Ready...Aim...Shoot

Seth was given a BB gun from Nick last year for his birthday. This year, Seth was given another BB gun from his Uncle Brad. We decided that we think he might be ready. Now that we have two, it woud be perfect. They could both learn gun safety together.

Ready... Aim... Shoot...

We were impressed - Sam hit the bulls eye on her first shot. Seth had the stronger BB gun and his were pretty close. They had fun!

$640 Million

That is how much is up for stakes in the Mega Millions lottery game today. 

I knew nothing of this mega jackpot until I got a phone call from my mom in Florida asking me to buy her a couple tickets since Florida doesn't participate in Mega Millions.

Cash Option: $462 Million!! What on Earth could one person spend all that money on.

One can only imagine...

We didn't win - of course...

Chocolate Tornado

One of Sam's Christmas presents was a play blender that acutally works. Today she decided to make everyone a Chocolate Tornado (named because it looks like a tornado while mixing - aka chocolate milk).

It was the BEST Chocolate Tornado that I have EVER had. If we didn't run out of milk I would have asked for seconds.

Broken

This is what it looks like when a cell phone goes under the knife. No sterile field, no surgical lights, no nurses required.

We ordered Nick a replacement screen online only to find out a few hours after the procedure finished that is wasn't a success. The screen had a mind of its own. Finally, we decided to buy a used one off of eBay.

You just don't realize how much you rely upon your phone until it is gone. Oddly enough, just like everything in life. There were many days in the three week timeframe when Nick was without a phone that I continually picked up mine to call or text him.

Either Or

I'm not sure which is more impressive. Sam's funky hairdo or that she is still willing to change Addy's dirty diapers. Either way - she makes me smile.

Today is the first day...

I picked up this quote to put on the wall at the end of the hallway upstairs for the kids to read every morning.

Seth said to me - "I don't get it... Today isn't the first day - what about yesterday and the day before?"

Don't worry buddy, one day you will understand the meaning of this.

Tuckered Out

I was working on putting together our wedding album on Shutterfly.com and all of a sudden it got quiet. I turn around to see my lil' Addy passed out in her jumper. I let her sleep for a little bit before picking her up to snuggle with.

It's just what we say

When the kids were much younger I started saying "Goodnight - Sleep Tight" to them as I would walk away  from their bedrooms.

Over the past few years it has grown - we've added bits here and there.

Now at bedtime we say...

Goodnight, Sleep tight

Don't let the bed bugs bite

Sweet Dreams and Moonbeams

I Love You!

It I don't say it first, Seth will surely be the one to start it.

If you look close enough in the center of the picture you'll see Venus. Not the street light - but higher.

Little Bear

Sam has two beloved teddy bears, "Big Bear" and "Little Bear". She is always sleeping with one of them at night and if we every go out of town, you'll be sure to see one of them peeking out of her bag.

You can also take note, that this is the start of her crazy hair creation.

I take a lot of pictures of my children sleeping. I love watching them sleep. They are so peaceful, so precious, so much of my life.

His Father's Son

My baby boy is becoming a little man.

At night I go upstairs, read him a book,

tuck him in and give him a goodnight kiss.

I no longer see my little baby boy

when I lean down to give him a kiss.

I see his Father.

Seth is passed out cold here with one leg hanging out.

He must be relishing the fact that 3/4 of his bed is free from Indy

Who Wants to Draw?

I was introduced to a fun new game on my iPhone. It is just like Pictionary but can be done miles, states or counties away.

Draw Something

You can earn one to three coins depending on the level of difficulty you choose. You then draw a picture which is being 'recorded' in a sense. Once you send the picture off, your opponent will be notified so they can watch you draw and make a guess off of a select alphabet listed below. If you can't figure out the drawing you can bomb a few letters to shorten your list or pass if it is just too hard.

Here I drew a picture of an airport - pretty darn good airport if I do say so myself. The girl I was playing "Ellie R." from somewhere on Earth must have never seen an airport before. She passed.

Framed

Outside of the RCC doors hangs this photo collage. The pictures change as do the seasons.

Every so often I find one that has either Seth or Sam in it.

Here she hangs on the monkey bars with her friend "Mae Mae" (Marea whose birthday is in May)

I will eat you

... and you and you and you and you and you.

I'd like to think this picture doesn't mean anything, but I'm sure it does. I could sit here and guess at the number of meanings this holds.

This artistic piece was done by Sam; and it isn't her first time drawing this picture. She tells us that it is cheese eating something. Last week this same character was a shark and it was eating krill. (We were just talking about Seth's habitat project and the krill that is eaten by the humpback whale.)

Not gonna lie - I worry about what she holds inside. She is a very smart girl. She knows how to protect her thoughts from one parent to the next.

A Time to Cherish

I hold on and cherish these moments where my babies snuggle so close to me. Soon, she'll be big like her brother and sister. Soon, she won't be my tiny little baby anymore. Soon, she'll be finding her own independence in life.

First Ride

Nick's Dad asked if we wanted to go grab a bite to eat in Dennison. I hadn't really eaten since lunch on Thursday and real food sounded good. Typically Nick and I would jump on the Harley when Seth and Sam are with their Dad. This year is different. Now we have a little munchkin who isn't old enough for Harley rides so we followed in my car.

I've been wanting to capture a picture of Nick and Jim on their bikes to frame as a Christmas picture. This might just be the one.

70 in March

 

I'm kinda nervous about what this summer is going to bring us with the warm winter we had.

Now it is March and at 10:41pm it is 70 degrees outside. Love sleeping with the windows open!

I'm looking forward to the near 80 degree days we will be having this weekend. Nick on the other hand isn't.

Sweet Addiction

Seth wanted a snack tonight so I pulled out the Sweet Chili flavored Quakes Rice Snacks. I didn't think he'd have too many before passing on the spiciness. That wasn't the case... He kept munching on them and commenting on how they are hot. His skin even glistened. He got up, grabbed a glass of milk and came back for more, continually commenting on how hot they were. I found it commical that he kept saying they were so hot yet continued to eat them. In the end he ate half of the bag.

Must have been a sweet addiction.

I'm going back... Pt. 2

I returned to college in 2006 to finish up a few classes before applying to the Inver Hills Community College Accelerated LPN to RN program, which requires a summer session and two semesters to become an RN. In December of 2007 I needed to take a break to focus on my life and the upcoming stresses I knew were approaching.

I have often thought about how I need to go back, but never took that step in the college doors or picked up the phone to schedule a meeting with a counselor. Four years later I have taken the initiative to go back and finish what I once started. My initial life plan was to get my RN, obtain my Masters and then go on to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

Since having Addy, my plans have shifted back to working in obstetrics. This time, I think I'd like to be a Certified Nurse Midwife.

Monday I will register for my Summer classes and depending on what the Dean of Nursing says, I'll either be retaking Exploring Biology (since I took it last in the Fall of 2006 and you need to have taken it within the last five years), or I'll be taking Medical Dosage and Beginning Digial Photography to satisfy my Arts/Humanities course requirement.

This fall I'll apply for the accelerated program starting Summer of 2013 and if all goes well, I'll be a RN by May of 2014. Masters by 2016 and a CNM by 2018. Addy will be 6, Sam will be almost 13 and Seth will be 14. Man that seems like forever away...

Smile for the camera

... or if you are Seth, look at the camera like you're comatose.

Lockers

The RCC kids no longer keep their school bags and winter gear within the RCC lockers. They have now been moved to the "big kid lockers" by the library. How exciting!

I went to pick them up from RCC after work and had to go find their lockers on my own as they were playing at the playground. I found Sam's right away. Seth on the otherhand was a bit harder. I was looking for a "Seth" not a "Zeth". Darn dyslexia...

Going Bald

Since Addy has started daycare she has developed the infamous bald spot. I still can't quite tell what color hair she is going to have. At some angles I see brown, and at others I see a hue of red. Or, maybe she is just transitioning from brown to blonde like Seth and Sam did when they were babies... only time will tell. One thing for sure, her eyes are still blue.

Pinewood Derby

This is Seth's second year participating in the pinewood derby. Last year he had a pickup truck, this year he was going for a fire engine. After failing at the first attempt to cut one out, he decided to go with a race car instead.

This year he placed 4th. Not bad for never spinning his wheels. Good job Bud!

Where are the tractors?

The kids and I drove up to the cities to meet Nick for some dinner. Fine, let's be honest... I wanted to drive my car some more so we ventured North and ended up in White Bear Lake about the time Nick was off work. Were should we eat?

Sam ~ Pizza Hut!
Seth ~ CiCi's Pizza!
Mom ~ Red Lobster? The Machine Shed? Osakas?
Nick ~ Buffalo Wild Wings?

Finally, we were all able to agree on something! Buffalo Wild Wings - until we got there and realized there was a 30 minute wait. No thanks!

Next stop... The Machine Shed. I ate there once with my parents and siblings many years back. It had to of been before Seth was born because I don't remember taking care of any little ones. As soon as we sit down, Seth insists that he needs to go to the bathroom. I know what he is up to... He wants to go searching for the tractors. If this is a machine shed, then where are the tractors? To his dismay, he only found farm equipment from the olden days.

The food was delicious and the portions were more than filling. I ordered the all you can eat fish, Nick got the Plowman's Meatloaf, Sam ordered the Salad Bar, and Seth ordered the kids fish. Oh, and Addy ordered up a 6 ounce bottle of Enfamil Infant; her favorite.

On our way home Seth asked when we could go back again... Not sure if it was because he loved his fish or if he liked all the tractor merchandise.

He's a Boy and a Friend

"So Maddie was telling me and my boyfriend... well... I mean... he's a boy and he's a friend... so like me and my boyfriend that we should come play ball with her and some other kids."

She was very animated while telling me this story. I had to pause for a moment to regrasp the fact that this is a "six and three quarter" year old girl and not a 16 year old girl.

Yup - Sam doesn't just say the halves for each year. She had determined that she is no longer six and a half. She is now six and three quarters.

Oh boy...

Jump! Jump! Jump!

It's Addy's newest form of enjoyment. She just chatters away while spinning herself in circles and bouncing around. Socks don't work too well but it'll warm up soon enough where those base tootsers will starts getting some traction.

Whatcha doin'

It was very quiet in the back seat of the car and I was pretty sure that Addy and Jacob were asleep. When I stopped for gas I saw two little eyes watching me.

Jacob is such a little angel of a boy. His smile is so contagious.

I wish he lived closer so I could hug him all the time.

Holding On

My baby girl is getting so big already. I can't believe how fast she is growing.

Can someone hit the pause button on her?

The Union of Things

Now that I'm back to work I have been reminded how expensive it is to drive the Explorer 70 miles round-trip to St. Paul. Spending around $200 a week on gas is a bit excessive. Thursday night I started peeking at the listed cars at Tousley Ford. I found a 2011 Ford Taurus Limited fully loaded for $22,000. I so love the way the new Taurus' look. Unfortunately I couldn't convince Nick of a purchase that large. He keeps me grounded, which is good - for the most part.

On Friday I found a new listing for a 2006 Ford Fusion (no pictures) with 86,000 miles, manual transmission with 31 freeway miles per gallon. With the Explorer giving us only 16 miles per gallon overall, this seemed to be a pretty obvious decision. It doesn't hurt to get the Tousley Family Discount either.

After work on Friday I drove up to Tousley and took the Fusion out for a test drive while Nick worked. The previous owner was an "IT Geek" according to the salesman. He backpedaled a bit when he asked my occupation and I said IT. The IT Geek put in a lowering kit (which I could do without as the ride is a bit bumpier now), he put in an aftermarket Pioneer DVD Audio System, an aftermarket exhaust system and some other aftermarket parts. I had to have it!

The next morning we came back and I drove my new (to me) car off the lot. I absolutely love it! Downfall - light interior to pick up mud from the kids and the DVD player only plays the audio when we are parked because the system can't tell that the car is in neutral. Next step... Nick is going to rig it to think it is in Park.

The definition of Fusion is The Union of Thing. Me + Car = Fusion

Tubing at Afton

The Boy Scouts decided to plan an evening of tubing at Afton Alps. Sommer was in the area for a birthday party so she decided to join us. It was so great to spend time with my nephews and my sister. Ethan wasn't too thrilled about going down after his first time because it made him feel sick and he was scared. Nick worked on him a little bit and convinced him to go again. "Who’s going to go with me if you don't?" Nick even threw a little tantrum and threw his hat down onto the table saying "Fine, I'm not going to go down anymore either!" This was very comical. His reverse psychology worked... Ethan was back on the hills for the rest of the night. Sommer and I kept telling him we'd watch from the chalet and take a picture of him. The next thing we'd see was Ethan walking into the chalet and once again we missed him. Go again... we didn't see you come down that side. After taking a picture of the boys, I didn't see Seth again until it was time to go.

Journaling

Every day Sam's 1st Grade class writes in their journal. I was given the opportunity to look through her journal while at conferences today and this is what I came across.

Yup - it says My Mom is the best
Yes, it is followed by everyone else in our house but the top line is all I needed to read to feel all warm inside.

In reading through her journal I also came to realize that she refers to Nick as "Dad" more often than I realized. I'm not sure which one she is referring to. I know she loves both of her Dads dearly!









I like how she drew me laying in the hospital bed and all the smiling faces. She seemed so sad at be away while I was at the hospital. Sometimes I question her emotions because she is so good at masking them. It is good to be able see how she really feels.

Dressing up isn't just for girls

We were shopping at Target and as we walked past the Easter dresses I hear Seth say "Hey Momma, look." Before I even had a chance to turn around I started hearing giggling. With how silly he is, I'm sure there will be a lot more of these.

Dear Seth's future Girlfriend,
Use this picture wisely, for it may come in handy one day...
Love,
Seth's Mom(ma)