Wait! I don't quite get this part.
We have a question!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Creed Helps Elizabeth with her Math
Look,Mom, math is fun!
Wait! I don't quite get this part.
We have a question!
Wait! I don't quite get this part.We have a question!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Popcorn!
Why do I now keep popped popcorn on my counter?
The kids love to eat it as breakfast cereal! They put milk and a sprinkling of sugar on it. I got the idea from a friend who says they read about it in one of the Little House on the Prairie books. I didn't remember reading that, but after some digging around discovered it is in The Farmer Boy. Consider it the first puffed cereal.
It is actually a nutritious part of breakfast. It is a whole grain and if you air pop it or pop it on the stove like I do in my handy-dandy whirlypop, it all natural. You can't beat an inexpensive, nutritious, and fun breakfast!
The kids love to eat it as breakfast cereal! They put milk and a sprinkling of sugar on it. I got the idea from a friend who says they read about it in one of the Little House on the Prairie books. I didn't remember reading that, but after some digging around discovered it is in The Farmer Boy. Consider it the first puffed cereal.
It is actually a nutritious part of breakfast. It is a whole grain and if you air pop it or pop it on the stove like I do in my handy-dandy whirlypop, it all natural. You can't beat an inexpensive, nutritious, and fun breakfast!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Jack's Golden Birthday
On January 6th, Jack turned 6 yrs old. He is our firstborn son, and such an interesting and neat kid. He really keeps us on our toes and makes us smile a lot! He is a talented little soccer player and loves to read. He loves to help his dad out around the house and be his shadow. He is such a help with Creed and loves to play with him. He is an excellent student and such a good reader!
For months, all he has wanted to do for his birthday is to go bowling and invite some friends to go along. Golden birthdays call for granting possible requests so bowling we went.
This is such a classic Jack pose! He struggles to smile for a camera.
Here he is with his buddy Asa.
And here is his other best friend, Ayden. Jack was so thrilled they could come and bring their families!
Like Addison...
And Anna Kate...Lizzy and she have some of the best smiles I know.
and Joshua with Add and Anne Michal...
And now for some bowling shots with these guys and the rest of the gang..
Austin taking a turn...
Anna Kate and Joshua look like they are doing synchronized bowling.
Asa must have knocked down a few.
.
Emma adjusting her hair on the way back to her seat. heehee
Christopher concentrating on his form.
A smiling Anne Michal.
Micah tried bowling with and without a ramp and did great with both.
The bigger girls would set the ball on the top of the ramp for Cara Beth and she would run and push the ball. It was very cute.
Emma and Austin checking scores. Please do not get me started on how bowling is all electronic and you don't even have to learn to keep score any more. And the worst is cartoon images of what is going on between bowls. Must everything be electronic. Sorry, just a mini soapbox there. ;-)
An expression of victory!
Watching...
We ended with cake and presents.
I am so thankful you are my little(big) boy!!! I am glad you had a great golden birthday to share with such wonderful friends!
For months, all he has wanted to do for his birthday is to go bowling and invite some friends to go along. Golden birthdays call for granting possible requests so bowling we went.
This is such a classic Jack pose! He struggles to smile for a camera.
Here he is with his buddy Asa.
And here is his other best friend, Ayden. Jack was so thrilled they could come and bring their families!
Like Addison...
And Anna Kate...Lizzy and she have some of the best smiles I know.
and Joshua with Add and Anne Michal...And now for some bowling shots with these guys and the rest of the gang..
Austin taking a turn...
Anna Kate and Joshua look like they are doing synchronized bowling.
Asa must have knocked down a few..
Emma adjusting her hair on the way back to her seat. heehee
Christopher concentrating on his form.
A smiling Anne Michal.
Micah tried bowling with and without a ramp and did great with both.
The bigger girls would set the ball on the top of the ramp for Cara Beth and she would run and push the ball. It was very cute.
Emma and Austin checking scores. Please do not get me started on how bowling is all electronic and you don't even have to learn to keep score any more. And the worst is cartoon images of what is going on between bowls. Must everything be electronic. Sorry, just a mini soapbox there. ;-)
An expression of victory!
Watching...
We ended with cake and presents.
I am so thankful you are my little(big) boy!!! I am glad you had a great golden birthday to share with such wonderful friends!
Monday, January 11, 2010
2 1/2 hours in Target or I love my kids
Jon grandmother sent the kids Giftcards to Target for Christmas so late this afternoon I took them all to Target to see what they could find. I vowed not to be a control freak, but let them make up their own minds and am proud to say that I only said "no" to one thing and slightly persuaded one out of a webkinz. I hope I am allowed to be a bit proud of that because I cannot tell you how hard it is for me to just let them make their own choices and waste their money if that is what it comes down to. Of course, it could just be that they made such good choices on their own that I didnt' really get that tested! ;-)
So I love them because they are them. There is nothing like a GC spree to see what they are like and see how different they are. Take Anne Michal. She knew before she even went what she wanted: baseball cards. Ok. Yes. I exercised self-control. I knew it was there somewhere, but anyway so she didn't really need to look around and shop. She also bought a light saber. Why? Because her 6 yr old brother wanted one, but what good is having one if you have no one to fight. He asked sweetly, "Anne Michal, will you please buy one so we can fight each other?????" So she did.
Elizabeth is my child who is never in want of anything. She is always content with what she has and it is like pulling teeth to get her to make a Christmas or birthday list. For her 10th birthday, I took her out for lunch and shopping for new tennis shoes which she needed anyway because there was nothing she wanted at all!! The one thing she decided on was a Schliech horse that was rearing up on his hind legs. That left her with quite a bit of money. She wasn't going to get anything else and said, "I really don't care about money." Yes, she seriously said that, and she was telling the truth. She did end up thinking that maybe she needed a new sketchpad, and then while wandering around I asked if she maybe wanted a beanbag chair for her room like Anne Michal got for Christmas so she settled on that. The other thing kind of funny she said was, "I came into the store with nothing so if I go back out with nothing then I am not any worse off."
Emma, she is my girly-girl and my absolutely indecisive child. I am seriously surprised we didn't spend 2 1/2 hours just on her alone. She wanted to look at the jewelry, the clothes, the shoes. She wanted some earrings but thought they were a bit costly. She really wanted a locket, but they didn't have any she liked that she could afford, so she finally decided on a little heart necklace, but with more money to spend so more looking. She found some shoes she loved. I can't decide if they are cute or ugly. I think they must be cute because they are totally her. She already has more shoes than any other child in the house and is the one that can never find shoes. Just as an aside, have you ever noticed that the more your child has of one thing the harder it is to find. If they have one pair of shoes, they can always be found; but if they have six then good luck. I guess maybe I exercised a bit of restraint there too...heehee. So finished off her shopping with a pack of skittles and a king -size pack of peanut m&m's for sharing in the car on the way home. I was very proud of her desision making skills tonight! ;-) She came home and immediately put the shoes and necklace on; I had to tell her she coudln't wear the shoes to bed.
Jack had a very stressful time. He picked and choosed; counted and subtracted; hemmed and hawed. He didn't want to make a mistake. Unlike Lizzy he was worried he'd come home and realize he'd made a terrible mistake. I am not sure how many things he put in the cart and then took out again before finally making up his mind. I had a bit of trouble keeping his running total in my head especially while keeping 4 other running totals! He ended up with army men from the dollar spot, a couple of cars from the Car's movie,a Tom and Jerry movie, and his light saber. I guess I'd have to say he got the most items for his money which I think was his goal!!
And Creed, well, let's just say that he did little choosing, but I did try to take into consideration what he enjoyed. He got some chickadees(cracker like goldfish) when after the second hour he was starting to fade fast, a little people car carrier truck because he loves Little People stuff, some clearanced bargain blanket sleepers for this persistent winter weather with which I am being tortured, and he contributed toward the diapers I also bought. After all, is there really a better gift than a clean dry hiney??
Lastly, I love my kids because this could have been a torturous outing. I could be writing a "I'll one -up your bad day" post but instead I got to enjoy studying and watching them and seeing how different kids and personalities react in the same situation. They were kind and thoughtful with each other. They waited their turn and were patient when they'd rather be in the toys than the clothes or the jewelry instead of the toys. They were excited and happy for each other and tried to be helpful. They kept Creed entertained and occupied. And last but not least I almost wept when they chose yogurt over chips(it really doesn't take much to make me happy) as a side to the burgers I was going to pick up on the way home. Who knew when we left the house right after 4 that we wouldn't be heading home until 7 o'clock. I have to say, "Thanks Grandma Mac for treating the kids and thanks kids for an enjoyable afternoon!!!"
So I love them because they are them. There is nothing like a GC spree to see what they are like and see how different they are. Take Anne Michal. She knew before she even went what she wanted: baseball cards. Ok. Yes. I exercised self-control. I knew it was there somewhere, but anyway so she didn't really need to look around and shop. She also bought a light saber. Why? Because her 6 yr old brother wanted one, but what good is having one if you have no one to fight. He asked sweetly, "Anne Michal, will you please buy one so we can fight each other?????" So she did.
Elizabeth is my child who is never in want of anything. She is always content with what she has and it is like pulling teeth to get her to make a Christmas or birthday list. For her 10th birthday, I took her out for lunch and shopping for new tennis shoes which she needed anyway because there was nothing she wanted at all!! The one thing she decided on was a Schliech horse that was rearing up on his hind legs. That left her with quite a bit of money. She wasn't going to get anything else and said, "I really don't care about money." Yes, she seriously said that, and she was telling the truth. She did end up thinking that maybe she needed a new sketchpad, and then while wandering around I asked if she maybe wanted a beanbag chair for her room like Anne Michal got for Christmas so she settled on that. The other thing kind of funny she said was, "I came into the store with nothing so if I go back out with nothing then I am not any worse off."
Emma, she is my girly-girl and my absolutely indecisive child. I am seriously surprised we didn't spend 2 1/2 hours just on her alone. She wanted to look at the jewelry, the clothes, the shoes. She wanted some earrings but thought they were a bit costly. She really wanted a locket, but they didn't have any she liked that she could afford, so she finally decided on a little heart necklace, but with more money to spend so more looking. She found some shoes she loved. I can't decide if they are cute or ugly. I think they must be cute because they are totally her. She already has more shoes than any other child in the house and is the one that can never find shoes. Just as an aside, have you ever noticed that the more your child has of one thing the harder it is to find. If they have one pair of shoes, they can always be found; but if they have six then good luck. I guess maybe I exercised a bit of restraint there too...heehee. So finished off her shopping with a pack of skittles and a king -size pack of peanut m&m's for sharing in the car on the way home. I was very proud of her desision making skills tonight! ;-) She came home and immediately put the shoes and necklace on; I had to tell her she coudln't wear the shoes to bed.
Jack had a very stressful time. He picked and choosed; counted and subtracted; hemmed and hawed. He didn't want to make a mistake. Unlike Lizzy he was worried he'd come home and realize he'd made a terrible mistake. I am not sure how many things he put in the cart and then took out again before finally making up his mind. I had a bit of trouble keeping his running total in my head especially while keeping 4 other running totals! He ended up with army men from the dollar spot, a couple of cars from the Car's movie,a Tom and Jerry movie, and his light saber. I guess I'd have to say he got the most items for his money which I think was his goal!!
And Creed, well, let's just say that he did little choosing, but I did try to take into consideration what he enjoyed. He got some chickadees(cracker like goldfish) when after the second hour he was starting to fade fast, a little people car carrier truck because he loves Little People stuff, some clearanced bargain blanket sleepers for this persistent winter weather with which I am being tortured, and he contributed toward the diapers I also bought. After all, is there really a better gift than a clean dry hiney??
Lastly, I love my kids because this could have been a torturous outing. I could be writing a "I'll one -up your bad day" post but instead I got to enjoy studying and watching them and seeing how different kids and personalities react in the same situation. They were kind and thoughtful with each other. They waited their turn and were patient when they'd rather be in the toys than the clothes or the jewelry instead of the toys. They were excited and happy for each other and tried to be helpful. They kept Creed entertained and occupied. And last but not least I almost wept when they chose yogurt over chips(it really doesn't take much to make me happy) as a side to the burgers I was going to pick up on the way home. Who knew when we left the house right after 4 that we wouldn't be heading home until 7 o'clock. I have to say, "Thanks Grandma Mac for treating the kids and thanks kids for an enjoyable afternoon!!!"
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Memories
I was watching the movie Cranford today. I have seen a number of times before though I am usually up and down and doing other things at the same time so each time I watch it I catch new things. There is a part of the movie where an older lady, Miss Matty, is looking through some old letters and sharing about her family and her past with her younger friend, Miss Mary. Miss Matty seems a bit troubled and Miss Mary asks her, "Do the letters grieve you, Miss Matty?" She answers, "No, it isn't the letters that grieve me; it is the memories. They fly up just as I think I have them pinned down."
Hmmmm...I can relate. It isn't that you forget the memories. You never forget, but they aren't always right there and there are too many to always have all your memories in the forefront of your mind. Different thing spark different memories...experiences, conversations, books, movies, dreams, pictures...the emotions with those memories return as well and sometimes you have to process them all over.
It reminded me of a couple of things. It reminded me of the retreat we went on for couples who lost children and how while it was a great retreat and very rewarding and worthwhile, things flew up that I thought I had pinned down. I thought of and related things I hadn't thought of in a while and a few things that I had "forgotten" requiring that I deal with some things all over again or realize I never dealt with them in the first place, but like I read somewhere else, "you have to go into the sorrow in order to come out on the other side."
The other instance was last week. I was cleaning out my desk and doing some reorganization and I came across a ziploc with some photos. The top photo was upside down so I couldn't tell immediately what the pictures were and I flipped the top one over to see pictures of Knox from the hospital like this picture and this one. Immediately, with tears streaming down my face, I was there again. I could smell the hospital and the tape holding the tubes. I could feel his soft skin and his silky hair. I could hear the hum of the machines and the beeps of the monitors. I could walk myself back through those days of hoping but knowing and of loving but leaving.
The memories never stay pinned down; they fly up sometimes when you expect it and sometimes when you don't expect it, but it is true that when you enter the sorrow you come out the other side which is what I remind myself when those memories comes flying up and the grief and sorrow threatens to engulf me. God always carries me through and I always come out the other side.
Hmmmm...I can relate. It isn't that you forget the memories. You never forget, but they aren't always right there and there are too many to always have all your memories in the forefront of your mind. Different thing spark different memories...experiences, conversations, books, movies, dreams, pictures...the emotions with those memories return as well and sometimes you have to process them all over.
It reminded me of a couple of things. It reminded me of the retreat we went on for couples who lost children and how while it was a great retreat and very rewarding and worthwhile, things flew up that I thought I had pinned down. I thought of and related things I hadn't thought of in a while and a few things that I had "forgotten" requiring that I deal with some things all over again or realize I never dealt with them in the first place, but like I read somewhere else, "you have to go into the sorrow in order to come out on the other side."
The other instance was last week. I was cleaning out my desk and doing some reorganization and I came across a ziploc with some photos. The top photo was upside down so I couldn't tell immediately what the pictures were and I flipped the top one over to see pictures of Knox from the hospital like this picture and this one. Immediately, with tears streaming down my face, I was there again. I could smell the hospital and the tape holding the tubes. I could feel his soft skin and his silky hair. I could hear the hum of the machines and the beeps of the monitors. I could walk myself back through those days of hoping but knowing and of loving but leaving.
The memories never stay pinned down; they fly up sometimes when you expect it and sometimes when you don't expect it, but it is true that when you enter the sorrow you come out the other side which is what I remind myself when those memories comes flying up and the grief and sorrow threatens to engulf me. God always carries me through and I always come out the other side.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Christmas 2009
The Christmas Tree...
Creed on his handy-dandy stool helping to make icing for cookies. He thinks he can do whatever they do.
Icing the tree...
Waiting for Christmas activities to begin...
The annual stockings on the couch picture...
I love this face.
Hugging her new cape...
A contrast of femininity...
Enjoying a new book...
Opening presents...
The $1 swords were a favorite present!!
Teaching Creed to open presents...
He opened almost every present sitting in Anne Michal's lap. He liked to lean way back for some reason.
Each year the kids pick out an ornament for Knox. This one is this years; our third Christmas wtihout him.
They insisted we get this butterfly for Molly, the baby I miscarried. I love their hearts!
This was a good Christmas for remembering the whole picture. Jesus coming as a baby to be fully human to share our lives so that He knows our joys and sorrows. For remembering His life that prepared Him for His sacrifice so that we can be forgiven and have the reality of the hope of heaven; to experience a complete joy and wholeness while worshiping the King for all eternity.
Creed on his handy-dandy stool helping to make icing for cookies. He thinks he can do whatever they do.
Icing the tree...
Waiting for Christmas activities to begin...
The annual stockings on the couch picture...
I love this face.
Hugging her new cape...
A contrast of femininity...
Enjoying a new book...
Opening presents...
The $1 swords were a favorite present!!
Teaching Creed to open presents...
He opened almost every present sitting in Anne Michal's lap. He liked to lean way back for some reason.
Each year the kids pick out an ornament for Knox. This one is this years; our third Christmas wtihout him.
They insisted we get this butterfly for Molly, the baby I miscarried. I love their hearts!
This was a good Christmas for remembering the whole picture. Jesus coming as a baby to be fully human to share our lives so that He knows our joys and sorrows. For remembering His life that prepared Him for His sacrifice so that we can be forgiven and have the reality of the hope of heaven; to experience a complete joy and wholeness while worshiping the King for all eternity.
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