Walking the Good Way

New Etsy Store

2012-01-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

Hi friends! I wanted to let you know I've opened a new etsy store, called Holly B. Company. (Etsy is an online community of people with handmade/vintage items to sell.) Above is a sample of the custom family signs I make. Hats off to Teresa D., who gave me the idea in the first place.

I have no expectation that any of you will purchase anything, but I thought you might like to know what I like to do in my "spare" time. And maybe it will inspire you to get crafty yourself on some of these cold winter days!

Find me at HollyBCompany.

And while I don't have facebook, I know many of you do. If you feel inclined to like my store on facebook, I would really appreciate it!

Drop me a line to let me know what you think!

2011-12-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

I am really looking forward to this weekend. This afternoon (because some good friends are loving us by watching the kids) we are leaving to go see Cornerstone's dinner theatre production. Which means I get to see some of my favorite people in the world. Always a treat! And I get to see a great show, which is also a treat!

Sunday Eric and I celebrate 13 years of marriage. Wow! That seems like such a long time.... :) I always say I didn't know how great of a choice I was making when I told Eric I'd marry him. It's true. I couldn't ask for a better husband. But our anniversary means I get another 24 hours sans kids. Nice. (Thanks, Mom and Dad!)

On my reading list for the next week: The Strong-Willed Child and Have a New Kid by Friday. That should give you an indication of how parenting has been going lately. You'd think by the fourth we'd have it down, but no. I guess so far our kids have been pretty responsive to our discipline. Not Eliza. She is giving me a run for my money. I've been in tears twice in the last week. Twice this week bedtime took an hour because of her attitude. When we are being nice we call her "determined," "persistant," and "vocal." I could think of other words....

So yeah, I need this weekend. :)

A Caleb Comment

2011-12-08T08:25:00.000-08:00

I was playing a game with the kids where they grab ahold of me around my waist/legs with their arms and legs. Then I try to get them off by moving around. (Weird, I know.)

Caleb was commenting on how he wished his arms were stronger. "My arms are strong," he said, "but not as strong as my toes!"

Funny thing is, he DOES use his toes to climb ropes, pick up things, etc. More than the average person (he gets it from his dad). I just didn't realize he viewed them as strong.

Things we teach an innocent only child....

2011-11-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

The following was written after a particularly difficult trip to Walmart.

The rules of engagement when at the store:

1. Mom (or any other adult) is a fool for bringing us all here and thinking she can accomplish anything. Take every opportunity to remind her of that.

2. If you are placed in any given seat in the cart (there are three in the semi-like carts), you must demand to be in a different seat. If moved, you must demand to be in the seat in which you were originally placed.

3. No other child may touch you or your seat at any time, in any way. If this occurs, scream. If you are not being touched by someone else, try to touch them.

4. If Mom lets you hold an item she is going to purchase, drop it at least three times.

5. Whatever you do, don't look Mom in the eyes when she talks to you. Once she's locked eyes with you, you're through.

Disclaimer: Some of these things we didn't teach. Amazingly enough, ALL the kids with me seemed to know the rules already. :)

Trick or Treat

2011-11-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

My little lion...

(She said a sweet 'thank you' to every person who gave her candy.)

a lovely Cinderella...

(The dress had a tear which I fixed with duct tape and a hot glue gun. You couldn't even tell-the duct tape was on the inside. Perfect! I think this dress was passed down to us by a certain Stephanie Z. Thank you!)

a scary ghost....

(He's been planning this costume for months. I made it from a $3 sheet from Walmart.)

and a (last minute) Harry Potter.

(He was going to be a Jedi, but decided at 6:30p the night before he'd like to be Harry Potter. We had a black wig that I trimmed a little. I made round, black glasses rims out of scrapbooking paper and taped them to the existing rims of his old glasses. He wore an old oxford shirt of mine, a "sweater vest" I sewed out of an old gray t-shirt of Eric's embellished with a printed Hogwarts crest, his Jedi robe as his cloak, and a clip on tie Eric had from a skit he did once. A stick from the backyard completed the costume. Not bad, eh? I love a good craft challenge.)

This is the holiday when it PAYS to have four kids. We raked in a sweet haul. :)

Things We Teach An Innocent Only Child....

2011-11-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

It is entirely appropriate to crawl around the grocery store floor acting like a puppy.

Things we teach an innocent only child....

2011-10-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

No kleenex? No problem! You're wearing a shirt, aren't you?

A few recent pics...

2011-10-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

This is a girl who has two older brothers. She is SMILING at the crawdad (sp?) Eric is holding up for her to look at.

I don't know where they get this. :) Sophie is on the left. Cousin Johnnie on the right. When together, they are joined at the hip. For Sophie's birthday last year, Johnnie gave her a matching locket. They both put each other's pics inside so they could look at each other even when they weren't together.

Caleb crawling out of the "squeeze rock" on a hike while on vacation. My dad, at age 60, can still crawl through this hole in the rock, and often does so to impress the grandkids. Not a trick for those who get claustrophobic.

Danny on his first day of fourth grade. He is so grown up! A college friend of ours told Danny he wished HIS mom had let him get cool glasses when HE was in fourth grade. We picked the frames out together. Danny liked the retro look. I liked the price. :) I think contacts may be on the horizon, though.

Things we teach an innocent only child....

2011-10-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Having an extra child three days a week has been a great experience so far. Her name is Auden and she is about 20 months. And when her mom and I compare notes, we've discovered that our family teaches Auden some very interesting (some okay, some not so good) things.

And so, I'm starting a series on this blog-"Things we teach an innocent only child...."

Here's one to get you started.

THINGS WE TEACH AN INNOCENT ONLY CHILD

No matter where you are or what you are doing, the best way to get any adult's attention is to simply yell "MOM" at the top of your lungs. Works like a charm.

One Year

2011-09-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been over six months since I posted. That's okay with me. I'm not real fond of "computer time". Let's see, maybe just a few highlights for those of you out there who don't see us very often.

*We had our 1 year anniversary of living in this city. Not sure how I feel about that...

*I.C. has a lot of negatives, but one positive is the nice lakes around. Who needs a pool pass with free lakes/beaches? And yes, I am "that mom" who carries a naked, screaming child to the car under one arm with her other arm lugging a beach bag and her three other kids lagging behind, dragging their towels.

*After much deliberation, it was decided that Danny would go to public school and Caleb would homeschool. (This was what both of them wanted.) Danny transferred schools after three weeks to a much more positive environment. So far, so good!

*Both boys are playing soccer this fall. As much as I don't like spending Saturday mornings at the soccer complex, it has been a huge blessing! We've met numerous families that live within a mile of us, some of whom have kids in Danny's class at school. One family even has four kids, as we do. And if you aren't Mormon, that isn't very common in my part of town.

*I'm watching a friend's little girl three days a week this year. She is a little younger than Eliza. They (usually) get along. When we walk Danny to school I push them in a double stroller. They like to discreetly touch the other one with a finger, toe, shoulder, etc., just to make the other one mad. It is hilarious (and a bit frustrating) to watch/deal with. We are teaching her all sorts of bad habits. :) All of us adore her and Caleb especially dotes on her.

*Our family just spent a week passing the stomach flu around. Any suggestions on how to get the puke smell out of a minivan?

*I love my screened in porch on these beautiful, beautiful early fall days.

*I'm reading, "In the Garden of Beasts" about the days leading up to WWII. Reads like a novel, but is nonfiction. Very good. Makes me want to visit Germany.

*I am very thankful today to be alive. A distracted driver almost clipped us as we were walking to school this morning.I got home and (for the 2nd time) petitioned the city to put in a continuous sidewalk along our street. And thanked God for another day of life.

Speaking of kids...

2011-03-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

It's birthday season around here. Three birthdays in 15 days! Never good for the waistline. :) The kids performed a song on stage at church on Sunday. Sophie has been waiting for her turn to get on the stage for years. I paid the boys a small sum to participate with good attitudes. Is that bad? It worked like a charm, so I'm going to go with it. Anyway, if you'd like to view their song, go here....

http://www.vimeo.com/21310119

Yes, I'm in the video, too. And yes, I say "um" twice in a sentence. Shame on me! I'd much rather play someone else on stage than be myself. I get nervous when I'm myself!

I also have a home video of Eliza "performing" as well. I'll try to get it posted, too. She was hilarious!

A morning in Children's Church

2011-02-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

Eric and I have been serving in Children's Church once a month on Sunday mornings at our new church. It is a practice in holding back a laugh and a smile when kids get creative in their answers/interactions. For those of you who have never taught a kids' class at church, you should! It is fun and I guarantee you'll learn something-either about God or about kids! Here are a few of our favorite interactions:

Holly: ...and Mary treasured all of these things in her heart....

5-year-old boy: (interrupting with a pirate voice) ARRGH! TREASURE!

7/8-year-old boy: I've touched a million snakes.

Holly: Really, a million?

Boy: (concedingly) Well....maybe a few less than a million....

Eric: Tell me something you are afraid of.

8-year-old boy: Constipation. (I promise, he was totally serious. And really, shouldn't we all fear this? :)

Winter Fun

2011-01-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Danny and Caleb shoveled the driveway. Their shoveling illustrates their personalities perfectly. And just so you know, Caleb could have chosen a bigger shovel.

This is what happens when Caleb and Sophie take a bath and get to use Dad's shaving cream.

Danny trying his hand at snowboarding down Nanny's big hill. Well, I made him stop trying so I could get a picture.

When sledding, Caleb spends much of his time laying in the snow, eating it. :)

Sophie is a little trooper. She stays outside as long as the boys and marches up the hill, by herself, carrying her sled, and then slides down-over and over again.

Eliza opening a Christmas toothbrush. Since Eliza cares most about the paper, I gave her super practical things like a toothbrush, clothes, a clementine, and jars of baby snacks/food. She loved it!

Christmas morning. It snowed beautifully on Christmas Eve, making it a perfect Christmas morning.

This last picture is for you, Kristy! The girls sporting their new outfits from their Aunt Kiki.

The shirts say "Big Sister" and "Little Sister", respectively.

Spotlight on Eliza

2010-12-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Caught this video of Eliza this morning. I just had to post it. And I'm the mom, so I can think she is a genius, right? Either way, it was cute!

In Caleb's Head

2010-11-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

Today, Caleb was having trouble understanding a math concept. When he would get frustrated, he would shake his head, as if trying to clear his brain. I asked him what he was thinking about when he shook his head like that. He said, "It's like a birthday party is going on inside my head. The answer is trying to get in, but the door is closed and it can't." I love how that kid's mind works! :)

Settled In

2010-11-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

Well, we are finally settled in to our new home in our new city! It was a difficult move, but we made it. Thank you, God! Fall has slipped past us this year so quickly! Here are a few pics to update you....

Eric and I in the warehouse where our belongings were stored, cleaning off mold.

The pile of stuff that was too moldy to save. We took it to a burn pile. The demolding process is finally finished and we have declared our home/stuff mold free! (We hope....)

Danny was Anakin Skywalker for Halloween. Notice the long braid over his right shoulder. Hey, we do authentic for Halloween! Danny is going to be competing in his first ever chess tournament this weekend. The info that convinced him to compete? Everyone gets a ribbon.

Caleb as little "Ani" Skywalker. Think pod racing. Yes, both of the boys were Anakin Skywalker for Halloween. We have a bit of a Star Wars craze going on right now at our house. :) Caleb likes our new house because our neighbors have a dog he can go play with any time he wants.

Sophie the Pirate. Adorable. She came home tonight from AWANA with a list of things she was thankful for. An item that made the 5 item list: Halloween candy. This girl loves dessert! An item that did not make the thankful list: Mom. Oh well. :)

My little mouse. This girl is too cute. She happily rode in the stroller during trick-or-treating and has yet to have a piece of candy. Her new words include "thank you" and "bye-bye". She also has mastered the stairs. Next up, walking.

The fam at my parents' house. See, we are all still alive and well! And yep, I chopped my hair off. And I am LOVING it. So. Easy.

Eric is really enjoying his new job teaching English!

The kids at a new park we found close to our house. It has tunnels!

And last, but not least, our new home. Please come visit us! To all of my friends that I haven't seen in a while, I miss you! Thank you for praying for us during our transition.

Mold and Other News

2010-08-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

We are on schedule to buy our house mid September. Eric is enjoying his new job. We've started school. Everything is running really smoothly. And then the bomb drops....

All of our stuff in storage is covered with mold. We haven't been there to see it, yet, but my friend Leatha (who also has all of her worldly possessions there) says it is extensive. As in, we needed two trucks to move all of our stuff to the warehouse, but we may only need one to move it all out. Most likely, we will have to throw out all of our upholstered furniture, mattresses, and unfinished wood items (the insides of many dresser drawers are unfinished wood). We won't know about items in cardboard boxes until we open them up. All clothes, blankets, towels, curtains, and other fabrics will have to be washed. According to another friend who went through a similar situation and lived to tell about it (always encouraging, Teresa!), that is about 93 loads of laundry.

It is overwhelming.

So I'm reminding myself of all the things I have to be thankful for....my husband, kids, our health, family, friends, and most importantly, our God and the salvation offered to us though Jesus Christ. All things on this earth will burn. Mine just might burn a little sooner than I anticipated.

In other news, Caleb lost his first tooth. The toothfairy paid a whole dollar for that first tooth! Sophie's hair can now fit into pigtails (very small ones, but we'll take it). Eliza is crawling all over the place, babbling, and signs "all done" and "more". She also says "uh-oh". Danny spends a lot of time outside with his pocketknife and slingshot. He also gets in a lot of fishing with his grandpa. Eric is loving his new job, but not the 1+ hour one way commute. My mom and I have been running what we jokingly refer to as "Lea and Holly's Daycare". We've been helping out my sisters with their kids. We had to call 911 one day as my 2 week old niece was choking on mucus and wasn't breathing. Thank God I had a bulb syringe (we call them blue booger suckers) and my mom suctioned out enough mucus that by the time the paramedics arrived, she was getting air. A reminder that every day of life is a gift from God.

Pictures from summer activities to come.....

Where do we live?

2010-07-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

You know you've been moving around a lot when in the midst of a discussion about where we will be the next few weeks, your 3 year old jumps in to reiterate the plan and says, "Yeah, and after that we'll go.....we'll go.....where do we live now, Mommy?"

We just got back from a great week of vacation, which ended with 7-9 inches of rain and the lake flooding. The town nearby was sandbagging, as they were afraid the dam on the lake wasn't going to hold. Of course we took the kids to see the water gushing over the dam, covering parking lots, and running wildly over the roads we had walked that week. The power of the water was stunning...

And as I was discussing with my dad the "back way" to get home, I began to tell him the highways I would take. Then realized, I'm not going home. My home has moved, although I'm not sure where, yet. And for a little bit (because of course, too many feelings are never good :) I let myself mourn the loss of the familiar and the loved.

But hey, our set up right now is pretty good. Tree house, sand box, huge yard, pond with fish that about jump onto your hook, cousins, and lots of space to spread out.

But there is no place like home.

It's Official!

2010-07-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

Eric has a new job teaching ESL at the university! He starts August 3.

Our house should (I say "should" because past experience has taught us it ain't over 'till it's over.) close on July 21st.

We are moving! The last Sunday at our church for the kids and me will be this weekend. Eric won't finish work here until the end of July. I have no idea how to say goodbye to the friends who have become family over the past 15 years.

I love our city. I love our church. I love our friends. I'm nervous about what is to come.

Walking by faith.....

Trusting He'll provide......

If I don't get to say goodbye to some of you, know that I love you and expect you to come visit!

Good News

2010-06-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Eric received an email requesting that he interview again on the phone for a teaching job at the university. Tuesday @ 8:30a. Please be praying for him!

And thank God that He gives us encouragement when we need it! (I needed it.)

Family news:

The boys have been preparing for war with Josiah (the 12 year old boy who lives upstairs) for a couple of weeks now. Not sure when the war will take place, but the backyard is prepared! They are both covered with bug bites.

Sophie's new favorite question is: Can I go play with Brenna? Brenna is a little girl her age who lives next door to our temporary, "lower level" apartment. They are so fun to watch as they take their babies to the "store", on walks, and put them "night-night". The other day I walked into our bedroom to find two dolls, tucked in ever-so-carefully, in Eric and my spots.

Eliza is crawling, eating EVERY LITTLE BIT OF ANYTHING she finds on the floor, pulling up to standing along most anything, clapping her hands when we say "yea!", and shaking her head "no". She is a very happy baby these days.

Right now we're enjoying a family favorite to take a break from the summer heat: watching Tom and Jerry cartoons. :)

2010-06-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Caleb is a little daredevil. Here he is jumping his bike off a pretty big jump for his little bike. Thanks to the Sabino's for the backyard and bike ramp. *Note I made sure he was wearing a helmet before attempting this feat.

This jump was the first of four tries. The first was the only one he landed, the other three being magnificent wipeouts. (So glad I got the first on video!) No major injuries, thank God! What I can't believe is that he kept trying! What a little dude. "Pastor Paul" finally convinced him to wait until the next day to try again after the third wipeout. And the next day we built a ramp more suitable to his bike. He is living up to his name's meaning: brave.

The Crazy Life

2010-06-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

I was wrong in my prior post....we ARE crazy.

Our family of 6 is living in our friends' 2 bedroom basement apartment......indefinitely.

We moved out of our house before our closing date and then it never closed. Yes, you read right. Our house is still for sale and we are currently not living in it. We may move back in.

We currently have no home phone and no home address. At least I have a blog address. :)

Eric did have an interview on Friday that went very well. We'll see!

School gets out tomorrow and we'll see how creatively I can entertain four kids with MINIMAL toys and space. The pool is too much to handle with all four kids and just me.

It is so crazy, you just have to laugh......or cry. Depends on the day. Today I'm trying to laugh.

Scared of the Storm

2010-05-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

As I just wrote the title of this post another meaning flashed into my head more applicable to me, but that is a different story...

Last night Sophie woke up, crying, after a big crack of thunder. I went downstairs and she told me she was scared of the Lighting 'Queen. She meant lightning, but she was calling it Lightning McQueen.

And this is what it is like growing up with two older brothers. :)

(For those of you not up on your Disney movies, Lightning McQueen is the main character of the movie "Cars". The boys went through a "Cars" craze for a while. We even own Lightning McQueen pillow cases!)

Cool Mom

2010-05-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right....I'm a cool mom.

Today I took the day off from packing, etc, to go with Danny on his all day fieldtrip to a local nature area. (Thanks, Ranel, for watching the girls!) It was a science-y fieldtrip and I was a science major in college, so I figured it was a good fit.

We (me and three boys, including Danny) got our tubs/sample containers/nets and set off for the pond to look for different living creatures. Of course, all of the parent led groups were finding snails, clams, water bugs, and other "boring" stuff. Then we saw one group (led by a dad willing to get a little muddy) who had caught a huge tadpole. You should have seen the faces of the boys in my group as they gazed longingly at that tadpole. I determined that we would return with something even cooler to show for our work. (Yes, I'm a little competitive, did you know?) And so began our search for..... a frog. "Where would I be in this pond if I were a frog?" I thought to myself. It was a little chilly, sunny, and very windy. I decided sun and no wind would be the best frog conditions. Hey, chalk that one up to my stellar education from ISU! And we headed off to a sunny, wind blocked part of the pond.

To make a long story short, our group caught TWO frogs--a leopard frog and a bullfrog. I stalked one patiently. The other was mostly luck. Both of them were netted by yours truly. I made the boys transfer them from the net to the container, though! :) We were the only group to catch a frog. Walking back to the building, I could feel my son's glow of approval that HIS mom had caught the frogs. And of course, the three boys basked in the glory of showing all of their frogless friends not one, but two frogs. It was a day well spent.

And that makes me a cool mom.

Eliza on the move....

2010-04-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

Eliza & Rice Cereal

2010-04-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

Moving On

2010-04-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

For some of you, this may be old news. For some of you, it is new news. Hey, no complaining....no matter how you look at it, it's news!

We're moving! (You know, to that OTHER college town.) When? We don't know for sure. Why? To help our church plant a church. Does Eric have a job there? No (we'd appreciate your prayers on that one). Have you sold your duplex and home? YES! Since listing our homes in January, we have sold one and the other is sale pending! As exciting as that is, it also means that on May 14, our closing date, we become indefinitely homeless.

Are we crazy? Definitely yes. Are we crazy for the right reasons? Definitely yes. Is it stressful? Definitely yes.

God is strong when our strength is gone. God gives faith to those who ask for it. I'm weak and I'm asking.

When people see us uprooting our family of six with no tangible place to go and no job, they will think we are crazy. And when God works it out, they will see HE IS GREAT!

God, may your kingdom come in that OTHER college town.

I'm going to pack some boxes....

Wednesday Schedule

2010-03-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

4:00a-Feed Eliza. Put her back to bed. She's up again at 5:30a. Day starts early.

4:01a-Remember it will be 3+ days until Eric gets home. Day starts s...l....o...w.

6:45a-Start making lunches. Get kids ready for school.

8:00a-After feeding everyone else, I eat my bowl of cereal.

8:15a-Start cleaning for house showing at 4:00p.

10:00a-Decide to take a shower after Sophie tells me I stink.

11:00a-Make lunch for "the girls" and clean kitchen for final time before showing.

12:00p-Vacuum floors while holding Eliza. My left arm is almost asleep when I finish.

1:00p-Glorious nap time! I clean some more for an hour.

2:00p-My cleaning is going so well, I take a 1/2 hour nap. Whoopee!

2:30p-Up again and cleaning the bathrooms. My favorite.

3:20p-Turn on all lights in the house (I think it is a house showing thing.) Get Sophie up, shoes and jacket on. Load the van with stuff for evening activities.

3:35p-Boys get off the bus. They use the bathroom with warnings of "Don't leave drips!" ringing in their ears. Before they can make a mess, I send them to the van. I load up Eliza and we're off to the public library. (We have to go SOMEWHERE during a showing.)

3:45p-Boys play on computers.. Sophie does puzzles. I feed Eliza in a secluded corner.

4:30p-We leave for D6, stopping at McD's for icecream on the way because Daddy's out of town and we all need a pick-me-up. My kids now love me more that 15 minutes earlier. (Eric, we thought of you the whole time we ate the ice-cream.)

5:00p-D6 worship rehearsal. Ever try to dance, sing, and hold a baby? (Thanks for your help, Nicole.)

6:15p-Drop the kids off at classes and finally get to eat supper.

7:30p-D6 production. Wish I would have done a better job memorizing the lyrics.

8:15p-All kids in the car. Headed home.

8:30p-Jammies, snack, teeth, bed. In that order.

9:00p-Call and make playdate plan for tomorrow. I need some adult conversation.

9:30p-Watch an hour of "Dan in Real Life".

10:30p-Feed Eliza.

11:00p-Lights out. Remember that after tonight, there will only be two more nights until Eric comes home. Not an encouraging thought. Pray for sleep-request granted.

Birthday Month

2010-03-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

March is birthday month. Three of my four kids have birthdays in March. I've baked four, that's right, FOUR cakes in the last four days. Three of them in the last 24 hours. Because when your kids attend public school, they want to take birthday cupcakes to school. And of course you must have the special birthday cake at home. I've still got one birthday to go and I'm wiped out!

And why, oh why, doesn't anyone else in my family like leftover cake? I'm daily repeating my baby-weight loss motto (thanks, Heidi!) "A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips." Or the more positive version, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." It doesn't seem to be working. I've eaten more than my share of cake. :) It is starting to look gross.

The good news of the past couple of weeks? Eliza is starting to sleep through the night. Not consistently, but enough to please her mama. Oh, glorious sleep!

The Gift

2010-03-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

The boys came home from school on Monday excitedly waving a white piece of paper. Turns out the 3rd grade classes were holding a white elephant sale (code for "junk sale") ALL WEEK to raise money for a field trip or something. My boys have their own little stash of spending money, so I let them each take a couple of dollars. Of course, I also gave them a lecture about spending money wisely and not buying something just because you can. Classic "Mom" lecture.

The following day Danny came home with nothing. He had carefully inspected each item for sale and decided nothing was worth his hard earned cash.

Caleb came home with a stuffed monkey, a clone trooper bobble head At-At walker (Star Wars fans, did you get that?), and a plastic ninja turtle (I think we sold one just like it at our last garage sale). He spent about $0.50.

But Caleb kept his money in his bag because they were putting new items out every day! And, oh yes, the kindergarten class got to go to the sale every day. And on Thursday, he came home with a real treasure.

He pulled out a box with 9 items that looked like mock sea shells. Not a great use of the $1 they cost, but no big deal. Then he handed them to me and said, "Here, Mom, I bought these for you because you deserve them." And so, touched by my little boy's generosity (a dollar is a lot to a little kid) I took my gift.

Turns out they weren't mock sea shells. They were smelly, floating candle sea shells. And they smelled like really cheap mens' cologne. Smelly, floaty, cheap mens' cologne candles that my 5 year old bought........for me.

"Hey," I said, "Let's try these out!" And so I lit all of the candles and set them afloat in the bathtub....almost gagging at the smell.....with the exhaust fan on high, of course......and it stunk up the house.....and Caleb and Sophie watched those candles burn for a good 15 minutes! Then we "forgot" about them and they probably burnt for close to an hour.

Unfortunately, they didn't burn as quickly as I had hoped. Still plenty of wear in them. I put them all in a ziplock under the bathroom sink, but I could still smell them, so they now occupy a special place on the shelf in the garage......just in case Caleb asks me if I want to burn them again. :)

I love my Caleb. A scrub brush for Christmas, a half written card for my birthday (I think he got tired out), smelly candles because I deserve them. Gifts only a mother could love.

Funny Stuff

2010-03-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

Check out what happens when we're bored on a Saturday afternoon. For the real "Guacamole Song" that inspired ours, go here.

I love my kids. :)

Don't tease me, Mr. Winter

2010-03-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

There are some things I've been noticing the past few days...there is a trickle of water that has joined the ice mound at the end of our driveway.....I can see a patch of bare ground in our front yard.....there is more bare deck than ice covered deck on our screened in porch.....my boys got out their bikes when playing outside yesterday and asked to take off their snow pants....and the sun feels WARM. Don't tease me, Mr. Winter. You've had a nice, long reign this year. I'm ready for spring. Here's to March coming in like a lamb! (Never mind the saying, we'll hope it goes out like a lamb, too!)

And she's off...

2010-02-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

Eliza started rolling over the evening of Tuesday, February 2nd. 4 months old exactly. She had been so close all day and a few minutes after I left for work, she rolled over. Of course, I missed it. From back to stomach. The kids saw it. It was really cute to watch them encouraging her. They were surrounding her saying, "Come on! Almost! Go!" Then when she wouldn't get all the way over, they would all let out a big "Awww" which would scare Eliza. Now, almost two weeks later, she rolls constantly and can go from stomach to back as well. Enjoy the video.

Oh, and I gave Eliza's hair a trim. She was losing all of the hair on the sides of her head, and it looked like she had a comb-over. I just shortened the top a little so it blended a little better. :) And no, I don't have a picture of that. I'm lucky to get the video up!

There's a New Kid in Town!

2010-02-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

Danny got glasses! Turns out his vision was so bad that if he were an adult, he would have flunked his driving exam. Neither Eric nor I realized how bad it was and now that he has glasses, he is telling us all of the things he used to not be able to read. He loves being able to see! Of course, after Danny got home, Sophie insisted that she wear glasses, too.

Handsome Dan. Doesn't he look good!?

Too Long On The Phone

2010-02-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday I was chatting with a friend on the phone, Eliza was sleeping, Sophie was....well....Sophie was quiet....and she was in my bedroom/bathroom. But, I was having a good conversation, so I let her go. I was on the phone for about 15 minutes. I hung up and out of my room walks Sophie with a guilty look. She looks like she has a dirty face, but upon closer inspection, I see that she has put on makeup. She had foundation on her cheeks, mascara (she actually got it on her eye lashes-and smeared across her nose), eye shadow, and lip gloss. The lip gloss was applied the most liberally to her eye brows, cheeks, lips, and chin. It was very cute and I had a hard time not laughing, but I firmly told her not to play with Mommy's makeup. And then I wiped it all of with a wet wipe. Only then did I think, "Oh, I should have taken a picture." Sorry. You'll have to imagine how funny she looked. :)

Cute Pics

2010-01-28T14:53:00.001-08:00

Eliza taking a cat nap (well, me, too) the Sunday before Christmas. You may see that she has a red mark right under her right ear. The pediatrician said it was a hemo....something and would go away around age 2. And the date on the picture is wrong. Gotta change that.

Had I sent a Christmas card/birth announcement, this is the picture you would have seen. Yeah, shoulda coulda woulda. I'm lucky I got the picture taken at all. Hey, I got something done when the boys had a snow day after all! Eliza will be 4 mo. on Feb. 2, so I think this counts as a 4 mo. picture.

School....

2010-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

School...to be or not to be, that is the question. We have yet to have a full week of school since Christmas break. Storm after storm after storm. Wind, ice, snow, more wind. It is crazy!!!

The other night I woke up at 3a (normal in my world) and noticed how cold it was in our house. Looking at the thermostat, I saw it was 57 degrees in our house when it was supposed to be 65 degrees. I notified Eric (the resident repairman) and he braved the cold to find out the snow had drifted over our furnace's exhaust pipe (that isn't what it's really called, but I don't know the right name). Anyway, when that happens, the furnace automatically shuts off. Nice.

Today the boys got up and having had very little or no school the past two days, Danny had to check to see if there was a delay. What he discovered instead was that the normally scheduled early out for today had been changed to a full day. The boys were not pleased.

I'm procrastinating unloading the groceries-we go through almost a gallon of milk a day, cleaning up the house, and getting supper started. But oh how I love that short time of day when everything is quiet because both girls are sleeping. Too bad there is no time for a nap. :)

Finally....

2009-11-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

Finally, a couple of pics for you. The first is all of us at the apple orchard/pumpkin patch. This year Caleb was careful not to get a piece of corn stuck in his nose! :) Eliza was two weeks old on that outing! And then we have Eliza right after a bath. She is growing quickly and doing well. I'm getting a little more sleep and every little bit helps! This morning I went jogging for the first time since before I got pregnant. It was a little rough, but I made it! We'll see how I feel tomorrow. :) It's a great Sunday afternoon....relaxing....reading....snoozing (well, hoping to snooze). Looking forward to the holidays.....

The results are in...

2009-10-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Eliza had another appointment today to get weighed and she came in at a solid 8lb, 12 oz, which is 3 oz above her birth weight and 8 oz more than she weighed four days ago. Praise God! What a relief to all of us here on the home front. She obviously has started to pack on the pounds (or ounces, to be specific) and our doc said we didn't have to come back until her 2 mo. appointment. Thank you to all of you who were praying. God gave us a resounding "YES" in answer to all of you warriors!

I know, I know, more pictures would be appreciated. Hey, life with four is busy and I'm tired!

Prayer Request

2009-10-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Please pray for Eliza. She still is not back up to her birth weight. Not good. The doctor doesn't really know why she isn't gaining weight. It's causing her mother some extra stress....also not good.

Pray for wisdom, peace, and that she'll put on weight!

Last night...

2009-10-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a marathon day. I was up from 4:30a to 10:45p. Whew!

But in the midst of the chaos, at dinner, Caleb gave me reason for a good belly laugh. (And believe me, my belly is in need of even the minimal toning that laughing gives your stomach muscles!)

Me: Caleb, can you name the months of the year?

Caleb: Sure. February....March....Luke....John.....

The transition to 4

2009-10-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

I'm seriously wondering what it is that I did all day when I only had three kids. Life is VERY full right now. In a good way. We're taking things one day at a time and that is working.

The beginning of this week was a serious challenge for me and Eliza. On Sunday night she decided to stop nursing. And she didn't nurse all day Monday and part of the day Tuesday. I then went to see a consultant (an angel in disguise) named Val who helped get us back on track. Turns out I was using a pacifier that was making Eliza lazy and so she didn't want to work to eat. Who knew? After a couple of days of using some "equipment" to help get Eliza back on track, she is now almost completely back to nursing normally. And I can't tell you how happy I am! Thank you, Lord!

I know some of you are asking for more pictures. I'll see if we can get some up this weekend. Eliza's two week appointment is today. She is a beautiful gift.

Eliza Jean

2009-10-02T10:14:00.001-07:00

Holly woke me up at midnight, we arrived at the Hospital at 12:45, and I (Eric) delivered Eliza at 1:45! Everything went very quickly and smoothly and everyone is happy and healthy. And I got to be the "catcher"! I fought off a near fainting spell with some orange juice after the nurses escorted me to a chair. Then I was back in action and was able to keep ahold of the warm wet wiggly mess soon to be known as Eliza Jean. 8lbs. 9 oz. 20 in. Girl. Here's some pics:

A Song from Sophie

2009-09-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

So, because we have a baby due about any day, Sophie and I don't have a lot of "plans". Today she wanted a video taken of herself and put on the computer. I complied. So here you have Sophie and her rendition of "Home on the Range". Yes, I know, what kind of two year old knows "Home on the Range"? Her father taught it to her. :) She loves it.

Being Thankful

2009-09-20T18:00:00.001-07:00

We've been having a lot of conversations lately with the boys about being thankful. Thankful for our new home (even though it isn't as big as some of your friends' homes, it's plenty big for us). Thankful for school (yes, it is sometimes boring, but who would you rather eat lunch with, your mom or your friends). Thankful for your brother (we know he is sometimes annoying, but we promise, someday you'll be great friends). Thankful for the food we eat (no, we aren't having fettucinni every night and yes, we WANT you to be able to eat food you don't like). Thankful for the toys you have (believe us, more toys really won't make you any happier in the long run).

In response to these conversations, what do we hear from our oldest? "I sure am thankful all those people in China invented all those toys." Sure enough, almost all the toys our kids own say, "Made in China." Thus his thankfulness for the Chinese. :)

Best pregnant picture EVER!

2009-08-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, it took me four pregnancies to get it, but thanks to my friend/photographer, Lynn, I finally got the best pregnant picture I've ever had! I think there must be something key to the fact that you can only see my silhouette. No one can look at it and say, "Wow, her face is really swollen." I love this picture. I might even get it enlarged and hang it up somewhere. I was up at Lynn's cabin for a D6 (our church's family ministry) writing session and Lynn came up with the idea to take this. Thanks, Lynn! I think it only right that Baby #4 gets the best "in mommy's tummy" picture.

First Day of School

2009-08-25T09:57:00.003-07:00

Yep, my two boys went off to all-day school this year. They were both so excited they couldn't even eat breakfast that morning. I miss them, but they seem to be doing really well. They have made friends and like their teachers. And, they even seem to be learning something!

Here's Caleb, my big kindergartner. He ate only his cheesestick and his oatmeal cream pie the first two days of school.
Danny, my second grader. His favorite thing about the first day of school was getting his new supplies in/out of his very own desk. I homeschooled him last year for first grade.

And my three (almost four!) great kids. I'm thankful for each day with them! I think Sophie is enjoying having mommy to herself. And I seem to be getting a lot more done around the house. Plus, I usually nap with Sophie! However, I do miss my boys....

Vacation Update

2009-08-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

We returned from our annual family vacation with all of my extended family at the end of July. We had a great time, and, as always, it went by way too fast. There were a few tears shed as we got in the van to come back home (not by me or Eric!)

Eric's highlight was spending 6 hours on the Yellow River kayaking with his brother-in-law, Brad. I believe they swam some, hiked up a cliff without any idea of how they were going to get back down, and generally had a blast. (I'm always careful not to ask too many questions about the stuff they do....better not to know:)

Holly's highlight was minimal cooking and polishing off about 4 thick novels. Who doesn't love a good book? And right now reading time at home is somewhat limited.....

Danny's highlight was seeing five deer over the course of the week and swimming at the local pool. And of course, playing almost nonstop with all of the cousins. They literally would leave our cabin right after (sometimes before) breakfast and I wouldn't see them until supper. I'm not sure what they did for lunch all of those days.

Caleb loved swimming and catching crawdads in the fresh stream water. Making s'mores is also a favorite.

Sophie's favorite part was playing with her new twin cousins, Gabe and Sam. They are 5 months old and she could've spent all day "helping" feed them, change their diapers, put their socks on and off, read to them, etc.....she hated it when it was their nap time. She also bonded with her cousin, Johnnie. Let me say that girl play is SO different from boy play. The girls would sit in our cabin for hours and play with dishes and dolls. The boys would carry swords all day and if you left the cabin, they would attack you. A couple of girl interactions I caught...

Johnnie (to Sophie): Do you want me to call you Sophie or Mommy?
Sophie: Mommy.
Johnnie: Okay, Mommy.

Johnnie: Can I borrow your keys?
Sophie: Sure. (She casually slips one strap of her purse off her shoulder, reaches into the purse to pull out the keys, and hands them to Johnnie. Then readjusts her purse.) Let's go.

(She can mimick me carrying a purse WAY better than Eric can.)

A few photos...

Sophie playing in the stream.

The boy cousins (minus their much younger ones), L to R, Caleb, Moses, Danny, Eli. This is when I told them to smile.

This is when I didn't tell them what to do.....

Sophie enjoying the pool. Yes, she's loud and stubborn, but also very cute.

Yes, and you've been waiting for it.....Holly at about 7 months. In a swimsuit, no less!

This may end up being my only pregnancy picture this time around. :)

School starts in less than a week, so look for first day of school pictures soon! The boys are so excited!

Things under control...kind of

2009-07-15T13:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, but I have good reason! After our last house deal fell through, we began looking for a place to rent. And through a chain of events that God laid out for us, we ended up purchasing a twin home in the nearby town where Eric works! I didn't write anything about it previously because I learned the hard way how house deals can fall through. Anyway, we moved the last weekend in June and have been here for two and a half weeks. I'd like to say we're settled, but....

I'll try to soon post pictures of the new place. It is almost bran new and we love it. Lots more space! However, we leave for vacation on Friday and it might not happen for a while.

Things I love about our new place:

Working laundry (we didn't have it hooked up for the first two weeks)
New(er) appliances
Screened in porch
Garage door opener
3 bathrooms (yes, we've used all of them AT THE SAME TIME and we are SPOILED)
Master bath with attached closet
Less yard work
Great neighbors

Things I miss:

Our great neighbors at our old place
Trees (this being a new development, the trees are still puny)
The two minute drive to ALDI (now it is 8 minutes)

Notes on the kids:

Danny has lost both front teeth
Caleb got sick the other day (threw up) from too much xbox (at the neighbors, a special treat)
Sophia loves toads and cried both times the toads the boys caught died.

And Eric is playing Ranger Wayne Danger for VBS. I have the year off due to my "condition". Come see us at our new place!

Spring in our backyard

2009-05-31T15:47:00.000-07:00

For about one week in the spring, our crabapple tree looks like this. It is absolutely beautiful and I get to look at it from my kitchen sink. Eric went out with Caleb and Sophia and shook the branches so the petals would fall down on them. They loved it. (Jess, these pictures are especially for you! We miss you!)

Future Plans

2009-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

So, you know my last post, "New House". Well, after the inspection, because of some roofing issues, the deal fell through. No more new house. We've known for about a week now that it probably wouldn't happen. And to tell you the truth, I am really okay about it.

However, I'm still packing because we know we have to be out of this place by August 1. Yikes! Packing can seem overwhelming! I don't remember feeling this way about moving and then I recalled that the last time I was packing, I had one less kid and I wasn't pregnant. Hmmm, maybe that makes a difference. :)

So right now Eric and I are still keeping an eye on the housing market, as well as looking for places that would be available to rent. Who knows where we'll be come August 1.

And for some family news: Mother's Day was really fun. The boys gave me a back rub and a "pedicure". I made Swedish pancakes (a family favorite) for breakfast, but after that Eric kicked me out of the kitchen for the rest of the day. What a treat! After lunch Danny hauled out the lawn chair they got me two years ago for Mother's Day and I spent part of the afternoon reading in the sun. I have a hilarious video of Sophie singing "Jesus Loves Me" while the boys have the vibrating back-rubber on her back. I'll try to post it soon. Sophie also managed to get her toenails painted while I was getting my pedicure. And my Mother's Day gift?--a new stroller. I'm SO excited to get it in the mail. We've been taking family walks/bike rides almost every night and our stroller is too short for both Eric and I. I hope the new one lives up to my expectations. Danny should finish school this week. Both boys spend large portions of each day outside, getting dirty. I love it. And I recently finished a new novel, "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger. Excellent book.

New House!

2009-04-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

We bought a house! I'm excited, if not a little nervous. I do think it will be a great home for us. We close June 18th and will move soon after. Eric emailed out some pictures, but I don't have any pictures, yet. I'll post them when I get them. The kids are really excited, even though they haven't seen the house, yet. I'm VERY sad to leave our current neighborhood, but am anxious to have more space! I'm already dreaming of paint colors, curtains, and where I'm going to put our furniture in the new house.

Sophia's Birthday

2009-04-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

And finally, birthday #3 in March-Sophia turned 2! At this point, I was sick of cake! :) When we lit Sophie's candles, she immediately blew them out-before we got a picture or sang or anything. So then we lit the candles again, but she wouldn't blow them out again. Sorry, I again forgot to rotate the picture.

Caleb, Sophia, and Danny "helping" frost the cake.

We had lots of guests come for cake and ice cream. Our friends Matthew and Spring, our good friends and neighbors Deb and Tess, and our other good friends and neighbors, whose daughter, Gretta, is 6 wks younger than Sophia. They are too cute together! Although for the life of me I couldn't get a picture with BOTH of them looking at the camera. Happy 2nd birthday, Sophia!

Danny's Birthday

2009-04-21T08:17:00.001-07:00

And birthday #2 in March-Danny's. Danny had the Arant family over to celebrate, but for some reason, we didn't get a picture of all the kids. Oh well. Danny had a strawberry cake, also had a treasure hunt, and could barely eat the whole day he was so excited. He got a couple of really cool transformers from the Arants. Here's the family on Danny's birthday.

Danny with his loot. Right before we took this picutre, Sophia jumped in and put her arm around Danny.

Danny with his 7 candles and strawberry cake.

Caleb's Birthday

2009-04-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

Caleb had a great time celebrating his March birthday with cousins Moses and Johnnie. We went to Hickory Park for supper, had a treasure hunt (in the dark with flashlights), played pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and Caleb and Moses got to sleep in a tent we set up in their room (it was too cold to sleep outside). Caleb and Danny then convinced us to let them sleep in the tent for the following three nights! :) Thanks to the Each's for driving a couple hours to celebrate with us. Caleb had a blast.

Caleb with his "funfetti" cake and his new Webkinz from Nanny and Baba. We lost the tag for this Webkinz, which is what you need to log it on to the computer, so ended up buying another one. Yeah, I'm a sucker. Nevermind that I spent probably 5 hours or so scouring the house for that tag.
Caleb modeling his new ISU jersey. Go Cyclones! (Sorry, I forgot to rotate the picture.)

The party-ers: Johnnie, Caleb, Danny, Moses.

The kids showing off Caleb's loot. L to R, Sophia, Johnnie, Caleb, Danny, Moses.

The Downside of Being Cheap

2009-04-02T13:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I don't know if I'm necessarily "cheap", but I really like good deals and I almost NEVER pay retail. (Isn't that a life motto?) However, there are those days when it doesn't pay to be cheap. For example, the days in the last month and a half.

About a month and a half ago, I decided that I didn't like my hair. It needed a lift. And I also decided that surely, being the educated person that I am, I could figure out how to dye my hair myself, saving more than $50. One trip to Target, three trips to Sally's Beauty Supply, and two weeks later, I found myself with a yellowy-orangy color that I hated. And Eric said, "It's not my favorite," which means he hated it, too. I dealt with the horrible orangy color for about two weeks before I gave in. (I have this weird idea that I should make myself suffer for a while because of the mistake I made.) Then I talked to my neighbor, who works for a very nice salon, to see if she thought she could fix my hair. She was very optimistic and so yesterday I went in and my hair looks A LOT better. However, all in all, I probably spent almost twice as much as if I had just gotten my hair highlighted professionally in the first place. We'll keep the actual bill a secret between me and my credit card statement. :)

I learned my lesson. It doesn't always pay to be cheap. Next time I'll fork over the dough and get it done right the first time.

The House Search

2009-03-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love watching HGTV. I especially like the house search shows. However, I think maybe I should stop watching. HGTV makes looking for a house often look oh, so easy. And the people on the show are oh, so picky about the things they want in a house. Looking for a new house should be fun, right? I'm starting to think it isn't so fun.

Right now we live in one side of a duplex that we own. There are only two bedrooms and since kid #4 is coming, there isn't a whole lot of growing space. We need a new place! So, we've already rented out BOTH sides of our duplex starting August 1. This means that we HAVE to find a new place to live before then. Oh, the pressure! But we can't be picky like the people on HGTV. There are some things that we want....things we might even consider "must have's" that we will have to give up. Because a house that has everything we want has one thing we don't want-a price tag that we can't afford. Yeah, I'm not too into the house search right now.

You know that feeling when you walk into a house and you think...this is it! This is the one! It is perfect for our family. I haven't had that feeling. I'm just praying the perfect house-at the perfect price-will come along soon.

On a happy note, Sophia turns 2 today! She is very excited about having cake and ice cream. And she is my first child that is potty trained (well, half way) before turning two! Whoo-hoo!

My famous sister, Marcy

2009-03-19T20:47:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I have a very cool, very talented musician sister, Marcy. (My other sister, Rachel, is also a very cool, very talented musician sister, but hey, this post is about Marcy.) I was just reading Mark Arant's blog (he is one of the pastors at Cornerstone) and he had a tribute to Marcy. Which led me to check out her myspace page for the very first time. I know, what kind of pathetic sister am I? Anyway, it is very cool and you can even buy her newest cd, "The Gravel Road" from her myspace page. Click here to go visit! Enjoy!

I'm Glad I Have a Daughter

2009-03-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

I'm really glad I have a daughter. Yes, girls can often be more difficult than boys, but she also does things that the boys never thought of doing. And she mimicks ME instead of Eric. Scary thought, but also very entertaining. :) Sophia "changes" diapers on her babies, LIKES to clear her plate after supper, dusts the living room with a wet wipe, and will mother anyone who lets themselves be mothered. She also LOVES make-up, shoes, purses, and jewelry. Hey, no one will accuse me of not teaching my daughter the value of accessorizing!

Here's Sophia feeding her baby some of her morning oatmeal and milk.

And, since baby #4 is coming, I decided I needed a few months of no diapers, so I'm potty training Sophie. This is week two and she actually is doing pretty well. No accidents for a couple of days, she just holds it FOREVER! It is taking longer than with the boys, but she isn't even two yet, so what can I expect!? I know this summer I'll be glad I took the time to do it. Here she is on her little potty. Notice the two babies on the floor around her. They keep her company when she is sitting.

And finally, a video of Sophia mothering Caleb. The video is kind of dark, but she is laying on the couch with Caleb laying on her shoulder, covered with a blanket. Wait for the end, she gives him an adorable kiss "goodnight". This is the first time I've posted a video, so hopefully it works! Less than a month until I leave for a week's vacation visiting my sister in Florida! Whoo-hoo!

February Highlights

2009-02-18T09:05:00.000-08:00

And in the title lies the problem. February doesn't really have any highlights. It's cold outside. Holidays are over. (Valentine's Day doesn't really count, because shouldn't you love your spouse EVERY day?) Spring seems very far away. So every morning, I open the curtains and look out at the dreary sky and anticipate what is coming.....

And we actually have more to anticipate than just spring. Baby #4 is on the way, due end of September/beginning of October. The boys are thrilled. Sophia is confused about why there is a baby in mommy's tummy and she can't see it. Eric is excited and proud. I'm often feeling a little under the weather and so doing less cooking and more sleeping. :) I'm also anxious to find a house for our growing family before we split the seams of our 2 bedroom duplex!

Please, spring, come quickly! We need your warm days and sunshine!

On a side note, the boys new favorite evening activity is to act out a Proverb. Eric chooses a Proverb and then the boys think of a way to act it out. They perform it for me and I try to guess what the Proverb is. They love it! And they're pretty good actors (although I can't imagine where they would get a talent like that). :)

Good Deals

2009-01-27T12:34:00.001-08:00

I love good deals. Most of you know this because if I get a good deal, I tell you about it. Why should my blog be any different? Today, we went to Hy-Vee to get some groceries. By "we" I mean me and the kids. We don't usually shop at Hy-Vee because it is generally the most expensive grocery store. But when we do, the kids know all about the two perks that Hy-Vee has to offer. #1-car carts. You know, those HUGE carts with a "car" in the front so your kids can sit and steer/climb on the roof/stick their heads out the windows just as your careening around a corner, etc. #2-free cookies. That's right, any kid shopping at Hy-Vee gets a free cookie. I would like to see them expand this program to include moms. I mean, what mom with three kids at the grocery store doesn't deserve a cookie?! Anyway, my kids love Hy-Vee because of the perks. Unfortunately, the car carts were covered with snow, but we still got the cookies! So we stopped at Hy-Vee to pick up a few items that they had on a really good sale this week. And while we were meandering through the aisles to find our $1.28 butter, I found the best deal I've ever found.....drum roll please........1/2 gallon of chocolate milk at the price of 4 for $1. Yep, $0.25 each. I bought six. My kids are going to be drinking only chocolate milk for a week. And then, in the same section of the store, I spied deal #2......1/2 gallon premium orange juice......4 for $1. I bought 4. Oh, and I asked the managment and nothing was wrong with the items. They haven't expired. They are perfect. I must have mentioned my amazement at what a good deal we got a number of times to my kids, because by the time we were at the checkout counter, they were telling everyone who looked our way that we got "SUCH A GOOD DEAL!" So Hy-Vee, I don't know what kind of magic day it was in your store, but THANKS!

To Mom

2009-01-22T14:34:00.001-08:00

This post is a tribute to my mom, Lea. She turned 60 years old on the 17th of January. If I'm half as beautiful (inside and out!) as she is when I'm 60, I'll be a happy woman. I'm so thankful for my mom. She is an inspiration to me and truly is one of my best friends. Love you, Mom!

And...we're back.

2009-01-22T14:16:00.000-08:00

Where did the last month go? We spent the end of December and early January celebrating Christmases and dealing with the stomach flu. Yep. Sophia began the sequence by getting sick on December 23rd....on the way to my parents....in the car.....right after she drank a cup of milk and ate fruit snacks and chicken nuggets......some of you have already stopped reading you are so grossed out. Thanks to the very kind older female cashier at the Casey's for her help in covering the bathroom floor with trash bags and providing clean rags to clean up Sophia and our van! Luckily, the boys didn't get sick until after we returned home the following Sunday. We spent the last few days of December eating jello, Saltines (by the way, for all you moms out there, try oyster crackers instead of Saltines for your kids--same great taste, much less mess!) and drinking Sprite. Cheers to the new year!

My new year project was to switch bedrooms with the boys. We only have two bedrooms and up until now, the boys were in one room and we were in the other, with Sophia in our closet (hey, it's a big closet with a window!). But I was determined to have our own room, so we put the boys in with Sophia and, finally, Eric and I have our own room again. Supposedly, this will allow me to get up early and exercise without waking Sophie up. I've done it once so far this week. Best part-we now have a tv in our room, so Eric and I can watch movies in bed! Yes!

A few thanks to give out....to God for the beautiful, sunny, 40 degree day today....to Grandma and Grandpa Bodin for the new Wii game (the boys are playing it RIGHT NOW)......to Walgreens for free makeup and chocolate covered macadamia nuts....to the South Beach Diet website for awesome coupons on their yummy granola bars....and to all of you who have left me comments. I'm so glad we get to stay connected this way!

A Few Pics for Fun

2008-12-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

Since I was posting, I wanted to give an update on the kids, too. They are currently on Grandma detox, as Grandma left Sunday after being here almost a week. Now they have to adjust to plain old mom, who doesn't spoil them! :) Here's Sophia, loving on her cousin, Noah. She loves to "mother" other babies.

Caleb got to tag along to a homeschool get-together where the kids got to make gingerbread houses. It took him a while to figure out that he wanted to put a lot of candy on his house, but he finally got the idea. In case you didn't hear the most recent funny Caleb story, a couple of weeks ago he was in the van, sneezed, and said, "Mom, I sneezed out a piece of corn!" It was field corn! Then he explained to me that the corn had been in his nose since we went to a "corn pool" (see previous post) at the apple orchard 2 MONTHS ago! He had never once complained, although we had noticed he had been snoring a lot! He said it felt a lot better and now he could breathe through his nose when he ate!

Here is Danny with his gingerbread house. He was very careful and particular in decorating. Danny has also become an avid reader. Yesterday he spent an hour on the couch, just reading. I LOVE IT that he likes having his nose in a book. That way I can have my nose in a book, too!

It snowed about 4 inches this morning and the boys have already been outside playing. Caleb came in complaining that Danny wouldn't pull him around the yard on the sled. It is so cold we have ice on the INSIDE of our windows!

Tonight we are hoping to do our family Christmas shopping outting. We got the idea from my sister, Rachel. We all go to The Dollar Tree and we give the kids $1 for each family member. Then they take off to do their own shopping. It is great for kids the age of ours because the store is small and EVERYTHING is $1. They have a lot of fun personally picking out each item. It's cheap and lets them get involved in the shopping. Then we all go out to eat together. Thanks for the idea, Rachel!

Esmerelda

2008-12-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

Eric and I just finished performing in/helping direct Cornerstone's Christmas production, "Esmerelda". Eric played two roles and I played a small company role and assistant directed. It was so much fun. However, it is nice to have some family time again! Our family ate supper together last night for the first time in I don't know how long! Here are a few pictures....

Holly as the flower lady and Eric as the Scottish door keeper.
Eric with his fellow door keepers, Todd (Indian door keeper) and Kevin (French door keeper).

Holly with friends, Kristi, Jenni (director/writer) and Lynn.

Todd (music director and "Bob"), Mike (producer and "Papa"), Jenni (director/writer), Holly (assistant director and "Flower Lady")

Swedish rye bread

2008-11-25T21:06:00.000-08:00

Today I learned an important Bodin skill. I almost consider it a rite of passage. Let me start at the beginning....

Two days ago Eric came home and informed me that on Wednesday the guys at work were going to deep fat fry a turkey for lunch....and then he sheepishly told me he was supposed to bring a side dish. (He said it sheepishly because he told me Monday night, knowing Tuesday's are my busy day and hoping I wouldn't be frustrated.) In the Bodin family, Swedish rye bread is a staple at holiday meals. Jim (my father-in-law) is the master baker. Eric loves the bread. So being the good Bodin wife that I am, I asked him if he wanted me to make it. I think his mouth started watering before I got the words out of my mouth. Eric went to a specialty grocery store for me on Monday night and got all of the seeds with weird names that go in the bread and the rye flour. This afternoon, I took the rye bread challenge...and it turned out pretty good! It wasn't quite to Jim's caliper(mine was a little denser), but hey, it was my first time! Eric even did the "punching down" and baking while I was gone teaching tonight. And now, having done the work of making it, I will appreciate it oh so much more when Jim makes it!

And I have to admit, I hope the guys at work don't like it too much. I'd love for Eric to have a couple of pieces left over for me!

2008-11-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

Eric and I in New York, "kissing" the Statue of Liberty.

Date Night

2008-11-14T13:06:00.000-08:00

Are you married? If you are, you should have a date night. We don't have a regular, specific date night, but last night we got to go out, just the two of us, for the whole evening. Many times when we do this, I still end up cooking supper for the kids/babysitter, but last night our wonderful friends (Dan and Lynn) not only watched the kids all evening, but cooked them supper, too! So the two of us went out to Hickory Park (BY OURSELVES!!!) and then to a movie. Going out with Eric helps me feel like a normal person. It makes me want to shout to the world, "Look, I'm carrying an actual purse, not a diaper bag!" or "Hey, did you notice there aren't any stains on my shirt?" and "Yeah, I'm a stay at home mom, but I own more than sweatpants and I know how to look stylish when I want to!" Okay, maybe that last part isn't true, but I FEEL stylish. :) And it's amazing how one date can make you feel normal enough to last you until...well...the next date! Thanks, Eric, for taking me out for the evening and reminding me that I'm a beautiful, intelligent wife and not just a frumpy, all-I-do-is-wipe-stuff-all-day mom. And for all you husbands out there-do the same for your wives!

FYI: Those of you who know me will laugh that I want to post this. I am sometimes cheap to a fault, so I have to tell you that our entire date, thanks to gift cards/coupons, cost $8 and I also picked up a free tube of mascara when we were buying dessert at Walgreens. And do I feel less valuable because Eric spent less money on me? NO! I feel more valuable because not only did we have a great night out, we spent almost nothing!

Trick-or-Treat

2008-10-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, seriously. Would you not just give your whole bowl of candy to trick-or-treaters like these? Davey Crockett, Spiderman, and little Sophie-Mouse. They started strong. Sophie baled after completing our street. She would not, however, let go of her candy bucket. The boys pushed on to the next street and came back with stories of a "haunted house" giving out FULL SIZE CANDY BARS! Sophie might have to be a mouse tomorrow, too, because that "washable marker" I used to draw on her nose/whiskers isn't very washable. Sophie downed an entire Kit-Kat before I confiscated her candy. The boys...well, let's just say they had to brush their teeth really well and both went to bed with stomach aches. Ahhhh, you gotta love free candy!

Pumpkin Snatchers

2008-10-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

I live in a nice town. We have nice neighbors. There are no wild parties on our street. It is one of the best neighborhoods in town. So then why, WHY, would someone steal our pumpkins!? Yep, sometime on Sunday or Monday, four of our pumpkins were stolen off our front porch. The fifth one was safe-it had been placed on the back porch. We discovered this when Eric and the boys went to carve their pumpkins last night and .... no pumkins! What kind of person steals a pumpkin? Especially a kid's pumpkin? Well, at least they are on sale for $2 at Walmart. The funny thing is, this is the fourth fall season we've lived here and the second time our pumpkins have been stolen. Hmmm...someone must know we have good taste in pumpkins. But I've learned my lesson. From now on, pumpkins at our house get to spend the night INSIDE.

2008-10-29T11:46:00.001-07:00

Thank you to Jess, my friend and neighbor, who "tagged" me to answer the following questions. I have to use one word answers.

1.Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Your significant other? hot!
3. Your hair? there
4. Your mother? amazing
5. Your favorite thing? alone-time
6. Your dream last night? none
7. Your favorite drink? milkshake
8. Your dream/goal? house
9. What room are you in? dining
10. Your fear? loneliness
11. Where do you want to be in 6 years? wiser
12. Where were you last night? teaching
13. Something that you aren’t? unopinionated
14. Muffins? blueberry
15. Wish list item? ipod
16. Last thing you did? email
17. What are you wearing? all black (for a skit at D6 tonight - I got ready early)
18. Your TV? basement
19. Your pets? no way (who needs pets when you've got kids!?)
20. Friends? love 'em
21. Your life? good
22. Your mood? tired
23. Missing someone? sisters
24. Your car? minivan-megafun
25. Something you’re not wearing? make-up
26. Your favorite store? Walmart (Save Money, Live Better - Walmart) :)
27. Your favorite color? blue
28. When is the last time you laughed? Monday night (at my husband's INCREDIBLE acting)
29. Last time you cried? hmmmm.....

And that's a wrap. Yeah, I cheated on the one word thing a little. That okay. It was more fun. Hey, if you can't cheat on your own blog, when can you? I'm supposed to tag other people, but since I just started this blog, I'm not sure anyone is reading it. However, I tag Marcy to post on our family page. (Heee-heee)

2008-10-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

We have a new form of entertainment at our house. No, it's not a new dvd, computer game, video game, or even a toy or board game. Our new form of entertainment is a squirrel feeder I attached to our front tree last weekend. It was given to us by our neighbor, Chip. (Do I need to mention we have the best neighbors in the world!?) The squirrels discovered the corn this morning. It kept the kids busy while I cleaned up breakfast dishes, made soup for supper, and made a few phone calls. Who knew? You should have heard them squeal when the squirrel took a piece of corn and buried it in our front yard. They bolted for their jackets and tried to find the buried corn, but no luck. So don't worry, Mr. Squirrel, your corn is still safe---for now. No guarantees. So here's to cheap, fun entertainment. (Thanks, Chip.)

Loving Life in Iowa

2008-10-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day. Perfect weather. Sunny. Not a cloud in the sky. Highs in the upper 70's. Danny's homeschooling group took a fieldtrip to an apple orchard/pumpkin patch and the whole family was invited to tag along. So we packed our lunch and made the 20min drive to the middle of Nowhere, IA. Four hours later (the organized tour ended after 1.5 hours, but we were having so much fun, we stayed), I packed up three tired kids, bags of apples and gourds, and the remainders of our lunch. During the day we took a hayrack ride, conquered the hay bale maze, picked our own gourds and apples, fed the goats and elk, visited the 3 little pigs' homes, watched how apples are sorted, swam in the "corn pool" (only in Iowa), jumped on the giant pillow, and raced pedal tractors. The boys favorite part was the corn pool. And my favorite part was having a great day with my kids.