In an effort to maintain sanity some friends and I have started a monthly get together. We drink wine, eat yummy food and discuss...cough cough...books. Yeah, I'm probably not fooling anyone but saying "book club" sort of sounds dorky. And my friends and I are far from dorky. :). We have read a couple great books and a couple good books. I always like recommendations so I thought I'd share them:
must read:
The Help (you can shut your computer down right now and go buy it NOW.)
should read:
The Other Boleyn Girl (never ever see the movie if you read the book first)
The Reliable Wife (not much to say but it's good)
Guernsey Potato Peel Pie something or other (makes me want to visit Guernsey but the thought of a potato peel pie makes me a bit sick or maybe all this blogging while driving is causing that)
Read if you want to be sad and depressed:
Sarah's Key (good book but you've been warned)
Not from the cool girl club but also recommended:
The Alchemist
Not from the cool girl club and not recommended:
Eat. Pray. Love (heard good things but i can't even get past India. Will see movie though. Will never pass up Pretty Woman)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Are we there yet?
Cows, grain bins, miles and miles of fields. Yep, we're driving through Iowa. We're coming to visit you, my dear blog readers (ie my family). Kids are watching a movie (awww quiet moments, if even just a moment, is appreciated). Just as I was finishing that last sentence lily whined "Are we there yet?". We just left.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
I like big butts and I cannot lie.
Tonight, in the middle of dinner, Harrison stood on his chair, turned and stuck his butt out and asked if we liked his big butt.
Wow. I can laugh now because he's sleeping.
Wow. I can laugh now because he's sleeping.
Friday, May 07, 2010
Date with a blog
So yeah...right...I'm supposed to be a blogger. Ummmmhmmmm. Right.
There have been some rough patches in the past few months with myself, family and a friend. I like to think of myself as a positive person but for a while I encountered some sad times and even the most positive person would be down for the count. On a rare occasion when I thought about my blog I feel the pang of guilt but it came down to one saying. If you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all.
Now the dark clouds are clearing and the sun is shining (well, not at this very moment since it's 10PM but you get the idea) so I'm back to blogging. For now. No promises. Just roll with it.
Sooo...here I am on a Friday night with my laptop in bed. Hey, it's a blog date. My date for the night...a mildly snoring yet severely adorable 4 year old snuggled asleep next to me. Yes, she made it back into our bedroom but only because her feet were dangling over her toddler bed. Bunk beds have been ordered but they are taking their sweet time.
In the past few months we have taken a family trip to Hawaii. Lily's statement on the last day in Hawaii can sum up the trip..."I don't want to leave." Can anyone travel to Hawaii and NOT have an amazing time? Refrain from saying yes because that is just a travesty. I'll post more about Hawaii later.
A few weeks after our Hawaii trip I accompanied Randy to Holland/Netherlands and England. He worked most of the time so me, a small town South Dakota girl, wandered around 2 foreign countries trying to get lost. I really only got lost once but my goal was to walk and take pictures of everyday life in a different land. I loved seeing the gorgeous architecture and people watching foreigners (haha, jokes on me since I was the foreigner). I'll post more about Holland/England later.
Kid Updates:
Lily...is a 4.5 year old that loves school, can "read" books without knowing how to read (inheriting her father's seasonal allergies=not so great; inheriting her father's photographic memory=very, very good)and she loves to draw. Her drawings are getting more detailed but 99% of the time involves a princess. Now the princess has longer hair, shoes, 3 fingers on each hand, a crown AND a necklace. If that princess is really lucky her long princess dress might have flowers on it. When we potty trained Lily it was a breeze. A light, airy, fresh breeze. However, 2.5 years later she's been having tinkle accidents. I suppose she's busy playing and makes every attempt to postpone that darn interruption but her bladder isn't big enough yet. So...in an effort to encourage dry panties we started a new reward chart. A star for each day her panties were dry...only needed 7 and she would get a bike. Yes, a B-I-K-E. Pretty good deal, right? Well it took about 12 days but she finally got her bike. The nice thing about the reward charts and Lily...once she reaches her goal she keeps going and doesn't even notice she's not getting a NEW reward. Cool. Next reward chart might have to be an encouragement to FIND her toys. She'll stand in one spot and whine that she CAN'T FIND HER HIPPO. Nope, she won't move an inch. She might turn her head around but surprisingly she STILL CAN'T FIND HER HIPPO. She won my heart on April's Fools Day. I know I didn't play ONE SINGLE joke on ANYONE. But Lily loved it. Her first joke..."Momma, I can't get my straw to work" and when I tried to help her she April Fooled me. That makes me happy.
Harrison, oh Harrison. My baby is growing into a boy. Just a few days ago Randy and some friends went boating/fishing. When Harrison asked where they went I replied "To do boy things." He proudly proclaimed he was a boy too. But the tone of his voice meant he should be doing those boy things too. He is talking a ton. Actually he doesn't stop. Lily wasn't a "WHY?" kid, Harrison is. Big time. I attempt to answer each and every WHY? question in detail, even knowing it will lead to another WHY? I have tried to respond with "Because" a few times but it doesn't work because then we start the battle of "Because why?" He is still in his crib and I've been in no rush to get him out. He seems to enjoy it and doesn't plan his escape after we close his door at night. He will scream, let me emphasis that a little more, he will SCREAM in the morning for us to come get him. It's usually "MOM, WHERE.ARE.YOU? MOOOOOMMMMMMM. WHERE....ARE.....YOU????? MMMMOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!" When the bunk beds arrive we plan to have Harrison and Lily share so that should be another blog post or 10. Harrison is still in love with Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear. He'll "fly" around the house (or the mall) with his arms out front screaming "To infinity and beyond!!!!!" I can't leave out his love for the outdoors. He would prefer to play outdoors for hours over anything. Even food. He would never eat again if we let him play all day and night outside. He's loving his daycare, Appletree. He's learning so much as evidenced by reciting his numbers...in Spanish...while sleeping. :) He slept in our bed (2 kids in bed=no sleep and stiff necks) when he was sick last week and I awoke to his foreign language sleep talking. Too funny.
Randall is great too. He's working hard as always. I know he gives his work 100% and his family 100% and that is not easy. But he does it and wouldn't have it any other way. Have I ever mentioned just how good this guy is? Seriously, he does everything. Okay, maybe he won't readily clean the toilets but that's about it. He does baths, takes care of dinners/breakfasts, does daycare drop off/pick up, cleans the house (minus the toilets) and tends to the ridiculous amount of house work and yard work. Then he'll massage me. Hint hint..my neck is straining from all this blogging. ;) We're coming upon 10 years of marriage this August and 16 years of being together. I just love him with my entire heart. That's about all I can really say....I love him.
My blog date is coming to an end. It's been a good one...we'll go out again soon. No good night kiss though.
There have been some rough patches in the past few months with myself, family and a friend. I like to think of myself as a positive person but for a while I encountered some sad times and even the most positive person would be down for the count. On a rare occasion when I thought about my blog I feel the pang of guilt but it came down to one saying. If you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all.
Now the dark clouds are clearing and the sun is shining (well, not at this very moment since it's 10PM but you get the idea) so I'm back to blogging. For now. No promises. Just roll with it.
Sooo...here I am on a Friday night with my laptop in bed. Hey, it's a blog date. My date for the night...a mildly snoring yet severely adorable 4 year old snuggled asleep next to me. Yes, she made it back into our bedroom but only because her feet were dangling over her toddler bed. Bunk beds have been ordered but they are taking their sweet time.
In the past few months we have taken a family trip to Hawaii. Lily's statement on the last day in Hawaii can sum up the trip..."I don't want to leave." Can anyone travel to Hawaii and NOT have an amazing time? Refrain from saying yes because that is just a travesty. I'll post more about Hawaii later.
A few weeks after our Hawaii trip I accompanied Randy to Holland/Netherlands and England. He worked most of the time so me, a small town South Dakota girl, wandered around 2 foreign countries trying to get lost. I really only got lost once but my goal was to walk and take pictures of everyday life in a different land. I loved seeing the gorgeous architecture and people watching foreigners (haha, jokes on me since I was the foreigner). I'll post more about Holland/England later.
Kid Updates:
Lily...is a 4.5 year old that loves school, can "read" books without knowing how to read (inheriting her father's seasonal allergies=not so great; inheriting her father's photographic memory=very, very good)and she loves to draw. Her drawings are getting more detailed but 99% of the time involves a princess. Now the princess has longer hair, shoes, 3 fingers on each hand, a crown AND a necklace. If that princess is really lucky her long princess dress might have flowers on it. When we potty trained Lily it was a breeze. A light, airy, fresh breeze. However, 2.5 years later she's been having tinkle accidents. I suppose she's busy playing and makes every attempt to postpone that darn interruption but her bladder isn't big enough yet. So...in an effort to encourage dry panties we started a new reward chart. A star for each day her panties were dry...only needed 7 and she would get a bike. Yes, a B-I-K-E. Pretty good deal, right? Well it took about 12 days but she finally got her bike. The nice thing about the reward charts and Lily...once she reaches her goal she keeps going and doesn't even notice she's not getting a NEW reward. Cool. Next reward chart might have to be an encouragement to FIND her toys. She'll stand in one spot and whine that she CAN'T FIND HER HIPPO. Nope, she won't move an inch. She might turn her head around but surprisingly she STILL CAN'T FIND HER HIPPO. She won my heart on April's Fools Day. I know I didn't play ONE SINGLE joke on ANYONE. But Lily loved it. Her first joke..."Momma, I can't get my straw to work" and when I tried to help her she April Fooled me. That makes me happy.
Harrison, oh Harrison. My baby is growing into a boy. Just a few days ago Randy and some friends went boating/fishing. When Harrison asked where they went I replied "To do boy things." He proudly proclaimed he was a boy too. But the tone of his voice meant he should be doing those boy things too. He is talking a ton. Actually he doesn't stop. Lily wasn't a "WHY?" kid, Harrison is. Big time. I attempt to answer each and every WHY? question in detail, even knowing it will lead to another WHY? I have tried to respond with "Because" a few times but it doesn't work because then we start the battle of "Because why?" He is still in his crib and I've been in no rush to get him out. He seems to enjoy it and doesn't plan his escape after we close his door at night. He will scream, let me emphasis that a little more, he will SCREAM in the morning for us to come get him. It's usually "MOM, WHERE.ARE.YOU? MOOOOOMMMMMMM. WHERE....ARE.....YOU????? MMMMOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!" When the bunk beds arrive we plan to have Harrison and Lily share so that should be another blog post or 10. Harrison is still in love with Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear. He'll "fly" around the house (or the mall) with his arms out front screaming "To infinity and beyond!!!!!" I can't leave out his love for the outdoors. He would prefer to play outdoors for hours over anything. Even food. He would never eat again if we let him play all day and night outside. He's loving his daycare, Appletree. He's learning so much as evidenced by reciting his numbers...in Spanish...while sleeping. :) He slept in our bed (2 kids in bed=no sleep and stiff necks) when he was sick last week and I awoke to his foreign language sleep talking. Too funny.
Randall is great too. He's working hard as always. I know he gives his work 100% and his family 100% and that is not easy. But he does it and wouldn't have it any other way. Have I ever mentioned just how good this guy is? Seriously, he does everything. Okay, maybe he won't readily clean the toilets but that's about it. He does baths, takes care of dinners/breakfasts, does daycare drop off/pick up, cleans the house (minus the toilets) and tends to the ridiculous amount of house work and yard work. Then he'll massage me. Hint hint..my neck is straining from all this blogging. ;) We're coming upon 10 years of marriage this August and 16 years of being together. I just love him with my entire heart. That's about all I can really say....I love him.
My blog date is coming to an end. It's been a good one...we'll go out again soon. No good night kiss though.
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