Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Seen on a bumper sticker : Frodo failed, Bush got the ring.

Do you know the less house cleaning I do, the more oppertunity my kids have to help? Then when they help I can praise them up and down for being sucj a good helper and being a big boy by picking up thier books/cheese/books with out being asked.

Anyways, back to the topic of Frodo. Last night I helped Mike take over middle Earth. Frodo just wasn't fast enough. Mike, who was playing Sauron was able to take over every territory before the ring dropped into mount Doom. The reason I say I helped him is becasue, eventhough I was playing all the good guys, my men just didn't put up much of a fight, as I kept rolling snake eyes against his double sixes. So the age of men and hobbits did come to a close, and eventhough Frodo did drop the ring into mount doom and destroy Sauron, there was no one left to save him and Sam from the volcano, adn there was no Shire to go back to. Just as well th ough being that all the elves, including Rivendell, Mirkwood, and Loith Lorian were all wiped out too.

So if anybody would like to join us next time to see what happens in Middle Earth, then you are welcome to put your armies at Risk too.

Well tomarrow, I got a lot more stuff to do, more ads, more bills, budgets and driving downdown to pick up bifocals for Galen. :)

Have a good one

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Easter Bunnies and Stranger Things

This year our kids got the hunt for their Easter Baskets twice. Once yesterday, so they could be gathered to one locations (Galen even cleaned his room looking for his) and then after church today. We told them the Easter Bunny would only bring them treats if they behaved in church, and they did.

The basket space in thier dino and lamb baskets are small, and they were filled with enough goodies to constitute lunch. One bagel, kiwi, yogurt and 2 pieces of candy.

Meanwhile My oven is full of yummies for dinner and we decided to have the ham cold on the hot fresh buns. I didn't argue about the ham, less work today that way. Tomarrow I will cut up some and make my pinapple stuffing for dinner. Otherwise today has been pretty quiet.

The kidlets have enjoyed the sandbox now that they can once again acess the sand. And then tromp thier sand encrused boots through my house.

Then tonight after dinner we will have some saurkart chocolate cake with cherries and whipped cream on top.

Other than that,a s long as the rest of the world is clossed down for a holiday (and spring break) I will just have to play it quiet for a night and see what kind of trouble I can get in in the morning :)

Friday, March 25, 2005

Tonka trucks do not belong on white sateen sheets

with that said, and finding the pillow cases in the desk drawers. I think I am ready to sheet my bed organically , then take pictures for my site and line sheets. We now have a beautiful stock of organic cotton white sateen queen sheets! Selling for $135/set. I am going to sleep well tonight!

Also we have just introduced crib sets- beautiful matching organic bedding for the crib. Ok, so is there life outside my business? Not until after the trade show. That reminds me, does anybody know of some wonderful organic wool fabrics? I am in desperate need of some. I'd prefer natural silver but will settle with almost anything usuable. One would think sturdy grey fabric would not be that hard to find in organic, but then they probably haven't tried it.

Then in the middle of trying to get business done, just throw in a holiday weekend. Talk about an inconvient time to have everyone on vactation. There are things that need to get done, and I can't hire you to do it if you are not there to answer the phone! Oh well, that just gives me time to work on those line sheets.

Other than that I had a nice business lunch with my marketing/sheet sewer person. And had some great ice cream for desert! She enjoyed talking about how great it is to work for me becasue I don't look down on her or make her stop in her go-get-tive-ness. I just told her that almost all the people I have to work closely with are artisians and often know more then I do, so I encourage free thinking and creativness as a new approach to create the best items on market.

Well time to tuck the kiddos down so we can have a quiet night :)

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Long time no blog

But I have been on the busy side.

Tuesday night was a three ward relief society party, and I helped clean up and stayed out until nearlu 9:30.
Yesterday was a day full of appointments- like my midwife appointment. squiggly wouldn't stop moving so every time she found his heartbeat he's move. I told her I was slightly concernced that once this kid is born we may not be able to hold him due to the fact that he's so squiggly. And of course it looks like he's going to be on the larger side of newborns-he already measures 2 weeks ahead of scheduel. Of course that is nothing new to me.

Then I went grocery shopping and bearly came home in time to get the boys in the car and drive downtown to thier eye appointments. Ewan's eyes look great. Galen's eyes still want to cross when he focuses in things up close- this makes it hard for him to read or focus on school work. So Galen is getting bifocols to relax his eyes so they don't cross when he looks at things up close.

The best thing is the eye doctor agrees with me that the "focus issues" his teachers have with him in school are deffinetly physical and not attention related. Duh! can't the teachers see that he focused for 45 minutes on legos while we were talking? But then what should I expect from the education department? They still think the child has to look you in the eyes to hear what you're saying. I hated when teachers demanded eye contact for extended periods of time. They should know that if they want me to read thier face ( and all the mirads of emotions that pass through it) then I should look them in the eyes, if they want me to listen to them, then let my ears focus on them instead of my eyes.

Anyways, I look forward to getting Galen reading again. He was doing so well at Christmas, but then started not wanting to look at the words, now of course I have Doctor approved evidance as to why.

Ok- besides Doctors, and what knot I feel have turned into an advertising agency for a short term stint, while I get all the ads together for the various items we are doing this year. 2 in print, several on the net, then the hangtags and lables and T-shirts and business cards. We still have a lot to do and these and then I need to finish those line sheets. Sometimes I wish I was 2 people so I could accomplish more at once.

Well, That is all I know. Maby I'll think of something cute to write later. :)

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Funny but true

What happens when you get a bunch of women together after a class? We talk! We share and we laugh.

Talking about how to deal with husbands . . . "We need to buid them up and make them feel good. Ask them in a sweet baby voice to please change that light bulb that you're just not strong/tall enough to get. Then praise them for it and watch them grow 2". Tell them how mannly you find that 5 o'clock shadow on thier face, adn watch them grow 2". Pick a body part and complement them on it. "

I just had to add "And watch it grow 2"."

Then another wonderful friend of mine told about how her husband goes out to the garage to smoke, and one evening she called him on his cell phone. "Honey, I'm naked and in bed." That was the shortest ciggarette he's ever had!

Other cute things: listening to Galen's comments during the previews at the movie the other night. Those comments and excitment is what you take kids anywhere for. I thought the whole movie would be peppered with those insights, but at lass, he quieted down and watch mostly silently. )too bad, it would have been so fun). I wish I could remember the comments and the previews they went to, but I don't so you'll just have to try taking a local 5 or 6 year old out and see if you get any cute resposes from them.

Busy, busy, busy

The first half of the week was slow, but the last half made up for it. Mom and Dad showed up about 2 am on Friday morning. Then they slept, had pancakes and Mom adn I went on alittle "fruit and veggie run" with a quick stop at the post office and a not so quick one at the mall. At the mall we enjoyed shopping at Cold Water Creek and then Wilson's Leather, where we found a really cool combination diaperbag and briefcase, and an absolutly awsome sale on some kid's leather winter coats. We had to get one in Galen's size (so it could be handed down to all 4 boys). Then we made it to the organic store and bought fruits, veggies and lunch. The lunch was so good we had it last night for dinner too (with the addition of a can of soup).

MOVIE time. Mom took us all to see Robots. During a small snowey icy storm that came through, but the kids looked liked they really enjoyed it, adn overall it was a pretty cute movie. Time was then up for my parents and they headed home. We headed home too and had d inner before I brought Galen and Ewan to the School Carnival where they each played 6 games and won candy each time. (They even won a twinkie once too!) Thanks school- couldn't you have had fruit or nuts as prizes?)

This morning was Stake Primary conference for the kiddlets. I ended up staying the whole time and helping in the kitchen to feed 140 kids lunch. But my kids came out happy and excited and seemed to have enjoyed themselves. And they actually had my kids attention for 1/2 hour during the opening talks. President Baker actually held Galen and Ewan's attention through most of his talk. (they fed the kids fried rice and fruit parfaits for lunch, the kids loved it and I was thrilled it was something I wouldn't mind letting my kids eat)

So throw in a little bit of sleep, a few quick meals, a good bath for the boys followed by an oiling and finger and toe nail clipping and you have our weekend so far. Now wea re going to watch an episode of Gilligan's Island then brush teethies and say prayers, and hopefully settle down for a quiet night and peaceful tomarrow.

May you all be blessed with a moment of peaceful silence tonight :)

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Another day, another blog

Well,
well. well. . . (three holes in the ground).

Another day, another blog.

You know what ot os like when Heaven and Hell seem to combine against you for doing something you really want to do? Well, I really wanted to go to Relief Society tonight. It was going to be this big party with another ward celebration RS's birthday (175 years?)

But on Sunday Mike just happened to sign up to go with the missionaries tonight, so after a long day of trying to get everything done by 5pm and all the kids packed up so Mike could drop us off at church. We found out that in the 3 minutes we were showering the kids got into my baking cupboard and brought the whole bag of flaked coconut up to thier bedroom and flung it all around. So we had to clean that up, then we had to find thier shoes (and everything else that happens when you try to leave the house intact, and then leave with 3 tired children).

So we got to church 10 minutes late- only 1 car was there. Then it hit me, (my hand against my forehead that is) Relief Society was next week. But because they kept changing the date on us, and I have a severe case of pregnancy brain I was so sure since Sunday that the party was this week. Luckily Mike understands pregnancy brain, and probably enjoys being more togther than me for a few months every couple years (or in this latest case for over a year now!)

So Sometimes I just gotta wonder if I should have given up eairlier? But if I gave up eaisly then I'd have no business being an entreprenuer or a mother. I just have a hard time believeing that life is made for those people who give up easily.- Maby I'm just a Minnesotan. :)

But what every it is a got a stick to it ness a mile wide. but then again so do my parents (and my children!)

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Blogging Away

Yesterady was about 2 days worth. Fist our babysitter was 45 minutes late so Mike and I were late for starting the cannery session. After the cannery, we fed the kid slunch and lwt them play for abit while waiting for Ryan and Amber to check into thier hotel with a waterpark before we joined them.

Ian and Ewan wanted to go to the water park but had no desire to play once they got there. Galen and Ethan (Amber & Ryans 3 year old) were indepent twerps who ran off and had fun with no need of thier supervision parents. Galen enjoyed swimming around the 4' pool and Ethan loved the water slides, while Ewan clinged to me and Ian sat at the edge of the pool near mike and cryed (but nobody could hear anything because it was incredably loud in there.) THen we ordered pizza and let our kids make a fair amount of noise togther until it was time to depart and put our own twerpies to bed. The adventure wore Galen out. Yeah! Ewan and Ian didn't fall asleep in the car, but it didn't take them long to fall to sleep last night.

Today . . . started out with Ewan declairing that becasue he didn't want to, that he didn't have to go to church. Every time Ewan said this Galen always said "and school too." However, we kindly explained that they do have a choice in this matter. They can go and be happy, or they can go unhappily. It took a minute of Mike magic and all the kids wanted to wear white shirts and ties to church. Galen got to. He has a white shirt and Mike's starwars tie fits him almost well enough. So I guess that will be on our to purchase list. 2 White dress shirts and 2 tie ties for each of the boys. (having white dress shirts sure makes the question of what are they going to wear a lot eaiser, adn the kids never wear them longer then needed so they stay clean and go back in the closet after church).

Ewan gave the scripture and prayer in Primary (It was Galen's turn bu t he crawled under the table instead) If I was smart I would have practiced all week with Galen, but I completely forgot about it until I checked the calander this morning. Then Ewan refussed to let me leave primary with out him. So Mike has a wiggly squirt near him all through Priesthood. When ever Mike bring up how hard it is to have a wiggle squirt on his lap, I always ask himn if he'd rather have a wiggle squirt inside of him. (Squiggly for short).

Being a good mommy, I had fresh hot bread ready for sandwiches at lunch, then made cookies and called it dinner. If anybody questioned it, I reminded them that if they're hungry there are a lot of baked beans in the frigde. And I think I will go have a bowl of them soon and call it my dinner. Or should I do yoga and then have beans? I don't know maby I'll have a small bit now and more after yoga.

If we get back to the subject of the cookies . . . Ian and Galen and Ewan all had to help me. Ian helped by adding in an extra cup of flour so the cookies were a different texture then the ones Mike fell in love with a few weeks ago, but they still tasted good. Something about blackstrap molasses and whole wheat flour that were just made to go together (especially when you add in things like ginger, cinamon and cloves).

Well , I might almost be out of things to say (for now). It reached 63 degrees here today, so now our driveway is offically melted! One thing I do not mind about living here instead in Pequot is the fact that the snow does have a tendancy to melt so that it is not as neciarry to shovel it every time it snows. The first year we lived here we shoveled alot, but then I wan't pregnant by the time the snow flew then. And being pregnant just doesn't make shoveling as apealing as it is when you're not. Do you think I'll find mowing appealing this year? It is decent excerise, a lot of walking and our mower is quiet and nonpolluting (we have an electric plug in, but it only cuts a 13" path and when you have 1/2 acher or more to mow it get tiring).

Well, I am back to nothing to say, so I think I'll sign off this time. Have a wonderful week, adn enjoy all the wonderfull things allaround you. Or maby you should wonder at all the enjoyable things around you. Anyways

Good Day!

Friday, March 04, 2005

Assesments

Well Galen's meating wasn't as fun as I immagined, instead of discussing what we were going to do with him, we discussed what assesments to give him before decideing what to do with him.

I did learn that he pays no more attention and eye contact to teacher then he does to mommy and daddy, however, as I have learned through my years as a Sunday school teacher eye contact and learning have little to do with eachother. And I always hated it as a kid when teachers tried to demand my eye contacts. Maby thier faces just aren't interesting enough, when there are other things to learn by looking around.

I did however try to explain to them that Galen is a Mac in a Micrsoft world. (he has a good opperating system and it is better than the ms for some things, just interfacing between the 2 is hard). Now if only we had adobe acrobat to easily share info between us.

Meanwhile squiggliy is trying to fill up all his womb. And I am still working on Mike to do useful things instead of spending 12 hours/day on computer games.

Ewan enjoys causing little bits of trouble for hands on interaction, and Ian comes in in the morning ans says "cock-a doodle do" in his sweet voice to wake us up.

Thursday, March 03, 2005

meating and the future

I have a meating at Galen's school in a few minutes. It is called a reassement meating and I think it may largly determine what help he gets in the next few years. I am s lightly concerned,a s some of these people at the meating have never even hung around Galen or has seen his gifts and talents. So I guess it is my job as a Mom to sucure the somewhat elusive mixture of help and freedom for this kid of mine to blossom.

Now, if only I could do the same for my husband. But because of his age, it is internally that alot of his future will be determined.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

A sense of Accomplishment!

We have a new toliet in place and working! This has only been an all month adventure, as we bought the toliet on Feb 5th. And our inital attempt to get the old toliet out failed as the bolts were rusted, But after the purchase of a hacksaw and some brute force from a determined hubby the old toliet came out and is now waiting in the garage to plant flowers in this spring. :)

Then after we instahled it we ran across 2 little problems. The shut of value was leaking! and I thought " we didn't touch that! How could it leak." And the little s hook thingy inside the toliet was missing. So one little phone call to Dad fixed those problems fast and effiencetly (first I tightened the nut on the shut off value and then used a plastic coated paper clip for the s clip).

And the toliet flushes beautifully and the kids are happy the toliet seat has dinos on it!

So i guess the Hubby is allowed to play games for an h our or so while I now take my afternoon nap :)