History

On the drive home from school today, Lukas says "History is just full of dead people.  And that's all.  It's all dead people, all the time."  Then a long silence.  Then "And pretty much every time I open a history book, I hear the souls of dead people."  I said "You don't really though, do you?" (I'm checking to see if my kid is crazy, or what? I don't know. lol).  He looks over  and laughs, "No, that was just a joke."

First Day of School

First Day.

Happy enough looking, right?

Picture Catch-up Time.

In order of no certain importance............

Littles playing at the last swim lesson of the season.  They put holes in the hose so our awesome dive students wouldn't burn their toes waiting in line to dive.  I finally got smart the last week and let Ethan wear his suit to play in it.

 

 

 

 

I don't remember what day this was, I think a Sunday.  But this is my story and I"m sticking to it: I accidentally forgot to run the very full dishwasher.  I was feeling extremely behind, and tired, and also probably a teensy bit lazy too, and so I also had a sink-full of dishes as well as a full dishwasher.  I woke up in the morning very hungry, with starving kids biting my legs.  I went to make some delicious eggs, and coffee, and the works, and the dishes were all dirty - everywhere.  I felt like pouting, and called up my mom and sister and begged them to go to Cracker Barrel with us.  That way I didn't feel ultra guilty, or something.  They both lovingly obliged, and here is the photo of kids rockin' on our way out.

I had to make a Target run, for something or another, and made Jenna try these cute glasses on.

....and Ethan had to try them on too, of course.  He also had the matching shirt on already.

Haircuts for everyone.  Jenna and Liv went to a salon, a door down from Great Clips.  Great Clips had a $7.99 promotion.  The next day I saw a commercial for free haircuts at JC Penney.  Nice.  I cut Ethan's.  I kept walking back and forth between Great Clips and Salon to make sure kids were okay everywhere.  The people probably thought I was crazy.  Also, the salon smelled horribly and constantly of fake nail perfume.  I think we all have lung cancer.  Sorry about that.

Pictures

The kids played in the snow the other day when I shoveled the driveway.  Livea climbed the huge hill and was so proud of herself so I had to take a picture.

The boys played too.  Jenna was in the house...so there aren't any pictures of her this time.  I will have to get plenty of her in Colorado!

I was doing laundry last night and I asked Livea to fold her diapers up.  She loves helping with any kind of work around the house so I knew she would love to help.

All done!  Look what a great job she did!  I did not help her at all!
Love ya and miss ya!

Toothless

Luke is toothless! He finally lost the other tooth. It was hanging on by a thread, and I suggested he get a washcloth and try to pull it out. He said no, but he got one anyway. As he was walking in from wetting it, he said "MY TOOTH!" and sure enough his tooth was in his hand. This is the funnest picture I've seen of him in a while. I told him to smile for you, and so he did.

We love ya and miss ya!

20 Weeks

20 Weeks (yesterday) down, 20 more to go.

Well, technically 20 more to go anyway. I can't believe how basketballish-high looking my belly is. Has it always been like that? I need to go back and look at other pictures. I think it has been, but I don't quite remember, all my other pregnancies seem so long ago.

I had to shovel snow for an hour the other day, and I only did half the driveway. It was a great workout, and my forearms are sore from it. But a horrible reminder of how inactive I've been this pregnancy in comparison to most of the others.

I feel like March 12 is going to come to me so fast now. It seems like these 20 weeks have flown by already, and I can't believe it's just 20 more and I'm done with being pregnant and I'll be holding our baby in my arms. Does it seem fast to you too, or is time moving slow for you away from us? Are you taking pictures still? Are you writing in your journal still? I always forget to ask you when we talk on the phone.

So I've been writing lists to try to get ready for March, because to me it seems like it's just around the corner, and it is going to sneak up on me. First the lists were mental, and then as they became too great, I just had to start writing it all down to get it all out of my head and leave room for other information coming in. I can't find that same fishy pool we've always used during births. There is a slightly bigger one for quite a bit more money that I'll probably buy instead, but I am surprised they don't have that smaller one available anymore. Maybe I can wait until I am in Phoenix and just visit Toys R Us and see what they have in stock instead of paying more and shipping on top. If I do it right away I should have time if I still need to order online. Everything else is easy to get once I'm in Phoenix, for the most part.

Today I was sitting on the couch folding clothes while the kids were doing their workbooks. Suddenly I heard Lukas, in huge happy voice, say "I love Handwriting Without Tears so much that I'm going to cry!!" It was the funniest thing I have heard in days, I just sat on the couch and laughed with my laundry for a minute. What a joker. He cracks me up.

Well, it is getting later, and I have to go pick up milk, and get the kids to Taekwondo. We're going to look at Target and see if they have any sleds left too while we're in Manhattan. I hadn't been able to get a hold of anyone at Hildebrand Farms all week - the phone just rang and rang. So on my way home from Art class yesterday I drove over there. They were open. Their phone lines went down when the snow came in this week, and they hadn't been able to get them back up yet. I asked them if they had any extra raw milk, so they checked. Well I hadn't brought my bottles, because, well I guess I just wasn't being very prepared. SO I told them I'd go home and get them and bring them back. I didn't have cash either, or a checkbook, their only two forms of acceptable payment. So we went home, and I packed up the kids' uniforms, unloaded groceries, grabbed milk bottles, and headed back. I pulled into their parking lot and remembered I forgot cash. Arg. So I have to go get milk this morning, we are out. Their milk is the best. Better than JaKo, Inc. milk by FAR, Josh. You would even like it I think. I can sit there and drink a glass of milk for no reason except because it's good and refreshing. Anyway. That's my story. Oh, and then we had to drive back home because I forgot Jenna's sparring gear - and then they didn't even use it. Nice. Did I tell you all this on the phone already??? Everything is a blur yesterday.

We love you and miss you in this freezing cold weather!

lotta nothin'

It was so nice talking to you last night. Of course it always is, but I was just really glad to talk to you last night for some reason. I am so thankful that you take the time to call me, I really am. I know not everyone does that for their wives, and I feel very blessed that you wake up extra early some days just to call me. I can't say I'd do the same, you know how me and Sleep are best friends, so it means a lot to me.

We went to Target last night for invitations for Adam's birthday party. $177 later, we walked out without invitations. But the kids have warm clothes now!! I guess Walmart would have been good enough for invitations. Target was out of a lot.


Adam wanted to start school right away, so of course Livea did too. See their new long undies? Courtesy the Target trip. Adam said "Mommy, I used to be really good at school when I was in Hawaii!!" Hmmmmm.

Jenna is in our bed reading Mitch and Amy, one of her Beverly Cleary's that she's never read. I think she's reading it finally because she's read everything else. She finished that Percy Jackson series about a week ago. Luke is in front of the television eating some yogurt.

So last night the 2:00am alarm thing worked! I woke up and heard Adam's fighting voice. Only for a split second, and then nothing. I think I heard them getting back into bed. I really fought with myself not to go up there and check on them. Most parents probably would have not expected an almost-5 and almost-7-year-old to be responsible enough to wake up at 2:00am to an alarm clock, turn it off, go pee, and get back into bed for themselves. But they did it. And I stayed put - mostly thinking that if I get up this first night to help them, they'll expect me to always.

So this morning, I heard Luke in his drawers. Ugh. I thought for sure they just got up and turned the alarm off. Luke came downstairs dressed in his brand new long undies. So cute. I asked him if he peed in his bed, and he said "NO, I didn't!!" I asked him if they got up for their alarm and went pee. He said that they did, and that he and Adam both didn't pee in the bed. I asked him why he changed his clothing then, and he said "because I waned to wear my new clothes!" I believe him too. The reason he didn't wear the long undies to bed, he said, was because he didn't want to pee in them!! I am so proud of them for waking up and going to the bathroom. I am going to set the alarm for them every night for a while. Hopefully they won't ever get a hint to wake up and turn it off without going. I thought for sure that the alarm would just go off and they wouldn't get up, they'd just let it keep going, it's not a very loud alarm.

It's raining this morning. It must not be too cold though, since it's rain and not snow. It looks cold enough that I don't want to go out there though!!

Miss you. =( I am ready for winter to be over. It seems like that is the hurdle to get past, and then you'll be home soon.
Love you tons.