Project Life - Week 15

Theme: One on One

Once or twice a week, once all the kiddies have been tucked into bed, we'll head downstairs to my husband's pride and joy of a theater for some one-on-one time or a "date night".  I love British mysteries and I love that he likes watching them with me.

Project Life - Week 11

Theme: Morning

In the mornings we gather at the window to wave good-bye and blow kisses to Papa as he heads off to work.  Love that man.  Then off we go to breakfast, chore charts, and lessons.

Since taking this photo, the company that EH has worked at for the last 15 years closed its doors.  It was a surprise to us all.  We're in the process of sending out resume, after resume, after resume and seeking God's will for this next phase of life together.

Summer Vacation 2011

We usually trek up north to Duluth for our family get-away but this time we opted to head south to Wabasha. We spend 3 nights at a little hotel with a pool so one of their main activities (of which we have no photos) is swimming in the pool over, and over, and over again. Please bare with me and the gazillion photos, it was so hard to decide what to post.

Our first full day there we visited Kellog's Lark Toy Store. This place was amazing and oh how I wish it was closer to us. They have an indoor carousel with beautifully carved animals to ride on. There were lots of jitters from Agent E & The General but we coaxed them on for a ride and they were really happy to have done it.



























Lots of hands on toys to be played with.

Roger that

Near the end of this school year Agent H and I studied the Wright Brothers and the science of flight. Coincidentally the Crystal Airport was hosting a homeschoolers airshow. We've been to what feels like a gazillion airshows but when I saw that they were going to give tours of the control tower and were offering a seriously affordable ticket for an actual flight . . . I mentioned it to EH. He was all over the idea. So on a Friday afternoon after homeschool co-op, they headed out for an amazing experience.

This is a picture during flight

Agent H said he was scared at take-off but then he enjoyed it (this was his first flight).

This is one of my favorite pictures of EH. Last summer a friend invited him to go flying.

Summer Came

Summer came . . . Agent H and Papa doing a little fishing.

Happy 35th

Happy 35th to the man of our family! I look forward to "knowing" glances across the table from you for many more years to come.

I over heard Agent H telling his friend how old you were "Well my dad is 42 . . . I think . . ." At least he picked the perfect number right!?

My love & respect belong to you.

Use the Force

While attempting to discuss the budget with EH I was forced to endure this instead. I wish I could use "The Force" on the budget.

Experiment of the week

EH is very good at finding things on the net to watch with the boys. Just before bedtime I'll frequently find both boys piled on or around him watching some online informational program or other. Myth Busters and NASA related things frequently make the list. Apparently Robert Krampf has become a favorite of Agent H as the other day he surprised both EH and I by asking for him by name. This guy does a weekly science experiment that will put Agent H into giddy fits of giggles. Since EH has a natural interest for science/avionics/space etc. (which I severely lack) I'm thrilled that he can pass this on to the boys.

A day enjoyed!

True I had to forgo the luxury of a Mother's Day bath because I had nursery duty at church but the rest of today was grand.

EH and the boys took me out to Potbelly's for lunch (EH has teased that it's an appropriate place for a pregnant woman to go and Agent H now enjoys calling me Potbelly on occasion).

After lunch we hit the nature trails by our library (a lead from our neighbor-thanks!) and hiked till we found the perfect spot to share our chocolate chip cookies.

A round of naps for everyone and then I prepared fondue for dinner. A rare treat we really enjoy. I think Little E ate rice, Agent H ate pickles, I ate an abundance of mushrooms and chicken, and EH took care of the bison steak.

To top off the night I happened to hear the music of the Good Humor man up the street. Agent H has been saving his Valentine's Day money from Grandma for months for just this purpose, so he claimed a tweetie bird ice cream snack and even bought his brother a Dora ice cream.

Tonight the boys will spend their first night in their new bunk beds. EH and I worked like crazy to prepare the room for them this weekend but that's another story for another day - pictures to come. I hope everyone sleeps well.

Right on the money

I spent lots of time pondering what to get H for Christmas this last year. I hoped to get H something that he would get hours and hours of pleasure out of and to inspire creative play. I think it worked. As a little girl, I always wanted those cardboard building blocks that are about the size of Kleenex boxes. I wasn't sure if I was just trying to live out a childhood dream so I suggested this idea to EH, but he seemed to like it too. So, we bought them, wrapped them, tucked the "big" gift behind the Christmas tree and waited. The wrapping went flying and EH set to assembling them all. Building with these blocks has become and almost daily activity now - he's always saying "wanna build something Mom?", I'm sure many of you have been asked as well. Here is a list of the things we have built (many of them H's ideas):

* A fire station and fire fighting gear
* An Island complete with water, boat, hut, fire-pit, palm tree and of course a buried treasure
* A zoo
* A pet shop
* Library complete with card scanner
* Store
* Fort upon fort upon fort
* Mazes
* Towers
* Quick towers for E to crash so he won't crash the "real thing"
* and many more to come . . .



P.S. H got an additional box of blocks from his Ga so he can really have fun!

The big mall

We took a trip to an indoor mall yesterday. H has had little opportunity to explore the wonders of 100+ stores with all the Christmas glitz and glimmer glowing. He was fascinated to say the least! As we approached an escalator H viewed it with a bit of fearful fascination. On our way down he awkwardly clung to my hand/arm, tried to grasp onto the side as it slid past him and maneuver his feet so he would stand on one step rather than two. I prepped him to jump at the end to get off and he did wonderful. While waiting for Grandma to make a purchase we found another escalator and went up and down, up and down, up and down again. As we were leaving the mall, without any hesitation, he declared the escalators were his favorite!

Move over Rachel Ray. . . I have just discovered the joy of whacking a garlic clove with the side of your knife to get the peels off. Aahhh, the power hiding in the heel of your hand!

H is singing his very first memorized cartoon theme song these days. It's the theme to Wonder Pets - one of his favorites! EH's trying to find the lyrics for me so I can try to memorize it too (we'll post them when we locate them cause they're adorable!). H tried and tried to get me to sing it right today but the poor boy doesn't know what he's up against. I have the great ability to remember about 5% of the words to any song - then I just hum the rest or repeat what I do know.


Little e took three steps last Friday! In the week since, he's been practicing off and on. He took four steps by E yesterday. It's wonderful fun to see how excited he gets over it. He has a total of four teeth up top now and there are two more (for a total of four) trying to break through on the bottom. I sure do hope he gets a teething break after these ones are through - he's had to work sooo hard and long for each one.

P.S. H has taking 3 naps this week!

Post Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dishes are nicely packed away, the folding tables waiting to be stored and the left overs almost all polished off. We hosted EH's family and many of my own this year. One look at all those tables and chairs organized on my main floor told me we were going to have to either refuse our family second servings or move the tables down to the basement where we could sit comfortably. We opted to move the tables. So we sat to dine with wedding china and borrowed goblets surrounded by our newly sheet-rocked walls. What a joy to have walls and not 2x4s and insulation! EH has worked diligently these past weeks to finish off the family room. Bless his heart and his hard work - I can hardly wait to practice summer salts with H on the freshly installed carpet . . . not sure when that's happening but I look forward to it! I'm grateful for sheet-rock - and the hands who labored to install it (our dads and good friend R)!

Thanks to the Internet I think I can say I'm over half done with my Christmas shopping. What an enjoyable way to shop! And Amazon's super saver free shipping helps me to not feel guilty about shopping from my seat versus hauling my little guys around a store having to visit and revisit and revisit items waiting for me to make a decision on what I want to finally purchase. This way I can take all the time I want and feel no pressure!

I have lots more family updating to write about, but this is all for now.

I leave you with H's comment this morning at breakfast - it was very dark and thunder-storming:
"I see a streetlight pretending to be Mr. Sunshine!"

Heel Pooch

As I was tucking H in for bed a few nights ago he was again pretending to be a puppy. He wanted me to give him a name . . . the only thing that came to mind was "Pooch", the name of my brother's dog when I was a kid. H loved the name and it has stuck. Tonight I was trying to think of a creative way to get him to obey me in a way that would avoid resistance. :) So I said that dogs are very obedient to their masters and whenever their masters say "heel" they come right away. It worked. Later as it was time to brush his teeth he even requested that I give him the command. I'm going to cherish this little gem and bring it out on "special" occasions. I can just see the looks now as I say "heel Pooch" to H in the grocery store.

Little E took a surprise dunk in the tub tonight. The way he leans over the edge of the tub as it's filling, I knew it was going to happen sometime soon. Fully clothed and soaked through and through . . . it took him a bit to gain his composure but he was smiling and laughing at papa's clowning around soon enough.

By the way, I just found a wonderful website for kids coloring and activity pages. Should have thought of this a long time ago: www.crayola.com. Great stuff for toddlers and older kids. Eddy has a printer to test at work so I'll be sending him lots of stuff to print out for us.

Don't hug the dust wand

I haven't felt very inspired to write lately. I think it might have to do with the lack of sunshine. . . and business. I picked up a full-spectrum light bulb to help with the one issue and things have settled down a little. It feels like so much has happened. I'll try to pack in as much as I can in a small amount of space.

Today I had to explain to little E that the dusting wand is not a stuffed animal to cuddle. He loves to snuggle stuffed animals (and people too) and tried to do so with the wand. He has been busy standing at the kitchen chairs and pushing them around. Tonight (once freed from his high chair) he heard the bath tub filling upstairs and made his own way up the stairway and right into the bathroom to go check it out.

Two more very important milestones in little E's life. First, he started sleeping through the night this week! Thank the good Lord! My intention to get a full nights sleep when we were away for our anniversary was rudely interupted by a rather loud wedding reception taking place below our room, a stuffy/cold head, a bed that would not give comfort. And my final note regarding my little E . . . he has weaned himself. Sniff, sniff, wail! After nursing H for 14 months I had every intention of doing the same with little E. Apparently he (at nine months) had other plans so he's drinking organic formula from a cup till he passes that 1 year mark and can digest cow or goat milk. I think I'm still greiving this loss as I just about cried in the grocery isle tonight picking up another can of formula.

Well on to my big boy H. Tonight I noticed him crunching on a dry spaghetti noodle. For anyone who spent any amount of time with me around the age of 10 you know that this was a standard "snack" for me. I think I even convinced a few of you to join me in partaking of them. I have since lost any interest in putting my teeth through such an excersice.

We had a great time visiting with my brother and his family from ID as they were in town this last week. H had a blast with his cousins - this morning he was still talking about them and asking "but why did they have to go home?" H and his cousin G spent their final hours together dressed in elephant cosumes. At my request, S&M rearranged the furniture in my living room and I feel as though I've been a part of one of those decorating/design shows that are always on TV.

I think there's more to write but EH just asked "Good land what are you typing!?" because I've been sitting here so long. I'm going to go read a few pages before bed now.

Sauced, dried, baked and fresh

So what actually happened to the 30 pounds of apples that I brought home a couple of weeks ago? Well besides eating most of the honey-crisps fresh, we're stocked with 10-12 pints of frozen apple sauce, 4 quarts of dried apple chips, and two apple pies. Yum!

The other day while watching some bread in the toaster oven H asked me "Are those light sabers in there?"

Yesterday H asked me what lips are for and if they grow. . . . :+

The other night H and EH sat on the couch for a good 45 minutes looking through all the exciting toy magazines that are flooding our mailbox almost daily. I'd sometimes hear "I want that one papa, which one do you want?" and then the silence of pages turning every once-in-a-while. I think H's dreams must be full of what's on those pages . . . I know that somehow there are more fire engines in them.

If H went through this stage I think I intentionally forgot about it - little E is busy sounding off with all sorts of shrieks and screams these days. Sometimes he's just talking (or screaming) to himself though it seems most of the time it's directed at me in hopes of a spot on my hip.

A Decade Celebrated

"You have been my yesterday, you are my today, and you will be my tomorrow.

Though it was as children that we first met, we choose today as adults to spend our lives together.

As we build our lives, may we remember the best qualities of that time we passed together. Never doubting each other, never forgetting our commitment and never wavering from our true selves, may we draw on our storehouse of memories and from Christ for inspiration as we build on our future as husband and wife together.

Today I, S, accept you, EH, as my friend and partner. With you, I am aware of the promise of our past, and secure in our commitment for the future."

Words spoken 10 years ago today. I'd say them again in a heartbeat.

My Hero

I had a pretty good day yesterday (with the satisfaction of a quilt project complete still corsing through me!). EH had the car so the boys and I stuck to home and our schedule. To top off a very nice day, as I was finishing dinner, EH walked in from his long day at his grindstone, he swept up the boys and hauled them off to "train world", AKA our basement, since H's beloved auntie and cousin on the other side of the St. Croix River passed on bins and bins of trains, tracks, bridges, cranes and more (Thank you!). Before leaving, EH hooked up the iPod and soon I was surrounded by Andrea Bocelli's serenades. So I peeled carrots with the soon-to-be-fall breezes streaming through the window and heaven playing on the stereo. EH, you are my delight and my hero! Thank you.