Dufflepud
First of all, Baby Girl dressed herself. The orange shorts and pink shirt were all her idea. I think that the ability to match clothing must be genetic. DH thought she had done well... because there is a little pink in the shorts.... MOVING RIGHT ALONG... have you ever read C.S. Lewis's "The Dawn Treader"? It is one of the Chronicles of Narnia. In the book there are some creatures that are like dwarfs, but they only have one leg and they hop all over. They are called Dufflepuds. This is my little Dufflepud. She thought it was so fun to put the sock on, try to hop and then she would lay on the floor and laugh and laugh while pulling the sock off. She would then run to DH or myself and beg to have it put back on... ah, to be young again!

Pinewood Derby
I was going to post this last week... but things here have not been fun! We got the flu the day after the Derby. It was not fun! Then I threw my back out... probably shouldn't be on the computer right now, but I'm tired of laying down!! Anyway, here are a few pics our FIRST ever Pinewood Derby! Unfortunately, it was terrible! lol Red's car came in last each time. But, I was so proud of him. The tears were about to brim over, but he just kind of smiled at me and talked about "Next time we should try..." It was so awesome to me to see that he was being such a good sport about the whole thing! Baby girl was so fun that night... okay, that's actually a lie. She was a toad. She wanted nothing more than to grab cars off the track, steal pizza from anyone that would let her and run around screaming like a banshee. Ahh, making memories, right?! Little Bug had a lot of fun! Lots of smiles all night long! All in all, it was a fun night. Next time we will try and get a better tools to build the car with... and, maybe, just maybe, we'll start working on it more than 2 days in advance. Maybe.

In the Groove
Today was cleaning day. Baby girl has been sick most of the week (she still is, but getting better) and so I have put off every possible chore that I could. I did do laundry, but only because I didn't have any clean clothes. Not even pajamas (for those of you who know me, you know that I am the PROUD owner of more that 10 pairs of pj pants...). Anyway, today, she is feeling better and I wasn't following her around with a puke bucket or a tissue, so I decided to scrub. As I was scrubbing I was listing off all the chores that I hate to do. I hate laundry. I don't mind throwing it in the washer or dryer, but I hate folding it. It never ends. I listened to motivational speaker one time (Emily Watts) and she talked about how you can never be done with laundry because you are, at this very moment, wearing potential laundry. Sigh. I also hate cleaning bathrooms. There are 3 boys in this house. Enough said. But I think my least favorite task is cleaning the kitchen table. Now, for most people, this is not a terrible chore. But I have a groove. It is kind of shown in the picture above. When we bought the table I thought that the groove was a wonderful detail that gave the piece "character". Phoey on "character"! Do you know how much crud get stuck in that darn thing? I find myself pulling out an arsenal of utensils to try and clean the thing! First, I VACUUM it out! How many of you can say that you vacuum your dining room table on a regular basis? Then I take an medicine dropper and squirt water into the groove. Then I let it soak. Then I take a toothpick or a table knife and scrape the crud outta there. That is the last time I buy furniture because it has "character"!

Red's Birthday

My oldest turned 8 a few weeks ago. It was such a big deal for me. First of all, I am NOT old enough to have an 8 year old!!! This has been the cause of several allergy attacks where my eyes just SUDDENLY fill with tears. Darn those allergies. Sigh. ANYWAY... Red has now officially joined the Cub Scouts. At first, I was quite excited. What a fun way for him to spend an evening once a week. Then we had to get him his uniform. AACK!! $50 later Red is now the proud owner of a shirt a hat and a belt. That's it. Do you KNOW how many shirts I could have bought that kid for $50?!? And the worst part is... he will probably outgrow it before he leaves the Cub Scouts. I'm trying to remain calm about the whole thing, but it was a little frustrating. One fun thing that is coming up is the Pine Wood Derby. Red and DH have started working on the car and I think they are having fun together. Red's hands got tired pretty quick using that little jig saw, but it's all we have. I think they make a pretty good team. When Red gets home from school today, I'm going to help him with the sanding and possibly painting. DH is going to help get the wheels on and get it the right weight. Should be fun! I'll take pics of the Derby on Friday... hopefully we will have big smiles and those darn allergies won't act up!

My Other Addiction
I think I just might have an addictive personality. I love my marshmallow peeps. I am sad that Christmas is over because all of the Valentine peeps are flavored - blech. I will bide my time till Easter when I can feast once again on the sugar coated marshmallow-y goodness. But, I am addicted to other things. I love to paint. I miss being in my own home. I like my walls to be different colors. I find that when I can't paint walls, I turn to painting furniture. I just bought a little chair at a yard sale to paint hopefully tomorrow. I am also addicted to reading. Dh hates it when I start a new book. Especially if that book is part of a series... because I disappear. I bury myself in the book and am lost to the world till I finish. Well, on Sunday, I decided to reread the Harry Potter series this spring so that when the new book comes out, it will all be fresh in my mind. I started the first one Sunday evening and finished it Tuesday morning. Started the second one as soon as I finished the first one and I finished it early this morning. I started the third one today and I finished it just a few hours ago. Once I get started, I just can't stop. It's an addiction that I just can't help. I HAVE to read it! And I have read all these books before! The first 3 books I have read several times. But I just didn't want to put them down. I don't neglect my kids or anything, but when they are otherwise entertained, I will read. I'm starting the 4th one tonight. It is a lot bigger than the others. But, I will be surprised if I'm not done by Friday or Saturday. Actually, I should be able to read the whole series in about 2 weeks or less. Only because I can't put it down. Now, if I had a box of peeps in one hand and a book in the other... well, I'm afraid they'd have to put me in rehab!

Okay... I STOLE THIS! :) It's a list of photography goals for a year from the blog My Life, My Photos Everyday ... I'm going to try and start taking more pictures. Some each day. Hopefully, it will teach me more about my camera and get me out doors a little more often... so, you get to suffer through all the photos. I'm hoping to post one good one each day. This week is half over, but I'm going to start the "Free for All" anyway... so, here we go!


Today is an indoor picture because baby girl is SICK!! :S Not a fun day for us... DH brought this home the other day. Most of the area has lost it's citrus crop due to extreme cold temps. I love this orange because it still has the leaves on it. :) I guess you could put that on my list of weird things about myself...lol
The Challenge Calendar!
Week 1 Free for All
Week 2 Introduction of yourself
Week 3 Show us your Hometown
Week 4 Water
Week 5 Sports (anything related, teams, players, equipment, etc,)
Week 6 Botanical
Week 7 ONE object shot at 5 different angels/distances
Week 8 One for the road (signs, streets, traffic, etc.)
Week 9 Objects that tell something about you
Week 10 Things that make your life easier
Week 11 Your favorite color
Week 12 Household items
Week 13 Foods
Week 14 Something Slimy
Week 15 Sun (sunlight, sunset, sunrise, etc)
Week 16 Emotions
Week 17 Something old
Week 18 What you do outside the world of photography
Week 19 Weather
Week 20 Emotional attachment (heirloom/special gift, ect.)
Week 21 Pets
Week 22 Things you couldn't live without
Week 23 Habits
Week 24 Fire (candle, fireplace, etc.)
Week 25 Scrapbooking (stash, room, lo's, etc)
Week 26 Textures
Week 27 Hands
Week 28 Shoes
Week 29 Favorite Jewerly
Week 30 Generations
Week 31 Hot
Week 32 Fill the Frame (close ups)
Week 33 A week in our lives
Week 34 Faith (what you believe)
Week 35 Dance (body in motion)
Week 36 Family & Friends
Week 37 SOOC...from that to this...before & afters
Week 38 Patriotic
Week 39 Object: straight up shots and then straight down shots
Week 40 Nighttime
Week 41 Something that gives you the feeling of warmth or cold
Week 42 Pictures of words
Week 43 Chores I hate
Week 44 Animals
Week 45 Music
Week 46 Reflections/Shadows
Week 47 Flowers
Week 48 Sleep
Week 49 Action Shots
Week 50 Wheels
Week 51 Wrapping (gifts, baby, foods, etc.)
Week 52 Guilty pleasures

The Bribe
The problem with visitors is that they eventually have to leave. This is a picture of my parents. They came and stayed with us for about a week and a half and we had a wonderful time. But, they flew home yesterday and now I'm sitting here stuffing my face with Hershey's Kisses (Almond, of course) and thinking of all the things we should have done. We did do some great things. We visited these huge dinosaurs and froze our tails off! We went to Sea World and a local zoo called the Living Desert. We went and had lunch with little bug at school one day. Got lots of shopping done! But it's so hard to see them leave. I think it's even harder now because the kids get so upset. Well, most of them. My oldest (Red) was SOBBING so hard I thought he was going to make himself sick. Little bug was yelling and did NOT want to leave the airport. Baby girl looked up at all of us and said "What happened? Are you okay?" She's not quite got into the spirit of good-byes yet :) Luckily, I had a plan... we got back to the car, dragging our bawling kids behind us. Got everyone in and buckled in their seats when I pulled out the magic... well, okay, technically, it was more like a bribe. I had bought each of them a new toy. Red got a new Bionicle, Little Bug got some Thomas the Train toys, Baby Girl got a new Littlest Pet Shop pet. It was like a magic button. The children settled in and were quite content with their new toys. I had only forgotten one thing. I did not buy myself a bribe. Maybe next time I will remember, but I'm not sure it will help. Maybe if it was something really big... like a new car... lol I know that won't happen. So, I suppose I will just have to be sad for awhile and then look forward to the next visit.

Okay - I've been tagged by Ranae to list 6 weird things about myself... I'm supposed to tag 6 other people on their blogs... but I'm afraid that will have to wait. 2 of the people whose blogs I read (RaNae and Shirlee) have already been tagged. And the other blogs... well... I'm still lurking. And I'm not sure that the weirdness tag will be the best way to introduce myself... :) But, for your enjoyment, I present:
6 Weird Things About Me

6 - I love to sew quilt tops, but I hate to actually quilt them. I have made probably 15 tops... probably more. I sold 4 at a yard sale last summer because they had been sitting in a box forever. I have another one in a box right now... just waiting for someone to make it into a beautifully quilted blanket. But, it probably won't happen!

5 - I like snakes, lizards, bats, frogs, turtles... if hubby would let me, I would have one of these creatures as a pet, but that's not going to happen in this lifetime!

4 - I collect fabric. I have a big ol' stash in my closet. Hey - you never know when you'll need to throw together a quilt top!

3 - I love things covered in chocolate, but I'm not very fond of chocolate by itself. I'll take chocolate covered raisins, almonds, caramels, strawberries... you name it. But, I don't like to eat plain chocolate.

2 - I'm super paranoid about the Internet. I have a hard time sharing personal information online. I try not to use real names or actual locations, unless I'm ordering something, of course. I don't think that UPS would ship something to:
Baby Girl
Southern California

1 - I can't spend money on myself. I have no problem buying things for the kids or for hubby, but I have a hard time doing it for myself. My mom and I went out clothes shopping one evening. We went ALL over town!! I don't remember how many stores we went into or how many things I tried on. I came home with pajamas for baby girl and some milk. I can't remember the last item of clothing that I bought new for myself. Usually I get things for me at garage sales or second hand stores. And even then, if it's more than $5, I just can't do it!

Well, there you have it. There are a TON more weird things, but it's late. I'm tired. The sun has gone to bed and so must I ... good bye!

A Blast
My parents have been here for the last week and a half and we have had so much fun! We could have had more fun if an Arctic front hadn't come with them from Idaho... it kept us in the house a lot more than we wanted, but it was still a great visit. One of the highlights was Sea World. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but it was amazing! At first I wondered if I would feel sorry for these creatures. But then I saw how well they were cared for. And to be able to interact more closely (see above picture of the kids and I touching a Bat Ray) it made me feel more concern for their wild counterparts. I came home with more awareness of the earth. And we had a blast at the same time! These animals are amazing! It took your breath away to see them jump and flip and just seem to have a good time. We had a blast and can't wait to go back again!

A Good Deal?
I went to 4 different stores this morning to get groceries. Henry's, Stater Brothers (both grocery stores... had to hit the sales!), Costco and WalMart. We didn't get very many things at Henry's or Stater Brothers, but my cart was fairly full at Costco. It usually is. With three kids it's nice to get things like milk and cereal in big boxes! Besides, I love just going in there to browse. The prices on most of their items amaze me. Some, aren't so great, but for the most part, it's a good deal. Then we went to WalMart. Got a few things and my total came out to MORE than what I spent at Costco! How does this happen? WalMart is like a great money vacuum. As soon as you walk in the door it turns on. Why is this the only store that I go in for a loaf of bread and come out with $50 of junk? How does that happen? It's like things magically jump into my cart! I've decided to start staying away from that store. I'm going to try and accomplish all of my shopping at other places. Maybe I'll be able to save a little money that way. Or, maybe I'll just spend more money on gas running all over town trying to get everything that I need. Maybe I just need to have more will power to say "NO!! I don't need that". Unfortunately, I haven't been able to cultivate that skill in over 30 years. I doubt it will be something I can do now. I guess I can always try. But it's so hard... after all, WalMart is the home of "Always Low Prices... Always" and I do love a good deal... even on items that I don't really need or want. :)

Patience
These pictures are from the Portland, OR zoo. It is an awesome zoo and we went there several times a year when we lived in Oregon. They have a butterfly house open during the summer months. My parents came with us one time and paid for us to get into the butterfly exhibit (it wasn't included in the price of the ticket to get in - go figure). My oldest was so excited. He just knew that a butterfly would land on him. His first attempts were met with little success as he tried to leap into the path of a flying butterfly. Usually the creature would slowly float up to the ceiling or behind a bush as far away from my son as possible. But he didn't give up. He followed them all over the tent almost willing one to land on him. Still no butterfly. By this time, my dad and I had both had several land on us. My dad, Pop Pop to my kids, took my carrot top by the hand and sat him on the bench. Told him to sit as still as he could. I think he may have stopped breathing for a few minutes so that he could be totally still. You could see the pleading in his eyes. And then it happened. A big ol' orange butterfly landed right on his chest. He was very still for just a second and then his excitement got the best of him and he bounced a little trying to make sure that all of us saw what was happening. Away it flew. Most kids would have probably pouted or been upset. But carrot top just sighed, and held still again. Lo and behold, the next butterfly came. He wouldn't even turn his head to look at it. Just glanced out of the corner of his eye. Now, if I could just get him to be as patient with his brother and sister as he was with the butterflies, we would be set!

Frustrated
I'm loosing my mind today. I didn't sleep well last night. LOTS of weird dreams all night long that I kept waking up from and wondering what in the world was going on. Baby girl is breaking out in spots on her face. Not sure if it's chicken pox, but she did have a fever the other day. Now her eyes are all goopy. My little bug had a melt down of major proportions this morning. He was fine. Happy running around being all excited and then I went to put his shoes on and he freaked out. Completely and totally. Screaming, crying, running away... he almost acted like he was in pain. Looked at his feet and couldn't find anything wrong. He has one little sore on his toe, but it's been there since the end of last week and he's been wearing shoes with it all weekend. So, he finally put on sandals, but even that seemed to bother him. He loves to ride the bus, but didn't want to get on today. Just lost it when the driver helped him get his seatbelt on. Not sure what set him off. No apparent antecedent (big word for the day). He has had so many advances and yet, things like this happen all the time. It makes me question my parenting. There has to be something else I can do. Something is not right, but I can't place my finger on it. Maybe it's just me being silly. That happens on occasion. Well, here's hoping that tonight is better than today.

Gotcha!

This is my all time favorite picture of the kids. Every time I see it, I laugh - HARD!! We were trying to get pictures done. I asked dh to set baby girl on my oldest's lap and put her feet on my bug's lap. Then it happened. Bug attacked those little toes with a vengeance! He grabbed and started tickling like no tomorrow! Now, baby girl HATES to have her feet tickled. She's like her mom that way. You can see dh's hand as he is running in trying to save her before she gets too angry. But every time I look at this picture I see three distinct things. Baby girl: pleading for someone to save her from this horrible fate. Carrot top: holding her around the waist just a little tighter than he had been a second before so that she can't get away and a mischievous glint in his eye. Funny bug: complete and total joy! He couldn't be happier than he is at this very moment! I love this picture :)

My Sweetheart
This picture was taken about a year and a half ago. It is one of my favorite ones that we have. This is just in our front yard in Oregon. We had a ditch that ran along side the house. And a little area where there were quite a few trees. So, we used to for a photo shoot. In a week and a half we will be celebrating our 9th anniversary. We've gone through so much and grown up and grown closer to each other. When we lived close to family we still relied a lot on them. We would call them for advice and to help answer questions instead of talking to each other. Then we moved almost 600 miles away. My oldest was only 8 months at the time. It was one of the best things that could have happened to us as a couple. We talked more. Resolved things with each other rather that with friends or family. Our little family became more important to us. We still called and visited with our extended family, we still do now! And of course we still ask for advice and help from time to time. But we try to work it out together. We're not a perfect couple. But I think we get better and better each day.

Charlotte's Web

This is my cutie bug! He is the middle child and can bring a smile to my face at a moments notice. I have talked about him before. He has autism. We had a really neat experience over the holidays with him. We took the family to see Charlotte's Web (which, by the way, was awesome!!). Now sometimes, not always, my cutie bug will laugh at the sad parts and cry when something was supposed to be humorous. I don't think I have ever seen him cry at a sad part, till this movie. I don't know anyone who doesn't cry when Charlotte dies. But, I didn't expect my little bug to bury his head in his hands and sob. He cried and cried. Now, I was already a little weepy, who isn't at that part, but to see my little man cry brought on a whole new wave of emotions. It broke my heart for him on one hand. On another hand, this was a new thing for him. It was appropriate for him to cry and that filled my heart with the most amazing joy! I can't even describe it. Now I have a dilemma. When the movie comes out on DVD, should I get it? It was a wonderful show and I enjoyed it a lot. But I don't know if I can watch his heart break like that again! I guess we will make that judgment call in a few months. For now, I will be excited about the latest little step!

Thrift Shopping
I finally got to go out thrift shopping today!! SO MUCH FUN!! I found a place called "Angel Mart" or something like that. Everything was so inexpensive and they had tons of it! The books were .99 each except for one that was 4.99 because it's from the 20's... the serving tray will the rose petals and wheat and other items in it was 3.99... the old unique teapot was 3.99... the two taller jugs with the birds on them were 2.99.... the little small woven tray was .99... the cast iron corn holder thing (lol) was 4.99 (it is super heavy!!) and the basket in the back was 3.00 at another little place I went to! It was so much fun! I really enjoyed myself. Now, I just need to put everything in a place... so much to do... so little time!

Not So Bad
Okay, so I know that I haven't had the most wonderful attitude about California. It was still very hot when we moved here in September. My oldest dealt with bullies for awhile at school. I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit while it was 75 degrees outside. Our truck was broken into and a few things taken from it. I could go on ... but I have to stop. You see, the other day dh brought home tangerines and tangelos that one of the farmers had given him. One day it was a head of lettuce. Then some cauliflower, bell peppers and pomegranate. And the produce selection down here is wonderful and fresh. These strawberries were purchased on December 29th. I have never lived in a place where I could buy berries in December! And they are GOOD!!! Not tart at all. Super sweet. As a matter of fact, they are almost gone. It was a 4 lb. container and we have been chowing down! So, maybe there are some things about California that aren't so bad. Maybe I can adjust to life down here. It will just take some time... until then, can you pass the strawberries?

WHEW!
I did it! For the first time in my life, I set a New Year's Resolution and I accomplished it. In January of 2006 I set a goal to read the Old Testament cover to cover. Something I had never done. I usually just read the chapters that were going to be discussed in Sunday School or other classes I was taking. But, this year I finished it! I read the last chapters on Sunday evening. It was a great experience for me. I am going to read the New Testament this year. It will not be quite as daunting, but just as rewarding. Last year I had to read about 3 pages each day. This year it's 1.2 Which isn't even a full chapter most of the time. I read my first chapter last night. I wanted to keep reading. I am excited. Maybe I'll read it two times :) Most of my resolutions fall by the way as I move through the year. This is one that I am going to keep!