Tom Tom

Do you own a Tom Tom? Or any sort of navigation device? Well we do, as of now! In fact, Homer Simpson announced I was a genius when I arrived home safely from Church today! The kids laughed so hard, it is fun to have just to hear their reactions!
I am not sure I am fond of all this technology. I mean it is cool, but what happened to the good ole' days of getting lost and finding adventure? Josh and I used to take all sorts of road trips, navigating with maps and guesses. We took side-trips, and back roads and actually enjoyed ourselves and the people and things we met. Like the time we got lost in Italy and ended up in this quaint hostel just because we couldn't find our actual destination.....remember those days? Now I just program my destination and the GPS gets me there. I guess I do like it, but I think we will turn it off when we really want to get lost :o)
(We really bought it to help my parents find Church, dance, the Y, piano, grocery store, mall, gymnastics etc when they come watch the kids. I hope my Dad appreciates Homer...he is pretty funny:o)

In other news, my back is not doing so well. I sprained it picking up a flailing Asher the other day, just about a week from my fall. It has been aching from the fall but now it hurts! Sleep was horrible last night and I am on the brink of taking pain killers....Josh has done some adjusting but this one is going to take time to just heal...I dislike getting old. Ha!
Asher had about 2 weeks pleasantness and now is back to his Antics:
#7436 :o) Run out into the street at the grocery store so your Mom, with a hurt back, and carrying baby, has to run after you
#7437 Throw every grocery item out of the cart and lay down in the middle of the aisle while your Mom, who has a hurt back, has to pick it all up and put it all back in the cart, the whole time the baby is screaming
#7438 Lay on top of said baby every time your Mom is not looking, just to hear her scream
#7439 Insist on peeing standing up at Church and proceed to spray the toilet and walls, so your Mom, with the hurt back, has to wipe it all up with baby wipes.....(holding baby, just kidding :o)
Hmmm, baby took 3 steps today-- straight to our friend Josh Helgesen when he reached out for her. Stinker. She of course will not walk for us! Perhaps she will be walking by the end of the week. (Secretly, I think she is a genius and they always walk late.....:o)

Tristan's 2nd grade Music Performance

2nd grade classes at Tristan's school. 5 classes, 20-22 kids each
Tristan is top row, middle, looks like his finger is in his nose

So, the kids went to school Monday, Tuesday, half-day Thurs and Friday and fortunately Tristan was able to have his music performance on Thursday night since we had school. We are fortunate to live in an awesome school district that I think has a great music program. They make it fun for the kids and encourage them to want to participate. The school has 5 specials: art, music, computer, pe and library. Basically they are on a 6 day rotation, with pe occurring 2x in 6 days. I think it is wonderful. We are blessed to live here with such great schools (parents, teachers and kids..)

Ice Storm

Ok, what can I say about the weather in Iowa....its horrid! We have had 30 plus inches of snow..so far, a terrible freezing spell and then we topped it off last week with an ice storm. Ice storms are not pretty. We have been lucky with no"damage" other than our driveway breaking up pretty bad and we will have to repave come early summer......but some places have been without power for a week! We didn't have school Wednesday and had a late start Thursday, but we have survived. The kids are getting too used to staying home and I am once again rethinking my homeschool idea.
(Did I tell you I have an awesome new Visiting teaching companion, Esther, who has 7 kids and she dual enrolls them? That means they go to school for subjects like science, art, pe, music...and she gets them at lunch and teaches math, reading and social studies at home! Such a cool thing. Really the best of both worlds I think because you can be involved in their education, you can add religious instruction-- although we of course have seminary starting 9th grade-- and they still can go on field trips and extra-curricular activities at school. I so love this idea. Esther starts it 6th grade when they head off to middle school....but you can do it from Kindergarten up in Iowa, I will be talking to Esther about this more and see if its for us, oh and I still love and miss my other VT companions: Vickie and Sharon :o( Ok, enough tangent)......
So, we have read alot, played Wii, played board games, fought, cried, napped, etc. Asher came down with a chalazion on his eye and was highly contagious so we didn't go anywhere after Tuesday. Thursday as I was seeing kids to the bus, I had a huge spill and hit my head pretty hard. I promptly bought some YakTrax and feel more confident about walking on ice now. But man, did I have some major anxiety after that accident!
Josh and I put the kids to bed way early Friday night, ordered Chinese and watched "The Invention of Lying"-- not that funny, but I do like Ricky Gervais. It was a much needed break from what has become too routine here-- bad storm, home from school, back to school, weekend, school, storm, home from school...you get the picture.....
And, colder weather and more snow is on its way! (Don't worry Mom, you can borrow my Yaktrax when you come!)

Thoughts

Tristan's 1st derby car--painting done

Yes, he medaled 5 times! We are so bummed sectionals are on Sunday this year because Boys State is on Saturday and he could have gone....

Umm, some drywall up. Next we plumb and finish drywall. We went out looking a toilets and tubs and sinks last night! Fun, right!?

My dining room. I swear I am not a hoarder, just where to put basement storage? Right now in here, the one room in the house mainly for decoration..

The retainer...for the next 4+years? If it will save us from braces then it is worth it. And, I don't know if you can tell but it is black and yellow striped--Go Hawkeyes!

1. Pinewood derby cars cost a lot of time and money. I know it is excellent time for a boy to spend with his Dad, but I think it is really more of Dad's project, right!? I mean Tristan designed the car, but Josh has to do the cutting and sanding and weighing etc. Yesterday it took us hours to find weights for the car! Geesh, at this rate I expect the prize to be $1000 :o)

2. Basements are expensive and take a long time if you don't want a loan. I hate having all my storage in the dining room because I am such a neat freak, but it is better than stacking it in bedrooms and its got to be out of the way for all the work. We are anxious to start plumbing and drywall, but need to wait for a bit, in order to save up the money for it. Can I live for a year with stuff in my dining room?

3. 2 things absolutely fascinate me in the study of psychology: large, or mega-families and hoarders. I don't think those two things go together? I am not a hoarder. I love to purge, but with my current dining room situation I feel like one. Josh says I am an organized hoarder. I don't even come close. I am so used to moving all the time, that I have learned to keep the essentials and maybe a few fun things and get rid of stuff you don't need/use and buy it again if the occasion ever arises that you might need it. I do want a large family though. 19, not for me...but 7 is looking pretty good right now...now only to convince Josh who is happy with 5 :o) (I am tired but not done yet!)

4. Orthodontia is darn expensive. Over $200 for that plastic-thingy and not to mention visits like every 8 weeks to keep readjusting it! And, of course orthodontia insurance is optional...and dental only covers maybe 50% of all its procedures.... Why is Josh a doctor? He should have been an orthodontist!

5. How come people/Americans/(insert someone here) don't keep Sunday a day of rest anymore? I mean when my parents were little everything was closed on Sunday and people spent time with family. Now....everything is open, seems like just another day of the week and my boy has to miss out on a swim meet and swimming at State because it has been planned for Sunday. I am so bummed...for him, but at the same time, we want to teach our children what it means to keep the Sabbath Day holy (all this while I update this blog/journal) and they are fighting in the living room over treats! Ha!

6. The earthquake in Haiti is horrible! I cried when I watched the 20/20 special. How to help? Give money I guess. We did our part and donated to the Red Cross. I am so relieved and grateful that the Church has a huge part in the efforts to bring care and comfort to those in need. I am so thankful and humbled to be a member of the Church and appreciate Its efforts to reach out to the world and be there in times of need. You can read more about it here.
7. I loved the lesson in Church today. It was Ward Conference and the theme for our Stake this year is Come Unto Christ/Be Perfected in Him. They talked about how "perfect" means to be whole, complete, or fully grown. Wow! What an insight for me. I think I get so hard on myself too often because I fail at all the things I am trying to do: not yell at kids, be nice to husband, have a clean house, etc, etc. But being perfect is not being "perfect" like we think of it. Being perfect is the goal of our mortal lives. We lived with Him before, we came to earth to gain our body, have a family, learn right from wrong, joy and sorrow....and ultimately to be as He is....to inherit the Celestial Kingdom, with glorified bodies and eternal increase, just as He does. How wonderful is that! It is to one day be fully-grown as God is......with that perspective I am going to try harder this week to make my weaknesses strong and turn to the Lord for more help than I ever have. I have struggled recently with just being over-whelmed and angry and in turn my children have suffered and acted out. I don't want them to grow up and not feel safe at home, loved, accepted, and protected. I need to work on becoming "perfected" by Him. I am grateful for my testimony of the Restored Gospel and knowledge of the love our Savior has for each of us.

8. Josh started a blog http://theyearoflivinghealthy.blogspot.com/ He wants people to read it and comment. He is combining his medical knowledge with a Julie/Julia type format to live healthy for a year.....Read it!
Ok 2 more thoughts to make an even 10:

9. I am down 2 more pounds, except we ate out last night and I totally indulged. Why not? We had a gift card....

10. I love my kids; they are awesome. And, they are pretty darn cute too. Laney is to die for lately, she smiles and waves at everyone...just melts my heart!

Should I homeschool?

Tristan ready for relay/ Waukee invite

breaststroke/Waukee Invite

30 plus inches of snow, -20 temps (with windchill)

Mara in her dress from Grandma Faye (ignore the wet spots, she spilled milk right before I took this pic)

Potty Party and Asher with his new hat

Cute potty-trained boy!

Christmas quilt, isn't it beautiful? (for Emily who forgot to take a picture, now you need to send me one of the advent calendar)

Oh where do I start? Umm maybe with we had several snow days in December, then we were off for almost 2 weeks for the holiday and then we went back Monday and had more snow and freezing temps this week which brought no school Thursday or Friday and no school tomorrow due to a planned Inservice. So I am left to wander after many harrowing days at home and Josh at work for long days, should I just homeschool? I mean at least we would have routine. I love routine. I thrive in routine. I tried desperately to have routine the last several weeks of no school, but the kids defied me and now I think well, if I schooled them at home then I would have a routine and we'd actually be done by May instead of well into June as it stands now....however, I quickly snap back to reality and think, "Courtney you are nuts! No way you'd homeschool! You love sending some off each day....;o)"

Anyhow, what to do in a snowstorm.......well, loads. We watched the entire Star Wars, we made clay models, we read, we painted, we fought, we broke toys, and we (ok I) potty-trained Asher. Yes, he is potty trained. What do you do in sub-zero temps. Run around naked in the house of course! I am proud to say I now have 4, yes 4, children who use the potty. Wow! We had a potty party complete with a new BUZZ hat and undies for Ashiepants and a strawberry jello cake. He thought it was awesome!

I also have one dumb dog who ate the pork and packaging I set in the sink to thaw for a few hours. UGH! She wished she were a dead dog after I finished spanking her;o)

I have to admit though, that I have not been the nicest Mommy. I really have been on edge the last few days too and with temps of -30 and no possibility of any outside play, I, who would like to curl up with a book and read by the fire, instead find myself, breaking up fights, cleaning up messes and finding 5 different places in my house for the kids to play separately!

Progress has been made in the basement but our dining room has turned into temporary storage which, as you can imagine, bugs me, because I love organization. But, I keep telling myself it is for a good cause. HVAC came this week. On to plumbing!

Tristan swam this weekend and placed in all 5 events. He even got a first place in 25 m breast! The kids were restless and it was a long afternoon but Tristan swam his best, breaking all of his record times...even in the freestyle, which he struggles with a bit.

Sunday I found myself struggling to make 9am without Josh but he made it just after Sacrament so then it was a bit better after that. Getting used to 9am church again has been the challenge, especially since we have had so many"sleep-in-cuz-there-is-no-school days!"

This week looks warmer....30s, break out the short-sleeves! We just might have to have an ice-cream party tomorrow!

Happy New Year 2010!

Wow! Can that be right? 2010! Crazy! I have spent a whole decade having kids......oh and being married to the most wonderful, stubborn man :o) I am so excited for this new year and the promise it holds. It really does seem like a fresh start each year after we celebrate the birth of Christ, spend time with family, and then head back to routine refreshed and energized (or in my case, tired, and oh, sick again with another tummy bug, but nonetheless ready for school to start!).
So what does the new year hold? Well....Josh and I are going on a cruise, we are finishing our basement, family reunion, we will have three kids in school this coming August, maybe buy that new truck once the basement is complete?, more time for Mommy to do her job as Mommy cuz she finally let go of her job at the Y (yes, it's true, I am just going to teach once a week, and not worry about all that other stuff)...maybe adding to our family? Who knows? Life is exciting, and tiring and challenging and joyful!
We had Chinese for dinner (cuz one year in Pocahontas Chinese closed on Christmas Eve and so we had McDonald's...and then ate Chinese on New Years, so now we pretty much eat it to celebrate both. I love Chinese!). I got some last minute paper hats and blow thingies at HyVee so we ate ice cream and cake and blew the horns at ummm, 8pm:o) and then off to bed. I actually went to bed early. Darn stomach bug! But Josh stayed up to ring in the New Year.
Resolutions (we stick to three....)
Delaney:
learn to walk
learn to talk
learn body parts
Asher:
use the potty ( we worked on it all of break and he pees in it but refuses to poop)
learn ABCs (he can count to 10 already!)
Learn to swim (he's gonna be 3 this year! Wow!)
Ciomara:
ride bike without training wheels
read BOB books (early reader help books)
learn to swim (yes, she has a BIG fear of this...)
Melina:
read chapter books
play a hymn on the piano
join swim team/get a medal
Tristan:
ride a skateboard
read Scriptures every Sunday
Memorize 13 Articles of Faith
Mommy:
read Scriptures every day
Do 2 sewing projects (I actually have finally taken up sewing. I just made myself sit and do it and I have hemmed and repaired and made a few baby things for friends. I find it quite relaxing..)
lose 20 lbs........:o)
Daddy:
100% hometeaching
work to finish basement (we are paying for it project by project)
lose 50 lbs
So, that's it.
In other news: it is FREEZING! Don't come our way. -15 yesterday! That's right. That is the actual temp. It feels like -30 with wind chill. Why do I live here? Oh wait? Great place to raise a family, job here, cannot beat cost of living....
Basement has framing, rough electrical, some drywall, passed inspection...moving on to Hvac and plumbing. Yeah!
Kids are so ready to go back to school. Seems like this whole vacation they have woken early and asked if it was a school day. I bet tomorrow they will sleep in!