Thankful Thursday

1. Friends who invite themselves over to scrap on a lonely, boring, husbandless night.

2. Friends who swing-by-to-surprise with supper straight from Panera (a steamy Asiago Roast Beef sandwich and creamy bowl of wild rice soup), and a bagel for breakfast.

3. Friends who drop off lotions, gels, and sprays so as to pamper myself at home amongst sick children...while everyone else is pampering at MOPS' Spa Day.

4. Friends who remember how much I adore (yet never allow myself) Reese's Crispy Crunchy bars.

Accumulated in One Location

"Mommy look!"
"Wooo, Juj, you got that out all by yourself?"
"Yea, 'cuz I got a cut when I was 2 years old, so now I HAD to put this on."

(Julia found her own band aid in the shoebox that holds all our band aids, but here is where one of each kind stay tucked away safely. 90 some wonderful designs.)

My friend, Moe, got me started with this obsession freshman year of college. After we both transferred out, we would mail each other our newest find to add to the collection.



Here are two of my favorite additions. Straight from Austria, thanks to a friend who remembered my love for these sticky boo-boo busters.

Meet the Coughing Caboose

I find it quite fitting to introduce the last two, the caboose, the finale of our family tonight, since the last many hours have been all about them. You see, when I returned home from the weekend they had a little cough that soon turned into a bigger cough, and tonight a hacking-can-hardly-stop type of cough. After answering all the triage nurse's questions over the phone we decided that since Mr. Marvelous is going out of town tomorrow morning on an overnight trip for work, we should probably have them seen. So, off to the Urgent Care on the most frigidly cold night of the year. My sis-in-law gratiously offered to meet me there and help out. Oh, I love that girl!


Here are the results....
Meet Norah Kae-


She has some wheezing, no temp, and clear ears. Yea! Guess she just wanted to come along for the ride. We need to watch her cough and pay attention to any temps.

Meet Hazel Renae-



She had more wheezing, a slight temp, and the start of an ear infection in one ear. Ohhh..little honey! So, they gave her a neb treatment, prescribed some meds for her ear, and sent us home with a neb machine and a prescription.


Despite the long night, a missed supper (that I was really looking forward to), frozen hands, and little to none time with the hubs, I did get quality cuddle time with our caboose.

Introducing the Electrifying Julia

Favorite things to say:
"Aaaactually"
"I changed my mind"
"But I grit my teeth because I love (him, you, her, etc.) so much"

Loves to eat:
Quaker Oatmeal Squares, kidney beans, chili, lasagna, spaghetti

Most likely found:
Swaddling her dolls, coloring at the table, reading in her tent

Some personality traits of hers:
Independent, bold, motherly

Craft Camp

...a success for all 9 of us. Thanks to fabulous friends, hilarious story tellers, bonding family members, rolling bubble baths, organic foods, sleep aids, snow plows at 1:30am, generous husbands, toilet plungers, the Revolution, reminiscent pictures, power cleaners, rubber gloves, and creative minds-we all had a fantabulous time "at the lake."

Daddy Daycare

In a few short hours it's too-daloo and off to our lake house for our 1st Annual "Craft Camp on the Lake." I've rounded up a bunch of "crafters" to retreat to a far away land of inspiration, imagination, and artistication. Ahh, I can almost hear it now...the "rum" of the sewing machine, the slash of the paper trimmer, the zing of creativity. While my scrapbook and I paint the town red, daddy will be home managing the merrymaking of our little 4under3's. I'd love to send in a tiny fly to sit on the wall and enjoy the show. Marvelous daddy knows how to throw quite the baby bash.

The Show is Over

...so one by one I'll introduce to you the cast from 4under3.


Oli played by-

(I thought I'd get used to calling them by their "stage names." I thought wrong.)

Rules! Rules! Serious Rules!

Along with the many hugs and kisses, tickle piles, and "tackle you down town buster brown" sessions that go on here, there are a few seriously-set-in-stone rules that help our 4under3 gang function as proper members of society this household.

For example,

TV-No tv until after nap. That's when we'll watch a 1/2 hour of Miss Spider and Dora and be done.

Babies-Only adults pick the babies up. You may only go into their crib to wake them when I say, and "whisper while you wake them."

Bedtime-Jammies go on after you leave the dinner table. When it's time for bed, meet at your bathroom door for your toothbrush. SIT while you brush. One drink of "Wa wa" for Luke after brushing. If you want to read some stories snuggle up in Luke's room on the pile of ball pillows and each pick out TWO books. Then you each get to rock, talk about 3 things you did awesome that day, prayers, and kisses.

Time to eat-Keep your hands to yourself. If you think you are done, ask to be excused, or in J's case, "Please, may you excuse me please?" Show your table manners so you don't have to get down before you are truely done. You must "take your one taste" of everything on your plate.

Naptime-Make sure you've given everyone, including the girls (twins), all the kisses we need and you've gotten your drink of water BEFORE you get in bed for nap otherwise you'll have to wait until you get up.

Playtime-Share so we don't have to put it away. At the end of the day, clean up together. Put toys in the bin with its picture on it. Use your nice words...your thank you's, I'm sorry's, and do you forgive me's. Remember, you love eachother!!

When rules are set in place and children knowingly follow, say hello to the non-irritable mother....who's much more fun to be around than the irritable mother. Trust me!

What Color Am I?

What's Your True Color?
My Result: Orange

You're a bold, confident orange. A warm, powerful color that indicates a strong, welcoming personality, orange is the mark of people who are social and extroverted by nature. Vibrant, with an upbeat attitude, you have a bright, inviting demeanor. Energetic and fun-loving, you're a real friend-magnet. Your easy charm and unassuming manner make you the sort of person people want to meet and get to know better. Well-rounded and fun to be around, you enjoy helping others, so it's no surprise that orange also symbolizes attraction. Orange is an extraordinary color — for an extraordinary person.

Well, Thank you Tickle, I'll take that!

Take this test >

Leave me a comment about what color you are.

Oh the Places You'll Go

I watch Luke throughout the day imagining what he'll be someday. With his love for...everything, I wonder which passions will stick. He's a boy's boy when it comes to his "rum ruuuuuummmming" combine and his "bassetball," and when he has to tell us of all his boy'ish things in a purposfully low octive. Yet, he has a soft side to him that we see when he's giving his baby sisters kisses or walking around with his doll dude under one arm.

Can You Tell What's Been Going On All Morning?

It's been snowing alllll morning. And, it's so pretty!**Another thing that's been going on all morning, that's not so pretty, is that Jaclyn woke at 5:30 to throw up on Mitch, then 6:30 on me, then 8:30 all over the kitchen counter and floor. It's all okay though. We've been notified, "I'm all better now Momma."

"What Were You Thinking?"

That's what I heard as I crawled into bed this morning at 1:23.

Sounds like the voice of a mother or father who's disappointed with their teenager who missed curfew, right? (Not mine, I aimed to please growing up and only remember being late once by 15 minutes.)

The voice I was hearing was the little one in my head, and it wasn't happy with me.

The voice continued, "It's not like you're 18 and in college anymore. You're a mommy, now! You won't get recoup time tomorrow morning like you did 3.2 years ago. You can't sleep in 'til noon. Good luck with that one!"

As I rolled over pulling my body pillow over my head, I thought to myself. Ok, if the girls really sleep in, I'll get 5 hours and 55 minutes of sleep. That's manageable. On the other hand, if they wake as usual, I'll get 5 hours.

Oh no! What was I thinking?

Clearly I was indulging over these pictures thinking they were way to cute to walk away from and that my friend Sarah was way fun to hang out with.

Well, the girls did rise and shine as I hoped they wouldn't. But surprisingly enough, I'm not as drowsy as I imagined I'd be.

in·dulge· (in dulj′)

Transitive verb
1. to yield to or satisfy (a desire); give oneself up to

Minutes ago I sent my Marvelous husband and our oldest two off to an overnight at grandma Net's (his mom). They'll return tomorrow after a fun filled dose of indulging of all kinds.

I'm sure they'll start with "Spot" the cat then move on to sweets and treats, grandma's jewelry drawer, and Kids Praise videos. Daddy will be indulging as well. He has some one-on-one time with Oli and will be showing him off at the Friday night Boys Basketball Game, a highlight of the week for our little hometown...population 600.

I on the other hand, will be doing a little indulging myself....
Over our youngest two.

Thankful Thursday

1. Aquadoodles for an artistic little 1-year-old
2. Garlic Texas Toast with added shredded cheddar on top
3. Garlic Texas Toast on a plate of spaghetti
4. 1:00-3:30 (Naptime)
5. My cute Marvelous Husband after a fresh haircut
6. Reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar...and then listening to Jaclyn read it to us.

Wordless Wednesday

If the Guess is Right

My friend MCK Mama is throwing a fabulously fun party over at Mycharmingkids.net. I'm inviting you to come on over and join in. There.are.prizes....well, go on...anyone can win.

Don't forget your party hat.

Edited for your information:
The winner doesn't get a pat on the back...MCK Mama is far more rewarding than that. She'll send you a gift certificate to Happy Green Bee's online store. How proud would I be, if you won...my blogging friend.

The Sermon on the Mount on Our Way to Church.

The following was heard on our way to church yesterday.

Julia: "Jesus I want you to go in my heart right now. And, I want you to stay there. Yep. Stay right there (pointing to her heart). Say it Lukie! Say, Jesus, I want you to----hey guys does Jesus drive a car?"

Daddy: "Jesus doesn't need to drive a car. He is everywhere all the time."

Julia: "I'm so glad that Jesus is going to do everything and he's going to bring me heaven. Remember Luke, Jesus was a little baby and now He is the big man in heaven so..say it Lukie, say Jesus, come in my heart right now."

Luke: "Ehas, wwwwite now.

Julia: "HEY GUYS! Did you just hear that? That was sooo cute!"

Exactly what we were thinking the whole time.

I'm Not Gonna Lie..so I'll Be Quite Honest.

"I'm not gonna lie" is a phrase I picked up from my alma mater. It stuck and I still use it.

So, that's just what I'm going to do.
Here it goes.

I'm not gonna lie, as I was backing our truck out of my husband's stall this afternoon on my way to run errands--I hit the snowbank, AGAIN! It's not the first, and I'm sure it's not the last. In fact, I'm quite positive I've hit that snowbank EVERY TIME I've tried to crank that truck around our absurdly designed driveway. There's never any damage done but I'm sure people wonder why his license plate imprint is on the pile of snow near our driveway.

And while we're on the car subject, I love jammin' out while I'm driving. Solo or with the kids, it doesn't matter. The radio is cranked, we're dancing in our car(seats), and Toby Mac is accompanying us to some "Extreme Days" cuts, it's great.

And, I'll be honest, I have a love for words. I used to have a "favorite words" list that included words such as: plethora, enchantment, pinking (as in "pinking shears"), and LaDainian Tomlinson. It's got to be the way some words roll off the tongue.

And, I'm not gonna lie, I frequently put on my make-up embarrassingly forgetting my mascara. It was just yesterday when I did this and then ran out to do some things (in public). For some strange reason I get bored 7/8 ths of the way through the make-up portion of getting ready and I go and do something else planning to return and finish my mascara....I guess, when I'm less bored, but forget.

Before closing, I'll admit this too: all of our 4under3 are/were tummy sleepers, I love love love giving unexpected gifts, I prefer a dessert over an appetizer (unlike my Marvelous husband), I reallllly miss swimming laps, I 'm a very aggressive driver, I get completely engrossed in Psalms, especially 139, the sound of the dishwasher and washing machine running makes me feel good, instantly I tear up when I drive by a car accident, when summer comes we'll be outside playing from 8:30am-6:00pm, and I melt while holding each child during "snuggle time" in their rocking chair the few minutes before each and EVERY nap and bedtime.

Ok, that feels much better, now that I got that out.

Dearest Norah,
I wanted to pass this bit of information along, because frankly, it's long overdue.

That cute "motorboat" sound that comes out of your mouth..with every bit of gusto from your 6.5 month old little body, it's adorable! It really is. How you vibrate your little lips together making us check twice for the fisherman that's sailing around our house. It's adorable when we're playing on the floor and your inches from a toy that you really want, it's adorable when you see your bottle but can't get it in your mouth fast enough, and it's really adorable when you're so tired and can't seem to get to your crib soon enough to satisfy.

But what's not adorable, my dear Norah, is when you're practicing the "chew and swallow" skill (that doesn't seem to be going as smoothly as I remember from past years) and your mouth is full of rice cereal/oatmeal/sweet potatoes/squash/or anything else I've pureed for you...and you bring out the "motorboat."

I take that back, it was adorable...the first day. But it's no longer, during this 4th week.

Signed,
Your pleading mommy

Immunoglobulin Cellular Swimmers

This is what I looked over at just the other day causing me to... gasp!

What's the big deal, you ask? It's quite the messy face, but not a big deal when it's the messy face of your 1-year-old lovingly enjoying his Monster Cookie that he gets few of, right?

Well, what if I told you that milliseconds previous to my....gasp...I answered a phone call from the clinic that was relaying this "messy faced little boy's" blood work results from his allergy test?

Hmmmm...wait for it, wait for it.

"An EGG WHITE ALLERGY???" I asked. What the heck is an egg white allergy? And how do you keep a child from skin and bones when he has an EGG WHITE ALLERGY? He's not going to go into anaphalactic shock now that he just ate 2 cookies from a batch that called for 3 EGGS?

Long story short, Oli's immunoglobulin cellular swimmers and antibodily fighters have decided enough is enough with the eggs and want to prove it by causing him to break out and swell up.

Who knows anything about any of this? Much advice is appreciated.

Wordless Wednesday

Kindred Spirit

Do you have one of those "kindred spirit" friends?

The type that lives thousands of miles away and you wish you could see more often because you miss her like crazy. The type that even though you know you and her were born to two completely different mothers you still feel as if you are sisters (identical twin sisters). The type that no matter how much time comes between seeing eachother you know you'll pick right up where you left off.

Here's to you Moe.

An Army of Frogs A Crash of Rhinos

A "rough-and-tumble tough" group of skiers, that's what I would call us....Fearlessly taking on even the blackest of double black diamonds all weekend. Terrain Parks, Halfpipe Corridors...ski lifts (there's a much needed skill in riding those too, you know!), I'm sure we left people staring as our crash of rhinos blew by everyone with style.

With the small amount of truth that's in all of that, I wouldn't consider myself one who someday makes it into the Ski Hall of Fame, nor the rest of our group for that matter, (Although, my Marvelous husband is a serious speed skier and was the first one down the hill no matter what.) but it was a great time had by all.

Thanks Leah and Justin for joining in.

Simply Hard. Hardly Simple.

With the return to "normal" life just a day away, I muse over the events from the past few days. How remarkably refreshing this retreat has been! Placing my mommy-role aside and focusing on my wifey-role while catering to my me-role...it's been rejuvinating.

Inasmuch as our trip has been filled with involvedness (concentration down black diamonds, dinner dates with friends, squeezing into very fitting ski boots, nursing sore muscles and twisted joints back to health) its simplicity is what comes to mind right now.

How simple it's been to leave our 4under3 with family members. After the 3rd full day away, Jaclyn and Oli needed no more than a simple "Hello" from us before running off to put the finishing touches on their fort in the livingroom.

How hard it's been to pull myself out of a scalding hot shower and steaming hot bath knowing there were no little bodies out there that needed me.

How simple it is to bring the children up in almost every single conversation the entire time we've been away.

How hard it is to remember why I yearned for the warmth of springtime when there are blue skies, white hills, and pristine winters to enjoy while downhill sking.

How simple it is to miss the children on this much needed "vaca," especially when I saw many adorable little people learning to ski. I wished I could hijack an emergency helicopter and fly home to get Jaclyn.

How hard it is to laugh uncontrollably while trying to maintain my balance simultaneously. I watched a friend brave the fast approaching slope-but she finished unsuccessfully.

More to come on our trip...

We're Signing Off....

My 6 day blogging sabbatical is about to begin. A MUCH needed skiing vacation for me and my "Crazy-in-love(r)" begins tomorrow at naptime. A combination of grandmas, great aunts, and great grandmas will be holding our house up while feeding hungry mouths (some easier than others...I haven't told you that the twins started solids right before Christmas), playing dress-up "Princess-style," and making rumbling-cornpicking-combine noises while we are gone.

I can't tell you what perfect timing this break is for us...a serious amount of Cabin Fever has set in.

So, while I'm gone...during this upcoming Minnesota heatwave, stay cool like the underside of your pillow.

Wordless "Way to big" Wednesday

Poof, Bye Bye Memory Bank.

The other day J was sitting at the computer watching the screensaver slideshow pictures scroll by when I walked into the office. It is a bunch of my favorite pictures that date back to L's birth. This particular picture came on and I commented about it.

I asked, "J, that is one of my very favorite pictures of you. Do you remember the day we took that picture?"

"No," she replied matter-of-factly.

"You don't remember the day you turned 2 and Luke and I took you to your doctor appointment? Then we stopped at the Great Harvest Bread Company for some bread and took a coffee to go, you don't remember that day?"


Calmly she responded, "No, Momma."

"J, don't you remember we had a mini-photoshoot on the sidewalk where you were looking so dang cute and I wanted to eat you up?"

"No."

(Silence fell, and a tear thought about forming in my one eye.)
That is one of my favorite memories of her turning two, and poof...it is no longer a memory of hers.