big day tomorrow...

 UPDATE #2: Praise God! My fingerprints were accepted. The prayers really helped :)

UPDATE: I had the appointment and they said they'd call me to let me know if they're accepted. Not all the prints came up clearly so I'm praying they are good enough otherwise it back to the office I go! Who would have thought it'd be so tough to get your fingers printed?!


I have my fingerprint "retest" appointment. Praying these lines grew back in enough so my prints will be accepted - though I won't know for sure right away.

At the very least, my hands are no longer dry and they definitely look better.

and in other news

Dave in now the council person for our Ward in our city (he interviewed for this because our former council person accepted a different position).Yahoo! In his words, "It's another thing I can cross off the bucket list." He'll need to run for office in November.

Which is maybe why God prompted me to undergo the naturalization process for becoming a citizen. :) Because it would kind of...suck...to have your husband run for office and you couldn't even vote for him. ;) So hopefully I'll be official in time to cast the vote for Dave in the primaries!

15: Sunday

5:30 a.m.: waken to the sound of Ben's new habit: scream-crying when he realizes he's uncovered in his crib (despite two pj layers and a pair of sock). Get out of bed, cover him up. Instead of falling back to sleep, use time to think and pray.

7:50 a.m.: Luke clambers over me onto Dave's unoccupied side of the bed (Dave and Reese were at an all guys campout for the weekend)

8:05 a.m.: drag myself out of bed, get the kids up and down to breakfast

8:45 ism: get self and kids ready for bed

9:25 a.m.: finished getting ready for church, pride myself on fact that got three kids and myself ready for church and that, for once we'll be early/on time

9:26 a.m.: detect odor coming from Ben and proceed to change second poopy diaper within 20 minutes

9:28 a.m.: make it downstairs and reassure myself that we'll still make it on time

9:29 a.m.: Luke tells me he's peed his pants. Determine that he didn't really pee his pants after all but that it would be a good idea for him to go potty before we get to church because we don't want to have any accidents at church

9:38 a.m.: finally in car after multiple trips between house and garage getting kids and multiple bags to the van. Pray that we might be there on time.

9:47 a.m. officially late for start of Sunday school program, spend 7 minutes in church parking lot attempting to park without blocking anyone in or taking up a spot desperately needed for an elderly person. Give up attempt and try side street while contemplating giving up entirely and just heading back home.

9:52 a.m.: give up side street idea as it's too much of a hassle

9:54 a.m. try parking across the street and proceed to get van stuck in the snow. start watching parking lot fill up and debate whether to head to church anyway and leave the car where it is. As it was "parked" in an awkward spot, decide against leaving it and start praying someone would notice my plight.


10:05 a.m.: officially really late for church; someone else gets stuck, he ends up helping me get the van out after borrowing a shovel that belongs to the church he goes to

10:15 a.m.: again attempt to park on side street, by this time a spot did open up, get kids into church

11:30 a.m..: church is over, we're downstairs for coffee hour and Brie heads off to children's choir. I project to play defense and prevent Ben from getting markers over everything, drinking from cups he picked out of the garbage and escaping out the multiple exits in the basement of the church

(my fifteen minutes of writing officially ended here, but I'll use a few extra minutes to end the story)

12:20 p.m.: make it home, rejoice that Dave and Reese are safely home. Relate trials of getting car stuck in snow. Get lunch ready, eat, watch new Veggie's Tale movie with kids then get everyone ready for rest time


2:30 p.m.: debate going over to Dad and Mom's house. Dave and I decide to travel down with the kids after Ben's nap.

4:40 p.m.: get kids and ourselves ready for trip to Dad and Mom's

5:20 p.m.: arrive at Dad and Mom's, kids head down to basement to finish watching a movie they had started to watch in the car

5:22 p.m.: hear Luke cry, Dave goes to him

5:24 p.m. Dave tensely call me to come see him; shows me Luke's arm; I mentally try to recall if Luke's forearm has always had a slight curve in it (hello???!!! total denial.) Dave takes Luke to hospital, confirms his arm is indeed broken, gets it splinted and comes back to Dad and Mom's house

So here we are again - another broken left forearm, though Luke didn't break his as badly as Brie did 1.5 years ago. Sigh. So much for a day of rest. ;)

nothing says

I was inspired by this post by MckMama and decided to come up with my own list.

Nothing says "welcome to our home" like a bag of garbage and some loose (rolled up) used diapers on the walkway and a couple broken panes of glass in our back door

Nothing says "I'm a homeschooler" like reading the super thick resource catalog and having your husband ask you why you're reading the phone book AND dog-earring many pages in said resource catalog for items you want to purchase for fourth grade and high school even though you only have a second grader and kindergartner

Nothing says "I need some alone time" like hiding in your bathroom with the door locked and the lights out while praying it will take at least 2 minutes for your children to realize you've left the room

Nothing says " We have four young children" like sweeping up enough food particles off the floor to whip up your next meal

Nothing says "I've learned to relax some after having four kids" like seeing crumbs on the floor and not bothering to get the broom because you are thinking and slightly rejoicing to yourself that "it's all right because Ben will eat it"

From Ben's perspective, nothing says "I've been here" like the crayon box lying on the floor with the crayons scattered about

From Luke's perspective, nothing says, "I love you" like getting everyone's toothbrushes ready with toothpaste

From Reese's perspective, nothing says, "I wish it was summer" like wearing shorts and tshirts as often as he can...even though mom is wearing at least three layers and two pairs of socks to keep warm inside our house

From Brie's perspective, nothing says, "I need a sister" like pretending her AG doll, Kirsten, is her sister

From Dave's perspective, nothing says, "It's my birthday" like lemon blueberry cake

Nothing says, "I've learned what it means to have boys" like sewing some knights tunics and having your (VERY skilled and talented) husband put together some swords as part of their St. Nicholas Day presents
 
Nothing says, "I've run out of ideas for this post" like ending it right here :)

a little humor for your day

I've been reading "Pollyanna" by Eleanor H. Porter to the kids and had to share this excerpt because it still is causing me to chuckle.

In chapter 7, Pollyanna and Nancy (Aunt Polly's hired girl) are having a conversation about names. Nancy has just told Pollyanna that she hates her own name and wishes it were something prettier. Here is Pollyanna's response:

"Well, anyhow," [Pollyanna] chuckled, "you can be glad it isn't 'Hephzibah.''

"Hephzibah!"

"Yes. Mrs. White's name is that. Her husband calls her 'Hep,' and she doesn't like it. She says when he calls out 'Hep -- Hep' she feels just as if the next minute he was going to yell 'Hurrah!' And she doesn't like to be hurrahed at."

[End excerpt]
*****go ahead, say it out loud "Hep Hep Hurrah!" okay, now giggle like crazy****


BTW, Hephzibah has a beautiful meaning: "my delight is in her" so really, this amusing excerpt is rather fitting for the name, don't you think?

you know you've done A LOT of home renovation projects when...

...you notice (and admire?!) the new junction box and wiring in your church's kitchen along with the new hood/ventilation system. Yep, this past year of rehabbing a house has taught me many things...including having a new appreciation for the different ways/patterns the cement is smoothed on a driveway.

just one of the perks

I'm starting to relish the fact that Dave and I can gross out the kids (a little now and hopefully even more so in the future) by kissing one another on the lips in front of them. Though they now like to chant "kiss on the lips, kiss on the lips" (but dissolve into shrieks and giggles when we oblige), I imagine at some point, they'll make gagging noises and run away in mock horror. Oh, the things to look foward to!

Stocking Up...

The weather has been gorgeous lately - sunny with a slight chill in the air. It did not feel like a day to sit inside. So, after our "core" lessons, out we headed to the park, then a picnic on the front lawn, then some quality reading outside. Must stock up on the Vitamin D while it's freely available before supplies run low and winter blues set in!

(P.S. at some point, I will fix up our other computer so I can start posting pictures again)

The (Almost) Lost Year and Other Random Thoughts

I discovered that somehow we managed to not capture our lives on film between Reese's birthday and late October in 2007. How did that happen? No idea. Though maybe it was the three kids three and under that did it. So if anyone has any electronic pics they can send us for those "lost" months, please, please send them our way...

...Dave decided to get Danny Boys pizza tonight BEFORE he read my post about having this 7 years ago tonight. God is speaking  :)...

...I'm waiting for the cake I baked for Brie to come out of the oven - smells good, looks good, hope it tastes good...

...I confirmed (despite my wildest hopes and prayers for the opposite) that I am definitely, extremely lactose intolerant. My body is still trying to recover from the inadvertant onslaught of ice cream without lactaid pill. Ugh...

...we are still running the renovate-your-rentals marathon. I'm sure Dave has logged more than 26.1 miles with the roller brush...

...Reese is eager to try sounding out words, spelling out words and brushing up on his phone skills by calling the numbers he knows. Repeatedly. He called Dave about 8 times in one day when Dave was in Boston a few weeks ago...

...Luke and Reese are ensconced in an ongoing game of superheros. Today Reese was Batman and Luke was Robin. They also favor Spiderman, Ironman and Flash. They are convinced Dave is "Hot Boy." We have no idea who "Hot Boy" is, although if there was a superhero by that name, Dave would definitely fit the profile. They've taken to playing this game in the garage and were delighted to find a box of blank mailing labels that quickly became transformed into shakles for being in prison and they also possess superhero powers. Apparantly...

...Brie has become a busy bee in helping around the house. I instituted a chore chart complete with the "wages" they can earn for each job and she's already earned $11 since we started this a couple of weeks ago. Today, she also had the sweet idea of picking the beans from our garden, shelling them and then wants to plant them and give them to the poor...

...Ben continues to be his "look like Luke, act like Reese" self. He enjoys getting a laugh out of us at his antics, climbing the stairs, mimicing the sounds the kids (and especially Reese) make. I can't remember the last time he crawled since discovering the joy of walking on two feet...

...I wish we had read "Bringing Up Boys" by James Dobson before we had them.

Random Stuff

Open wide!

Ben discovers chocolate pudding made with (mostly) coconut milk is to his liking.

Praying angel?

Reese came downstairs like this last night.

• Recommended reading: "Marriage and Other Acts of Charity" by Kate Braestrup - am currently enjoying this one
• The kids are loving this taste of spring and it's funny to hear how they can express that they too are tired of being cooped up in winter
• Big progress on the house, praise God!, electric done, drywall up, tiling down. Now it's time to refinish the floors, tape and feather the drywall and paint, paint, paint.
  

For the rest of your life...

I was playing this game with the kids today and thought it would be fun to record their answers and then check back maybe a year or so and see if/how their answers have changed.

If you could only eat one type of food, what would you eat?
B - gumballs
R - cake
L - cereal (spoken like a true son of Dave!)

If you could only wear one color, what would it be?
B - white (specifically, white velvet dresses)
R - light blue
L - yellow

If you could only sing/listen to one song, what would it be?
B - Open the eyes of my heart
R - Soulimon (by Neil Diamond)
L - Alive Forever Amen

If you could only watch one movie, what would it be?
B - Pocahontas
R - Doodlebops
L - Cars

If you could only play with one toy, what would it be?
B - Pocahontas
R - Lego
L - Lego

If you could only read one book, what would it be?
B - Pocahontas
R - Berenstain Bears Santa Bear (note: he has never heard this story before)
L - Berenstain Bears The Sitter

Literary Classics

Here's one of the kid's favorite poems (mine too) - we came across it in a "More Phonics Through Poetry" book we got for school. Okay, so maybe it's not a "classic," but it should be - I wish I had known about this one when I had to memorize and recite poems in school!

Skink and Skunk by Lucinda Cave

A skink met a skunk
and a skunk met a skink
on the bank of a river
while drinking a drink.

"I think," said the skink,
to the skunk, as they drank,

"You might make a stink
and a stink would smell rank."

"Who? Me?" quizzed the skunk,
to the skink with a wink.
Then Skunk flipped her tail
and emitted a stink.

"That stinks!" shrieked the skink.
"I am outta here, Skunk!"
Skink leaped in the river -
Kersplash!
And kerplunk!

Discovery:

Just in time for the Christmas season, I discovered that putting a minty scented Burt's Bees lib balm in the pocket of a bathrobe before sticking the bathrobe in the dryer results in one walking around the house smelling like a candy cane.

I don't know if I exactly recommend this discovery of mine to become standard practice (especially since it was an accident and resulted in a good portion of the lip balm to be melted away), however it was funny, especially given the time of year.

We Have a New Addition to the Family!

Before I share the pictures, let me tell you a little bit about our newest addition...

She came with the name "Hoover" and Dave surprised me with her this weekend. I was a little unsure at first, but now I'm completely won over. Luke went with him to pick her out.

She loves to roll around on the floor and her favorite thing to do is pick up the tiniest crumbs she can find, which is great since there is usually enough food particles under our table after a meal to feed a small nation. She's a lovely copper and black color and not too noisy, though is kind of heavy.

Now for the pictures:

Seriously though, I'm glad Dave spared me more hours of research to find the "perfect" vacuum. My favorite thing about this vacuum "dirt finder" sensor. I love when that red light turns from "red" to "green" indicating that our floors are devoid of any offending particles. Hopefully, she won't break apart as quickly as our other vacuum.

Speaking of which. The incident which really prompted us to get a replacement (other than the fact that the power head didn't work and most of the attachement had some broken parts) is that Reese tried to suction up a bucketful of water. Boy was he surprised when the water came leaking out of the vacuum cleaner! Thankfully he didn't get electrocuted. But since that incident, the vacuum made the house smell like damp basement whenever we used it.

You've Got to Be Kidding Me!

Since our vacuum is slowly disintegrating before our eyes after just five (!) years or so of purchasing, we're evaluating whether to buy new or replace pretty much everything except the canister. In checking out the Sears replacement parts site, I just discovered that it would cost more than $250 for all the parts we need. And guess what they charge for 1 screw? $3.50!

You've got to me kidding me! Ummm...I'm still considering it, but I think we may be buying new!

'Nother Rapid Update

Forget being Canadian, I think I was actually meant to be born in Russia because I'm always rushin' to do this and that and rushin' here and there. Bad pun, I know, but I bet Hil's laughing ("I'm froma Russia").

So in the spirt of all the rushing around, here's a super quick update:

• Brie broke her arm after playing on the monkey bars - apparantly this is #4 on the "Top 5 Ways Kids Break A Bone". Coming in at #3 is the trampoline, #2 is a scooter and #1 is riding a bike. She's doing really well and has a super cool cast wrap according to the response most people give when they see her arm.
• I think we "thisclose" to having Reese and Luke out of diapers - still need to overcome the nighttime thing. Exciting news for the Andersons!
• I'm feeling called to volunteer at a pregnancy crises center near us and it will be total God thing since the training happens two times a week for three weeks.
• I'm getting excited about the prospect of getting into the swing of things with homeschooling but I still don't know how it will all get done without completely letting Reese and Luke run amok.
• We're looking forward to the Geuagu County Fair - food on a stick, rides, fresh from the cow milkshakes!
• Missing Goderich, but I did take Reese to the beach on Sunday and the water was great. Looking forward to the time when all the kids will be able to swim.
• Our garden is completely nuts - I've lost count how much cups of zucchini I've shredded and I just processed 9 jars of tomatoes for freezing.
• Ben had his 2 month check up this week and he seems to be on track. Brie was with me and she was so upset when he got his shots. She has such a tender heart.
• Reesie antic-dote: discovered the joys of "riding" the garage door and I would press the button to open it. He'd let go as it was 2/3's of the way up. The things that boy comes up with!
• Luke antic-dote: Loves to pretend the broom is a guitar and says the Doodlebop pledge when he finds something that looks like a banner (you'd have to see the show to know what I'm talking about :) )

That's all for now...

Ups and Downs

Ups...

• Achievement of the day: Picking 19lbs (!) of blueberries at our favorite organic blueberry farm. Brie and Reese helped out and Luke helped himself to many berries. Ben dressed like a blueberry. Bring on the blueberry pancakes. For the record, last year, we picked about 13 lbs of berries and ran out a few months ago. We'll see how long this batch lasts us!
• Dave came home from Boston last night and had the day off today (hence the berry picking excursion)
• It was a beautiful sunshiny day which always gladdens the heart
• I went for a bike ride for the first time in almost a year on the weekend. Whew - were those muscles out of shape! Nonetheless, it felt great to get some exercise that didn't involve chasing a very fast child across a room/down a hallway/down some stairs.
• So far, Ben has started skipping a feeding.
• I have been crowned "wonder woman" by the kids. This after a conversation discussing that Brianna is "Jasmine," Reese is "Aladdin," and Luke has settled on "Charlie." (I don't believe Luke chose this alias after Charlie Brown. I think it's because that was the boy name mom chose as her guess before Ben was known as "Ben")
• The kids and I got some vacation time :) at Dad & Mom's while Dave was in Boston. Who would have thought that when I first inhabited the green room as a teen, that someday I'd be sharing it with my baby son?! On second thought, God forsaw that moment.

Downs...

• Getting impatient/angry/frustrated with the kids. Though I know in a worldly sense this is understandable, it still bothers me that I can have such a short fuse and be on such short supply. Nothing says "super mom" (or wonder woman?) quite like yelling and pointing at your child to go to their room or pulling/dragging one son by the arm from behind a chair because he was picking on his younger brother. In these sin-riddled moments, I have to remind myself that God knew what He was doing when He entrusted these treasures to me, because I definitely don't feel like I'm doing such a great job.
• Still challenged with the breastfeeding. I think it may be getting a little better since Ben doesn't seem to be quite as aggitated when feeding, but it still doesn't feel quite right.
• Having no idea how I'm going to do homeschooling. I still feel called to do it and look forward to it. But it's the whole fitting it into the day that seems unweildly. Totally trusting God to have this worked out too!
• Sleep deprivation that gives me little energy to run and play with the kids. That and knowing I have meals to get ready, laundry to do and a baby to feed. It's not that I mind the work, it's that I have no idea how to let those things go, because if I don't get them done, how will they get done?

So that I'm not ending on a totally depressing note...

Things I'm thanking God for tonight...

• Time together as a family today picking berries, stopping at fruit stands, eating frozen custard
• Dave getting home safe
• Having the windows open after a few days of humidity
• A daughter who's almost 6
• Parents I get to live close to
• A mother-in-law who gets more time with the kids since retiring
• Swim lessons at the Y and watching Brie and Reese enjoy jumping in the pool
• Boys who have jam sessions together
• A baby who's really starting to smile and coo
• That He lets me experience these frustrations and failures because He desires to mold me like Himself. I am being refined by fire!

Really Creative Title

Busy, busy today...we made a triple batch of zucchini bread, did the laundry, decorated some crowns (in keeping with our Middle Ages unit), ate and ate some more, read, napped and jumped in the "lake" created by the abundance of rain we had last night. We have yet to make it to Marc's the mainstay of our grocery shopping. C'est la vie!

Tonight I'm thanking God for:

• boys who don't hesistate to jump full body into muddied water and get covered in grass and pieces of mulch
• girls who prefer to only get their feet wet and scream at the thought of getting all dirty
• kids who enjoy cleaning the kitchen with wet rags including the windows and fridge
• the ability to read
• sunshine after the rain
• glitter and beads to make crowns
• that we get lasting crowns when we believe in Jesus as our Savior

On a Roll (so far)

Another quick update, because I'm again a few minutes away from bathtime. :)

Breastfeeding has been quite a challenge and I'm praying for perseverance in this. I thought feeding Luke was tough, but Ben has upped the ante! Will see a lactation doctor on Friday to see if she can offer some help. While going to bottles isn't exactly the end of the world, I'm not ready to give up yet.

I've been working with Brie on getting her to ride a two-wheeler. It's fun to see how each day she gets a little better with her balance. Reese wanted to give it a shot, too, but wasn't sure about it once he realized it wasn't so easy. Probably for the best anyway since his bike is still on the bigger side.

Potty training for Luke is going well. Though I've lost count of how many pairs of undies he wets. Better than diapers though.

We're continuing our reading of the Middle Ages - started on a book of castles today. I wish we were in England and could take them to the castles we saw when we were there. I know they'd all have fun exploring the ruins and going up the narrow staircases. We're hoping to get to a local Medieval Faire this weekend or the next if the weather holds out.

Things I'm thanking God for tonight:

• Baby smiles and bouncy seats
• Brooms that double as guitars (a Lukie invention)
• Swim classes at the Y - Brie and Reese graduated to "advance eel"
• Rain that adds romance to the night
• the Internet which helps keep us connected
• Guacamole - I made some for the first time today
• reading books from the series' "The Pony Crazed Princess" and "The Unicorn's Secret" to Brianna
• A husband who gives me time to think and write while he tucks the kids into bed
• Discovering God through His Word and the words of others

Seriously Overdue Update

Yikes! 4 months to catch up on. I know I've already forgotten more than I can remember but here are some of the highlights:

• Tim and Lauren's wedding...and the kids asking for several weeks after when we were going to another wedding. If that isn't a sign of a great celebration I don't know what is!


• Reese attending and completing pre-school. "Special Room," music and gym were his favorites. I got to attend a special Mother's Day tea with him the Friday before Mother's Day. He was a perfect gentleman - he even offered to throw out my cup and napkin (without being prompted!). That's the kind of thing that breaks my heart as a mom...in the best way possible.


• Reese and Brie and swim lessons at the "Y" - Dave's been taking them there at least once a week for some free time in the pool. It's amazing how they are quickly adapting to the water and how much it improves the skills they are learning in their class. Yesterday, Dave introduced Reese to the concept of the cannonball, which Reese loved.


• Luke's vocabulary and ability to express his thoughts has really taken off in the past few months. It's always great when you can finally understand (for the most part) what they want or need. The boy is a natural at throwing a ball and is beginning to get the hang of catching one. At some point in the near future, I imagine we'll enroll him in T-ball or something since he loves ball sports.


• Brianna finished with her singing class - she seemed to enjoy it as she loves to sing, but I have a feeling she may opt for ballet again when we decide to start with another round of classes. It was great to watch her in the final class. Dave observed that she would never be the first one to volunteer to sing - she wanted someone else to go first. But then, her hand was the next one up. It's been ups and downs with friends - the whole girl thing (i.e. whenever there is more than two of them, she's usually the one that gets excluded). Am praying for a good, solid friend for her.


• I finished teaching Sunday School this past week - it was a great experience and the knowledge and wisdom some of the kids had was amazing to witness. Mom, Lauren and I got to enjoy a great girls getaway weekend at the end of April. The best part was discovering a great tearoom which I'm contemplating bring Brie to for her sixth birthday. Then, Mom and I attended a mothers event the Saturday before Mother's Day. The group, Praise-Appella, led worship - they are so amazing to hear and watch because the only instruments they use are their voices and yet it sounds like they have drums and other instruments backing them up.


• Dave went to Boston at the beginning of May for a Lead City Year conference...kind of big thing since they select only a handful of City Year people to attend with the intention training them to become leaders within City Year. I think he got his fill of seafood - at least until he has to go back in July!

Some more recent happenings/things to look forward to:

• We (that is, Dave) has been getting our garden ready. I can't wait for the fresh tomatoes. We were going to expand it (again) but Dave wisely thought we just might be taking on too much - at least for this year. :) For the record, here's what we're growing: blueberries, strawberries, black currants, raspberries, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes!, green beans, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, lettuce, rhubarb, carrots, leeks, basil, rosemary, oregano, parsley, cilantro, thyme, cucumbers and maybe loofa (this last one is for Christmas gifts)
• Brie has 7 school days left before completing Kindergarten. We're going to try out homeschooling and I've been doing a ton of research on it (but that's a topic for another post)
• The swingset we purchased last fall through Craig's list has been such a blessing. The kids and their friends love it. In fact, Reese just learned how to get swinging on his own and is very happy with his new found skill.
• And, of course, we're coming down to the wire for welcoming #4 (a.k.a. "rice cake"). It's been so hard not to be impatient or anxious, but thankfully, God is working on me in this area. :) Everything is all ready - I even have loaves of bread stored in the freezer which will hopefully tide us over until I'm able/ready to make it fresh again. (Yes, I could take the "easy" way out and just buy it from the store, but after having the homemade stuff, it's hard to go with anything else.)

That's it for now. I'll scrounge up some pictures for another post and write more on the homeschooling thing at a later date. How late depends on when baby makes an appearance!