Pup-sicles

Living in northwestern Minnesota with any type of dog is a chilly thought but having small dogs is unthinkable but that's my life.  Tom and Jerry are litter mates but it's almost impossible to tell.  They are Chihuahua/Pommeranian cross.  Tom is about 5 lbs. and Jerry is about 7 lbs.  They are full grown and exactly what I wanted.   In the last week or so, the temps have made their normal dips into the teens and the dogs come in after doing their business just shivering.  Last year's dog jackets were in bad shape so I searched for a sweater pattern and came across this one.  I love how perfect it fit each of them and the pattern was easy to follow.  Thank you so much for sharing this!

Commercialization? Every holiday's trend..

I overheard a radio discussion on the thought of Valentine's day being another commercialized holiday and that the need for a specific day to validate the love we have for others isn't and shouldn't be necessary.

After listening to a few of the comments, I found myself agreeing with the thought. And in turn, I've always been happy to receive flowers, candy, jewelry, etc, on any given day! :)

On to my point - Having 4 children is no small feat. I love them all dearly but I'm one that struggles with limits.. gifts, toys, clothes.. you name it! A trend this year is a Valentine's cards that opens and has a song playing or a personally recorded message, how cute! I found myself shopping for cards for the kids and couldn't pass these cards by. (yes, I stood in the aisle and opened every single one, some twice!) I struggled selecting a card for each of the kids, then I struggled with the thought that if I get these cool cards for each of the kids, I'd have to hear the song blurb for a while because they wouldn't want to let go of them, then I struggled with the price, and decided to get one of the cool cards for my spoiled rotten daughter.. she is the only one that can read, so.. I then had to find cards for the boys, then Ben, then grandparents, friends, cousins, uncles, aunts.. Oh wait!!! That's going to cost hundreds of dollars and who actually keeps valentines, unless they're handmade??? Ah-ha! So, the kids will be making valentines for a few people.

Another con in the whole commercialization dilemma is that 4 kids require 4 sets of valentines for school. Okay, that's not so bad, right? Well, 4 kids in activities outside school means additional parties, gifts, etc. I get that we should all love each other, but honestly.. maybe we could just promote being more tolerant or something instead of the perpetual need to spend money on random, meaningless holidays for kids who really only want the candy and could care less about the sentimentality behind the holiday.

Monster Jam 2009

For the last 3 years, Alex has attended Monster Jam at the Fargo Dome. This tradition has quickly caught on and Isaac is eager to join them in this event. Much to his disappointment, he couldn't attend this year because he's only 2 and we (I) decided he wouldn't keep his ears covered and for this event, it has to be a must. He has been promised next year. :)

Serenity was away for the weekend visiting her cousins so it was just Ben and Alex. With our tickets this year, we received complimentary pit passes. Alex was pretty hesitant about going down in the pit with the monster trucks but once he was there, I think he had a great time!

One of the few warm winter days..

We've had very few warm winter days this year, thus making it very difficult to plan any sort of outdoor activity for the kids. Rumor had it that we would have a Saturday in the mid to upper 30s so the whole family decided it would be good to get out and do something.

Ben's parents were visiting for the weekend and it was the perfect time to go skiing. Ben, his dad, Serenity and Alex made a day trip down to Andes Tower Hills in Alexandria. Although they got a late start, it didn't effect the amount of fun that was had.

The little boys, Betty (Ben's mom) and I went shopping and had a fun time just hanging out together. We're all so glad that Ben's parents are able to travel and partake in our children's lives. Love you B&B.

Mid-winter cleaning..

So, one of the tasks that has been keeping me from posting is cleaning.. I have 4 kids, a dog, a cat, an assortment of hobbies that I'm currently undertaking, an assortment of hobbies I'm not currently undertaking but have supplies for, need I go on? If you've been to my house, you know that I'm a piler. I can't avoid it! I don't know how not to pile things here, there and everywhere. I'd like to be one of those people that doesn't have clutter in their life and can sort through the mail before they get it in the door, but I am not that person. I like to attribute my tendency towards piles to my crazy craftiness and strange abilities. I look at myself and I realize I'm a bit more capable of some things than other women I know, not that I'm complaining, nor am I boasting, I just know this about myself, good or bad. I also tend to become emotionally attached to pretty much anything, something my poor children have inherited.

With all this stuff flying about my head, I find myself mid-project a lot and mid-project is how many things stay. Bringing all this into context with my post title "Mid-winter cleaning," tomorrow I'm going to attempt to clean my studio. I've even gone so far as to ask for help from my dear friend Liz. I only hope she can break me of my bad habits and help me reduce the clutter of unused props, drops and random stuff, not to mention the craft supplies that I really have no time to use, nor do I expect to use any time soon. My heart is sad and a bit tense at the thought of giving up some of my favorite hobbies, but I realize that I'm not really giving them up, I'm just putting them on hold until a later date, just as I have put them in the closet because I can't use them currently.

So, until tomorrow... wish me luck because I REALLY need it, more for my heart than my ability to clean. The relief will be lovely though! :) Thanks Liz!

Where have I been?

A big apology for my overly busy life and my high level of procrastination. So, here I am!

As life goes, I've realized, once again, how quickly time flies. Today, I purchased a new car seat for Elijah, my seemingly new baby. The car seat is the convertible type, used for 5-80 pound children. As I installed the car seat in the van, Isaac, my "little dude", chatted with me. He asked if the seat was for him and I told him no that it was for the baby. He then asked if he could get in it and I told him no, that it was for the baby. Every time I spoke, he confirmed my statements by repeating each word. Later, we were inside the house and he told Alex about the new seat and that it's for the baby and that he can't get in it. It was such an eye-opening moment to hear him chatter on about our conversation with such knowledge and clarity. It made me think about how quickly the future takes place, it comes so very quickly.. My biggest fear is the thought that I might miss out on something important while I'm not looking...

2 months??? Where did you go?

Oh my! I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted last. Sorry to my dedicated readers, however few of you there are. :) I'll try to do better as the year winds down and 2009 begins!

Today has been another typical day at our house.. Serenity stayed home this morning from school because of a stomach ache. About 11:30 she decided she could stand the pain and went to school. (I think she's trying desperately to NOT repeat last year's attendance record which included many missed days of school.)

I decided that since she was a trooper I should probably do the same and brought Alex to preschool. (this is no easy task, with Isaac and Elijah in tow!)

The little boys rested well, after a fun-filled vacuum experience. Isaac has taken to "bakuuming" with me. Thankfully, all my base molding is solid wood, not to be dented or scuffed by my hard working 2 year old. As usual, I found myself doing something unintended as I cleaned the floors.. under the refrigerator.. yuck!

I spent the quiet hours of nap time editing, chatting and talking on the phone. It wasn't overly restful for me, but I was able to make my first sale as an Independent Demonstrator for Uppercase Living. Thanks sis. ;)

Upon the big kids getting home from school, I realized that my darling daughter wasn't feeling any better. She spent the snack time lounging on/near me at which time I discovered her roasting forehead. To my surprise, her temp was 102.5! Poor girl.. Ask-a-nurse reported that there have been several cases of a fever virus going around... I quickly responded with a comment I had made a few days ago.. that we're all seemingly healthy.. As with most of life, it's bound to change!

In an attempt to be a better planner and healthy eater/food preparer, the split pea soup is fragrantly simmering in the crock pot awaiting Ben's arrival home from work.

That's it for now as the rest of the day is a mystery. I hope yours goes well.

Reno/Sparks Trip - Day 3 & 4

Day 3 has been pretty boring. Nothing major to report. One of our favorite parts of the day, mine anyway, is stopping at the Starbucks in the lobby for our daily ration of coffee and pastry. Yum!

Day 4 was nice. After we woke up, we dawdled around and ate a late lunch at the buffet in the casino. We then went on a nice drive in the country.. no plans, just to see what we saw. It's amazing how the countryside can be so rugged and cold looking, even when it's hot out! The temperature was warm here but there always seemed to be a nice breeze, keeping us from roasting. There was a blue haze over the sky during our stay.

Here are some more pictures from our adventure.

Reno/Sparks Trip - Day 2

Elijah and I slept in today.. we were TIRED from the long travel day. Ben had to work so I didn't see anything wrong with being lazy all morning. For a late lunch, the three of us went to The Round Table and had some tasty pizza.

After lunch, we went back to the room for Ben to rest before the big VIP event for Scheels. Not long after that, we put on our pretty clothes and were out the door. It was a great night, tons of people. I'm glad to say that I attended the event.

The mayors of Sparks and Reno, the Nevada Governor, the Scheels CEO Steve D. Scheel, and the President of Scheels Steve M. Scheel, along with a bunch of other important people attended.

Here are some fun pictures from the night.

Reno/Sparks Trip - Day 1

The view is lovely sitting here in Reno at the Grand Sierra Resort and Hotel. Elijah and I have been here since Thursday. We flew in to join Ben at the Grand Opening of the Reno/Sparks Scheels Store. We went to the VIP event last night and it was amazing! The store is HUGE; literally the largest in the world.

Our flight here was uneventful. Elijah did very well up in the air. From the moment we arrived at the airport, he started jabbering and I don't think he has stopped since then. Everywhere we went people stopped to google at him, and he would give the biggest, sweetest smile imaginable. What a lucky mom I am to get to see his sweet face every day.

Here are some pictures of our first day in Reno. Check back soon for more.

Camping 2008

As many of you know, I tend to take A LOT of pictures. Out in the woods, with the bugs and the trees doesn't change that fact. I admit, I may also have a slight obsession with my adorable children too. I can't seem to get enough pictures of them either. And that, mixed with the excitement of seeing my family leaves me with an even bigger challenge in restraining my clicker finger. So, it's taken me a couple weeks to get through the 400 images I took! Sorry!

Anyway, we had a great time camping August 22-24 at Elk Horn Resort and Campground again this year. Tenting was great! The wind was pretty ferocious but it made the first night all the more memorable. We celebrated two birthdays, made new friends, ate, laughed and giggled, blew bubbles, ate, had a silly string fight, swam, made an urgent trip to Detroit Lakes for a bee sting, shivered, ate, ran around, played, and in general just enjoyed each others company.

I had a great time and I hope we can do it again next year! Thanks Mom & Steve!

Old time favorites..

With good intentions of getting groceries every day this week, I still haven't! In an effort to provide a healthy snack for the boys today, I offered them one of my favorite snacks as a kid. My mom would cut up an apple then let me dip it in a little cinnamon and sugar. Yum!

Alex didn't know if he'd like the idea but with much hesitation tried it. To his surprise, he liked it, promptly stating, "mom, sometimes you have good ideas."

Well Alex, I do my best, even if my ideas aren't to your liking. :)

My goal for the day: being a "good mom"

For some reason, I've been very bogged down lately with edits and business related stuff. The kids have been pretty patient with me so I wanted to give them a fun day with mom.

We opted to go to a park to play with friends and have a picnic. It was very nice to get out of the house and play with the kids. We stopped at McD's on the way to grab Happy Meals for each of the kids to eat. It was great to see our friends and catch up a bit.

The kids played tag and ran and screamed, in general, had a fun time! Thanks for sharing the day with us A. people :), hope we can do it again soon!

After a quick stop at the bank, I surprised the kids with a treat at the icecream shop. Isaac zonked while I was in the shop getting them a scoop of yummy icecream. He'll have to eat his later. For now, it's naptime and I'm proud to say that the kids had a nice time today.

What a day!

It's a crazy life having 4 kids. There isn't much I shouldn't expect on any given day, but I sometimes forget that and discover somewhere in the midst of a minor freak out that I'm expecting too much and that my kids are just that, kids!

I find myself laughing at them, especially when they come to me like this


No wonder I'm crazy, I live with a bunch of cross-dressers! Ha, ha!

Our little Elvis?

For anyone that's ever seen Elijah, you know he has a TON of hair.. it's the first thing noticed, by practically everyone, since the day he was born. Here are some wild child hair moments, some natural, some, not so natural!!! (and some too cute not to share)

My only concern is when should I cut his hair? He can't sit up yet, so how would that work?

A blue and white zebra?

Life is always a bit unusual at our house and it was no different today, maybe just a bit more colorful?!

I laid Isaac down for his nap as usual, nothing overly challenging about that, except for recently he's been getting up out of his cool toddler car bed and running for the door as I leave. To counteract that little frustration, I've found myself turning him around and placing him back in his bed and pretty much RUNNING! haha!

On this particular day, the kids and I had made a quick trip to Dilworth for some all too necessary stuff shortly before lunch. As we were leaving town, the thought didn't even cross my mind that Isaac would fall asleep in the 8 minutes it takes to drive home. (although I'm not sure why I didn't think of it, since he typically DOES fall asleep if we're in the car any time after 10:30 am) Today was no different, he fell asleep just a few minutes from home so I was hopeful that he'd still take a "decent" nap once we got home and had some lunch.

After we ate, it was time for nap, I even let him stay up a bit later since he had had the four minute refresher nap. After the brief screaming, running out the door bit, I thought he'd go back to his bed and go to sleep just as he had done every day for several weeks. As with anything Isaac does, I shouldn't have expected him to do the same thing he had done in the past. For several minutes I could hear him talking, which is quite common for him as he goes to sleep, but the unexpected, completely shocking thing occurred after he was quiet, for a LONG time at which time I thought he had gone to sleep. After an hour or so, I heard his little voice and knocking on the door. UGG! He hadn't gone to sleep at all. I went to the door expecting to have to put him back in his bed in hopes that he'd actually GO to sleep. Much to my surprise... my lovely little blond son somehow found a BLUE sharpie marker! Here is what he looked like, AFTER he woke up 3 hours later.

Fun in the garden of life

It's amazing how you find yourself amidst the life you've created for yourself (usually filled with turmoil and angst) only to have the realization that life isn't about all the things you want or the stuff you have but in all actuality, it's about the people you have around you. Friends, family, relationships, etc. They're the glue that keeps you from coming unraveled.

I've always had a select set of friends; relationships that grew over time, ones that I never thought would end or could end. It wasn't until I moved away from home, away from my "select set of friends" that I realized how important those people truly were. As the years passed and my friendships faded, I found myself questioning how life could be so harsh. For a long time, I was in a state of non-friendedness. (yes, it's late so I'm making up words!) I didn't have anyone, aside from Ben and my family, to call my friend. It was very hard to be in that place.

All along, I've known that friendships are like flower gardens.. they must be taken care of, they must be tended to in order for them to grow. Recently, I had the chance to fertilize a friendship and I was thrilled, and still am, at how good it felt to simply laugh and enjoy the company of friends. I am not the keeper of many, but I can honestly say that the friendships I have are good ones. They're friendships that I count on, with people I have grown to care very deeply about. The pains of days gone by seems to be lessened in knowing there are people around that are willing to catch me, if I fall.. and for me, that's a BIG deal because I would have a long fall if my bubble were to burst.

Thanks for putting up with all my antics ladies. You know who you are! Love ya! :)

Camp

For the past 3 years, Serenity has gone to bible camp with her cousin. Each year they've had a blast and insisted on going the next year. It's so fun to see the excitement they have, not only to spend that time together, but to spend it away from parents and in a completely different environment.

They had a new challenge this year.. a less than cohesive room-mate situation. I could envision a problem after the five minutes I spent in the room with the roommate helping Serenity get her bunk made and her things unpacked.. poor girls, that's all I have to say!

Needless to say, girls will be girls and the drama was only magnified with the addition of the roommate. They had a good time avoiding the roommate and laughing at all the odd things she had to say. Ha, ha.

Who knows what next year might bring?! Thanks for all your help and support in making Serenity's camp experience a delightful one!

Too long..

Okay, so I've been busy.. really busy! I've been out of town two times for a week each time (6 hours driving time each trip), not to mention planning and hosting Isaac's birthday party, celebrating my father's-in-law birthday, packing for, delivering to and picking up Serenity from camp, editing, packing orders, taking a bunch of candids of the kids, meeting my new niece Mady, sessions, blah, blah, blah... Oh, not to mention my addiction to Facebook games.. thanks L. & S.

This week is going to be just as busy as the last month, but I'll be staying home for it. But in this moment, I find myself very tired so I must get sleep so I have the energy needed to endure the rest of the week. Sweet dreams!

Isaac's 2 year stats

Isaac had his 2 year check up this morning. The boys and I made the trek to Fargo while Serenity was at volleyball camp. The clinic has gotten used to us and our stroller of kids coming to visit, even the pediatrician seems to recognize us.. (does that mean we're there too much?!)

Isaac was a good patient except for shutting the lights off in the exam room a few times. (maybe it's because I pre-medicated him expecting shots)

Some of the expectations for reaching his 2 year birthday include sleeping in a toddler bed (something we've avoided), speaking at least 50 words (the kid doesn't stop talking), starting to potty train (eeks!), walking up/down steps unassisted (as terrifying as it may be), running, climbing (um, it's a given), feeding himself with silverware, and a few other things that have slipped my mind. He was given an A+ for the year, in fact he hadn't been to the doctor except his regular check ups!

My little peanut has grown to be quite the average sized 2 year old!
Height: 34 1/2 inches 53% up from 31% at 18 months
Weight: 27 lbs. 6 oz. 36% up from 13% at 18 months
Head: 50 cm 83% up from 80% at 18 months

In keeping with my other children, he's big headed! ha ha! We only hope for the best in the next year for Isaac. (and for our sanity to remain intact)