Giant

I often wonder if the backyard in the first house I really remember was truly as huge as my memory makes it. I would love to go back and check it out, just to see.

I wonder why ants like to attack us great big things with their ferocious bite and cause serious cankles!

I wonder if a certain daughter of mine was truly just trying to get her way or really believes what she said to her elder sister, "well, mom is a giant to us".

I'm not that much taller than them, but I wonder if she truly thinks I am a GIANT to them???

Big Stud

Here he is...

Before...


and after...

WHAT A STUD

Quick update:
24 lbs 10 oz (75%)
29 1/2 inches long (40%)
19 1/2 head circ. (greater than 97%)

I'll post his adorable video of him eating his cake when I figure out how to edit it and just put the good stuff on it... it is quite long.

Reading minds...

Anyone good at that? Neither am I... One morning Bryan was getting the girls some breakfast and... as usual... Rachael was having a hard time telling him what she wanted. She comes in and expects us to know. Most mornings she does request the same thing, but when we happen to be out of Frosted Mini Wheats, she has to choose something else. Bryan told her that he can't read minds. Emma interjects and says that Mrs. Nester can. Oh, really. Bryan told her that she is a teacher she can do that. She responded... "well, maybe she can teach you how." I wish!!! Bryan and I got a good laugh out of that one!

Blog Catch-up

It isn't just my blog I have to catch up on... I need to read all of yours too.

1. prayer time/favorite lines... At our house lately prayer time has gotten quite dramatic! AHHH! We have to constantly tell Rachael to close her eyes. Madeline stalls as long as possible.. who knows why. She says great prayers..... some of my favorite lines from Madeline lately...

thank you that Jacob can not have pee-pee accidents in his diaper

thank you for my friends, that I can go to their house, and they can come to our house

thank you for MOMMY and DADDY (angrily)... [that was tonight, she was mad at me]

thank you that my grandma Hirschi can not die.. [I prayed for my grandma Hirschi one night by name and it has stuck with her!]

I wish I could remember more... if I do, I will just edit this post.. not for you, but for me...

Madeline is just at a great age for saying funny things... one day when I was taking Jacob to the Doctor she asked me if we were going to use the "elegator"... a couple Sunday's ago I was taking her to the bathroom and as we walked past a classroom she said to me.. "that's the spanking corner"... GREAT! my child will never be able to have class in that room! I couldn't control it I burst out laughing.. when I got back to the chapel I asked Bryan if he knew what she was talking about. apparently he did... enough said.

2. Half truths... so is it bad to tell your child-who will not sit in her car seat without a serious battle- that if she doesn't sit in her "safe seat" the police could catch me and put me in jail. I guess, oh well if it is because I did...if I have scarred poor Madeline for life, I will just have to fix it somehow.. She was so stressed out over it for a couple of days that she just kept asking about why the bad guys would come and take me and put me in jail. I explained to her that I would be the bad guy for not putting her in the best safe seat and keeping her safe... and that's why the good guys who were just trying to protect her would put me in jail. My favorite comment about this was when I was buckling her carseat one day and she looks at me with the most sincere eyes I've seen on a child and says "mom if the bad guys take you and put you in jail, I won't have a mommy anymore." I did reassure her that she would have a mommy I would just be in jail. I guess this worked. We don't fight over which chair she will sit in anymore. However I have noticed that she likes to take her arms out of ther straps... urggghh... battle #2.

Side note... a couple of days after this happened... I was on my way home from the grocery store and listening to Delilah... I know Tami... I listen to it... I don't think its her that I am drawn to. It must be the music... because at night I don't like loud-bangy-annoying music that maybe during the day wasn't so annoying. At night, I like calm-soothing-music... I like to go to my "safe place" as Delilah put it. She totally cracked me up when she said that. Of course the people she was asking if they had a safe place are those that need to get away from a cheating spouse, or troubled teens... etc... huh??? Does your life have to be in shambles to have a safe place. I have several... my bedroom... one of the only rooms in my house that is 95% of the time clean... and free of clutter... which is probably why the rest of my house is cluttered... the couch upstairs is another place... I can just veg in front of the tv.... anywhere in my house that I here children laughing instead of screaming is a good place for me...

3. Fiddling around... my good friends have introduced me to a new world... coupon-ing... is that a word?? so I get the paper on Saturday... I usually start out by checking out the coupons, then read the front page if something looks interesting... then check the arts section... I happened to come across an ad for Fiddler on the Roof starring Topol (the original cast member playing Tevya). I love musicals. It started on Tuesday and only ran seven days. So I asked Bryan if he wanted to go, and I bought tickets. Viola! It was so fun! We didn't have the greatest seats, but so long as you can hear, and don't get stuck behind someone too tall..... there isn't really a bad seat. It had been a long time since we had been to a play. It was fabulous! If you get a chance to see it in your area I recommend it.

4. Field Day... Fun! Fun! Fun!

I love the end of the school year, about as much as I love the beginning! I look forward to not having to wake up, and get everyone ready, and be somewhere.. can we just be lazy for a few days??? Anyway... Emma and Rachael had such a good time at field day. The PTA and PE instructors did such a good job this year organizing everything. Rachael, Emma, and Ethan (cousin) all took first in the sack race.. I promise we didn't practice... Rachael took first in the dash, Emma fourth, they did kick-the-shoe, a bean bag toss, three-legged race, and a tug-o-war... here are some fun pics...

Emma tugging away....

Rachael and some of her friends...

Emma taking first in the sack race!!

Rachael gets an early lead..

pull harder Rach!

Emma and some classmates

Is it only in my head???, I'm the kid, the rodeo

1. A couple of days ago I woke up in the morning sobbing. This honestly has never happened to the degree it did this morning. I immediately woke Bryan and told him about my awful dream... here goes...

Bryan and I were in a car with his brother's Jared, and Eric, his parents, Tori, and a baby. I think it was supposed to be Eric and Tori's baby because I wasn't attached to it like I would if it were my own. Jared was driving the car. It was extremely snowy and we didn't appear to be on a paved road. Jared missed the first turn and the second, only to discover that the road was not going to allow our car to stop and we fell off a cliff. Everyone except Eric and the baby died. I'm not sure whether Bryan did or not, it was very strange. Anyway. We were in this room where they were having a funeral luncheon of some sort and my children were all there. Bryan was holding Madeline. She could see me but my other kids could not. I kissed her on the forehead sobbing and then I woke up. I missed my children so much and wasn't ready to be parted from them that is why I was crying.

Not a good way to start a morning for most people. I woke up extremely saddened but ready to be kinder and more patient with my kids. I wanted to spend more time with Madeline. I wanted to listen to my kids when they speak to me. I wanted to do all those things with and for my kids that I am not doing now. What a wake up call!!! (Not to be punny!)

I rarely wake up and can remember the details of my dreams let alone a few days later. I think about this often and about how you really just don't know when it will be your time to go, or the time of one of your loved ones. I guess that is why it is so important to do and say things that will have a positive lasting impact as much as humanly possible. I know I slip up every day. But, I am trying. I am really trying!

2. Madeline has turned into quite the little imaginative kid lately. I love it! She tells me all the time that we can dance and she will be the princess and I can be the prince. Afterall, she is the only one with a skirt on. Today, after we got back from the 5k she asked if we could play mom. She was in the garage playing and I was cleaning out the closet in the laundry room. At first I was in the garage with her as she was riding her tricycle. She was such a hoot. She told me that first she needed to fill it up with gas. So she put it next to the van. No idea. She called me sweetie the whole time. It was great. At first I didn't get it, then I started calling her mom. She loved it.

She got some candy for going potty in the big potty. She picked smarties. I got on the phone. While I was talking I coughed. She came in a couple of minutes later with one smartie and asked if I coughed. At first I didn't remember coughing but I could see that this was my medicine. So, I told her I did. She came in several times with my medicine. It is a good thing it wasn't real cough drops or my throat might be numb from all the medicine. At one point she came in and told me she was sorry. She said "I'm sorry sweetie, I have to go on a date." I played a good kid and told her I didn't want her to go. Then she told me she had to go to a meeting. But she told me not to worry because daddy would be home soon. I told her I wanted to go with her. But she told me, "I'm sorry you can't come to my meeting." I asked her why and she said, "because daddy said no." I got a good laugh out of that. I had fun being a kid for a while, and I know she had a good time being a mom!!!

3. Bryan and I went on a date tonight and I wanted to do something different. Something we rarely do. You guessed it, we went to the rodeo. Oh dear! Where do I start. Where I grew up, in the great town of Othello, Washington, we have a fabulous rodeo. It "may not be the biggest, just one of the best." It was awesome! I remember going with my grandpa when I was really little. He always had a rented box. It was so much fun! Tonight was a lot of fun, but hilarious at the same time. It started off with a prayer. Not just any prayer. I tell my kids all the time that we don't say joke prayers.... well, in the realm of cowboys maybe this wasn't a joke prayer, but about half-way into I cracked my eye open to see that Bryan had his eyes open and we were both laughing hysterically. First off, he prayed for all the cowboys out there. By the end he was talking about how he hoped that God would welcome these cowboys in after their last ride where the grass grew up to their stirrups... oh, my... I wish I could remember more of it.

There were two events that we never had in our rodeo. Mutten busting, and I don't know what they called the second one. It was during one of the breaks where all the kids that want to get on the arena, do the chicken dance, (anyone not familar with the chicken dance? don't worry I had no idea what this was until my brother-in-law got married. I think it's a Texas thing??) Anyway, then the release two calves and the kids chase after them. I'm not sure how they determine the winners, but there was two of them. It was a riot. We had a good time! One of the best parts was the rodeo only cost us $5 to park, and $5 a piece for admission!!! Thanks, sweetie, for a good time!

Need for Speed

1. What is it about having a lead foot that eventually bites you in the you know where? Well, I guess it was my turn. After fighting lots of traffic, riding in the HOV lane illegally, finally catching up with the school bus to make Rachael's field trip, I was pulled over just after exiting the freeway. When I spotted him I knew... he was coming for me. Needless to say, a ticket from riding in the HOV lane would've been cheaper. Thankfully I have an attorney for a husband! He didn't get me (or really him) out of paying for it, but after a day... at least... it goes off my record. Thanks Bryan for all that you did to figure it out!!! And for not making me take an eight hour course in defensive driving! Yikes!

2. Today I ran the Sunnyvale Raider 5K with my friend Kayla. We both set personal goals for what we wanted to run it in. I don't know why, but all of these races make me nervous. Adrenaline maybe. I was telling Bryan before I left this morning about my goal to run it faster than last time: 29:22 (I found out today that the course then wasn't quite 3.1 miles). Anyway. Bryan told me that he knew I could run it faster and I should see how fast I could run it. Honestly I thought it would be great to finish faster than 28 minutes but it had been so long since I had run outside, and on hills, that I didn't think it was possible. Then, at the awards ceremony, when they called my name as first place in my age division 21-34 with a time of 26:34 I was floored. I knew I had placed but I was ecstatic with my time. I couldn't believe I actually ran it that fast. Bryan has my goal time for next year all worked out... he's killing me! I guess my goal for him is to run it with me!!! Congrats Kayla on a good run!!!

Weekend

Thanks to Kayla I have to dispell any myths that are out there that I am pregnant... what??? I'm not ThAT crazy! I didn't do the relay run because I was enjoying a weekend away with my hubby in Colorado.. Breckenridge to be specific. It was wonderful. Nothing like sleeping in, laying in bed in my pj's reading a book I have been trying to finish for a couple of months, getting a massage, skiing, eating fabulous food, getting into the Denver Art Museum free (and getting the best parking spot), eating more yummy food... and just relaxing with my man. I totally needed it. I think I was on the verge of getting the World's worst mom award. No joke!!! Not fishing for compliments here! Anyway. Any of you that read my blog about Christmas would know that Bryan planned this trip as a surprise Christmas present. I was totally surprised! Not on Christmas, but the day he told me I was surprised!

Funny story about the Denver Art Museum. We didn't have a lot of time, but we wanted to see some of the art. We started on the seventh floor in one of the wings and decided to work our way down. We climbed seven flights of stairs... yikes.. I'm not in bad shape, but that was work! Anyhow, I was noticing this man taking a lot of pictures. I mentioned to Bryan how I thought it was wierd that they would allow you to take pictures. I thought they must, so I whipped my camera out and took a picture of this georgeous landcape picture. About a milisecond later I had a security lady asking me if I knew their policy on picture taking.. of course not... eventhough if I had read their map/pamphlet thing I would've known (which I was holding in my hand). Turns out, you can take pictures of the artwork which the Museum owns. This one happened to be one they didn't. I apologized and told her I would be sure to check the information on the paintings first. Oops!

We had fun day of skiing. It was unfortunate that there was little snow, it was mostly ice. We ventured onto a blue run.. which for us is a huge step. As we were heading up, up, and still up... and seeing lots of moguls and black runs, we commented on how we had seen some people head back down on the lift and we could just stay on it. It wouldn't be too embarassing since there had been some people do it as well. Alas, we didn't and we had a good time.

Thanks to my mom and dad for making our trip away possible. Without you watching the kids we would have to take them and then it wouldn't be a weekend away now would it! My dad worked his little tail off. Thanks for all that you did on the play gym and the dryer vent!!!!! When Bryan heard you put the monkey bars on the play gym by yourself he said, "wow, that wasn't a job I was going to try and tackle by myself!" Your awesome dad!

Thanks Bryan for the wonderful Christmas present and trip to Colorado! Can't wait to do it again!!!

Check out those goggles... think we could've found a bigger pair???

Ice storm, Emma's 7, Madeline's 3

1.Ice Storm

For those of you who read Kayla's blog, I will spare you a lot of detail, for those who don't, sorry! Dallas gets a lot of ice storms. Our weather likes to constantly change where it's coming from. We know depending on which way the flags are blowing at the model home if our weather will be warm or cold. We captured some cool pictures of some ice off of some leaves...

2. Emma turned seven in January. For the second year in a row we had to change plans for her party because Madeline was throwing up. What are the chances. I called all of her friends' mothers during school to let them know her party would be postponed until the following Friday. When she got home she was totally disappointed. I did some serious thinking about how I was going to swing this and make it positive. I told her we were going to be able to celebrate her birthday twice and have cake and ice cream twice. It worked! The week of her birthday her teacher does some fun things with her class. I volunteer on Wednesdays at the school and it happened to be the day they wrote a poem about Emma. It was one of the most rewarding things to witness... classmates saying nice things about Emma. I almost broke down when one of the girls said, "Emma is nice to everyone"... she is. The poem's always start out...

The important thing about Emma is she is Emma. So true. She is...

kind

loving

smart

happy

helpful

compassionate

fun

beautiful

....Emma! Happy 7th babe!

Notice the lone boy at the table... her lucky cousin Ethan! He'll thank us in a couple of years!

3. Madeline turned three only 11 days after Emma's birthday. Ahh... Lot's of birthday partys and cake & ice cream. Madeline was so excited for her birthday. We celebrated as a family on her birthday and had some friends over on Saturday for a little party (playdate). Lucky for me Madeline is still too young to really understand that she didn't get a party in the full sense of the word. No games, unless candyland counts, just a lot of free play with friends and cousins! (I was slightly burned out from Emma's party: 13 kids 7 and under. It was crazy, but all the kids said they had a good time.) Madeline is such a cute girl. She loves mom!! She follows me around pretty much everywhere I go, though she is quite independent (if that makes any sense). She is such a good helper, always willing to fetch a diaper, wipes or a binky. Madeline has a thing for gum. So do I. She gets it honest. I get in the car and pop in a piece of gum. Madeline thinks she needs to do the same. Unfortunately she has figured out how to open the little door where I hide my gum. I sure hope she is swallowing all this gum cause I know I am not throwing it away for her. I did find some in my washing machine one day. Luckily it was in a ball. Madeline loves to be tickled. She will giggle forever, or until she gets the hiccups, when she is being tickled. It is so fun. Happy 3rd Madeline! I'm glad you're mine!

When I asked Madeline what she wanted for her birthday she said a dog like Emma, with a purse.

She was so excited she attempted to read the tinkerbell cover!

Jacob update

I know, its about time! My little guy turned six months old on January 29th! He is a monster compared to my girls at this age. He weighed in at 17 pounds 12 ounces. I am sure by now he has gained at least a pound. He is 25 3/4 inches long, and has an enormous head! I love every bit of it! Today he had his first official booboo! No thanks to me. It is so beautiful outside today so I thought I would weed the grass out of my tree areas (for lack of a better word). I had Jacob on my lap. I let go of him for a slight second and what does he do... "head" straight for the side of the brick border. I tried to capture the nice line it made with my camera but he didn't want me to. I'll have to get it when he is asleep. Everyone, literally, has told me how different boys and girls are. Well... let me tell you one difference I have noticed. The day Jacob had his six month checkup he had two shots. Barely cried... My girls go into hysterics before we even get to the Dr.'s. Today, he bonked his head on the side of the brick. Barely cried! Wow. It would've been the end of the world if it had been any of my girls. Whoa! I could like the fact that maybe we won't have hysterics everytime he scrapes a knee or bonks his head. (He does through quite a tantrum when he rolls on his tummy. He hasn't figured out that just rolling over again would solve the problem...)

None of my kids ever did a lot of giggling as babies. Jacob does more than most of them did, but still not much. He loves to play peek-a-boo and patty-cake. It is so fun. He gives me the greatest smiles when I talk to him. He is such a great baby! I love him so much. We are buds for sure! Happy six-months-old Jacob!

Sisters

What is there better in this world than a sister? (Well, besides your spouse) I feel like most days my girls are foes and not friends. How I wish it were the opposite. Then they do something that makes me really glad they are so close in age, and very hopeful that someday they will be FRIENDS! I remember not getting along with my sister Amy growing up, but we are great friends now. Is this payback? If so, I hope they get a little of this in 20 years!

We bought the girls valentine's for their school friends today. I figured if we didn't get them done today, we would be rushed to get them finished before V-day. Does anyone else experience this. You have plenty of notice to get something done. It gets forgotten or misplaced, and then it is late! That happens to us all the time. I almost hate too much notice. But, don't give it to me the night before either! AHHH! What to do?

Anyway. The girls thought there was an extra valentine each so I said they could give it to someone not in their class. Emma immediately took hers and knew who she was going to give it to. I asked her who, and she said.. "you'll see". This is what she wrote on it...

I love my girls! I hope someday they are best friends!