Christmas Gifts and Pretty Sure He never saw this coming...

 Melia looked all through her new molding book before she decided to do something else :-)  Without any instructions, I think it turned out all right! 

 Our first completed batch of cake pops!

And I really don't think in all of Gabe's wildest imaginings that his deer would ever become the girls' dress-up "toy."  Ever. 

Big Resolutions, and a funny quote

Our (my, but I can't do it alone) main resolution is to simplify our lives by decluttering.  I know I've said that before... but we are both unorganized and scatterbrained, so I feel like if I could choose one area of our lives that would effect all the others, this would be it.  We would save money and time and energy by not having so much stuff!  And being able to find the important stuff we have!  I'm hoping to fit in a date night soon so we can really make some goals and hard plans... cause baby is only 18 weeks away! 

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Yesterday the toothpaste moved from the kids' bathroom to a kitchen cupboard (thanks to a post by Tammy a while back) because I caught Melia with a mouthful of it... just because she liked it.  (Another reason they really shouldn't make it taste so good...)  Thankfully, she hadn't swallowed any of it, but she really had a lot in there.  After reiterating to Gabe this particular event, he said "She needs a swat every time she forgets to think."  I thought that was awesome... Although if you have any suggestions about lack of "thinking" punishments/consequences, I'd love to hear them.  I was completely lost as to how to respond to this incident, since she knows not to swallow the toothpaste...  and while Gabe's thought was accurate, we totally recognize that sometimes swatting is not the answer.  (Emphasis on sometimes :-)

Isaac's Artistic Talent

I am thankful the toothpaste is peppermint flavored... otherwise who knows how much he'd have eaten!  But he came running to me saying his tongue was "HOT!"

Isaac, practicing his cutting skills with monkey scissors :-)

Thoughtful things to remember

This morning we were discussing dreams.  Mine were nightmares about purple praying mantis' and Melia trying to eat one and having it bite her tongue- you can see why I needed to talk that out...  But Melia began to tell me about hers:

Melia: "Mommy, remember that girl... oh wait.  I'll need my photo book for this one."  (runs and gets photo album and shows me a picture from preschool)  "Remember this girl?  I just don't understand why she liked all the other kids but not me.  Everyday I'd ask her to play with me, and everyone else would, but she always said no." 

I found this fascinating that she was putting into words what she wouldn't talk about three years ago.  We knew this was a problem because the teacher told us about it, but Melia never would really articulate that her feelings were being hurt by this snubbing and bossing (she was also bossy about who could play with who).  Interesting.  So just because they don't mention it at the time doesn't mean they don't feel it inside.

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Saturday, the girls were instructed to clean up their room because it had been a disaster for days.  And I really mean it by disaster.  Long story short, things did not go well because of arguing, tattling, etc... So finding myself nearly in tears, Gabe and I entered the room with two garbage bags and a storage bin, and cleaned up for them.  Half a bag of trash, one bag of "donate" items, and one bin later, we'd removed all but the very minimum of their toys. 

What was astounding was the lack of tears!  They even continued to bring us toys that they found hiding!  At one point I just said to Melia, "Why don't you just keep that one?" because I was tired of digging out the bin over and over.  But she says, "But I can't have it until I show you that I can keep my clothes picked up.  Then I can play with it again."  Well, ok then.  I'll just drag that bin out again.  How can I argue with my own logic?  :-)

Hunting Pics

Daddy's deer :-)

 When we arrived, the kids were thrilled to have the freedom to run and play!  Kiera quickly returned yelling, "Look what I found!!!"  She was THRILLED.  As the story goes, Gabe and Shaun had been shooting at squirrels/chipmunks a few hours before we arrived, and Gabe had pegged this one... and forgot about it.  We all couldn't believe how Kiera fell in LOVE with her dead little chipmunk!

Melia, examining the specimen..

But, as you would probably guess, we could NOT keep a dead chipmunk!  This absolutely broke her heart- I cannot even begin to explain how she SOBBED for a good 20-30 minutes, and then again every time she looked at it's little tail (which was cut off thinking it would ease her pain...)  SOBBED, people.  No exaggeration needed.

Melia, later at home, watching as Daddy cuts up his deer.  She received a pretty one-of-a-kind anatomy lesson for a 7 year old, and fully loved every minute of it.  Not sure what God's got up His sleeve for this one, but boy, she's gonna be quite the little "lady!"

I know.  Gross, right?  Totally.  Gabe's.  Idea.  OK?  OK.

David Thompson Tour

A couple of weeks ago, our co-op went on a tour at the Wenatchee museum through the David Thompson exhibit and to go down to the river and canoe like they would have done back then.

(Note: David Thompson was the first white man to travel the entire 1200+ miles of the Columbia River, mapping it out, and trading furs. He was a strong Christian, refusing to trade alcohol for furs to the Indians. Thompson has been called the greatest land geographer who ever lived.)

I was thrilled when both girls were able to participate in the canoeing, even though we were warned that the public school age limit was 4th grade. This thrill helped to ease the concern that my two daughter just disappeared down the river in a wobbly boat...

Learning how to row.
Kiera was struggling to make it through the tour. I thought she did fantastic, even though she was tired :-) At least she wasn't being naughty!

I was a little afraid that her rowing might flip her little bod right on out of the boat! Look how little she is compared to the oar :-)


In the inlet...


And out of sight... They did make it back safe and sound, having had a GREAT time!
Interesting tidbits: Thompson special ordered peppermint oil to help ease stomach troubles for his men. And they ate porcupine :-)

Fred Meyer Easter Egg Hunt

Well, I'm not sure we'll ever do it again, but we did the Egg Hunt at the Fourplex this year... It was freezing! And a HUGE amount of people! But, to their credit, it was well organized and staffed- they did a good job.

At the hunt, we weren't willing to wait in line for face painting, so Gma Debbie was super fun and painted faces back at Gramps' house!
Isaac, helping himself to the cookies at Gramps' house!

Apparently he was growling at the camera :-)

Looking for loot...

Quite possibly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! :-)

Boys sure are different...

Just today, I was reminded of that fact by the insanity (according to me, a female!) of Isaac's actions.... He belly-flopped off the couch, then seemed genuinely suprised that it hurt. He took one look at his sister, then took off running... with her shoe. He doesn't just play with toys... he takes them apart. And consequently gets mad when they don't work. :-) Such fun!

Melia's Future Plans

After visiting the dentist (again) for her lastest cavities... (again- this made EIGHT- but that's the last of them- on her BABY teeth...)

Melia: I'm just so confused about what to do.
Me: What do you mean?
Her: Well, I really want to be a dentist. But there's three things I really want to do. I want to work at Costco. AND I want to have an animal shelter.
Me: It takes several years of college to become a dentist. You could think about being one of those girls who helps the dentist, like a hygienist or an assistant, because lots of them only work part time, like mommy does.
Her: Ooooh, that's a good idea. 'Cause then I could spend more time with my kids. Plus it would be good when I'm pregnant because sometimes that really hurts.

(Me-thinking: how do you know? :-)

Later...
Melia: I really don't want to go to college.
Me: Why?
Her: I don't want to go away.
My heart smiles :-)

This kid just won't give my heart a break. She has such a sweet spirit... most of the time. Until Kiera stomps on her a little. Then she's not quite as sweet.

Danger Danger... Isaac's got a softball...

Isaac's been playing a bit with a real softball... first we rolled it across the ground..

Then he threw it at the fireplace...

Then he chucked it at my head, point blank, nailing me in the forehead.
(Instant migraine I tell ya!)
(And yes, Daddy got a little upset about that... :-)

I think I actually found it...

For those of you who know how much I love the Created to be His Helpmeet book, you also know how I've desired to see one written for men. Because marriage is a journey of growing together and we always both have issues that God wants to fine tune with us. Plus, in raising children, I always want to have in mind that I am training little wives, husbands, mommies and daddies. Boy, is that a daunting thought!

Anyway, I think I found it. All along, I've expect Mike Pearl to write one, but it still hasn't come out, and I haven't read anything more about their plans for it. (He had a heart attack, so that certainly is a good reason for slowing up production!) If it does get finished, I will of course read it, but for now I'm pleased with this resource.

I heard Voddie Baucham Jr. on Family Life Today's radio program along with his daughter. The show was about how he and his wife are very involved in their daughter's consideration of potential husbands. And how she deeply desires this! I thought, now that's what I'd like to accomplish- working together as a team to produce the best possible result! They inspired me as to what a father/daughter relationship should look like. And, like most FMT shows, the guests had a book I could order. So I did.

It's called What He Must Be... if He wants to Marry my Daughter.

In one word: Fabulous. Inspiring. Encouraging. Daunting. Overwhelming. Terrifying.

Does that make you want to read it? I understand if not! But trust me- I've been reading this book for about 2-3 weeks, and several times Gabe's heard me say "I think everyone should have this book!!!" It's a guide for what we should train our daughters to look for in a potential suitor. It's a guide for men on what the Bible says about husbands and fathers. It's a guide for parents raising those young suitors. Plus, it's also a guide for men who are blessed with the opportunity to mentor young men.

I loved it. It's definitely one I'm encouraging Gabe to read, and one I will have my girls read when they are at an appropriate age. And I'm encouraging you to read it too!

Impressive Blond Moments

We were burning "stuff" in our fire pit, but it wasn't working very well, so I took an axe to our Christmas tree (which yes, was still lying in our yard... so, so classy...). My eye began twitching. And wouldn't stop. I started to worry that I was having a stroke or something bizzarre caused by the abundance of smoke and hacking away with my right hand... Finally I had the mind to go look in the mirror and watch it twitch~ where I noticed that I had somehow gotten sap on my eyelid, which then caused it to stick every time I blinked. (twitch...twitch)

While getting ready for bed, I noticed I really needed to clean my glasses. So I did. I tried putting them on again, only to think that something was really wrong-- my vision was terribly blurry. So I went to work on them once more because it looked like a little hand with little fingerprints left lots of smudges all over my lenses. After cleaning them twice, I realized my problem was that I had not yet taken out my contacts....

We got a Wii

Over the holidays the kids went out for some fun time at the Beaty's house. It evenutally turned into Wii "Just Dance" fun, and we quickly discovered just how well Melia can shake it. :-) Unfortunately, I don't have pictures, only videos (which I'll post at some point in the distant future when I have time) (unless said Beaty's forward me some pics... ;-). After nursing some sore abs from laughing so hard, we decided that it might be ok to get a Wii. We've played with them before at friends' and families' homes, but this was the first time I've considered actually owning one. After a little over a week of watching Craigslist, Gabe found a great deal.

These pics are from when he FIRST brought it home...

Literally. He walks in, puts it on the ground, and Isaac picks up the sticks and starts banging away...

...which was quickly followed by "how do I turn this thing on???"

Not even kidding.

And if anyone wants to buy the rock band stuff, I still maintain that we're going to be selling it... Except it appears that I'm the only person that doesn't like it much! Even the one person we could NEVER drag to a concert was over at our house, drumming and picking away... Annie!!!

We've since purchased the "Just Dance Kids" for the kiddos, which involves a "bit" less shaking that the adult version, but only a bit... :-)

Not often do I actually impress myself...

I decorated this cupcake this week in my cake decorating class at co-op! How cool is that? I don't mean this to sound like I'm bragging, 'cause I'm not.... I really did shock myself that this turned out as well as it did. When it comes to drawing critters, an artist I am NOT. Plus, when I initially drew the horse, all the girls in my class tipped their heads sideways and said "What is that supposed to be?"

(Literally. Cocked their heads and looked at it cross-eyed. "Huh?")

But when I added the "grass" and then the suggested "grapes," it actually turned out really good. I was very proud. Too proud to eat it actually. It's still sitting on the counter :-)

Two down...And out.

I helped with this one... EW EW EW! Blech!

(What an awful picture... she'll hate me someday for this one... :-)

Ugh... Growing Up...

I'm so proud of my little Melia. She went over to play with the neighbor kids while we were outside this morning, but when she got to the group (they had friends over) one of them starting teasing another one about "liking her." She came back home.

I asked her why. At first she said it was just "too funny" over there. I pushed a little more, (with a pretty good idea of what happened) asking why it was "funny." She said she wasn't sure, but she didn't like the way it made her feel. She finally got around to telling me what they said, but I was just so happy that she left right away when she didn't feel good about what was going on, even if she didn't understand it.


Guarding her heart will prove to be quite the challenge I'm afraid.

I just can't control myself...

Isaac has learned how to plug one nostril and blow snot out the other one. Unfortunately, every time he does it, I get grossed out, and he thinks that's funny. Of course it is. Momma squealing? Hilarious. Not to mention slimy booger boy.

Hungry Monkey

Tonight I returned from a 30 second trip to the bathroom to dump shampoo on the girls' heads, only to find an Isaac Monkey on top of the table spooning himself seconds of the potatoes that had not yet been cleared. He looked at me, picked up an empty cup, and indicated that he would like some water with his potatoes.

yikes.

Oh, yea, and he didn't eat any of the roast that went with those potatoes... "uh oh!"

A situation that left me with my mouth open (in my head anyway)

Tonight at work, I'm sitting in the break room enjoying my dinner. Next to me sits a new gal that I have not met. I don't even know her name. We're watching the news, which is doing a special report on heroin and some kid is telling his story.

All of the sudden, she gasps, "Oh no, they kicked him out of school for getting caught doing heroin? I don't think that's a good idea. Then he's just out on the street. He needs to be in school."

What???!!

And yes, I have many responses to that :-) but I wanted to see if any of you had some you'd like to share...! *grin!*

He is soo....Help me! What's the word?

Tonight, after setting Isaac down on the floor to run around in his pj's, I hear Kiera yelling at him from the bathroom. She's on the pot, doing her business, and he's standing in the hall watching her. After she yells at him, he then enhances his position, leaning over a bit and staring her down. (He does this when he's listening to us, or watching us, or... anything, really. But he's serisous, whatever he's doing!) Here's what it sounds like:

Kiera: ISAAC! OOUUUUTTTT! ISAAC! OUT! ISAAC! OOUUTTT!

As I'm discussing with her that he's not actually in the bathroom, and besides, if she's wants her privacy, she needs to shut the door..... I look down and he steps closer to the door.... then, very deliberately, sticks one big toe onto the bathroom floor.

I think, "Oh dear, he's already toeing the line with his big sister... and she is sooo in for it..."