Against Jody's better judgement we have acquired a free trampoline. It is huge. It's 15 feet in diameter and takes up the better part of the back yard. The girls are in HEAVEN!
Friday, February 22, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Ha Ha Ha!
I chirped "peek a boo" rythmically as Nick hid his face with his pants. I wondered if I was the only one who could hear the fakeyness in my little cheery voice while I changed his diaper in record speed trying to keep the screaming from starting. A weary two year old's voice behind me said "I just want to have a baby so bad. I just want to grow up and be a mommy right now." I laughed at her solemn face. How could I not? I asked "how many children will you have? A quiet thougtfulness covered her face and she said "four... or maybe nine, I just can't decide." I told her that was great and then she said "It just takes sooooo loooooong to be a kid." This is Kaitlyn. As my two year old disappears and the three's creep up on us, I'm just so amazed at the things she thinks about and says. And I miss the two stuff already.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A weekend to remember
When we started having kids, we just kinda rolled over and gave up on having a life. We let the job of parenting completely swallow our identity. By the time Jody got the job offer in Minnesota, we figured what the hay, we never do anything anyway. Well, it's suprising how motivating it can be to be stuck in one spot for two years. We couldn't even afford to go do anything in Minneapolis so we never did anything but go to OxBow Park. Now that we're here, it's like a new lease on life. We're going to the gym, taking the kids swimming and for walks at the park. We're going to fun stores that didn't exist in Rochester. We're catching up with old friends and stopping for a coffee now and then. I feel ten years younger living here. And I haven't even gotten to how amazing the weather is here. Last year I thought I would die during the winter. It was cold, dark, dreary and we were sick non-stop. Illness after illness plagued us until I thought I would kill myself to say nothing of being pregnant. This winter has been so GREAT!
So, yesterday we went to a wonderful park and were walking around some lakes with the kids. I had Nick in the ergo carrier and Jody had Kait in the backpack. It's the only way we'll do any family stuff. No more wheels and kids wanting OUT! It was so laid back. We listened to the voices of the different geese, heard a woodpecker and found it pecking at a tree, found a cattail, stopped by a lovely stream and discussed streams - where they go and where they come from, and found some more topics of discussion amongst the mixture of manmade and natural things around us.
We had lunch at Qdoba and then Jody went mountain biking with a friend.
While he was gone... I discovered an amazing place. It's called "ReStore" and it's the thrift store for Habitat for Humanity. What a neat place! Well, I found a chair. It was a cute little mid-century piece with an adorable slipcover on it. It was $12 and I was sure it was just the thing that Knelly has been trying to teach me to see. I like to think of myself as her protoge. She buys and resells these pieces with profit margins that are staggering. I agonized that maybe it was going to have a horrible problem preventing me from reselling it and finally pinched myself for making such a big deal about $12. I bought it, took it home, threw the slipcover in the wash, stapled the underpinning back on the bottom took pictures with and without the slipcover and sent them to Knelly for pricing advice. I had $75 just stuck in my head. I couldn't wait for her to reply so I posted it at $75. She replied the next morning and told me $75. Mind you, as soon as Jody got home from biking he strolled up to my chair and said "oh boy, I hope you didn't spend more than $10 on that thing." He didn't think I could possibly resell it for more than $40 or $50. As of 2:15 this afternoon I sold the chair for my full asking price. What a rush! I'm so excited and wish I had a truck or trailer to really start trying to find this stuff and resell it. It's so exciting!
Today we started a class called... okay, I can't remember what it's called but it's a series created by Dave Ramsey and it's about achieving financial peace. It was a bit of a rocky start. Nick has decided to start having separation anxiety and he's teething. Kaitlyn further complicated the childcare experience by kicking and screaming with her whole body and then peeing in her pants when a kind lady tried to help her go to the bathroom. Jody was a witness to the whole fiasco. He was ready to pack up and never try to use it again, trading each week with me. I maintain that if we keep trying the kids will adjust. It's just a long time for them. It's two hours long.
Going to bed. Great weekend!
So, yesterday we went to a wonderful park and were walking around some lakes with the kids. I had Nick in the ergo carrier and Jody had Kait in the backpack. It's the only way we'll do any family stuff. No more wheels and kids wanting OUT! It was so laid back. We listened to the voices of the different geese, heard a woodpecker and found it pecking at a tree, found a cattail, stopped by a lovely stream and discussed streams - where they go and where they come from, and found some more topics of discussion amongst the mixture of manmade and natural things around us.
We had lunch at Qdoba and then Jody went mountain biking with a friend.
While he was gone... I discovered an amazing place. It's called "ReStore" and it's the thrift store for Habitat for Humanity. What a neat place! Well, I found a chair. It was a cute little mid-century piece with an adorable slipcover on it. It was $12 and I was sure it was just the thing that Knelly has been trying to teach me to see. I like to think of myself as her protoge. She buys and resells these pieces with profit margins that are staggering. I agonized that maybe it was going to have a horrible problem preventing me from reselling it and finally pinched myself for making such a big deal about $12. I bought it, took it home, threw the slipcover in the wash, stapled the underpinning back on the bottom took pictures with and without the slipcover and sent them to Knelly for pricing advice. I had $75 just stuck in my head. I couldn't wait for her to reply so I posted it at $75. She replied the next morning and told me $75. Mind you, as soon as Jody got home from biking he strolled up to my chair and said "oh boy, I hope you didn't spend more than $10 on that thing." He didn't think I could possibly resell it for more than $40 or $50. As of 2:15 this afternoon I sold the chair for my full asking price. What a rush! I'm so excited and wish I had a truck or trailer to really start trying to find this stuff and resell it. It's so exciting!
Today we started a class called... okay, I can't remember what it's called but it's a series created by Dave Ramsey and it's about achieving financial peace. It was a bit of a rocky start. Nick has decided to start having separation anxiety and he's teething. Kaitlyn further complicated the childcare experience by kicking and screaming with her whole body and then peeing in her pants when a kind lady tried to help her go to the bathroom. Jody was a witness to the whole fiasco. He was ready to pack up and never try to use it again, trading each week with me. I maintain that if we keep trying the kids will adjust. It's just a long time for them. It's two hours long.
Going to bed. Great weekend!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's Day!
I'm really trying here! I made Jody a heart shaped chocolate cake and Kaitlyn just ate a big chunk off of it! OMG!!!!! It was a little crumbly in parts but she didn't have to eat the end off of it! We made him a really cool card this year. Eden's level of creativity has probably tripled this year. She's started doing all the fun little curlies on letters and grouping hearts into flowers and stuff. It's so neat. We got heart shaped brads to do heart stacks in progressional sizes and puffy stickers. We cut two giant hearts out and attached them together with the brads and then put all that stuff on there. It's pretty darn neat for the non-crafty mommy.
Nick has one tooth and three more that are making white marks on his gums trying so hard to get through. He's clapping and trying to wave but gets confused on how to do one or the other so he usually just winds up clapping. So cute!
The kids are happy here in the rent house but they really miss their Minnesota people. It hurts when they ask for them but I know in time we'll adjust and do just fine with what we have and make new friends.
I'm obsessed with selling our house and getting a new one. I can't fall asleep at night just thinking about how great it will be if it happens or how terrible it will be if it doesn't.
Yesterday the weather was incredible. The high was 64 and we played bat and ball in the back yard. We woke up to a white world with about 3 inches of snow this morning so the girls got the sled out and went and played in the back yard on it. I do absolutely love Colorado weather except for the occassional wind.
My little brother called from Iraq today. It was a great Valentine's gift just to hear his voice. He is certain he does not want to pursue a military career but has lots of other ideas stirring around. I just can't believe he doesn't want to go to Hollywood. He's such a character.
Enough of my boring life! I hope everyone who reads this occassionally is doing well and thriving.
God bless and dang it about Huckabee. He coulda gotten the nomination if only!
Nick has one tooth and three more that are making white marks on his gums trying so hard to get through. He's clapping and trying to wave but gets confused on how to do one or the other so he usually just winds up clapping. So cute!
The kids are happy here in the rent house but they really miss their Minnesota people. It hurts when they ask for them but I know in time we'll adjust and do just fine with what we have and make new friends.
I'm obsessed with selling our house and getting a new one. I can't fall asleep at night just thinking about how great it will be if it happens or how terrible it will be if it doesn't.
Yesterday the weather was incredible. The high was 64 and we played bat and ball in the back yard. We woke up to a white world with about 3 inches of snow this morning so the girls got the sled out and went and played in the back yard on it. I do absolutely love Colorado weather except for the occassional wind.
My little brother called from Iraq today. It was a great Valentine's gift just to hear his voice. He is certain he does not want to pursue a military career but has lots of other ideas stirring around. I just can't believe he doesn't want to go to Hollywood. He's such a character.
Enough of my boring life! I hope everyone who reads this occassionally is doing well and thriving.
God bless and dang it about Huckabee. He coulda gotten the nomination if only!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Politics?
I'm so irritated about politics right now anything I say will be negative... GRRRR~ I guess a bunch of people without a conscience are going to elect a baby killer to office and I feel powerless to stop them. As far as the whole separation of Church and State... I just wish those people even knew what true separation of Church and State is. I'm so sick of hearing people spout exactly what they've been told to think, without analyzing it.
Anyway, I was on my way to the gym this morning listening to the Christian station and a little girl called in and requested that song about leaving a legacy for her mother. The dj asked her why and she said her mom had a cancer treatment that morning and she always listens to that station during her treatments. I cried the rest of the way to the gym wishing I could keep things like that in front of me. Wishing I could spend one whole day focused on leaving my world with something better, richer, more meaningful and less selfish. If I'm not in tears over the fact that I lose that focus all to easily, I'm screaming at my kids for waking up the baby or dawdling their way through a parking lot.
We're still sitting here in a rental house in Colorado wishing to God that our house in MN would sell. It's so frustrating to have to continue working on my patience. Maybe the problem is that I don't actually have patience to work on. If I had a little to work with, maybe the waiting game would be a little easier. Jody is always reeling me back in and telling me to settle down. I thank God that he doesn't let me do anything too crazy, like try to buy a house before the on in MN sells.
The girls are having a great time with their school. This month we're studying the Presidents and doing some fun Valentine's Day stuff.
Eden's name was drawn in a lottery for a Charter School that I was very hopeful about. So, this fall she'll be going to Kindergarten. I try to stay upbeat because whenever I've told her that I'll miss her, she gets emotional and tells me she just wants to homeschool. I know she'll love having a real classroom and teacher and friends and recess and science class, music class and art class and all of the things that I can't offer.
I'm being summoned by my girls.
Anyway, I was on my way to the gym this morning listening to the Christian station and a little girl called in and requested that song about leaving a legacy for her mother. The dj asked her why and she said her mom had a cancer treatment that morning and she always listens to that station during her treatments. I cried the rest of the way to the gym wishing I could keep things like that in front of me. Wishing I could spend one whole day focused on leaving my world with something better, richer, more meaningful and less selfish. If I'm not in tears over the fact that I lose that focus all to easily, I'm screaming at my kids for waking up the baby or dawdling their way through a parking lot.
We're still sitting here in a rental house in Colorado wishing to God that our house in MN would sell. It's so frustrating to have to continue working on my patience. Maybe the problem is that I don't actually have patience to work on. If I had a little to work with, maybe the waiting game would be a little easier. Jody is always reeling me back in and telling me to settle down. I thank God that he doesn't let me do anything too crazy, like try to buy a house before the on in MN sells.
The girls are having a great time with their school. This month we're studying the Presidents and doing some fun Valentine's Day stuff.
Eden's name was drawn in a lottery for a Charter School that I was very hopeful about. So, this fall she'll be going to Kindergarten. I try to stay upbeat because whenever I've told her that I'll miss her, she gets emotional and tells me she just wants to homeschool. I know she'll love having a real classroom and teacher and friends and recess and science class, music class and art class and all of the things that I can't offer.
I'm being summoned by my girls.
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