phase 1 of a big girl bed

Mary Beth has been talking about moving out of her toddler bed for a couple of months now. Even though she would probably fit in her toddler bed until 4th grade(she's still a little peanut) we thought maybe a bigger, more comfortable bed would help her sleep better(translation: not wake us up 20 times a night). Before we ran out and bought a new mattress(we already have my old antique white iron bed set aside for her) we decided to make sure she would accept the transition- seeing as how this was the child who refused to move out of her crib until last winter. I took the mattress from the trundle bed in Mickey's room and just put it on the floor in her room. She LOVED it! She hasn't woken up during the night once since last week when she made to move, and she's sleeping quite a bit longer in the morning too. Guess we should have done this sooner! The problem now is that she doesn't want to have a "tall up bed"(the white one)- she just wants to keep a mattress on the floor!!! Reason being that the mattress is doubling as a trampoline. I'll let her keep it there for awhile...

do you ever do this?

Yesterday someone came to the door seeing if I was interested in a free estimate on painting the house this spring. Why yes I was! I was so I told her to she could step in a minute(since it was about 40 below 0 outside) while I filled out the form. I was in a huge hurry because I need to pick up Mickey from skiing lessons in 1 second. She told me I had a nice house and I said thank you. Once she left, I looked at the entryway where she had been standing: boots, book bags, my purse, shoes, mittens, scarves, and hats were strewn here and there!!! I suddenly became horrified and embarrassed and began frantically cleaning it all up- even though I was already late leaving to pick up Mickey! Why was I doing this??? Did I think I could call her back and show her what it should have looked like? Did I think another person was going to randomly knock on the door any minute(even though this only happens about once every 2 months or so)? I'm not sure what I was thinking. It didn't make any sense yet I kept doing it until it was clean- then we left. There, I thought- all better. Has anyone else ever done this or am I the only nutcase out there?
And don't worry, Mickey was still skiing when I got there- even though I ended up being 1o minutes late. So no harm done.

help for Haiti

If you are looking for a way to give to the people in Haiti, Beki at The Rusted Chain is donating $10 from every Blessed Necklace sold to Compassion International to help with disaster relief if Haiti. She has raised over $2000 already!

we heart little people

3 kids later we've accumulated quite a herd of little people and animals. Mary Beth and I lined them all up yesterday and I couldn't believe my eyes! Those chubby little guys make me smile. By the time the photo shoot was over Jeffrey and Mickey had arrived home from school so they all happily began to play for the next 2 hours. The buildings are all up on shelves in the closet so once in a while I get it all down and it provides hours of entertainment.

valentine shirt

I recently found a bunch of plain colored shirts on clearance at Target- they are sooooo soft! I decided to make a Valentine shirt for Mary Beth out of one of them... it turned out so cute! Now I have to decide what to put on the other ones...

snow day!!!

As you can see by this last picture visibility today was pretty bad. 50 mph gusts and light snow all last night and today(still going as I type) and so the kids had a snow day today and boy were they happy! Mommy and Daddy were too! :) We spent a relaxing day reading, watching a movie, playing pet shop, and lounging by the fire...I LOVE snow days! We are now waiting to see what the scoop is for the morning- we are really hoping for at least a 2 hour delay so that there's time to snow blow our way out of the driveway without having to get up at 5am(well- John, not me. obviously).

PS. I haven't been out of the house past the front walk since Friday at noon. It's beginning to set in. Not sure I want to drive tomorrow either- I'm sure the roads will be awful!

happy snowman

Yesterday Jeffrey went over to his friend's house to play so Mary Beth and Mickey built a snowman with our EXTREMELY wet snow that fell on Friday and Saturday. Awful snow to shovel(very heavy) but perfect for building snowmen! I even happen to have "real" carrots(the big kind instead of the tiny ones) so she(the snowman is a she according to MB) could have a proper nose. This has always been an issue in past years. :)

Today our friends/neighbors came over for coffee drinks and banana bread by the fire- it was a nice, cozy afternoon.

We didn't leave the house(except to shovel and snow blow) all weekend! We were supposed to have a bigger winter storm but nothing ended up happening today. It's very icy out there though and it's going to get COLD again this week. I guess I should just be thankful for the 30's weather we've been having for the past couple weeks. It actually made January in Fargo somewhat tolerable!

making your house a home

from Minute Meditations for Busy Moms by Emilie Barnes...



As busy moms, we sometimes wonder if we actually have a home- or is it merely a stopover place to eat, do laundry, hang around, and sleep? Or is it just a place to repair things, mow the lawn, paint, wallpaper, and install new carpet? A true home is much more than all that. It's a place of people living together, growing, laughing, crying, learning and creating together.



A small child, after watching his house burn down, was quoted as saying, "We still have a home. We just don't have a house to put it in." How perceptive of that child.



Our home should be a trauma center for the whole family. We don't have to be perfect at home- just forgiven and forgiving. We can grow, we can make mistakes, we can shout for joy, we can cry, we can agree, and we can disagree. Home is a place where happy experiences occur. It's a shelter from the problems of the world, a place where love happens, acceptance is given, and security provided.



Home offers a respite from the tragedies that seem to plague the world outside our door, as we hear on the newscasts. Within our four walls we can offer a place of peace.



In the Bible we read that the home is God's invention. He designed the home to be the foundation of our society, a place to meet the mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of people. The members of a family must work together to make their home a true home- not just a place where they hang out.



John Henry Jowett says, "The Bible does not say very much about homes; it says a great deal about the things that make them. It speaks about life and love and joy and peace and rest. If we get a house and put these into it, we shall have secured a home."

micks micks

2 of Mickey's favorite after school activities: eating clementines and reading the comics.

When Mickey was 2 years old he said to me: "Mom, just call me Micks Micks." And we have ever since.

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Tonight while I was cutting Mary Beth's nails...

Mary Beth: "Mommy, do you know what I prayed to Jesus for?"

Me: "What honey?"

Mary Beth: "I asked Him to make my bleed spots drip blood so that you will let me put on

a Hello Kitty band-aid."

Me: "Huh."

the cat in the skittle

Mary Beth(proud as punch):

"Mommy, I know this rhyme:

Hey diddle diddle the cat in the skittle

the cow jump over the moon

the little dog laughed and saved the sky

and the dish ran away with the scoon."

Me(smiling): "Yes you do!!"

and I made her repeat it 3 times so I could write it down- so sweet!

Then when I went to tuck her into bed tonight I noticed an egg shell on her night stand(from a hard boiled egg she ate earlier).

She said: "Are you wondering why I have an egg shell in my room?"

Me: "Yes, actually I was."

MB: "Because I needed a hat for my lemur."

Me: "oh, ok."

:)

happy colorful day

Apples and mangoes bought for Jeffrey... "I love mangoes Mom!" he informed me yesterday. He does???? So I went and got him some today- he's been kinda picky with fruit lately so I thought I better give him some he'll eat.

Clementines are Mickey's obsession!! He eats up to 6 a day if we let him. So when they go on sale I stock up- today I bought two bags- which will probably last about 3 days.

The kids either tell me they want a "monkey nana" (which means whole) or "banana coins" (which means cut up in pieces)- they've done this since they were babies. I think it's cute.

Jeffrey picked his crocodile shirt to wear for class picture day today. Hopefully this isn't the face he made for the pictures! Look at my new plants in the background- I wonder how many days it's going to take for my basil and rosemary to die. They never do well for me indoors... oh well, it's worth a try!

Today was "blue day" at preschool. Mary Beth was adamant that she had to wear jeans?!?!? I FINALLY convinced her she could wear this outfit since all her jeans were in the wash(big surprise). She did puzzles this afternoon- she's getting really good at them!

I needed something purple- our dora chair will work! I always contemplate getting rid of this and our dora couch but they remind me of when the kids were really little and I get all sentimental and end up keeping them. Plus they still use them!

Time to go do homework and start supper- my least favorite time of the day- why can't we just play all evening??

Beautiful Morning!

Mary Beth had gymnastics this morning: Super Tots! She is getting so good. And she even talked to one of the coaches the other day. But anyway... look what greeted us this morning when we left to take the boys to school- aren't the trees glorious?? Unfortunately it was all gone by noon. AND it's been in the 20s for the last several days here in the tundra! Now, if it would just stay like this winter here would be WAY more tolerable.

Difficult words to live by...

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies;
succeed anyway.
If you are honest people may cheat you;
be honest anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the end, it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.
-Mother Teresa

Ahhh... the good old days....

I was just looking at some old pictures from 2007 and came across this one- I CAN"T believe how little the kids were just 3 years ago!! It's not possible! I would give anything for one more day with those 3 little tinies... the sad thing is that I remember many days when I felt so overwhelmed in those times that I wished I could fast forward to when they were older and easier to take care of. TREASURE EVERY MOMENT! I know everyone always says time goes by so fast but it's true!

PAJAMA DAY at Preschool!

Mary Beth looks forward to this day all year... yesterday was PAJAMA DAY!! She was especially excited this time because she got matching pajamas for Christmas(they match her Bitty Baby) and couldn't wait to show her teachers and friends. They watched a movie during school(which they never do so it was a real treat) and even the teachers had their jammies on! By the way- Mary Beth now speaks to all 3 teachers on a regular basis and some kids. She told me she had just been waiting until 2010... I wish she had let me in on that plan a couple years ago...

Mary Beth starts out her morning at preschool the same EVERY time: play-doh. This time Suzie got to play play-doh too!

At this point she wanted me to stop taking 500 pictures of her(probably since NO other mother had their camara?!?)- but it was her last preschool pajama day!! I felt like crying...

THANKFUL IN ALL THINGS

Thanks, God, for snow which keeps me home to bake cookies.
Thanks, God, for children who laugh and cry and interrupt and learn and argue and love and grow up much too quickly.
Thanks, God, for a husband who can and does work hard and who, after all these years, still says, "I love you." And thanks too, God, for his employer whom I occasionally berate.
Thanks, God, for family and friends who love and support me in good times and in bad.
Thanks, God, for appliances that break down and pipes that freeze so that I don't take these luxuries for granted.
Thanks, God, for hurts of all kinds to better understand and help those who always suffer.
Thanks, God, for problems that I can solve so that I know I am needed, and for problems that I cannot solve so that I know I need others, and for problems that no one can solve so that I know that I need You.


I heard this at a MOPS meeting and asked for a copy- it's nice to read every once and awhile to remind myself to be "thankful."

GREAT day at Target!!!

EVERYONE go to Target NOW- well probably tomorrow would work- TONS of stuff is at least 50% off and there is super cute new stuff in the dollar section. Here are some of the things I bought that make me smile: colorful straws for the kids(they love straws)- $1, colorful pom poms for their art projects(which they complete about 10 a day)-$1, googly eyes(again-projects)-$1, heart ice cube trays(for making ice cubes and crayons- I'll show you how tomorrow)-$2.50, colorful striped knee-high socks(to cut and make into leg warmers for Mary Beth- I'll show you how when I'm done)-$4.50. The kids were so excited they started projects right away and I was so excited I made a batch of heart crayons right away!

I love you Target, marry me?

Mom, this is serious...

Christmas Morning

I LOVE Christmas morning! This Christmas was so calm and enjoyable- everything seemed to be taken in slowly and each tradition was given a lot of attention. The kids also showed tons of appreciation for each present given to them- giving everyone hugs, kisses, and lots of "thank you's". We made a concerted effort this year to keep the gift-giving under control and not go over-board like past years. It really worked! The presents they received seemed more special to them- not just thrown into a pile of a million others. Everyone had the Christmas spirit and I think it was my favorite Christmas yet! Even my parents(who have been with us almost every Christmas morning since the kids were born) noticed a huge difference this year.

Notice I never make it in any pictures... moms are always behind the camara!

My New Year's Resolution:

I found this while I was flipping through the half price prints at Hobby Lobby the other day and thought: "I love that!" So I decided to frame it, put it right in my kitchen where I spend 99% of my time, and make it my New Year's resolution. The beauty of it is that it will work equally well for all 5 of us(especially Mary Beth!). :)

Yummy new recipe!

Tonight I tried a recipe I found at one of my favorite blogs and everyone loved it. It's super easy and inexpensive to make. I made mixed veggies for a side dish so it tasted a lot like chicken pot pie because I mixed everything together on my plate. I also added some leftover rice I had in the fridge to the chicken mixture. The name and recipe: crescent chicken Give it a try!

A Cozy Cup of Cocoa

Today my little buddy helped me shovel and then played awhile in the snow. We had a winter storm today here. I'm not sure why I spent an hour shoveling when it all blew right back over as soon as we went inside... oh well. Mary Beth insisted that she need 3 large marshmallows in her cocoa- "no more, no less"(anyone recognize the Oswald quote?!?!)

She actually had quite a big day today... she spoke actual words in a audible tone to all 3 of her teachers at preschool this morning!! Why is this newsworthy? She was managed to go 1 1/2 years of preschool without saying more than 3 words to any adults! She has no problem talking non-stop at home though! She has selective shyness I believe- there doesn't seem to be a real rhyme or reason to who she will talk to. She is constantly surprising us. We have been really worried about what would happen in Kindergarten next year but recently she was begun talking to many more people and is very proud of herself. I'm not sure if we should make a big deal about it or not. Sometimes it seems like the people she talks to are ones that are very non-chalant around her. In any case, she is really getting more outgoing with others lately- while still remaining appropriately cautious with strangers(always a good thing).

Happy Family!

Here's a picture of Bella the beagle in person- one of the 5 minutes in a day that she is actually laying down and not getting into trouble.

Mary Beth spent all afternoon hanging out with me in the kitchen doing her favorite things- drawing and coloring. I love this picture of our family- she never forgets to include Bella!

The Essence of a New Day

(My little peanut when she was only 2! sniff sniff)

Here is a poem I love to read over and over:

This is the beginning of a new day.

You have been given this day to use as you will.

You can waste it or use it for good.

What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.

When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever.

In its place is something that you have left behind.

Let it be something good.

Yunker's Farm!

Despite the fact that it was -5 degrees here AGAIN, we decided to brave the cold and spend the afternoon out at Yunker's Farm- a children's museum here in the Tundra. The kids had a great time! I'm sure they were just happy to finally be out of the house...

On another note... tonight at supper Jeffrey mentioned that when he got up and went downstairs to watch cartoons this morning he noticed it was still dark and then later when he had watched for awhile it got light out. Mind you none of the other kids were up yet and I remembered that when I was trying to fall back asleep this morning at 5:15am(after being woken up at 5 by Mary Beth who was upset because all her covers fell off her bed) I heard some ruckus in the hallway and just assumed that Jeffrey was going to the bathroom. Could he have really gotten up for the day at 5:15am?!?!?! That might explain why he cried five times today for nothing in particular- which is completely out of character for him. That little stinker! I better put a clock in his room asap. And teach him how to tell time better.

Seriously.....

Ummm... obviously laundry and I don't get along. I don't know why but I can NEVER get my act together in this department. Here are some things that are working against me: the laundry room is in the basement(which feels really far away to me), the laundry room is really small(so I feel cramped in there and sometimes I even trip and fall on the clothes. not kidding. don't laugh.), there are 5 people in the family(I know, other people have more and manage just fine...), and last but not least: I HATE DOING LAUNDRY!!

A Record of Days...

Winter-y drawing done by Mary Beth. PS- the high today was -7! I heart Fargo winters!



Obviously the boys are thrilled that I'm taking their picture...




Jeffrey's watercolor painting of Kevin from the movie "UP"

Jeffrey with a giant "ants on a log"- by the way: he only ended up eating 2 bites after BEGGING me to make it for him!

Ok, I'm seriously going to take a stab at this blogging thing- I tried once before unsuccessfully but this time I'm going to post about my kids, house, ideas, and events so that my friends and family can see what we are doing over here(LOTS of pictures). It should be fun and I'm looking forward to actually sticking with it this time! The first few are always the hardest so I'll start easy...here's some pics from today: January 1st, 2010!! Happy New Year!!