, and color her days away. Baking anything for everyone is one of her favorite past times, and she does it better than me! She is kind and loving to her friends and family, yet she will stand for what she believes in. It is amazing the girl that she has become, and we are so excited to watch her continue to grow and learn. It is a journey that we look back on with joy and love, and look forward to with excitement and amazement.
Happy Birthday Sweet Grace! We love you!

Family Happenings

2009-10-11T15:32:00.002-05:00

Many exciting changes have been made in our family lately- for everyone. Josh ended work and started school. He is doing well, enjoying what he is studying. I have started working, and finishing school. I hopefully will graduate in the Spring, but will have some more credits next year for my license in special education.
Grace started pre-school, and loves, loves, loves it! Her favorite part of her day is anything at school, and the worst? "having to go home". Yup, loves it!
Ben started kindergarten, and has been very busy with friends and school. It is very good to be that busy when you are 5. We have to let him stay home on Saturdays, just to relax a bit.
Emma has been adjusting to being home without any siblings, and just a mom or dad with her. She is not upset about the special time that she has. Not one bit!
Some of the changes have been harder than others, but we are adjusting. It has been an interesting few months, but we are finding our new roles, and doing what we need to do.

Ben's 1st day

2009-10-11T15:20:00.003-05:00

Big things have been happening in our family, and the biggest of all is that Ben Started Kindergarten! It has been about a month and he is enjoying it! He is making friends, enjoying his teachers, and getting into a great routine. It has been a great first month of school!
He loves Transformers, and had to have a Bumblebee shirt, which he wore the first day. He is one handsome kindergartener!
Grace and I cried the first day we brought him to the bus, and we cried everyday that week. Now we wait for Monday, and do not know what we will do next summer- school is gooood, very goood!
Yay for Ben and a great first month of learning, making friends, and GROWING!

Cool Summer Fun

2009-08-12T19:41:00.005-05:00

Today was summer. All week, in fact, will be summer. Next week? Probably not. Last week? Definitely not!! However, today was warm. Actually, you could call it hot. 89, I think. Last week, I do not think we saw 70. Whatever.

Ben and Grace took advantage of all of that lovely warmth to spend some quality time with their pool. Almost every day this summer they asked "is it warm enough for the pool?". Sadly, then answer was always NO, NO and NOPE- too cold.

So today was the day. And we turned the yard into a water park, at least in the eyes of two sweet children.

I dragged the pool to the big yellow slide, filled it up, and let it sit in the sun all morning. Then this afternoon, water slide time. Sooo much fun, they spent the entire afternoon climbing up and sliding down.

Ben obviously had the most dramatic reaction to the cold, hopefully you can see his face in the pics. Grace's face showed more pure joy-

Enjoy the pics, maybe have a little laugh. Just remember, they deserved the happiness this brought them, they have been waiting a very long time!

Rummaging Around

2009-06-30T10:38:00.002-05:00

I do not often go to rummage sales. Almost never. I have decided to rethink that position on certain items. You see, on Friday evening we were driving around in Hibbing and I said to Josh "I think I would like to go to a rummage sale, to look for a table to paint red" (thank you Colleen, for the tip:). Two minutes later, we are lost and looking for a sale that seems to be nowhere in sight. Why this sale? I guess Josh likes a challenge. I do not expect much from rummage sales, and usually walk in and out in about 5 minutes. Clearly that is what Josh was expecting, and hoping.
Not this time- I saw this sewing cabinet and fell in love. Yes, it is old and somewhat beat-up. Yes, the finish is wearing off. Yes, I have not taken my sewing machine out in years. I intend to, I really do. Plus, it is ideal for my own personal desk, for all of my bill paying and school work doing needs.
It does not look like much from the outside- where do you put your legs? But just look at the storage capabilities inside. With the doors open, it is a perfect desk, with plenty of leg room. The top has two pieces that are removable, for the sewing machine. Or they can stay there, for the laptop. Whichever. Love it!
I love that this is solid wood, it is strong and will last. Someday I will refinish it, maybe. Maybe not. I love the old look of it. Yay for rummage sales, at least this time!

The cherry on top? It cost $5. For real!

PS- I also went to a rummage sale the next day, and got some beautiful new ceramic tile to redo the entry way floor, and make it larger. Josh finished the grout last night, maybe I will post pics someday. Maybe not. Anyway, I got 115 tiles for $10. Love it, love it!

Cabin on the Lake

2009-06-26T19:45:00.004-05:00

We spent yesterday at the family cabin, swimming and cooling off after a warm week (warm for Minnesota, of course:). The kids had so much fun, spending the day in the nice, cool water.

Emma loved being in the baby floatie- she would hum the entire time she floated- a sign of utter happiness! She also loved being on the beach in the little sandy "pool" her sister made for her, and throwing rocks in the water.

Grace is our little fish! She would spend all day, every day in the water. She also has no fear, hence the life jacket! She was in heaven, and it was rare to see her out of the water. She built the most beautiful sand castle, complete with landscaping.

Ben loved the water, and spent a lot of time with his remote control submarine, AKA rescue boat. Thank heavens for the boat, mommy was towed to shore more than once by the yellow rescue submarine. Ben also loved fishing- casting off the dock. He is still waiting for the "big one".

To share with you the beauty of the day, I had to show you the view off the dock- this view has not changed in the thirty years that I remember being there. Utter peace and quiet, especially on a Thursday. It was a great time, and so much fun seeing the cabin as I did when I was younger, and as my children do now.

"red"ecorating

2009-06-16T19:30:00.002-05:00

Well, I guess that red is my new favorite color, or at least accent color, in my house. I love it with green, with brown, and with yellow, white, __________. You name it, I love red with it. Not really orange, but sometimes. You know what I mean. Anyway, this is the new look of my kitchen. It was a very yellow yellow, which made me smile, but it was time for a change. I found the cherry curtains, and decided I love the retro-50's look. I really need a ruffly apron, just for in the kitchen. I also love green, and decided to put red cherries with a soft green. The result- a happy, calming, but fun kitchen. The counter tops are black, so the green helps to soften the color a bit. I love it, but cannot get a picture that shows you the full effect. You get what you get, and you don't get upset. It's something, right Melissa?;)
And this is a continuation of my new found love of red as an accent. Not an entire room- what is it, an OR? An accent- say it with me. So my living room was brown, and not a pretty chocolate brown, but tan. The vanilla of browns. The floor, the walls, the furniture. ALL OF IT! The only color was the prints you see above. Love my Kim Parker prints, but you could barely see them on the tan wall. So I matched found a color to compliment the red in the prints, and we painted only the wall that they are on. I LOVE IT!!!!! It makes me smile all day, I just love the color, and the way it warmed the room up. Did I mention how great it makes my prints look? They POP! Now I just need some window treatments, to bring the other window into the color love. I have color love. The love of color.

Yay red, as an accent, of course. Anyone have any idea what to paint with the other half of the gallon?

Meet Jack

2009-06-16T19:18:00.002-05:00

This is Jack- just Jack. I thought I would introduce him. He is our new, three-year-old goldendoodle, and we love him! He is technically Ben's dog, but we share. Chores, mostly.
Jack is 75 pounds of dog, but thinks he is about 25 pounds. Dog on your lap, anyone? The kids love him, we love him, and Daisy, the little dog, is mixed. They love to play all day long, and then pass out at night. However, he listens, so he has more freedom. He sits, and stays. Most of the time!

Well, that is Jack. Our new moose, uh, dog. He is much furrier (is that a word? If not, I think it should be) than a moose. But not much smaller!

Doctor, Doctor

2009-06-12T21:01:00.002-05:00

Yes, it has been awhile since my last post. I am sure that you have missed me! And I am sure after you read this post, you will understand where I have been. And this is just a taste of what we have been up to!

2 weeks ago today, Ben had some tests done at the hospital in Duluth. Everything is fine, but the testing was certainly an experience! He had an EEG, which went quite well. And then he had an MRI with sedation. Which means that they drugged my little boy until he was unconscious, so that they could take pictures of his brain. You would think it would be easy to sedate a 39 pound kid, but not if that child is Ben. Every time they would say "when he is asleep" Ben would say " I am not going to sleep- I don't really like to sleep". And he meant it. It took them 3 doses to get him to sleep, because as soon as he would start to drift off (pass out) another machine would make this super loud beeping and Ben would wake up and say (slurringly) "what's that?" and they would drug him again.
After waking him up 3 hours later, Ben could not sit up, stand up, or move without falling over. He threw up three times, before we had to give him a med to counteract the nausea and vomiting from the sedative. Good times, I tell ya! He literally could not stand up or walk all night, and the second med made him high as a kite! Higher than a kite, probably. It was a sight to see- he was actually very funny! So he is fine, and life went on.

Yesterday, we had plans for a fun day with the kids- we were going to the Minnesota Discovery Center (fka Ironworld), to Lowe's for red paint for the living room wall, and then to Pizza Ranch for a fun dinner. However, while at Ironworld (much easier to type), we got a phone call that Josh's uncle was in the hospital, and about to undergo a major surgery. So we hunted down my parents, switched cars (and kids) with them- thank you mom and dad- and headed down to Duluth. We spent the evening in the waiting room with many family members, and were able to find out that he is doing well, and we hope that he will continue to heal.

Today, we were going to bbq in the backyard, and just enjoy some much-needed beautiful weather. At about 4:30, I hear Ben yelling for me, and then see Josh laying in the yard, holding his head. He had fallen while jumping off of one 4-wheeler in the garage, and hit his head on the other 4-wheeler. Blood EVERYWHERE!!!! Gushing from his head (TMI?). Why was Josh on the wheeler? He was getting a volleyball from the rafters. Why use a ladder when you can fall off of a 4-wheeler??? Needless to say, we spent the evening in urgent care getting staples in Josh's head. 4 to be exact, with no numbing meds. Just the staples, and a nice tetanus shot to top it off! Don't worry- he is doing fine, we just have to watch him for altered consciousness- you know, odd behavior. How do I discern that from regular (still odd) behavior? You know, like standing on a 4-wheeler? And then jumping off and cutting your head open?

So we have been busy, and I have had enough doctors and hospitals for a while, thank you!

She Did It!!!!!

2009-05-05T20:07:00.002-05:00

"Who did it?" "What did they do?" "How did they accomplish something so miraculous?" All of these are questions that I expect to be going through your head at this time. Would you like me to answer those unending questions? Or keep you waiting- thinking that maybe now will be the time, or maybe now. Hmm, when will I tell you? This is kind of fun.

OK. Now is the time.

Emma walked. Took her first sweet baby steps today. It is a most miraculous accomplishment indeed. Is there anything sweeter than those first, lurching steps?

Now I have just one more question for you- Who did she walk to? Her devoted mommy, who spends a rather large portion of her day saying "walk, Emma, walk! You can do it! Go Emma!"? Nope, not me. Her daddy, who works with her often, in the hopes of seeing that first step? Nope! One of her beloved siblings? Not them, either.

Papa Jim. Yup, her grandpa. The guy who was here for about 2 minutes. She got up from her nap, saw Papa Jim, and ran to him. They may only have been 2 steps, but they were running. Fast. And he did not even bring her a doughnut. Whatever.

I will post pics when Emma decides to try again. She is clearly taking the evening off. She did do her dad the honor of walking to him, before her early retirement.

So there you have it, answers to your most pressing questions. "Who did it?" EMMA!!!! "What did she do?" She walked! "How did they accomplish something so miraculous?" Perseverance and hard work. Oh, and she tried hard, too.

YAY EMMA!!!!

Oh, dear

2009-05-01T18:10:00.002-05:00

What is wrong with poor little Emma? She looks so sad!!!!!

I don't think she bit her tongue, as her 2 teeth are strategically placed to not do such a thing.

Is she cold? Hungry? Distressed about the economy? Concerned that the swine flu will keep her locked inside for most of her toddlerhood?

Nope- we told her that her ice cream was all gone.

Easter

2009-04-20T10:51:00.003-05:00

I know that I am a bit late with my Easter post, but better late than never, right? So here is the best picture of all three kids that we could get- this is seriously getting much more difficult!
I just had to post the above picture- a moment of snuggly solace on a busy Easter day. Ben and Grace truly have a special relationship!

So we must talk about the bunny, and all of the delicious surprises he carried in his basket this year. Ben and Grace, along with yummy jelly beans, M&M's, Peeps, and chocolate bunnies, got fun scooters to race around the town! They were a hit, even if the children were unsure what, exactly they were. Ben walked down the stairs, saw his scooter and yelled "a unicycle!...or whatever that is." Yeah- we are a loooong way from the bunny bringing a unicycle, but whatever works!
Emma got a book and Goldfish- no candy for her!

We had a great Easter, spending time with friends a family. We got to see Grandma Pam and Papa Randy, Grandma Kathy and Papa Jim. And the most exciting- Uncle Nate and Aunt Alli. My children absolutely love them- although Nate may have fallen a spot or two on Grace's list of faves after he-gasp!- kicked the ball two times! Yes, you read that right! Who does that? She is still mad about the double kick! So please do not bring it up, the next time you see her. Even if it is six months. I doubt she will have recovered by then. It was traumatic!

Garden Party

2009-04-20T10:31:00.004-05:00

Saturday was Emma's birthday party, and we did a sort of garden theme. You know, the cake had flowers, and it was 40 degrees outside. That sort of garden. I made the cake, and was excited to use some marshmallow fondant for the accent flowers. It was fun to work with, and someday I will make a cake covered in it.

Emma had a great time at her party- she was a sweet little hostess. She loved being the center of attention- I thought that one year olds were supposed to cry and scream at their party. She only cried when she was hungry.
She did not attempt to blow out the candles- thank heavens she has a brother and sister to help her out! She tried to grab the candle, so we have no candle pics.
I made a smaller cake just for Emma, and we plopped it down in front of her, and let her go! She barely made a mess, and spent more time playing than eating! Works for me!

Emma had a great party, with new fun gifts and lots of fun memories. For us, at least!
Happy Birthday Emma!

On a side note, Emma also had her one year checkup this week, and I though I could share her stats with you! She is a little girl- only 28 inches, in the 18th percentile, and 19 lbs, 11 ounces- 28th percentile. She is petite, just a bit round. She is perfectly healthy, and doing great!

Did you know...

2009-04-14T19:08:00.003-05:00

that today is Emma's 1st birthday?

What, you didn't? Well, now you do! Emma was born 1 year ago, at 4:36 pm. The day was very similar to today- warm and sunny!
Sunshine brings good memories- all three of my children were born on bright, sunny days! It is fitting, don't you think?!
Emma melts our hearts every day, with her sweet smile and personality. We spend every day loving up those deliciously kissable cheeks, hoping that they will not disappear anytime soon. Emma loves her books, her siblings, and her puppy. As you can see, we have been able to go outside this week, and Emma has been pushing her toy up and down the block. Outside is Emma's favorite place to be, in the backpack or pushing her toy around.
So now you have it- Emma is saying "goodbye" to babyhood- and "hello" to toddlerhood. It is a whole new world. Am I ready?!!

Emma's party is Saturday, and her checkup is tomorrow- so there will be party pics and stats to update.

Happy Birthday Sweet Emma! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Keepin' you updated-

2009-04-04T13:00:00.002-05:00

We have been busy. Doing what? you ask. Being sick. For a looong time. First Grace got the cold, then Ben and Emma. Ben has not been to school since last Thursday. You know- a week ago this past Thursday. The cold itself was not so bad- runny noses, etc. The cough that came at the end was the trouble. And was it trouble! Fortunately, Emma skipped right over this part. Ben and Grace are still coughing, but we have decided to ignore it, and venture forth into the world.

Yesterday, we went to the pediatric ophtalmologist. I do not know if that is spelled correctly, or even really a word. Ben could tell me, of course, since he CAN SEE! Whoo-hoo! No glasses needed in this house! ( at least not for Ben) Of course, the mystery of why he failed all of the letter tests is yet to be solved. We think it is more processing than acuity. We will deal with that, but not today. Today we are celebrating NOT NEEDING GLASSES!!!!!!

I have finally decided what I want to be when I grow up. Which is next Spring. At least, I graduate next spring. Still in no rush to grow up. I am now a psychology major with a special education minor. I will then (hopefully- life may get in the way of ever graduating, or having a career) enter a postbac program where I will take some more special ed courses and get my license to teach special education! It makes me smile to think about. I have wanted to teach special education for ever. I just did not know that the option was there. I will get to take courses one evening a week, and one Saturday a month in Duluth. You know, interact face-to-face with other adults. SO exciting!

Emma is almost one, but we will talk about that later. I still have to accept it. We are almost done nursing, she is almost walking. I am still hanging on to almost.

Grace is in her very own soccer post. She and Ben have been Wall-e and EVE for the past week, while attempting to get better from the cold.

Josh is fine- lots of ambulance calls have been keeping him busy!

Did I mention Ben does not need glasses? Oh, did I?

You are now updated.

Happy Feet

2009-04-04T12:47:00.002-05:00

Today was the last day of soccer for Grace. It was Happy Feet soccer at the YMCA, and it was super fun! It was for 3-5 year old boys and girls, so you can imagine the excitement in that gym every week! They called it indoor/outdoor soccer. Hmmm. Since we still have three feet of snow in some areas, it was only indoor. The outdoor would have been interesting. Cold, but interesting!
For their participation everyone got a very cute medal. They also received a t-shirt, and had pictures taken. Grace had a good time, and learned some fun new skills and tricks of the soccer trade. Or game. Or whatever. She made some goals and learned the kangaroo, the penguin, and the sea lion. Fun stuff, this soccer!

Go soccer girl! We love you!

Can He or Can't He?

2009-03-15T13:12:00.004-05:00

You may have noticed in my previous post that Ben is not wearing glasses. They may or may not have been working, as he may or may not have problems with the part of vision that glasses correct. We have no idea.

Ben has been consistently failing his vision exams, even with the glasses. They did nothing to affect how he sees the eye charts. WHAT? You would think that if they did not work, they would actually make the vision worse. But not much change at all. So the glasses are off for now, because no one wants to wear glasses if they don't have to!

So we are off to the pediatric opthalmologist- maybe he can help us. The eye doctor we were seeing is as stumped as the rest of us- and she has been doing this for years.

Wish us luck on our journey to 20/20!

Yesterday...

2009-03-15T12:57:00.005-05:00

...Emma turned 11 months old! She is really starting to outgrow the baby age, and is starting to "toddle" now. She has moved past crawling on the floor- that was so last week- and now she is cruisin' the furniture, walking with her push toy, and crawling up the stairs. Up goes the big white gate! She yells up the stairs when Ben and Grace are up there, as if to say "hold on, I'm coming". And then we put the gate up. It was very sad:(
Chatterbox is Emma's new name- she loves to talk, and seems to really know what she is telling us. Soon, we will find out! Emma is growing and moving and doing all of the things that 11 month old children do- and she does them all very well, thank you very much. Having a big brother and sister is certainly an incentive!

I was going to show you a picture of all three kids, dressed up for church. They were going to be sitting nicely, smiling into the camera. Here is what I decided to show you: (it is a much more accurate portrayal of my children!)

They are still dressed up, and smiling (just not at the camera). The thing is Ben's hand is his newest invention. He woke up with it in his head this morning, and voila! A new monitor for the Buhl Fire Department.

So there you have it- Emma's 11 month pics, and a cute shot of all three kids.

Ship Shape in Space

2009-03-11T10:25:00.002-05:00

Last night, we were saying tongue twisters- you know "she sells sea shells by the sea shore"- that kind of thing. This is what we heard:

Us: "GRACE sells sea shells by the sea shore"
Grace: "I am NOT on the sea shore!!"
Us: "Are you on a cruise ship then, like Grandma and Grandpa?"
Grace: "NO! I want to stay on EARTH!!!"

I guess in our house, we talk more about SPACE ships than CRUISE ships!

What are they doing???

2009-03-03T15:50:00.002-06:00

I thought that we could play a little guessing game. You can guess what Ben and Grace are doing, sitting in their chairs, wrapped in a blanket, with big smiles on their faces. I will even give you hints.
Things I overheard while waiting for the big event: "this is going to be great" "aren't you excited??" "we should pretend we are having popcorn- and not the puffy kind. REAL popcorn!"

Have you guessed? Are they watching a fun movie? A favorite TV show? Reading a special book, or listening to a fabulous story? No, no,no and no.

Are they spectators at an amazing event? I guess that would be accurate, if you were 3 and 5 and lived in northern MN.

I will now tell you, as you will never guess.

They are waiting for the garbage truck to come back and pick up our garbage.

Huh.

Bruiser

2009-03-03T08:16:00.002-06:00

This morning Emma received her first bruise. Do you see it there, under her right eye? She was trying to pull herself up on a toy, and went head first into the toy, and then to the floor. She cried and cried, and then spent the better part of the next hour smashing the same spot into the ground, every time she fell.
So then she would cry again. It must hurt, because she does not cry often, even when she falls on her face. Today, she has been crying every 10 minutes. I finally put her in her highchair, just to keep safe. Do you think there is some sort of cosmic law that states "the bruised area is the area most likely to be hit again"? Maybe the (minute amount of) swelling causes the area to hit first. Or maybe now her head is heavier on that side, because of the (again, teeny tiny amount of) swelling. Hmmm- I think I see a research project in the works.

Anyway, here she is. And here is the most dramatic picture that I could get. She is squinting due to the flash, not the pain or the swelling. It certainly does add to the drama of the situation, don't you think?

Sometimes...

2009-02-27T07:45:00.002-06:00

you just need to

SMILE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish that we could all find a little more joy in the simple things, like a fun game of pat-a-cake!
And that we could be proud of our accomplishments, like learning how to clap, instead of thinking of all we have not, or could not, do.
Sometimes, we need to be a little bit more like
EMMA!

Ben and AllSpark

2009-02-26T19:04:00.002-06:00

This afternoon Ben got it in his head that he was going to make a robot that worked and moved by itself. Before dinner, he drew the plans for a robot, and knew just what he wanted to make.

After dinner, he and Josh took apart a remote control truck, gathered supplies, and built a robot that is controlled by remote. The name is AllSpark, and I guess he beeps when danger is near.

I introduce to you AllSpark, and his very proud builder:
The mind of a five year old boy never ceases to amaze me. In case the pictures are not very clear, AllSpark has a head, two arms, and four wheels. He is at this moment rolling around the living room floor. I honestly do not know it I have seen Ben so excited! Or proud!

This has been so exciting, and such a wonder for a little boy to see the plans in his mind come alive!

The Kuka Fairy Came!

2009-02-25T19:12:00.004-06:00

What- you don't know who the Kuka Fairy is? How do you get your three year olds to give up their beloved pacifiers? Your three-year-olds don't have pacifiers? Huh. Well, this is awkward.

Grace has loved her kuka (pacifier) for 3+ years, and it was time for a clean break. Enter the Kuka Fairy. She is a beautiful fairy who comes in the middle of the night, takes your kuka, and leaves you a very special gift. What does she do with the kukas, you ask? Why she gives them to little babies who do not have any kukas. She is a very generous fairy, and it kinda keeps her in business.

So she came last night, and left Grace a beautiful PINK unicorn, a box of Dora fruit snacks, and 2 suckers.

Grace was so excited to see her unicorn and treats, and was not sad at all to see her kuka go!
Until this afternoon, when she cried and cried like she had lost her very best friend in the world. It was heartbreaking to watch, she was just so heartbroken.

We are nervous about tonight, but since the kuka has been given to a little baby, we will make it through these next few days.

Fortunately, Grace has many other best friends to keep her busy, including her little puppy. Here is a sweet pic of Grace and Daisy:

We Love You Grace!!!!

Beach Party!!!!

2009-02-21T07:46:00.004-06:00

We were having such a heat wave this week- above zero temps (at least during the day) that we decided to celebrate the impending (only 2-3 months away) arrival of Spring with a Beach Par-tay! Woo Hoo!!! We had a swimming pool, cool shades, beach balls, and very summery foods! Grandmas and Grandpas came for the occasion, bringing fun and sun along with them!

Grace in her pink shades and pink nails- she had to have pink finger and toe nails, just for the occasion! She certainly is a bathing beauty!
Ben is cool amid the massive heat wave! He also gave quite the performance after dinner, telling jokes and playing music.

Emma is cool as a cucumber in her pink shades, amid the waves of balls.

Grandma Kathy, Ben, Grandma Pam, and Grace enjoying yummy malted milk pops (thanks for the recipe, Melissa). Notice the kids in their suits and the Grandmas in their sweaters. Some people have better (and more cold-resistant) imaginations than others!

Emma and Papa Jim just chillin'-

We had a great time, celebrating the beach and all things sun, even in the middle of February(and after a week that included -20 windchills)!

Pay it forward....

2009-02-18T13:17:00.001-06:00

Pay It Forward .....

So, here's how it works: the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Please submit in an e-mail or on the comment, your address, if I don't have it already. Remember that only the first 3 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick!

Have fun!

10 months

2009-02-14T16:14:00.003-06:00

Emma is ten months old today. I don't really want to talk about it- I think I will just talk about her.
What a busy month it has been for Emma. Standing is her new very favorite thing in the whole world. If you sit anywhere near her, she will army crawl or roll to you, grab your fingers, and pull herself up. Please believe me when I tell you that walking away, saying "not now", or any other form of not letting her stand is UNACCEPTABLE! We are seeing more personality, and yes, temper, every day. Emma spends her days reading books (TAILS is her most favorite), playing with her numerous toys, standing at her table or push toy, and rolling around to find all sorts of mischief. She still loves to eat, Goldfish, Puffs, and Cheerios are best, and she loves to play with her brother and sister.

Emma says "mama" and "baba", and still spits at everyone. She thinks she is HILARIOUS and loves to laugh and make others laugh.

Have you noticed that sleep has not been listed as a favorite thing? That is because it sooo is not. She gets up at 5:15 everyday. Sleeping in is 5:30. I am tired- at times a zombie. You would think this were tragic, but it is a special time for me to play with her, with no distractions (well, except for Morning Joe on MSNBC). We spend many early morning hours standing and playing together.

He Can See!

2009-02-13T18:28:00.008-06:00

We think.

It is an exciting day in our house- Ben's new glasses arrived! He can now see near, far, and anything in between. Except it may all still look exactly the same, as he tends to look over the glasses to look at anything. We are working on it- it has only been a few hours!

Poor Ben, only at age 5 and learning about one of life's great mysteries- Why on earth can glasses never STAY UP??!!
Doesn't he look handsome? And smart?

And a little like he is modeling the newest line of children's glasses? Tell a kid to pose, and they pose!

On another note, Ben brought home the sweetest Valentine's Day gifts for me the other day, from school. He made me a big card, a little card, and a chocolate wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with a bow: (I cannot figure out how to turn the picture, so please turn your head)

This was the picture that Ben drew on the back of the big card. It is a bit hard to see, but such a cute picture:)

Love ya, Ben!

Do you see what I see?

2009-02-06T20:10:00.004-06:00

Ben had his vision exam today. He needs glasses. Badly. His prescription is pretty strong, and his right eye is worse than his left, so we go back in 5 weeks to see if we will need to patch the eye. This all sounds so fun, don't you think?

We picked out some super cute glasses, and they will be here in about a week. I will post pictures then, so that you can all see how handsome (and grown up) he looks in them. I will say that they had frames that were perfectly round, just like Harry Potter. We did not get those. We got lenses with scratch guard, and I made sure there was some kind of warranty on the glasses. How on earth do I convince Ben that glasses are breakable and expensive, and we must be very careful with that particular combination? I have no idea.

So that is that, we will show you pictures when the new glasses arrive!

By the way- so much for memorizing the vision charts. It totally did not work!

Ben's stats

2009-02-04T20:03:00.004-06:00

Ben had his 5-year check-up today, and it went pretty well. The drama leading up the appointment was not so fun (Ben does not like going to the doctor, and has been worrying about it for the past month), but we survived. And the shots he had been sooo worried about? He never even cried while they were giving them to him. Guess we should have done them first!

On to the stats- Ben is 41 inches and 38 pounds. He is shorter and lighter than the last time he was there. What? Did you read that right? Yup, you did. We are quite sure that he did not shrink, and assume that somewhere the measurement was off just a bit. Still, he is only on the 20th percentile for height. When he was a baby he was in the 75th percentile, the 50th as a toddler, and now the 20th. My poor little boy- he is just little. Grace is not much smaller than him- they actually can wear the same size clothes. And his weight is in the 30th percentile. This also went from the 75th to the 50th to the 30th. The really funny thing is that when he woke up on his birthday he said "I GREW!!!!!". He kept asking us how much he grew- he truly thought it was at least a foot. He has not even grown an inch. Uh-oh! We will not share this with him.

Ben also did not pass his vision test- he could not read any of the letters in one of the smaller lines, and his vision is 20/40. I guess this is not good in children, even though mine is like 20/120 and I squint just fine. Anyways, we get to visit the eye doctor. Yipee. We are hoping that this was a fluke, as Ben hates having anything on his face, and glasses will be a sensory nightmare. NIGHTMARE. Although, I have always thought that little kids with glasses were so cute. Just not mine. Only because glasses break. Easily.

So usually I end these posts with "great growing", but I think this one I will end with "Great job, my brave little boy." And now I will go and help Ben memorize a vision chart.

Ben's Party

2009-01-31T20:32:00.003-06:00

Ok, so Ben turned 5 on Wednesday. You read the post, said Happy Birthday, and thought that was that, right? Oh, no. Turns out in our house we have birthweeks, not just birthdays:)

I told you about his actual birthday, about his dinner at McD's and his special new pet, Hammy. It was a fun day, and we all enjoyed celebrating Ben's birthday.

Then on Friday, I brought cupcakes to Ben's school so that he could celebrate with his friends. The cupcakes were Birthday Monsters, after the book by Sandra Boynton. Ben and his friends liked them, and Grace loved hers. I guess they tasted great, even with all of that bright green frosting. The ears and tongues (pink things hanging off of the cupcakes) were made from taffy, and the nose was a skittle. I felt a little guilty sending them to school!

Today was Ben's birthday party. He looooves Wall-e the robot, and wanted a Wall-e cake. Here is my take on the special earth cleaning robot:

What did my sweet boy say about his cake? "Well, it doesn't look EXACTLY like Wall-e, but I like it". Please remember it is cake. And rice krispy treats (head and neck). And licorice. And it took me 5 hours of forming, cutting, decorating, and yes, stressing. Rice krispy treats are heavy, and they melt if they get warm. I ended up putting on the finishing touches in the freezing cold porch, just so the rice krispy treats could form. And then the head started falling apart right before the blowing out of the candles. Fun!

Ultimately, I think that Ben loved his cake, and had a great party. He had so much fun, and got some great gifts. He got an electricity set, a pirate ship, Transformers, a gift card, some fun books, and a telescope. Wow! His guests certainly know what interests Ben!

The cake was chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate, and Ben loved it!

Here is Ben with his new telescope. He cannot wait for a clear night so he can look for special stars and planets.

Happy Birth(week)day Ben! We love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Birthday Boy

2009-01-28T13:07:00.004-06:00

Five certainly is a big number, a milestone of sorts. It is the age when a child starts kindergarten, they usually start reading and getting more academic interests, and they go from being a pre-schooler to being school-aged. It is a big step for a parent, as well. As a parent, we need to start letting go a bit more, sending our children for full days of school, sending them off with friends, and letting them explore a world separate from that of their parents and siblings.

Today, Ben is five. He is preparing for kindergarten in the fall. He is developing friendships that are teaching him other ways of life, and about different people and different thoughts and ideas. He is starting to let go just a little, looking out to the world, and wondering about the things he sees and hears.

Ben is inquisitive and always ready to learn something new, whether it be about science, electricity, or plumbing. He is starting to read, and learning new things about the world around him through the books we read together. Ben loves Wall-e, Handy Manny, and Bob the Builder, and loves everything about robots and rocket ships, trucks and pipes. Every afternoon Ben has computer time, where he (safely- thanks to Kidzui) explores the internet, finding more tidbits of information than you could even imagine.

Our Ben is so sweet and loving, and so full of life and ideas and knowledge, and he brings so much joy and love into our lives. He loves his sisters and his family, loves his grandparents and aunts, uncles, and cousins. He loves to be outside, exploring with his Dad or Grandpa, and he loves to be inside, playing with his sisters.
We are so proud of how far he has come, and are so excited to see where his future takes him!

For his birthday, Ben got a hamster. He loves hamsters, and they are not animals that need to be touched and held often (Ben does not like to touch animals very much. Except worms. What is that all about????!!!), but they are super fun to watch, and help to teach some responsibility.
The hamster is a panda bear, and her name? Why, Hammy of course! Named after Uncle Nate's beloved hamster. We were talking about names one day, and as soon as I said "Uncle Nate had a hamster named Hammy" the discussion was over, and we had a name.

Here is Ben with his new hamster in her fun ball:

This is the cage that we got for Hammy- they certainly have some neat cages for hamsters!

Tonight, we are going out for a birthday dinner at..... McDonald's of course! Is there any other place for a birthday dinner? Ben's good friend from school is coming with us, and he is very excited about that.

Saturday will be the big Wall-e party. Ben is so excited for his party. He calls today his "real birthday" and Saturday his "present opening birthday".

We love you, birthday boy!!!

Catching Up

2009-01-27T13:44:00.003-06:00

We've been busy and I thought that I would do some catching up-

Ben: is getting ready to turn 5, is staying busy in school, and has started Occupation Therapy at St. Scholastica. Yay for great student therapists and their knowledge of sensory therapy. We have great hopes that this will help us in some challenging areas. Ben loves Wall-e and electricity, and Handy Manny. He is going to miss his mom when he goes to kindergarten next year, and he is NEVER GOING TO COLLEGE. Unless I go with him, and considering that I will likely still be going to school in 13 years, it is a possibility!

Grace: has been very busy cooking and taking care of "our baby" Emma. Grace is a Sunbeam this year, and is doing well (if we can convince her that it will soon be singing time!). She loves Aunt Alli 'more than the sunset loves the house' and her very favorite book is "Pinkalicious". Have you read it? You should.

Emma: had a 9-month checkup and is doing very well. She weighs 18 pounds, 12 ounces, (50th percentile) and is 27.75 inches long (50th percentile). She is busy rolling around the house, getting in to EVERYTHING! Heaven help us!

Josh: Busy with work and EMT refresher and ambulance calls. Has been spending most of his free time alternating between shoveling large amounts of snow and warming up the cars for long periods of time, just to defrost the windows. We are not exactly fans of winter up here!

Me: school started, so I am busy trying to find time to study and do coursework, while still caring for the house and kids. It is balancing act, and my world often seems in danger of crashing around me. I have been able to keep that from happening, at least thus far.

We have been doing some various work around the house, trying to increase storage and organization, as we feel that we will be living in this house for a while- it just does not make sense to make any changes right now.

Winter has been long and hard around here, and we are counting the days until SPRING. Sadly, we will be counting for a looooong time still. Oh, my.

If you read this, long enough to reach this paragraph- thanks! If you did not, I understand. This is just for me to remember this time in our lives. (can you tell I am a bit shocked at the idea of having a 5 year old, and I am trying to remember the past 5 years? Well, I am.)

A horse is a horse, of course...

2009-01-17T20:30:00.004-06:00

... unless it's a cake!

This is the cake that I made today for Josh's sister's stepdaughter, Breanna. It was her birthday party, but she actually turned 9 on the 9th, so it was an extra-special birthday. She loves horses, so I spent some time on the internet, trying to find a cake that would be fun and not too difficult. Yeah, right!

The body is made of two 9x13 cakes, two 9 inch round cakes, and a bowl with cake mix in it. The head and ears are made of a great big rice krispy treat, with chocolate frosing all over the horse. There are flaws, things that I look at and think "that is just not right", but I think it turned out pretty well.

Breanna loved it, her friends liked it, and it tasted great. That makes it a great success, in my book!

Nine months

2009-01-14T08:46:00.002-06:00

Emma was born nine months ago today- or at 4:36 pm, to be exact. She has accomplished much in these past nine months, going from a helpless (not so) little baby to a baby who can move around the house, feed herself, and play with her brother and sister! Emma does not crawl, but has instead discovered that rolling and walking with her hands gives her all of the mobility that she needs.
Emma continues to love Ben and Grace very much, and they have been so good to her! They play with her, watch over her, and even read her books! She is lucky to have a big brother and a big sister, and they are lucky to have her!

Due to her newly found mobility, life in our house has gotten even crazier! My new favorite sayings are "where is Emma" and "what does Emma have"??? Oh, and "pick that up before your sister gets it!!!!". Fun, fun!

Emma loves to eat (food and toys, and anything else she can find), she loves to read books, play with her toys, and be with her family. She spends most of her days rolling around the floor, exploring the world around her. This is such a fun age, she learns and discovers more every day and it is so fun to watch!

Love you Emma!

Spay What?????

2009-01-06T10:56:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had our puppy, Daisy, spayed. She came home in pain and drugged up, and if you know my Grace, you know that the sicker, the better. She loves to be needed, and to care for those who need her. Seriously, the best gift we could give her would be to all get sick at the same time, except for her. She would LOVE IT!
Anyways, Daisy was in her crate and Grace was sitting by her, talking quietly to her. This is what she said:
"Daisy, it is okay. When I was a little puppy, I was spayed too, and I am okay."
Oh, Dear. Not only have we never spayed Grace, she has also never been a puppy. Just to clear that up.
Both kids have been concerned about the spay for a while, and Ben has been quite concerned that we are going to have him spayed as well. I have spent the last few weeks convincing Ben that he is A.) a boy and cannot physically have babies, thus no need for a spay, and B.) he, like Grace, is not a puppy and this particular surgery is only for puppies.
I fear that his five year checkup could go something like this:
"Dr., please do not spay me. Do I have to get spayed? I do not want to get spayed!!!" OR
"Dr. my mommy does not want me to get spayed because she wants me to have babies."
I truly have nothing further to say on this subject.

Christmas Recap

2009-01-04T10:20:00.002-06:00

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great holiday season. I love experiencing the Christmas season through the eyes of my children, full of magic and beauty, wishes and dreams. We spent the holidays with both families, celebrating for three straight days! What a great time we had, with many memories made!

Santa came and went, leaving some very happy children some very fun gifts. Here are a few pictures:

Emma and her new learning table- a great toy for a baby learning to stand!
Ben and his new tool bench- a must have for the budding builder (and plumber, and electrician, and mechanic)!

Grace and her baby nursery- what every new mommy needs!

Here is one more picture of our knight in shining armor- he likes to protect his sisters from the often irritating puppy.

The New Year holiday was fun as well, with a quiet New Year's Eve, and a fun New Year's Day that ended with a sliding party and pizza with grandparents.

We hope you all have a happy and healthy 2009!

Christmas Gift

2008-12-18T13:46:00.002-06:00

Today Ben brought me home a Christmas present that he had made at school. It was wrapped in a paper bag that was decorated in his writing, with a gift tag signed "Ben". He came in and put it under the tree and said "Did Santa come today?". Then I got to look under the tree and open my gift, a beautiful magnet that will hang on our fridge forever.
What Ben doesn't know is how many gifts he has given to me, leading to the making of this one. The gift of him going to school without fighting or screaming, to make the magnet. The gift of his hands working so that he could hold the scissors to cut the paper. The gift of his being able to hold a crayon well enough to write his name. The smile on his face tells us that he is happy at school, even when they play the gates of town, and that is quite a gift, indeed. To know that you made the right choice, one that led to this beautiful magnet, is a gift that I cannot describe to you.
We have received so many gifts from this little boy, more than he will ever know.

8 months

2008-12-14T16:06:00.003-06:00

Yup, it has been another month. Emma is 8 months old, and I need to capture it in a post. You do not even have to read it, as it is purely for my own memories. You can look at the pictures, if you would like. She is a cutie!
What has Emma been up to this month, you may ask. If you have actually decided to read this post, and again- no pressure. Well, she is playing pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo, waving bye-bye and showing how big she is when we ask, 300 times a day, "How big is Emma? Soooo big" in our super fun high pitched baby voices. No wonder she isn't quite as willing to play that game. She is a happy baby, with a slight temper starting to show through. "WHO TOOK MY TOY???? WWWAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" You know.

Emma loves toys, and she clearly has the best tasting toys in the world. She also loves books, and is tolerant of my super fun sounds and voices for all of the animals and characters. The unconditional love of a baby. Total ego boost!

We love you, Miss Emma Margaret. May you always be this sweet and loving. And may you always have such kissable cheeks. At least until you are three. And not at all when the boys start calling. Oh, dear.

All old and rusty

2008-12-10T13:11:00.004-06:00

This was a conversation Ben and I had after he got off of the bus this morning:

Ben: "Mom, I need a whole new rear end."

Me: " Oh, dear. What is wrong with the one you have now?"

Ben: "It's all old and rusty!"

Me: "Well, that would be a good reason to need a new one."

Seriously, what else do you say about that?

Did you know that we were talking about one of Ben's many imaginary trucks? (or maybe he WAS the truck- I am still unsure!) It took me a minute, but smart lady that I am, I figured it out!

Somethin' about Sisters

2008-12-09T13:16:00.003-06:00

Do you know how much my two girls adore each other? I know it, but sometimes it surprises even me. Ben and Grace had a sleepover at Grandma and Papa's on Sunday night, and did not get home until last night, when both girls were already sleeping. That means they had not seen each other in 42 hours. Please keep in mind that Grace had not seen me in that long, as well.
So this morning when Grace woke up and came down the stairs, who do you think she ran to and hugged and kissed? Me? You would think. Nope, she NEVER even looked at me- she ran up to Emma and snuggled and said "I missed you, Emma"over and over. Grace still did not look at me, as she was hugging Emma, and Emma was happily being loved. Please do not get me wrong, I love that they missed each other, and were happy to be together. It has made me smile all day, every time that I think of their happy reunion.

I know that it will not always be this way, that they will fight over toys, then clothes and makeup. I know this, and am glad that this post will always be my reminder of the bond between them.

It is my hope and my prayer that this bond will get my girls through some tough times, and that they will always remember that they have each other, when it feels like the rest of the world is against them.

It's Christmas Card Time Again!

2008-12-05T18:28:00.003-06:00

We took our Christmas card pictures tonight. So much fun. This is one of those annual family traditions that I just do not look forward to (you know, like the tradition of arguing over where we are going for which hour of the two day holiday, but that is another post). To get three children to all look in the same direction, while smiling, is virtually impossible. Maybe a seasoned photographer may be able to do it, but not me. No, not me. Thank heavens they are cute.

I thought that you would like to see some of the pics that were cut. This way you can share in the joy of the task.

Did you know that babies could give such dirty looks? Or that brothers could be so wacky? (notice Grace's new haircut- love it!)
Please do not let this fool you- it was not all hugs and kisses:

Sisters sharing in the joys and beauty of the season:

And then it was over. Ben had the prize in sight (candy cane- again, not above bribing!), and was very well behaved. Grace was not interested in sitting still, and Emma kept staring at the flash and blinding herself.

The chosen picture! Grace had hair over her face, Emma had a hand in her mouth, and you see more carpet than tree. Whatever. The cards will be mailed, people will say "aren't they sweet" (because how could you not?), and that will be that. Yipee. I can mark one more thing off of my Christmas list. Now if I could just mark one more paper off of my end of the semester list. Oh, well.

Happy December!

Ben and the Robot

2008-11-30T15:18:00.002-06:00

Ben loves robots. He has perfected a robot voice, was a robot for Halloween, and spends many hours playing robot. After his fabulous participation in the ward Primary Program, we got him the movie WALL-e. (I am not above bribing when it comes to things like that:) He did not like the movie, there was a scary part and that was that. On Friday, at the Target day after Thanksgiving sale, I found a movie titled (are you ready for this- I bet you can't guess) - "ROBOTS". Did you guess? Anyway, Ben watched it. Didn't like it, but loved the robots in it, which are all made of random pipes and other such hardware.
Did you know that robots are made of parts that people no longer use? Neither did Ben, until his mom (unknowingly) told him. I should also mention that Ben loves things that people have thrown away (lovely) and would actually collect garbage if I would let him. I do not let him.
When he found out that robots (his favorite thing) are made from old discarded things (his other favorite thing), he almost fell over. Ben was shocked to say the least. And then he decided that he needed (NEEDED!!!) to build his own robot. Quite an undertaking for a 4-year-old, I assure you.
Not one to be discouraged, Ben rummaged through the basement with his dad, and came up with many treasures, all of which could be part of his robot. And he did it, with the help of a very handy dad- he made his own robot.

May I present to you Rocket Star:

Ben was so excited about his new robot, that he actually had tears of joy in his eyes. I have never seen him so proud of himself!

It is amazing how much joy an old outlet and some wires can bring to a boy with a BIG imagination!

Yay Ben and his new robot!

Tom the Thanksgiving Turkey

2008-11-18T12:40:00.003-06:00

This is Tom, our Thanksgiving Turkey. Or his name may be Yarny. You decide. Tom (Yarny) is a very special turkey, especially now. We have been feeling less than thankful this year, with the economy crashing every other day, people losing their homes and jobs, and other sadness that is constantly in the news.

We needed a reminder to be thankful for the things that we have, and Tom has been that reminder. While not the fanciest of turkeys, Tom is thankful to be here, in our home, to keep safe and warm while it is 20 degrees outside. He is thankful that we have enough food that we do not have to eat him, and he is thankful that we are all together to make him. Tom may not be made of real feathers, only construction paper and craft sticks, but he is grateful for the colors of his feathers. He is thankful that we took the time to wrap him in warm yarn, and give him 2 eyes and a beak. We are trying to learn from Tom, and be thankful for that which we have, instead of worrying about that which we do not.

Ben is thankful for Elmo, his (wooden) kitten from Grandma Sophie, his mom and dad and sisters, and the time when he no longer has to have eyedrops (gotta love pink eye).
Grace is thankful for mom and dad, Emma and Ben, her new doggy, and scissors and crayons (when the above mentioned new doggy does not eat the crayons).
Emma is thankful for food, and bright sunny days. (according to Ben and Grace)
I am so thankful for Josh, Ben, Grace, and Emma. I am thankful for Josh's job, the food on our table and in our basement, and all of our friends and family who love and support us.
We have learned a lot from Tom.

Super Star!

2008-11-17T10:15:00.002-06:00

Today was our ward's Primary Program, and it was the first time that I had a child participate in the program. Ben is a SUNBEAM this year, and sat with his friends and teacher. He did so well, speaking in the microphone three times, and doing so clearly and without any added comments or sounds. During the practices, he thought it would be much better if he said "I Am a Child of God" and then blew loudly into the microphone. Or made funny noises. Or whatever. Unfortunately (for him) no one else felt that this was necessary, so his leader physically removed him from the podium immediately after saying only his designated lines. Nothing else. No improvising, no making up his own scriptures. It worked well. He said what he was told, and sat down. If you know Ben like I know Ben, you know that this was a great challenge to him, to only say a few words and be done with it. Yay Ben!
It was a beautiful program, and all of the children did well. Ben sat still, and sang along with all of the songs, and I am so proud of him!!!

You would think that the first picture on this post would be of Ben, but this is how the pictures decided to present themselves, and I am unable to do anything about it. I wanted to show you pictures of all three children dressed for church, and I did. They are here, just not in the order I chose. Computers really do have a mind of their own, don't they? And why did the computer put the pictures youngest to oldest? (just something to think about, for next time).

So here is Emma, as she is the youngest and clearly that is how my computer thought the pictures should be shown. She is pretty in pink!
Here is a cute brother/sister shot- completely unposed. I was trying to get a different pose, and this is what they did. Much better than my chosen pose.

Grace in her new cute dress- I love this snuggly winter dress. Next year she will be a Sunbeam!

And finally, the reason for the post-Ben. Such a handsome little boy, don't you think?

Great Job Ben! I am so proud of you!

Emma is 7 months!

2008-11-14T19:49:00.002-06:00

So Emma is 7 months today. I love this age, and am glad that Em is growing and developing as she should be, but I sometimes wish time could stand still, just for a month or two. I worry that I will not remember her first year, and am very glad that I started this blog, for all of the small things that I will likely forget.

Emma started sitting on her own this month- a huge deal in the life of a baby. Now she can play with her toys longer, and she must feel like she is keeping up with her brother and sister a bit more.

Here she is, praciticing her new skill- (she cannot have a toy without pillows around her yet, as she will dive for the toy if it gets away)

What a sweet little girl Emma is! She loves loves loves to laugh and smile. She is developing small parts of her personality, and thinks it is so funny to get away with things, like not napping. When we get her out of her crib after a non-nap, she looks so proud! Is she testing us already?
I know that you are looking at her legs, and thinking "can legs actually be that chubby?". I assure you, they can and they are. Actually, she is thinning out a bit, now that she is mobile and rolling all over the floor (another huge development this month!). Yes, Emma loves to eat and yes, she wants to eat NOW!!! Green peas are her favorite, and most fruits are so yummy, too. She started puffs and Cheerios today, and they were a hit!

Em still loves her brother and sister, and they love her. They read her books and tell her stories, and Grace has decided that she should be able to pick Emma up off of the floor now. We have decided that she should not. Grace thinks that this is still up for debate, I think that it is not. I win every time. Ben is excited to have found an attentive audience for his elaborate ramblings, and Emma thinks that his rambling is fascinating. Really, everyone wins.

Happy 7 months baby girl!

Late Fall Fun

2008-11-14T18:44:00.002-06:00

Two weeks ago, when the weather was still beautiful, Josh had made the kids a super fun leaf pile, and even covered it at night with a tarp to keep the leaves dry. Ben and Grace had the best time jumping in the leaves, and throwing them in the air. I had to take pictures, and thought that you would like to see them.

A very happy boy:
Jump, jump Gracie:

And jump again:

What goes up must come down!

A leaf pile is a great way to spend a late fall afternoon!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T12:40:00.003-05:00

I know that you know what yesterday was, and I also know how much you have been looking forward to seeing how adorable my children were in their costumes. Without further ado, I present to you my most adorable (and at times quite spooky) children:

This is Ben, aka ROBAR (his self-pronounced robot name). We had a hard time finding him a costume that was exciting and fun, while at the same time not too scary (and not too hard to wear). I googled homemade costumes, and saw some robot pics. This is our version of a friendly robot:
It is amazing what you can do with boxes, foil, and dryer vents. Ben loved loved loved his costume, and it was a huge hit at his school party, as well as with those handing out his tricks-or-treats. We even added a light on the front, for fun and safety's sake.

The weather this year was so warm (lower 40's with little wind and no snow or rain- we actually saw stars on Halloween) that Emma came with us for most of the trick-or-treating. She has a new down snowsuit which kept her quite snuggly. Actually, it kept her so snuggly that she took a 45 minute nap (at 6:15 in the evening- I had visions of a late night Halloween party in our house, but she went to bed like a good little girl). Anyways, here she is thinking it was all clearly a trick, with no treats in sight. Emma was a trooper, only crying to get the show on the road.

Which witch is your witch? This is my little witch, and a cute little witch she was! Winter hats were necessary (this is Minnesota, after all), as well as heavy fleece jackets, but they fit nicely under the costume. The costume had a nice addition of glow in the dark necklaces and bracelets for safety. The better to see you with, my dear. Safety is an important part of Halloween, and we say the brighter the better!

Grace was so excited to be a witch, and never wavered from her decision. We had the cute witch dress, left over from my Mom's days of making costumes. I decorated the broomstick with a black cat and two bats, and her hat was embellished with some glitter glue. Fun black boots completed the costume, and 'poof' we had ourselves one witchy witch!

Please excuse our pictures, they are not the best. Things were a bit hectic, trying to get everyone out the door. I think that you get the idea, and can see the utter adorableness (and none of the spookiness) of this fun Halloween!

Growing Girls

2008-10-20T17:57:00.003-05:00

Today was Emma's 6 month checkup, and Grace had her 3 year checkup on the 7th, so I thought that I would do one blog for two growing girls.

Grace is 38.5 inches and weighed 34 pounds- both are the 80th percentile. You know how they say that even kids who grow super fast at first will eventually slow down, and stop growing so quickly? Yeah, so not the case with Grace. We are still waiting for her to stop growing out of clothes every few months or so, or at least make it through a season in the same size.
Emma was 26.25 inches tall and weighed 16 pounds 13 ounces, both in about the 70th percentile. Her curve dropped a bit, but the 70th is still great. Her head remains steady at the 35th percentile- it is longer than it is wide, we think:)
Great Growing Girls!!!!!!

( the picture of Grace is with our new puppy Daisy. Daisy is a maltichon with an upper respiratory infection, hence the goopy eyes. The picture was from two weeks ago, and Daisy is healthy now, thank goodness!)

Five About Fall

2008-10-20T14:46:00.002-05:00

I thought that I would take a moment to mention my five favorite things about fall time in Northern Minnesota. Fall is the best season here:) but also one of the shortest:(

1. The colors! With so many maple trees, the colors of fall are all around us. Every fall I almost convince myself to paint each wall in our house a different fall color. I have instead decided that I will use these colors as accents in my home. Accents. That is all. I do not have 1 orange, 1 gold, 1 brown, and 1 red wall in my living room.

2. The smells. I love how fall smells, so fresh and sweet. Also a little like leaf rot, but it is the great outdoors. If I want to smell fake fall smells, I will burn a candle in the house.

3. Halloween. I love to go trick-or-treating with the kids. So much fun to watch their eyes sparkle with excitement. The sparkle could be due to the freezing weather that we seem to have each Halloween, but I like to think it is the excitement. I love planning costumes to include room for winter clothes. Last Halloween we spent almost $100 on winter clothing just so the kids could go trick or treating! (of course, winter clothing is always an investment in this part of the country, and the warm clothes had to last until May last year)

4. Pumpkins. I love pumpkins, the way they look, they way they smell, even their beautiful orange color. Love Them! Pumpkin bars are a favorite fall treat. And carving pumpkins right before Halloween? Totally gets us the excited for Halloween!

5. Being outdoors. I forgot about this one until yesterday, when Ben and I, and later Grace, went exploring the vast wilderness around my parent's house. The above mentioned smell was incredible, as was the sound of leaves crunching under our feet. This is probably my new favorite thing about fall, as we had such a great time exploring (with no bugs!!). This brought back many memories of playing in the woods each fall when I was little. We then had pork chops and wild rice for dinner, along with squash and Apple Betty. The perfect fall meal!

I love fall, even though it brings with it the promise of a long, cold winter.

First Friends

2008-10-18T20:58:00.002-05:00

Today was a first in the history of Ben- a playdate with a friend from school. It went very well, both boys had a great time- they have been so excited about this and I am glad that it lived up to their expectations! Peyton was sad to go home, but I think both boys (and Josh) were exhausted by the end of the day. They played outside, went to the firehall and the park, walked all over Buhl, and played all around the house. Did you know just how much energy two little boys can have? Oh My Goodness!

We are so glad that they were able to do this, as last year Ben wanted nothing to do with other children. Unless they would just sit there and listen to him talk about motors and such. This year- a friend over? And they actually played together?! What a difference a year makes! We are so proud of him!

What is the next step in this whole new world? Ben going to Peyton's house, of course. Peyton's dad wants Ben to go to their house next. We'll see:)

Good Job Ben! We are so proud of you!!!

Farewell, Faithful Friend

2008-10-16T10:02:00.003-05:00

Today is a sad day in the McDowell home. Our dog, Buddy, passed away early this morning. Buddy was almost fifteen, and lived a long, happy life. Despite his age, his passing was a shock. Tuesday afternoon Grace and I played fetch with Bud for a long time, and he was running and chasing the ball. Last night, he could not even stand up. We are grateful for how quick he went, and that it was not a decision that we had to make.

Buddy was a good dog, loving and faithful to the end. Josh has had Buddy since he was only six months old, and Buddy loved him. He was also a great dog for Ben and Grace as they got older, playing with them and barking if they left the yard. Buddy had a great love for fetch, and was always at your feet with a ball, waiting to play.

We had to break the news to Ben and Grace this morning, and it brought tears to our eyes. Grace was okay, she accepted that he was in heaven, and of course does not understand that he will not be back. Ben cried big tears for his dog, got mad, and then moved on as only a child can.

We will miss our faithful friend.

Can we talk?

2008-10-14T13:05:00.003-05:00

I need to speak with you about something quite serious. I am not pointing fingers, not trying to accuse. I would just like to know who on earth told my sweet, beautiful little girl that turning three is synonymous with being terribly, horribly naughty. I cannot think of another word but naughty.

Grace has destroyed my dreams of outgrowing the terrible twos- you know the stage, unable to communicate their wants and needs leads to tantrums, etc.- and turning into the sweet little girl who plays quietly, loves to help, and says "yes, mommy" often. Oh My Goodness. Yeah, right!
Communication is not an issue (please, please be quiet- just 10 minutes- please!!!!), now it is independence. "I will do it myself, and if you help me I will throw myself on the ground and scream until I (make myself?) vomit." Grace believes that asking for permission is a thing of the past- why ask for something that I want/need/don't care about (just want to defy my mom?). You can find her coming out of the kitchen at any given time with any given thing she desires. We lock the fridge.

I was so excited about the advance in reasoning skills that we have noticed of late, but the excitement has dimmed due to the now common use of said skills to attempt to convince everyone besides mom that mom said it is just fine- she can have candy before bed, etc. Mommy said it was fine.

Do you think that I am kidding- that three is not that challenging, that two is the ultimate in naughty? Let me help you to understand. ( Remember that these all happened before noon today)
Just this very morning Grace hit her older brother in the head because he was snuggling with mom (due to a lovely sickness), and he is a boy and mom is a girl. Boys can no longer be with the girls- they have to be with boys. This is the way it is, and I guess we should expect violence if this rule is not adhered to.

After being told that she cannot watch her ballerina movie, Grace decided that I was just wrong and put the movie in by herself 3 times before I finally took it away and hid it on top of the refrigerator. This led to a full body fling tantrum of about 10 minutes. After the tantrum ended Grace simply smiled and said (sweetly) "I think I will just wait until after quiet time to watch this movie". You may think that this is not a big thing- until I tell you that this was my idea before the tantrum. You see, if I suggest something, even if it is a perfectly acceptable idea, Grace must throw a tantrum and then reintroduce the idea as her own.

At lunch Grace turned to me and said, "You know, mom, when I am happy I am happy, and when I am mad I am mad" and then continued on with lunch. I think this will be our motto for the next year.

I am not asking for help, not looking for advice (there is none to give, I assure you). I just want to know who told Grace that this is the way to be three. And I would like to ask that person to take it back. Please, please, pretty please with sugar on my knees.

6 months

2008-10-14T11:33:00.004-05:00

How did this happen? How is Emma already six months old? I feel so sad, but happy at the same time. I love my children and I loved them as babies, but the baby stage- not my favorite. At least not the tiny baby stage. I love the six month and up crowd- the developing of so many fun skills, like sitting and crawling (mobility is bittersweet, I admit), even walking. I am excited that Emma is approaching these new milestones. However, she is likely our last child, and therefore my baby. It makes me sad that I will not have a tiny baby again, that I will not hear that newborn cry (as Emma's cries are a bit louder and more grown up now). Then I think that my babies can have the babies, and I can send them home at the end of the day. And then I am JUST FINE! But still, a bit sad.

What can I tell you about Emma that you don't already know? She still thinks that her big brother and sister are the best people in the world- they get bigger smiles than Josh and I do:)
She is still so sweet and loving, loves to snuggle and cuddle. Starting to sit on her own is the newest challenge for Emma, and she has done so for a few seconds now, until a different toy catches her eye and then PLOP! Talking is so much fun, and peek-a-boo rocks! She likes to play this while nursing (not quite so fun!!). Books are a favorite toy, turning pages and eating corners.

Turning over has been causing some sleep issues, cribs just are not wide enough for a double roll. Fortunately, mommy is always awake, so Emma can just cry and mom will make it all better. Who needs sleep? Totally overrated, I assure you! Except I cannot remember much about sleep so I may be downplaying the luxury of it to make myself feel better. Hmm.
These past 6 months have gone so quickly that I sometimes forget just how big Emma is- but she reminds us. She may be laid back, but she is no pushover. Just try her! I dare you!

We love you Emma Margaret! Happy 6 months!!

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-06T19:52:00.003-05:00

For Grace's birhtday today we decided to take the kids to the pumpkin patch. They have been waiting to pick out their pumpkins for the year, and this was way better than going to the grocery store. The place we went to is pretty fun, with animals, mazes, and a huge slide. Of course, this being the great north, the weather was not great and poor Emma did not have as much fun as her brother and sister. The two big kids had a great time with the animals and big slide.

Ben and Grace with some big white geese:
Some very sunny sunflowers on a cold and gloomy day:
The pumpkin patch also had a 5 acre corn maze. One half was Obama's face, and the other half was McCain. We went on the Obama-Biden side simply because there were other people in the McCain side- it was not political, I assure you. If it were a political message, we would have just gone home. And voted for a pumpkin.
We had a great time, and after picking out 3 pumpkins for carving and one for baking a pie(help me!!!), we left to go out for Grace's birhtday dinner. And where do you think we went (hint: Grace got to choose)? McDonald's, of course. Yum, yum. She had a cheeseburger and chocolate milk. But also got a toy- the most exciting part. Never mind that she has a million new toys at home, we had to eat her birthday dinner at McDonalds's for the toy! Ah, three year olds!

Happy Birthday to Grace

2008-10-06T18:43:00.003-05:00

Today is Grace's 3rd birthday. I cannot believe that it has been three years- it seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. I was looking at her baby pictures earlier today, and took a little trip down memory lane.

3 years ago- Grace was just born, and so tiny. She had super dark hair and skin, and my dad told everyone she looked like a little eskimo baby. As a baby, Grace was pretty mellow, and very cuddly. She was happy when she was happy, and she was mad when she was mad. There was nothing that you could do during the mad times- in fact, she would get so upset her face would turn blue before she could actually cry. Gracie grew fast, and did everything right on time. Food was a favorite, as well as playing with toys with her brother. She was a joy and a blessing to our entire family.

2 years ago- Grace was 1 year old, and such a sweet emerging toddler. Just starting to walk, and getting into everything and anything. Grace had no fear as she started to walk and climb on things. We used to have to put the kitchen chairs on the table just to keep her off of the table. Talking was another new thing this year, and it was such fun to watch her learn to talk and express herself. This was a joyful year with Grace, watching all of these things begin to emerge.

One year ago- This is Grace at her 2nd birthday party. This past year has been challenging and amazing, often in the same minute. Grace developed an intense need for independence, but at the same time started to be so loving and nurturing. Grace loved to take care of everyone and everything, including her new baby sister, who she spent the first half of the year waiting for, and the second half loving and caring for. Ben's needs and wants often come before her own, and her concern for him is unwavering. However, Grace is also a tough little girl who loves to wrestle and fight. There are so many sides of Grace- she is all girl and a little tomboy rolled into one. One second she could be lovingly caring for Emma, and in the next she can turn around and body slam her brother. She loves pink and princesses, and dirt and trucks. Dresses and jeans with holes are often worn in the same day, and she loves to have long hair, but doesn't want it fixed or styled. Grace is so full of love and life, but will fight you to the end to get her way.

Today-Our sweet, loving 3-year-old. I look forward to what this year will bring, all of the joy and challenges that come with being three. We love our sweet girl so much, and are so grateful that she has been a part of our family for the past 3 years.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthday Girl

2008-10-05T10:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Grace's 3rd Birthday Party. Her actual birthday is on Monday, so look for a 3-year post then. This is all about the PARTY!!!
Grace has wanted a Dora birthday for months, and since I make their birthday cakes, I have been thinking about this cake for some time. I decided to do a Dora adventure, like on the show. The cake ended up having three parts, and they had to go through the first two to reach their destination. On the show, they would have used Map to show them, but my Map was unsuccessful, so we did without. However, to get to the final destination they had to go through Lollipop Forest, over Jellybean River, and to Cupcake Mountain, where the party is, of course! This was a fun cake to make, and Grace loved it! And isn't that what counts, that the birthday girl gets her wish?!

The birhtday girl blowing out the candles-
And eating the oh-so-nummy chocolate cake. Lots of frosting, almond bark trees with sprinkles, lollipops and jelly beans. Oh, myI had to add the princess pic- a princess is not a princess without her jewels, right?
Grace had a great party, with lots of family to help her celebrate. There were Grandmas and Grandpas, aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles, and even a cousin or two. So much fun, celebrating 3!

Family Tree

2008-10-05T10:03:00.002-05:00

I am finally finished with my family tree, and I love it! It looks great on the wall, and intend to have it someday surrounded by pictures of the people on the tree( the ones still able to be photographed, of course).
It is hard to see the colors, because neither picture came out great, because of the glass and lighting issues, but you get the idea. The colors are light and dark brown, and a light green. I love colors together, and it is fun to see all of the names, and to be reminded of all of the family that we have.

A Little Trip

2008-10-05T09:49:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, we went on a little trip to Minneapolis to visit my brother Nathan and his new wife Alli. It was a super fun time and a beautiful weekend. On Friday night, we just hung out, went to dinner, and drove past some amazing homes. Saturday we went to an apple orchard in Stillwater. So much fun! We picked apples, drank glasses full of fresh cider, and found some goodies to take home.

Nate, Alli and the kids in front of an apple tree:

Running through an apple orchard- gotta love fall time!
Nate and Alli have a beautiful apartment with lots of space to play, with real ducks in the courtyard. Ben and Grace now think that apartments are way better than hotels, and would really like to move to Minneapolis and live in an apartment. REAL DUCKS! IN THE YARD!!

A Boy and His Maple Tree

2008-09-25T15:09:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, on our back-to-school date, Ben started talking about finding a maple tree. Unsure of how one goes about finding a maple tree, I asked for more details. "Mom, you go in the woods and dig out a tree with red leaves, then bring it home and plant it in the yard." Duh.
You may wonder where this all came from, this desire for a maple tree with red leaves. You will continue to wonder, even at the end of this post, as we still have no clue. Sadly, we did not go tree hunting that day, as mom had no clue as to how we would actually dig a tree out of the woods.
Thank heavens for Papa Jim, resident woodsman, and, I guess, tree picker and digger. The last time we were there, Ben, Papa, and Grace went into the vast Northern Minnesota woods and came out with this tree:

The tree is about 2 feet high, and very interestingly shaped, to say the least. Nonetheless, the desired and very beloved tree now resides in our backyard, where it will (hopefully) thrive, someday filling the back yard with red leaves all over the ground.
The planting of the beloved tree was a very fun, if somewhat messy, process. Ben and Grace were involved in all steps from the picking and digging, to the planting and stomping. Which part do you think was the most fun?
Welcome to the family, beloved maple tree!

Fall time in northern MN!!!

2008-09-15T18:55:00.003-05:00

Fall time in Northern Minnesota can be a beautiful thing. Or a not-so-beautiful thing. It totally depends on the day (and sometimes hour). Ben and Grace are clearly Minnesota born, as they have no problem making the most of any weather.

This is from yesterday, at Papa Jim and Grandma Kathy's house. The high reached about 50 degrees, and there was a nice light drizzle most of the afternoon. Lovely. Ben and Grace, however, had a blast. They went 4-wheeling, and sat by the fire. Ben even found his dream maple tree to dig up and bring home. They had a great time, and the weather did not stop them a bit!

Today started out nice, even with some sunshine. By afternoon, the clouds had rolled in and the temp had once again dropped. Emma is a bit young for damp weather, so the older kids had to make do with an indoor activity. And make do they did! We got some foam stamps from Target, and they had to try them out! What a mess! Although they may have started with stamps, they ended up only using their hands (clearly the stamps were too neat!). This kept them busy for almost an hour while I made dinner-completely worth the mess and subsequent 30 minutes of scrubbing walls, tables and floors.

Five months!

2008-09-15T18:31:00.002-05:00

I truly do not know where the time goes. How is it possible that my 3rd child is already 5 months old? I don't know how it happened, but it did. Emma was 5 months old yesterday.
What a sweet little girl Emma is! Laughing at her silly brother and sister is a favorite activity, as is playing with her toys and eating! She loves to eat, especially her cereal and fruit (veggies not so much, but she is warming up to them). Emma makes us smile all of the time, and we are so grateful that she is a part of our family.
Ben and Grace love Emma so much, and spend alot of time playing with and taking care of her! The smile that Emma gets on her face when she sees one of her siblings is the cutest thing! We fear that she may become a bit spoiled, as they do not let her cry, and do not feel that it is acceptable for me to ler her cry. Fortunately, Emma is so sweet that she could use a little spoiling:)

First Day of School

2008-09-15T18:09:00.003-05:00

Last Tuesday (I know, I know) was Ben's first day back to school. This is his second year in the same preschool class, and so far he is doing well. 5 of the 6 kids were from last year, so Ben started out knowing the kids, as well as the teachers. He went willingly onto the suburban, and had a great first day, switcheroo and all! We are so proud of Ben, and know that he will work hard this year to get ready for kindergarten.Here is the first day of school outfit- I love Ben in orange and blue!
Grace was very sad to see her brother go, as they had gotten very close over the summer. She waited all morning for him to come home, and when he did he was so crabby that she wished his day would have been a little longer. The second day she was not quite as anxious for his return. However, after the first day or so of being very crabby and tired, Ben and Grace seem to play better after that small time apart each day.
Waiting for the suburban, with a mixture of excitement and apprehension!

Happy first day of school, Ben! We love you!!!!!!!!

Four months!!

2008-08-15T13:15:00.004-05:00

Happy 4 months Emma!!!!!
I cannot believe that Emma is already 4 months old! These past 4 months have gone so quickly! Emma is such a sweet baby, always laughing and smiling-so happy! She loves her play gym and exersaucer, and her favorite little moose named "moosie". Emma loves her brother and sister, who are always willing to read her stories, play with her, and hug and kiss her. Grace tells everyone who talks to Emma "but don't keep her! She is our baby!" Grace kisses her goodnight every night and good morning every morning! Even Ben has found her to be a wonderful audience for all of his stories- the more he talks, the more Emma smiles!
Emma started eating solids this week, and responded as babies usually do. "What did you just put in my mouth? Blech!!!!!"
It did not get much better that first night, but by the third night, she was actually chewing on the spoon and eating the cereal willingly! Go Emma!
It has been a fun-filled four months watching Emma grow develop into the sweet baby that she is. WE LOVE YOU EMMA!!!!!!!!!!!

A New Playground

2008-08-15T12:57:00.003-05:00

After about 2 1/2 years of research, multiple rec and council meetings, and more hours than I would like to admit, Buhl finally has new playground equipment. It is safe, it is fun, and it looks great! We are so excited to have a safe place for children from our community to play!

The playground has 3 slildes, multiple climbers, a storefront panel, and 2 fun spring riders. Lots for kids of all ages to do. We still need swings and a ramp (the surfacing is accessible, but I forgot to order a ramp for access to the accessible surfacing).
I should mention that as the (soon to be former) park and rec director, this was my project from start to finish. Lots of work, but totally worth it for my kids and all of the kids in our town!

Nature vs. Nurture

2008-07-29T21:29:00.003-05:00

I am always fascinated by the nature vs. nurture debate, and love to find examples to support each. ( Can you say Psych major?)Anyway, today we met a friend from our ward and her twins, a boy and a girl, at our new park. Ben and Grace were super excited. Grace kept telling Ben that he has to play with Jared and she has to play with Lydia. I thought that this was just Grace talking, but it actually worked that way. The boys had started wrestling in the grass, and Grace thought they were dancing, so she and Lydia started playing ring around the rosy. Watching the boys wrestle and play the "Mean Game" while the girls danced and sang was so funny, and got us Moms talking about the whole debate. Both boys are only boys, and Jared has a twin sister and two older sisters. Yet they are both such little boys, rough and tumble. How does this happen? How are those traits instilled in someone? It was really funny!

Funny, Funny Boy

2008-07-29T21:14:00.002-05:00

OK, so Ben is a very funny boy, especially when he is not trying to be. A few weeks ago we were talking about moving, you know the "we need a bigger house and better neighbors, etc." discussion. This did not make Ben happy at all-he suggested that we just make our house bigger. He then siad "if you talk about moving one more time, I am going to say a naughty word". "Which one?" I asked. He put his hands on his hips, glared at me and said "Shut Up". (read this with the most attitude a 4-year-old can give) Seriously, that is the worst word he knows? Shut Up??!!!! I will take that anyday!
Fast forward to yesterday, another day, another argument with a feisty four-year-old. Ben was mad about something (as usual) and looked at me and said "If you do that again I am going to go potty somewhere that is not the potty OR a tree". I guess that in his mind there are TWO acceptable places to go to the bathroom. Thank you, Papa Jim!

memory tag

2008-07-18T14:38:00.002-05:00

This is from Melissa's blog- Here is what you do:
1. Post a memory that you have of me (all good, of course). It doesn't matter how long you have known me-it could even be a blog memory
2. Post these instructions on your blog and wait for the responses-should be fun to see. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. I will come to your blog and post my memory of you!
Have fun!

Ben and the Violin

2008-07-17T20:29:00.003-05:00

Ben started violin lessons about 1 month ago and is learning to play using the Suzuki method. This method is great for little ones, like Ben, because you go at their pace and do not push them. However, the child does not get to have a violin until they pass three tests- they have to hold a marker like they would a bow, they have to hold a macaroni box like they would a violin (with proper foot positioning), and they have to be able to clap 4 different rhythms. It is hard work for a 4-year old, but it teaches them the importance of practice and makes it very special to get the violin.

Tonight Ben passed all 3 tests and got his first violin! He was so excited, he kept kissing it throughout the practice.

Here is Ben with the violin-

It is truly the cutest instrument I have ever seen. It is 1/32 size, the smallest there is-and it is not much longer than the above mentioned macaroni box.
We are so proud of all of the work that Ben has put into learning his lessons in order to get his first violin, and share in his excitement. Yay Ben!!!!!!

Rainy Evening

2008-07-17T09:36:00.002-05:00

Last night was a gloomy, rainy evening-outside. Inside, however, was a different story! We had to go to Target in the morning and Ben and Grace had 4th of July money they wanted to spend. Ben found a wooden model rocket ship that he and his dad could build together (baseball season is getting a bit long for Ben-daddy is gone too much!). The model came in 6 pieces, with glue and paint. It was perfect for a 4-year old, and they had a blast! Thank heavens for Target clearance- $3 goes much further when things are half off!

Dad and Ben painting the rocket ship-very serious business, the painting of rocket ships.
Ben and the finished product. He was so proud of the rocket ship he built. Ben picked out all of the colors and decided where they would go. The very bottom was even painted black, as that was the muffler. While Ben and dad painted the rocket ship, Grace needed a fun project as well, so she painted paper bag puppets. She loves to paint, and takes it very seriously!

It was a great way to spend a rainy evening, and everyone had a fun time! Ben has been playing with the rocket all morning, with Grace getting to hold it "for a second". The puppets have been fun as well.

3 months and a blessing

2008-07-15T20:17:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, July 6 Emma was blessed by my brother, her Uncle Nate. It was a beautiful blessing, and Emma looked so sweet in the gown that my mom had made for Grace. I loved seeing it on her and remembering how Grace looked in it as well. I am going to keep the gown and hopefully my granddaughters will be blessed in it (in many many years, of course).Both of my sisters and my parents were able to be there, and of course my brother Nate. On Monday, July 14 Emma turned 3 months old. She is the sweetest baby- I love to see her smile. It totally melts my heart. Emma loves to watch her brother and sister, and the louder they are the better. We love our Emma so much, and look forward to each month that we get to be with her.
Happy 3 months Emma Margaret! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Wedding

2008-07-15T18:40:00.002-05:00

My brother Nathan married his high school sweetheart on Saturday, July 12. Ben and Grace were in the wedding, along with their cousins Connor and Isabel. Ben and Connor were ring bearers, and Grace and Isabel were flower girls (aka princesses).

The bride, Alli. We are so happy that she is part of our family now! Ben and Grace have known her all of their lives, so it was a bit confusing that she is now AUNT Alli. My brother, Nathan. We love him so much and are very happy for him! (But seriously, how is he this old? He should still be 16 and playing high school football. Not married!!!!)

The wedding was so much fun- the kids had a ball dancing with the bride. Grace would not leave Alli alone, and we finally had to take her away so Alli could dance with other people(like her new husband:). The weather was not great- mid 60's and windy, but at least the rain held off until the outdoor ceremony was over.

Nate and Alli are on their honeymoon in Maine- they flew into Boston Monday morning. Their parting words were "don't call us, we'll call you".

The week leading up to the wedding was great, as both of my sisters and their families were home, as well as Nate and JJ at some point. The 4 older cousins rode the firetruck in Buhl's 4th of July parade, as well as Nate and Alli. We spent time at the cabin and played as much as we could. The cousins had so much fun playing together-it was sad to see Melissa and her family leave! Kristina and Nolan are staying until the 26th, so we will still get to spend time with them.

It was a beautiful wedding and a great week with our whole family!

2 month stats

2008-06-16T12:21:00.000-05:00

Emma had her 2 month check-up today-everything looks great! She is 12 lbs 4.4 ounces-the 85th percentile, 24 inches- the 95th percentile, and her head is in the 37th percentile. Her hip still looks okay, a little asymmetrical, but we only need to watch it. Emma got her first shots, and it was not so great, but at least they are done. Now we just have a very cranky baby, which hopefully will not last long. Pizza for dinner tonight!

Little Ballerina

2008-06-14T21:18:00.000-05:00

Grace has become such a little ballerina that I had to buy her these pajamas with the ballet shoes on them. She has been telling everyone how she will get to take dance lessons this fall, and that she is a ballerina. Spinning and dancing to any and all music has become Grace's favorite activity, and she absolutely loved Dancing With the Stars. We cannot wait for her to start her class!

Violin Lessons

2008-06-14T21:09:00.000-05:00

Ben started Suzuki violin lessons on Thursday, and they were a big hit! The sponge is his violin for now, as he has to master a few skills before he actually gets the violin. The point is to teach skills, but also make Ben work for his violin, which will teach him the importance of practice and working for something. Love that idea!!
I was unsure what to expect, but the experience was a positive one for both Ben and me. The teacher is great-very kind and gentle, exactly what Ben needs. We have been practicing every evening, and he has been pretty cooperative. Although, between practicing for the violin and his home OT program it looks like we will not be taking the summer off. We had less to do when Ben was in school. We will keep you posted on the violin progress!

Emma is 2 months old!!

2008-06-14T20:40:00.000-05:00

Emma is 2 months old today! I cannot believe how fast these past

2 months have gone. I don't remember it going so quickly with Ben and

Grace. The days just fly, it feels like we just woke up and it is bedtime again!

Emma is such a sweet baby, she is smiling and talking all of the time.

She absolutely loves her brother and sister, and look for them when they are

talking. Grace spends so much time taking care of Emma- singing to her when she cries,

giving her Nuk to her, and talking and reading books to her. Ben loves his baby sister as well,

and talks to her often. However, kissing her is another story. He kissed her forehead the other day, and spent 10 minutes licking his lips to "get the germs off":) Cooties already?

It is hard to find a word that better describes our Emma than "sweet"- she is our "sweetie pie" (or "weetie pie" as Grace would say). Emma loves to snuggle and be held, and she loves to be sung to. I love how she doesn't judge me for my horrible voice, as the other 2 are starting to do! Emma is very happy when she is outside where there is so much to see. Someday she will get to go outside two days in a row. Maybe in July.

Emma is 1 month!

2008-05-16T14:32:00.000-05:00

Or, she was two days ago. Oh, well.

Isn't she so sweet? We love our chubby baby so much!

Emma is such a good baby- she sleeps about 8 hours at night, eats for 15 minutes, then sleeps about 3-4 more hours. She has been doing this since she was 1 week old. (We only wish her older brother and sister would sleep at night!) She is very alert, and loves listening to the noise of her brother and sister. Emma can sleep through ANYTHING!

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful baby girl, and look forward to each new month with her! We will share these months, but maybe not always on time.

This was not a favorite position, and I had just yanked the nuk out of her mouth, but no picture would be complete without a shot of those thighs!

Easter Pictures

2008-04-26T11:15:00.000-05:00

Little bit behind, but here are some pictures of the kids during Easter. They loved their new rods even though the fish were not biting in the living room.

Emma's Bath Time

2008-04-25T10:31:00.000-05:00

Emma enjoying her first bath.

New pictures of Emma

2008-04-18T15:51:00.000-05:00

Emma's Birthday

2008-04-14T19:28:00.000-05:00

Baby Day !!!

2008-04-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

We will update with photos and comments later today, just tring to figure this out.

I've done it-

2008-03-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

I have officially started a blog. It was not as challenging as I thought, but I have yet to post a picture. That should be fun. It was my goal to do this before the baby is born, so that we can post pictures and updates about all three children. Now if I can just reach all other "before the baby comes" goals. Considering the state of the girls' room, my own closet, and the fact that I have all of the rooms in my house to Spring Clean, I think she will have to stay put for a few more months. Except I cannot sleep, cannot bend over, and can no longer put on my own nylons (at least not on both legs). So the messy house will stay messy, but the baby WILL BE BORN!!!!!! SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!