Lights and Outlets

I'm not sure... you'd have thought we'd had enough time, but now that it's time to decide, I'm not sure.  Where to put lights?  Where to put light switches and outlets.  What kind of lights?  Can?  Eyeball?  Pendant?  Sconce?  And where?

Moo shows off her room.

 

Below is the view of my kitchen from the living room.  We've realized it'll be a dark room, hence the skylight we added.  I'm thinking quite a few recessed lights will be necessary.  But at the same time, I don't want the ceiling to look like Swiss cheese. 

 

 

Below is the view from the edge of the loft.  Makes my knees wobbly to look down.  But obviously, we should have abundant light in this portion of the house.

 

So what's a girl to do? 

The electrician wants everything marked with a marker... where to put each outlet, where to put each light and what kind, where to put each switch...where the TV will go...where the deep freeze will go... how the furniture will be arranged. 

Can you say 'overwhelming'?

 

On the flip side, were getting electricity Monday!!!

 

A Memory

 

Somehow or another we made it through the week.  Definitely not a week I hope to relive anytime soon, however I truly believe we made the best of it.  Christmas morning arrived Ross was bummed he didn't get a dirt bike (mom's not ready for that yet), yet he handled it like a trooper.  Maisie got fake eye lashes (can you stand it?) and Molly fell in love with her new cowgirl boots which have fringe. 

 

Before long, the post gift opening lull set in.  Molly and Mike fell asleep, Maisie lost an eyelash and Ross was getting emotional and angry about anything he could think of.  Suddenly I had an idea.  Instead of sitting around moping, we were going to make a memory.

 

I packed a picnic of favorite snacks (hard salami and olives) plenty to drink, blankets, muck boots and Monopoly. 

I know!

 

I drove the fam out to our future house and set up the most perfect picnic spot.  It was cold, there was plenty of dried mud balls and loose nails, but we ate, drank and collected $200 each time we passed 'Go'.  We played football in the living room, checked out our new windows (which were installed Christmas Eve day) and soaked up a tiny bit of sunshine from the front porch. 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday I said goodbye to my Grandma.  During the eulogy, my cousin referred to her strength.  Not strength in muscle, but strength in pushing through hard times and making the most of the situation you're in.  While sitting in the church,  I couldn't help but recall how our Monopoly game came from her house.  I couldn't help but know deep down she somehow made sure that game would make it into our home.  I couldn't help but know she was with us Christmas Day... giving us a sliver of her strength to help us make a memory.

Christmas Week

2 weeks ago I was barking about my kids not getting what they wanted for Christmas.  I was in a tizzy about not taking them to see Santa, the Christmas tree giving me endless splinters and Cyber Monday being a joke.

 

I didn't notice my ring was dented. 

 

Rewind to Christmas Day 2013, Mike surprised me with a gift.  We don't normally exchange gifts, however once in a great moon he'll buy me an expensive camera and I'll buy him a magazine subscription.  Or he'll buy me diamond earrings and I'll buy him a calculator.  You get the idea.  So last year he bought me a cross-ring and I loved everything about it.  It's nothing fancy, it's simple, clean and is a constant reminder of the big picture.

 

Then last week happened. 

 

I suppose it began with Mike having the flu... then Maverick was shot... then my Grandma died... then we were told the county is not in favor of our septic tank being installed until the ground thaws in the spring... then Mike's truck broke down.  For a while, we felt like we were part of a country song.  I guess we've been holding our breaths to see what happens next.  

 

But I've learned it's all how you look at it.  Yes, Maverick being taken from us was a real blow, but I wrote a heart-to-heart letter to the wife of the shooter and mailing it to her (with Ross' photo included) gave me a sense of peace.  Ross carved Mavericks name into a headstone and Mike found a beautiful place on the hillside behind our future house to bury him in some hay.  He's got a great view of the pond while his collar and tag hang from the cross Mike constructed. 

 

Yes, my Grandma died but she was beyond ready.  I'm relieved knowing she's finally where she's supposed to be and lived a full, healthy and happy life.  What more could one ask? 

 

The septic delay is something I'm still trying to wrap my brain around.  The good news is we can continue working on everything else in the meantime.  Electric, plumbing, insulation, drywall, and so on, and so forth.  No one ever said building a house was an easy process and boy were they right! 

 

When difficult times arise, I try to look toward God.  This week I felt God more than ever.  He's talking to us.  He's teaching us.  He asking us to trust the journey.  This week I noticed my ring was dented.  But clearly, it wasn't broken.

No Words

There are no words. 

 

Maverick left this world yesterday for a much kinder one.  He was killed by a man afraid Maverick was too close to his property.

 

I wish there were words... but today there just aren't.

Self Diagnosis

Maisie was complaining about dry skin on her feet.  I told her it's hereditary and to find some lotion.  However I later noticed she'd already diagnosed herself online.  Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...

Long Grove Christmas 2014

Christmas Lists

This week I smeared peppermint extract on 3 sheets of computer paper.  'Why', you might ask.  The kids were writing letters to Santa, of course!  We decided to skip sitting on Santa's lap this year for a number of reasons. 

1.  The mall has begun to stress me out.
2.  We won't see the Long Grove Santa during our Long Grove visit because of a basketball game.
3.  We won't see the Winterset Santa because we'll be in Long Grove this year.
4.  In 2009 the Winterset Santa was a woman.
5.  The majority of my kids are freaked out by Santa and I end up doing all the talking.

As my kids sat down to write their letters, I became aware of a few facts. 
1. Molly can write 'L's.   
2. Ross' spelling is worse than I thought.
3. Maisie is obviously learning about apostrophies in school right now.
4. None of my children are getting anything they asked for.

A couple years ago, (heck last year) I'd have panicked and started 're-shopping' at this point.  Not this year. Why? Ready for another list? 

1.  My kids have no clue what they want for Christmas.  
2.  Ross only thinks he wants a dirt bike.  Maybe he does, I don't know.  He's not getting one though and I'm confident he'll recover.
3.  Molly only wants an Elsa necklace and Elsa dress because Maisie's asking for one.  She doesn't though, she just doesn't know what else to say.
4.  Disappointment is a part of life.  Remember the 'coat of many colors' I received from Gfunk when I was in 7th grade?  Enough said.
5. Maisie thinks she wants an Elsa dress.  Yet, I know the Elsa dress would be stiff, scratchy and too short.  She's not getting one and neither is Molly.
6. Maisie also wants a snow globe.  Santa actually left a fancy snow globe (thank you Grandma Green house) under our tree this week while she was at school.  Unfortunately, she dropped it later that evening and I'm still finding shards of glass and glitter throughout the house.
6. And lastly, enough is enough.  My kids are so spoiled they can't even think of something they they truly want and they need nothing.  I'd rather put the money I would have spent toward a trip for Mike and I or our new septic tank.  Either or.

 

 

So much emphasis is put on gifts.  Everyone is so desperate to complete their shopping lists to the point people feel obligated to spend money.  People get stressed and Walmart makes a fortune.

 

I know I'm not I'm being a Grinch about this.  I think I'm actually part of the problem.  I'm a parent.  I want my kids to have the same fond memories of Christmas I have.  Sure the gifts were always a huge bonus (Thank you G-funk- the jacket was just a little much), but aside from Mall Madness, the Ouigi board and Girl Talk Dateline, I really don't remember most of the gifts.  The Christmas memories I cherish are the ones where Grandpa Claussen fell asleep on the couch, rolled off and continued to snore.  Cramming into a mini van with my Grandpa Green to look at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve while Santa Clause came, drinking Riunite with my cousins at the 'kid table' at G-funks house over a bowl of soup and oyster crackers, the powdered sugar crescent cookies, the tinsel, the village, the homemade bows, cinnamon rolls, the suspense and mostly, being surrounded by everyone who brought joy to my life. 

 

 

Christmas will come and Christmas will go.  I'll drink too much wine, eat too much cheese and the kids will open too many gifts.  If I could ask for just one thing this year, it's that my children's memories of Christmas will revolve around all of those who bring joy to their lives. 

Elf

Is it just me...

Or is there a little similarity here?

 

 

Busted Vacuum, Live Tree and Mama's Lost It

Mike's response to telling him the vacuum hose stopped releasing from the vacuum body and is now unusable...

"That's so weird, I can't believe it just broke like that." 

Me: "I know, we treat it so well and it's only been wrapped in duct tape 3 or 4 times. What gives?"

Mike:  "They just don't make vacuums like they used to." 

Apparently were now 92 years old and reminisce about the good 'ol days when vacuums never died.

Luckily for us, Mike's mom loaned us a spare...

Because my tree hadn't come home yet, I set up this one for the time being...

It used to sit on the kitchen counter in our Grimes house.  Molly did the beadwork.  I did the bow.

Stop laughing. 

The 4-H bow-making demonstration was a long, long time ago and I've forgotten.  And yes, the tree is sitting on an upside down plastic bowl for 'height'.

However, I chopped down a live Christmas tree yesterday.  It's a ditch tree, but I think it fits the theme of the house.

Don't get too jealous, I know she's super-festive but don't get me started on how prickly this thing is. 

And if it wasn't already obvious....

Mama has completely fell off her rocker.  I've decided to do a little woodworking project this winter.

This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy! (name that movie)

He Doesn't Sleep By Me Anymore

Oh, just grow up!  I remember that particular comic from the Sunday funnies while growing up.  I always liked Family Circle the best. One particular day showed the mom frustrated with her house, the kids, the pets and her husband.  She looks exhausted, stressed out and on the verge of a breakdown.  That's when the mom says, "Oh, just grow up".

The end of the comic strip shows the aged mom, a perfectly clean house and her grown kids who have moved away.  She looks lonely, bored and sad.
I believe the comic sums up everything we need to know about parenting little ones.  It doesn't last long. 

Routines have become the background noise to raising our children.  I remember how swiftly life changed once Ross entered our world.  Our days were run by the clock and everything we did revolved around getting him on a schedule.  Almost like a robot.  The fear of him napping at the wrong time, a meal being served without enough protein, bedtime arriving before a bath or the thought of him accidently falling asleep in the car at 10:30 a.m. was a sure sign it'd be a sleepless night for everyone.
I look back and wonder so many things.  Mainly, why didn't we just relax?
 

When Ross was 4, he began sleeping in my bed when Mike would travel.  They were precious times when he and I would stay up whispering about stuffed animals, school, friends... whatever he wanted, until we both got too sleepy to whisper anymore.   

 

Ross is now 9 and somewhere along the line, he stopped sleeping in my bed with me when Mike's gone.  He doesn't ask or even bring it up anymore.  In a way it breaks my heart knowing he's outgrown it, yet at the same time my heart swells with gratitude that I took advantage of the short time my boy wanted to sleep by me.  How easily I could have said 'Absolutely not, you have school in the morning'.  And if I had, I'd never know the sweet whispers, thoughts and laughs we were able to share, just he and I.

Makes me wonder what I've already missed. 

 

Perhaps I'm selfish about the time I have with my kids.  Perhaps I know my kids will be grown up in a blink and I'll look back wishing I'd gone to the late ballgame with them, that we'd skipped naps to go to the park, that we'd forgot about bedtimes because we were enjoying who we were with and what we were doing, that we'd had popcorn for dinner and let the kids go to bed in their clothes. 

 

Molly woke up crying through the night.  She had a bad dream regarding bees. (better than bats). I laid with her a while, yet she begged for permission to sleep in 'our bed'.  I explained our bed is too small.  Mike and I swear it's a short queen.  But then I was overcome with grace for my little darlin' who was honestly scared and wanted nothing more than the comfort of her parents bed.  Who was I to deny her that?  It became so clear to me that it doesn't really matter if she sleeps with us.  Society tells us what's right and wrong for kids; however grace, compassion, and 'Family Circle' tell me everything this mama needs to know about my kids.  As I picked up her tiny body, she clung to me like a baby koala who needed nothing more than the warmth of her mom.  Lying in the short queen, she held my hand as she drifted off.  Meanwhile my heart turned soupy knowing these days wont last long.

 

Farm Bureau Coloring Contest

It's coloring-contest time and once again, were going for the win.  I can't help but reminisce on the coloring contest Ross and Maisie did back in '09 when Ross got so frustrated he ripped his paper up and Maisie ended up eating hers.  Oh, memories.

This year I watch as my three little munchin's fight over the colored pencils, show off for the camera... and 2 of 3 can actually stay in the lines.  Where has the time gone?!

Ross took forever to get started.  He spent a year sharpening colored pencils before beginning. He takes potential prizes very seriously.

He almost stole Molly's attention with all the sharpening business...

but then she noticed the camera and snapped out of it.

Meanwhile, this little pussycat wandered off Tuesday.  I received a call from the new owner of our old house that an orange cat was trying to get inside their house..  Lets just say, I can't say I blame him.  I keep telling Kratt, 'stay calm, this too shall pass.' 

As the photo shows, he just goes 'zen' on me. 

Cyber Monday

To the mom convinced she's ruined Christmas because her shopping isn't done by Cyber Monday. You moms know exactly what I'm referring to.  It's that feeling everyone has their gifts bought... except you.  You wake up Monday morning to an inbox overflowing with 75% off, 8 hours only, deals you missed, free shipping, gifts they'll love, bonus buys, 3 days only... 

 

You start to wonder if there will be anything left.  Your poor kids will be the only ones who don't receive Elsa Dresses, X Boxes, Dreamhouses and Ipods.  Oh the shame!  It'll probably ruin Christmas to the point your children will stop believing in Santa and therefore Christmas will never be the same.  For that matter, it may just ruin their entire childhood and they'll never forget the Christmas they didn't get open that beautiful princess gown with the cape or the X Box game they couldn't live without.

 

To the mom who's worried about having too few gifts under the tree on Christmas Day, so she keeps shopping to fill in the gaps.  To the mom who's afraid if she doesn't keep buying gifts, her child will think he must have been naughty. To the mom who buys gifts to keep up with the latest and greatest gadgets and feels financially strained because of the pressure.  To the mom who worries her child will be disappointed on Christmas morning because her child didn't get what she asked for. 

 

I know you.  Your every mother who ever wanted to give her kids a magical Christmas.  You're like me.  I've scoured ads, I've scrolled through online deals, I've been in stores and I've decided (as has Elsa) to just 'let it go".  I've ridden' this rodeo more than once and I've learned some things. So to the moms who are still atop the bull, below is my advice.

 

1. You're not the only one buying your child gifts.  Keep this in mind.

2. Your kids will want to play with the first few gifts they open, then they're done.  Don't go crazy, they won't notice.

3. If you have young children (3 and under), wrap-up toys your older kids no longer play with.  No brainer.

4. Just because you think a gift idea would be better or more useful doesn't mean your kid will.  If they really want that ridiculous snow globe more than anything else, buy them the snow globe and quit shopping.

5. Christmas is a hard day.  No matter how hard you try to create that magical image in your head, the hot chocolate will spill under the cabinets, something will get lost, someone will have pms and someone else will be contagious.  It's just a fact of the holiday.

6.  Last but not least, be present.  All to soon, 'this too will pass'

 

A week ago I was secretively trying to pry gift ideas out of my kids while we played puzzles.  It went something like this:

"Hey Molly, what would you love Santa to bring you for Christmas?" 

No response from anyone.

So I continued to dig.  "Molly, what's your favorite thing to play with?"  Her answer pretty much summed up what I already knew.

"My favorite thing is to play with is Mama".

 

Happy Shopping

Best Tiime of Year

According to me, the day after Thanksgiving marks the most wonderful time of the year. I spend the morning shopping, sipping coffee, scouring ads and avoiding eye contact with other humans at all costs.  I leave the house looking somewhat presentable, yet by the time I return home I look as though I've been hit by a dump truck.  I spend the rest of the day filling the house with the smell of freshly baked cookies, lugging my enormous Christmas tree out of the attic before shoving the entire box down the steps and going through each ornament with the kids.  Countless memories of Grandma Claussen are stirred-up during the day, yet my all time favorite is the way she'd let us throw wads of tinsel onto her tree each year. 

 

But this year's different.  It started in October as I began to accept the fact we wouldn't be spending Christmas in our new home.  I fought with it for a while, but realized it just wasn't realistic. This past week the cabinet door fell off in the kitchen, I couldn't find a spare 12-inches to put a Christmas tree up, the kids have been camping out on the living room floor for the past 2 nights, my cd player won't play cds and the cat somehow dumped over his litter box in the basement.  I'd clean it up, but the lights are all burnt out and I can't see anything.

 

So this years' day after Thanksgiving' was different.  Did I shop?  Yes, at Shopko aka, Pamida, aka vagina.  Did I look like hell?  Yep.  Did I care?  Nope.  Did I buy anything for the kids? Nope.  Did I bake?  Yes, but only because I had cookie orders from paying customers.  Did I drag out my enormous Christmas tree and heave it down the steps?  Almost.  Before putting the kids to bed on Thanksgiving night, the thought of where to put a tree began eating at me.  Mike wanted to forget a tree altogether.  I'm still bitter about the ridiculous suggestion.  While Mike and kids watched me as if my brains had fallen out, I spent the evening aggressively rearranging the dining room to allow space for the Christmas tree.  The only problem is the ceilings only reach 8-3/4 feet.  My tree is 9.  I was temped to just leave the top off, but I don't think the lights would look right.  Therefore, I asked Mike to bring home a cedar tree from the woods.  And with that, 'It is what it is'.

 

The new dorm in our living room.

 

 

I have a major crush on this little munchin'

 

Thanksgiving Assignments

I often wonder what his teacher thinks...

 

The assignment was titled, "How To Catch A Turkey".  The students are learning to write stories using, first, next, then and last.

 

Below is Ross' work  (keep in mind spelling is not his strength)

 

First I ride arawnd on a for weeler till I find a turkey.

Next I get a hamer and nock the turkey out.

The I put the turkey in a bag.

Last I cut of the turkeys head and eat it.

 

The kids all did some Thanksgiving assignment explaining what they are thankful for. 

 

The girls both wrote about family.

Below is what Ross is thankful for...

 

I am thakful fur tigers because they are pretty.

I am very thakful for my hipo because he smells good.

I am sooper thakful fur animal because they give me food.

Dinner Dilemma

Well thankfully this doesn't happen everyday...

 

Sure enough in the middle of cooking dinner, this happened.

 

Our solution?

Time to cork another bottle!

 

Dog Duty

I've been on dog duty this week.  Below is what I've taken away from it...

 

1.  I prefer scooping frozen dog poop over any other type of dog poop.

2.  Our dogs like the flavor of Fritos.

3.  No matter how many times I fill the water bucket in the yard, the bucket will instantly be spilled. 

4.  Our dogs don't care for the UPS man.

5.  When Goose disappears, he can be found at the neighbors house hangin' with their dogs in the garage.  I imagine they have a beer fridge in there and the dogs play poker.

6.  Deer legs are hot commodity in the dog world as well an excellent way to piss off other dogs, including your brother.

7.  It's nearly impossible for me to unhook a dog leash while wearing gloves. 

8.  Mater truck will run out of gas while retrieving Goose from the neighbors garage leaving Molly and I walking along gravel road in freezing temps seeking a gas can.  Images of 'I Shouldn't Be Alive' will creep into my mind. 

9.  Our dogs are capable of pulling me down onto gravel, scraping my knees and ripping my pants all in an effort to wrestle each other.

10.  My husband loves those dogs.

11.  I think I'm a cat person.

 

Goose with his prize leg.  No clue what happened to the remaining venison.

 

Maverick.  I had no idea that Border Collies have those light marks above their eyes as a defense mechanism.  According to my husband, it's so when they're sleeping it looks as though their eyes are open!  An awesome science fact to share with my children!

 

 

Kratt loves me.  I love the way he curls up on the foot of my bed during the day.  What's happening to me?   I'm contemplating practicing newborn photography on him.  We've bonded.

Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?

Molly awoke Sunday pre-sunrise to inform Daddy and I of breaking news.  There was a lot of snow outside.  As we silently thought about how snow would delay our house building process even further, we choked out an excited, "yea, snow!" to share in her enthusiasm.  The next question came as no surprise,  "Mama, can we make a snowman today?"

 

A week or two ago, she and I were discussing snow.  I explained that you can actually eat snow, it's just frozen water.  I like to throw in random science tidbits any chance I get and often remind my kids I'm actually a scientist.  Seriously, it's on my college diploma.  Family and Consumer Sciences.  So there's that.  The conversation led into not eating the yellow snow.  I'm sure you can imagine the questions that followed.

 

Back to Sunday mornings' snowman question.  "I'm not sure Molly, it might not be the right kind of snow to make a snowman today.  We'll have to check". 

Molly's response, "It's the right kind Mama, it the white kind... maybe a little yellow, but mostly white!"

 

God bless her.

Newborn Session

A little sample of something I've been working on...

What I'll Miss

I started off hating it.  The second time I walked through I left in tears knowing it was our only choice.  Regardless of the dead mouse decaying on the basement floor, we'd be moving in within the month.  The thought of moving my babies into this broken-down joint took over my emotions and I ached for the day we'd move out.  I tried looking on the bright side, gratitude right?  I tried focused on other things; trips, recipes, photography, reading, uncluttering.  It worked; for a while. 

 

Then... and I can't say "all of a sudden", because we all know it wasn't... our house was framed and we began to see the big picture.  And that's when I realized we can't move into our new house until we say goodbye to the current one.   Did I mention I hated it? 

 

I hated that bats circled our heads at night,  I hated that the vents smelled like dog diarrhea when the air conditioner ran,  I hated that our bedroom was so small Mike had to crawl overtop of me to get to his side of the bed, I hated that while someone was sitting on the toilet, another person would be standing infront of them brushing their teeth (usually naked), I hated that our doors don't physically shut and only one window will open, I hated that stray cats found their way into my van and the kitchen was constantly mounded with dirty laundry.  Our microwave's the size of a dorm microwave and our shower's straight out of the original Barbie motorhome. 

 

But without warning, I started to grow fond of the place.  The stink wore off and the bats must have flown south.  I adore being close to my family and not so spread out... most of the time.  I love that we don't have cable, I love that Mike and I can share a squeaky old bed and laugh, I love that I'm close to the coffee shop when the coffeepot breaks at 6:45 a.m, and that I'm only 2 minutes from home when Ross realizes he forgot his backpack.  I love walking around the square knowing people by name, I love that Molly is Ben Franklins best candy customer and I love returning from bike rides to find Kratt greeting us 2 blocks from home.  I love huddling around the dinner table knowing my family has everything it could ever need.  My kids don't see the house as being a rundown rental at all.  For now it's our home.  And although it often sucks, a part of me will miss this dump.  A wise woman I had the privilege of speaking with over the weekend told me something I've always known, yet needed to hear... home is where your family is.

 

Squirrel Hunt 2014

A sneak peak into our weekend...

Shopping at Vagina

My conversation with Molly...

Molly, we need to stop by Pamida before we go home.

But mom, I need to change my pants.

Okay, fine.

Upon getting Molly out of the car to change her pants, she begins whining at me. "No, first vagina!"

Huh?

First vagina!

Vagina? You need to go potty first?

Mom, what does vagina mean again? 

By your bottom where the babies come out?

No, I said first vagina!!

It took me a minute to figure it out.  Turns out she had vagina and Pamida mixed up.  She wanted to go to Pamida before changing her pants at home.  No wonder she gets so chapped.
However, from now on, I may always refer to Pamida as Vagina. 

The house is going up!

The back of the house is framed in.  We are in love.  Come on in.  I'll give you a mini tour...

 

Below is the back of the main house.  Your looking into the living room on the main floor and the loft on the second floor.  The window on your right is the master bedroom and the window on your left is the kitchen window.  The bottom windows are the basement.

 

The below photo shows what you see from the top of the steps looking out.  This is the second floor.  Ross' room would be on your right, while the girls' room would be on your left.  If you kept walking straight, you'd fall off the loft.

 

The below photo is the view standing at the front door looking through the house.

 

The below photos is the view while standing on the edge of the loft looking out.

 

Our house.  Roof coming soon!  Hope you enjoyed the 5-cent tour!