Mayhem Mania

Dog Wash

2012-01-26T15:41:00.001-06:00

Today was Bath Day for Pearl and Baron. I took them to a do-it-yourself place. I love that it is cheaper than having someone else to do it and you aren't making a mess at home. And the waist high bath tub and counter, sprayer faucet, and dog dryer make it much easier than bathing them at home.

As you can see both were thrilled with the process.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T10:09:00.002-06:00

Dog Fostering

2011-12-16T22:50:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this already, but looking back over the last few months it seems I have not.

In early October we decided to help out Houston Collie Rescue by taking in a foster dog. Baron our loveable three year old, smooth coat, tri-colored collie came from HCR.

Our Howdy passed away in June. It was obvious that Baron would like a playmate but we really were not ready to commit to having a second dog. So when the opportunity to foster arose it seemed like the perfect solution. We provide the dog with a home, love, food and exercise until its forever home is found. In return, Baron gets a playmate and we all get the satisfaction of knowing we made a small difference.

Our first foster dog arrived on 10/8. You can read all about Jana here. She is a sweet, calm, loving eight year old collie mix. She is currently going through heartworm treatment. She spent the first eight years outside but has quickly adapted to inside living and honestly doesn't like to be outside any longer than it takes to do her business.

Jana loves belly rubs and will roll over when you walk by to make sure you give her a nice belly pat. She likes to hang out near her people and when she wants more attention is happy to come over and nudge a hand to let you know. When she comes in from the yard or we come home, if we don't immediately give her a pat she does a cute little howl to make sure you haven't forgotten about her. When she does this we say, "Jana in the hooouuuusseee!" and she howls back a few times. It is very cute and endearing.

Tomorrow, Jana will be going to a new foster home here in Austin. I am excited for her and sad all at the same time. We knew when she came to our house that we would not be her forever family and that at some point she would leave us. But, she has been part of the family for two months and we have and do love her like our own.

I've talked to her new foster mom and know she is going to a great place where she is going to continue to get lots of love and care. I know this is a good move for her but we are all going to miss her. My hope is that she will soon be completely healthy and will find her forever home.

So are we done fostering? Nope. Tomorrow morning, after Jana's new foster mom picks her up, I'm headed to Houston to pick up our new foster dog. Her name is Pearl. She is a special needs girl who is deaf. She is a double-dilute, smooth coat collie. She has been in rescue since this summer. I think she and Baron are going to have a lot of fun together. She is younger and much more spirited than any dog we've had in a long time. It should keep thinks interesting around here, because you know it is so quite and boring in my house...

Courtesy of Houston Collie Rescue

These pictures are from when Pearl first came to rescue. She is significantly bigger now.

Jenn

Curls

2011-12-11T16:00:00.001-06:00

Trying out new curlers

The back - ready for church

Ready for church - Looking much older than 8 to me

Mid-afternoon. Still has curls. They've held up better than I expected.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Disney World: Disney Photo Pass Update

2011-12-11T10:45:00.000-06:00

I am very glad I pre-ordered the Photo Pass CD. I have spent time over the last week slowly editing all of the photos so I can have the CD mailed. I have identified the most perfect Christmas card picture and can not wait to get the image so I can get it made and in the mail.

I do have to say that the editing of the photos leaves a lot to be desired. The tools available are few and cumbersome and the site is extremely slow and glitchy.

I do love all the boarders they provide that you can add to your photos. They are cute and fun. I just wish I didn't have to close and reopen the site multiple times to get the boarder choices to show up. Or sit and wait for five minutes for things to load at times.

But even with these issues I would still recommend the Photo Pass pictures and CD. I just wanted anyone considering to know it does come with a few drawbacks.

I'm sure there will be at least one more Photo Pass update when I actually get the images. And no, unfortunately they did not in any way compensate me for my review or recommendation. I just like to share things with everyone else when I find them.

Jenn

Disney World: Day 1 - Epcot

2011-12-10T17:30:00.000-06:00

The first park of our trip was Epcot. We arrived about 45 minutes before the park opened. Each day we made breakfast in the condo, wrapped it and took it with us to the park of the day. While waiting for the park to open we would leisurely enjoy breakfast and a cup of coffee. On the first morning we had egg, bacon and cheese mini croissants. It helped to start each day with a good hearty breakfast that kept everyone full for several hours.

Once the park opened we headed to Soarin' to get fast passes. Since there wasn't much of a line yet we went ahead and rode it while we were there. I was really nervous about how Eliza Claire was going to react to the various rides at Disney World. This was the perfect first ride. She and the rest of us loved it. She declared it the "best ride ever!" when exiting the ride.

After Soarin', we went over to Test Track. Eliza Claire could hear and see just enough that she was very unsure about the ride. We convinced her to give it a try. When the ride was over she declared Test Track "the best ride ever!" At that point I knew it was going to be a fun week.

We spent the morning and afternoon in Future World. We rode Soarin twice, Mission Space Green twice (except Michael who rode Orange the second time), Test Track twice, Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, Seas with Nemo. I was surprised at how much we all liked Living with the Land, especially the green house part of the ride. And, I was surprised at how disappointed I was with the Seas with Nemo ride. I really thought it was going to be a ride through the actual aquarium, not just video of sea creatures. We didn't have time to do much in the actual aquarium but it looked awesome.

On our way out of Epcot we had our first character experience. Daisy and Stitch were visiting and there was no line! My kids enjoyed the characters more than I thought they would. It is amazing how expressive and funny they can be without being able to talk. Everyone really liked Stitch even though the girls had no clue who he was.

We went back to the condo for a late lunch and a break. While I took a nap, Michael and the kids went to the pool and hung out in the Lazy River for a bit.

We went back to Epcot around 5:00 or 6:00. We spent the evening in the World Showcase. We sampled food from various countries instead of having a real meal. We had Lefse in Norway. It is a potato flat bread spread with a cinnamon sugar butter. We had pot stickers and egg rolls in China. Every one got a bite or two. All the girls liked the pot stickers and Charlotte really liked them. I think I'll have to find a recipe and make her some. None of the girls liked the egg roll. We had some caramel treats from Germany. Obviously, this was Rehm's favorite. And we had a Brat from Germany as well. We only made it through about half of the World Showcase.

For Grandma


This is Rehm with Neptune. I ask him to come get his picture taken with Poseidon and he said, "Mom, Poseidon is Greek. We are in Italy, this is Neptune."

We used a fast pass to ride Maelstrom in Norway and then staked out a seat for the fireworks. While waiting for them we took turns going to Mexico to ride The Three Caballeros. It was super cute and a fun low-key ride at the end of the day when the kids were getting tired. Everyone really enjoyed it.

Then we watched the fireworks. They were great except for Eliza Claire begging to leave for the entire show. She didn't cry but she did not want to be there and she made sure everyone knew it.

Favorite Rides:
Michael: Mission Space: Orange
Jennifer: Test Track
Rehm: Not sure I'll have to ask him when he gets home.
Charlotte: Soarin'
Ruby: Test Track
Eliza Claire: Test Track

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

2011-12-10T15:56:00.001-06:00

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Stressed Out about Christmas

2011-12-10T10:29:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness! It has been a couple of crazy weeks and I am so behind on getting ready for Christmas. I got nothing done prior to Thanksgiving because I was focused on getting ready for our Disney World trip. And then we came back from Disney and the first week I was focused on recovering and unpacking from our Disney World trip.

This past week was crazy. Five out of the six of us ended up on antibiotics mostly for strep throat. Plus I got to have my first experience visiting a Chiropractor. I managed to pinch a nerve in my neck during our Disney trip, from carrying a backpack. It is so annoying. Luckily, the Chiropractor does seem to be giving me some relief though it is by no means better.

I got the lovely experience this week of having the school nurse call me to pick up a child for strep throat symptoms while standing in the parking lot of the doctor's office with a different child who had just been diagnosed with strep. Yep, it has been that kind of week. Luckily, my fabulous pediatrician was nice enough to write a prescription for the other child without making me bring her in.

I started this week with no Christmas shopping done whatsoever. I think I have finished all of it but teacher gifts at this point. But my house is a disaster and nowhere near ready for Christmas company. Nor are any cookies or other goodies baked. This week looks to be as crazy as the last few, though hopefully without the illness, so I'm just not sure what will get done and what won't.

I've decided that it may not be "perfectly, perfect" this year (anyone know the literary reference?) but it will be good enough. The important thing is making memories with my family no matter how not-perfect they are.

Jenn

Christmas Lists

2011-12-01T20:06:00.001-06:00

I've finally gotten around to asking the kids what they want on their Santa List for this year.

Eliza Claire was the first child I asked. The first item on her list was an outside race car she could ride in. I told her that probably wasn't in Santa's budget. She informed me that he could make it. She would also like a ladybug shirt, a Barbie with a crown, and an alarm clock for Ruby!

The last item on Eliza Claire's list just cracks me up. It sounds so nice and selfless that she has something on her list for her sister. But, in actuality there is not one nice thing about it at all. Eliza Claire and Ruby have the same alarm clocks but the alarm is broken on Ruby's. Eliza Claire does not like it one bit that she has to wake up for school with her alarm but I go in and wake up Ruby because Ruby's alarm doesn't work. She wants to make sure Ruby is getting woken up the same way she is.

To give Eliza Claire some incentive to wake up to the alarm, she has the job of coming to wake me up every morning. She comes in my room and says, "Wakey, wakey!" She gets up much better to an alarm than she does when I try to wake her. For me she just rolls around and goes back to sleep, for the alarm she hops right out of bed.

Before I left Eliza Claire's room, she told me I would need to get up extra early on Christmas morning. That way I could check and see if Santa left Ruby a clock and move it over with Eliza Claire's gifts so that "Ruby will be extra surprised when I give it to her."

I also asked Charlotte what she wanted for Christmas. To start with she told me she didn't know, that she really didn't want anything. A few minutes later she came back and told me she would love it if Santa left money so that she could take flute lessons. She has been asking for flute lessons for about a year now. I guess it is time for me to figure out if that is a possibility and find a teacher. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

Rehm is still thinking. Ruby was in such a "great" mood at bedtime that we didn't talk about Christmas lists.

Ah the joys of Christmas,
Jenn

Disney World: Do before you go

2011-11-30T15:17:00.000-06:00

Here are several things we did prior to going to Disney that I think really helped us have an affordable and extra fun trip.

Read The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. You will be overwhelmed and skeptical, but their plan really works and once you understand it, is very flexible. We were at Disney at one of the busiest weeks of the year. We saw everything we wanted to see and rode all of our favorite rides at least twice, never waited in line more than 20 minutes and never spent from opening to closing in the park. I read through the book several months before our trip, then the night before visiting each park I read that park's section and picked our touring plan for the next day. Most days we chose their "Whole Family" plan for the park we were visiting. This way we got everything from the Dumbo to Space Mountain on our plan.

Pay to subscribe to Touring Plans and download the Lines app for your phone. This gives you the best planning tools for finding discount tickets, figuring out which park to go to which day, pick a touring plan for each day. The app then allows your touring plan to be at your finger tips with actual wait times for rides without lugging around the book or several sheets of paper.

Buy Disney Trading Pins and Lanyards from ebay. These pins are $7 or more each in the park. We bought a lot of 50 pins for $35. The cast members (staff) at Disney all have pins and you can trade with them or other guests. My kids loved trading and it was a great activity when waiting in line to get in the park or to ride a ride. It also made a great souvenir that didn't break the bank. All four kids started with pins they didn't really like, but all four came home with pins they love. Ruby collected fairies. Rehm collected Mickeys and Muppets. I'm not sure what the other two collected, I think they just enjoyed the trading and didn't really care what they got. These really cut down on the I wants in the park because every time they traded they felt like they had gotten something and were not feeling deprived. Also buy metal backs for your pins from amazon. They stay on better than the mickey back they come with.

Pre-buy the Photo Pass CD. You can the CD at any time, but if you buy before you go, it only costs $99. If you buy after you go it costs $149. As soon as you enter the first park, find a photo pass photographer and get a Photo Pass Card and of course get your picture made. Every time you get your picture made have them scan your card. This is a great way to get pictures of your entire party as no one is behind the camera. We ended up with 130 pictures of our family and another 40 stock photos from Disney that all directly related to our time at Disney. I have not received the CD yet as I'm still editing the pictures and adding borders and such. Once I receive the CD I can use the pictures any way I want. Expect to see some of them on this year's Christmas card and of course on the blog. This made it easy for me to relax and enjoy our trip instead of constantly feeling like I needed to be taking pictures. It also allowed me to take the point and shoot camera instead of the dSLR.

Buy prepackaged snacks. Disney will let you bring food in the parks. One backpack was filled with nabs, peanuts, chips, gum, and other easy to grab snacks. This saved lots of time and money while in the parks and prevented more than one melt down. We also took a couple of water bottles in with us each day and re-filled them at the water fountains.

Bring a roll or two of quarters and a roll of pennies. This is another cheap and easy souvenir. There are pressed penny machines all through out Disney. We got our favorite characters and favorite rides and one for each of the parks. Each one costs $0.51. This is a souvenir that is easy to say "yes" to. It is also a good time killer to do with the kid that doesn't want to ride the ride the rest of the family is on. We bought a pressed penny holder at one of the many gift shops to hold all our our pennies. If you forget change, no problem. There are plenty of change machines and the cast members are happy to give you change in any of the gift shops.

Shop at Miss Morgan Designs on Etsy and make custom shirts for your family. This was affordable and fun.

Pack to coordinate. All four kids had on the exact same shirt every day we were at Disney. This made it much easier to spot them in the crowd and helped the ride operators know who was in our party. I used shirts we already had from school, VBS, choir musicals, sports teams, etc. It also made getting dressed each day a breeze.

Make ID cards for the kids with your cell phone number on them. We attached these to their trading pin lanyards.

Make a first aid kit to keep with you so you don't have to go to the medical station for every blister or skinned knee.

Take a sharpie. This came in handy to write my phone number on the kids' forearms each day. That way if something happened I knew the information would literally be at their fingertips.

I'm sure I'll have more to add, but these are the things that come to mind right now.
Jenn

Disney World: Happy Birthday

2011-11-30T14:11:00.001-06:00

All six of us celebrated our birthday at Disney World. No, none of us have a birthday in November. At the beginning of the year we sat down with the children and told them we would like to go to Disney World as a family. We told them that we had two options: go in two or three years after Michael and I had saved all the funds or go at the end of this year if they were willing to help us save.

Everyone wanted to go this year. So, we agreed that none of us would have a birthday party this year and the funds would go to the Disney fund, all money we received for our birthdays and Christmas would go to the Disney fund, and Christmas would be smaller.

At each child's birthday they received a gift from us, something they really wanted. They also received a lanyard, ten Disney trading pins, a scrap book and an autograph book - all in preparation for our Disney trip. Each child still had a family celebration for their birthday where they picked our dining location and I made each a birthday cake. They were not deprived in any way. But they did put all cash and checks happily in the Disney fund.

Our goal with this was to help our kids learn that there are trade offs for things we want and to learn that sometimes delayed gratification is even better than immediate gratification. We wanted them to be invested in this trip as it was a big time and money commitment. We wanted them to really want to go. And want to go bad enough to give something up to make it happen. I think everyone learned a lot from this experience and I hope we do this again in the future. Next time I hope to talk them into a cruise...

When we got to Disney one of the first things to go on the grocery list was a Birthday Cake since we were all celebrating.
Jenn

Disney World: Getting There

2011-11-30T08:50:00.001-06:00

For the week of Thanksgiving the Maniacs traveled to Disney World. This was the very first visit for all of us. Yes, Michael and I were deprived as children.

In true maniac fashion, we drove to Disney World. Read that, we are frugal or cheap. I'm not sure which sometimes but we decided to drive instead of fly. Once there it was nice to have our own transportation to the parks and grocery store and such.

Lake Charles, LA

West of Baton Rouge, probably St. Martin Parish

The trip took two days. The first day we were in the car 11+ hours. We made it all the way to Daphne, AL. We would have made better time but someone forgot to slow down for the bridge over the swamp in St. Martin Parish, LA and got a speeding ticket and thus had to drive much closer to the speed limit the rest of the trip.

We have gotten car trips down to a science. I keep a bag of snacks, a gallon of water to refill water bottles and a bag of crafty things to do with in reach. Between those and the wide array of electronics (DVD player, Nintendo DSs, iTouches, iPods) we seem to have amassed the kids traveled great.

We only stopped to go to the restroom and to pick up food and then we ate in the car. While waiting for our food the kids and I did exercises to get our wiggles out. People looked at us like we were crazy, but we are used to that. We did stretches and yoga and some running around in various parking lots. It really did help the kids deal with two days in the car.

Our first day we had breakfast tacos for breakfast that we made and packed before leaving home, Jason's Deli for lunch and Pizza Hut for dinner. We find that pizza for dinner is a nice change but still manageable in the car. I search for a location about 30 minutes away and call and order our pizza. By the time we get there the pizza is ready and waiting. So we have a quick potty stop and hop back in the car and enjoy fresh, hot pizza. Where so many pizza places currently have $10 pizza deals not only is the a nice change it is also a very cheap way to feed a family of six.

After spending the night in Daphne, we got up bright and early and finished our trip to Orlando. The second day was uneventful. I thought it took a long time to get out of Texas, but man, we drove almost eight hours in Florida! Crazy!

To break up the monotony of Florida, I bought a pack of bubble gum and proceeded to try to teach the kids how to blow bubbles. Charlotte and Rehm figured it out, Ruby and Eliza Claire need a bit more practice.

We stayed at the Wyndham at Bonnet Creek. We were not on Disney Property, but were surrounded on three sides by Disney Property. It was the perfect place for us. There are very few choices for affordably staying on property when you have a family of six. The condo gave us lots of space, a full kitchen, jacuzzi tub, two bathrooms, and plenty of amenities (like we had time to use them given we were at the parks all day, every day). But the kids liked the playscape, lazy rivers, miniature golf and such that was available. We won a week at a Wyndham property at a silent auction, but even if we had booked it through Wyndham it would be about the same price as staying at the Fort Wilderness Cabins on property but with 3 times the square footage and twice the number of bathrooms of the cabins.

View from our patio

Much more to come about our trip as I juggle blogging with getting the pictures downloaded and catching up on laundry and such.

Jenn

Cooking and Sharing

2011-11-11T22:20:00.000-06:00

Ruby wanted to know last night at dinner if I would give her my recipe for 15 bean soup when she was a grown up. I assured her that I would, while chuckling to myself thinking about how incredulous she is going to be when I tell her to just follow the recipe on the back of the bean bag, minus the flavor packet. She is going to be shocked that I don't have my own adapted recipe, since I do for most other things I cook.

She then asked if I would tell her how to fix her dish if she put too much seasoning in it and needed to change it. I again assured her I would.

I'm not sure exactly why I thought this exchange was so cute. I think part of it was because she thinks I'm a good cook. And part was because I know how many times I've called my mom to ask her a cooking question or for a favorite recipe.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

My "Duh" Moment of the Day

2011-11-11T12:09:00.001-06:00

I'm blaming this on the cold medicine.

This morning I started running errands with a trip to the post office. I needed to pick up our Disney World tickets that they had tried unbeknownst to us to deliver several days earlier. I'm glad I tracked the package as the notice on the door apparently disappeared.

I get in the post office and the self service kiosk had a line and the main area of the post office is locked up. I start looking around thinking they've changed the hours. Honestly, I must have looked completely crazy to the others there as I am quite dumbfounded by the fact that the counter service wasn't open. Then I see the sign to ring the bell for package pick up and such. In my befuddled state I conclude that the Post Office has decided to go self service in an attempt to save money and they now only have someone in the back for the things that you can't do at the kiosk.

I ring the bell. Nothing happens. I wait. I ring it again. Still nothing happens. About that time an elderly man and woman enter the post office. They take one look at the scene and say, "I should have known it was closed. It's a federal holiday!" I look up thinking "what holiday?" And that my friends is when I remember it is Veteran's Day.

This would not be quite so idiotic of me if I had not already this morning, before leaving for the Post Office, changed my profile picture on Facebook to be a picture of my Dad in service and posted a status update about it being Veteran's Day.

I hope you got a good laugh at my stupidity!
Jenn

How I Spend My Time

2011-11-10T16:21:00.001-06:00

One of my children lost a recorder this week. Said child has not been able to find it and has supposedly looked everywhere. I've seen how my children look for things and this child can be especially oblivious, so I have a really hard time believing all possibilities have been explored.

The child recieved two F's in music for losing said recorder. One for not having it and one for not being able to take a quiz because of not having the recorder. If the recorder had been located the child could have taken the quiz the following day. It was not located.

The child was not overly concerned about finding the recorder because they knew where another one could be purchased. This is how the conversation went:

Child: I know where to get a new recorder

Me: Oh, you do?

Child: Yes at Straight Music.

Me: Do you know how much a new recorder costs?

Child: Um, I think about $9.

Me: Great, so you will need to pay me the $9 for the recorder, plus gas money for me to drive to the music store, and you'll need to pay for my time. Let me see. Gas is currently $3.15/gallon and it will take me at least gallon to get there and back. Hmmm. I don't know what to charge you for my time. Lets say $10/hour and it will probably take me about 45 minutes. So that would be $7.50 for my time. And honestly I should charge you more for my time but I think that is reasonable.

Child: Why should I pay you for your time? All you do is sit around anyway...

Me: Really? You think so?

Child: And you know the recorder wasn't working well anyway. I think it was broken.

Me: Is that so? And who else used the recorder?

Child: Just me. But it was getting broken.

Me: Well that doesn't really change anything. I told you I would only buy one recorder. You have now broken and lost that recorder so you will now need to purchase a new one to replace the one I purchased.

Child: But music is over this week. I don't need it anymore.

Me: No. But I bought a recorder for our family to use. I trusted you with it. You lost it. Now you need to replace it.

Child: But I don't want to spend $20 on a recorder because then I won't have enough money to buy the 3DS!

Me: Yeah, that's a bummer isn't it.

I still can't believe I didn't lose it at the "Why should I pay for your time?" point. Oh my goodness. It will be a long time before that statement is forgotten.

Said child has one more day to find the recorder before the new one is purchased. Not surprisingly, I haven't seen the child looking for it. I guess that 3DS wasn't so important after all.

Jenn

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:13:00.000-05:00

I feel like preparing for Halloween is all I have done for over a week. I spent most of last week accumulating all of the costume pieces. This weekend I realized I was still missing some key items. That meant my morning was spent going to six different locations to get all of the finishing touches. Then I spent the afternoon completing assembly.

We had our traditional Halloween dinner - Papa Murphey's Jack-o-lantern Pizza. I bought two simply so I would have something easy to pack in the kids lunchboxes tomorrow. One would have easily fed everyone tonight.

After dinner the mad dash to dress and style everyone began. Rehm's costume took the most prep work and assembly but was definitely the easiest to get dressed and styled. The girls took much more time as they all had to have various hair styles and makeup. Over all I think they turned out great.

All four kids picked their costumes. Granted I told Eliza Claire and Ruby that they had to pick something we already had as we had several costumes that still fit them. We spent 30 minutes today trying to find Eliza Claire's dress. She had misplaced it and we could not find it. Luckily, Michael saved the day and found it hiding in a seldom used drawer in her room. I think she had put it there to keep it safe until Halloween and had forgotten where she put it.

Rehm's costume was inspired by one of his nicknames from school. Apparently some of the kids refer to him as The Laptop because he is basically a walking encyclopedia. But of course kids these days have no idea what an encyclopedia is so they call him a computer. In telling us about this nickname, he mentioned that some of the kids even call him Super Computer. And thus, a costume was born.

His tag line was "I'm faster than a quad-core processor, more powerful than your new laptop, and smarter than the internet. I'm Super Computer!" It is hard to tell from the pictures but his screen lights up and even has a power light. He was insistent that his key board lift up to reveal his candy bag.

Three houses into trick or treating Rehm ran into two girls he goes to school with. He decided to go around the block with them. When we next saw him he was with a different girl from school. Go figure.

Charlotte had her heart set on being a mom. I wasn't really sure what we were going to do to make her look like a mom but I think the final costume makes her look like one very hip mom, indeed. I think the baby being in a Halloween costume it the icing on the cake. Of course halfway through trick or treating she was done with the stroller and Starbucks cup. Her candy bag was my purse. She complained at one point about how hard it was to juggle all of her stuff. We laughed and told her "welcome to parenthood."

Ruby of course could not just be a poodle, since that is what she was last year. So she decided she was going to be a fairy dog. I think the final product came out awfully cute. I'm so sad that this is the last year this costume will fit any of my kids.

Eliza Claire was going to be a monkey but about a week ago changed her mind and decided to be a princess. Her costume choice surprised me as she is not usually so girly. I think she looks beautiful. She was a bit disappointed that no one really commented on her costume. Of course, she was the only one that everyone easily and quickly recognized and therefore didn't ask questions about and of course there were a million other princesses trick or treating tonight.

The candy has all been combined and sorted into the fruity container and the chocolate container - can't have the flavors mixing, yuck! The costumes have been put away and my bathroom no longer looks like Sally's Beauty Supply exploded there.

All in all a successful Halloween.
Jenn

Discussions in the Car

2011-10-26T19:07:00.001-05:00

Driving in the car I had a 20 minute 9/11 discussion with the three girls. That discussion was sparked by driving by the building that Joseph Stack flew into that is currently being rebuilt.

Rehm was reading the Blue Bonnet award winning book Out of Her Mind. It must be a really good book because normally he would dominate a 9/11 discussion.

Then this conversation took place.

Eliza Claire: Mom, did you go to college?

Me: Yep.

Eliza Claire: Really? And your still just a plain, old mom?

Me: Yep.

I'm sure I should have taken this opportunity to talk about all the different career choices I could be making. Or discussed the value of an education in and of itself. Or discussed the fact that I have had a career in the past and may have another in the future. Or discussed the fact that there is no such a thing as a "plain, old Mom." Or discussed the fact that I'm not old... You get the idea.

But today, I simply owned my choices and felt no need to justify or defend them. And, you know what? I'm perfectly happy being "a plain, old mom" right now.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Guess what's in here

2011-10-24T16:27:00.001-05:00

If you guessed Eliza Claire's toenail you would be correct. It fell off this afternoon with no drama. Unfortunately looking at the nail underneath I think it is going to fall off a second time... Oh joy!

Oh, and she thought the nail finally coming off was "Awesome!" The nail was stuck to her bandage when she removed it today.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Eliza Claire and the Toenail

2011-10-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

Eliza Claire injured her toe this summer at swim lessons. She was opening a heavy door and somehow got her toe caught under the door. This is what it looked like a few days after the injury

The toenail is finally about to come off. It is hanging by a thread. For the last two weeks I've had to bandage it every day so that it doesn't get caught on something.

Last night when we were changing the bandage I was showing her how close it was to coming off. She started crying. She asked what we would do with the toenail when it came off. I said we would throw it away because she wouldn't need it any longer. She got so sad. She looked up with big crocidile tears and said, "But it has been such a good toenail, I don't want to throw it away." I told her she could bury it in the yard or save it in a baggie in her room if she loved it that much.

Oh, and how could I forget? It is all my fault. She is still very upset with me and has not forgiven me. You see, that day she asked me to go with her to the bathroom or water fountain, I don't remember which, at the swim center. I told her she could do it herself. You know, like she had been doing all summer long. Since I didn't go and she got injured by opening the door onto her own foot, I am the bad guy! And maybe I really am...who knows...but she is certain I am responsible for her losing her dear friend, her toenail.

Who knew a child could be so attached to a toenail. I'm kind of surprised she hasn't named it. I wonder if I could redeem myself if the toenail elf came when it finally falls off. Hmm...Now there's an idea!

Jenn

PS Mom, did her reaction remind you of anyone or anything?

An Afternoon with Sisters

2011-10-17T23:04:00.002-05:00

Ruby and Eliza Claire filled two bags with books. They got comfy on a nice sunny fall afternoon and enjoyed reading together. How lovely to have a sister the exact same age as you. They sure are blessed to have each other.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

I confess, I've resorted to bribing my children

2011-10-05T19:01:00.000-05:00

I try very hard not to bribe my children. I believe that in most cases there are more effective ways to get them to behave/preform in the desired manner. Part of me would like to say I'm rewarding them, not bribing them. Maybe that is true. At this point, I'm willing to call it bribing and willing to own it.

Charlotte and Rehm enjoy playing sports but they are not motivated to do their best. They don't love playing sports they just sorta, kinda like it. Both of them always want to play a sport, I'm not forcing them to play. But they just don't try very hard.

I really noticed this with Charlotte's hitting this season. She was not hitting nearly as well as she had in the Spring season. She would get up to bat and just kind of wave the bat at the ball, but with no real expectation of hitting it nor any real desire to hit it. It drove me crazy!

She wants a digital camera and is currently saving money to buy one. I told her that for any fair hit she got in a game I would give her a dollar toward the cost of the camera. She has gotten at least one hit in every game since then! Now when she gets up to bat, she actually looks like she cares and tries much harder. It is working.

Of course Rehm heard about this deal and wanted in on it. So we are now paying him a dollar per hit toward the 3DS he is saving up for. He actually has to get on base to get payment.

Since starting this it has cost us $8. I figure we have about 10 more games in the season so it should cost at most $20 more. Given the amount of time and energy we are already spending on them playing sports I think it is worth it for now. I have warned them that over time what they get rewarded for will change.

I wrote the above post prior to last weekend's tournament. I have now spent more that $8 and have added a new layer to the bribe. Each child can now earn additional funds(no more than $2 extra) each game, at parent discretion, for such things as sportsmanship, encouraging team mates and hustling. Since instituting this Rehm is definitely moving much faster on and off the field. The slow paced meander both of my children are prone to drives me absolutely batty.

Jenn

PS. all pictures in this post were taken through the fence and from considerable distance so please excuse the quality.

Ruby Funnies

2011-10-04T19:54:00.000-05:00

Every Friday at school Ruby and Eliza Claire's class get to play freeze dance as a special Friday treat.

Me: Ruby, did you play freeze dance?

Ruby: Yes!

Me: Did you have fun?

Ruby: Yeah...once I got buzzed!

Oh my goodness! Upon further questioning I gather that they go around and "buzz" each other to unfreeze each other. But, I thought to myself, if this is what I'm hearing in kindergarten I can not imagine what high school and college will be like with this child.

*****************************

Ruby was playing a pretend game with Charlotte the other day. Their new favorite game is to pretend they are in high school or college and they have boyfriends. I don't know why this is their current thing but I try very, very hard to ignore it. Ruby comes downstairs and says, "I'm 18. I have a boyfriend. Charlotte and her boyfriend needed alone time (!!!!!) and my boyfriend and I are going to see a rock band. We like to rock out!"

Again, where do they get this stuff? I'm assuming the "alone time" is actually a reference to how play dates work at our house. Everyone likes to have some of their play time alone with their friend as whichever girls are not having a play date always want to play with the person who does have a friend over. But still! Not what I wanted to hear. I chose to ignore the comment instead of getting into the fact that Charlotte and her boyfriend would not be allowed to have alone time in my house! I decided we could have that conversation several years from now when it is an issue.

*******************************

Ruby and Charlotte were setting up the Playmobil house to be an apartment building. In Charlotte's apartment she had a family with a baby. She told Ruby, "Here is my family. They have a baby. I just love babies." Ruby responded, "I just looovveee Rock Bands!"

I really think I may have a nervous break down before I get this child grown. But she is the cutest, sweetest, most amazing girl. I just hope she and I survive her teenage years and that she eventually has a daughter with her zest.
Jenn

To Die For Blondies

2011-10-03T21:51:00.003-05:00

Not the best picture. After completely cooling the sauce thickens to more of an icing consistency as seen above.

I have to share this recipe. It is absolutely amazing. Everyone at my house absolutely loved it. I will admit it is a bit of a commotion to make since you have to brown butter and make butterscotch sauce. But it is well worth the time and effort.

This recipe did bring up a question for me. What is the difference in butterscotch and caramel? Having made caramel before and tasting this sauce I would call this a caramel sauce not a butterscotch one. But I've never made butterscotch. Does anyone know the technical difference?

The recipes for the blondies and the sauce are adapted from Collecting the Moments
Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Blondies
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) of unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoons of salt
1 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 1/4 cups of firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray foil generously with cooking spray.

In a saucepan, melt all the butter. Over medium heat cook the butter until it is browned but not burned. It will take several minutes. Be very careful. Butter goes from not brown, to brown and then on to burned very quickly. For me, it went from being a little bit foamy to extremely foamy when browned. It will smell nutty and have a golden brown color (once the foam goes down) when it is done. Set aside while you gather and measure the rest of the ingredients

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set it aside.

In the mixer bowl, mix the browned butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well. Add vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the 9x13 pan. Place immediately in the oven. If you leave this sitting the melted butter will start to rise to the top.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until jiggly in the center when the pan is gently shaken. Cool in pan.

Butterscotch sauce

1/4 cup (half a stick) of butter
1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

In saucepan, melt the butter. Add the sugar, cream, and salt. Stir until blended. Bring the mixture to a slow, easy boil. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken. Then cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. As it cools, the butterscotch will thicken. Poor the sauce on the blondies while it is still warm. If it gets too cool it will be too thick to spread on the blondies and it doesn't reheat well.

Remove blondies from pan by lifting out the foil. Cut and serve with a big cup of your favorite coffee.

I am seriously thinking about doubling the sauce the next time I make these. I think I may also sprinkle some pecan pieces on some of the blondies before topping them with the sauce next time, as well. White chocolate chips would also be good sprinkled between the layers.

Enjoy,
Jenn

Kindergarten Update

2011-09-26T14:20:00.000-05:00

Everyone keeps asking how the girls are adjusting to kindergarten. They absolutely love school and their wonderful teacher. The first few weeks definitely an adjustment. Neither one was used to getting up as early as they need to for school, thus they were tired. Neither one was used to being on a strict schedule and being "good" for 7 hours straight, five days a week, thus the melt downs in the afternoon.

Eliza Claire had a few afternoon meltdowns but mainly just needed a little afternoon alone time to be her usual sunny self.

Ruby had afternoon fits every day for the first two weeks. Then morning fits for the next week. Then a week of alternating morning or afternoon fits. They all culminated one day when she got mad at me for something. The fit ensued. When I didn't respond to her satisfaction she told me, "You are a mean mommy! I don't like you! I don't love you!....I am going to run away and die and you will never see me again!" Then she proceeded to just yell gutturally every time I looked at her for another 15 minutes.

After that day, the fits have gotten much better and are probably down to about once a week. It is very hard for Ruby to follow rules and be compliant for seven straight hours, but she finally seems to be finding her emotional even keel.

On a positive note, both girls love school and get glowing reports from their teacher. At least their saving their more questionable behavior for me.

Jenn

Charlotte is Eight!

2011-09-18T16:33:00.000-05:00

Here is her birthday in pictures

It helps if you read it correctly

2011-09-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

I got an email this morning announcing that it was National Creme-Filled Doughnut Day and that if you went in a participating Krispy Kreme and said "Happy National Creme-Filled Doughnut Day" you got a free doughnut.

Being the good mom that I am I immediately planned to take the kids to Krispy Kreme for snack after school.

We showed up at the closest Krispy Kreme only to find it closed. Apparently it has new hours and now closes at 2:00

Not deterred, we headed to the other Krispy Kreme in town. We get to the counter and all my kids shout, "Happy National Creme-Filled Doughnut Day!" the guy behind the counter looks at us like a deer in the headlights and informs us that National Creme-Filled Doughnut Day is...tomorrow! Ugh! I missed that small detail in the email.

So if you have a Krispy Kreme near you I suggest stopping by tomorrow to see if they are participating in free doughnuts for National Creme-Filled Doughnut Day.

My free doughnuts cost me $9 (doughnut and drink cost). But I'm still the super cool mom for taking my kids to get doughnuts for snack so I guess it was worth it.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Why Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Romans?

2011-09-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

These are the four books that made my mental list for needing further investigation while completing the Bible in 90 Days.

Job
After suffering incomprehensible loss when my son, Sam, died at birth, Job's suffering spoke to me.

Ecclesiastes
My interest in Ecclesiastes also relates to the loss of Sam. There have definitely been times in the last 12 years where I've wondered if he died because of some wrongdoing of mine from my past. Some people find Ecclesiastes demotivating due to its "good and bad happen to everyone regardless of their deeds, it is just how life works" theme. I found it refreshing and reassuring. I want to read it more slowly and see if I still find it refreshing and what else I might learn.

Proverbs
I've always thought of myself as a pretty practical person. Proverbs is right up my alley. Very straight forward and simple. But Proverbs is not a book to be read in two days, which is what I did on the B90 plan. There are too many pieces of advice to be absorbed in that short of a period. I want to savor Proverbs, slowly.

Romans
In my quick read of Romans, it stuck out as being the Christianity 101 manual. I want to look at this book in real depth. I think it has a lot to teach me. I want to see what I can learn if I truly study this book.

I don't know when or how I will investigate these further. But I'm sure I'll figure something out soon. What I do know from completing The Bible in 90 Days is that I need to come up with a plan and a timeline and stick to it.

Jenn

The Bible in 90 Days: What I Learned

2011-08-31T07:30:00.000-05:00

I learned that God is always faithful to me. God wants a relationship with me. God loves me. He waits for me even when I don't seek Him or when I run from Him. God forgives me when I ask.

The hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness, by Thomas Chisholm sums it up for me.

Great is Thy faithfulness,
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is the faithfulness, Lord unto me.

I may not always do my part in my relationship with God, but God always does His.

Twelve Years Ago Today...

2011-08-30T12:28:00.002-05:00

...I became a Mom. I met and said goodbye to my precious firstborn.

Today, he would be twelve. He would be red-headed. He would be in middle school. He would be taller than me. These are all the things I know would be true. The rest are only guesses, ideas, hopes and dreams. And none of them do I get to experience with my precious firstborn.

Sam was with us for a mere nine months. Those nine months were spent cradled and protected inside of me. Others, never got to experience my precious son. His sweet, perfect, short life was spent warm and cozy cradled in my care.

His father and I were so excited about going from a couple to a family. To experience the wonder and joy of parenthood. Twelve years ago today...we got to experience the wonder of seeing our beautiful amazing son only to also experience the crushing grief of saying goodbye to him.

Nine months, to last a life time. Nine months to make all the memories. Nine months to love and nurture and dream and plan.

A lifetime of wonder. A lifetime of what ifs. A lifetime of being a mom to a child no one knows.

It isn't enough. I want more. I want to celebrate a birthday with my child. I want to see his face light up when he opens the perfect gift. I want to hear his voice. I want to give him a hug and have him return it. I want to know my son. I want him in my house. The wants never go away...

But, I know that he lived the life God intended him to live. I know his purpose on this earth was fulfilled. I know God chose us to be his parents for a reason. I know Sam changed me. I know his life while brief had a long and profound effect in so many lives. I know he is not forgotten and never will be.

Sam's life was not a tragedy. It was not a sad life. Sam had a wonderful life, he was and is loved and cared for.

I am so blessed that I am Sam's Mom. I am so glad I got those nine months with him.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, my beautiful son. I love and miss you always.
Jenn

The Bible in 90 Days: We did it!

2011-08-29T00:48:00.000-05:00

Everyone in our house who was doing The Bible in 90 Days has officially finished the program, and thus, the Bible! I finished last Thursday. Rehm and Michale finished last Friday.

I can not believe I can now say that I have read the entire Bible. Honestly, this is something I never expected to accomplish.

Why was I successful? I think there are three reasons. I had accountability at home, among my friends and in my church community. I had a plan. I had a short term commitment.

Participating with family members was great because it added daily motivation to stay current. I won't say we were competitive or ever kept score with where we each were, but getting behind my family members always motivated me to catch up and persevere when reading got difficult, monotonous or boring.

Having my son, who is ten, reading really motivated me. We did not approach him about doing this. It was completely his idea. We did not nag or incentivize him to read. He was completely responsible for finding time to read and staying on schedule. What good excuse could I possibly have to not read if my ten year old could do it? I mean, seriously, he's ten!

Having friends and my church community reading helped reinforce my commitment. I can not tell you how many of my conversations in the last three months have been about what the Bible actually says. It was awesome because we were all in basically the same place in our reading at the same time. If I found a story, chapter, or book interesting, perplexing, or disturbing I had plenty of people I could discuss the topic with.

Every Sunday, I got to hear a sermon about something I had just read. This was great for two reasons. It made me really want to go to church each week to see what the minister had chosen to focus on out of that week's reading. And, it made me want to stay on schedule so the each week's sermon would coincide with my reading. The sermon series was excellent.

I had a nice book mark that told me exactly what I needed to read each day. And, it had a nice little check box to check off when I finished each day. It was so easy to see my progress. I had a daily email encouraging me in my reading, and giving me a key verse for the day. I had a weekly discussion with others and DVD series to summarize the key points of the week. I didn't have to figure out what to read when, it was all perfectly laid out for me.

The length of this program was perfect. I was not committing to doing something every day for the next year or five years. I was only committing to three months. That seemed very doable. OK, at first, looking at the size of the Bible and how thin the pages are and how small the print is, it didn't seem doable. At that point it seemed very daunting and crazy! I promptly downloaded the Bible on my Kindle so I didn't have to see just how big the Bible really is. After a few days of reading and learning I could stay on plan, knowing I only had to do this for three months was kind of nice.

Reading the Bible in such a short time period really makes you read in a different way and makes different things stand out. You don't have time to deeply ponder each verse, or look up an unfamiliar unit of measure equivalent, or who a person is, thus you see the "big picture" of the Bible. Also, reading this quickly allows you to relate things that happen hundreds of pages apart together because it is all still fresh in your mind.

When you study an individual book of the Bible, you get to really dig in. You can study the time period, the historical context, read what the scholars have to say, etc. But you don't get to see first hand how that book relates to the rest of the Bible. Reading this quickly, you see much more clearly how it all fits together. It is kind of like reading a really great epic novel.

Now that I'm done, I'd like to go back and have a closer look at Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Romans. Job, I would probably just like to read a second time at a slower pace. Ecclesiastes, I would like to read again and then maybe again or maybe at that point do a Bible study - I think I need to read it again to decide what I want to do with it, but I really liked it. Proverbs, I would like to read regularly a chapter a day for a month and repeat for a few months. Romans, I would like to do a year long inductive Bible study.

After the follow up, I might just want to do The Bible in 90 Days again and see what stands out, as I'm sure it would be completely different things than this time.

I highly recommend this reading plan to everyone. I think the key to success is doing this with others, whether it is a friend, spouse, small group, congregation, or all of these. The community accountability and bonding were essential for me.

I hope next summer our church finds another church-wide study to do. I loved, loved, loved doing something with my family, small group and church community all at once. It was an amazing experience.

Jenn

My other posts on this experience can be found here.

Introducing

2011-08-28T17:15:00.001-05:00

Rubilicious, Rockstar

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

First Day of School Work

2011-08-28T10:42:00.001-05:00

This was what Ruby and Eliza Claire were working on when we left them Monday morning. Their very first school assignment.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Snack Art Has Made a Comeback

2011-08-23T16:11:00.001-05:00

I did this for Eliza Claire and Ruby in their Three Year Old class but last year snack was provided for the whole class. I missed surprising them each day with a new drawing and I think they missed it too.

When drawing bags yesterday, Charlotte was sad because she didn't need a snack bag. I made her a card to go in her lunch box. She told me I had to "write something on it, too!" It was a hit as well.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

My Kitchen Helper

2011-08-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

Mommy, you're the nice mommy today. When you don't get enough sleep you're the mean one. ~Ruby while helping me cook dinner

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Milestones

2011-08-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Kindergarten through the Years

Kindergarten to Fifth Grade: Where did my Little Boy Go?

First Day of School: Fifth, Second, Kinder and Kinder

2011-08-22T17:30:00.000-05:00

I decided to break up my back to school posts today. Learn more about Ruby and Eliza Claire's first day of Kindergarten here.

This year is a very special year. This is the one and only year that all of my children will attend the same school, ever! I intend to thoroughly enjoy the simplicity of having them all in one place for the short time it lasts.

It is also a special year in that it is Rehm's last year of Elementary and it is Ruby and Eliza Claire's first year. It will also be a special year for Charlotte as she will be receiving intervention for her dyslexia. I think she is going to blossom this year with the extra confidence this intervention should give her.

The twins are in class together. That probably surprises some who know me well. They have been separated for the last two years of preschool and typically I try to separate when possible to give them more room to be individuals and not half of a unit. We made an exception this year because we love their kindergarten teacher. Rehm and Charlotte both had her and she is fabulous. We could not in good conscious have one of the twins in her class and not the other. And we didn't want either or both of them to miss out on the awesomeness of Mrs. Johnson. So, they are together. I think it will be a great year for them.

Everyone had a great first day. They all have friends in their classes that they were very excited to see. They all like their teachers. I think it is going to be a very good year.

Jenn

My Babies Started Kindergarten

2011-08-22T16:20:00.000-05:00

Eliza Claire came in my room at 6:00 am because she had "a bad dream." She went back to sleep in my bed until 6:45. When I came to wake her up, she scrubbed around for about ten seconds. Then her eyes popped open and she exclaimed, "School!!!!" She hopped right up and ran to get dressed.

I went to wake Ruby up. She was still snoring. I gently woke her up, afraid she was going to yell at me. I leaned over her, with an arm on each side of her and asked her if she was going to get up. She said, "I would if you would ever move your arms!" I laughed and moved and she popped out of the bed.

Ruby and Eliza Claire with their wonderful teacher Mrs. Johnson

When asked about the best part of their day Eliza Claire immediately said, "Recess!" and Ruby said, "my chicken nuggets, I guess."

They read the Kissing Hand. They had art today. They went to the playground twice! I think that is all I've learned so far.

I would say it was a successful first day of school.

What Do You Mean "There Are Two?"

2011-08-18T18:11:00.000-05:00

In writing my last post, I realized that I wasn't blogging when I got pregnant with the twins. In fact I didn't start blogging until they were six months old. I realized, I've never talked about what it was like to find out we were going from a family of four to a family of six. So I thought I would remedy that.

In the Summer of 2005, Michael took a new job that required him to travel four days a week, every week. At the time, Michael was making a career change and the travel was necessary to make the change. We as a family were OK with it. I had wanted another baby for a while and finally convinced Michael that a "third" child made sense.

Of course, I got to call him in Chicago to tell him I was pregnant because he was traveling. Then my first appointment arrived. This not being our first baby and with Michael traveling so much, I didn't even try to schedule it for a time he could go. The appointment was going along just typically. My OB was giving me the run down of the next nine months and then he did an ultrasound to check my dates. At that point, he said, "Forget everything I just told you, there are two babies!" I started laughing. My OB was more shocked that I was. It was extremely funny and makes me laugh just remembering it.

Of course, I now had to tell my dear husband that not only had I talked him into having a baby, but oops, we are having two. I was a bit nervous to make that phone call. I wasn't 100% sure how he was going to react. Knowing my husband and know his "well, there's nothing we can do about it now, so we are just as well to embrace it" attitude I wasn't overly concerned. But having another baby had been completely my idea and while he agreed I was a bit afraid of him feeling like this was "all my fault."

After the exam, I called Michael, in Chicago and told him our news. He was at lunch, luckily. He said, "You're joking!" I assured him I was not. He started laughing and laughed uncontrollably for several minutes. I think he was a bit overwhelmed. I can't say that I blame him. I was, too.

I came home, scanned the ultrasound picture and sent it to him so that he would have proof. Then I scheduled an appointment for that Friday so he could see them with his own eyes.

When we told the grandparents, they all started laughing. Yes, at our house, twins mean laughter. Five years later we are all still laughing.

Does that mean it has all been easy? Absolutely, NOT! Having four children in a span of five years with two being the same age has been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. The twin pregnancy took a serious toll on my body for a couple of years after they were born. It also took a huge toll on me emotionally, as I was determined to do-it-all, and I couldn't. Financially having one more than we planned on makes a big difference as well.

Has it been the best experience, ever? Yes, it has. I wouldn't change it for a minute. I am so blessed to have these special girls in my life.

Jenn

Twins, it's not a choice, it is a blessing

2011-08-17T20:00:00.002-05:00

I read this article today and was left horrified. You see, I have twins. Twins I never expected to have. Twins, when I had a five year old and a not quite three year old. Twins, when my husband was traveling four days a week, every week. Twins, when I had to do some convincing of my dear husband to have a "third" child. Twins, when I'd had plenty of complications with singleton pregnancies, including a child who died at birth, a miscarriage and two children who had varying length NICU stays. Twins!

It never occurred to me not to have one of them. It never occurred to my husband. Even when they weren't expected. Even when it wasn't convenient. Even when it wasn't easy. Even when it scared me to death to think of the additional pregnancy complications that come with twins. Even when I couldn't imagine how we would possibly pay for college times four, or weddings times four. It. Was. Never. A. Choice.

How could it be? How can it be for some people*? I don't understand.

One of these precious girls would not be here.

I can not imagine.
Jenn

*I understand that there are unexpected medical situations that arise that could make a choice like this necessary. Trust me, I know plenty about pregnancy complications and pregnancy loss. But, this article was not dealing with medical necessity, just choice.

Grocery Shopping

2011-08-16T15:52:00.000-05:00

I used to blog regularly about grocery shopping with all the kids in tow. It was always such an adventure. Especially back in the days when I had the twins in the stroller, which I pushed, and Charlotte strapped in the cart, which I pulled behind me, all while Rehm walked and talked our ears off.

Grocery shopping is not that interesting anymore but it is still interesting when all four go along and we are doing a full shopping trip. Today was no exception. Overall, they are great in the store. It doesn't hurt that they are big enough to send back an aisle or two to grab something we forgot or to send to the restroom in pairs when needed. But, having five people trying to stay together in the store and out of everyone else's way is not an easy task. I'm lucky that most of the other shoppers are patient with us and find them more endearing than annoying. Notice I said most.

My kids are loud. My kids are all over the place. My kids are oblivious of their surroundings. My kids have a short attention span. My kids get in other shoppers' way. My kids want to hold the lists. My kids want to be done, NOW! My kids are kids and no kid really wants to be grocery shopping. I can't say I blame them as it isn't my favorite activity either.

I do my best to make them aware of their surrounding and remind them to mind their manners. I try to use the grocery store as a place to work on reading, math, budgeting and other life skills. I try to keep them quiet. I try to discourage running, dancing and spinning in circles. But they aren't perfect and neither am I. Grocery shopping is just not a fun chore for any of us.

But, I had a giddy realization today. I don't have to take any of my children grocery shopping for the next nine months! Oh, my, goodness! Do you know how happy that makes me? Do you realize I can cut 50% off my grocery shopping time? Yay! I'm just thrilled. And you know what, I know four other people in my house who are also thrilled by this.

Now, I wonder how long it will be until I write a post about missing the kids while I'm grocery shopping?
Jenn

Rosemary Skewers

2011-08-15T22:19:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman last fall. This has become my go to recipe when I need to take and adult appetizer to a get together. It is easy to make, in fact most of the time the kids help me assemble it, looks pretty, and tastes delicious.

Rosemary Skewers (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's recipe)
24-30 sprigs of rosemary, each 4 to 5 inches long
8 oz hard salami
1 jar quartered artichoke hearts, drained and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 container bite-sized fresh mozzarella, drained
1 package cherry tomatoes
1 can black olives, drained
bottled balsamic vinaigrette

Starting about an inch from the top of the rosemary sprigs strip the leaves. You want some leaves left at the top for decoration. These will be your skewers. To assemble the skewers fold one slice of salami in quarters and slide it to the top of the skewer where the leaves start, add artichoke, and mozzarella. On half of the skewers end with a black olive, on the other half end with a cherry tomato. Alternate tomato and olive skewers around a plate. Fill the center with the leftover tomatoes and olives. At this point you can cover and refrigerate until needed. Right before serving drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over everything. Do NOT put the vinaigrette on early, it will discolor the salami.

Enjoy,
Jenn

Isn't He Handsome?

2011-08-15T17:52:00.001-05:00

The glasses arrived yesterday. So far they are a hit. His favorite game is taking them on and off and saying "With," " Without," over, and over, and over.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Kindergarten, Here We Come

2011-08-12T09:51:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it is time for my youngests to go to Kindergarten.

We attended orientation last night. It is clear that they are excited and ready. I just can't believe it is time or that we survived the twin baby, toddler and preschooler years.

School starts in a little over a week, Monday, August 22.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Glasses

2011-08-10T17:32:00.001-05:00

During Camp Papa and Cici my Mom mentioned that Rehm might need to have his eyes checked. She noticed a couple of times where he could not read signs that she could.

Wanting to verify this for myself, I turned to the Internet for a printable eye chart. Sure enough he could not read more than one or two letters correctly on the entire thing!

Today was eye doctor day. Our diagnosis was confirmed. Nearsighted, with weak prescription and slight astigmatism. Apparently, he inherited my eyes. He needs glasses but he isn't going to be lost without them.

We picked out frames and should have his actual pair by next Wednesday at the latest. We saved over $100 by going to Walmart for the glasses instead of getting them from the eye doctor's office.

I will be ordering a back up pair and a sports pair from Zenni.

He went into this process very apprehensive. I think now he is just excited about being able to see clearly.

While I had the chart on the wall I did check the girls vision as well. At this time they are all good.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Oh, What a Night

2011-08-10T09:51:00.001-05:00

Michael got home from a business trip about 11:00 completely exhausted. He went to sleep, I read.

As usual Baron took up residence on the bed between us.

The cat started meowing in the hallway.

The cat meowing freaked Baron out. It doesn't tale much he is a skiddish dog to start with.

This caused Baron to pace in circles on the bed. When a 60+ pound dog paces on a bed with two people in it, it isn't pretty.

This woke Micheal multiple times. He was not happy.

I kept trying to get Baron off the bed but he was scared to get down because the cat was in the hallway right by our door.

The cat wouldn't leave the hallway because there was a cricket trapped in an overhead light fixture.

Baron wouldn't settle because the cat wouldn't leave the hallway.

Finally Baron and I went downstairs together. I slept On the couch and he settled nicely beside me on the floor.

Everyone could finally sleep.

I must really love this dog and this husband.

It is 10 am and the cat is still meowing in the hallway...

Jenn

PS. We have never allowed dogs on furniture of any kind until the last month. I'm not sure how Baron managed to get us to change that rule.

Random: Today's Pictures from my Phone

2011-08-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

Looking at these pictures, this is going to be a very random post.

My Granny, is in her late 80s. She is declining both physically and mentally. She used to be an amazing crocheter. In fact one of my most prized possessions is a table cloth she made me at of very fine thread that probably took her an entire winter to make. These days she makes little crocheted things to occupy herself. They don't really have a design or purpose. She gave Rehm one for him and each of his sisters while he was visiting. So far, this is the best use we've found for them - Playmobil people clothing! They are all dressed up and ready to go to the wedding.

With Ruby and Eliza Claire starting Kindergarten in less that two weeks (!), I am trying to round up the last few things they need for school. They need a small pillow and blanket, I have one pillow and several blankets. I took this picture to remind me to look for another pillow like this one while running errands today. Unfortunately, I could not find any of these (it is about 12x16) but did find a baby pillow (it is about 8x10?). Luckily thanks to my amazing Mom and Mother-in-Law I have plenty of pillow cases for both of these sizes of pillows. I think we officially have all of our back to school supplies. Now I just need to remember to pick up short to wear under dresses and pack a change of clothing in their backpacks in case an unfortunate and embarrassing accident occurs.

Rehm and Charlotte had a playdate with friends this morning. Ruby, Eliza Claire and I went shopping for a shower present for this weekend. Ruby can not for the life of her get the baby's name right. She kept calling him "Duck-lan." His name is Douglas. I know she is thinking of the name Declan, which is the son of good friends of ours. I kept saying, "You mean Douglas," enough times that she and Eliza Claire are both calling him "Duck-las!" I think it is so cute I can't bear to correct her in further. While shopping for the baby gift I came across this lunch box set that I had a very hard time not buying to try out with my kids. It looks like it could make a fun different lunch. But it was expensive and as my husband would tell you, I have enough lunch stuff already. But, I may have to try one at some time.

I just realized in the lunch box picture you can see my crackle/shatter nail polish. I'm blaming it on my girls and niece. We bought two bottles of it while Brooke was visiting. We bought the Sally Hansen brand as it was on sale at our grocery store. We bought white and purple shatter. So far we have not found an under color that makes the purple look good. And the purple doesn't seem to crackle as well as the white. It is very important to let the first color dry completely before applying the crackle. The thinner the layer of crackle the more crackled the end result. You have to be careful not to go back over a spot you've already painted with the crackle or you lose most of the effect. I find painting with it to be similar to trying to paint your nails with White Out. Please tell me I'm not the only one who did this when bored in class in middle school?

These adorable sweaters were at Babies 'R Us today. The color came out funky in the picture. They were much cuter in person. I was very sad that my girls have outgrown Babies 'R Us sizes as I would have bought these. In fact there were several darling pieces of girl clothing today. But alas, I'm not sad we have outgrown the baby store. In fact in kind of makes me giddy.

This pretty flower was made by my daughter and myself. She has read in her Fancy Nancy books about making tissue paper flowers and wanted to make some today. Instead of tissue paper, I had her bring me a couple of regular tissues. I showed her how I used to make flowers with my friend Anita in elementary school. The step Fancy Nancy didn't tell her about was tearing the edges of the tissue to make them ragged. It makes for a much prettier finished product. She was impressed with her Mom's flower making ability and likes having her creation on display in the kitchen.

This, my friends, is a screen shot of the wallpaper on my phone. If my husband reads this he will be shaking his head. This is Pearl. She is a dog currently in foster care with Houston Collie Rescue. She is about a year old and deaf. She doesn't look like a "real" collie because she is a double-dilute or double-merle collie and a smooth coat to boot. (Our other collie is also a smooth coat - just means he has short hair instead of the long coat you think of when you hear the word "collie.") Her parents should have never been bred together. Breeding two merle collies leads to having dogs with hearing and/or vision problems and often puppy mortality. I have totally fallen in love with this dog and would like to add her to our crazy household. From a practical standpoint I know we should remain a one dog house. My head knows this, but my heart just loves this little lady. Every time I turn on my phone this picture makes me smile. I hope she finds the perfect family very soon.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

A Long Overdue Ode to Howdy

2011-08-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

Howdy

January 10, 1998 - June 16, 2011

We lost a very dear friend in June. Our beloved Howdy, also know as, Howdy Dog, Howdy-Howds.

Howdy was one of the best dogs I've ever had the pleasure to share a home with. He arrived in our lives in the Spring of 1998 along with his sister Tobie. They spent the first four months of their lives in Weatherford, Texas, with lots of room to roam and lots of other collies. When we brought them home, they did not know how to go up and down stairs and we lived in a 3rd floor apartment. They had never walked on a side walk or street and their poor little paws did not like it. They quickly became such a big part of our lives.

From the beginning Howdy was such a laid-back, easy-going dog. We joked about him not being the most intelligent dog, but I'm not sure that is true. I think Howdy was always very content. He was happiest to just be in the room with you. He did not demand a lot of attention, he just liked being near his people.

Howdy was always very well behaved. He wasn't one to chew on things, or get in trashcans or litter boxes. He didn't try to get on the furniture. He was a very good listener and always aimed to please. We always described Howdy's personality as "Doh-de-doh-de-doh."

When someone would sneeze, Howdy would immediately come check on that person. I don't know what he thought sneezes were, but they concerned him, greatly. He had to get in your face and make sure you were OK.

Howdy loved to play in the water. He loved to curl up with his sister Tobie to sleep. He loved to run laps in the yard while chasing his sister.

Howdy hated the vet. For as laid-back as he was at home he was completely opposite at the vet. He would go willingly but he did not want to be messed with at all! He would not even cooperate for weighing. He would not let them take blood, much less do anything more invasive. It got to be a vicious circle of needing to do testing on him, but not being able to with out sedating him. But he couldn't be sedated with out testing. Yeah, confusing with no good solution.

Howdy had an ulcer when he was six or so. We just happened to find it when doing routine testing as part of something else, though I don't even remember what the something else was now.

At eight and a half Howdy's gall bladder burst and we weren't sure if he would survive surgery. Luckily, he did. And had almost five more years with us.

In the last three to four years of his life, Howdy had severe arthritis in his hips and later in his neck. He was on multiple medications multiple times a day for it. The medication provided some pain relief but of course could not reverse the damage from the arthritis. For the last two years of his life, Howdy was not able to climb the stairs in our house. This was very hard on all of us as Howdy and Tobie had always slept in our room.

Baron (front) and Howdy (back) taking a nap together

After Tobie passed away, Howdy started losing weight. No matter what we did, or offered him to eat, or how much he ate, he kept losing weight. He also got very depressed and started pacing the house. We realized that he was missing doggie companionship and decided it was in his best interest to adopt another dog, Baron.

Overall, Howdy and Baron got along well. Howdy was definitely happier once he arrived. Well, accept for when Baron would try to get Howdy to play with him. Howdy wasn't able to play chase or tag and sometimes got annoyed with Baron for trying to play. Honestly, I don't blame him as sometimes Baron would accidentally knock Howdy down trying to get him to play.

Howdy was always doing his best to please his people and loved being near them. Even in the last year of life when standing was difficult and painful for Howdy, he would always follow me around in the kitchen with his head pressed up against my knee. It was frustrating at times as it made it hard to cook, or I would trip over him. But I miss that sweet boy when I cook these days.

In the last six months to a year, Howdy lost most of his hearing, his eye sight was not great, his mobility was limited and he would at times get confused. Even with all of the decline he was still feisty at the vet. In fact, just a few months before his death, it took three vet techs to clip his nails! This was the dog that could only stand if moving and who fell over easily. But he still hated having his feet touched and being messed with at the vet.

It was very hard to come to the decision that it was Howdy's time to go to Dog Heaven. His decline was so gradual but unfortunately continual. As he declined, we kept doing new things to ensure his comfort and quality of life, but eventually we got to the place that there was no more we could do to achieve these goals.

Making the choice was so difficult. Leaving with Howdy for his final vet appointment was very hard on our whole family. That day, on the way to the vet, he stood and looked out of the back window of the van, something he had not done in years. It took at least three people to place his final IV, because he still didn't like to be messed with.

But once we got to the vet and got everything ready, it wasn't hard. It wasn't hard because it was the right choice at the right time for the right reasons. I felt privileged to spend those last minutes with Howdy, hugging him and telling him how much we all loved him and that it was OK to go. I walked out of the vet's office knowing we, as a family, had been good to Howdy, all the way to the end. Knowing we would miss him, but have no regrets about the life he had lived and our parts in that life.

Howdy Dog, we still miss you. You will always hold a special place in our hearts. Thank you for being such a loyal and loving part of our family.

Doh-de-doh-de-doh.
Jenn

PS. More Howdy stories from the blog can be found here.

PPS. I planned to write this in June. Actually I started it then. Unfortunately, our laptop with all the pictures I took of Howdy in the last week of his life got dropped before I got the post written or the pictures backed up. The laptop has been in the shop to see if it could be repaired or information off the hard drive retrieved. I've been waiting to write this hoping that the pictures could be recovered. I've given up hope and decided it was time to write this with or without the pictures.

The Bible in 90 Days: Two Months Down Less than One to Go

2011-08-06T11:56:00.004-05:00

The last few weeks have been spent reading the Major and Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. Assuming I finish my reading today, I will finally be in the New Testament. Yes, I've been reading for 68 days and am just now starting the New Testament.

While reading the Prophets I have had a hard time deciding how they relate to me and my life as a Christian. I have found a few things that really stood out to me.

God gave the Isrealites many, many chances to change their ways before taking action to get their attention and punish/correct them. A Veggie Tales song immediately comes to mind - God is a God of second chances, second chances... But they kept rejecting Him, over, and over, and over, again.

We have all dealt with rejection at some point in our lives. It is a very hurtful experience. Can you imagine what it is like to be God and have people continually and constantly reject Him, when all He wants is to have a relationship with us? It is amazing that He keeps trying and He continues to be faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to Him.

I have had many times when reading the Old Testament that I haven't liked the punishing God depicted there. I have finally realized that it is because I know that I will and do mess up and I don't want to think about possibly being corrected myself. But as a parent, I know that children learn from correction and while it isn't pleasant for anyone involved, it is a necessary part of learning.

God has a plan for our lives. If we follow that plan getting from Point A to Point B is usually a much smoother experience than when we decide we know best and do our own thing. I believe we still get to Point B, where God wants us to be, but the path is just much more difficult as we have to learn along the way what God was so willing to show us.

I found it interesting that the people whose faith was noticed by others were not people who were trying to impose their beliefs on others. I'm thinking about Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, aka Belteshazzar Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. I never knew that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had different names. I find it interesting that they are know by their Babylonian names not their Hebrew names, yet Daniel is the opposite.

Daniel kept praying to God even when the law said he couldn't. He didn't go around telling everyone the law was wrong. Daniel just kept on living the way God told him. Did he get in trouble? Yes. But in the end because of his quiet, steady faith in the power of God, un-believers (King Darius) witnessed and recognized the power, greatness and sovereignty of God.

This same theme was seen again with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They refused to go against God's laws for them, were willing to endure the consequences of that refusal, and confident in God's protection of them. They did not go around telling everyone else how to live, or that what the were doing was wrong. They just did what God told them to do and let their example speak for itself. When God rewarded their faith and unyielding belief in Him, unbelievers were awed by the power and greatness of God.

I think it is such an important lesson for us to remember. How we live our day to day lives matters so much more than anything we can say. It is the true test of our faith and what those around us really notice. To bring others to Christ, we don't have to even mention His name. We have to live a authentic life for Him.

Are you reading the Bible in 90 Days? What is standing out to you?

Jenn

Camp Papa and Cici: Installment 3

2011-08-04T11:21:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness, my son is getting so spoiled. He is going to be so bored when he gets back to reality.

Saturday he saw the Smurfs movie in 3D with Aunt Sherri and Zander. Then played at their house most of the day. That evening they had family dinner with all the aunts and uncles and cousins.

Sunday Rehm went to church with Papa and Cici. After that they spent the afternoon playing games at Cici's house and hanging out with Zander and family.

Monday included a tour of a local dairy farm. Rehm called from the farm to tell me the ice cream was as good and possibly better than Blue Bell.

Tuesday he zapped three squirrels! Actually he zapped one squirrel once and a second squirrel twice. I asked what they did when he zapped them. He said, " they go 'zzzzz' and then fall! Then they get up and try again!" I'm not sure if the squirrels are teaching a lesson in perseverance or stupidity.

Also on Tuesday he and Papa went golfing. This was a different course than last time. I haven't heard much about it yet.

Wednesday, Rehm got to go to Bo'Jangles for lunch. He loves their biscuits. Then they picked up Zander and all went bowling.

He called this morning to ask if he could stay an extra week. I told him "No!" I am not sure I'm going to recognize This boy of mine when he gets home.

I wonder what else they will do before putting him on his flight on Saturday?

Cici, what have I missed in the list of things you have done?

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

A Fun Summer Day with my Four Favorite Girls

2011-08-03T00:44:00.001-05:00

My niece Brooke is visiting this week. We are having so much fun with just the girls, especially since Rehm is at Camp Papa and Cici. He isn't here to complain about all the girl focused activities.

Brooke has been coming to visit for at least a few days each summer since she was five. I absolutely love when she visits as do her girl cousins.

The week has been great but Tuesday was especially fun.

We went to breakfast at Einstein's.

We went to the movies to see Smurfs. Brooke and Charlotte really enjoyed it. Charlotte, surprisingly, didn't get scared at all. Ruby and Eliza liked it but it was a little too much for them and there was a lot they just weren't old enough to get.

Then we went shopping for shoes for Charlotte. She found shoes she loves! And now, really believes that waiting until you find the perfect pair of shoes is much better than settling for OK shoes just because everyone else found the perfect pair. I got talked into crazy socks for my three girls because Brooke has them. And, of course, if Brooke has them they must be awesome.

Then we went to the pet store to pick up something and look at all the animals.

Of course, then everyone was hungry so we had to get lunch.

Then we came home for a little quiet time.

After quite time everyone was ready to swim. Ruby and Eliza Claire decided to try the swim test to be able to go in the deep (4 feet) end. Ruby got off course due to the crowd and didn't quite make it. Eliza Claire had success! I was so proud of both of them for trying. (Do you see the crazy crackle nail polish from Monday's fun?)

After dinner and showers, Brooke finished up some of her first batch of cake balls. We still have another half of the batch to do.

We have spent so much time just talking and giggling together. I love getting to have this special bond with such a special girl. I'm so glad Brooke is willing to hang out with us and her parents are willing to let her visit.

I don't remember how it came up but I asked Brooke if I got to visit her for her first Prom. She said I could come, but just me. No girls and no Uncle Michael. I hope when the time comes she really means it :)

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Time for the Tooth Fairy Again

2011-07-30T21:40:00.002-05:00

Charlotte lost her other top tooth. She had been working on it all day. Finally at bedtime I worked on it a bit with a piece of dental floss. I had it almost out and Charlotte did the final honors. She is one excited girl.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Camp Papa and Cici: Installment 2

2011-07-29T22:19:00.000-05:00

Let's see. I haven't talked to the boy too much. When I have, he has been distracted and not very informative.

Tuesday he played golf with Papa. That night he had a sleepover at Aunt Sherri's with Zander.

Wednesday he went swimming with Aunt Sherri and Zander.

Thursday he went to Old Salem with Papa and Cici. I think they had the gunsmith look at a Civil War era gun, but I'm not sure of the details. I know they did a tour and had sugar cake from the bakery.

Friday was a lazy day. They stayed home and according to Cici, "Rehm probably had too much screen time." He got to have ice cream and only ice cream for lunch. He thought that was awesome. I don't know if they went to video store for ice cream or somewhere else. Tonight was obviously dinner out from the picture below that my Aunt Tracy sent me. After dinner they (not sure who all this includes) were all going on a Ghost Tour.

Yeah, I'd say he's having a good time.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

The Latest in Locker Accessories

2011-07-29T19:37:00.001-05:00

After swim lessons Charlotte thought this would be a fun way to entertain herself while her sisters changed clothes.

Not wanting to be left out, they decided to join her.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Who Knew it Was so Easy: Egg Drop Soup

2011-07-26T14:44:00.002-05:00

I saw this recipe recently at Kingdom Twindom and thought I have to make that! So today I made it for lunch for myself. I really think my girls will like it and they will probably be having the leftovers for dinner tonight along with this favorite Asian dish. The Egg Drop Soup is super easy and took maybe 15 minutes to make. The slowest part was waiting for it to boil.

Egg Drop Soup (from Kingdom Twindom)
2 or 3 green onions chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 cups chicken broth (homemade if you have it, canned if you don't)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 eggs beaten well

Heat the oil in a sauce pan. Add green onions and saute until wilted and starting to stick to the pan. Stir in rice vinegar to un-stick the onions (de-glaze the pan). Add stock and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Once the soup is at a roiling boil, drizzle the egg into the pot while stirring. Serve.

I love how quick and easy this was and so flavorful. I will definitely be making it regularly.

Jenn

Camp Papa and Cici: Installment 1

2011-07-25T16:07:00.001-05:00

Rehm left Saturday for Camp Papa and Cici. The experience started off with him getting to fly to NC by himself. He was so excited.

It has been so much fun to talk to him and my parents and hear about his experience. He's been there a total of 48 hours and I think eaten out six times so far. He has already hit all of his NC favorites (including Bo Jangles, Olympic, and El Maguey). I had bets on him already going to Krispy Kreme and the video store for ice cream but they haven't done either of those yet.

Saturday he got to fly solo. Sunday he got to go to the movies. Today he has spend the entire day shopping with Cici.

I've already warned them that he has to be able to get all of his new stuff home with him. I had to laugh when he called to ask if it was OK for him to get a sport coat. He then told me it was $2, apparently they found a really good sale. Yeah, I was just fine with that.

I called this afternoon and talked to my Dad. He started a story with, "I know you are going to hear about this so I'd better go ahead and tell you." Of course, I could not imagine what had happened that would be prefaced in such a way. He went on to tell me that they were unpacking a bird feeder that Cici gave Papa for Christmas. This is a very special bird feeder in that you can shock those pesky squirrels that always try to eat all the bird seed. It doesn't injure the squirrels, just gives them enough of a shock to make them think twice about eating bird seed.

My engineering brained son asked how the bird feeder worked. Papa explained how the squirrel has to be touching multiple points on the feeder. Rehm placed both hands on. Then Papa said you would press the button on the remote. Rehm said, "Do it!" So Papa did. Yep it shocks a boy enough to make him not want birdseed, either. I thought this was the funniest thing ever. Actually, is still makes me laugh every time I think about it. Does that make me a bad mother?

My Dad went on to tell me that after the bird feeder incident Rehm was telling them that he had tried putting the charger end that plugs into his DS in his mouth while it was plugged into an outlet. Apparently he did this five or six times and it made his tongue tingle which he thought was pretty neat. Gives me flashbacks to 9-volt batteries... He decided maybe it wasn't a good idea when he started getting a headache from doing this. I wonder how many brain cells he fried in this little experiment. And I wonder why I am just now hearing about it.

Rehm is having a blast. I think he is enjoying being the only Maniac and getting to do such big kid stuff. I'm not sure though if he is having more fun or my parents. They really seem to be enjoying having him there.

Tomorrow he and Papa are playing golf.

I'm going to have one spoiled boy when he gets home.
Jenn

PS. Cici, send me some pictures please.

An interesting way to pick a slushy flavor

2011-07-18T22:12:00.002-05:00

After grocery shopping today I took the girls to Sonic for "Happy Times." Eliza Claire chose a Blue Coconut slushy. She then told us the reason she chose that flavor was because....

....

....

....

It turns her poop green!

Ah, the bizarre logic of a five year old.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

The Bible in 90 Days: Halfway

2011-07-17T00:29:00.000-05:00

I have now read half of the Bible. I am halfway done. Wow!

The last week of reading has been very tedious for me. We have been reading Psalms and Proverbs. I know most people love these two books. I, however, do not love one of them and the other, in my opinion, is not meant to be read in large chunks. My real dislike is for Psalms.

I think my problem with Psalms is my dyslexia. I find all poetry difficult to read and Psalms especially so. I have to focus so much on the actual task of reading because the poetry flows so differently that I start seeing words wrong. One example came when I kept reading "a round of applause" as "a round of applesauce." The first time, I thought it was strange but chalked the wording up to poetic liscense. The second time around I realized I must be missing something and looked a bit closer. Yep, "applause" made much more sense. The other mix-up I remember was reading "immortal" as "immoral," Yeah, that one I caught the first time because the verse was completely contradictory when I thought it said something like "the righteous will be immoral." This word mix-up problem happened several times in Psalms and made the reading especially tedious. It made it hard to focus on what was being reveled because so much effort was required just to read the words correctly.

Honestly, I've never liked Psalms, so finding it difficult this time is no surprise. Here is an interesting aside. Do you know that until my mid twentys I thought Psalm 23 started off saying "The LORD is my shepherd I shall not want." Not, "The LORD is my shepherd. I shall not want." I know those look the same but that silly little "." in there makes a world of difference. I always thought the Psalmist was saying he did not want God, which given the rest of the Psalm makes no sense at all and thus caused much confusion for me. I now get that the psalmist is saying because God is his shepherd he wants for nothing. Totally changed the Psalm for me. Totally. See why I don't like the Psalms? I just don't get them.

Proverbs is a book I really do like. It is very straight forward and sensible. What I haven't liked this week is reading it in a big chunk. It is very hard to really take in all of the wisdom imparted in Proverbs in two or three sittings. I will definitely spend more time re-reading Proverbs in smaller bits after I finish the Bible in 90 Days.

Part of the problem this week stemmed from the books we had to read, but I think I am also having a problem with complacency. Reading the Bible in 90 Days is no longer a new and daunting challenge. I've learned I am capable of doing it and that has taken some of the excitement and novelty out the process.

Some days my Bible reading now seems like folding the laundry, just another chore I have to do. And on those days, I am very tempted to put my reading off to the next day or to only do part of it. So far, I have resisted that temptation and have kept up because I know if I get behind things will only get more difficult. I really hope that now that we are past Psalms and Proverbs I will find the reading more engrossing and enjoyable and the chore-like feeling will fade.

I have been posting my daily progress to Facebook to help keep me accountable to doing my reading. I do have to say that it felt good to post "Day 46 of B90Days complete, 44 more days to go" and have the days read be higher than the days left. I can do this. I will do this.

I am glad I have taken on this process. In the end, I know I won't feel like it was a chore but a blessing God has given me. I know I will not be the same person when I finish this process that I was when I started. I know God has specific things He wants me to learn from His word and this exercise. Now, I just have to stick to it and listen.

Jenn

The Story of a Tooth

2011-07-13T20:15:00.001-05:00

Charlotte's top front teeth have been wiggly for six months. But not wiggly enough to pull.

Sunday our friends gave us cupcakes decorated like pies. They were adorable they had M&M "fruit" and then frosting to make the crust. The cupcakes had been refrigerated to keep the frosting from melting on the drive home.

Charlotte bit into hers and immediately exclaimed, "Ouch, my tooth!". Apparently the M&Ms on the cupcake had gotten pretty hard due to the refrigeration. Charlotte's gum was bleeding and her tooth was much loser, but still not pullable.

Yesterday I noticed her gum was really bruised I honestly thought she was being over dramatic about the M&M incident. I was wrong.

Today we went for an ortho consult. She needs a palette extender but not quite yet. She needs to lose her top front teeth and her six year old molars need to finish coming in. She will be eight in two months and her six year old molars are still not all the way in. We are very late with teeth related milestones around here.

While there the ortho asked her to wiggle her tooth. Then he asked her to push until it hurt she was still clueless as to what he was up to. Finally he took matters in his own hands and pulled her lose tooth. She now thinks he is the greatest. She will happily go back to see him again.

And that my friends is how Charlotte looses teeth.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

A New Approach to Eating

2011-07-06T14:11:00.001-05:00

I've been trying for 5 years to loose my twin weight. I've tried several different things in that time all with various degrees of success. No matter what I've tried I have not been able to lose the last 20 to 30 pounds. I have tried doing it myself with just watching what I eat. I have tried Weight Watchers multiple times. I have tried Alli. I have tried exercising. I have tried ignoring it and doing nothing.

Finally after no success with any of the above mentioned plans I decided to try something different. I decided to try Slow Carb. It is the eating plan from the book The Four Hour Body.

Now, if you go look up the book on Amazon you are going to immediately think that it sounds crazy, wacky even. And you are going to think the guy who wrote it must be certifiable. I thought exactly the same thing. The book kept showing up in the top 100 list on Amazon. I kept reading the description and thinking, I just want to read this to see what it could possibly say, it sounds crazy - it's got to be an entertaining read. Finally I broke down and bought it. After reading about half of the book I still stand by my original thoughts that the guy who wrote it is crazy and there is a lot in the book that seems way out there to me. But I kept coming back to the diet - even though on initial reading I thought it was crazy too.

Finally, since nothing else was working I decided I had nothing to lose and decided to try the Slow Carb diet for a day. After a day, I decided to try it for a week. At the end of week one I had lost five pounds. At that point I decided to try for a complete month. After two months, I've lost 16 pounds. The most success I've had since having the twins five years ago. I want to lose at least that much more and then who knows.

So what is the Slow Carb diet? It is really very simple. Six days out of the week you eat only protein, legumes and veggies. Since everyone asks, that really does mean no fruit, no starches like potatoes, and no dairy. It also means very little artificial sweetener. On day seven you eat anything you want. Yes, I eat beans three times a day. Yes, even for breakfast. Yes, I only have at most one Diet Coke a day and many weeks none. On my cheat day, Michael calls it my Jubilee Day, I truly eat whatever I want. So far that consists of mostly pizza, cheese and chips.

After two months, I've found that I have a different relationship with food. I'm not constantly trying to figure out what sounds good or thinking about the next thing I want to eat. I'm not trying to figure out how many points I've eaten or how many I have left. Food is no longer interesting to me, except on Jubilee Day. This has stopped a lot of snacking or eating out of boredom or when stressed, etc.

I've also found that six days out of seven I eat much healthier than I ever have. I now go out of my way to have veggies! Those of you who know me know just how amazing that is for me. Food is no longer about what sounds/tastes good but is now simple about what is available that is on my eating plan. My parents just visited for two weeks and my Mom commented more than once about how crazy it was to see what was on my plate.

The down side is that I don't really enjoy cooking anymore as it is now much less interesting. This is a bummer for me as I love to cook but have no desire to now that food is just about not being hungry. My family is missing all of the fresh baked bread and getting tired of chili.

Is this a magic combination of food? Nope. Do I think everyone should eat this way? Nope. Do I think it is better than any other plan out there? Nope. At the end of the day, it is just another way to limit the calories you eat each day. And right now, it is the way that is actually working for me.

I have no idea how long I will continue to eat this way but for now I love the results, and by that I mean all of them, not just the weight loss.

Jenn

Sharing My Faith

2011-07-05T13:57:00.000-05:00

In blogging about reading The Bible in 90 Days, I realize I have a hard time sharing my faith, especially in such a public way. I had a really hard time hitting publish on my last post on the subject. Why? Fear that I would offend or alienate someone.

I know we are not all going to agree on all topics, and especially not on religion. I was taught that politics and religion were personal topics and not ones that we necessarily discussed in passing conversation.

It is easy to discuss religion with my church friends. We are all starting from a common place. It is harder to put my beliefs out for the masses. Yeah, I know only a handful of people read Mayhem Mania, but still its out there for anyone to see. Kind of the equivalent of wearing a "Christian and Proud" T-shirt or something.

I've seen alienating religion, I want no part of it. I've also seen, "pat yourself on the back for showing up" religion, I want no part of it, either. So where does that leave me? Somewhere in the middle, where we are called to strive to be the best Christians we can be, to search for God's will in our lives, and continue to grow in our relationship with God.

I believe that God is real. I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe He is my savior. I believe without Him I am nothing. I believe that God has a purpose for my life. I believe He is involved in my life daily. I believe that God is merciful and full of grace. I believe that we all mess up. We are not perfect. We are not deserving of God. But He chooses us, anyway. Loves us, anyway. Protects us, anyway. As long as we ask Him to do so. Just because I believe these things does not mean I assume everyone else believes as I do.

If our beleifs differ, I'm not going to try to change your mind. I'm not going to tell you your wrong. I'm not going to bring up my beliefs in every conversation we have. I'm not going to defriend you on Facebook.

I am going to talk about how God works in my life when it naturally comes up in conversation. I am going to pray for you when things aren't going your way. I am going to happily debate religious topics with you if you are interested. I am going to admit I don't have all the answers. I am going to continue to blog about my faith.

My beliefs are my own. If you don't share them, that is your personal choice. I'm OK with that. I hope that my faith in God will not keep you from reading Mayhem Mania or hanging out with me in real life. But if it does, I'll be OK with that, too.

Jenn

The Bible in 90 Days: One Month Down, Two to Go

2011-07-03T22:45:00.001-05:00

I've been doing The Bible in 90 Days plan for 36 days and am currently on day 34. It is a good thing I started two days before the rest of the church or I would be behind and stressed out. As it is, Rehm's two week bout with pneumonia only cost me two days of reading, so I'm not behind.

The last week or so has been spent learning about the kings of Israel and Judah. For the most part, they have not followed God's laws. And the ones who have, have not done so completely. The thing that repeats over and over is God telling them to not worship the gods of the other people living around them. Time and again the kings start setting up alters to other gods. Even the good kings don't seem to ever completely wipe out the alters dedicated to the others. They might spruce up the temple and knock down some idols but they don't completely get rid of it all.

The stories of the kings are repeated at least twice. At least I've read them twice so far. I suspect I will be reading about some of them in more detail at least once more. I have to assume that these stories are important since they are repeated. So what am I supposed to take from this?

What are my worldly idols? What are the things in my life that take me away from my relationship with God? What am I doing to remove those things from my life? These are not fun questions. Honestly, I haven't spent the time I should dwelling on them. I think, I'm afraid I won't like all of the answers if I really look.

The other thing that I have been wrestling with since starting The Bible in 90 Days is how do Christians live differently than non-Christians without being cliquish, condescending, judgmental, and off-putting to others?

God repeatedly tells the Israelites that they are supposed to live differently than the people around them. They are to follow the laws God gave them. They are not supposed to take on the values and gods of the nations living around them. He also tells them to welcome others in as long as they are following His laws.

How does this look today? How do you respectfully live as a Christian? How do you live your faith to the fullest while not alienating those who do not share your beliefs? What does that look like? How do we do that as a church or as an individual?

So far, reading the Bible in 90 days seems to be generating more questions than answers. I guess it is a good thing I've only read 38% so far. I'm hoping for a lot of answers in the other 62%.

Jenn

My Snacks at the Movies Trick

2011-06-30T15:48:00.001-05:00

With a family of six going to the movies is not cheap. Adding popcorn and drinks makes it even crazier.

My solution? I bring baggies, a scoop (1 cup measuring cup) and Take and Toss straw cups. Then I buy a large popcorn and two large drinks. I divide the popcorn and drinks into the stuff I brought and pass it out.

Everybody has their own so there is no arguing about sharing. I'm not breaking the rules by bringing food in. And, I'm not spending nearly as much as if I bought them each a kid pack.

Remember to bring an extra baggie for the scoop to go in when you are finished. And, if your kids are extra hungry or thirsty most theaters offer free refills on their large popcorn and drinks.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Ruby and Eliza Claire are Five!

2011-06-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

I can not believe my youngest are five. Wow, time sure does fly when you are having fun. Honestly, I can't believe we all survived the last five years. Some of those years were quite crazy.

I am so blessed to be Ruby and Eliza Claire's mom. They are such amazing girls. It has been so much fun to watch them grow into their personalities. They are so very different from each other but have so much fun together.

Their birthday was mostly a quiet day. This year all of my kids are foregoing birthday parties and other things as part of our way of involving them in the planning and saving of money for a trip to Disney World later in the year. Michael was not in town for their actual birthday as he traveled to attend his uncle's funeral. And Rehm was sick.

Once everyone was awake for the day we opened presents. Then the three girls, Papa and Cici went out to breakfast. After breakfast, everyone came home. The girls played with their new things and I assembled the Playmobil things they received. Mid-afternoon we stopped playing to have birthday cake.

The girls could not decide on a cake so I got to make two. Ruby chose yellow cake with caramel frosting and Eliza Claire chose chocolate cake with butter cream frosting. If anyone would like a slice of cake come on over. There is still plenty.

For dinner the girls could agree on a restaurant - Chuys. Cici stayed home with Rehm and the rest of us enjoyed a fun dinner of yummy Tex-Mex.

The girls both had a great day and Eliza Claire told me she had the best birthday. I don't think they missed a birthday party at all. I know I didn't miss planning one. I think we might have to make the no-parties-take-a-trip-instead plan an annual tradition.

Jenn

Age

2011-06-27T15:10:00.000-05:00

Rehm and I have spent a lot of time together in the last week with him not feeling well. I hate he has been sick but have enjoyed many of the conversations we have had. Today's was especially funny and one I knew I wanted to record for him to read in sometime five to 10 years from now.

We were at the drug store picking up prescriptions.

Rehm: Mom you really are smart! (His reason for saying this had something to do with the way I've taken care of him during his illness. I don't remember at this point if it had to do with what medicines I'd chosen to give him or something about the visit to the doctor today)

Me: I'm glad you think so. I hope in a few years when you don't think your Dad and I are very smart you'll remember this.

Rehm: Why won't I think you are smart, because you are smart.

Me: When you are older you will hit a period of time when you think Mom and Dad are old and our ideas are out of date and that we are just not smart.

Rehm: But you are old!

Good thing I was in a good mood because at that point we both laughed ourselves silly.

I really do enjoy spending time with my boy. I love hearing how his mind works.
Jenn

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby

2011-06-24T12:12:00.001-05:00

See bottom for an update on the swimming lesson fit.

-----------------------
This morning Ruby came in my room to snuggle. While chatting she informed me that she would like " a date with just me and mommy where I could have some bubble paper and salad!" by bubble paper she meant bubble wrap.

Later this morning she pitched a huge fit because I tried to help her with her swim cover up after swim lessons. She informed me that I was "pure evil!"

After we got home she had room time because the fit still wasn't over. From her room she decreed that she was NEVER coming out. I told her that was fine. Then I heard her yelling, "But you will bring me food? I've gotta have food! You must bring me food!"

She has now emerged from her room and is in a much more pleasant mood. I think the fear that we might not bring her food finally got her over her room strike.

Such a funny child. I just don't always fully appreciate some of the many facets of her personality.

Update: Later in the afternoon Cici, all three girls and I loaded into the van to go to the quilt shop. We picked out fabric to make a new table cloth for the dinning room. I love the fabrics and can't wait to see the finished product. But I digress...

We got in the van. Ruby sat down in her car seat and discovered it was damp. She proceeded to inform me that it is wet because she didn't wear her cover up home from swim lessons. I agreed and empathized with her that she chose not to wear it. At that point she informed me, "Yes,it is all your fault, Mommy, that my shorts are going to be wet when we get to the quilt shop!" And well, what was I really going to say to that? I chose to silently disagree with her on that point in hopes another full fledge fit would be averted.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

The Bible in 90 Days: Two Weeks In

2011-06-13T22:16:00.001-05:00

It has been a little over two weeks since I started reading The Bible in 90 Days. I am so glad I took this challenge. It has been an amazing experience so far.

I have had more discussions with more people about the Bible in the last two weeks than I can count. It is so refreshing to have these conversations with my husband, my son, my friends, and fellow church goers. It feels like everyone is talking about the Bible and we are all talking about the same parts. It is great.

I have found that I have no time to read anything other than my Bible reading each day. I'm an avid reader and on some level I am really missing my mindless, for entertainment only reading. But, I am really enjoying reading all the bits and pieces that get left out between the Bible stories you learn in Sunday School.

Rehm and I were talking about how tedious it was to read about the building of the Tabernacle. I was telling him it was one of my favorite studies in Elementary Sunday School. Of course, that was back in the days of flannel boards which I loved anyway. Apparently kids today think flannel boards are boring. These kids, they just don't know what they are missing. A well told flannel board story is awesome.

I loved watching my Sunday School teacher slowly build each layer of the Tabernacle. I was completely amazed. I didn't feel that way reading about it. It was pretty tedious, but it did bring back the fond childhood memories for me. Of course, in Elementary Sunday School we didn't talk about the logistics of actually moving about the wilderness for many, many years with this humongous tent building. It never occurred to me then to wonder how it got moved. But you know what? Now I know the answer to that question! How cool is that?

I have finished through Deuteronomy. While I have enjoyed the reading, some of it has been pretty tedious. There are many things that I don't identify with (the constant gore of the sacrifices, the harshness of God when wrong is done, the complete obliteration of nations). It is hard to comprehend and reconcile with. But I know every word was written so that I would know my God better and deeper and so that I would fully appreciate the gift of Jesus Christ.

I am glad to be taking this journey and glad to have so many around me along for the ride.

Jenn

Finally a good way to dry beach towels

2011-06-13T15:08:00.003-05:00

I just have to share this tip. I have always had a hard time finding a place to dry towels after swimming. Now that problem is solved!

My solution for the last few years has been to wash them after each swimming trip. This gets old as with a family of six it adds an extra complete load of laundry every time we swim. Especially since I am always behind on laundry anyway. I got to where I avoided taking the kids swimming just to avoid the laundry.

The solution? I bought a second shower curtain rod and installed it on the back side of the kids bathtub. Then I bought the curtain rings that are S-shaped hooks. I hang the towels on the hooks. When I want to hide my drying towels and swimwear I just pull the curtain closed. If someone needs to use the tub then everything just gets pushed to the far end out of the way.

Now we are all happy. The towels have a place to dry, they aren't in the way, and I'm happy to take everyone to the pool to swim.

I can't take credit for this idea. I found it at The Frugal Girls. I just tweaked it to fit my needs.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

It's Time...But I'm Not Ready

2011-06-12T14:42:00.000-05:00

There comes a point in pet ownership where the right thing to do for a pet is to let them go. That time has come for Howdy. We've known for months that his time was near and our vet agreed that the time is now. I know it is time. I know it is the right thing to do. But, I am not ready...

Having a pet in my life has always been important to me. I know that is shocking considering at this moment we have two dogs, two cats and four fish. I love what they add to our lives. I love their companionship and their constant acceptance, even on my grumpy days. No, I don't love the constant pet hair, or the unexpected vet bills, or the clawed recliner. But, they are worth every minute of it.

I agonize over making the best decisions for the four-legged members of the family when they are ill, or in this case, old and declining and no longer enjoying their lives but enduring them. I ache over making the choice too soon...or too late.

Howdy can't tell me what he is thinking and to the end he is going to do his best to please me. He still gets up, with help, when I ask him to. He still comes to get attention, even when his back half is almost dragging the ground when he stands still for more than a few seconds. He still goes on a short walk every evening, though he has started balking about halfway through. Even though he doesn't feel great, Howdy is still doing his best to be the best pet he can be. It is my duty to be worthy of his trust and love.

I am so glad that we have the ability to make end of life choices for our pets. And, at the same time, I despise having that responsibility. It is so hard. I am not ready...

I know it is his time. But calling the vet to schedule your dog's death is a horrible thing to do. In fact, I couldn't do it because I knew I would cry too hard while on the phone. Michael had to make the appointment. Knowing for 48 hours when my dog's life is going to end is gut wrenching. Trying to find the right time and way to break the news to my children is terrible. But, at the end of the day, the 13.5 years we have been blessed to have Howdy as part of our family are worth every single bit of the pain now.

I keep looking at Howdy and thinking,"Is this really the right choice?" Deep down I know it is. But, I'm not ready...

Unfortunately, he is...

Jenn

The Bible in 90 Days: Why I deciced to participate

2011-06-09T10:50:00.001-05:00

Today's post is brought to you by a guest blogger, The Grinch himself. Everyone please welcome Rehm to Mayhem Mania.

Well about 3 weeks ago I found out my church was going to read the Bible in 90 days. Having never read the whole thing I thought this was a wonderful chance to do so. I am excited because I would get to do something I've never done. I liked that lots of other people would be doing it. Then I would have lots of people to discuss it with.

I was also a bit scared because there was a lot of reading. I was afraid I might not have enough time to do it all sometimes. I have lots of other activities planned for the summer.

The majority of the first 11 days have been good. The good parts were when there was lots of action happening, like creation, the Ark...There were a couple of days that have been hard. When it starts talking about the building of the Tabernacle, the alter for the Tabernacle, and all of the sacrifices it is really hard to continue on because it makes you tired and sleepy.

I hope that I get though the whole thing. This is an amazing program. I like how it is a short time period so I don't have to remember to do it everyday for a whole year. It is quicker so I can make connections between the Old and New Testaments and different books.

Wish me luck,
Rehm

Summer is Going to Kill Me

2011-06-07T12:47:00.000-05:00

We are only on Day Two of Summer Vacation and I am ready for the school year to start. I know we are all just getting adjusted to the different pace and schedule that summer brings. But, my goodness! My kids are whiny brats!

As of today, Day Two of Summer, I've already done the one thing I swore I would not do this summer. I took all four children to the grocery store to do the weekly shopping. Honestly, the car ride to and from the store were probably more annoying than the actual store time. And this is after re-arranging seats this weekend to split up the bickering children. Apparently, one certain child, that will remain nameless, just can't help but bug their seat mate.

At the store itself, Charlotte got mad that I wouldn't let her ride in the cart. She is almost 8! What is she thinking? Ruby and Eliza Claire insisted on riding in a cart even though I told them they are really getting too big. Their argument consisted of reminding me they are only four. So I'm taking that to mean when they turn five later this month the cart goes.

Of course, after procuring the humongo cart with the added two seats that is impossible to steer, five minutes into the shopping the girls didn't want to sit in it. Bummer for them, that wasn't a choice. I told them they were the ones who wanted to ride and ride they would, for the entire shopping time. I wonder if they will be so insistent about riding next time?

Rehm and Charlotte actually got a few Camp Life Skills lessons while shopping. Rehm was in charge of keeping a running total of what we had spent so far and Charlotte was in charge of marking things off the list.

Hopefully, we will all survive the first week of summer. I know it will get easier as we all get used to spending so much time together, but I really hope I don't have to take them all to the store again any time soon.

Jenn

Eliza Claire Cuteness

2011-06-05T14:34:00.001-05:00

She calls the refrigerator the refrigdidator (re-frig-di-date-or).

She and Michael are currently watching college baseball together on TV. She is asking about a million questions. It is too cute. But the cutest thing is that she keeps calling the umpire the "empire."

Reading the Bible in 90 Days? Seriously?

2011-06-02T10:55:00.001-05:00

Over 350 people from our church are participating in The Bible in 90 Days program this summer. When it was first announced I thought "no way!" How in the world would I read the entire Bible in 90 days? Over the summer no less, with four kids to occupy.

I've made an effort in the last year to get out of my comfort zone and push myself physically and emotional. I've also made it a priority to understand who I am and what I am capable of and stopped beating myself up about not doing everything. In this year of self discovery, I've determined that I am very much the tortoise and not the hare.

I can't do things in a fast and furious manner. Especially when starting a new habit. If I do, I burn out in a week or two and then feel like a failure when I don't stick to the new regimen. I have found that I do better to make small goals and build on them.

For example, I started doing the Couch to 5K program in mid-March. The first day I almost talked myself out of doing it because I truly didn't believe I could do it. But I realized I would definitely fail, if I didn't try and trying alone was a success in and of itself. I should have completed the program as of this week. I'm not quite halfway. Do I feel like I have failed? Nope, because I have tried something new and stuck with it for nine weeks. Will I ever complete the program and run a 5K? Probably, but if I don't, I have still been successful. I've tried something way outside my comfort zone and given it my best effort. I'm slow, but I'm doing it in a way that works for me and who I am.

My personal motto this year has become, "I am tortoise hear me...plod." Yep, boring and down right anti-climatic, but completely and totally who I am. Progress, no matter how slow, change, no matter how small, are my successes.

How does someone who has embraced taking the slow and steady approach to the world end up committing to read the Bible in 90 days? I don't really know. My first response to my Bible Study group was, "I'm the tortoise not the hare and this is totally the hare's approach. I'm scared!"

I am scared. I am a tortoise. I am a slow reader. I don't do well with big change. This is a big change, requiring about 45 minutes of reading every day for 90 days! I've never read the Bible all the way through. I've read chunks but never the whole thing. I've failed at so many projects that required me to jump in with both feet and do something different.

I'm also very excited. I'm out of my comfort zone and I've learned this year that is a good place for me to be. I am growing and stretching and challenging myself by attempting something I don't feel capable of doing. I feel empowered by trying something new and by testing myself.

I'm four days in to the reading. I've completed Genesis. All the stories were familiar but this is the first time in my life I've read every last single word in Genesis and I did it in 4 days!

Will I complete this journey in 90 days? I intend to. Will I be a better person for doing this? Yes! I will have accomplished something that I didn't think I was capable of and I know God will stretch me spiritually through this process as well. I am excited. I am the tortoise but for the next 86 days I will be impersonating the hare.

Wish me luck and say a prayer for my endurance. I'm sure I'll be posting more about it as the summer progresses.

Jenn

PS. I'll be posting on Facebook everyday when I complete my reading. This is my way of being accountable during the process.

Incognito

2011-05-26T08:30:00.001-05:00

Eliza Claire: Mama, with my sunglasses on they won't recognize me.

Me: Who won't recognize you?

Eliza Claire: The mosquitos!

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Preschool Graduation for the LAST Time!

2011-05-19T21:14:00.001-05:00

It's official! I only have big kids. No more little kids in the Mayhem Mania. And, no more paying preschool tuition!

The girls did a great job at their graduation. The program was cute. They marched in.

They did the pledge of allegiance. We saw a slide show of the kids from throughout the year. The kids performed 4 or 5 songs, including Deep in the Heart of Texas and a cute poem Kindergarten Here We Come. They looked like they were having a really good time. The ceremony concluded with the passing out of "diplomas."

I had to laugh, Eliza Claire was having a horrible time with her mortar board. It kept sliding back and when she would pull it forward it would make her hair get in her eyes. It was a never ending cycle. She was getting very frustrated but luckily managed to make it through the program with out ripping it off or bursting into tears. It reminded me of Charlotte's graduation where her mortar board fell into the choir loft during the program.

It was a great end to an amazing school year.

Note the shoes

I can't believe I have two Kindergarteners! How did that happen?
Jenn

Tea Party Fun

2011-05-17T20:08:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we were invited to a three generation tea. It was so much fun. The night before I decided after spending the whole day at the ballpark that I needed a little crafting therapy and bought supplies to make me and my girls hats for the occasion. I got to the craft store about a half an hour before closing so I had to be quick. Having just seen the royal wedding our hats ended up a bit more ostentatious than they might otherwise have been. I had so much fun making the hats. And luckily, all the girls loved them.

When buying hat supplies the first thing I spotted were birds. I bought one for each girl in their favorite color and then picked one for me as well. Then I looked for affordable flowers in coordinating colors for everyone. Last I bought a single spool of ribbon that would work with all the hats. One hot glue gun, an hour of time and lots of eye-rolling from Michael and I had four hats perfect for a tea party.

The girls were each thrilled with their hats. I got lucky in that they all agreed to wear the dresses I suggested that I knew would look great with their hats. Then we went to my closet to find jewelry and accessories. Overall, I think it all came together nicely.

One side story about my hat. When I was picking my flowers I spotted artificial money plant. It immediately took me back to my childhood as my grandmother grew it in her garden. She would let the seed stalks dry, cut them and then peel the outer layers of the seed pod off to reveal the silvery round pieces. She would then use the stalks in flower arrangements. I loved getting to help with the money plant and always thought it was so pretty. So upon spotting it in the craft store I knew I had to have it for my hat.

The tea was such a lovely event. There were 14 of us in all. The tables were beautifully set in the garden. The refreshments were divine and everyone had a wonderful, relaxing time. The really neat thing is all three families have know each other for 35+ years.

The tea even included a fashion show of the seven girls in attendance. They did a great job of showing off their fancy attire.

We had so much fun. It was the great end to a crazy weekend. And it was something I hope my girls remember for a long time.

Jenn

Grumpy Snakes Running Club

2011-05-13T16:39:00.002-05:00

I call it a running club, but I use the terms running and club loosely. About two months ago I decided to start the Couch to 5K program. It is a nine week program that takes you from not running to being able to complete a 5k. The program uses walking and running intervals to get you accustomed to running. You start out alternating between running 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds. Every week your increase the amount of time you spend running. I had a couple of different Facebook friends who started this program before I did. They kept posting their work outs and I decided I should give it a try. If it were not for Facebook I would have never tried of doing this.

I downloaded an app for my iPhone (C25K). I love it because it tells me when to run and walk - I don't have to keep up with anything and it allows me to make notes on each days exercise so I can see my progress. I will say that I had been working out regularly for 6 or so months prior to starting the program and the first week I thought I would die! OK, and the second week, too! So I don't truly believe you could go from being a complete couch potato to doing this program, maybe I'm wrong but I'm just giving you my experience.

I am currently stuck on week 4. Actually I alternate between week 2 and week 4. And honestly I still can't complete week 4 as it is laid out. It has two different five minute running intervals and two that are three minutes. I can't do the five minute ones so I cut them down to 3 or 4 minutes each. I am making progress and I will complete week 4 this month! But, I've decided that this is more a process than a goal. I do not see it as failure that I'm stuck. I see it as success that I haven't given up. Will I eventually finish the program? You bet! Will I finish it in 9 weeks? Definitely not! Am I enjoying the challenge and process? Wholeheartedly! Will I eventually run a real 5K? I don't know.

I do my running outside on a wonderful local trail. One of the things I love so much about the trail is all of the nature I see. Wildflowers, Squirrels, scorpions, fish, cardinals, water birds, turtles and snakes seem to be the most common. The snakes have one spot that they always hang out. At least 75% of the time I can find at least one, sometimes several. I hate snakes! They give me the heebeejeebees. But I love looking for them on my runs. Luckily they are water snakes and are a good 20 feet or so away when I see them.

Since my kids refer to my working out as "Mommy getting her grumpies out," and I always look for the snakes on my jaunts down the trail the name Grumpy Snakes Running Club seemed appropriate. And you all know, I have to name everything. Now I just need the t-shirt...

This series of pictures is of one of the skinnier species of snakes I see. I happened to catch this one on the move.

If anyone knows what kind of snakes these are please let me know. I have no idea but am curious.

Jenn

PS. These pictures did not come from a Grumpy Snakes outing. One morning while doing Grumpy Snakes, I saw a big snake covered in moss or other green stuff. I was so annoyed that I couldn't get a good picture of it with my phone, that when I got finished running, I came home and got my good camera with the good super zoom lens. By the time I got back, the moss covered snake was gone or had washed off the moss and these two snakes were in its place. In the course of taking these pictures my camera "broke," the manual focus/auto focus button literal came off my lens. The pictures are not as good as I wanted them to be but the best I could do given the circumstances. I wish my good camera wasn't so heavy so I could run with it every day and capture all the fun things I see. I have taken my lens to be repaired and am anxiously awaiting its return.

Crazy but Useful Tip

2011-05-13T16:26:00.001-05:00

A friend mentioned to me that she had read this tip and I filed it away for future use. I've tested it twice and it really does work. What is it? You can use hand sanitizer for deodorant.

I was skeptical but hurried thru a shower the other day and inadvertently left the house without deodorant I happened to visit a public restroom that had hand sanitizer and decided to give it a try. It totally worked. Hand sanitizer is definitely easier to locate in a pinch than the real stuff. Now if you ever end up in this predicament you'll know the quick fix.

Yeah, I know this is a random somewhat weird post but I'm all for sharing my secrets.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Seriously?

2011-05-08T21:09:00.001-05:00

This afternoon I took a nap. You notice I didn't say I enjoyed a nap or that the nap was a treat. It wasn't! First the lawnmower and weed eater were too loud. Then the kids kept coming in to ask me questions instead of asking their dad. But the icing on the cake: Rehm came in when his grandparents called. They wanted to know if we needed anything from the store for the dinner Michael was preparing. "Well son, that's a question for your Dad, ask him," I responded.

Rehm: He's not here.

Me: Where is he?

Rehm: At the store.

Me: So do you think he needs Grandma and Grandpa to get anything from the store?

Rehm: Oh, yeah, probably not.

Seriously, he had to wake me up for that one?!

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Another One

2011-05-08T20:35:00.001-05:00

Charlotte lost another tooth tonight right after going to bed. She has two more that are loose. I hope the Tooth Fairy is more timely this time. She just showed up this morning, sometime after Charlotte got up, to leave her money for the tooth she lost Friday.

At bed time I thanked Charlotte for making me feel special on Mother's Day. She responded, "Mommy, thank you for making me feel like a special Charlottie every day of the year!" Can I just say, that was the best Mother's Day present EVER!

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

The Tooth Fairy Is Too Busy

2011-05-07T13:02:00.001-05:00

Charlotte lost her third tooth yesterday at school. He top two teeth are loose and so is another on the bottom. I'm afraid they are all going to fall out at once and Charlotte is going to be on a soft food diet.

Charlotte dutifully put her tooth under her pillow last night but the silly ol' tooth fairy didn't come! I told Charlotte a lot of kids must have lost teeth yesterday and she was running behind. Charlotte is not very happy with the tooth fairy today. She better show up tonight.
Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Fun in First Grade

2011-05-04T10:04:00.001-05:00

Charlotte's class has been busy hatching chickens this week. They have one more that will hatch today.

These hatched overnight

These were still wet and drying in the incubator before moving on with their older siblings above.

Charlotte was so excited to get to school this morning to se her baby chicks.

In a week or two they will all be going to live on a farm.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Before and After

2011-05-01T20:11:00.001-05:00

Rehm was long overdue for a hair cut. He couldn't decide what he wanted so we kept putting it off. After 24 hours camping in 90+ degree temps he was finally ready for a cut.

Before:

After:

I kind of liked the shaggy look though it did need some shaping. His dad is thrilled with the new shorter traditional look. Rehm? He seems pretty indifferent. Doesn't seem to like or dislike it, even though it is what he asked for. I guess hair just isn't important to him.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

The Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T12:11:00.001-05:00

Charlotte and I had been talking about the upcoming nuptials for a few days. We decided that we would wake up in time to see the actual ceremony live. When we were discussing this and what time the coverage started, Rehm thought it was ridiculous that coverage was starting two hours prior to the event. Then I pointed out that he was at that very moment watching the NFL draft and that it was several months before the season even started. He didn't get my point but his father told him he needed to give up his argument at that time.

I am not a morning person. That is actually a drastic understatement. I despise getting up before 7:00am. But I wanted to create a special memory for my Charlotte. I remember watching Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding, well the replay. No one watched it with me nor got me up early to watch it. Honestly, I don't even think I knew it was happening until I turned on the TV and wedding coverage was my only choice on all three channels we could pick up. I was at my grandparents that day and I'm sure I watched the CBS coverage as that is the station my grandfather always watched in the mornings.

So, in the spirit of making special memories, I set my clock for 5:00am. Ugh! When the alarm went off I thought seriously about going back to sleep until 6:00. Charlotte would still have time to see all the good parts. But I had told her we would watch it live so I forced myself to get up.

We brought a quilt downstairs and curled up together on the couch. When we turned on the TV Kate was walking down the aisle! Perfect timing.

We ended up rewinding a bit so we could start with Kate leaving the hotel. We had so much fun watching, talking about the dress, all the amazing hats, and the ceremony. This time with Charlotte was sweet, simple and perfect.

Around 6:00am Rehm joined us. I swear that child asked a thousand questions in the hour he watched with us. Everything from why Prince Phillip wasn't a king and what rank in the military Price Charles had to why there were lamps in the choir loft. The child did not have a single thought that was not verbalized.

When we arrived at school I was glad to see the boy head to his class and know I wouldn't be answering incessant questions for the next seven hours. I apologized to Charlotte's teacher for waking her up early. Then I decided I should stop by Rehm's classroom and apologize to his teacher as well for all the questions I knew she would be getting. Not surprisingly, when I got to his class he was standing in the doorway talking his teacher's ear off.

It was a perfect morning with my two older children. I hope 30 years from now when Kate and Williams child is getting married they will remember and tell their children all about this day.

It was totally worth getting up at 5:00am. I'm just glad I don't have to do it regularly.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

No one is lacking in imagination at our house

2011-04-29T11:57:00.001-05:00

Monday morning Ruby and Eliza Claire were playing a pretend game. They asked me if I would be the grandmother in their game.

They were sisters whose parents had died so they lived with their grandmother. Ruby was named Sara and was 16 and had a boyfriend. Eliza Claire was named Clarabell and was one. Their roles in the game came as no surprise to me as it perfectly personifies their personalities and ambitions.

I asked Ruby, I mean Sara, what happened to their patents. She started with, "well, there was a burn ban..." After suppressing my laughter, I learned the the family had gone camping. Their parents had built a fire despite the burn ban and it got out of hand and they died. She and Clarabell were in the "camping car" so they were safe. Her boyfriend was with them. Since he knew how to drive he brought them home.

Please tell me my kids are not the only ones who repeatedly play pretend games where their parents are dead because this is a very common occurrence at out house.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

One of the many reasons going to church is beneficial

2011-04-17T12:37:00.001-05:00

Sibling bonding time.

And, just so you know, this was actually taken at a meeting following church, not during services. I do have a few picture taking boundaries.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Getting ready for Houston

2011-04-14T16:07:00.001-05:00

Charlotte is going to Houston with Grandma for the weekend. They leave tomorrow after school. We have picked out her outfit for Cats

And her outfit for church

She has all her other stuff in her bag and ready to go.

I hope she has a great trip.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

What happens when Mom takes a nap

2011-04-12T15:40:00.001-05:00

I fell asleep sitting on the couch after the bigs got home from school. I heard someone put something in the microwave and assumed they had decided to have popcorn for snack. A few minutes later I smelled burning popcorn. I rushed to the microwave to get it out and found this.

This used to be two turkey hotdogs. Someone decided to cook them for snack. Said child set the microwave for TEN minutes. I'm not sure how long they actually cooked. Needless to say we have several windows open and our house stinks. The child in question has been reminded that they are only allowed to cook with adult supervision. I'm just glad nothing worse happened.

Sad thing is I'm still sleepy and now a nap is out of the question.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Story of Her Life

2011-04-05T21:39:00.001-05:00

Charlotte did this life cycle for a class at school.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Play Imitating Life

2011-04-04T16:17:00.001-05:00

The three girls are playing with Playmobil. So far I've heard:

These were just so funny I cracked up:
Ruby (playing the part of the mom): Do you like my new outfit? It came free with the frying pan I bought yesterday.

Ruby: I'll feed the baby milk from my breast. I can't get to my breast so I'll need milk out of the fridge.

These just show how much the kids pick up about the adults in their lives:
Charlotte (playing the part of the dad): I'll make pancakes for breakfast and load the dishwasher. Oh, and I'll have coffee for breakfast instead of milk. (Yes, their dad almost always makes their breakfast and empties the dishwasher and usually drinks coffee in the morning).

Charlotte: Today is my birthday - I'm turning 40.

Ruby(still as the mom): I'll walk or maybe run to the show. I went to the Y and practiced this morning.

I promise you Ruby has never, ever heard me say anything about drinking milk. I don't drink any kind of milk, ever. Well, unless you count half and half in my coffee.
Jenn

Crazy or Sick

2011-03-31T16:20:00.001-05:00

Sunday morning Phineas and Isabella had a spat. This was a more dramatic spat than the normal play fighting they do. It left Phineas growling and with the hair raised on his back for a good 30 minutes. It was unusual but not so dramatic I was concerned. We left for church.

We returned home several hours later to find Phineas on the counter in the kitchen growling. When I touched him, his underside was covered in urine. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. I suspected a UTI or a blockage of some sort.

Luckily, our vet has Sunday hours. I called and they said we could bring him in. Then the fun really started. After spending an hour with the cat screaming, and I do mean screaming, growling, hissing and lashing out with claws bared we finally cornered him under a bed and coaxed him out. I promise you, we were much more psychologically scarred by this event than the cat was. In fact, I might have nightmares for years to come. Who knew a ten pound cat could be so terrifying.

When we got to the vet Phineas was acting fine. He would let me pet him, pick him up, etc. The vet kept him overnight and said she found nothing wrong. Our instructions have been to watch him and see what happens. Her three likely diagnoses: urinary blockage that he passed on his own, constipation, or Isabella traumatized him.

When we brought him home he took one look at Isabella, growled, hissed and hid under our bed. He has stayed in our room for the last 48 hours. Anytime Isabella comes in he hisses and growls. I've bought a second litter box and feeding dish so she can stay out of our room. When Isabella isn't around he purrs and is very affectionate and lovable.

Isabella just came in our bedroom. They had a ten minute standoff the ended with much drama from Phineas. Lots of growling and hissing and he is back under the bed hiding and she is once again banished from the bedroom. Who knows how long it will be before he'll decide to emerge.

I have no clue what to do at this point. They've always been inseparable. Guess I'll have to call the vet and find out how to get them to work out their problems.

This was taken Saturday, a mere 24 hours before all the drama. This used to be the norm. I wonder if we will ever get back to this.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Ruby's World

2011-03-25T21:12:00.001-05:00

I gave Ruby a compliment while tucking her into bed tonight. Her response, "thank you, thank you very much! But I'm not going to bow because I'm laying in bed."

She is such a character and you just never know what she'll say next.

At the ball field Ruby attempted a handstand. It consisted of her launching herself face first into the dirt without any effort to catch herself. It was horrifying and hilarious all at the same time.

There's never a dull moment with Ruby around.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Please tell me I'm not alone

2011-03-24T15:19:00.001-05:00

Please tell me that your kids' rooms look like this at least some of the time. Two of my kids' rooms look like this more than the other two but they all look bad. It doesn't seem to matter what I do or what I take away, this seems to continue. I'm not willing to do all the cleaning and bed making myself. I'm open to suggestions. What do you do to combat kid messiness?

Just keeping it real...
Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

New Neighbors?

2011-03-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

Something has moved into the compost bin. I cleaned out the the flower beds this weekend and trimmed the bushes. We added all of that to the compost and now someone has taken up residence.

I wonder who our new neighbors are. I sure hope they aren't trouble makers. Maybe they'll keep the snake that I spotted there a few months ago out of the compost so I wont scream like a girl again. But who knows, the new neighbors may be even more scary than the snake.

Hole Number One - both holes are four inches or so in diameter.

Hole Number Two

Re-working the compost bin is on the Michael and Rehm's to-do list. This one was built ten years ago - on the weekend prior to Rehm's birth. we used all leftover supplies to build it. The builder was nice enough to leave a few fence posts when the house was built and the siding was leftover from building the dog house.

I won't be helping with the new compost bin as long as there are neighbors in residence.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Custom T-shirt Recommendations Needed

2011-03-22T12:27:00.000-05:00

We are going to Disney World later in the year. When we go somewhere crowded I like my kids to wear matching shirts so that they are easier to spot in crowds. We will use shirts we already have for most of the days (Aggie, Tarheel, VBS, Rangers), but I would like to get a fun custom shirt for each child as well.

I have used the iron-on computer printer paper to make a few shirts in the past. They are great as long as I'm putting it on a white shirt but not so great for colors. And great as long as I can design in Publisher - mostly color, words and simple graphics. I know Vista Print will print shirts if you upload your design but I'm Photoshop illiterate (note to self: Learn Photoshop next year when all the kids are finally in school) and not sure how to do something that would end up looking good.


Rehm's Shirt is one I made when the twins were born.

Charlotte's Shirt I made when the Twins were born

I'm not looking for Disney themed shirts. My plan is to do something around the Maniac theme, since that is our family nickname. I'm thinking something with either a theme park setting with a cartoon family of six and the words "Maniacs in the Park." Or "Maniac 1 of 4, Maniac 2 of 4, etc." or "I'm a Maniac!" or "Life is an adventure when you're a MANIAC!" with some kind of graphic and fun fonts.

So if you have good suggestions for places to design a produce the shirts or you have a good design slogan idea for me I would LOVE to hear from you!

Jenn - Mom of the Maniacs - I think I know what my shirt will be...

Leprosy

2011-03-21T10:02:00.001-05:00

Ruby was showing Eliza Claire her thumb that got smashed in the car door last week.

Ruby: Grandma says my fingernail might fall off.

Eliza Claire: Then you'll have leprosy!

Me: No sweetheart, she won't have leprosy, she'll just get a new nail.

Eliza Claire: Well, they have medicine for leprosy now.

My goodness, she is a stubborn girl. She isn't arguing over the leprosy anymore but she thinks I'm totally wrong.

Edited to add: my girls know what leprosy is simply because they attend Sunday school.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Theology According to Eliza Claire

2011-03-20T19:57:00.001-05:00

Mom? God is in charge of Jesus, right?

That's OK, they are both boys.

God and Jesus are in charge of all of us.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Ruby and the Hunger Strike

2011-03-18T08:52:00.001-05:00

On the way to the movies today both Ruby and Eliza Claire asked for raisins. I had one baggie of raisins and told Eliza Claire I would put some from the bag in a container for her . Ruby was not happy! She started pitching a major fit. Then she said, "If you give some of my raisins to Eliza Claire then I won't eat any raisins!" followed by, "I'm not going to eat anything you give me! Ever!"

Don't you just love preschooler logic? She wanted raisins. She had raisins. She would not eat any raisins because some of the raisins were shared with her sister. How is that better? What part of none of what you want is better than some of what you want?

She quickly forgot about her hunger strike when we got to the theater and I handed her a bag of popcorn.

St. Patrick's Day Goodies

2011-03-17T22:41:00.000-05:00

I came across a couple of recipes that I wanted to try for St. Patrick's Day treats for the Maniacs. Both were hits.

I actually followed this recipe almost exactly. My only change was to add more Tabasco (1 tsp). I baked some today but have enough dough in the fridge to make two more batches. They are great still warm from the oven and really good room temperature. I do like that I didn't have to make all of them at once.

I intended to follow this recipe but Ruby was grocery shopping with me and insisted she would not eat chocolate cake. So I made yellow cake whoopie pies with green food coloring and plain vanilla frosting (recipe below). My cakes came out brown around the edges and firm but sticky on the outside - when you pick them up a layer of cake sticks to your fingers. Not sure what I did wrong. But, they taste really yummy.

Butter Cream Frosting
recipe is from my friend Ashley

2 sticks butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tsp. Vanilla
2-4 tbsp. Milk if needed

Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar a cup at a time blending well. Add vanilla. If needed, add milk a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Somebody's Sleepy

2011-03-17T17:19:00.001-05:00

I just love pictures of my kids sleeping. She fell asleep on the way home from the movies. I think she didn't get enough rest at the sleepover with her sisters last night.

Jenn - Posted from my iPhone

Poor Maniacs

2011-03-16T15:15:00.001-05:00

Everyone was so excited. We were going to the movies this afternoon. We had picked our movie and knew when and where it was playing. Mid morning I told the kids to turn off the TV that we would have no more screens (TV, computer, video games, etc.) until we went to the movies. I didn't want them to be on screen overload before we ever got there. About an hour later, I came downstairs to find one of the Maniacs watching Toy Story 3 on their iPod. I promptly told the maniac in question that they would not be going to the movies but would be calling Grandma to see if she was available to babysit while the rest of us went to the movies. Then it came out that the other three Maniacs had also been watching the movie. Bummer! No movie for anyone today.

The most frustrating part of this incident was that three of the Maniacs took responsibility for their part in watching the movie when they weren't supposed to and accepted the consequences, while the other Maniac kept explaining how it was not their fault but the fault of all others involved. But it was the Maniac in question's iPod and room they were all in. Said Maniac was the main culprit but completely unable to own up to their part. This is an ongoing battle with this child that drives me crazy and concerns me about their future. At some point this child has to learn that they make choices that have consequences, period, end of story, regardless of who else was involved or the circumstances. You have to own your choices and the fall out from said choices. I have yet to convince this child of this fact, but I have not and will not stop trying.

I have to say, I'm not really sad that we missed the movie today. We were planning to see Gnomeo and Juliet. The very first time I saw the preview I swore I would not be seeing it as it looked really dumb. However, it seems to be the only thing out right now that won't terrify at least one of the Maniacs. They think they want to see Mars Needs Moms but I have a feeling at least one of the girls would get too scared in it which means we can't see it when only one parent is going.

Maybe we will try again tomorrow. Maybe they will be better listeners then.

Jenn