Lunar Eclipse and Bowling

I got a few pictures of an eclipse that happened around the 20th. They didn't really turn out so great but I'm not exactly set up for eclipse photography.

While downloading pictures from my camera, I also found these of when we went bowling. I know you all must be jealous of the exclusivity we enjoyed while there, but I'm sure it happens all the time.

With 4 whole lanes they are usually slammed..hehe. Anyway it was fun and they even left the bumpers in for us. Not really the best bumpers (kind of a gutter flex tubing) and the ball doesn't really bump off the side it just rides along into the gutter, but the kids had fun.



I found some software, thanks to Joy's brother Scott, that allows me to change the orientation of my video and will try to get the videos on the blog changed today...children permitting. Miss and love you all.

Another laugh from Olivia

So it's not that the boys don't do silly things but Olivia says the funniest things and makes the funniest connections with language and actions. The boys are just crazy like jumping off things and throwing each other down....not much in the way of funny just painful to watch. So don't think I am a mom who favors one child over the other (Only on certain days!!) but the funniest stories come from Olivia. So for those of you who remember the boys when the were infants you will remember that they LOVED to nurse as did Olivia. She was the longest and hardest to convince she was done. So recently she has developed a fascination with my boobies. She always (even in public) is trying to reach in my shirt and lift it up. Giggling the whole time and saying "nurse" to which I reply "Only babies nurse". I guess I should have seen what happened next coming but I was blindsided. So since she's been potty training she has been wearing big girl panties and the diapers are "only for babies". Well yesterday, again because it's happened a few times before, she came to me naked with her dolls size 1 diaper trying to put it on saying "diapers are for babies, only babies nurse, I a baby". She was adamant that the diaper instantly made her a baby therefore she would be granted access to her treasure. I just laughed and knew that I couldn't win the arguement so I had to run away from her. She chased me for a bit then was distracted by her clothes she had shucked and proceeded to become a big girl again. What can I say...

Just a little something to make you smile...

So Olivia is talking up a storm. Full of funny things she puts together. My favorite right now is about UPS. Everytime she sees the UPS logo (kevins shirt, the calendar etc...) she shrieks "Daddy's work" to which we ask "Where does daddy work" and then comes the funny "Me, P, S" she says. We correct her and say "NO, UPS" to which she repeats "Me, P, S" Pretty funny huh.

Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever has officially set in. I have to apologize for the following videos. I don't have any video editing software so I can't change the orientation of the video and I took it vertically not thinking. So....sorry for the crick in your neck but they are hilarious. The boys have been so bored they came up with their own little game. Pretty funny!!




There is no need to call the authorities. No child was injured in the making of this film. I couldn't stop laughing though.

I have just finally thawed from the -22 with a -43 wind chill enough to blog. I know I've been a slacker but I don't think much in the way of interesting has happened up here. The kids are stir crazy and want to be outside so badly. I have a 5K this weekend and the weather is supposed to be 32 ABOVE so I am hoping the weather man is right. That would be some HOT weather for me to be running in. I am trying to convince Payton to participate in some kind of sport other than soccer. They don't have soccer here and that is what he did up in AK. So he keeps using the excuse that he only wants to do soccer. Right now he has Hockey or Wrestling. He isn't really into hockey like Gavin is so he starts wrestling tomorrow (thanks to some strong persuasion from his mom) I explained that life would quickly become boring eg. staying in his room and only coming out to eat and use the bathroom, if he wouldn't at least TRY something. I am such a proud mom that he made the RIGHT decision to TRY. Hehe. So...that will more than likely become my next battle as a parent. I will keep you posted. Love and kisses to you all!!

Back Home

This is Kevin. As you know from Kirsten's blog the other day, I was in Louisville, KY this past week. On Tuesday night it was 68 degrees. Currently it is at least -8 with a -37 wind chill. For those who cannot do math quickly, yes, that is a 105 degree temperature change! WOW!!!! There is still a blizzard warning until later tonight. Now it did get cooler as the week went on in Louisville and there were threats of tornadoes, but at least it was above freezing! If I can find enough clothes to put on in order to go outside, I will try to take some pictures and post them. We have some really neat snow drifts in the yard. Some are over 3 feet high. They look especially cool around the trees and in front of the house. As I look outside right now, the sun is shining very deceitfully in my eyes. The trees are still waving in the breeze and snow is blowing across the fields. Enough to warn not to go outside, but for you all, I will brave it! As long as my skin is not exposed for longer than 1 minute, I should have no risk of frostbite. A lot of people asked me this week which was colder, Alaska or North Dakota. I answered the North Dakota was a lot colder and told them about the -20's we had the week before coming down there. They were amazed that somewhere is actually colder than Alaska and go figure, here we are! I will try to post pictures later. Until then, stay warm wherever you are because I KNOW you are warmer than me!

I am thankful for my house, I am thankful for my house....

This is what I keep telling myself in an attempt to remain calm and thankful. Kevin has been gone this week in Louisville (warmer but the threat of tornadoes makes me like -30) and so as you know of course another problem arose with the house. After the weeks of digging to find the septic cleanouts and earlier this year getting rid of 12 mice in my garage and car (i know it's the grossest thing you've ever heard) I was hoping the only things I would have to deal with in this house would be the marvelous decor options that were chosen 35 years ago....I guess that would be too easy. So the drama started with Olivia playing so nicely in the playroom while I was reading. I kept asking her if she had to use the potty (like every minute) to avoid an accident and she kept saying no. After about 20 minutes I go in and see she has made (even to my standards, and I'm pretty tolerant) a huge poop mess. She had already gone in her panties and proceeded to smear it all over the carpet and her Dora backpack along with 4 or 5 other toys. I just stood in horror because what do you do? Yelling is pointless and besides I was completely in shock. I just stood there and tried to get my brain to work. So I took her hand and instructed her to not touch ME or anything else. We went upstairs and I started a bath after a 25 baby wipe wipe down. I called Payton in to sit with her while I went to clean up and started the gross task. Payton called down he was going to get in the bath with her (good I thought he won't get bored) and I finished cleaning. I went into the laundry room to start the wash and found water pooled on the floor and leaking from the ceiling. This is when I started freaking out. I ran upstairs and discovered Payton had filled the bath so full (which he admittedly knows is not okay but he thought it would be fun....oh how the 7 year old mind works) that the water was going out the overflow. Now, in my mind the overflow should run into the drain pipe and out with the rest of the water. Not out ALONG the pipe and down into the house....(I am thankful for my house, I am thankful for my house.... )So we drained the tub and luckily all was well. No more water in the basement and another thing we have to fix. (I am thankful for my house, I am thankful for my house) Logically I know things could be so much worse but it always seems bad when you have to deal with a problem...so kevin gets home tomorrow and I guess we will be tending the the bathroom in the very near future. It shouldn't be a problem unless little minds decide to fill the tub to the very top, which in all reality is very probable here. Otherwise all is well. We are all healthy and warm notwithstanding the freezing temps and I am going to do a 5K on Feb 23 providing the weather cooporates. Anything above 10 will work. Have a fabulous day and just think of us when you need a laugh!! Love you all!

Monkey see, Monkey do

I woke up this morning to a heat wave. The chinook winds were blowing and it was 14 outside. I'm in heaven!!! (pitifull I know) When I went out to start the cars I didn't have to wear full face gear and a parka...wonderful. Back inside I was reminded that I had forgotten to do Payton's 100 homework. We had to make a crown/hat from poster board and glue/attach 100 of something. Payton feared pennys would be too heavy and that paper clips would itch so he chose noodles. A hot glue gun and 100 noodles later he had his 100 hat. It was a masterpiece Martha would have been proud of. As I get him and Kevin out the door I hear Gavin bellowing to me that Olivia is peeing in the bottle. Now if you know the stories of the water bottles in my car and the boys having to go to the bathroom you know what was happening. See when the boys were smaller (and even still now) when we couldn't make it to a bathroom they would use one of the 100 empty water bottles in the car. Now being as Olivia is a little monkey (monkey see, monkey do) she decided this morning that she would use the bottle instead of the pink potty. As you can imagine it didn't work out so well. Not the right plumbing for that kind of manuever. I explained that it doesn't work for girls to pee in the bottle so she then attempted to stand and use the potty. Again not so good. I guess being out numbered by the boys around here has caused some confusion. So after all the potty business was worked out we headed off to pick up Kevins contacts and have lunch with him. I put her in a diaper since we were gone for nearly 3 hrs and when we came home she was dry. I am still in shock and loving the "do it yourself potty training kid". As for the boys they still have to remember to empty the potty BEFORE picking it up and moving it. Not such a great supprise. Hope this leaves you laughing or at least smiling. It's pretty entertaining around here. Miss and love you all.