A Little Show

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Thanksgiving Performance

Gratitude

School let out the Tuesday before Thanksgiving this year.  Let’s just say the kids couldn’t have been more thankful for the extra day off.  First on the agenda, well-child check-ups for Ross and Molly.  I haven’t taken 3 kids to the doctor by myself for quite a while and must have forgotten.  Forgotten they would fight over who got to lay on the exam table, that they would pull the stirrups out from under the exam table thinking they were phones, that they would dig through the drawers in the exam room, that they would leave the room in order to run up and down the hall spying on other patients, that someone would need to poop and that Ross would be shoving Maisie off the exam table just as the doctor made her entrance.   During the exam, Maisie found it hilarious when the doctor checked Ross and Molly’s privates and wouldn’t let it go.  When Maisie wouldn’t quit trying to climb on the exam table, I actually hauled her out to the hallway for timeout and shut the door.  Molly decided to join her and almost slammed her fingers in the door.  The doctor asked Molly to stay in the exam room where she completely fell apart, crying hysterically for the remainder of the appointment.  The good news… everyone’s growing normally, everyone received the flu mist, and I had a bottle of wine waiting for me at home.

 

I obviously felt the urge to be challenged Wednesday morning because I hauled the kids to Fareway.  Yes, I realize it’s the day before Thanksgiving, but I just couldn’t resist.  Plus, we wanted needed mint pudding.  Ross carried Molly around on his shoulders while Maisie straddled the cart basket.  Lots of stares, giggles and eye-rolls from customers only encouraged the giggly and crazy behavior.  As we rounded the corner by the hamburger buns, I spied our pastor.  Great, I look like a negligent parent whose kids skipped their meds this week.  He said ‘hello’ and smiled at the girls at about the same time Ross became visible from where he was laying perpendicular across the bottom of the cart (where you put cases of pop and dog food).  The pastor hollered, ‘Oh, hello down there Ross.’  Ross just waved at him while almost kicking a Goldfish Cracker display over with his foot. 

God save me.

Just as I was accepting the fact that I was going to hell, the Pastor caught up with me by the Hostess end-cap.  As he passed me, he looked over his shoulder to say, “Heidi, you’re a model for all of us.  You are full of poise and a true model to what being a good mom is.”

 

Of course I think I’m a good mom… of course I believe my parents, my in-laws and close friends think I’m a good mom.  But there something about hearing it from someone who doesn’t have to say it.  Someone who sees you in a true moment of hard-core parenting and appreciates your style and effort. 

A year ago, I gave thanks for all the good in my life.  At the time, I had no idea the upcoming year would bring the trials that came with it.  Yet, looking back I’m confident God needed me to experience Divine Goodness in the sense I was supposed to experience it.  And for that, words cannot express my gratitude.

 

I may not have gone were I intended to go, but I think I’ve ended up where I needed to be.   

Douglas Adams

 

Ross with his cat carrier...

Sweet Maisie with Blue Blankie...

Molly with her tongue...

And our Kratt.

 

From our family to yours, Happy Turkey Day!

 

Our Basement... aka shooting range

I'm certain the little teaser at the end of my last post left you all on the edge of your seats to find out what's been going on in the basement.  Good news.  The suspense is over.  Lets just say our toy room has become a shooting range.  I don't ask questions, I just keep the girls upstairs with me and try to attend church service regularly.

 

He aims... he fires... he hits his target.  Mike tells me our boy has skill.

 

I respond, "Of course he does... he's his fathers son."  I like to suck up like that.  It's good for the marriage.

 

Pay no attention to the fact that his target sits on an empty wine box and never mind the stack of wine boxes to the left of the shooting range.  It's all part of the experience.

Wicked

Today became a looooong Sunday afternoon.  I grew up with those and therefore,  handled it like a pro.  Maisie attended a birthday party, Mike researched the end of the world and Ross watched ice skating on channel 13 with me.  I thought of Gfunk and wondered what ever happened to Brian Boitano.  This morning Molly received a "fwower" from church as it was her 'baptismal anniversary'.  Glad someone's keeping track.

 

 

I'll let you interpret the next photo for yourself.   Those of you who know my husband wont be phased.

 

 

Meanwhile, I can't decide what I appreciate more... how completely bored Kratt looks, or how trashed our living room is.

 

 

Maisie was kind enough to tell me this morning that my eye wrinkles looked 'wicked'.  Ironically, this afternoon Mike found my wrinkle cream in the remote-control-car tub in the basement.  Again, how ironic.

 

 

Her newest ballet-pose-smile.

 

Stay tuned to find out what else Mike and Ross have been up to in the basement this weekend...

Cookies and Desiree

Molly and I baked cookies this week.  I love that she held onto this tiny baby the entire time.  Such a little mother.  She also worked on learning her alphabet on the Kindle while holding the baby.  Unfortunately the tiny baby burnt her little finger on the hot baking sheet.  We were fresh out of Band-aids and everyone was very upset.  On a side note, I'm not sure I ever make the chocolate chip cookie recipe from the Betty Crocker red-gingham cookbook, but they are ridiculously fantastic.

 

 

Molly explains how poor little baby burnt her finger on the hot pan.  Lesson learned.

 

 

 

 

Maisie's best friend Desiree came home from school with Maisie.  It was "bring a friend to dance class" week.  I love having little girls.  They let me do their nails, hair and make-up so they'd look like twins.  I swear I felt like I was 12. 

 

 

I find them completely adorable. 

Tooth Fairy's, Human Reprodution and Erin's Mom

I often forget how grown up Ross is getting.  For instance, he’s been pushing me pretty hard about whether the tooth fairy exists.  I’m having a hard time giving this one up.  The Easter Bunny was no biggie, the bunny thing freaks me out.  Not that a little fairy flying around looking for teeth doesn’t, but since I’ve never actually been the tooth fairy (not even once), I feel like I’m missing out.  Ross has a tooth collection and he reminded me of his plan to wait until all his baby teeth come out before he puts them under his pillow.  He figures he’ll be about 14 when that happens.  Let’s just say if he still believes in the tooth fairy at 14 we have a problem.  He threatens me that he’s going to stick a tooth under his pillow one night when I’m least expecting it and that will confirm whether or not the fairy actually exists. 

 

Now, for the twist.  The other night before bed while debating the whole tooth fairy ordeal, the conversation morphed into human reproduction (I don’t see the link either, but it happened), including erections, seeds, eggs and believe it or not we actually touched on menopause… don’t ask.  Mike walked into the room, overheard the topic and walked right back out.

I clearly remember hearing the basics of human reproduction from Erin Hinz’ mom in 2^nd grade and being completely repulsed, as was Erin.  Some things you just never forget.  I take it as a complement Ross is comfortable enough to talk to me about uncomfortable topics.  I’m also glad I’m here to give him accurate answers before the day comes where kids at school fill his brain with garbage.  I just wonder whether the kids at school will fill him in on the tooth fairy before that day comes.

 

 

A little something...

Just thought I'd share a little something I've been working on...

 

Check it out and share!

 

http://fromheidiskitchen.blogspot.com

 

Sunday Morning

We all slept in this morning and didn't make it to church.  So instead, we heated up some corndogs for breakfast, dipped 'em in pancake syrup and did what any other normal family does on Sunday morning. 

 

We made bullets.

 

With our 3 year old. 

A few of my favorite things

I'm 35.  Instead of blowing off my birthday or acting like it was just another day, I decided to live it up.  Not the way I did when I turned 8, 14, or 21, but in a way I never have.  I embraced and appreciated the entire day and was able to find much joy... much gratitude... much contentment. 

 

Every text, every phone call or every email.  Or it might have been receiving birthday cards in the mail like this one.  I love the way my name looks when it's written like this.  I don't see it often, so when I do, I obviously grab my camera and snap a photo.

 

 

It could have been the way the kids got so excited when they found out it truly was my birthday. 

Or it could have been this sneaky little fellow who has a higher percentage of alcohol than I'm used to and ended up biting me back later in the evening. 

Yet I'm willing to guess it was none of those.  I looked at 35 years of life and was truly grateful for all the gifts I've ever received.  Not the gifts I've unwrapped but the gifts of family, the indescribable love for my kids and a husband who knows me better than I know myself.  On the years I turned 8, 14, or 21, I sometimes wonder if I wished for this life as I blew out my birthday candles.  Either way, I am grateful.

 

Meanwhile, Molly's lips are chapped...

 

First Snow

 

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First Snow

Conversations

While tucking Maisie into bed last night, I told her how much I appreciated her patience and kindness while both her brother and sister were struggling through meltdowns earlier in the evening.  I told her what a great heart she has. 

 

Maisie: "And don't forget that I'm so beautiful too." 

Me: "Yes, you sure are.  Remember that lady at church told you how pretty you were on Sunday?

Maisie: "Was it the lady who had white hair and her 'she-she' was way up here (as Maisie points to her rib cage) and her boobies were by her neck?"

Me: "Yep, that's the one."

 

 

While visiting school today I saw Ross at recess.  Once he noticed me, he sprinted over as fast as he could and I could only imagine what could have been so urgent. 

 

Ross: "I crapped my pants."

Me: "You what?"

Ross: "Yeah, it just kinda slipped out."

Me: "Yikes, do you want me to bring you a new pair of underwear or can you make it through the day?"

Ross: "I'll make it through the day.  At first I thought about getting different underwear but there was no way I was telling anyone.  I just pulled them back up and it's fine."

 

With that, he took off to meet up with his friends on the playground. 

Like father like son.

Backgrounds

As the calendar moves into mid-November, I'm well aware my 35th birthday is right around the corner.  Thirty five years of life.  How and when did that happen?  Time moves quickly, things come and go, people change and lives evolve.  In the same breath, it's been five.  Five years since grandma's been gone. Maisie was 7 months, Ross was 2 and Molly had yet to exist. 

I often wonder, what would she say to me today?  Oh, who am I kidding?  I can hear her more often than not.  She'd tell me to spoil my babies while I can.  She'd tell me not to get hung up on the little things, they're just little things.  She'd encourage me to let my kids drink 'black cows' while sitting on bath towels on the living room rug while watching the 'idiot box'.  She'd take my girls shopping and buy them frilly dresses they didn't need and stock Ross' drawers with Under Armour when I wasn't looking.  She'd leave a scent of 'white shoulders' perfume as she passed... as she still sometimes does. 

Yes, she's gone, sort of.  But she's here in my girls' smiles and giggles, she's in my boys sense of humor and sweet tooth, she's in Sugar Plum's blue blankie and some of Molly's doll clothes.  She's etched in to my heart and she's the backdrop to many of my photos.  As I was taking these photos, I started thinking of what joy she would have found in my two little girls and felt sad she was missing it  That's when the background of the photos gained clarity and I was quickly aware she isn't missing a thing.

Few

How do you spell few?

 

 

Almost time

I'm not saying for sure...

but I think it's almost time to turn on the furnace!

Squirrel Hunt 2013

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Squirrel Hunt 2013

Little Red

Halloween Costumes

 

Ross went trick-or-treating as a spy.  You may recall his spy uniform from career day at school last year.

 

Maisie went as a witch.  She's been ultra crabby this week and Grandma and I decided she dressed in character for the evening.

 

Molly wanted to be Kratt, then a princess, then a witch.  We finally decided on Little Red Riding Hood.

 

She rocked it.