Overcrowding

Last year Mike and I replaced our mattress. We went back and forth trying to decide king size or queen size. The final decision was queen. I know...shocking. But we had good reasons.

• We didn't have to buy all new sheets


• It didn't take up the whole room


• We didn't want our sweet children to have enough space to actually stay in our bed


• and I wanted to be able to find my husband

Well...three out of four isn't too bad.

Rediscovery

In the evenings, after the kids go to bed, I like to just sit and relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. And enjoy a little snack. Yes, I admit that it is usually a small bowl of ice cream (shhhh - don't tell the kids), but lately I've discovered something better!

I can remember getting Laughing Cow in little squares and thinking that I could eat 10 to really start as a snack. But these wedges with some wheat thins and a glass of Reisling and I am in relaxation heaven! Not sure that my hips will agree, but that's not what the after-kids-bedtime-snack is about!

The Day After Christmas

I love how so many people have snow pictures to post this Christmas! Here are ours - now that it is finally warm enough to let the kids go outside to play.

Mikalah making a snow angel.
Morgan with her gloves actually on!

Jeffrey, who really wanted to shovel with Daddy.

Meredith who apparently needs new snow gloves.

Jarrett and Judson being boys!

Our snack of "greeen snow" - lime snow cone flavoring.

Discovered after the kids went to bed. Apparently there was also a pooping reindeer at the birth of Christ - hey, it's possible!

Post-Christmas Sugar Crash

Things You Never Thought You Would Say...

Morgan, stop using the tree skirt as a blanket!

My Typical Day

I know many of us have seen Anita Renfroe's William Tell overture version of a mom's typical day. A friend sent me this version...like the lyrics being written out and her enthusiasm. In light of Christmas vacation being almost upon us...



The Mom Song from Northland Video on Vimeo.

Twilight Help

I know I've mentioned before that I am the mother of a 12 yr old girl. Well, I'm looking for some help. Some of her friends are reading Twilight. I have not read the book, nor heard a ton about it. I have read this review and I am not excited. Any thoughts...from anyone??

You Know It's Cold When...

...you do laundry at night just so you can have your silk long johns to wear again the next day.

This morning when I woke up...-16degrees.

...it takes less time to dress the kids for school because you know they won't go outside for recess. The cut off is 0 degrees.

...after your van has been warming up for 15 min. it is still not warm.

...your van struggles to start in the morning.

...a scarf becomes a necessity just for going from the door to the van.

...you choose not to use the drive through at Starbucks because you don't want to put your window down.

...or because your window won't go down.

...the pipe to the toilet freezes.

...there is ice forming on the door jams.

...despite the long johns, long coat, and extra padding, your butt is still cold!

He Has Landed

I have been quiet the last few days because Mike has been out of town and I don't like to advertise to the world that I will be home alone...if you can call being with six children and a dog alone. Just the security part of me.

While Mike was gone, the temps have been a bit chilly, so I was charged with keeping the wood stove stocked. Now that is totally not me...I just don't do those kind of things. But it has been kind of fun. Every six hours or more often I get to add wood. And I am pleased to announce that only once did the fire go out and I had to restart it. That was this morning, because I refused to get out of bed at 6am just to add fire to the stove. Thankfully I was able to get the fire started again, because the temperatures have been dropping this morning.

When I finally got out of bed at 8am (now that's sleeping in!) it was 34 degrees and clear. As I type, there are four inches of snow on the ground, I can not see across the street because of how heavily the snow is coming down and it is 11 degrees. Tomorrow's high is supposed to be -3 degrees...yes, below zero for the HIGH! That is stay inside kind of weather! But alas, since we are the pastor's family we plan to go to church in the morning.

However, we may be without a pastor! You see, Mike's plane left Minneapolis this morning. He called me when he landed...back in Minneapolis. Apparently they need just one mile of visibility to land in Billings. We have less than one quarter of a mile right now. Airport is closed. Hopefully things will clear up and he will fly in later this evening, but I am not holding my breath.

So I get to play Ma Ingalls for a little while longer.

Help for the Momma

If you have a tween girl and do not subscribe to Vicki's blog, Virtue Alert, I suggest you do so. She's got some great ideas and good information. Today's post is about "sexting". Just another reason I am not ready for my daughter to have a cell phone. However, she offers some great suggestions for talking to your kiddos about proper use of their cell phones.

Christmas Shopping

I look forward to when the Brookstone catalog comes in the mail. They have some of the coolest things. I know I am an electronic geek - not as much as some people, but I do like gizmos and gadgets. But this...oh I can barely type through the tears of laughter...

Laughter counts as exercise, right????

More Bedtime Prayers

Jeffrey's bedtime prayer tonight...

Dear God,
Thank you for the day, help me to have a good night's sleep. Help
me to have good dreams and not bad dreams; to have good books and not bad books;
to have a good mommy and not a bad mommy; to have a good daddy and not a bad
daddy, in Jesus' name, Amen

Made me wonder if I had been a good mommy or a bad mommy today.

A very busy Friday

While I didn't leave the house except to pick up kids from school, today was a very full day!!!

I thought it might be interesting just to see what all happened...(other than showering and eating)

1. made a fun salad for lunch
2. finished all the hand wash-able laundry
3. cleaned one bathroom
4. cleaned off the kitchen counter (a huge task in itself)
5. made over 70 pasties with Gail and Jill
6. changed out my seasonal kitchen towels
7. made stewp for tomorrow dinner
8. cleaned all the dishes
9. cleaned up my laundry room & even wiped down all the lint that accrues inside the washer lid
10. vacuumed the kitchen & living room/dining room
11. made coffee (I never make coffee - I just drink what others made)
12. rearranged the girls' room
13. put decorations out from one Christmas box
14. put up a tree in the girls' room
15. added new soap to the bathroom dispenser - which was funny to watch because it had been out in the garage and it is freezing outside
16. watched four extra children this afternoon
17. updated my facebook
18. beat Mike in Wordtwist
19. returned several emails
20. cared for three whiny kids, two sick children, and one pre-teen!

Costco Funny

A man named Artie went into Costco the other day and saw a dollar laying on the floor. At the same time four other people saw the dollar. A wrestling match ensued and Artie strangled the other four people. The next day the newspaper headline read: Artie chokes four for a dollar at Costco.

Compliments of Terrell my friendly cashier and friend at Costco, whom I have seen three times in the last three days.

Good Intentions

I just came across a piece of paper where I had written a note to remind me of a good story to tell on my blog. That is often the case...something happens and I think how it would make a great blog post...then life happens...and I never share. Well in the mass cleaning of 2008, I found this piece of paper and decided to stop, right there, and share. Maybe it's just an excuse to stop cleaning!

Before Mikalah started going to the junior high for math, we went to the open house for a tour. We met up with one of her friends and went to view the unknown! Eighth grade student council members were giving tours and showing the newbies the way around the school. These are the cream of the crop students!

We saw the library, the lunch room, the gym, and the band room. Each of the wings of the school were described by their subjects (three math rooms, three history rooms - all depending on what teacher you were assigned). Our tour guide was very careful to point out all of the bathrooms, both the girls and the boys and add that it was very important to double check before you went in. I wondered if she had a bad experience.

As we made our way through one of the hallways, she pointed out the elevator...for the decapitated kids...or if you are on crutches or in a wheelchair. Whoa...the decapitated kids? yup, that's what she said.

Mikalah's friend's mother and I chuckled...no laughed through the rest of the tour. We also gently corrected her so her next tour wouldn't be mis-informed. Hard to get knowledge in the brains of those decapitated kids!

UPDATE: apparently I did blog about it, but I didn't tell the full story, so now I have done the hilarity justice!