A Little R and R...

Yeah, talk about your pipe dreams. The kids have 2 days off school, today and tomorrow. We had originally planned to have Lincoln take those days off work so we could do a couple fun day trips. Unfortunately he's too busy at work- a big brainstorming meeting in Madison today, deadlines to make tomorrow- so I'm just at home with all five kids for 2 days. Which wouldn't be a huge deal except they can't think of anything to do besides irritate each other. Kennedy is being a bossy, controlling oldest child, Julia is happy to play the crying victim, Devon is bouncing off the walls teasing his little brother and sister, Renie is screaming like her toenails are being pulled out, and Jesse...hmmmm, where IS he? Whenever they have a day off it seems it takes them half the day to figure out how to use their time without scratching each other's eyes out. Kennedy is now taking a shower which I'm hoping will chill her out, Renie is having a time out in seclusion which I'm hoping will chill her out, Devon and Julia are playing contentedly with each other and Jesse is happily wandering around being independent. I'm about to put lunch on the table so here's hoping the mood will change around here as we slip into afternoon.

Smile! You're on Camera!

I don't believe I've shared the adventures of school picture day. Well, you're in luck , I'm feeling energetic.

School picture day dawned cool and drizzly and Devon dawned grumpy and irritable. Whenever the day holds something new for Devon he gets a bit anxious. This exhibits itself in grumpy protests. The girls, in their excitement, got up and dressed in plenty of time to get their hair combed neatly and their nice duds on without a hitch. I waved them down the street and off to smile sweetly at the school photographer. In an attempt at helping me avoid any fight with Devon, Lincoln got him dressed before he left with the girls. It was not a shirt I would have chosen for picture day, but I figured it would be OK for his class at Lands' End and we would simply change it before he left for school. I also figured if he gave me a hard time about it I might just let him wear the shirt to school as well rather than fight it out. We went to Lands End for class and all went smoothly. As we were eating lunch afterward, however, I realized Devon had gotten paint all over his shirt during an exuberant burst of creativity at class. This meant the shirt HAD to be changed for school pictures. I was chatting with my mother on the phone as I laid out a new shirt for Devon. He finished eating and turned to the neatly set out shirt, protesting before even making it across the room. I had chosen a long sleeve (#1 no-no) button down (#2 no-no) shirt. "I don't WANT to wear a CHURCH shirt!" I tried to make a good argument for the shirt but gave up in frustration and offered another alternative. This shirt too was not deemed acceptable in his eyes. At this point the downward spiral began. He was shirtless with unbrushed teeth and bedhead, yelling and pouting about the shirt options when the bus pulled up out front, 15 minutes early. I hung up the phone, waved the bus on and turned to Devon. "Now you've missed the bus and I'm going to have to take you to school!" Upon hearing this he informed me he was not GOing to school. I informed him that if he did not go to school he would spend school time in his room. Somehow, in the next few minutes, I convinced him to get dressed (in a NEW shirt option). He told me he was still not going to school. "Fine. But at least brush your teeth." He brushed his teeth but he was STILL not going to school. "Fine. But at least let me comb your hair." He let me comb his hair but it didn't matter because he was NOT going to school. "Fine. But at least get your backpack and get in the car." He did, though he wasn't going to school. I loaded in the other two kids, drove over to school and parked the car. "I'm not going to school." This was where he drew the line. I had to drag him out of the car and manhandle him into the classroom.
Let's take a break here for me to explain lest you think I'm a horrible mother. I've come to understand my boy somewhat. (That doesn't mean I'm always terribly patient, but I'm working on it.) He very much WANTED to go to school for picture day. I knew this. That was the struggle he was having. He wanted to, but it was new and a little scary to him. I feel it is the right thing to do when he gets like this. Help him face the situation. Just today he woke up grumpy and saying he wasn't going to school for his Halloween party. It was exciting and a little scary. He was nervous about getting his costume on by himself. This anxiety exhibited itself in declarations of dislike for school (he likes it really) and claims that he was sick. We put together a different costume that he was confident dressing himself in and suddenly he was very excited to be going. I want him to get used to stepping out of his comfort zone and finding courage in new situations.
Back to the story. As I deposited him in his classroom his teacher told us they were just about to head down for pictures. Great. I could picture it right then. A tear-streaked scowl. As I left him and walked out I could hear him burst out crying. I just kept going, refusing to enable the behavior any further. When he arrived home that afternoon he said he had a great day and when I asked him to show me the smile he did for pictures he showed me one. All I could do was assume that meant he had actually smiled and wait for the pictures to come in. Today my wait was over. Here is the result. (It should enlarge if you click on it.)



















Julia


Kennedy

Hey! An Award!

My friend Jenn-Lee over at Moments gave me this blog award today:



Jenn-Lee and I started out as Real Life Friends when I lived in NC. We lived within a mile of each other (for a while just a few houses away) for about 3 years. Both being busy stay at home Moms, we took our proximity for granted and didn't get together as often as we now wish we had. However, due to our shared love for blogging, we have become even better friends then we were when we lived down the road from each other. Jenn-Lee loves everything cute. Her blog radiates her personality and her love of cuteness, parenthood, and the Gospel. She seeks always to uplift- a gift I'm afraid I have not been given- and to share her testimony. I know she has rough days like the rest of us, but she has great perspective and enthusiasm, striving always to choose to be happy and find the teaching/learning moments in all that comes her way.
So- Thank you, Jenn-Lee, though I feel quite undeserving. BUT, undeserved or not, you gave it to me, no take backs! Yay me! I love awards! The best part is, I get to share the love by bestowing this same award on 2 blogs I deem worthy. I'm not sure what gives me the authority, but I'm happy to do it.
One goes to Suburban Correspondent at The More The Messier. I love SC's honesty and sense of humor. Let's face it, raising a houseful of kiddos (she has 6) can get hairy. I mean that in more ways than one. I have faithfully read her archives and her daily posts. Go check her out and be prepared to laugh.
The other award goes to Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity. Need some help finding the joy and lessons to be learned in stay-at-home parenthood? Stephanie happens to be another Real Life Friend of mine. Her ability to find the lessons and divinity in this oft-times thankless job is uncanny. I've had the pleasure of knowing Stephanie for 11 years now. She is every bit as astute, intelligent, and hilarious as she comes off in her blog. Enjoy!

So thanks again Jenn-Lee, and thanks SC and Stephanie for your blog-awesomeness!

2 Tags in a row?!

A couple of WEEKS ago, my friend Terri tagged me. I'm supposed to list 6 quirky things about me. This will be super hard because I am so normal and conformist in all I do and say. But I'll try.
1. I have to have the door to the master bath closed when I sleep. I'm not sure why. I think it started when we had toilet problems a few years ago. The toilet would suddenly kick on to fill the tank back up at random times in the night. The noise would wake me up. Until we got it fixed I just started making sure the door was closed. Now, even though we have no toilet problems, (and don't even live in the same house)I can't sleep if that door is open. If Lincoln comes to bed way after me after he's watched a movie and then slept on the couch for three hours and he uses the bathroom and then comes to bed leaving the door open, I have to get up and shut it. He thinks I'm insane. I think I'm quirky.

2. Coconut makes me gag. Really, I find it repulsive. Mostly the texture of shredded coconut is what does it. Gross!

3. I love the smell of chalk dust. Seriously, pound two erasers and let me walk through the cloud of dust inhaling deeply. I love that smell and even the taste. Do you suppose I have some sort of deficiency?

4. I find hand washing dishes to be very therapeutic. I don't hand wash often, but I actually really enjoy it when I do. I like the hot soapy water on my hands and the repeated motions. I can daydream and think about anything I want while I do it because I don't need to concentrate on the task. And I love the instant gratification of the chore- squeaky clean, shiny dishes.

5. I compulsively house hunt. It doesn't matter if we're thinking of moving or not. And I don't just look in our area. I like to just pick a place and see what's for sale there. Mostly in the US, but sometimes even abroad. My husband thinks of this as an unpleasant chore so he doesn't understand why I would be looking at houses online while we are still unpacking from one move.

6. My house is usually a mess, yet I'm really anal about things like how the dishes are put away, how the clothes are folded, how the dish towel hangs on the stove, and how the dishwasher is loaded. Go figure.

There you go. Anyone feel like doing this tag? Let me know if you do it!

But Will You Still Love Me?

OK folks, Stephanie, over at Diapers and Divinity, posted a photo tag. The idea is that you take photos of things in your home and post them on your blog- no cleaning, tidying, washing, combing, just do it right now. I think this takes a lot of courage. So, I decided to do it, kind of like playing chicken. So here goes.

1. The Fridge



Notice the large Walmart bag full of the last of the produce from my garden. That is mostly green tomatoes waiting to be spun into salsa gold. On top of the eggs is a pile of green onions also from the garden. And on the top shelf, a bulbous cucumber.

2. The Laundry Room





A picture in both directions. Notice the pile on the dryer of clean towels waiting to be folded. On the other side of the room you'll see a little heap of recycling waiting to be taken the 2 STEPS out the door to where the bin awaits on the other side of that wall. It was chilly this morning, what can I say? Also some clean rags strewn about- I believe the handiwork of a curious toddler. Hey! I just realized some of the towels at the bottom of the pile are already folded! Suhweet!

3. What The Kids Are Doing Now


Kennedy and Julia are in the middle of the After School Kitchen Raid. Seriously, they just start climbing the walls and cupboards like starving chimps. And when the raid is over, my kitchen looks like it was under siege by primates as well.

Renie and Devon still engrossed in today's Quiet Time movie- Cinderella. They were not even drawn in to the raid going on in the kitchen. Uncanny.


Jesse was still taking a nap (hence the Quiet Time), or so I thought. When I snuck into his room to take his picture I discovered him happily curled up with his blankie, waking up lazily. He often does that. Just lays there in bed quietly for a while.

4. Favorite Shoes



I love these shoes. This is a terrible picture, but they have little jewels on the straps that cross over my foot. They have a gorgeous heel and I feel- dare I say it- a bit sexy in these puppies. I love them. Especially when my feet are a bit tanned. I have another pair that may be my favorites as well, but I didn't take a picture of them. Maybe they will get a post all their own.

5. A Closet



This is the closet in the master bedroom. I've always been really terrible about keeping our closet clean. I recommitted myself to it recently and have been doing a pretty good job. Unfortunately, I happened to be doing laundry today and dumped the clothes out of the hamper to sort them. You have to believe me- See? Notice that pile in the foreground is all whites? And hanging above the hamper you can get a glimpse of my jet black waist length wig with white streaks that I wear clubbing. Or maybe for Halloween. It really is great for lots of occasions.

6. Favorite Room



I could've- and probably should've- just picked the cleanest room and made myself look good. But I picked the mudroom. I've always wanted a mudroom. A whole room dedicated to the junk that goes in and out of this house on a daily basis. Trust me, there are LOTS of shoes, coats, hat, gloves, umbrellas, rain coats, rain boots, scarves, backpacks, purses, keys, jackets, mittens, sweaters, etc that are part and parcel to the whole family of seven thing. So I'm happy to have this room, although it generally looks the part of Dumping Ground.

7. Self-portrait


I HATE these. But there I am. I should've dragged everything over by the front door before I photographed them. Plenty of light there! (Caution: Do not look at this too long. The longer I look at it the more freaky it gets. )

8. The Kitchen Sink



Some yogurt containers waiting for chore time when Julia will take them -and their friends in the laundry room- to the bin. A cutting board I sliced oranges on this morning - and then apparently a year's worth of crud and scum in the sink. Wow- I did not realize it was that bad. I'm on it.

9. A Bathroom



OK, I went with the kids' bathroom. I was sure you would think I was cheating if you saw my bathroom because the cleaning supplies were still sitting on the counter. Pure coincidence. But here are 2 shots of the kids' bathroom. I wanted to be sure you could see the piles of toys in the tub. And the toilet? Not flushed. Or closed. Despite the sign. I miss having a powder room because this pit- usually the sink is caked with toothpaste and the mirror in covered in spit spray- is also the guest bath. Gee, Welcome!

10. Your Dream Vacation

That's right- The Maldives...Ahhhh...paradise.

Or anywhere away from this:

(In case you can't tell- that is the playroom. It gets so bad in there that the kids just go in, grab something, and run out to safety. )

So if you want to play along, just leave a comment telling me you're doing this tag. It's totally exhilarating. You'll feel like you're living on the edge- I promise!

How Much Is Too Much Jam?

Remember a few weeks ago when I said we went grape picking? Well, i turned those 8 pounds of grapes into jelly. 8 pounds made 8 pints. But here's why I'm telling you this. I'm not a big fan of grape jelly. I never buy it unless the other folks in the family request it. It tastes like wet dog to me. But HOMEMADE grape jelly? YUMMY! No artificial flavor or texture. It actually tastes like grapes. I'm loving it. Extracting the juice takes a little time, but it is so worth it. Not to mention the whole house fills with the tangy sweet smell of fresh crushed grapes. MMMmmmmmm.

Homecoming 2008

This past week was Homecoming. I do not live in my hometown so it shouldn't matter. But I DO live in a small town. And I have kids in school. On Friday all the kids were encouraged to wear school colors- black and orange- and to be prepared to go on a "field trip" to watch the parade at 2:30. My friend Kym and I decided we would walk to the school with our little ones so we could meet up with our older ones to watch the parade. It was starting to drizzle rain when we were ready to go but we decided we were up to the adventure and headed off pushing the kids in strollers. The kids got wet and cold and we got wet and hot, thanks to the physical exertion of pushing kids in strollers up and down the Wisconsin hills. We got to the start of the parade route just in time (after racing the parade down the street a bit to get as close to the beginning as we could. ) Unfortunately, due to the rain, they didn't let out the elementary age kids. So we watched the parade with our unimpressed toddlers, then rushed home to get our cars so we could go back to school to pick up our kids. It was good exercise anyway.



A marching band, I think.


Football players in a haywagon. Gotta love the Midwest!

We opted to skip the football game in the cold drizzle that evening. I'm glad we did. Word is the football team got creamed and hardly ANYbody went anyway.

Another Glorious October Weekend...

After the kids were done with dance today and Lincoln had returned from his basketball game, I mopped the floor and Lincoln mowed the lawn so we could have the rest of the day to get out and enjoy the gorgeous day. It was perfect. The temperature was in the mid 50s, the sun was shining, and the leaves were splendid. We headed down to our favorite local state park- Yellowstone Lake- and took a mile hike along the lake and marsh then through a bit of the forest. The pictures I took don't begin to do it justice. It was glorious. The smell of crisp autumn forest was all around us and the air was full of milkweed and cattail fuzzies on their journey to fertile soil. The kids were happy and frisky, trotting along busting open milkweed pods and crunching leaves under their feet. Kennedy helped me gather dried weeds for a display and proved to have a good eye for finding perfect specimens.







They were throwing leaves into the air for the photo but I snapped too late.



Check out the long, thick plant Kennedy is carrying. Beautiful, and the stem is completely hollow. Julia gathered some to make into flutes.


See the milkweed fluff in the air? If you click on the picture it should enlarge and you will be able to see the detail better.


My brood checking out the lake.


Kennedy bursting open a milkweed pod.


Jesse using a flimsy weed as a walking stick.


Julia with her milkweed and hollow stem collection.




We stopped at a playground on the way home. It's amazing to see our family growing and changing. We are now at a stage where all 5 kids can just run around and do their thing at the playground. Jesse ran and climbed and slid down the slide. Renie got herself into a couple predicaments, but what's new, right?



I know this one of Devon is kind of blurry, but I like the effect.


Here Kennedy is pretending she's Nacho Libre on his motor bike.


Julia the monkey was the first kid in the family to master the monkey bars.


Jesse doing his independent thing.

TGIF

I like to cook for my family. I enjoy finding and trying out new recipes. I take great pleasure from compliments on my cooking. And I'm pretty good at it. I'm not Julia Child, but I hold my own. On Fridays, however, I take a break. When I go grocery shopping on Thursday night I pick up a couple take and bake pizzas from Walmart so on Friday I can just pop them in the oven and call it dinner. Lincoln declared some time ago that he would get on board with eating healthier if he could still have a free night on Fridays. This is my answer to that. And you know, despite the enjoyment I find in cooking, I don't find much enjoyment in planning menus week after week after week, so it's nice to just know that Friday is pizza. Done. I opened my fridge this morning and saw those big bulky boxes holding tonight's dinner and I was flooded with relief. Yay! Dinner is done.

Anniversary fun...

For our anniversary this weekend we decided that since we are planning an anniversary getaway vacation in February, (you know, when we'll be so sick of winter in WI and in desperate need of lounging on a sunny beach somewhere), we would just spend a weekend at home. We sent the kids to stay the night at friends' homes and we hunkered down here- childless. We went out to a nice dinner about 10 minutes from here, convincing ourselves that there is no need to make the 45 minute drive to Madison to get a decent dinner. After dinner we went to Walmart- I know romantic, but it's not as bad as it sounds- to get a movie. We figured rather than driving 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes away to see a movie, spending 10 or 15 dollars on gas and another $15-20 on the movie, we would find a movie we hadn't seen yet on the $13 rack and just buy it. It would cost us half as much as going out to the movies and if we liked it then hey- good news! We own it! Saturday morning we had breakfast at a cute little cafe in town and then went out to the State Park to go canoeing.


It was the perfect October day. Seriously, we could not have asked for better weather. It was sunny and glorious, the sunshine filtering down through the changing leaves casting a yellow glow through the forest.




There is a reason we got married in October, and this day was a perfect example of it.




We both love autumn, the clear sunny days as well as the cold drizzly ones.




We spent a quiet morning on the lake and then headed off to the House on the Rock. Definitely click on that link and check out the photo gallery. Since I have no flash on my camera I couldn't take any photos inside. Seriously, this place was the most bizarre and intriguing place I've ever visited. I don't even know where to begin in describing it, so please, just check out the link. We were able to take a picture in the Infinity Room, a long hallway-like room that extends out over the Wyoming Valley.




In this picture we are actually out as far as you can go. What you see behind us is only a few feet wide down to inches across, a fantastic illusion.
I tried to get a picture of it from the forest beneath as well, but you have to look carefully. Out in the point the room bounces gently as you walk as there is no vertical support underneath.


(A picture from the website)

I was out in the point as the same time as my husband and a couple other guys, one of them being 250 pounds easy. A little disconcerting, I must say. This place is mind-boggling. The amount of stuff- and the sheer weirdness of a lot of it- is hard to comprehend. We had a fantastic time and repeatedly remarked on how funny it was that this place has been right here, 10 minutes from our house this whole time and we had no idea the scope of it. So if you're coming to visit us, budget in the cost to go there with us and prepare yourself for the fact that it will take a solid 3 hours to make a quick trip through the place.