Slogans

Somehow our kids picked up the slogan, "Subway....eat fresh!" So, Eli treats us to this at random times. We'll be riding in the van, and he'll pipe up, "Subway...eat fresh!" We'll be eating dinner, and he'll throw out, "Subway...eat fresh!"

Every time he does this, we just crack up, so the kids started coming up with their own slogans. Here are the top two:

"Chuck E. Cheese: Come happy, leave tired."

But my favorite was this one-

"McDonalds: Kids love it, parents hate it"

Fall Update

Well, we're fully into our fall schedule now, full time school, soccer practices, dance classes, and an array of classes with our home school group. Whew, it's exhausting, but for the most part, very satisfying. I just don't seem to find time to post updates on a regular basis. Sometimes, its because I have nothing to say, other times its because I have too much to say :)

So, here's a long awaited (haha) update on everyone in our lovely, little (haha) family:

Lizzie- She had more than one full night's sleep in a row since sometime in July. She goes back to the ENT tomorrow where he will hopefully decide to take her large tonsils out really soon. Brett and I walk around in a daze most of the time, fully understanding the concept of sleep deprivation as torture. She is talking up a storm, but the only kid she consistently calls by their name is Eli. She can say it perfectly and it just cracks us up. She is a tough little girl, nothing slows her down. And she is our "little monkey". She climbs on everything and she is a whiz on the playground.

Eli- This little boy just blows me away sometimes. He has a very sharp mind and has a very strong desire to learn to read. He is blasting through his "school" books and is quickly approaching a Kindergarten level. I've struggled with this because on one hand, I don't want to push him too fast and I don't want him to catch up too quickly with Gavin, but on the other hand, I don't want to hold him back. And he has some weird natural ability- a lot like Alyssa at that age. He is such a sweet brother/son. We call him "Pastor E" because he is always putting other people first- whether its giving Gavin his new Power Ranger to play with first or letting Lizzie take his spot on the couch/at the table/on my lap. He just finished his first session of "bitty soccer".

Gavin- The past couple months have been big for Gavin. He has joined Cub Scouts, lost his first two teeth, and it seems as if he's grown another three inches. We have really been working on his school work this year because I feel like I've let him fall through the cracks in previous years. As Alyssa gets more independent, I'm finding I have more time to focus on him. He is reading easy reader books without too much trouble, and we are working through our first chapter book. He's finally realizing that he can read words around him- coming up and reading my emails over my shoulder or reading signs we pass. He is making more and more connections in his school work and is starting to retain more information. He says, "Oh, I know!" or "Oh, yeah!" a lot these days. By the way, anybody want to buy some popcorn???

Lauri- Our first few weeks of school went really well, but she's been a "challenge" for a couple weeks now. "Challenge" is a nice way of saying we have days when I just want to scream and throw her on the nearest passing school bus. But, we're working through it. She is starting to realize that daily practice really does make things easier- like when I handed her a Latin translating sheet, she looked at it and said, "Mom, I know this stuff!" She is so much smarter than she thinks she is that it is a delicate balance between giving her materials that push her but still making sure she doesn't get overwhelmed. She loves her soccer team and has really benefited from playing on a team of girls her own age.

Alyssa- She is doing very well in her work, and she is becoming more and more independent. She still devours books faster than you can imagine and seems to fall in love with every new series she starts. Her preteen hormones are definitely starting full-force, but most of the time it has to do with other areas- like her siblings or chores, not so much with her school work.

Everything else is going okay- we're kept busy by evening activities and trying to keep the house cleaned up. I'm not finding as much time as I'd like for my favorite activities (running, reading), but I'm trying to recognize that this is just a hard/busy time right now, and things will get easier as the kids get older- they will get easier, right????

My Baby Boy

My baby boy isn't a baby anymore. He turned six last Saturday and has been behaving more and more like a big kid. Here he is the morning of his birthday, eating blueberry French Toast.

Despite the look he's making, he really did love his breakfast.

His actual birthday fell on a Saturday, so we had a party for him at a local pool. The weatherman all week was predicting 70* and storms, but the day turned out beautiful. I never actually checked a thermometer, but I'd go with 85 and sunny. Just warm enough to swim, but not to warm not to. My not-so-baby-boy decided to try the high dive (I blame too much Olympics-watching).

Try not to notice the sad-looking cake. It was a double-layer cookie cake who's top layer didn't fair so well. Added to the fact that Daddy didn't bring home a tube of frosting that would actually work to decorate, and voila! You have a mass of blue frosting smeared over a broken cookie with a candle thrown on top.

We had promised him a dinner out for his birthday, but we ended up staying at the pool for over five hours, so we were all exhausted by the ride home. So, Sunday night we took all the kids to Mi Ranchito (yum!) for a lovely Mexican dinner. On the way there, the girls were singing Mamma Mia!, and Gavin took it upon himself to change the words, so over and over again he kept singing, "Yes, I've been broken-hearted....oooh since the day I farted!"

Yep. He's definitely turned six!

Our waiter was great (even though I only understood about half of what he said-adds to the ambiance). We told him we were celebrating Gav's birthday and this is what happened.

And then this.

The ice cream bowl was too much for Gavin to finish by himself, so Brett and I just had to help him out. Although, I think Eli might have been able to finish it if it were his birthday.

I still can't believe he's six years old and transitioning into "kid" stage. He's even about to lose his first tooth! Last night, all he wanted to do was snuggle with me on the couch, so I guess I can deal with his other "maturations".

What "war" looks like around here

The kids were all playing "war" around here this afternoon which consisted of building forts and trying to capture each other. They all played nicely- no slammed doors, no one cried. They cleaned up and came down for lunch when I saw Alyssa wearing an American Girl doll shirt around her upper arm. I pulled it down and said, "Why are you wearing this?" Then I noticed in bright red marker, Lauri had written, "I am dumb" across her arm. I couldn't help busting out laughing. Alyssa laughed along (thankfully), but I reminded them, we don't write on each other.

A couple hours after lunch, poor little Lizzie, who never seems to get dressed until we're actually leaving the house, came up to me and across her back was written, "I am a dork!". My innocent victim of war. :)

And just for a goofy picture- here is what happens when you let Grandpa babysit by himself:.

Love ya, dad :)

One of us has to stay sober, right?

So, if Brett's still on his pain medication, that means the bottle of pineapple rum that is calling to me in my cabinet, is still off limits.

Wow. What a crazy day and a half its been. I don't think I've even had the chance to comprehend that Brett had surgery yesterday. Seeing as our "adventure" started out at 4:30am, it has all kinda felt like a dream.

Actually, our "adventure" started more at 12:30 the night before, when I was so exhausted, but I still laid there not able to sleep. "Go check on the kids," I told Brett, "I just have this weird feeling." All the kids were fine, so I attributed it to the fact that I was so not ready to leave town the next morning. The kids were packed, food bought, but I just didn't feel ready.

When Brett woke me up at about 4:30, I knew something was wrong. He never gets sick; he never complains. When he told me he thought he needed to go to the hospital, there was no doubt in my mind we needed to go.

The ER took us quickly, the nurse in the room commented, "Holy sh*t" when she found out we had five kids, looked slightly embarrassed by her slip, then looked directly at us and said, "That's a lot of freaking kids." We smiled politely.

Luckily, Brett was never in excruciating amount of pain, so he was able to keep up conversation and his typically sarcastic comments. His parents joined us once we found out he was going to be taken straight back to surgery. The surgeon was very nice and gave a very thorough explanation for what she was going to do. He was done in the amount of time she quoted: forty-five minutes. An hour after that he was in a recovery room (shared-boo).

Brett did great and was able to come home only seven hours after his surgery. That scared me, but it turned out fine. We both slept well last night while the kids got another sleepover with my parents.

Today has been a little bit trying for me. I know I have no right to complain, but I am just wiped. And poor Brett has been just great. I feel bad that I haven't done more for him, but he just doesn't need that much. My great friends have all volunteered to entertain the oldest three the rest of the week because I feel bad they're missing out on going to the lake. Eli is literally the perfect child and just plays with his toys or asks me to read him a story. He has been the angel to my devil-baby that is Lizzie. She is definitely in the "terrible twos". She won't wear a diaper and does anything she can to rip it off, but then goes ahead and pees all over my floor. I don't think she's ready to potty train, but she sure seems to think she is. Except for the whole actually peeing in the potty thing. She fights me on every little thing and just screams bloody murder when she doesn't get her way.

I spent a good portion of the day trying to figure out what my deal is. I'm used to dealing with Lizzie, I'm used to not getting a full night's sleep, I'm used to dealing with sick people (and Brett is SO much easier than the kids). So, why do I want to curl up with my bottle of Parrot's Bay and a tub of ice cream? The only revelation I came to was that my brain was in vacation mode. This week was supposed to be our last week of relaxation before school, scheduled activities, and chaos ensue next week. I still have some planning and preparation to tackle, and now that I'm home, I should get right on that. But instead, I want to pretend its June 1st, and that we can start the whole summer over.

What's worse is that I know Brett feels bad and its so totally not his fault. And he knows this, but still. He can see the frustrations and stress popping out in the form of gray hairs and new wrinkle lines on his under-30 wife. And he hates not being able to jump up and help me. I am so lucky that way, that as soon as he does recover, he will be right there - frustrated and stressed, but at least he'll be by my side.

Now, he's probably going to hate me for posting this, but I love this picture from dinner on Saturday night.

Wiped

We have been going non-stop since Friday. First it was clean up the house and catch up on laundry because we were supposed to be having friends over for dinner. Then out to run errands (birthday present shopping and doctor appointments). Then our dinner plans changed last minute, but we still had to run the girls out. Saturday morning consisted of more cleaning and getting ready to have our nephew's birthday party, picking up the kids, and then the birthday party itself.

9 kids + hose + our shady backyard = muddy mess

But, happy kids who kept busy and cool in 100* weather. And happy adults for those of us that sat inside and just enjoyed the air conditioning.

Straight after the birthday party, the kids went over to my parents for a sleepover, and Brett and I headed out for a night out. We tried a couple restaurants at the Plaza, but decided we didn't want to wait, so we headed over one of our favorite restaurants: The Bulldog. Absolutely delicious. And no wait. If you live and eat in Kansas City and you've never eaten here, you are missing out. Its only blocks from the Sprint Center and a lot less crowded than the Power and Light District. And very reasonably priced for the high quality food.

After dinner, we met up with Brett's youngest brother at his downtown apartment. We started our night at the Flying Saucer- a bar that serves over 200 beers. I tried to be adventurous and try a new kind- it was supposed to have a raspberry flavor, but it didn't. It tasted like a normal pale ale. So, I stuck to my favorite beer ever: Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. We wandered around for a little bit, but it was too hot to just hang outside. We had a nice time, but exhausting.

We picked up the kids this morning and made it to church, and then came home for naps :)

This evening we had friends from our church group over for dinner. Its now almost nine, and I'm sitting down relaxing for the first time at home all weekend. We leave for the Lake (!) Tuesday morning, so tomorrow is going to be super busy. I'm looking forward to another relaxing week down there before things get really crazy around here!

Rain Rain Go Away/ Alyssa's Schedule

I know we need the rain and all that, but I'm just tired of it. A big summer thunderstorm is okay, but this constant drizzle- ick. I didn't go for a run this morning because of the storm. But I may change my mind and go ahead and go get wet.

I've been working on lesson plans for the past week. I actually don't mind doing my lesson plans. They're not actual lesson plans in that I sit down and write out everything I am going to say, do, and need. Most of materials do that for me. They are more like checklists. Taking a table of contents from a book and turning into a tidy little checklist that keeps me on track for the year.

So, for the inquiring minds who are just dying to know what we're studying this year...this is your lucky day! Well, sort of...I'm only going to post Alyssa's today :)

Alyssa (her sixth year of homeschooling!- how did that happen????)

• Singapore Math 6a/6b- Singapore Math is the only real math curriculum we've ever used.


• Rod and Staff Grammar: Level 6- Alyssa has gone through levels 3-5 and knows more about grammar than I ever learned in school.


• Real Science 4 Kids: Biology- This our first year with a real (haha) science curriculum. I am very excited about it. The course itself doesn't delve into the human body (covering mainly plants and animal classification), but there are plenty of resources out there to help with that.


• Minimus Secundus- We are hopefully rejoining our Latin co-op this year.


• Story of the World: Volume 4- Alyssa is finishing this up and then at some point during the year will restart the history cycle with ancient times.


• She is also participating in: Spanish class, Roots and Shoots, an advanced literature class, a Girls Club, a running club and a tap class.

Good weekend, good week

Brett's high school reunion was this past weekend. We didn't go to the "formal" event, but we had a nice time at a bar Friday night. I know a couple of his old classmates, so I didn't feel too out of place. Brett got the chance to catch up with some old friends, and hopefully we'll see some of them before ten more years.

Saturday morning, we took a bike ride to the library. It was hot out, but overcast, so we didn't have the sun shining down on us. I think its around eight miles round trip, but I could be totally off base. Here's Lauri playing around before we left.

Brett was filling the bike tires up and the kids were climbing around. Eli and Gavin climbed up on Brett's car and wanted me to take their picture. Then the girls climbed up. I threw Lizzie up there too, and voila! A perfect picture. Sure they're not wearing cute and matching outfits, the backdrop is our garage, and there's a Diet Coke peeking out from behind Alyssa's shoulder, but they are all smiling and looking at the camera. I think I should get an 8X10 of this and hang it over our fireplace because for some reason, if I take them somewhere, dress them fancy, and pay lots of money then someone isn't looking or is making a funny face or whatever.

Poor Lauri had swimmer's ear all last week. She was in a lot of pain. Thankfully, she's all better now. We went swimming after our morning bike ride, and we had to get her some ear plugs. Here she is showing off her plugs.

And, despite the fact that it is rainy and icky outside, I've started the week off on a good note. I got up this morning with Brett and went for a 2.5 mile run. I've started the kids back on a couple school subjects (nothing new for the year, just some reviewing), and that is going well. I also am almost done with my science plans for the year (I'll post more on that later). I feel like we're getting in a good groove for the coming (extremely busy!) year. Also, we did some changes around the house (I'll post more on that later, too), and I'm excited about that.

So, here's to a good week!

Oh, and for those of you who may not have believed the struggles I had during VBS, here's a picture of what I had to put up with with my little monkey-

VBS

Like Gavin says, "Its not Vacation Bible School, its VBS."

Every year this is the one thing the kids look forward to the most. Maybe its because its the most camp-like experience they get. Maybe its because they get to sing songs and play water games and climb on inflatables. Or maybe its because its the one week of the summer that stresses me out more than anything else.

Wait a sec, a week without my oldest three kids three hours every day? Why on earth would that stress me out? A number of reasons. One is that we have to be at church (which is 30 mins away) by 9 o'clock every morning. I am not a morning person. And I am especially not a get-five-kids-up-dressed-and-fed-by-8:30-morning person. Then, once they are dropped off, I have the two littles to contend with, and the big decision of "Do I drive home, only to return two hours later?" This year, that question wasn't too hard. With gas prices the way they are, the decision was easy.

Monday I take Eli and Lizzie to Borders. A couple hours and $25 later, we return to get the kids. I start to wonder how economical it really is to not drive home.

Tuesday, I decide on a more wallet-friendly option of going to the library. We arrive minutes before the doors open, and the parking lot is filling up quickly. I run into a friend on the way in who informs me that there is a magic show going on in the children's section. Hesitantly, I go ahead and bring the kids in. The toys, puzzles and games were all set up in the meeting room, so that is where we hung out. Free Internet access, kids kept busy, relative quiet (except for the magic show commotion), can't ask for much more than that. Except maybe an nice Starbucks frappachino, but I digress.

Wednesday I decide to try out a different (but equally close) library. As we're walking back to the children's section, a library volunteer informs me that there is a puppet show going on in the meeting room. I'm starting to wonder how much reading is actually accomplished at the Johnson County Libraries during the summer.

Today we headed back to the Oak Park Library. I actually checked out books today. Eli got bored fast and was hungry because he woke up too late and only ate some Cheerios in the van. So, I do the unthinkable and take him through the McDonalds drive through and get him some fries. Ugh. I haven't taken the kids to McDonalds in months. It kept him happy for a dollar. And they have free wireless internet. Weird, huh?

What have I learned this week?

Eli: His personality amazes me. At Borders, he sorted the Wonder Pets stuffed animals and then counted to see if there was less of one than the others (nope, same of all three). He is probably the most easy-going three year old on the planet. He just kept himself busy coloring, doing puzzles, playing with the toys for hours this week at the libraries and Borders.



Lizzie: She is quite a piece of work. She was climbing everywhere, she made about a dozen friends, and made me take her to the potty twice. She discovered her love for sinks. I discovered how big of a fit she can throw when I take her away from the sink. She loves to dance during the opening and closing songs at VBS. She knows the word "buckle" because everytime I put the car in park, she screams it.

So, tomorrow is our last day of VBS, and I couldn't be more excited. I know I sound like a whiner. If it weren't for dozens of wonderful parents who actually spend the three hours helping run VBS, my kids wouldn't have this opportunity, and I'm complaining about having to drive them there. Why do I do it? Well, my kids would've mutinied if I said no, but even more than that, I know that these memories they're making and friends they're finding will last them for years to come. I met my closest friends (oh yeah, and Brett) and that church.

$96,000

"1, 2, 3....What would you do with 96g's?"

Brett and I share a passion for musicals- I enjoy all kinds; he is more of modern musical lover (RENT over Oklahoma, if you know what I mean). After watching the Tony's this year, Brett was intrigued enough by In the Heights to go out and buy the cd. Buy the cd. We have probably purchased less than 6 cds in our whole marriage. He got hooked on it while I was at the lake, and then brought it down to share with me. It is an amazing musical. I dare you to watch this link and not want more. Then, go here. And finally, here. And then, after you've gone out and bought the cd, let me know how much you love it, and I'll send you a couple more links. But, you have to appreciate the music first.

Speaking of the lottery...we bought a Powerball ticket on Monday which has prompted constant singing of "96,000" Brett doesn't seem to think "54 million" has the same ring, but to me, it sounds even better. Let's just say, "If I win the lotto tomorrow" we'll be going to NYC to see this- first thing.

"If I win the lottery, you'll never see me again..." I love singing this line to the kids.

I really can't say enough about this musical. It is what I turn on when I need a boost to clean up or just get off my butt to get anything done.

"Paciencia y Fe" is my new motto.

Just go get the cd. Trust me. It may take you a couple times through to get the story, and you may end up like me, trying to sing along to Spanish words when you have no idea what they are or what they mean, but it is worth the $16.

Update Post

Here is my update from the last two months....

Running: I ran the Hospital Hill run and finished about ten minutes faster than I expected. I ended up with an eleven minute mile pace which isn't fantabulous in the grand scheme of things, but I was very pleased. I am struggling to make it outside everyday because I haven't drug my butt out of bed early enough to run and it is too hot by the time Brett gets home. I'm only going out about 4 days and still not running more than 3 miles. My time off at the lake really messed up my training. Running on the mountain made me faster on the flats, but I lost a lot of endurance by not running for as long of distances as I had been. I am scouting out some races for the next couple months to get myself back excited. If anyone has a run/cause they'd like to support financially (but not physically) I'd be glad to run it for you!

Kids:
Alyssa-approaching that wonderful phase of pre-adolescence which includes loads of eye-rolling, sarcasm, and general moodiness

Lauri-has become obsessed with the idea that she is a "tom-boy"(focusing on her skateboarding and refusing to wear fancy clothes) despite the fact she got her ears double pierced last week

Gavin-growing like a weed and struggling as a middle child teetering between little and big boy

Eli-still the same...mastering his power ranger moves displaying more and more "Mr. Monk" qualities

Lizzie- growing up way too fast, running everywhere, talking more and more, and trying to potty train herself

School:
I'll be posting a lot about school in the next couple weeks, just know we're getting ready for a VERY busy school year!

Other:
I've spent the past couple months reading lots of books and Brett and I have watched a lot of movies, so I'll be posting some reviews of my favorites and least favorites.

Playing Around With the Blog

I'm going to attempt to post more. I actually think a lot about my blog more than I actually write in it. I've got some book reviews, some deep thoughts from my extended vacation, excitements/concerns with the coming school year, struggles/successes with running, and even some thoughts on food all to share.

Look for it!

And a just for fun picture from Arkansas.....

Ways to get out of a "funk"

Brett and the Girls at Worlds of Fun last Friday

I was in a funk yesterday- no real reason. I went to the wrong location for an activity (it ended up fine, but I drove across town), the kids were still cranky from a very busy weekend, and I realized I didn't get any "d0wn" time this past weekend. So, by 5:40 when Brett walked in the door, I was ready to go.

I've been mulling around this idea of running a 5K. I've been thinking about it for a few months, but at the Y, I was more focused on cross-training. I couldn't stand to run on the treadmill for very long, and I wasn't quite confident in my ability as a runner. It was an easy cop-out. Thanks to a father in our homeschool group, I have been running track with the girls once a week. We meet on a high school track and run varying distances each week (none more than an 800). This has allowed me to enjoy running outside. Now that the weather has finally decided to act season-appropriate, I can get out and run. So, that's what I did last night. Brett took the kids to the Y, and I went for a two mile run. My first two mile run outside. Without stopping. Just running. In the sun. Yes, it got hot. Yes, it got sweaty. Yes, I could feel it in every muscle. But, I didn't wear myself out. Instead, I came home and felt energized. I only ran two miles because I had remembered to track a mile away from our house on the van's odometer that afternoon. I felt strong. I felt like I could take on more! Now, the idea of doing a 5K didn't feel so out of reach to me. And its still under serious consideration. I'm contemplating doing the Hospital Hill Run on June 7th. I ran again this morning-this time three miles.

So, that was step one of getting rid of a funk in a healthy way.

Step two involved this crazy little thing called the Scholastic Book Warehouse Sale. It occurs twice a year. They open the warehouse up and everything is 50% off. That stuff is usually a good deal, but a lot of times you can find those books at the Half Price Book Store or even Walmart for around the same price. The amazing part is in the back- they have a $1 section. $1 for any book back there. Sure, there's a lot of twaddle: High School Musical, Captain Underpants, etc., but there are usually some pretty great finds as well. Last night they had an abundance of novels for an adult audience that some middle school had ordered and not sold. Slaughter-House Five, One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Gone with the Wind, and many more titles. Some "bestseller" novels that I can read at the Lake. And lots of stuff for the kids, too. A neat book on the Civil Rights Movement, a pack of Dora phonics readers, a Spanish Verb flip book, a book about Kansas curiosities. It is always amazing what you can pick up for one dollar.

Eli and Gavin played soccer together last Saturday

Heard around our house today....

"Mom, we're going to China!" - Lauri

"Okay, have fun!" - Me

Edited To Add:

It only took minutes from me hearing/posting this to turn and see all my ottomans, couch pillows, and blankets turn into a makeshift

"After this, we're going to Rome to fight off barbarians!" --Lauri

Let's just hope we don't reenact any Colosseum fights. :)

Why I'm a dork and why I should never have had boys

Those are two different things :)

Why I am a dork...hmm...let's see...my most exciting purchase in awhile?? The white board I bought at Office Depot yesterday that stretches about 3X4 feet across my wall over our school table. I got multi-colored markers and assigned each child a color. I wrote a note to my "students" in case they got up before I did (and of course, all but one slept in).



My other exciting ideas of the weekend revolve around turning our food consumption into mainly "whole" foods. Reducing the amount of processed junk we eat. I couldn't wait to go to the grocery store. There was just this little thing called Pay Day which doesn't arrive until Wednesday holding me back. The kids and I came up with our own ideas for homemade granola bars and breads to bake.



Why wasn't I cut out to be a mother of boys??? Well, let's say this: I'm making dinner. The kids are all outside playing. I look out my kitchen window and see Gavin standing next to our shed (away from everyone else) and *ahem* "water" my dirt back there. Seconds later he is joined by Eli who is not as casual about it and completely drops his pants, joining his brother. None of the five other kids in the backyard even notice what they're doing. They both finish, pull up/zip up their pants, and run off- barefoot. Ugh. I didn't even know what to say. I didn't want to draw attention to it, and I wasn't (and still aren't) quite sure how to discipline this. Boys will be boys, right????

Music Literacy

We are very informal in our music appreciation and very eclectic. One week it might be only Vivaldi playing during lunch, the next Celtic Women, and the next the radio. The kids are exposed to all kinds of music- country, pop, classical, folk, "oldies", musicals. Pretty much anything and everything. They get their dose of pop culture from watching American Idol, Food Network, and yes, the occasional Disney Channel show. The girls' two favorite cds right now are The Beatles and Fergie.

So, I finally sat down to make a mix cd last night. I have a couple *days* worth of music in Itunes, so my selection was very varied. I put in my new cd last night, and "You Give Love a Bad Name" is the first song. Alyssa looks at me and says, "I know this song, its from Jesus Christ Superstar, right?" Uhh....not quite sweetheart, but good try.

Weed of Love

This is a symbol of love around our house. Every time my boys go outside, they bring me in at least one dandelion. I have collections of dandelions all through the house- a cup in my bedroom, one in the garage. I find them in my pockets all the time. I've had to clean them out of the dryer lint screen.

The dandelions drive Brett crazy. He hates the way they make our lawn look, but when he mentioned spraying our lawn to get rid of them, the boys were very upset. They think of our yard as a garden, not a harvesting spot for yellow weeds.

I think I'll try and convince Brett to let the lawn go- at least for this summer. Maybe next year, bringing Mommy flowers multiple times a day won't be as attractive to my ever-growing boys. Then we can have a "perfect" lawn.

Just because

I noticed how bland my blog looks, and I don't have time to fix the blog settings. Here's a picture for your enjoyment:

Yes, we sometimes still dress alike :)

I may be a mean mom, but my house is clean!

The day started off not like a typical Friday. Usually, around here, Fridays are met with enthusiasm, energy, and excitement. Today, we all woke up cranky. Maybe it was because of the cloudy, cool weather, yet again. Maybe it was because mom didn't sleep so well. Maybe it was due to a busy week. The fact is we were all dragging our heels. We got the basics done in school: Grammar, Math, and Spelling. Lauri did Science; Alyssa did History. I called it a day at that. Then I did something drastic: I locked the kids in the basement.

Okay, not really *locked* them in the basement, so to speak, but shut them down there with explicit instructions to come get me if someone was bleeding or if something was on fire and that was about it. We spent almost all of last weekend cleaning out/rearranging those two rooms downstairs, and now they had plenty to do in plenty of space. I warned them that if I was to be needed for any disagreements that I would start to reconsider our six-weeks-at-the-lake summer plan. They were bickering and pestering each other all morning, so I figured this was an opportunity to show them that they can get along.

Step two was to turn on my Ipod. I can do anything while listening to my Ipod. Especially when I had just downloaded new music on it. Sure, I looked silly dancing around my kitchen (doing a little moonwalking) to Michael Jackson, and maybe I belted out some Grease 2 songs a little too loud, but when those ear buds go in, the world gets shut out.

Step three was to try a new approach to cleaning. I am a very random person (maybe part ADD?). When I look for clothes, I dart through the aisles going back and forth. When I'm at the bookstore, I jump from section to section and back again. So, I tried this with my cleaning- start with laundry, there's always laundry to do with seven people in one house, then begin straightening my room. Go down and finish up lunch dishes, sweep real quick, then head to the schoolroom, back up to my bathroom- vacuum the girls' room so Lizzie could take a nap, clean the kids' bathroom, do a little deeper clean in the kitchen, another load of laundry, vacuum the schoolroom, finish the last bathroom, trash out, put some more things away, finish up my room, start to tackle the living room.

For anyone keeping track, the boys' room was intentionally avoided. We worked so hard last week in our room, the girls' room, the computer room, and the two basement rooms, that the boys' room was completely ignored. I desperately need to clean out their closet and dressers, their toys, their stuffed animals, but I'm procrastinating. I need another burst of "nesting". (NOT a pregnancy-induced version).

Amazingly, the kids held up their end of the bargain. They stayed downstairs, with only one instance of Gavin scaring the cr*p out of me. Imagine yourself completely unable to hear due to your Ipod blaring, scrubbing a toilet, when all of a sudden out of the corner your eye, you think you see something. And there's Gavin just standing there staring at me. He can give you this blank stare that rivals those of kids in horror flicks.

Now I'm off to make some yummy enchiladas that we'll eat after we go to the Y which we'll do once Brett is home. So, not a bad end to a crummy start of the day, just wish the sun would come out!!!

Small Victories

We've had a lot of changes around here the past two months, and with those changes, we've had some great successes. And we've been able to focus more on what needs to get done. Here's a list some things we've accomplished:

*Schoolwork: Its getting done relatively easy these days. The girls are accomplishing more and more each week. Gavin has just become a star student. He is excited about learning to read and is really proud of his schoolwork.

*Gavin's Speech: He's only been to three therapy sessions at the school, but already we can tell an improvement in his speech. He really pays attention to how he forms his words, and he is much more receptive when we correct him.

*Dry Pullups: Gavin is on a streak of not wetting at night. It has taken us almost three years to get to this point. He told me a couple days ago, "I'm just not going to use Pullups anymore." We were like, uh, good. He has worn underwear for five nights in a row and hasn't wet once. Yay!

*Food: We're trying to eat healthier around here. It is very difficult to balance healthy and cheap. The kids are eating so much better. They are actually trying new foods. But,the biggest improvement is Eli. he has always been a hot dogs and chicken nuggets boy. In the past week he's eaten eggplant Parmesan, potato soup, and Mexican rice (rice, chicken, black beans, tomatoes). I never would've thought he would touch any of this.

We're on the road. I just need to remember to take it one step at a time.

My first (and maybe only?) political post

I've never blogged about politics before. Honestly, it is mainly because I have been pretty uninterested for a number of years now. I don't wanted to say cynical or jaded because at 28, I would think it should be too early for that, but maybe that's the case. I used to be much more politically aware, and then it came to a point where I just didn't have time to devote or desire to care.

With the elections coming up, I've tried to become more attentive to the candidates and the political scene. Its not too hard to become familiar with the candidates since two of them have been around for awhile. Which leads me to the third, and the actual subject of this post.

Barack Obama. I'm not one who wears her political feelings on her sleeve, so for those of you who don't know this, I will come out and say that as far as political standings go, I am about as far opposite as you can get from Obama when it comes to a lot of issues. And I mean, a lot. Yet, oddly enough, I want him to win not only the Democratic Nomination, but also the office of the Presidency. Why? Well, that's what this post is about.

1. Change: Yes, I know that is basically his entire campaign in one word, but its the truth. Coming from my perspective of only having an active political memory of a President whose last name was either Bush or Clinton, the idea of fresh blood is enticing.

2. Healing: Our nation is so blown apart politically right now and there is so much hatred on both sides of the aisle, that I really see Obama being a figure of healing. He is young, he is brilliant, and just the fact that we would have a young, African-American as our country's leader feels good. No more "good ole boy" syndrome of rich white man.

3. Character: As much as I differ from him in politics, I respect him because of his accomplishments and intelligence. You can say what you want about his politics, but so far nothing has come to make me dislike him. His speeches are encouraging, optimistic, and vibrant. This may be a superficial point, but his appearance is reassuring. He can smile a big goofy smile or be serious and somber. He is the face I'd like the world to think of when they think of the USA. He is the face I'd like to see giving a State of the Union Address, or God forbid, reassuring the country after a crisis. He comes into the office with no baggage. That's not to say that things can't (or won't) happen once he's in office, but for now, he is too fresh to be disliked.

4. Politics: I think I've made my point about differing with Obama on most major issues, but what I like about the idea of him being president is that politics can go back to being about politics. It won't be about the hatred of a president (both the current hatred for George W. or the hatred out there for Hillary Clinton). It will be about the issues. And, I think that is important. It won't be about somebody coming in to try to finish what they (or their husband) couldn't accomplish. It will be purely about politics.

5. Opponents: I put this one last because I wanted to wax poetic about the tributes of Obama before I pulled the punch card of saying: I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY can't stand McCain or Hillary Clinton. I don't like their personalities, I don't like listening to them talk. They both grate my nerves so much that the idea of either of them being president for four (or eight!) years makes my ears bleed. Yes, I know that's immature, yes, I know that should be immaterial, but hey, that's why I put it last :)

Who knows what the future will hold? Who knows what type of president Obama would be, could be? Who knows how things would change once he's in the Oval Office? I sure don't, but I do know from this Conservative, Christian (no, not Conservative Christian- that's why there's a comma there), Republican (though sometimes leading more Libertarian), woman's perspective, Obama is the best candidate out there- maybe not for me personally, but for our country.

That is all.

My house is like my body

Baby steps. Baby steps. Baby steps.

My house did not get messy overnight. My body did not get overweight/out of shape overnight. I cannot fix my house in one day. I cannot fix my body in one day.

Routines- take on one job and stick to it. This week it has been laundry. I finally realized that I need to do two loads of laundry every day to keep up on it. Since last Wednesday, I have made this a reality. It is amazing how much free time I have to focus on other tasks- or really, just how much I notice other tasks, when I'm not fretting about climbing Mt. Laundry. Workout thirty minutes a day. Done for nine days straight now. Do I notice a huge change in my body? No, not yet. That will come with time. But, when I ran that mile without stopping in under ten minutes yesterday, I felt a difference. When I walk past my laundry sorter and can see the painting that it hangs under, I can feel a difference.

The way my house looks doesn't affect what goes on here. This can be a tricky one. My house can be a mess yet we can still enjoy ourselves here. Just like I can do wonderful things without my body being perfect. BUT I notice when my house is cleaner, we are all happier. We function better as a family. Lost puzzle pieces are found, there is room to get out all the Littlest Pets. I feel more confident, more able to do what I need to do when I take care of myself. I have made a commitment to covering my feet in lotion twice a day. It sounds silly, but it makes me feel good.

So step by step, my house and my body are becoming more how I want them to be. I have accepting my starting points, and I have a realistic goal set in my head. My body has borne five kids, I am not going to look like a supermodel (who really does anyways?). My house holds seven of us, I am never going to win any awards from Martha Stewart. Those thoughts don't discourage me, they just keep me real.

A commitment to change makes it sound like I'm reinventing myself. But what I really feel more like is an onion with a special pearl trapped inside. I keep peeling layer and layer off (my body in pounds, my house in dirt..lol) and am getting closer to finding my pearl. MY pearl may not look like yours, but it is beautiful in my eyes.

Dessert with the Hoedls

So, we're sitting around eating homemade smoothies on Sunday night enjoying a nice night of nothing to do when Eli hops up from the table after deciding he doesn't like his. He runs off to go get in his jammies. A minute later he comes back down to the kitchen shouting, "I need help with my shirt!!" He had no trouble taking his pants off, but seemed to forget to put some back on. So, here is my adorable three year old jumping up and down bottomless with his shirt stuck on his head. Brett and I both break into, "Eli! Go get some pants on!" But he's being such a goober, that its hard to look at him with breaking up laughing. He then realizes he needs to go potty and begins to shout, "PEE!! PEE!!! PEE!!!! I NEED TO PEE!!!!" At this point, any hope of keeping a straight face is gone, and laughter is coming from all of us (including Lizzie). He manages to go potty, then rejoin us in the kitchen, dancing around bottomless. We try to tell him that it isn't appropriate or funny to dance naked in the kitchen, but he replies, "Lizzie likes it!" She is cracking up at him, so its kind of hard to dispute his reasoning. Brett gets up to help him get dressed, and I find myself wondering, did I ever expect there would be a point in my life where it wouldn't phase me to have to shout, "We don't dance around naked in the kitchen!!!"

And, yes, this picture is from last summer, but its the only one I have on the laptop of my little guy.....

Blogging a Vacation: Day 3

Blogging a Vacation: Day 3

Sorry this is a little late, but I typed it all up Wednesday morning, then it got erased, and I really haven't had a chance to sit and type it back up- plus, I was really annoyed that it happened.

So, I woke up Tuesday morning thinking I'd go workout before my spa time, but then decided instead to sit and have a yummy breakfast with my laptop and newspaper. Good choice :) My appointment was at 10, and I showed up about forty minutes early. I changed into my robe and then ventured into the steam room. I had been in dry saunas before- when I was a young teen, my best friend belonged to a country club and we'd sit in there and share secrets. But, the steam was something new for me. It was interesting to just sit there and sweat. After a couple minutes, I grabbed some cucumbers for my eyes and an ice-cold rag for my face. Then, all of a sudden I heard this loud rumbling sound- it totally freaked me out. Of course, it was just the machine spitting out more steam, but that didn't really calm my nerves. I all of a sudden had an attack of thinking that I was going to get trapped in there or someone was going to appear from the smoke. I ended up heading to the shower.

From the shower, I headed to the "Relaxation Lounge" where I drank lemon water and snacked on some trail mix. Then, my lovely lady massuese showed up and I was on my way. It was a very relaxing 50 minutes that fortunately didn't fly by. The last massage I had was about two weeks before Lizzie was born. It felt awesome for my big ole pregnant body, but I had a hard realaxing. No so much a problem then.

I headed back to the "Relaxation Lounge" which this time wasn't so relaxing. There were two business guys there in their robes and they would.not.shut.up. I don't even know what they talked about- but they kept talking. Besides feeling oddly nekked in just my robe, it was weird to think that they were they same- ick. Yes, I know, I am immature.

My facial was nice- it started out with a lecture on how I am totally washing my face with the wrong stuff- heads up ladies! My facial lady says NEVAH use Apricot scrub on your face. Not good- no bueno. Then she tried clearing up some of my face- ouch!!! Not so realaxing, but then she stopped and I could relax. One of the things she put on was supposed to "get warm and tingle"- holy moley, it started to burn- but in a good way. My face felt refreshed afterwards, and then I headed back to the shower and got all ready.

Brett snuck out of his so-not-important conference and we went and had a late lunch at the sports bar in the hotel. We sat there with our paper once again, enjoying a nice relaxing lunch. We went back to the hotel and I took a nice, long two hour nap.

We headed back downtown and ate an absolutely ridiculously expensive, but oh-so-good-can-still-taste-it-in-my-mouth-right-now dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It had been almost ten years since we ate at one of those, and wow! still tasted just as good I remembered. We decided to head back to the bars, but couldn't decide where to go- Stacy Mitchart was playing again, but this time there was a cover. We really wanted to go the dueling piano bar, but when we walked in, we were the only ones there, so we promptly left. We gave the Wildhorse one more chance, and it was kickin'.

After about five minutes of watching, we decided there must've been a dancing instruction group there because all these younger men were dancing with these older women and they kept switching around. The men were all nicely dressed- there were a couple young girls dressed nicely too. Lots of two-stepping, but also some other types of ballroom dancing. They were a riot to watch. As much as the previous night we learned that everyone in Nashville can sing, we learned that everyone in Nashville can dance. Brett and I actually went out to dance for one slow song- and felt a little like sillies next to all the "professionals". "Billy Ray" was playing again. They do a great job of a mix of country covers and original songs-just found their myspace page- http://www.myspace.com/theranchhands-

We went back to the hotel to the Jack Saloon but the same lady from the night before was singing, and it was crowded, so we only stayed long enough for me to enjoy the most delicious drink ever invented- a Jack and Coke Float. Yummmm....best.drink.ever.

So, that was day/night three. A wonderful last full day in Nashville. It is so cool to walk through a downtown where there was live music every couple steps. Very neat town.

You know you're a homeschool mom when...

*You're in a wonderful day spa (states away from home) receiving an amazing massage, and you're mentally critiquing your daughter's paper she sent to you in an email, deciding how to respond



*You're listening to your five year old read his sentences and you're thinking, "that's a predicate noun, that's a predicate adjective, that's a direct object" and are diagramming them in your head.

*The book you read the most while on vacation was the one your ten year old has been bugging you for months to read, and then when you finish it in the airport on the way home, you can't wait to get home to tell her how much you loved it.

Blogging a Vacation: Day 2

Okay, so day two started with us sleeping in all the way to 9:30. We probably would've stayed in bed longer, but my mom called with a question about the kids schooling, so we decided to go ahead and get up.

We went to the outlet mall right next door, found a Starbucks, and wandered around that for awhile. It was nice to be able to walk through a mall, no rush, no real purpose, no kids. We debated on going to see a movie, and then ended up coming back to the hotel to eat lunch. We sat at one of the tables in the atrium, reading the paper, probably looking like an old married couple- sharing tidbits we each thought the other would be interested in. We went back to the room and I took a 2 hour nap.

We were headed back downtown and decided to visit the Wildhorse Saloon. It is a bar that we had seen pushed constantly. Line-dancing, live music, wild crowd. We ate a nice dinner, and then the band started up. The music was good- although Brett and I couldn't get over how much t helead singer looked like Miley's dad (for those of you without pre-teens, that would be Billy Ray Cyrus). We kept waiting for the wild crowd, but alas, the ginormous dance floor was bare. So, after the band's first break, we headed out on the street to find another bar.

There are a couple things about Nashville that amaze me. One being, almost every bar has live music. Two, the bands are all good. Three, even the karaoke singers rock. We headed into a little karaoke bar, thinking we would have a good time watching the singers- enjoy the good ones, get a laugh from the bad ones. Song after song after song went by and no bad singers to be found. There was an older, white-haired, business dressed gentleman, who was texting on his blackberry and fiddling with his breifcase that we thought for sure we'd get a kick out of hearing. His name gets called, and he gets on stage with his harmonica. Not only does the guy's voice just blow us away, but during the musical interludes he just goes to town on his harmonica. There was a talent scout there from Vegas who kept talking to Brett and me. He must've seen Brett's id when the waitress asked for it, because he kept referring to Brett as "Kansas" and told him to get up there and give it a try. That ended night two in Nashville.

Blogging a Vacation: Days 1 & 2

So, its Day 3 of 4 wonderful days on vacation with my husband, and I decided it was time for a little update before I forget all the fun details of our trip so far.
Day One: We left early Sunday morning. Brett and I have never travelled together without the kids, so I knew it was going to be an interesting experience. I get very nervous/stressed before leaving town (especially flying), but I'm fine once we're on the plane. Our flight was easy, only about an hour to get to Nashville. We rented a car in the airport parking lot. Our hotel is only about 15 minutes from the airport. All in all- easy travel.

Our hotel is very nteresting. It is a bunch of atriums. Our room has a patio that looks out on the main atrium. We are right by the big waterfall which is very calming. Listening to it at night really helps get you into a deep sleep. The pas two days have been gorgeous in the atriums- the sun was shining. This morning as I eat my breakfast and type this up, its a little gloomy. The sky is overcast and there's no bright and shiny sun. But, it is still very pretty. I'm kind of hoping it will rain, just to see what it'd be like under the atrium.

We were good, and after settling into our room, we went and checked out the fitness center. After working out, we sat in the outdoor whirpool and took a little swim in the inside pool. The weather here has been in the upper 40s-upper 50s the past two days. We went back to the room to get ready to go downtown for dinner. Brett had picked out a bar for us to eat at and watch a couple live bands perform. We ended up walking around downtown and deciding to go somewhere else.

We went to BB King's restaurant where a blues singer was going to be playing. The food was delicious- we ordered an appetizer plate of fried pickles, hot wings, potato skins and ribs. YUM! Fried pickles are about my favorite food ever and it seems like every place down here serves them. Then, we split an entree of a spicy (though not very spicy for us) pasta carbonara. It was good, but so much food that the two of us couldn't even eat it all. We sat and listened to the live music for a little over an hour- until they took their first break- and then decided to move on. The singer was Stacy Mitchart. He's been nominated for a Grammy- he was excellent. Brett and I had a great time watching his band. His keyboardist looked like Michael Bolton on crack. He was swinging his hair and bobbing his head like crazy. The bassist who was standing next to him was about as opposite as you could get- the complete definition of chill.

We walked down to a country bar called The Stage where some guys were playing for a crowd of about 6. They were singing old school country music- like WAY old school- including lyrics such as "the nickels are for the waitress, the dimes are for the jukebox, and the quarters are for wine, wine, wine" The guys were an ecletic bunch. The lead singer looked appropriate, maybe a little young, but a laid back cowboy type. The other singer looked like the main guy from a metal band- bald with a dark goatee, wearing a black wife beater. The fiddler looked like the epitome of country- complete with cowboy hat, boots, mustache and very tight jeans. We only stayed there for a couple songs- and decided to come back to the hotel.

The hotel we're at has a bar called Jack Daniels Saloon where they have live music every night. So, we checked it out and heard the best Asian cowboy I've ever heard (okay, the only one until last night- but that's for later). His name is Luther Lewis (he has a myspace page, check him out!), and they were playing pretty much all covers. The guy can change his voice for every song. He sang Johnny Cash, Elvis, John Michael Montgomery. Every song was a perfect vocal imitation. They were a really great performance.
We were back in the hotel room and asleep by 11 o'clock (yes, we're lame) and slept until 9:30 the next morning. So nice......

This got a lot longer than I thought it would, and I'm off to enjoy a relaxing day at the hotel spa, so day 2 will have to come later. Along with pictures!!!

Our Little Monkey

You forget each time how curious a new toddler is. Lizzie keeps us on our toes constantly with her climbing and exploring. It is hard to keep her trapped in any room because she finds ways to overcome any barricades. But today, she trapped herself.

Big sister tried to help her climb out, but she crawled right back in. At least she's occupied for a couple minutes.

Quick Update

For those of you that don't frequent my myspace page, I'll do a quick update. A lot has changed since I last posted. For one, I've lost 17lbs and I hit my first two mini-goals. Now, I am working on dropping another 10lbs, so I can go get my bellybutton repierced :)

Another is that I quit my job last week. Nights are reclaimed for our family. The only people I'm serving are the ones that I either married or gave birth to. So far, so good.

We're back on a full school schedule this week. That means yesterday, we were going from 8:30 to 2:15 with a short break for lunch. There's a lot I want to accomplish this half of the year. A lot of "catch up".

Brett and I want to take a couple day get-away next month. We'd like something relaxing that would allow for us to reconnect. Anyone have any ideas???

One last thing, Brett and I are both receiving information on our high school reunions. Yikes! How is it possible that Alyssa is turning 10 and that its been a full decade we've been "grown ups"???

And here is a picture from Christmas....