Just one of those days!

Today was just one of those days.  You know like in Groundhog Day (the movie with Bill Murray) - one that you would like to just "restart!"  Kendall had an accident in the bathroom downstairs - she did not quite make it in time.  So, she needed a shower - though she really wanted to take a bath and since I was making dinner I figured having a bath would be fine.  She could sit and play while I was finishing getting dinner ready.

Well, Reese wanted to join her.  And since they were going to have showers that night anyway, I figured that letting them both play together in the tub was fine.  I kept checking on them and other than water everywhere they were doing just fine...for a while at least.  I went to check on them at one point and all of the sudden Kendall was like "what is that?!"  YUCK!  Yup you guessed it!  Kendall  quick hopped out of the tub...but as I was pondering what I was going to do, I watched Reese in the tub for 30 seconds.  Rather than just trying to get out, it was like she was trying to just lift both her feet out of the tub.  It was quite funny!

You can see in this edited photo just how she was squirming!  Her fists were all tight, her knees were buckled as she was trying to figure out just what to do in this "crappy" situation!

I think that one of the funnier parts of this story is that I just sent Dave a photo on his phone.  No caption, just a picture of the "you-know-what."  He sent a message back asking "what the BLANK is that?"  I reminded him of the time he sent me a photo of "you-know-what" from the crib when Reese first started to take her diaper off back a few months ago.  I let him know that it had been sort of a "crappy" day starting with Kendall peeing all over in HIS bathroom downstairs, the girls wanting to take a bath together, then ending up having to scrub the tub down...all while I was trying to get dinner ready! 

MAYBE I WILL JUST MOVE TO AUSTRALIA.  BUT, MY MOM SAYS SOME DAYS ARE JUST LIKE THAT!

Silly, naughty Hunter!

The kids awake this morning to a little ARTWORK from Hunter.  Even though he was hanging on a photo in the hallway, the only one that noticed him right away was Reese!  The other kids did not even see him though they passed right by him!  This one sure made them giggle!

A few more of Hunter the Elf

Hunter sure is a clever little elf... the kids are having fun finding him on a daily basis.  Not sure if they still will be on the "NICE" or the "NAUGHTY" list but seems that most nights Hunter goes back to the North Pole and comes back to a different spot.  (there was one night were he did not come back and left a note stating that the kids needed to have less tantrums and that lying and blaming it on your sister is NOT allowed!).  Santa knows that there will the occassional issues between siblings but he expects you to tell the truth!

Hiding out in the candle holder on the TV stand  Taking a swing on the blinds in the kitchen!

NO RUN!

Carter was helping me finish putting together some ornaments (ones that we actually started LAST year but just never finished them!) that will be given as little gifts since we adults don't really exchange gifts anymore when he noticed that the glue bottle says "no run."  He looks at me and with all sincerity says "why does it say no run?  So you don't fall and go splat (okay, he did not quite say splat but he made some sound effect and I am not sure how to spell it out!)."

I just sort of giggled and he realized it is not for that reason, but for when you squeeze it out it doesn't go everywhere!  Ha-ha!

WHOA... I am in a photo! And more!

Love this one of me and Reese!

Also saw this in the front today - across from the house!  I stepped out to get the mail and it was flying around!  See the hawk on the top branch of the tree?

Boston and Cooper were over for a while today.  The kids just love having them over.  They wanted to give hugs before they left and I got this one of Dawson and Cooper!  Too Cute!  What cousinly love there in that photo!

I love the mornings when they look like this!

No words needed!  Same sunrise, just taken a few minutes apart!

And, I love how the new camera will do that thing where something in the background is clear, while the foreground is blurry or vice versa! 

Reese-dini!

This girl is driving me batty taking off her diaper.  She will do it randomly during the day and tell me all proudly that she is wearing "underwear."  And she is also taking it off at night.  I have tried having her wear zip jammies, underwear over the diaper!  There have been MANY a nights where I have gone in there to put Kendall in her bed and Reese's diaper is off or loosened...so I made a mention of this to my ECFE moms.  DUCT tape will do the trick!  Or, cut the feet off the footed PJ's and put them on backward

So tonight I used some green duct tape.  Here is how I found! 

Guess that I will have to wrap the tape all the way around.  I thought that if I put some BIG pieces over the tabs, that would do the trick.  Guess duct tape doesn't solver every problem!

Days 3 and 4 of Hunter!

On Saturday, here sat Hunter in the "cut-out" part of our wall! On Sunday, here sat Hunter on the light fixture in the bathroom!  Crazy Elf!

I'm okay!

Kendall, for the past few years, has a habit of saying "I'm okay" after she does something - like fall, or run into something, or jump onto tthe floor on her knees.  It was no different than today when she slipped and fell on the kitchen floor, she instantly got up, looked at me, said "I'm okay" then ran off down the hallway crying.  Obviously she was not okay, but that is her go-to saying!  The first time that she said it to us, it made us all laugh...and mostly still does to this day! 

Hunter...again...and other miscellaneous

The kids, I am sure, will get a kick out of Hunter this year.  Reese is already giggling the last 2 times when she sees him!  Here is where he was today!

Also got this great picture of Dawson and Kendall!  I hope that they see this picture somewhere down the road when they are older and can remember how special it is to be able to have brothers and sisters!  They may not always get along but they will always be there for each other!

Playing puppets together...

Reese was not so happy when Kendall was playing - Reese thought that Kendall was taking a little too long on her puppet show!  If you look real close you can see drool!  Nice camera!  :)

The kids were BEGGING to go outside and play in the INCH of snow that we got...okay, maybe 2 inches!  I love the colors in the photo of Dawson!  They are so vibrant!

 Dawson and Kendall with the neighbor kids, Anna (L) and Sarah (middle).  We have some of the best neighbors out there.  Over the past few years the kids have loved playing with them!  Thanks for making our kids happy!

Black Friday...or Thursday...or whatever it is now!

It just really has been bothering me the last few years that retailers have ruined what used to be "Black Friday."  Stores had been opening earlier and earlier every year.  Really, wouldn't the deals still be as good if stores opened at their "normal" times?  Do the deals get any better when you open at 6 or 8 on Thanksgiving Night, or at Midnight, or at 4 in the morning.  Give me a break!  Isn't there enough time for people to still do their shopping while giving all the hardworking retail workers ONE FULL day off to enjoy with their family before the crazy holiday shopping season?

I don't mind the shopping - it is so busy, but that doesn't bother me too much.  This year I have been looking at getting a new camera.  Ours is just over 6 years old, yes, 6 years and that is considered OLD.  IT was old probably at least 3 years ago.  I love to take pictures.  Our camera, a SONy, has done a good job, but I really want to be able to get pictures of the kids more in action, or in lower light situations and our current camera just cannot do that as good.  Photos are dark, blurry or distorted. 

National Camera seemed like the place to go.  They sure where busy!  A lovely lady helped me out and explained the camera to me that I was looking at buying - of course they had already sold out of it but they would be able to get me one by the next day at the same price if they wrote it up on an invoice for me. 

I needed to think about it a little (second guessing my decision) so I went to Best Buy in Roseville to see what they had. BIG mistake. They were so busy but I had a gentleman helping me out, but they were out of one of the components for the bundle that you could buy so I headed up to the BBY in Blaine! So much better. Not as busy and they had like 5 of the bundles that I was going to purchase. Then, I started talking with the BBY person in the camera department! She sold me on an DSLR camera by Nikon. I sure hope that it is worth the extra $100! :) I have just about 30 days to test it out and bring it back if I don't like it. A few test pictures!

Trying to see if the kids jumped if it would be clear or show some motion!  Not too bad, but I am going to have to watch the video to see how to use all the buttons! 

Hunter the Elf returns!

When we got home tonight from all our Thanksgiving events, look who was here!  He had left a letter a few nights prior stating that he would be here soon... and showed us some things that he had been up to this summer!  The kids almost missed him since he blended into the curtains so well!  Now, I need to figure out exactly HOW I want to hang up this valance since it is on those 3M removable hooks!

Happy Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving to us is always sort of a touch and go holiday.  Dang Wisconsin for having their gun season for deer the weekend prior to Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving weekend.  We have typically gone to Dave's parents in the morning and then to my mom's in the afternoon.  This year, mostly the same with the exception of it being at Kevin and Sarah's house instead of Nana and Pop-Pop's!  They have hosted for a few years now - I think this was the 3rd time.

Dave & Carter got up "way too early" to head to Wisconsin to get some hunting in.  Dave had already gotten a buck and a doe (and a buck during bow season) but Gramps needed some help!  It was a cool morning, but not as cold as some of the days in the past years that they have gone out - no snow!  :(

I thought I was relatively organized but I guess I was not as much - so, the kids and I were running behind (as usual, even though I really TRY!).  Once we got in the car and got going, it was then that I realized I forgot my camera.  I NEVER go ANYWHERE without it!  And, I thought it would be a good idea to stop at the Starbucks in Forest Lake to get a BOGO Free deal!  That took about 15 minutes.  Guess everyone else thought the same thing.  Thanks to the Starbucks peeps for making sure we all got our caffeine fix for the morning!

Luckily G & G have a camera that I used to take some pictures of the kiddos!  Again...what about a family photo?  Nope!  Just the kids!  Good thing they are all so cute!  first year with a kids table.  They did pretty good - only a few spills and we only had to get up about 20 times to get them what they needed more of!  Well, not that many but close!

 

~ Things to be thankful for in 2012:

~ Family - we have a wonderful family, they do so many things for us!  We love them all!

~ Happy, healthy, good (mostly!) kids  :)

~ Friends & Neighbors

~ Our health

~ That my dad is still here almost 2 years after his cancer diagnosis

~ A new niece or nephew to be added to the family in 2013 (good US yesterday, with an envelope in Jen's purse with the gender of the baby in it...just sitting there, unopened!)

~ And so many other things!  We are just blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

What a lovely start to the day!

There is something about the sunrises and sunsets, and the moon that I just love.  I love to try and capture them.  I know that I have said it before, but someday my camera will do these photos justice.

Today, though, I caught a great view!  Wishing the smoke from one of the local companies wasn't in the back but the fog and the sun together were just perfect!

The spirit of giving...

Sometimes when they talk about the weather and potential storms, there is a little more hype than needed on storms.  When they started talking about Hurricane Sandy over a month ago, who would have known that it would turn out as it did (and to top it off it was on the East Coast as the weather was starting to get cooler).  The destruction was terrible - things just washed away, flooded, covered in sand, a terrible fire that destroyed over 80 houses in one neighborhood and all they could do was watch since the weather was so bad. 

Dawson's school, Park Terrace is Spring Lake Park, was doing a drive for a particular area that was hit incredibly bad by the storm.  A former SLP resident contacted the school to see if they would be willing to do a "winter wear" &/or school supply drive.  So, the little kids and I went to Target one day after picking up Dawson from school to pick out some things to donate.

I really wish that we did more for donating - whether it be time, $ or product.  Yes, I am sure that there are some bills that we could pay off (I am guilty of spending more than we need) but there are people that are really in a dire situation and don't have what they need to just make it through the day. 

I cannot imagine losing EVERYTHING.  And while they are just things (we all know that when these terrible things hit as long as people are ok, then that is what is important) but our "things" are important to us to.  Our memories.  Our things from the past - like my Grandmother's teacups and saucers that I have.  My Grandfather's hat that I can still remember him wearing.  I know that they are just things, but they are things that are sentimental to me.  Part of what was around when I was younger. 

Here is what we donated - not a lot, but everything counts, right.  And showing the kids that these people don't even have the necessities right now that they need to keep warm.  I have been trying to teach the kids that there is a difference between WANTS and NEEDS.  "Dawson, you don't need that toy, you WANT that toy.  You NEED food, water, shelter..."

Leave your diaper on, girlie!

Over the past few months Reese keeps taking off her diaper off - during the day, at naptime and mostly at nightime!  UGH!  I have tried getting her to go on the potty chair (with only a handful of successful times) but she just does not have any interest! 

I don't know what to do but this is how I found her tonight!  Well, I edited it a little to keep it "G" but you get the idea.  The funny thing is, she will stir when I go to put her diaper back on, but generally she will stay asleep!  Guess she is tired out from playing around and taking her diaper.

What are we going to do...and I can't completely train her cause she is still in a crib.  That is a whole other dilema - she won't stay in a toddler bed!

 But look at that face!  How can you resist such a cute face.  Or be mad!?

Hunting with Dave!

I think that this is Carter's 3rd year of hunting with Dave.  He hasn't officially hunted yet but he loves to sit in the stand with Dave - you know, one-on-one time with a parent!  Good stuff!  Anyway, I guess that Carter had started to doze off a little (I mean he got up at like 4:30 who wouldn't start to doze off!?) when Dave shot a deer.  I guess that Carter told Dave that he would have appreciated a little warning!

I offered Dawson to stay at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  He seemed like he wanted to then all of the sudden he got teary eyed and wanted to come home with me.  So, Kendall had been wanting to stay so since Dawson wasn't we said that she could.  She was super excited!  They called us later to say that Kendall went with to register the deer. 

The next morning she also sat in the garage with daddy and grandpa while they were processing the deer.  She looked at Dave and said "can the deer see me?"  Dave asked her "why?"  She replied "because they eyes are open still."  Dave had to explain to her that the deer was dead.  And she was ok with that.  I still cannot believe that she sat out there while they were processing the deer!

Lego town

The boys LOVE LOVE LOVE legos!  I am guessing that this is one of the toys that we could NEVER have enough of.  Nana has a huge big tub of them- ones that used to be Uncle Drew & Uncle Tommy when they were little.  They love to go hang out over there and ask to play with them.  Ask them what they want for Christmas or Birthdays - "LEGOS!"

I cannot tell you how many photos we have of "Lego creations" they habe built.  They really have enjoyed the sets that they received but most recently they have discovered actually playing with the bulk Legos.  They constantly have some creation set up in their room.

Here is one of the latest things they built.  Dawson took the photos - not bad, huh!?  Though I am wishing I would have checked them cause I would have taken a photo of the entire thing!

                                                              A creation from another time!

 Dawson decided one day while watching the Packers that he wanted to build Clay Matthews #.  Can you see the #52!?  As Carter used to say when he was little "Go Green Bean Packers!"

What does COLD bring!?

It was COLD today.  One of the first really cold days.  And with that wind, it felt just COLD!  I commented to the kids that they better wear their winter jackets cause it was cold outside.  He is what Dawson had to say about the cold!

"I love when it is cold.  Cold means snow, skiing and SANTA!"

Hmmm...what happens if Santa doesn't like the cold.  Does he just get to stay home!?  Lucky for Dawson, we live where is should get cold (kids are hoping that it won't be a repeat winter like last year - luckily for them they got to ski and that is about the only place there was snow-fun!

Snow of course...wonder if it will be like this this year?  For the kids sake, hopefully not like last year!  The year of no snow!  Thank goodness for Wild Mountain!

The boys from last year!

 Kendall from last year!

 And, Santa of course!

Oh the weather outside...

Woke up to this about 5 this morning.  Seriously, HAIL so late in the year?  Seems so wierd that there is hail in the middle of the summer and warm and now in November!  Dang MN weather!

Most of them were smaller than a pea, but there were a few that we pea-sized.  Kept me up for about 5 minutes or so!  I grabbed a few and put them in a bowl to show to the kids when they woke up.  I was really surprised that none of them woke up - the pelting on the windows is what woke me!

Oh no...disguise the turkey!

Dawson came home with a project to disguise a turkey so that he would not end up in the pan for Thanksgiving dinner.  Basically, they could use any medium to help disguise him.  So, we were talking about it at dinner one night.  Dave was offering up his ideas to Dawson - what about a football player, or Santa, or something like that.  I am not quite sure how it came up, but Dawson in the end decided on disguising his turkey as one of the "Duck Dynasty" dudes!  Seriously!?

You ask what is Duck Dynasty - one of the most talked about shows on A&E (I think is the channel).  A bunch of "rednecks" as they call themselves that started a duck calling business 20 some plus years ago that has evolved into a TV show!  While I WON'T EVER ADMIT THIS TO DAVE, there are some funny parts to that show.  And as I was having a conversation with the boys the other day, I do like that they end the show with a family dinner and a prayer of thanks for all that they did that day, no matter what it was (protect Sadie as she is learning to drive, thanks for the good food after they hunt bullfrogs - YUCK!). 

Dawson used some construction paper for some of his project but we needed a beard - all the guys have these HUGE FULL beards.  We decided that yarn would work well so the girls and I ran to Michael's to get some yarn.  He had a blast disguising his turkey - here is the finished project!

 See the resemblance!?  maybe he could have used a little more yarn?