Life with the 5 Vs

Life, Liberty and 113 degrees

2009-07-23T22:40:00.001-07:00

So, it has been a little while since I posted. Almost 4 months. Is that a sentence? It's been hot here. Not a lot new there.

In that short time frame we found a house. Bought it. Moved in. Etc. We're just trying to unpack and get settled in. Graeme just finished 2 months of Summer Swim team. In the prelims, he came in 13th out of 50 5-7 year olds in the freestyle. He rocked it! I can't swim the butterfly and he makes it look effortless.

One of Graeme's swim meets....note the hard core Mohawk and Amber necklace. His swim teacher liked it, so he wanted to give her one as a thank you. The necklace, not the mohawk. It was sweet.

Not in the water yet (looking down in the water - 2nd in line behind the dude squatting)

Backstroke - top of picture.

He's in the closest lane in this one (freestyle).

A brief (thankfully) Star Wars obsession thanks to Aunt Cacie.

The two older kids love to help Kaatje try to walk. She enjoys it.

When I can't find Kaatje, she has usually curled up in her favorite chair just sitting there all by herself.

Heidi is a great big sister. :)

See, I love it when Heidi reads to me. Note the stools. Kaatje is sitting on Grandpa Jimmy's handmade stool and Heidi is sitting on Grandma Be Be's.
Well, it's official. I LOVE blackberries.

Playdate with a friend at the new house.

Blue Lily

2009-03-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

So we had a wonderful photography session at a local hot spot for special occasions by an awesome photographer recommend by my dear friend Rachel. We sooo needed a family picture!

Here are some of the shots....and I actually have to CHOOSE which ones to frame. Who can choose???

Aren't they ADORABLE....

One of my favorites of K

Back on the home front...

2009-02-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Playgroup party

One of our "wheels day" playdates at our house.

One of our couple friends had a wonderful idea for Valentine's Day date night....a kid trade. We were both able to go out that weekend and have a few precious hours of good conversation...and our kids had a blast playing together.

Two cuties born just days apart!

More of the cuties mastering their sitting techniques....

The two Hs doing what they do best....pretending!

Daddy & H at the zoo on our favorite animal...the carousel!

Our mommies group has signed up to host a Music Together like class every week at the park. The kids LOVE it!!

Been a while...massive updates

2009-02-26T17:35:00.000-08:00

Seth's parents and brother came out for Christmas. We all had a good time enjoying the weather...and opening gifts. We had to bag up three bags of previously loved toys to give away to make room for this year's generosity.

H as a moose, courtesy of Uncle Kirk.

G loved the rifle that Grandpa Jimmy got him...here he is trying to figure out how to load the caps.

A dish set and a Rubix cube...two happy kiddos. :)

Grandpa John and Baby K

H loved her purse. It's a big hit with the gals when they come over for dress up.

In January, the baby started sitting up by herself. I love progression even though I know it's supposed to happen and she is doing everything in a typical way, it is still amazing to watch.

The kids and I went back to Illinois in for almost 4 weeks...I wish I could say it was all fun....but I was working the whole time. We called it typing. H still tells stories of mommy having to go "type." We actually moved the store into our MUCH larger space AND worked on taxes....AH!

Here is a little of what Bon and I worked on....

While we were slaving away....the kids had a blast playing in the snow!

Uncle Ethan took the kids sledding - WF style. :) He couldn't find a sled, so he hooked up the top of a wheelbarrow to the 4-wheeler for a rocking good time. The kids loved it!

Some families like to play games together, have a meal together, share a laugh...mine engages in family play(dough) night....what can I say, I come by my love of playdough honestly. Yes, the kids made playdough with grandma. We wouldn't dream of making such fun shapes out of the canned stuff. LOL.

A little taste of the snow storm....and there goes Grandma Bebe's awing....

Uncle Ethan and friends....

Great Grandma Harriet and friends, F is posing...

Grandpa Jimmy and Grandma Trena and friends....
still posing....and a great picture of the sprained wrist of little I

And who wouldn't love it when their big sister reads to them....

"Mom, I'm so sinky"

2008-12-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

Children really are adorable...but sometimes trying to figure out what they are trying to tell/ask you is so complicated....and then, just plain hilarious.

Heidi just came to me and said, "Mom I'm so sinky." Of course, I respond, "You're stinky? Do you need a bath?"

She says, "No,mom, I'm sinky."

Me..."You're sinking?"

"No, I need a sink," which is how she pronounces DRINK.

"Oh, you're thirsty...." LOL.

Last night we busied ourselves making gingerbread and sugar cookie dough. Our cookies may not look as pretty, but they taste delicious and I would recommend the recipes above!

A hint...before refrigerating your dough, divide it and put it in freezer size ziploc bags and roll it out in the bag...the kids can help, it stacks well, and is ready to go when you are - plus it cuts down on flour mess.

Today we did the cutting and baking....

A little eggnog break...

...and the decorating...whew, an all day project.

Voila!

We also made Holiday Eggnog. It's delicious, recipe courtesy of a family from our small group. I would say it is more milknog, than eggnog, but man, it's good nog and you'll have to spike it to your liking, as the recipe is kid (and breastfeeding/preggo mama) friendly!
RECIPE UPDATE: On my second batch I added a third egg to the mix...it seems perfect and a bit more eggnoggy without being overwhelming...HTH!

Winter "colds"

2008-12-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

So, the kids have been a little down and out of it with a cold this week. Heidi being the worst, but a trooper nonetheless. We have all been shut up in the house and really feeling it! Tomorrow K and I will set up shop at the Momma's Organic Market in town and see if we can't sell a few things.

Yesterday the kiddos and I went to take a picture with Santa. I really needed to get out Christmas cards and thought the best way to do that would be to have an organized picture. Graeme, of course, is into telling everyone that Santa's not real and seemed to care less when given the opportunity to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. I hadn't really prepped him that he would be asked that question. So he stared blankly at me. Heidi just didn't want to get anywhere near him. They offered to let her sit in the little red chair in front. She thought that was ok.

The infamous picture (oooh, I hope it's ok that I post it here...)

Santa takes a great picture....I loaded it up on Snapfish and sent the cards off to be printed at Wal-greens....they called this morning and wouldn't print them because it was a "professional" picture. LOL. I had to edit it, crop it, fix the color...oh well. Here is it, I didn't *really* want to send out Santa pictures anyway. So we all head up stairs and we had our own photo session this morning...and this is what we ended up with. So, all of you that are getting cards....enjoy!

I loved this one of them and the baby making a silly face...

So, every Sunday we make pancakes. The kids LOVE this. They ask for them every day...but it's a special treat I save for the weekends, and they love to help. My pancake hint - add a mashed banana to every cup of flour (or mix if you are *that* kind...lol). It's a great way to make the pancakes taste sweet without extra sugar and use up that banana that is starting to brown up.
My silly chefs...

I'm not a dog mom.

2008-12-12T20:09:00.000-08:00

So this week has been fun. Monday we went to "Tot Town." The kids love all the little stations that are set up. G loves to try to dribble and make a few baskets when he isn't scooting around on the scooter.

H has a specific scooter that she really likes and she drags it around the gym not letting anyone else get near it. Here she has given up the scooter...finally...for the dollhouse.

After playing we grabbed some lunch and they each got a bag of "Scooby Snacks" (little bone shaped graham crackers). When we got to the park, H started eating her snacks.

Her comment, "These are not for puppies. These are for me, and I'm *not* a dog."

My two monkeys.

Friday we headed over to another park. G had been asking to go to the "spaceship park" so it was good time.

More playdough party

Baby time...

The wrap and the tree...and Wookie in the wrap.

Playdough Party

2008-12-07T08:44:00.001-08:00

H wasn't feeling very well this morning, so while dad and G went to church, H, K and I stayed home.

So...H and I made playdough. What a fun activity! I remember doing this with my mom and with my grandma H. Grandma H always had fun activities to do. Last night I called her to get her recipe for blackberry cobbler. Yummy! She has great recipes too...for all who know her.

This is an awesome project to do with your kiddos...they love it! And they will remember it as fondly as I do.

Playdough Recipe

* 1 cup Flour
* 1 cup Water
* 1/2 cup Salt
* 2 tablespoons Cream of Tartar
* 1 tablespoon Oil
* Food coloring

Mix ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to stick together.

Cook 1-2 minutes longer until it is a smooth playdough like texture.
Eating the cookie is optional.

Turn it out onto wax paper. Divide into balls, make a well in each ball, add a few drops of food coloring.

Knead it.

All done! And we only have food coloring on our face and hands. Not bad. :)

Now comes the fun part!!! We made a family, beds, a little tent, table & chairs. H was so happy with her little family. We had to have a brother, sister and baby.

Then we squished it up and made a four layer snowman. That's the fun of playdough!

Baby...yeah!! We did our first full back to belly and then back to back roll today!! K had been doing belly to back for a month, but not able to make the transition back to belly....and today. Mastered!! :)

Swimming, friends and the Mommy's Boutique

2008-12-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Today K and I went to a WAHM Boutique. It was a lot of fun. There are so many talented ladies in our group. It's always amazing to see what everyone does!

Busy shopper gals. (I took more pictures but my camera didn't....lol)

Friday is our swimming day. G and H love their swimming classes. I think it is neat because both their classes are at the same time so neither of them has to wait for the other. The classes are only 2:1 so they get excellent instruction. H's teacher wasn't there today, so as she was walking up to the new teacher she says, "Jacky isn't here today." That was that. It was super cute and she mentioned it several times. It's interesting the schedule and routine that children get used to and what they remember.

H is working on back floating alone.

Goggle G

Daddy's tasty arm.

December 4

2008-12-04T19:28:00.000-08:00

Today was my (A) birthday. I'm 32. I always thought that was old. Wow. That's all perspective. I remember thinking that in the year 2000 I would be 24. And that too, I thought was crazy old. Again, all about perspective. I hope it's obvious that I no longer feel that way. Now I don't think we ever get old, but I do know that our bodies, well, they get creaky.

So we all went to the park today. My mommies group was going, so we met up with them. I love my mommies group. I am so happy I found them last year. G, H & K and I stopped by the Bakery and picked up some fantastic cupcakes to bring along. I think we all enjoyed them!

G & H had some trouble loving their friends today. They both got to sit on the sidewalk for a while trying to remember to be nice. We may have to take a break from big groups of our friends or something. They do so well when it is just them, or with one or two extra friends...but the big groups no so much. Oh well. Life.

Other than those few moments they had fun. H and her little gal pals found these interesting red berries and gathered them all up into a pile. They were trying to bury them to grow more trees.

Still working on swinging

We all went to PF Chang's for dinner tonight. We sat outside. They had the propane heaters burning. We were the only ones outside, so it was really peaceful. Well, aside from the rushing traffic, but otherwise it was peaceful. It was a nice birthday. I am thankful for the wonderful 32 years I have had on this earth. Thankful for my wonderful family, the one that I grew up in and the one I am attempting to grow. I am thankful for the plan that God has for us all, as He well knows we can't do anything apart from Him...

More baby facetime

Reminisce...H, not K

Bubble paper, it's the little things

2008-12-03T17:38:00.001-08:00

So, when you know you have to do something, you take more pictures and you find a moment to sit down and actually write something.

We got two boxes delivered today. One was 6 bottles of Bac-out. Love this stuff!! Courtesy of free shipping & 50% off deal. So sweet I had to order more. The second box was a box filled with brown paper and bubble wrap and my birthday presents from J & M. Thank you!

The kids had a ball popping the bubble paper....yes the helmets were necessary for safety. Have you popped bubble paper?

Zoom Zoom

Who said chics can't dig batteries.

"If you just have this connected it here goes 5 mph instead of 2.5 mph"

"Thanks for *all* your help G, I'm already done"

Let's ride.

Zoom Zoom

Thought the baby needed some face time.

Tuesday @ the Park

2008-12-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

Gee...where would we be without our coffee on a somewhat frigid morning...ok so it was like 69 degrees. That's cold here! And it isn't coffee, it's a Vanilla Steamer.

Look sis....it's forward and then back. If you pump with your feet and lean back you'll get it...keep trying H!

Just another day in jail...at the park.

Yeah, of all the sand here, I have to dig a hole under the swings. Come on, it's logical.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

We went up north to Sedona for Thanksgiving. We stayed in Oak Creek Canyon in a "forest house"...basically a little cabin in the canyon right on the creek. We had to drive over the creek as it was rushing to get to the other side. Our cabin was right on the creek so we fell asleep to the sound of the water rushing and the fire crackling in the fireplace....it was fabulous. No internet access, no phones, just peace. The leaves were changing colors...it was spectacular.

We drove to the Grand Canyon and had PB & J sandwiches on Thanksgiving. The concept was really cool. There was snow on the ground, I bet it would have been really beautiful if it wasn't for all the fog. We couldn't see anything. LOL. Oh well, it was beautiful in Sedona though.

In the woods...

In the fog...

Not enough time

2008-11-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

So...we will attempt this. More because I think it will be fun to share, but I really don't know how good I will be at keeping up with it.

Random pictures...

Right after K was born...

The big brother and sister - soooo happy!

S, A & G (H was sleeping) in Denver - June 2006

S, A & G in Cancun - August 2005