Day 14 of Christmas Break

This is just a quick update in pictures.  Enjoy!

Helen did a little cleaning.

She also made it to her 200th book in the '1000 Books Before Kindergarten' program at our library.

 

This is just plain cute.

 

Martin bankrupt his mom and dad two times in a row playing Star Wars Monopoly.  

We now refer to him as Mr. Trump.  

 

Remember our friend, Justin?  In October he came home from Afghanistan.

We are so happy he made the trip to spend some time with us.  

He also wowed my children with his ipad.  

***  On a somewhat unrelated note:  If anyone knows how to rotate these pictures from my iphone, please tell me.  I am incredibly annoyed by the entire situation.  Thank you.  ***

Christmas 2012

Or as I like to call it:  The Christmas my daughter became a Girlie-Girl. 

She's been cooking non-stop in her new plastic kitchen wearing her new pink high heels.

She loves wearing her new pink clip-on earrings and matching heart necklace. 

Her uncle gave her her very first Barbie, which is perfect for a little girl obsessed with handbags and heels. 

Clothes excite her as much as a new toy.

Yeah.  She's two.

Christmas 2012

Or as I'm referring to it:  The Christmas My Son Grew Up.

He's now wearing a size 4 shoe, which by the way, is almost the same size as I wear.

He doesn't wear pajamas anymore.  He wears pajama pants with his white undershirt.

For Christmas, he got two of his most favorite presents:

His very own real tool kit.

His very own working radio kit complete with a soldering iron. 

Yeah.  He's six years old. 

Merry Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Brian, Andrea, Martin, and Helen

 

Day 7 of Christmas Break

Here we are, a week into Christmas Break and we are all still very tolerant of one another.

Actually, we have been having a blast! 

We experienced our first 'Wisconsin Blizzard'.  As much as I despise snow, I was looking forward to something fierce.  We did get about 6 inches of snow and it was incredibly windy, but it wasn't as wild as I had hoped.  All the schools that were still in session we closed.  If we were still living in Marion, Ohio, we would have been under a Level 3.  

I couldn't keep my kids (or the dog) out of the snow.  We have a little hill behind our house, and it has been nothing be sledding and fort building.

Speaking of forts....  I walked into the kid's room and found this:

 Martin and Helen built one in their room.  It was quite extensive really.  They had rooms and even a kitchen. 

Sheldon even found his spot near the popcorn bowl.

Last night, after Helen went to sleep, Martin was able to stay up late and watch one of the greatest Christmas movies ever --- Gremlins.  Brian & I were reminiscing how much we were scared of that movie when we were little.  Of course, it didn't phase Martin. 

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! 

Day 3 of Christmas Vacation

Last Friday, school ended at noon and Martin is home for Christmas Break until the beginning of January.  Given the tragedy of current events, I am thankful both of my children are home safe with me.  We are on Day Three of Christmas Break and Helen is happy to have her big brother home.  My son has never been good about playing by himself, so he is happy to play with his litter sister. 

Over these last few days we have been busy getting ready for Christmas.  We have never had an artificial tree and we look forward to picking out our real Christmas tree.  I love the smell of pine, especially around Christmas time.  We drove to a tree farm someplace in the middle of Amish territory and told the kids they can pick any tree they like.  While I was expecting this to be a scene from National Lampoon Christmas Vacation, this kids chose a tree that was barely 6 feet tall.  Actually, I think they were cold and just wanted to get back in the warm car. 

Martin is obsessed with strength and thought he was something special because he could carry our Christmas tree all by himself. 

 

On the way out, Helen (being obsessed with All Things Small) found a tree she really liked.  I told her it was a baby and needed to stay at the tree farm and grow some more.

 I was envisioning the kids picking a huge tree and we would have to strap it to the top of our mini van.
Not the case.

Our good friend brought over a Rice Krispy Treat train set.  We were suppose to build a train our of rice krispy treats and decorate it with candy.  Which we did....

I bet you can tell which car Helen decorated.

We are enjoying our time together this Advent Season.  The kids are in love with the snow; we're suppose to get 6 to 10 more inches tonight!  We are watching all the classic Christmas movies.  Martin and I have been playing a lot of rummy, and Brian and Martin have been playing a lot of checkers.  Helen has been wrestling with her brother and begging him to do whatever she wants.  Brian will start his vacation later this week, and we are all looking forward to spending Christmas together in our new home.

(the tree is a bit of a leaner, but we love it anyway)

What Is This??

The other day I was digging through Martin's book bag (no privacy here), and came across this:

In case you're just as unsure as I was, I'll describe it to you.

It's a yellow piece of paper folded in half and stapled on the sides.

Written in pencil on the top is t,n,t.

So I open it to find this:

My guess was he discovered J.J. Walker. 

Brian's guess is Martin is a closet AC/DC fan.  

I guess we'll never know.

(I apologize for the sideways pictures.  I am now the owner of an iphone and I'm still learning.)  

Tuesday Picture

Home Depot couldn't get any cuter.

The Feast of Saint Nicholas

The kids woke up this morning with treats in their stockings for the Feast of Saint Nicholas.

I love this picture for a number of reasons:

1.  My kids' smiles.  I love everything about them.

2.  The fact that Martin is getting ready to squeeze the woopie cushion (or as he so delicately calls it, The Fart Bag) that he found in his stocking.  Nothing says St. Nick like a woopie cushion. 

3.  Helen's shirt.  If you look closely, you will notice she is wearing one of those pink baby shirts that snap at the bottom.  Brian was the last one to help her in the bathroom, and her shirt was snapped outside of her jeans.

Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

Bright Smiles

Today Martin, Helen, and I had dentist appointments.

I'll give you one guess who has two cavities.

(and it has nothing to do with bubble gum)

It was Helen's very first dental appointment, and she did a great job.

Our dentist took this picture with a Polaroid camera.

It.  Blew.  Martin's.  Mind.

The Hair Cut Continues

Remember a few posts ago when Helen and I went to get our hair cut?  Remember how I mentioned I thought she should have bangs because her hair is always in her eyes?

Well, I was giving Brian a hair cut the other night (after he made me watch a 2:40 youtube video on how to do it) and asked Helen if she wanted another hair cut.  I did a nice job on Brian's hair (no, I really did!), I thought I could handle Helen's hair.

So I sat her in the chair and told her to hold still, that I was going to cut bangs.

Well, she didn't hold still and she wouldn't look up.  Which means, uneven and very short hair in the front. 

I think she looks cute, but Brian said she looks like Lloyd Christmas.

I'll let you decided.

Pee-Pee and Pink Bubble Gum

Potty training..... *sigh*

Everyone else is doing it.  Toddlers younger than Helen are already wearing big kid undies and my daughter (age 2 years and 7 months) is still wearing diapers.  I have accepted I am going to be buying adult diapers for her for the rest of her life, because she is never going to use the bathroom.

I've tried everything.  I've asked other mothers how they did it, and the answer is always the same:  "It wasn't hard, one day he just did it."  I loath hearing that.  I really do. 

Helen is notorious for making her 'poop face'.  Even if you are seeing her for the very first time in your entire life, when she makes that face, you know exactly what she is doing.  When I would see her doing it, I would grab her and run to the bathroom to get her on her potty seat, all the while she is screaming, "No! No! No! Change my diaper!!"  I even bought her pretty princess big girl undies.  Nothing.  It was a constant and tiresome fight. 

I bet people look at me with pure wonderment.  Doesn't she have a six year old son?  Yeah, I do.  But he was already potty trained when I became his mother.  So this is all new to me.  And I'm starting to think birthing a baby is much easier than teaching another human being how not to pee in their pants but to pee in a toilet. 

I give up.

Then we went to Indiana for Thanksgiving.  (All good things come from that state, you know.)  Helen was playing with her cousin, Nicholas who turns two today (happy birthday, Nick!).  Nicholas is on the up-swing to being free of diapers.  Did I mention he is just now turning two?  When he would use the potty, he got a brownie as a reward, and Helen started to notice this.  Now, I have tried something similar, only with M&Ms, but to no avail.  Once again, everything else the books and the internet say to do work for everyone else's kid but mine.   

Until Helen discovered pink bubble gum (my friend, Kim is probably gasping at the thought of this).

I told Helen she could have a small piece if she would go pee-pee in the potty.  Sure, feel free to judge my parenting skills and don't you dare guess how many pieces she has swallowed, but IT IS WORKING!!   

We are on Day 3 of big girl undies, and I owe it all to Nicholas' example and Bubble Tape Gum. 

There is nothing more rewarding than cheering for a little person who has just peed or pooped in the toilet.

On Being Thankful [in pictures]

I am thankful for my husband who works very hard to support our family and never misses an opportunity to spend time with us.

I am thankful for his family who has always welcomed me into their family, no matter the amount of weirdness I tend to bring.

I am thankful for my sister-in-law, who not only is hilarious, but makes beautiful cousins for my kids.

I am thankful for my brother-in-law who knows how to give the gift that keeps on giving, especially for Sheldon.

(marshmallow launcher)


I am thankful for the generosity of Brian's family, particularly those who love to dress Helen in all of her favorite things.

But most of all, I am thankful for spending a long weekend with family doing the things families do best:  eating, laughing, telling stories, baptizing babies, staying up late, drinking wine, going to Mass, and even watching Purdue continue to claim the Oaken Bucket. 

Closed for Thanksgiving

This next week is jam packed with everything you can think of...

Volunteering at Martin's school.

Cub Scouts.

Doctor's appointment.

Finishing up Christmas shopping (yeah, that's right).

Driving to Southern Indiana.

Thanksgiving dinner with the family.

Our Godson's baptism.

The circus.

I hate to say it, but don't expect any new posts from here until next week.

From our family to yours:

I hope your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Our Day at the Salon

Helen has the finest hair ever grown on a human head.  She never lets me put a barrette or bow in it to keep it from hanging in her eyes. And really, there isn't a clip small enough to hold her hair.

I want her to have long beautiful hair as little girls should. 

It was starting to get stringy and knotty.  If only she would just let me comb it!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner and our big trip to Southern Indiana, I thought her and I could splurge and head to the hair salon.  And by hair salon, I mean the $9.99 hair cut at Fantastic Sams.

As a mother of a daughter, I couldn't wait for us to do things like this, as my mom and I never really shared in any mother/daughter bonding.  I had this fantasy of Helen and I walking into the salon and the hairdressers pampering us with expensive shampoo, a fabulous cut, a blow dry, and then finish it off with a style complete with curls.  Helen and I would walk out of the salon together turning heads as people noticed our marvelous new dos. 

Not the case.

We were in and out in 10 minutes.  Helen didn't cry, and she didn't talk to her hairdresser either.  I had to explain to her that Helen likes to throw around the stink eye.  We didn't get our hair washed, which meant no blow dry or style.  Helen did get her hair curled a bit, but with fine hair the curls were gone moments later. 

I'm not in love with the way Helen's hair looks either.  I feel like I could have saved the $9.99 and cut her hair myself.  But, Brian reminded me that I payed the money for Helen to have the experience, which she did enjoy in her own non-smiling Helen way.

And to top it off, I did not get a picture of my little girl sitting in the hairdresser's chair.

I did manage to take a few pictures at home, but I'm not sure how well you can see her new hair cut.

And my personal favorite:

"No More, MOM!"

Future World Champion

Helen C. Logue

World Champion Poker Player.

 

Well... maybe just a master of Go Ape.

The Weirdos with the Beardos

My friend Angela knitted this Beard-O for Martin.

It's pure comedy.

Is it me, or do I look like my dad??

Saint Martin de Porres

If you know us or if you have read this blog long enough, you know our family has a love for Saint Martin de Porres.  Today is his feast day, so we did a few extra special things to celebrate!

Here's a story about Saint Martin from www.martindeporres.org:

"Often we see Martin pictured in his Dominican habit holding a broom, with a mouse and dog at his feet. There is an interesting story about mice. One time there seemed to be a large gathering of mice in the wardrobe room of the monastery, where they feasted on the finest linen garments and sheets, leaving the old ones untouched. Some of the monks wanted to poison the rodents, but Martin would not hear of it. One day he caught a little mouse and held him gently, and said, "Little brother, why are you and your companions doing so much harm to the things belonging to the sick? Look; I shall not kill you, but you are to assemble all your friends and lead them to the far end of the garden. Every day I will bring you food if you leave the wardrobe alone," After Martin let go of the mouse, there was scurrying from every nook and cranny and the procession started towards the monastery garden. Martin, tall and slender, with long strides, led the mice to their new home. Every day he brought them a meal and no mouse ever touched anything in the monastery wardrobe."

So yesterday I made Martin some treats to take to his class.  I got the idea from here.

(they're chocolate mice, if you can't tell)

And today we headed up to an indoor water park (we had free passes) and had a blast!  With all the bags I had to carry in, I left the camera in the car.  But I did take this snap shot on the way home.  

It just confirms how much fun we had today.

Happy Feast of All Saints!

See how easily a ninja costume can turn into a St. John Neumann costume?

Happy Halloween!!

Here they are!

Martin as a Ninja, his buddy Patrick as a cowboy, and Helen as her BFF Elmo.

Some interesting facts:

1.  My kids' costumes combined cost a total of $8.00.
2.  Martin's costume will convert tomorrow to his All Saint's Day outfit as St. John Neumann.
3.  Helen wasn't at all that interested in trick-or-treating.  Thankfully, she has a kind big brother who shared his candy.

A Piece of History

Future Vice President Paul Ryan was in town today collecting items for those suffering from the current hurricane.  One of my neighbors came along as we took some canned goods to the La Crosse Republican Headquarters.  

While we waited for Paul Ryan, my neighbor and I discussed what we would say if we actually got to speak to him.  My plan was to tell him my husband was going to offer his Holy Hour on Friday for him and we were praying for a change in this HHS Mandate, otherwise our family's health insurance (along with many others) could be gravely affected. 

It was amazing to see the amount to security and secret service people involved in Paul Ryan's quick visit.  It almost seemed like I was in a movie.  It was even more amazing to see his motorcade pull up and to watch him get out of his car to roaring applause.  

He didn't speak about anything political or about campaigning.  He just spoke about the importance of us doing anything we can to help those in need during Hurricane Sandy, especially donating blood the the Red Cross.  He then went to the crowd to shake hands.  

As Congressman Ryan was walking towards me, I was instantly nervous.  It was surreal, actually.  I've watched this man in the media so many times, and there he was only a few feet from me.  I set Helen down and took a quick photo with my ancient cell phone.  Then I reached my hand out to him as he shook it.  I completely forgot everything I planned to say to him.  It happened so fast and all I could mutter was a meager, "Thank you".

And, no, he didn't kiss Helen.  She was busy standing at my feet taking in all the excitement. 

Paul Ryan in La Crosse, Wisconsin

October 30, 2012

A Weekend Recap

Here we are!  We are, I mean I am, recovering from our extra long weekend.  Since school started for Martin, I had forgotten how energetic these kids are when then they are home all day together.  Here are a few highlights... 

The kids think we have a new pet.  Which let me make clear:  We Do Not.  I love our dog, but I have stressed time and time again that when Sheldon goes off to the big doggie park in the sky, that is it.  No more pets.  Well, since we now live in the "country", we get to see things we didn't get to see in Columbus.  For example:

It's tough to see in this picture, but there is a hawk up on the light pole.  The kids spent most of Friday watching this huge bird dive down into the grass looking for something to eat.  Then the hawk would fly back onto the pole, or into the woods, only to return again.  The dog would go wild and the kids would run to the window when the hawk made his way back. 

Martin came up with this elaborate plan of feeding and training the hawk.  He had some great ideas and I wondered where he came up with half of what he was saying.  Then Brian reminded me Martin recently watched My Side of the Mountain.  Then it all made sense.  Helen would just yell out of the window, "Hi Owl!!"  I'm surprised the hawk stuck around for as long as it did.  

With Halloween tomorrow, the kids carved their pumpkins.  Martin being All Things Boy, dug right in there.  Helen, on the other hand, didn't like touching the inside of her pumpkin.  Are you surprised?

Martin carved his pumpkin rather traditional, while Helen wanted a cat.  Brian helped her with that, which is ironic because he hates cats. 

I had this grand idea of making a pumpkin pie from scratch; mostly so I can say I made a pumpkin pie from scratch.  Then I read up on how to do it.  This is a prime example of my appreciation of modern convenience.  I'll just buy the pie from the bakery.  But, I did roast the pumpkin seeds.

 

How was your weekend?