It seems with the cold weather and getting lazy my “green-ness” is going brown. I think a picture is worth more than the words for this.
So… back to working on getting green!
Only when it’s leaking… December 28, 2008
I have been trying to post on here when the kids say something hilarious. Those are the things that I just don’t want to foget… ever! Well of course there have been tons of things that I wanted to post, and haven’t… *crying now* But this is one story from Ava that just can’t be forgotten!
One day a couple of weeks ago, she came up to me and explained why and when you need to pick your nose. ”When your nose is the leaking kind you can blow it, but when it’s not the leaking kind then you have to pick it.” I thought I was going to die laughing! I tried to explaid to her that you shouldn’t pick your nose, but she was very adamant about her theory. So instead of arguing with her I told her if your nose isn’t leaky and you need to pick it you have to do it in the bathroom, with a tissue, door closed and wash your hands when you’re done. ??? What is a person supposed to say to this stuff?!
The thing every child in Wisconsin must learn the hard way… December 22, 2008
Well, it happened in The Christmas Story and people make jokes about it. It ranks right up there with window licking in the gross/weird things kids do factor…. Yup I’m talking about sticking your tongue to cold metal. Today as we were leaving Wally World, I was putting Cooper in his carseat and left Ava to her own devices for just a couple seconds. Sure enough, curiosity got to her and she stuck her tongue to the cart return! 7 degrees BELOW zero, and before I even knew she did it, she pulled it off by herself! She didn’t cry and she got in the van and said,
“Mom, it didn’t stay there, it came off.”
I asked, “What came off, What are you talking about?”
“My tongue, it didn’t stay there.”
Me: “Did you stick your tongue on something cold?”
Ava: “No, only a little, it was an accident.”
Me: “Oh no, Ava did you stick your tongue where the carts go? Let me see your tongue…”
Ava: Instantly crying, “Yeah I did right there… See….” and sticks out her tongue.
Signs of the Times October 27, 2008
As we all know, the economy has been less than ideal lately. There are tons of things around us that verify just that… gas prices, lay offs, difficulties with lenders, a HUGE bail-out plan. If you look around you’re bound to notice something! In the past couple of weeks these are two signs printed and posted by local small business owners.
This is a good one….
But THIS is my favorite!
Need I say more?
You ROCK! October 27, 2008
Around our house one of the dumb things I say that totally motivates our girls is, “Thanks! You rock!” This can be used when one of the kids finishes their supper, when they brush their teeth, clean their toys, get dressed… pretty much anything. Last week one day, I told Ava that she rocked because she got dressed for school right away like I had asked. (This may seem small, but around here that is a huge feat!) Fast forward a few minutes to Ella getting up. I over hear Ava talking to Ella quietly, “Ella, today is my day to rock. Ok? You can rock tomorrow. Today I just wanna rock, not you, not Daddy, not Cooper, not Mommy, just me today ok?”
Ella… “Umm, ok Aba, you can rock today. I will rock tomowwow.”
“Thanks Ella!”
A Pot to Piss in… October 27, 2008
Well we’ve all heard the saying… and last week Miss Ella made it happen! I was busy one day boiling water and my cloth diapers to get them all gleaming white. Well once the diapers had been boiled and tossed in the washer, I set the pot down on the bathroom floor until I needed it for the next batch of diapers. I left the room, and when I returned I found this!
You would have to know that this… again… is another beautiful gift from my Ella! God love that child!!
For a reason I suppose… September 30, 2008
Well we had to know it wouldn’t be long for things to fall through with the house. Unless something miraculous happens, we won’t be selling the house. We are both just devastated, and the kids seem disappointed too. It just seemed like everything was falling into place at just the perfect time, right before our balloon payment was due, just before winter, a house we like is on the market at a great price, good interest rates… I could go on and on. But I guess there must be a reason that things are turning out this way. Maybe it’s to give us hope that it will happen someday, maybe it’s because the economy is going to totally fall apart, and this way we will have a nice low house payment here, maybe it’s because it was too damgerous for the kids to be by the river, there has to be something. (I do though, wish I knew what that reason was!)
So there it is, a crappy start to another week. But hey, last week started awesome and turned crazy. Hopefully this week will start out crappy and turn into a great week! Let’s hope!!!
A crazy week… September 28, 2008
So it all started on monday, when around 10am I got a call from our relator. After nearly 4 years on the market our house finally has an offer… and now an accepted offer at that! Yay! Well needless to say my week with no plans turned damn crazy! Monday I took the kids to go look at a couple houses to narrow down the ones that are available. Tuesday Ava had school so she had to be dropped off and then I had to finish up the candle fundraiser order, pick up a few checks, send out the fundraiser order, talk to the mortgage guy, and pick Ava back up after school. Wednesday I had day care kiddos, and a photo shoot for one of the girls, along with more mortgage talk, lawn work, more considering of the different houses on the market, and CYF at church for Avali. While she was there I took the other two kids for a walk to the house we are very serious about and looked around from the outside for a while. Thursday, school for Avali, back to the house with the relator again, this time super serious, looking at all the details… back home for my day care boy, a short nap for them (and beginning to get ready for Ellas big Lollipop party for me.) A bit later it was time to pack up the three kids at home, and go back to town to pick Ava up again. While on the phone with my hubby later in the afternoon I realize that while I was in town earlier, our dog Lola must have jumped out of the van because she was not at home. Back in town we go to look for Lola. Two hours, and one accident for poor Ava later, we go home to change her clothes and make signs for the missing dog. Ava and I went into town again to hang up posters. Once we got home, Avali had another accident and was complaining of it hurting. Great, a UTI, I suppose! So time for a baking soda bath, a call to the nurseline, and some fluids for her, time to get the other two into pajamas for the night, and WAY past time to watch my Greys Anatomy! Finally, 9 pm, I get to snuggle up on the couch with Ava who at this point needed some lovin and one on one with mom. Fifteen minutes later I get a phone call from a woman I do day care for who works at a local restaurant,
“Jen, are you missing Lola?”
“Oh my God, yes, I’ll be there in a minute!” So once again, Ava and I hop in the van and head into town to get Lola. Once we get there, she took off across the parking lot, and my chunky ass had to chase her across the damn thing until she decided she knew me and wanted to come home.
Home again… at last!!! By 11ish I was finally able to get into bed. Oh what a feeling, but due to the stress of all of this home stuff… I didnt fall asleep until around midnight. About two hours later, Ava was awake and couldnt get off the bunk bed. Once I got up with her, I couldnt fall back asleep and was awake in bed until 5:45 when we had to get up. Friday morning instead of getting ready for the birthday party, I had to get the three kiddos out the door and on the way to an appointment for Ava, by 6:30.
Well, we made it to the appointment on time at 8:30, but it was over an hour before we were seen. The doctor came in, and asked if she had given a urine sample. Ummm? No! One was never ordered. So across the clinic we go, to the lab department to do the urine sample. There we were given a pager that was to go off when they were ready for us, and to wait in the pediatric lab waiting room. I got the two younger ones out of the stroller and told them they could play. The second I set Cooper down, the pager went off and I had to explain that nope, we cant play today. So load them all back up again, head into the lab area bathrooms. I got one of those handy little hat things so it would be easier to “collect” from Ava. She supplied, and I couldnt have been happier. Ella was standing surprisingly well and waiting for Ava to be done, and I was holding Cooper. Once Ava got up I took the “hat” thingy, and set it in the sink, so I could open the collection container to transfer it into, you know, all the while holding Cooper. Wouldn’t you know it if there weren’t automatic faucets that filled that damned container with water and ruined the entire urine sample. Ahhhhh!!!! I was PISSED! I came out of the bathroom nearly crying, and told the nurses that we’d need to wait for another sample. Oddly enough, this little girl who, the previous night, had been peeing every fifteen minutes… didn’t have to pee for three HOURS!!! Anyway, we finally supplied the sample, and asked the Dr. to call us with the results and he could call in a prescription to one of the places on the way home. Shorty after we get a call saying, yes the urine did show “a few things” but we can’t treat her until we let it culture for 24 to 48 hours. Ugh!!!
A bit later we were on our way home, with no prescription, and a very miserable Ava, an exhausted mama, and Cooper and Ella cranky and tired of riding. When we got home, it was time to make Ella’s cake for the party, do some yard work, and then once Jay got home go to look at the prospective new house again. We were there for an hour, then home again to make Ella’s supper of her choice since it was her birthday. Pancakes it is! The little goober insisted that we sing to her about 4 times, oh yea, candles lit and everything!
Anyway, it was an exhausing and busy week. A week that felt as though it should have been productive, but really wasn’t.
I will spare the details of the party in this post, I’m sure you’re exhausted after reading about the chaos as it is! Party details to follow!
What? September 10, 2008
So as I was typing that last post, Ava was looking out the window looking at her ducks. She noticed that Terabithia was pretty dirty and said,
”She got dirty from the graass Mom.”
Mom: “Oh?”
Ava: “I’m not going to get dirty in the grass when I’m a duck.”
Ok Ava! When you’re a duck…
A New Baby Sister… September 10, 2008
Ha, yeah! It’s not as exciting as you’re thinking it is! No we don’t have another baby on the way. Avali and Ellison are begging for a new sister. They dont want another brother, they want a sister. Ava has now gone so far as thinking that we can just got to a local doctor and bring one home like we did with Cooper. She’s asked Dad to take her to get a baby sister after golfing with him. She’s told people at stores that she’s looking for clothes for her new baby sister. Of course we know that no baby is complete without a name… are you ready for her suggestions? Sunny, Cloudy, or Little Mermaid. Yuppers! Her favorite is Cloudy! Jay and I joke about having Day as the middle name. Ah yes, Cloudy Day Swenson! Sweet right?
My mom has decided that we’re damaging the kids by telling them things like: Well if you’re not nice to the sister you have, we’re not going to give you another one! And of course the all time perfect Dad line, “Well you have to go to bed on time if you want to get a new sister.” The best part of parenting young kids is that they just don’t “get” a lot of stuff yet! Thank God for that!
