Have fun, my beautiful babies

My beautiful babies are leaving tomorrow, Dec. 31, for California with their grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa have many wonderful, exciting things planned for them, like the zoo and the trees of mystery and the dairy farm (Wait, can't they see a dairy farm right here in Iowa whenever they want to..?). Anyway, yes, they have lots of fun planned for them, and I know that they are going to have so much fun. And, I, too, will survive for the 17 and 1/2 days that they will be gone. I will probably not have as much fun as them, though. Unless, getting all 4 of your impacted wisdom teeth extracted sounds like fun. I am going to miss them horribly. Just as they counted the days till Christmas, I will count the days until their safe return. I think I will be really thankful for the webcam if everyone can get it to work. Well, do have fun my beautiful babies, I love you.

P.S. If any of my little cyber family near by is bored in the next three weeks, I am going to be wallpapering and painting the kitchen. Anyone is welcome to join me.

In Between

We, too, are "in between", hanging in that space between the two holidays. We've been playing with our new toys, trying to keep track of tiny pieces and find homes for all the new crap. Some of it is not all crap. My new digital camera is definitely not crap. After I get the house picked up I will show some pics. Our new robotic web cam is kind of fun too. Bill's family has them, too, so now we will be able to talk to one another. It will be fun to get all the kids in the family talking to each other.
So my parents left yesterday, brother and sister today, and now I have less than 24 hours to get ready for Bill's parents. AHHHHH!!! This is crazy, but fun. On Saturday, Bill's parents return to California and they are taking the kids with them. It will be a fun adventure for everyone and Bill and I have lots of work planned around the house. Well, sorry for my boring blog.

It Came

It came, today. The package I have been waiting for, running to the mailbox everyday for the last week. I love this time of year. No, not a Christmas present. My new 2006 calendar. The last few years I have ordered my calendars from a company called More Time Mom. Their calendars have big spaces with lines to write on. There is plenty of room for all my notes and junk. It also comes with fun stickers to help mark special days. It is so much fun. If you are looking for a great, fun, and functional calendar this is the one.
I love the look of a brand new calendar. Each page, each space is white and clean with possibility. What will this next year hold? What will fill each day? What will become noteworthy enough to be written upon my calendar?
Then, I compare it to last years calendar. Curled corners. Marker bleeding through the pages. Scribbles and stickers. A year almost complete. Time filled with special events and average days. Shiny star stickers on the days I exercised with notes on how many miles I ran. Funny things the kids said or did. Doctors appointments, school days, pay days, birthdays. My life is on those pages. I have saved every calendar for the last 7 years. Since Bill and I got married. I love looking through those old calendars and remembering the anniversaries, the pregnancies, the births and birthdays. I have lived a wonderful life and it is written on those pages. 2005 was an amazing year. 2006 looks fresh with possibility. So, I will now go write my first things on the 2006 calendar. Birthdays, weddings, first day of kindergarten. I can't wait.

An Unusual Subject

Ok. I have a slightly unusual subject for my blog today. Deodarant vs. Anti-perspirant. Like I said, very unusual. Many of you know our family has sweating issues. Bill's are kind of obvious since he has no hair to absorb the sweat. It just drips down his head. But, many of you do not realize that I also can be a profuse sweater. Kind of gross; not usually something people talk about. I know some of you also feel that you, too, have sweating issues. Some of you have tried the all natural "rock". Some of you have even tried prescriptions. Most of the things we use have both a deodarant and an anti-perspirant. The first inhibits foul body odor, and the latter prevents sweating in the first place. Or, they are supposed to. I have found that certain products do neither. In fact, some I believe make me sweat more and smell worse. So I have been doing a little research and some testing of my own. Here is what I have found.
The active ingredient in anit perspirants always includes aluminum. Yes, metal. Some research is suggesting that aluminum may be one possible cause of breast cancer in women. Particularly women who shave their underarms frequently. I am not one to get all hyped up about things like this, so that is not actually my main concern. I am merely concerned with how I smell and whether or not I appear sweaty to the world around me. I, too, have tried many products and recently decided to try something that was not an antiperspirant to see if that was actually making it worse. In my case, I believe it was. I have discovered Adidas brand women's deodarant only with a patent pending formula called "cotten tech" to naturally decrease sweating. So far, amazing!! No real increase or decrease in sweating, BUT absolutely no foul odor has been coming from my underarms. It really is great. So if you, also, are looking for the next sweating miracle cure, you may want to consider this baby for your next deodarant purchase. It can be found at your local Walmart or drugstore for approximately $2. Enjoy!

Updated To-Do List

Just a quick update for my faithful followers (Ha). I have hung the giant maps on the wall in the family room. The construction company came last week and got most of the exterior sidewalls in our house insulated. It has made such a difference. I can't wait for them to come back and do the attic to really make the house warm. With record setting lows it has been a huge blessing. Yeah for warmth! I think I said that already.

A Conversation with Robby

I thoroughly enjoyed iridium's conversation with the Cadester, so I would like to share a little conversation I had with Robby today.
I am in the bathroom geting my make-up on and Rob says,
"Hey mom, did you know cheetahs don't roar, they make a meow sound. I learned that from my leap pad".
Me:"Wow, I didn't know that."
Robby: "Lions and tigers and bears still roar, but not cheetahs."

This reminded me of a news story I saw yesterday about a bear found hibernating under someones house. I proceed to tell him this story and end with "How would you like to find a bear under our house?"
Robby: "Well, I wouldn't like it if it were a big daddy bear because then he could bite, but it would be ok if it were a baby bear because he wouldn't bite."
Me: "Uh-huh"
Robby: "Because baby bears don't have skills yet."

Have we been watching too much Napolean Dynamite?

Where two or three are gathered

It is late and I am tired since I didn't sleep well last night. Up all night with a sick girl. But, I had to post this very cute pic I got via email. I love how kids pray. Scriptures say "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be also." Does this count?

Just a simple star

I realized I didn't actually tell you all what we have on our tree. It is a STAR. A rustic, kind of metal star. Sort of home made looking. Not shiney or flashy. Just a simple star. I actually really love it. I think it suits our tree, our home and our life. We aren't super flashy people. And our tree is decorated in mostly simple homemade ornaments.
I think it suits our Lord as well. He didn't come in any big flashy, shiney way. He came as a baby. Born to a simple woman. Adopted by an earthly father, who trained him in a simple trade. His birth was announced by some angels, but to only a few. Only three earthly kings recognized his royalty. The rest of the world was oblivious to the magnitude of the event. Are we? Do we get so wrapped up in the lights and the flash, in the songs and the parties, in the shopping and the presents? I hope I always have a simple star. I hope it represents Christ and his birth in a way that honors Him.

Star or Angel?

Here is a hot topic for discussion: star or angel? As we have been putting up our interior Christmas decorations the top of the Christmas tree has once again been thrust into the forefront of our marital consciense. I grew up with a star, my husband grew up with an angel. For several years, we have had the debate of what we should use. My aunt gave us a light up star for a wedding present, so early in our very, very poor phase of marriage that is what we used, even though we didn't actually care for it. Then we started to go through the "buy an angel, bring it home, veto it and return it to the store" phase. Most of the time their faces were just a little bit too scary. We have closely examined the fiber optic angels, the white light stars and everything in between. Bill's mom has so kindly offered her versions of the angel tree topper. But sadly, to all's dismay, they just don't seem to work. We do have a tree topper that I think we both like, but I would like to know what my cyber friends have to say. By the way, for any of you not married yet, these are the kinds of things that should be discussed in premarital counseling.

To-Do

Well, it has been a few days since I last blogged. I have been a little busy. We have been psycho-home improvement people lately. Here is a completed project list and a yet-to-do list.
*Paint Robby's room
*paint Mel's room (which she still won't sleep in)
*clean out the attic
*clean out basement storage to make room for attic stuff
*clean out basement family room
*garage sale
*paint family room
*build new computer
*convert attic stairs into closet by taking out part of the stairs and putting in a ceiling with a cut-out for maintanence access.
*repair kitchen drawers and dining room chair
*repair hole in the wall
*hang new porch swing
*finish unfinished wood entertainment center for family room
*install counter top in family room for a computer desk
*install duct work so we can have heat and air conditioning in our whole house, this will be our first winter with central heat in our bedrooms. Yeah for warmth.
*steam clean carpets
*major cleaning of house (the duct work guys did NOT clean up after themselves and dust and dirt are coming out of everwhere.)

Yet-to-Do
*insulate the attic and sidewalls. (Yeah for warmth, Did I say that already?)
*wallpaper and paint the kitchen
*refinish kids art table
*hang giant maps and shelving in family room
*repair the hole in Robby's ceiling (The duct work guys did a little damage, too)
*finish the new closet (repair walls, paint, put up shelves, hang clothing rod, install baseboard trim)
*paint the bathroom
*And, if we aren't too burnt out, do something to our horrible room. It's bad, so anything would be better.
So, this is what we have been doing the last month or so. It has been a lot of work, but the results are coming out beautiful. It has really helped to write this all down. Thanks to my cyber family for listening to my craziness.

Snowy Afternoon

This afternoon, about 3:30, it was snowing. Already! November 15 is a little early for snow, even in Iowa. Because of the snow, it was definitely an indoor afternoon. The kids and I were actually out for a little while, but at 3:30 the kids were resting on the couch and watching a little tv. I was downstairs cleaning up and sorting through toys. We always seem to do that when my in-laws are coming for a visit. I'm not really sure why. We don't think they will judge us for having disorganized toys. I think they are just a good reminder that it needs to be done. Anyway, I was sorting toys and the kids were watching "Punky Brewster". Yes, "Punky Brewster", the tv show from the early 80's starring Soleil Moon Frye as the abandoned little girl with an indomitable spirit who, with her faithful dog Brandon, brings light and laughter into the life of a grumpy, old photogragher, Henry Warnimont. We have seasons one and two on dvd, a "halloween" gift curteousy of a mentally challenged friend of mine. He just couldn't wait all the way to Christmas. The kids have absolutely enjoyed it and have beggd to watch "Punky". Mellie told me the other day she wanted to be like Punky. It has been fun for Bill and I to reminisce about our childhood. By the way tv in the 80's was pretty bad.

Test blog

The blogging guru, laundry lady, is teaching me how to create links. She has the best blog. Check it out.

Mom and Dad

Todays's post is primarily for my mom and dad. Mom and Dad- you are AWESOME!!! What would we ever do without you. Dad - Thank you for coming to our house and making our attic stairs into a new closet for us. Thank you for the most beautiful porch swing we have ever seen. And, it is ours! We can't wait to show it off to all our friends. Mom - Thank you for letting Robby talk to you all afternoon, so the rest of us could get work done. Thanks for the homemade spaghetti sauce. Thanks for all the many times you have done things like this: watched the kids, fixed our cars, made us food, gave us advice, listened to us. There was a time in my life when I knew I was an adult and I didn't need you anymore. Now I know I will always be your child and I will always need you. Thank you. I love you.

New

Sorry to my faithful readers (well, Heth, I guess) for not blogging for a while. I have been without a computer. Bill took down my old computer so he could build me a beautiful, new, fast computer with an amazaing video card. As soon as I figure out how to use a video card for something other than gaming, I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of that video card.
It seems to be the season of "new" around our house. Because of the new computer, we decided to make a new desk space in the basement family room, which prompted us to paint the walls a soft, warm yellow. Then we decided to get a new futon. So, the whole family room will be all new shortly.
We also got something else "new" this last Saturday. A NEW Van. Yeah!!! Well, new to us anyway. It is a gorgeous, red Dodge Grand Caravan. The whole family loves it. This deserved a "Family Dance". For those of you reading who have never seen our family dance, I will walk you through the steps. Stand up. Now jump up and down, kick your legs out, swing your arms and say "WooHoo". That is our "Family Dance". It is sometimes the only way to express ones true feelings. But it is only for special occasions: getting married, having a baby, and getting a new van. Yeah!! Everyone join in, WooHoo!!

Bedtime

Bedtime. Some days it is a blissful event full of cuddling, reading stories, listening to the sweet goodnight prayer of an innocent child. And, some days it is the desperate cry of an exhausted parent to an over stimulated, over tired child to "just please go to bed". Can you guess what kind of bedtime we had tonight? Let's just say I worked about 9 hours today and considering I work with mentally ill adults, I felt like I spent most of those hours with emotionally underdeveloped teenagers trapped in very developed adult bodies.
And so we came to bedtime, half an hour late. I only yelled once. Which my son quickly asked me to apologize for; and when I did he sweetly said "I forgive you, I love you." But I did explain to my preschoolers that if "they wanted Mommy to be a nice Mommy they needed to stay in bed!" Needless to say, one did not. So after a couple of threats and bargains (I'll let you have cheese for breakfast) I succumbed. I let her cuddle with me on the couch while we watched today's rerun of Oprah. I let her wiggle and scratch till slowly her muscles began to twitch and relax, till her breathing became slow and steady and her little body got heavier and heavier. I love that when you can pick up a sleeping child and their arm falls without even a flinch, when you can lay them in their beds without them even knowing. So, maybe, bedtime was a little blissful after all.

Banana Bread

Today I was cleaning the freezer out to make room for groceries and I discovered a large bag of frozen banana chunks leftover from my summer smoothie making craze so I decided to make banana bread. My husband finds it amusing that I make banana bread since I do not care for it. I think the word he used was "wacky". I told him I make it because I love him and he loves banana bread. I ended up with two loaves (and five fishes), no just two loaves of banana bread and I know some special people who also love banana bread and all things sweet and doughy, so the second loaf will be bestowed upon them for all the incredible things they have done over the last two months to support the husband and I and others through a difficult transition. I want them to know what a difference they have made in the lives of many. I want them to know that the sacrifices they have had to make have not gone unnoticed. I hope they appreciate it as much as we appreciate them. So to yummy warm banana bread and to some very special people I raise my glass of milk in toast. (My husband tells me you have to eat banana bread with milk. I wouldn't know, I don't eat banana bread.)

Okay, I did it!

Okay, I did it! I now have a blog. I don't have a clue what I am doing or if anyone will ever even read this. I hope I have something interesting or funny to say. I hope I have something worth saying. I wonder how long it will take my friends to find my blog? Well, the children are screaming and it does NOT sound good so I'll be back later.