I want my normal life back!!

The flu bug has hit my family...hard. Christina is STILL sick after 5 days. My husband is SO sick as well. I took Christina to the doctor because she had a very sore throat and a temp that kept hitting over 103, but the strep came back negative. So it is just a flu virus, a nasty one. My life has been very abnormal this week:

I haven't made a real dinner in a week, because no one is hungry but me.

I haven't had to yell at my kids once this week because Christina has been too sick to get into trouble - oh, I guess I am not counting the incident where Kallie decided it would be a good idea to write on my bedspread with a ball point pen.

I haven't had to get annoyed at my husband when he picks or pokes or grabs me to the point where I want to slug him. I know he is does it out of love, but sometimes it drives me batty. This week he hasn't touched me.

I haven't cleaned much because Christina hasn't been leading the brigade in making a total mess of every square inch of the house. Since I am barely cooking anything, my kitchen work is at a minimum. And, since there always seems to be someone sound asleep, I don't want to make too much noise running the sweeper.

I have had a lot more time to myself, since everyone is either sleeping or half comatose and watching tv.

It sounds like I am having an easy week, but I HATE it. I want and miss my healthy, demanding family!!!!!!!

So far, Kallie, Caroline and I have avoided the bug, and it has been 5 days now since it hit our house...hopefully we will stay out of the woods!!

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More neat photoshop stuff I am learning

This is the newest thing I have learned how to do with Photoshop. Cool huh? This is a picture from the summer. Christina and Eric are in the kayak in the lake. The first picture is just taking out all colors except red and magenta. The second takes out the same colors, but then adds a sepia effect. I can't decide which one I like better. I learned how to do this technique at this website. They have a ton of great Photoshop tutorials!

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Even when they're sick....they still can make you laugh

My poor Christina is still so sick! She did go in late to school yesterday, because she seemed on the mend, but she came home with a fever of over 103!! She walked in the door, snuggled by our fire, and fell sound asleep!

I felt like a horrible mother, she wanted to go so badly, but I should have thought to ask the nurse to check her over later in the day, she is still too young to really know that she needs to go home. And what made me feel the absolute worst? When she told me she went outside for recess (at 30 degrees) and walked around, trying to play, and shivering like crazy with fever! My poor baby! How miserable she felt, but she didn't understand she should have told a teacher! I tried to tell her to NEVER let that happen again, but today I think I may just keep her home, maybe even take her to the dr. I am starting to suspect strep throat. Oh, and my husband is very sick too.

After the Motrin kicked in after school, Christina started to get chatty. She was so funny.

Christina: Mom, a frog is jumping in circles in my throat.

Me: A frog?

Christina: Yeah, a frog, AND a fly.

Me: A fly too? (confused)

Christina: Yeah, remember, you said I have a bug in me!

I had been telling her she had a nasty bug, but at 6 yo, she took me literally - a bug? Oh, like a fly! Too funny. She also told my husband her throat still hurts when she swallows - Like I swallowed a flag Daddy! Where does come up with these things??

The highlight of her day, however, was this!!! Yes, she lost her first tooth at school today. They give the kids a tiny treasure chest to hold the tooth. She was so proud! And - my sister will appreciate this - after me and my husband, the next person she really wanted to tell was her cousin "J". He is 7 and has been giving her advice on loose teeth for a while now - being an expert you know. She wanted to tell "J" because she knew he would be so excited. I told her to call him, but, for some reason, she NEVER talks on the phone so she said she'll just tell him when she sees him.

Well, the kids are sleeping in, I can't wait to see Christina's reaction when she checks under her pillow this morning. I remember being SO excited when I was a kid!

Hopefully when Christina wakes, her fever will be gone. Sometimes it is so scary when they are little! You never know when it is just a common bug or something more serious!

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The troubled days of a Kindergartener

My poor Christina was so sick yesterday. She got some nasty bug and her eyes were completely bloodshot and she had a fever of 103.5. She kept complaining that her eyes were burning.

In spite of all her aches and pains, Christina's main dispair was that she had to stay home from school. She started Kindergarten this year and she loves school more than anything else. And we just finished a 5 day vacation due to Thanksgiving so yesterday was day 6, and she was not happy. In fact, she was so upset about missing school, that she got dressed and kept insisting I take her, even while she was shaking with fever. I kept holding her off and, finally, by noon, she succumbed to the realization that she really WAS too sick for school. She snuggled up on the couch and slept for the rest of the afternoon.

I let her sleep in this morning, but she woke up happy and alert and ready to go. So I dropped her off at school an hour late. She seemed fine, no fever, but she is stuffed up. She coughed this morning and told me "my brain flips when I cough mom!". Whatever THAT means!

It is so nice that she loves school so much. She wakes every morning ready to go, she talks about school and her friends day and night, she doesn't even look forward to weekends and holidays. She doesn't get homework, but she still insists on doing homework that she makes up herself. I know that this will all most likely change, much sooner than later, but I will savor these days as long as I can.

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First there was Oprah...now there is Kallie and HER "Favorite Things"!!

As the Christmas season approaches, and we try to think of the ultimate gifts for our little ones, I thought I would share my 2yo's absolutely favorite things right now. These are the things that she literally carries around ALL day.....from the minute she wakes up, until the minute she goes to sleep.

1. Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb, by Al Perkins and Eric Gurney

She found this book in the basement in a box of old books we put away. We originally bought it for our oldest who is now 6. Kallie dug out this book, carried it upstairs proudly, and has yet to let go of it....many weeks later. She even sleeps with it. And I don't mean the book is in her bed, I mean the book is in her hand, or under her head while she is sleeping. I even watched her rolling over at night, fast asleep, with the book tightly gripped in her fist. And of course, Mommy, Daddy and even Christina, read it to her many many times a day.

2. The Magic Wand

This wand was part of a Cinderella dance DVD that Santa got for Christina when she was 4. We have since lost the wand attachments, but Kallie doesn't care. She loves this thing. Sometimes she uses it to dance to the DVD, sometimes she she just carries it around the house, and sometimes she whacks her sister over the head with it (and then, to her great dismay, she loses wand privileges for a while). We went up my parents for a night over the weekend, and was quite upset that we didn't bring the wand with us. It was the first thing she looked for when we got home.

3. The Tutu

A friend of my husband's bought Christina a bunch of dance leotards and tutus last year. Christina never took dance, but has always liked playing dress up. Kallie, however, took over possesion of the white tutu a few months ago, and has not looked back. She calls herself a "pincess" when wearing it. She gets up in the morning and puts it on over her jammies. When she gets dressed, she wears it over her clothes. The only time it comes off is bath, bed and when we leave the house.

4. The mmmmmmm

Last, but definitely not least, is the mmmmm - a.k.a. her blanket. Her grandmother crocheted a blanket for each of her 5 grandchildren. Christina and Kallie have become incredibly attached to theirs. Christina gave the mmmmm its name when she was a tiny tot and used to bury her face in the blanket and say "mmmmm". They carry them everywhere and will NOT sleep without them.

That is it, no big expensive toy, no latest and greatest newest invention, just a basic book, wand, tutu and blanket and she is good to go. Oh, and of course she has other things she likes to do, like watch DVDs, color, play with her sister. But these four items come first and foremost.

So, if you are looking for that perfect toy for the 2 yo on your list, maybe consider one of Kallie's suggestions! Or maybe just remember that often it is the simple things that matter most!

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My husbands first, and last, Black Friday experience

Two days before Thanksgiving, our big 32" TV just turned off and wouldn't go back on. My husband bought it before we even met, about 11 years ago, so I guess it was time for a new one anyway. But we really didn't need to make such a big purchase right before the holiday season.

So, since we were about to approach the biggest sale day of the year - Black Friday - we thought we would scour the ads and see if there was a great deal on a TV that we may want to venture out on. And my husband found one - at Walmart. It was a Polaroid, 32 " LCD for $449. Hey, we know the name, that is a great price for that size of tv, we should go for it!!!!

Let me preface this story with the fact that I research EVERYTHING before we buy it. I make sure it is the best price for the best quality. I "usually" search every online store and every bricks and mortar store before we ever spend a cent.

So, at 4 a.m. my husband was off for our big bargain. I woke at 6 :30, heard him banging around downstairs and knew he was putting our new TV together. I was so excited. I came downstairs, and he told me about his adventure. It wasn't too bad, we live in a rural area, so the crowds aren't nearly as crazy as some places. He was able to grab a TV and get home within an hour.

While he continued working on the TV, I got on the computer and started looking up the model number. And then I found this - the worst reviews on a tv that I have ever seen. I started looking anywhere and everywhere for more information, and the more I found, the more depressed I felt. What did we do? My husband ventured into the black friday mess, in search of a TV that we never even spent one second researching! What were we thinking? How did this happen?

I think, what actually happened, was that we heard of the Polaroid name and just thought "Oh that would be a good one". What we didn't realize is that we heard of the name due to their experience in PHOTOGRAPHY, not TVs. In the excitement of the big Black Friday sales - we (he) ran out and snagged one without even thinking.

So, my new research started in full force and I searched for the best TV at the best price. I found one at Sears and they matched Kmart's sale price (plus 10%!). It is a Sylvania - not the top of the line (which we can't afford) - but better than the piece of junk we originally bought. It is also larger TV - 37". It did cost us another $200, but now we have a little more piece of mind. And we are returning the Polaroid.

I feel SO bad that my husband got up so early for something that we are returning now, but he doesn't seem fazed. Thank God, he is very easy going. And the other funny thing is that when my MIL stopped by Walmart at noon on Friday, they still had those TVs. So he could have slept in another 4 hours!

Now, the only problem I have is that I have THREE large TVs in my family room right now. A huge, broken, tube TV that is very heavy to move, a 32" Polaroid that we are returning, and our new 37" TV.

Have a great week!

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My Thanksgiving - 8th grade revisited.

A good time was had by all. The food was wonderful. Everyone had a great time - especially the kids. I was stuffed way beyond my means. I loved my table setting this year. I put candles in hurricane jars and put real cranberries around the candles. So simple and SO pretty!

The highlight of this evening was when my brother-in-law discovered my 8th grade yearbook. Yes, it was really exciting sharing memories of the most awkward year of my life. That was the year that I stood about 6 feet tall and weighed in at about 80 pounds. That was also the year that wore brown plastic glasses whose lenses were bigger than dinner plates. Oh, and that was also the year that my mom made me cut my hair incredibly short which helped immensely with my incredible lack of self confidence. That was so fun! Not.

Just kidding, I laughed just as hard as they did....although it was a horrible year. Thank God those years are behind me.

Hope you all had a great holiday!

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Happy Thanksgiving! The good, the great, and the not-so-great.

I am having my husband's family over today for the big feast. We rotate the Thanksgiving holiday, one year with my family, one with his. We used to do both, but our parents are an hour apart, and the driving back and forth and trying to eat two dinners was getting too much. We couldn't really enjoy either dinner! The first we were in too much of a hurry, the second we were just not hungry, and usually a little tired. So the big feast is at my home this year. I am actually excited. I really do love entertaining!

The good - I think I am ready. MOST things are turning out as planned. I don't have much to do in regards to the dinner. My potatoes are mashed, my pie is ready to bake, my turkey is thawed and ready to be stuffed and the wine is chilling. My in-laws are bringing some side dishes so that helps me a lot!

The great - I am happy to report that my woodstove is up and running. We replaced the hearth it sits on. We have been stove-less for about 3 weeks. Our family room is very cold without the stove, I am talking the temps are usually in the 50's! The family room is an addition that sits off the rest of the house, and the furnace just doesn't get that room warm at all! Well, last night, the stove was put back and we are ready to burn! (And the new hearth is gorgeous!!) Just in time, the temps, which are in the 50's now, are expected to drop during the day and get into the 30's - with a couple inches of snow!!! Tomorrow the highs are only to be in the 30's!

The not-so-great - Our big TV suddenly turned off on its own and won't turn on again. Granted the TV is 11 years old, so we could use a new one, but we definitely don't want to, or need to buy one now! Great timing! The guys going to be watching football on our tiny 13"TV, rather than our 32" TV. This will be funny. My husband is actually considering making it over to WalMart tomorrow morning to pick up a new one during "Black Friday". They have a couple on sale. I can't believe he will venture out, but we'll see...I won't believe it until I see it!

Well, have a great Thanksgiving!!!

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Cool trail camera photos of the wildlife out our backdoor

Last Black Friday, my husband was probably the most excited he has ever been, he snagged a trail camera for a superb price. These are the cameras you can mount on a tree in the woods which will trigger a picture whenever it senses movement. Well, it is has been behind our house in the woods last spring and summer, and we were able to see what is stalking our woods when we aren't around.

We got some great pictures of Mr. Fox, he was eating some leftover deer meat my husband put near the camera:



And later that night, we captured Mr. Coyote smelling the scraps:



But, the most exciting pictures were when we were able to get pictures of Mr. Bear. And BOY is he BIG!!!!!



Mr. Bear is a known resident in our area. Our neighbors have a lot of bird feeders and they have seen Mr. Bear enjoying a snack from the feeders now and then. In fact, one day our neighbor was walking out of her bathroom after taking a shower when she encounter Mr. Bear, up on her window, taking some tidbits from her window bird feeders. Apparently, he had visited quite a few of her windows. Our neighbors first concern? I JUST WASHED ALL THOSE WINDOWS!!




And that leads us to Mr. Buck. My husband recently moved his camera after discovering a well used deer path, along with some recent scrapings on a tree a little further into the woods. He mounted the camera along the path and was happy to see many many deer traipsing along the path. Of course, what really whet his appetite was this buck. Deer season starts on Monday, and he will be in hot pursuit of this guy. Mr. Buck has obviously been around for a while, he is smart, and most likely will elude my husband's attempts to find him. That is alright, I don't need or want any more dead deer heads in the garage!



I told my husband I would really rather if he would join me in my photography hobby and maybe shoot deer with a camera instead? I would love PICTURES of deer mounted on my wall!

I recently found this photo blog and love the photos of wildlife! That is my idea of hunting! My husband loves the pictures too, but I don't think I will change his mind.

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My 6 yo's hustling technique: Mom, when I say a BUCK, I mean a DOLLAR!

I wanted to share a cute story about my oldest, Christina. Let me preface the story by saying that she has an amazing memory. She is smart - of course, doesn't every parent say that? - but she really, honestly, has an amazingly sharp recall ability. For instance, she remembers how old everyone is in our entire extended family - I often have ask her to remind me how old someone is!

So, a month or two ago, she was on the back deck with her sister cleaning off the dead leaves. She *sometimes* gets really into cleaning, especially when coercing/forcing her little 2 yo sister into playing along.

It was warm out, the patio door was open. She was picking up handfuls of leaves and throwing them over the railing.

"Mom! Kallie and I are cleaning!!"

"OK", I said, half listening while I am involved in my own typical mom/housewife duties.

"Mom! We are cleaning up all the leaves on the deck!"

"OK, that is great."

"Mom, Kallie is helping me!"

"OK" (thanks dear, but do I really need a play-by-play?)

"Mom, when I am done, you can give me a buck."

"OK" - again, half listening.

"Mom, when I say a BUCK, I mean a dollar!"

THAT got my attention, and I just roared.

Later on that evening, while getting ready for bed, Christina again brought up the request for a buck. But this time, she said "like that little boy asked for". OK, now I am confused.

Then, a few hours later, it suddenly hit me and I really roared.

My husband's friend had stopped over MANY months before that and told a story about a little boy in his neighborhood that liked to hustle anyone and everyone for money. He was just a little guy, who would offer to do any job - FOR A BUCK. Christina, who was in the room, apparently listened to this story with great interest and filed it away for future use. I barely remember that story, but she will NEVER EVER forget it.

Oh, and I don't think I ever did give her the "buck" even though she did pick up every leaf from the entire deck with her hands when we could have done the job in 5 minutes with the leaf blower.

Bad mom! I better find my purse...

Have a great week!

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Finding the motivation to MOVE!!!

I have been running/working out fairly regularly since I was about 22 years old (and since I am now 40, that is 18 years - Wow!). I really love it...once I get my butt out the door. And sometimes that is SO SO incredibly hard! Some people tell me they just can't motivate themselves! And they think I AM motivated, which is SO not the case, even after all this time. Take today, here is my blow by blow so far:

I was determined to work out today, either at the Y or running outside. I haven't done anything for 2 days and I don't think I'll have time to do anything tomorrow.

7:00 - Woke up - no one was up, I put on the coffee, and spent some nice quiet time at the computer.

8:00 - Everyone is up. I tell Eric I am going to Y this morning...when? he says. Soon, I say. Got the girls some drinks/breakfast. Get dressed in my clothes for the Y, make beds.

9:00 - I'm still home but now Caroline is up - and she has been really sick. She started getting sick Thursday night, and woke today with a 102 fever. She is SO miserable. I decide to nix going to the Y and leaving Eric with 3 kids, one sick one and decide to run. Get Caroline changed and cleaned up, give her some Motrin and rock her for a while.

10:00 - Change out of my Y clothes and into my outside running clothes. Waste some time on the computer, pick up the family room, start some laundry, get Kallie a snack, talk to my sister in law.

11:00 - Change my clothes again (didn't like the running clothes, and looking for more ways to procrastinate) and found my ipod.

11:15: With every bit of energy I could muster, I opened the door and headed out.

So, you will note, it took me over FOUR hours from time I woke up, to the time I got my butt out the door. I wanted to get out by about 8:30, but at least I got out at all.

It is 35 degrees today, but that doesn't bother me. I actually like when it is cold and no one is out. Sometimes I like just being able to be alone with my thoughts, no people to wave to, talk to, no cars around. Just complete peace and quiet. The first few minutes of the run were a little hard, I was cold, but I forged on and guess what? I had a GREAT RUN! I actually ran an extra lap I felt so good!

Just do it!!! You'll be so glad you did..at least I am!

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It is a GORGEOUS, SNOWY day in our piece of the world!

I woke up this morning to this beautiful scenery! Our first real snowfall!


It is one of those days, where the sky is bright,
and where the thick snow is coating every available surface.
I woke up before the kids, saw the scenery, grabbed my camera and ran outside. I tried to capture the beauty, and think I did OK.

Christina is off from school today, and she and Kallie are already itching to get outside and play in the snow. We will get out there soon, and I will probably take a ton more pictures!

Have a great Friday!!!!

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Awesome Photoshop technique!...but is this cheating?

One of the blogs I visit, Jen, had some Photoshop advice to share. At the time I read it, I didn't have Photoshop, but I have recently gotten access to it and am having a grand ole time playing with it. Granted, it isn't the most user friendly program, but little by little, I am figuring out some neat techniques!

I recently tried this technique, and love it! I was playing with my camera today and took some photos of a squirrel in my backyard. I was really just trying out different settings, seeing how close I could get etc. The photos are OK, but when I used the blur technique Jen recommended, I thought the photo looked so cool! See for yourself:

Before:

After:

Now the new photo is cool looking isn't it! Now, the photo itself is not award winning by any stretch of the imagination, but now the colors look amazing...Which leads me to another issue....is Photoshop cheating?

I see nothing wrong with cropping, or even taking out a little blemish, or a piece of food inadvertently stuck on a child's cheek, but sometimes it seems like taking out entire objects, or adding objects and/or people, or adjusting the color as much as I did, isn't quite right. It moves the picture out of the photography category, and into the artwork category. Doesn't it?

However, I really have nothing against Photoshop, and I am planning on continue to play as much as I can! But I think I should always give credit to Photoshop for photos that aren't necessarily all my own doing. Right?

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Why you probably shouldn't give Oreos for a snack AFTER a bath

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Never say never!

My husband can be (and really is) a really great guy. However, he isn't really world renowned for his ability to help with *most* of the chores that are required WITHIN the walls of the house. Or maybe I should refer to them as "daily" chores. Chores that are done almost every single day, rain or shine, summer or winter. They never. ever. go. away.

He is of the mentality, that his responsibilities lie in OUTSIDE jobs - like cutting grass, raking leaves, cutting wood, taking out garbage - or jobs that are the "occasional fix-it" type jobs around the house.

Now I am not in any way saying that he doesn't do much needed jobs, and he doesn't work hard! He does!!! I am so thankful that he does do them. But, sometimes, I get frustrated when I feel he doesn't appreciate how hard the daily "inside" jobs can be or realize that the frequency of the jobs is sometimes overwhelming.

It IS true that his jobs are SEASONAL. He doesn't mow the grass, every. single. day. He doesn't cut wood every. single. day. He doesn't take out the garbage every. single. day. He has plenty of days where there are NO outside or fix it jobs to do, days where he happily finishes the meal I made, then carries his dishes to the sink, then relaxes with the kids or the tv....while I clean the kitchen, wash pots and pans, work on laundry, pick up toys, EVERY SINGLE DAY. I don't mind being responsible for these jobs, I sometimes prefer to do them, but somedays...you just need a hand!

So anyway, today the impossible happened.....he actually said to me: "You know, most of my outside jobs are done for the year, so if there anything I can do at night to help you, let me know".

I almost fell off my chair.

This week is the start of his high school swim season, he is the head coach. So he is gone every night after dinner. I guess he is actually feeling bad or actually realizing that keeping the house in order, while getting 3 little ones in bed is hard.

So, after 8 years of marriage, he actually offered to help.

Never say never!

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Veterans' Day....as related by a 6 year old and, my dad, my veteran

Christina, my 6 yo, is in Kindergarten. She was looking at the calendar this weekend and informed me in a very serious tone:

Christina: Veterans' Day is coming up.

Me: Really, do you know what that means?

Christina: Yes, it is the day we thank our soldiers for protecting our world.

Me: Now, who told you that?

Christina: Mrs. W (her teacher), She knows EVERYTHING!

My dad is a WWII navy veteran. He just turned 82 years old and is still going strong. One of my favorite things has always been to listen to his navy stories. When I was little, and couldn't sleep, he used to sit by my bed and tell me stories about being on the ship. He was so young and so naive when he started his adventure.

He would tell me about how seasick he got. He would tell me how he spent 5 days in the brig (ship jail) surviving on bread and water, because he fell asleep on duty as a signalman. He would tell me about how his ship barely missed being hit by a kamikaze pilot (he hit the ship next to him). As a child I just found his stories fascinating, as an adult, I find them even more fascinating.

My dad traveled through the Panama Canal, and across the Pacific Ocean and was poised to attack Japan, when the bombs fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. My dad knows those bombings saved his life.

He has so many stories, some funny, some sad. He had SO many close calls, it was amazing. He definitely had a guardian angel by his side. He can tell story after story about situations where his life was amazingly spared. In fact, my dad, whose name is Luke, used to say with a smile: "How do you spell lucky? L-U-K-E"

My sister and I have always thought our dad definitely needs to record his stories on paper, as they are all still just in his head and we want to pass them all down to OUR children and grandchildren. Of course, there is so much, we are not even sure how to start, and sadly, we may lose them all.

My dad left the navy and went on to college thanks to the GI bill. He graduated and soon got a job with GE, where he worked his entire career . He didn't get married until he met my mom at age 40. My mom was only 23 when they married, it was a little scandalous at the time, but 41 years later, their marriage is still going strong.

Have a great day!!!

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My little movie review - the Bee Movie!

First of all, I wanted to say, that I am feeling a little remorse for my previous post. Yes, the one about feeling sorry for myself. I DO NOT in any way want anyone else to feel sorry for me! I really don't want anyone to think that my life is so much harder than someone elses. It's not. We ALL have our share of burdens in this world. I actually think I have things so much better than others! A handicapped child is not a burden, she is a blessing. Yes sometimes we get frustrated, and scared, and overwhelmed, but who doesn't!? I have a great family, a great home, everyone is healthy for now, and we usually just have a great time. I am very lucky and should have nothing to complain about. I am debating whether I should just delete the post, but for now it will stay.

Second of all, we made it to the Bee Movie last night. We NEVER EVER go to movies. Usually because there is nothing we are dying to see that can justify the expense! But it is so fun for the little ones. I looked at the movie times in the Thursday paper and it was playing at 5:30, I called my friend and we made plans to leave at 5.

When we arrived, we were a tad late, but thought that was OK because of the trailers.


The clerk said "Are you buying for the 7 o'clock movie?"
We said "No, the 5:30"
She said "It started at 5".
We said "Since when?"
She said "OH, sometimes we change movie times on Fridays"

WHAT THE HECK? I never ever would think that, but then again, we never ever go to the movies. We decided to still go into the movie, because, as my friend said "The kids won't even know the difference".

So, after buying 3 tickets, a popcorn, a drink and $29 bucks later - YIKES - we made it. The kids didn't know the difference and they just loved being there. And, we missed all the trailers, and some of the beginning, but we got all the main story line.

So, my review...it was good. As you know, it stars Jerry Seinfeld, and I LOVE him, along with Renee Zellweger. Even though it was rated PG, there weren't a lot of the off-color jokes, which I don't like, like at Shrek. It is a movie with a message...what would we do if the honey bees were gone? No honey, no flowers, no vegetation, and eventually, no human life. Very PC this year due to the honey bee disappearance.

Kallie sat on my lap and had a blast. She watched most of the movie, laughed when the Bee "fell down!" and loved the popcorn and cup holders (it is the small things in life). I liked the humor, there was a lot of humor that was also aimed at adults and it was cute. The effects were great, the kids LOVED that. They often gave you the impression you were flying which was cool and it gave you that "roller coaster ride" feeling.

I am not sure I liked the message though. Nothing really wrong with it, but I just don't know why so many children movies are seeming to have these "world is ending" messages! Like Happy Feet's message on global warming (which I actually didn't see so I probably shouldn't even comment on it).

Oh well, I would like to see the entire movie again. After showing up late, trying to juggle the popcorn and drinks between the kids, I missed some parts of the movie. So my review is actually not really a review, but I guess more of an account of how our night at the movies went...which was quite well! And I would recommend the movie! But maybe at matinée prices!!

Have a great weekend!!

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Itsy, Bitsy Spiders

Did you know that there is ALWAYS a spider within 3 feet of you?

Scary thought huh?

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Life with a handicapped child...and feeling sorry for yourself

As you know, our second daughter is very special needs. She has a rare chromosome disorder. She is 4 1/2, nonmobile, nonverbal, tube fed, but usually a very happy, sweet, energetic little girl. She is such a sweetie, but somedays I just feel sorry for myself. And this is one of them.

My husband's uncle passed away this week. He was 80, had a lot of health problems, and was in pretty bad shape during the last few weeks. It is sad, but we also know he is in a much happier place than his old, broken down body.

My husband went alone to the viewing/funeral which is today and tomorrow and is about 2 1/2 hrs away. We really didn't want to bring the little ones, and we have no one to watch them for that length of time, so I am staying home. Alone. And that can be hard.

With a daughter like Caroline, I can't just load up the kids to run errands or get out of the house. Caroline needs her big, heavy wheelchair to get around. At 4 1/2, she is getting to be a big and heavy girl and it is harder to move her from place to place. To push her around, while trying to keep my 6 yo and 2 yo in check is usually not worth the bother. The problem is, we can't just leave Caroline with any ole babysitter. We need a nurse or a family member. Her tube feeding is just too scary and overwhelming for the average joe, even though to us and some family members, it is no big deal.

Caroline also has some moments where she will just scream - not cry, just scream - at the top of her lungs. We don't know why, she just does. Try as we can to ignore it, it still often is hard to take and we are often ready to just scream back (we don't). It is especially hard to take when there is no way to know why she is doing it.

She also has started crying at the start of a car ride. She will be fine for a few minutes, and then just go nuts, absolutely nuts, and scream and cry like she is in incredible pain (which we can't imagine she is). After about 5 - 10 minutes (which feels like 5 - 10 hrs) she will stop and go back to smiling and kicking like nothing happened. It is SO hard to take, especially when the other kids keep asking us to make her stop.

We have some nursing respite care, but, of course, that needs to be scheduled ahead of time which isn't always easy. I was lucky enough to have a nurse call me yesterday to tell me her Friday work canceled so she is available tonight. Since Eric is gone, I am taking her up on it and I am going to venture out with my other 2 little ones and a friend and her 2 little ones to see the BEE MOVIE. I am not sure how Kallie will handle the movie, it is her first big screen movie, but I am hopeful.

Other than that, I am pretty much stuck home until tomorrow night. It is 35 degrees, cloudy and miserable, and a great day to feel sorry for myself. Unfortunately, allowing yourself to feel this way only makes you feel even more miserable. Now that I have gotten my sorriness off my chest, maybe I can start counting my blessings and enjoying my day more. I just need a little attitude adjustment!

I am done - on to happier things!!!!

Have a great Friday!

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Can a 2 year old survive on Goldfish , fruit snacks and milk?

Do ya know? If not, I will probably be able to tell you because Kallie is doing a little experiment in this regard. Ever since she started eating solids, she has been difficult. I may have done everything wrong, or she may just have inherited my husband's incredibly fussy palate, but she is worse than ever.

She doesn't eat any veggies, and has recently even decided french fries aren't that appealing either (what kid won't eat fries???!!). Oh, except last week she actually ate a bite of a carrot!! WOW! But ten other tries with the carrots - nogo.

She won't eat any meat other than chicken nuggets, and even that is few and far between. No hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, pork, fish, steak, nothing, nada.

She doesn't like juice, only milk or water, so I add Carnation Instant Breakfast to milk for SOME vitamins and minerals. I guess that isn't too bad because I know some kids drink way too much juice anyway.

She eats very few fruits,and today she decided mandarin oranges are off her list.

And, honestly, I really really try to just offer her stuff, don't make a big deal about it, and don't try to force her. It isn't working!!!

So, as I said above, we are pretty much down to Goldfish, fruit snacks and milk. And, if she REALLY had her way, we would ditch the Goldfish and fruit snacks and just stick with straight Halloween candy.

On an unrelated note, we got our first snowfall yesterday night! I would be excited but we are remodeling our woodstove platform so our stove is not burning and our house is not nearly as cozy and warm as usual. It may be done by next week, I hope! I can't stand being cold and LOVE my fire!!!

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Easy photography tips that I never knew!

So now that I have a new camera that can do a few more things and has the potential of being a great camera, I really want to learn what all the photography terminology means and how I can use all those different settings to actually create the better shots.

I got a bunch of books out of the library about digital photography and have been scouring them like crazy. I have realized I knew nothing. But now I am finally starting to understand terms like aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and a little about how and when you would adjust them.

Now granted, I am not even CLOSE to being able to do this on my own without a book by my side. However, I have learned a few really easy tips that I never knew! Please keep in mind that I am starting my photography education completely ignorant of pretty much everything to do with photography. I always set my camera to Auto, zoomed in when the subject was far away, and always used my flash. That was IT.

A few great tips I have recently learned:

1. When taking a close up portrait shot, use your zoom. Never knew this! I always thought you just got close to the person and took the picture. Now I know that I need to get further from them. Being too close means too much distortion. And, the closer the face shot, the further I should be, e.g. a waist up shot should be shot mid zoom, full face shot should be shot bigger zoom. No wonder some of my close up shots of my kids look half fuzzy and goofy.

2. Position the subject by using the "rules of thirds". Divide your viewing area into 9 equal square sections (my camera does this automatically) and put the object of interest in/near one of the line intersections. For example, in a close-up portrait, make sure the eyes are in the top third of the photo. Put the horizon on a landscape photo in the top or bottom third. I always just put the subject smack dab in the middle. Who knew?

3. Use the wide angle - least zoom - for landscape shots. You get the most viewing area and since the subject is further away, you don't need to worry about the up close distortion.

4. Try NOT to use the flash. It is harsh and unflattering and takes away all the softness and subtleties of nonflash photography. I used to always use it, because my camera gives me the "camera shake" warning if I don't, but now I realize I need to compensate for camera shake by using a tripod or other surface and not compensate by using my flash.

Well, those are a few things I have learned so far. I am sure some (most) people would say "duh" when reading my "revelations". But, like I said, I am the most ignorant photographer I know so to me these few things are "OH! I didn't know that!". Maybe it will help someone else too!

In the meantime...I will keep on reading....

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Time change hangover

Yes, that is what it feels like. Everyone is out of sync, the kids are up at the crack of dawn, which is now 6 a.m. (thank you very much Ben Franklin), and no one is very happy. Our attempts to adjust schedules isn't working very well yet - holding off bedtime longer. I know attitude, attitude, attitude...my attitude sets the tone around here, so I will honestly try to be happy about this new schedule and know that things will get better.

Isn't there some type of switch on these kids to adjust their clocks too? Don't I wish.

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It's the dreaded TIME CHANGE WEEKEND

It's the weekend! And you'd think this family would enjoy a relaxing lazy Saturday morning...but NOOOOOO. Everyone was up way earlier than they are when they actually have somewhere to go in the morning. Oh well....but this is TIME CHANGE WEEKEND! To those without little ones, it means a WONDERFUL extra hour of snooze time tonight - I remember LOVING this weekend in the old days. But, to those WITH little ones..it often means getting up at 5 a.m., trying to adjust cranky kids' sleep schedules, while cursing those brainchilds that came up with this lame brained idea. Is Daylight Savings Time actually beneficial. I guess it was originally enacted to save energy, but are we saving anything?

On another note, I got my new camera and it is cool. I have been taking pictures like a mad woman, to the point where my kids are utterly sick of me. I have realized that just having my new super cool camera is not going to transfer into immediate super cool pictures. I need glean a few photography skills first. Here are a couple pics:

Tina Weena

Baby Sister

Kallie Wallie

Christina and I are going up to my mom's and staying overnight tonight. I want to take her to church (our church is over an hour away and I don't get there as much as I should) and thought it would be fun to make it a weekend getaway...just her and me.

Well, have a great weekend!!!

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Three happy kids, one near disaster and ten thousand pounds of candy

Halloween went fairly well this year. Christina and Kallie were thrilled. Christina was up bright and early this morning with the announcement "Today is a VERY special day!!". Kallie again, wouldn't wear the cow costume, so she donned her daily tutu and Caroline got to wear the cow. Sweet Caroline...she doesn't fuss a bit and happily rode around the neighborhood with a big smile on her face. Kallie didn't quite understand the whole Halloween thing, but she definitely loved the candy factor! To the point where we had a slight (OK, maybe a full-blown) meltdown when we finally pulled the plug on the "OPEN!! PLEASE!!!" requests.

Christina had a Halloween parade at school where parents could watch the parade and hand out candy. I wasn't able to stay and pass out candy to the entire school, but I did stop by to see her and take a few pics. She was the cutest..and I'm not saying that because she's mine! (ya right mom!). Anyway, the day was fun, they had a huge party, she had a bag full of candy, but she got off the bus in tears. She lost her costume at school. Being 6, her explanation of what exactly happened, and where she took it off, didn't make complete sense. But I calmed her down a little and assured her that it probably is still at school and we can go back to get it. One minute later, we were in the house and the phone was already ringing, the school was on the phone: "We have Christina's costume here!" Crisis averted. Whew!

And so now we have ten thousand pounds of candy. And I am NOT kidding! I usually seem to run out of candy, or come close to running out. So, knowing that the weather was going to cooperate, so we definitely would have lots of kids, I thought I would be smart this year. I bought many bags of candy. And I bet you can guess what happened....few kids and we still have many bags of candy, in addition to the candy the kids got trick or treating on Saturday, at school, and trick or treating last night. Today, my plan is to hide the majority of the candy, either to be handed out in small doses (and trying to convince Kallie that it is "all gone!"), or maybe saved until next year. Does candy last that long? Maybe I'll see.

Until next time!

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