the other day I was sweeping and Esther kept messing up my piles. I said "stop messing up my piles" and she replied "I cant help it if your piles keep getting to close to my feet!" (; she's clever.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
happy halloween.
tonight we had a haloween party. it was pretty neat. Esther wanted to be a black cat. Leah was an "ancient mummy" and Ruth would not change her clothes. she is going through a phase right now. she wears only about three dresses. and she wears whatever she has on for DAYS. I have to pry them off when they get creepy, adn console her with another one of her approved dresses. when I was getting everyone ready tonight she said. "I do'(n't) want to change my clothes." and that was it. so she wore her black, white, red dress with plaid and scotty dogs. it is getting dirty. such sweet girls. they were so happy to get candy, and so sweet when I told them that they needed to give it to me to put away. I love my beutiful girls.
Esther has always seemed to be older than she is. she loves and helpes me take care of her sisters. she tries so hard to please her teachers. I hope I am not too hard on her. she helps clean usually without complaint, and sometimes without being asked. I love to have her help. Esther really works hard for approval. she really wants to play violin. I am trying to be a teacher, but I need to work on it. Esther is so responsible more so than other kids. she works so hard to remember things people ask her to do.
Leah is so sweet. she loves "squshy hugs" (tight ones) and kisses. although today when I kissed her goodnight, she informed me that she only accepts kisses on saturday. I am working right now on how to be genttle with Leah. she needs to know she is special, and loved. I hope I can give that to her. I want to give Leah music. Leah loves to tell stories. she is so imaginative.
Ruth is so snuggley she askes for "nuggles" every day. she loves to lay next to me on the couch. i wonder when she will get too big for it, or too squirmy for me to stand it. Ruth loves music. she "sings" in church. she makes lots of noise during the song with an occational word she hears from us. and she loves she'll be commin' round the mountain. it has been fun to spend so much time with her when the other girls are at school.
Esther has always seemed to be older than she is. she loves and helpes me take care of her sisters. she tries so hard to please her teachers. I hope I am not too hard on her. she helps clean usually without complaint, and sometimes without being asked. I love to have her help. Esther really works hard for approval. she really wants to play violin. I am trying to be a teacher, but I need to work on it. Esther is so responsible more so than other kids. she works so hard to remember things people ask her to do.
Leah is so sweet. she loves "squshy hugs" (tight ones) and kisses. although today when I kissed her goodnight, she informed me that she only accepts kisses on saturday. I am working right now on how to be genttle with Leah. she needs to know she is special, and loved. I hope I can give that to her. I want to give Leah music. Leah loves to tell stories. she is so imaginative.
Ruth is so snuggley she askes for "nuggles" every day. she loves to lay next to me on the couch. i wonder when she will get too big for it, or too squirmy for me to stand it. Ruth loves music. she "sings" in church. she makes lots of noise during the song with an occational word she hears from us. and she loves she'll be commin' round the mountain. it has been fun to spend so much time with her when the other girls are at school.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
when you were born
when I was pregnant with you we moved towards the end. I was about 8 mos. pregnant. due to health insurance being "pending" we ended up going to a doctor who was pretty far away. (about an hour bus ride) the first time I went I rode the bus. I got off too early. I had Esther with me who was almost 2 years old. we had to cross a huge bridge in downtown St. Paul and walk for a while. it started raining. I prayed in desperation that someone would notice me. and within a minute a very kind woman pulled up beside me in her car and offered to help me find where I was going. she knew about the clinic I was going to, and brought us strait there. and about half way through the appointment she showed up and brought me and Esther jackets, and some fresh clothes for Esther. It was a wonderful reminder that God is truly mindful of us.
the day you were born I woke up feeling uncomfortable early in the morning. your dad and I watched the movie "clue" and I sat on an exercise ball. I was amazed at how much easier it was than the first time. we eventually decided to go to the hospital. you were born in regions hospital in st.Paul MN it was the first hospital to do a quadruple bypass surgery laproscopically. it is one of the premier hospitals in the country.
when I arrived they recommended that I go for a walk inside the hospital before I settled down in a bed. so we did. we went to the gift shop and ate some mentos. there was a janitor who was encouraging me every time I walked by with thumbs up and telling me that he was very happy for me. it is neat when people are so positive.
as I walked it became harder and harder, so I returned to the labor and delivery part of the hospital. I asked for drugs, I went with something a little milder expecting a short labor. Your dad and I talked, and took it easy for a while. things slowed down a bit. then my water broke, and things happened quickly. the rest was rather uneventful for labor I did not really have to push much, and it was quick. right after I had you they held you up for me to see, and the first thing you did was stick out your bottom lip in a huge adorable pout, and it trembled. in that second I wanted to hold and love you. you then let out a very sad cry, and I snuggled you and you calmed down.
there was a special moment when I realized that I was your mom. it felt so good and right to start life with you. you were a sweet baby. you did however know what you wanted when you wanted and let me know.
you were a very good snuggler. most kids squirm and are hard to hold as they get older, but you are sweet and calm and loving.
today you are 4 years old. you still love to snuggle, and give me 30 hugs and kisses a day. it is wonderful.
sometimes I struggle, and you tell me that you forgive me. it makes me smile. there is a book called "Olivia" that ends with the mom putting her child (or in this story a pig) to bed and the mom says: "you really wear me out sometimes, but I forgive you" and Olivia replies: "I forgive you too" this makes me think of you.
the day you were born I woke up feeling uncomfortable early in the morning. your dad and I watched the movie "clue" and I sat on an exercise ball. I was amazed at how much easier it was than the first time. we eventually decided to go to the hospital. you were born in regions hospital in st.Paul MN it was the first hospital to do a quadruple bypass surgery laproscopically. it is one of the premier hospitals in the country.
when I arrived they recommended that I go for a walk inside the hospital before I settled down in a bed. so we did. we went to the gift shop and ate some mentos. there was a janitor who was encouraging me every time I walked by with thumbs up and telling me that he was very happy for me. it is neat when people are so positive.
as I walked it became harder and harder, so I returned to the labor and delivery part of the hospital. I asked for drugs, I went with something a little milder expecting a short labor. Your dad and I talked, and took it easy for a while. things slowed down a bit. then my water broke, and things happened quickly. the rest was rather uneventful for labor I did not really have to push much, and it was quick. right after I had you they held you up for me to see, and the first thing you did was stick out your bottom lip in a huge adorable pout, and it trembled. in that second I wanted to hold and love you. you then let out a very sad cry, and I snuggled you and you calmed down.
there was a special moment when I realized that I was your mom. it felt so good and right to start life with you. you were a sweet baby. you did however know what you wanted when you wanted and let me know.
you were a very good snuggler. most kids squirm and are hard to hold as they get older, but you are sweet and calm and loving.
today you are 4 years old. you still love to snuggle, and give me 30 hugs and kisses a day. it is wonderful.
sometimes I struggle, and you tell me that you forgive me. it makes me smile. there is a book called "Olivia" that ends with the mom putting her child (or in this story a pig) to bed and the mom says: "you really wear me out sometimes, but I forgive you" and Olivia replies: "I forgive you too" this makes me think of you.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
when you were born
Being pregnant with you was neat. you were full of life from the first time I felt you move. I remember feeling a connection with you and thinking it was odd. you used to roll somersaults, and try to stretch out all the way,and kick the same rib over and over again. you were always moving. you also liked to rake your hands against my stomach. being tickled from the inside is pretty weird. I always thought you were exploring. you were curious even then. after you were born, you did this same hand action on everything, mostly clothes and blankets.
It was a warm Monday morning. I woke up with contractions at about 3 AM. as they progressed I decided this was the real thing and ate because at the hospital they wont let you eat in labor. your due date was July 31. it was July 6 I was feeling very lucky.
while pregnant with you I was working as a housekeeper and they made me quit about a month before you were born, it was the middle of the summer HOT, and boring. and we had no air conditioning. so I spent a lot of time on the couch.
to pass the time I sat on an exercise ball and watched the movie "clue." we made it about a third through.
when we arrived at the hospital they checked me and I was not too far progressed. so they wanted to send me home. I said no.
the doctor broke my water to speed things up. then it got pretty bad and I decided I wanted an epidural because a nurse told me I had HOURS left probably at least 6.
so they put it in. and then dad went to the bathroom, and when he came out I was pushing.
so her "6" hours was more like 30 min. I had been in transition. (that's the worst part.)
all in all it took about 5 hrs in the hospital.
you were 7 lbs, 6 oz, and 20.5" long.
about 10 min after you were born you stretched as far as you could and spread your fingers and toes, and fell asleep like that. most babies are too scared even to stretch. it was so cute. you also could hold up your own head right away which is only normal with babies who wiggle like you did.
when the nurses from the nursery came to get you for something the nurse got exited and told me that they had been fighting for the chance to hold you that you were such a pretty baby.
you stole my heart instantly. you were such a happy quiet baby, and you slept really well after only a couple months.
I used to watch your cousin Eli while his mom worked. you two were always interacting.
I struggled at first to nurse you. we had a lot to learn. a friend who was a lactation consultant came to our house and helped. you were very patient. you did however not like the way they taught me to hold you. you fought and cried. when I discovered the truth I realized that you were a girl who did not like to be told what to do. you also did not want anything to touch your feet and you used to stretch them as far as they would go and spread your toes. this got pretty hard to do the bigger you got.
It was a warm Monday morning. I woke up with contractions at about 3 AM. as they progressed I decided this was the real thing and ate because at the hospital they wont let you eat in labor. your due date was July 31. it was July 6 I was feeling very lucky.
while pregnant with you I was working as a housekeeper and they made me quit about a month before you were born, it was the middle of the summer HOT, and boring. and we had no air conditioning. so I spent a lot of time on the couch.
to pass the time I sat on an exercise ball and watched the movie "clue." we made it about a third through.
when we arrived at the hospital they checked me and I was not too far progressed. so they wanted to send me home. I said no.
the doctor broke my water to speed things up. then it got pretty bad and I decided I wanted an epidural because a nurse told me I had HOURS left probably at least 6.
so they put it in. and then dad went to the bathroom, and when he came out I was pushing.
so her "6" hours was more like 30 min. I had been in transition. (that's the worst part.)
all in all it took about 5 hrs in the hospital.
you were 7 lbs, 6 oz, and 20.5" long.
about 10 min after you were born you stretched as far as you could and spread your fingers and toes, and fell asleep like that. most babies are too scared even to stretch. it was so cute. you also could hold up your own head right away which is only normal with babies who wiggle like you did.
when the nurses from the nursery came to get you for something the nurse got exited and told me that they had been fighting for the chance to hold you that you were such a pretty baby.
you stole my heart instantly. you were such a happy quiet baby, and you slept really well after only a couple months.
I used to watch your cousin Eli while his mom worked. you two were always interacting.
I struggled at first to nurse you. we had a lot to learn. a friend who was a lactation consultant came to our house and helped. you were very patient. you did however not like the way they taught me to hold you. you fought and cried. when I discovered the truth I realized that you were a girl who did not like to be told what to do. you also did not want anything to touch your feet and you used to stretch them as far as they would go and spread your toes. this got pretty hard to do the bigger you got.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
babies today
Esther is in 1st grade this year. she is a very sweet girl both teachers she has had have told me that she is sweet, and a good friend and tries to include everyone. it makes me proud. I love how she creates. she is writing now which is fun. she loves to write stories in a composition notebook. they are about princesses mostly. Esther is an adventurer. she loves to play. she gets excited about everything it is very infectious. her and Dad are developing a special relationship because she is old enough to do things like ice skating, sledding, and she goes home teaching too.
Leah is so clever just this week she covered herself with a blanket and army crawled around. when I asked her what she was doing she said "I am an earth worm" Ruth joined in it was pretty neat. she also balled up a blanket and put it on her back and pretended to be a hermit crab. another thing she has been doing is to roll her toy dinosaurs into blankets and "hatch" them by sitting on them. she loves dinosaurs, and says funny things like "I am nocturnal that is why I get to stay up all night" apparently daddy is nocturnal too.
Ruth is talking quite a bit now. almost everything she says makes me laugh. it is just so cute. when she gets upset she likes to rant and point. it is so funny. no one seems to understand what she says but me and Esther and Leah, but it is pretty neat all the same she will be 2 soon. I am making her presents this week. she hates diaper changes and pants. and loves "stowies" and fixing my hair. she says "mommy you pitty"
the girls are all in wonderful phases right now. I am feeling so happy to have them.
Leah is so clever just this week she covered herself with a blanket and army crawled around. when I asked her what she was doing she said "I am an earth worm" Ruth joined in it was pretty neat. she also balled up a blanket and put it on her back and pretended to be a hermit crab. another thing she has been doing is to roll her toy dinosaurs into blankets and "hatch" them by sitting on them. she loves dinosaurs, and says funny things like "I am nocturnal that is why I get to stay up all night" apparently daddy is nocturnal too.
Ruth is talking quite a bit now. almost everything she says makes me laugh. it is just so cute. when she gets upset she likes to rant and point. it is so funny. no one seems to understand what she says but me and Esther and Leah, but it is pretty neat all the same she will be 2 soon. I am making her presents this week. she hates diaper changes and pants. and loves "stowies" and fixing my hair. she says "mommy you pitty"
the girls are all in wonderful phases right now. I am feeling so happy to have them.
christmas 2011
Esther is 6 and in 1st grade and very happy about it. she is sporting blue and green glasses now, and is working on a bunch of new teeth. her vision is improving steadily. she is getting better at reading and reads to her sisters especially Ruth who has quite the appetite for "stowies" Esther enjoys art, and displays it proudly for us all. I am impressed often by her kindness. she is a great example to me of being kind to everyone. her teachers are always expressing what a great thing that is in their classes because Esther tries hard to make sure no one is left out. she also adds a refreshing enthusiasm to daily life.
Leah is 4 and imaginative. she has "this how many cats"(holding up 5 fingers) and one dog. her cat is ofter responsible for all messes made, and rather influential to all of Leah's desires. she also has a best friend named flower, and attends "tiny school" which sounds like a pretty cool place to me. she has spent the year only wearing "curly dresses" that flip out when she spins, and has repeatedly cut her hair (and Ruth's) I blame the movie "Tangled" or as she calls it "twist tangled"
Ruth will be 2 in March. she is precocious. I learn often why the bathroom door should always be closed. the door sticks and Leah can't open it without help so it is a rather inconvenient arrangement. There was a pen that made its way into the inner workings of the toilet, and wreaked havoc at only inconvenient times. the end result was that Andy had to take the whole thing apart before the problem was resolved. she likes to "cyean" the bathroom by unrolling complete rolls of TP and dipping them in the toilet and washing everything with it. she also likes the fish tank, and any other unattended standing water. My laundry skills have been tested. She has tipped over the Christmas tree 4 times now and acts surprised every time. she also charms us daily with hilarious sentences. it is amazing what such a little girl can pick up. she is a very popular member of the family.
we are preparing for Christmas by working together to make gifts. it is fun to see creativity from unbridled minds. I like to provide supplies, and watch what happens.
at this time of year it is easier to remember Christ and his gifts to all of us. have a blessed Christmas and remember those who need it in your prayers.
Leah is 4 and imaginative. she has "this how many cats"(holding up 5 fingers) and one dog. her cat is ofter responsible for all messes made, and rather influential to all of Leah's desires. she also has a best friend named flower, and attends "tiny school" which sounds like a pretty cool place to me. she has spent the year only wearing "curly dresses" that flip out when she spins, and has repeatedly cut her hair (and Ruth's) I blame the movie "Tangled" or as she calls it "twist tangled"
Ruth will be 2 in March. she is precocious. I learn often why the bathroom door should always be closed. the door sticks and Leah can't open it without help so it is a rather inconvenient arrangement. There was a pen that made its way into the inner workings of the toilet, and wreaked havoc at only inconvenient times. the end result was that Andy had to take the whole thing apart before the problem was resolved. she likes to "cyean" the bathroom by unrolling complete rolls of TP and dipping them in the toilet and washing everything with it. she also likes the fish tank, and any other unattended standing water. My laundry skills have been tested. She has tipped over the Christmas tree 4 times now and acts surprised every time. she also charms us daily with hilarious sentences. it is amazing what such a little girl can pick up. she is a very popular member of the family.
we are preparing for Christmas by working together to make gifts. it is fun to see creativity from unbridled minds. I like to provide supplies, and watch what happens.
at this time of year it is easier to remember Christ and his gifts to all of us. have a blessed Christmas and remember those who need it in your prayers.
sep 16 2008
Esther is 3 and very silly. she loves to sing and dance. we read mountains of books, and she loves music. she is learning letters, and numbers, and tons of other things. and just because you have not recived as picture does not mean she has not colored one for you. she colors new pictures for people every day.
leah is a bonifide walker now. she is a bit clumsy but very proud of herself. she turned 1 in July.
she loves to dance an has been saying some new words like Duck, mom, daddy, up, all done, and hi. she is very giggly, and lots of fun. she loves to be outside, and going on long walks in the stroller.
leah is a bonifide walker now. she is a bit clumsy but very proud of herself. she turned 1 in July.
she loves to dance an has been saying some new words like Duck, mom, daddy, up, all done, and hi. she is very giggly, and lots of fun. she loves to be outside, and going on long walks in the stroller.
oct 8 2008
Andy was using Esther for his pillow the other day and was saying things like "this pillow sure is loud", and "I wonder where Esther went", when Esther chimed in with "Dad you know very well where I am." kids. so, Leah is talking more and more and waves to everyone at the store and tells them "hi" so everyone loves her. cute kids.
nov 19 2008
leah is climbing me right now with a half eaten apple in her hand. Esther supplies her. oh well, it could be worse. I just have to watch that the don't get hidden in strange places (it has happened eeewww). Esther is banned from the TV this week for bad behavior. I think I need a new punishment. That is a tough one for me too. Hopefully she will learn. we had a rough time potty training, but Andy had a talk with her one day, and she has been almost perfect since. he claims all he said was that it would make mommy very happy if she would use the potty. Apparently Esther belives him more than me.oh well don't look a gift horse in the mouth right? we are still struggling with forign toilets, but I guess I understand that.
dec 7 2008
Esther was the life of the party. There were a few other kids there, but Esther was the oldest. She entertained everyone with a rousing rendition of "Benny and the Jets" thank you Muppet show. what a character she is. Leah is learning new words all the time her latest is: "BUH-nana" We are looking forward to Christmas this year. We already started using some of our presents. It is hard to save everything when you need (want) it now. Esther is "writing" now. she scribbles up and down and tells us what it reads. She added her name to a sign up sheet yesterday. Esther is joining primary in January weird. Leah will be old enough for Nursery in January as well, so I may actually learn something in class. and best of all I will no longer dread running out of snacks half way through church. Now that she is almost a real kid I guess I need to Quit calling her "baby Leah."
march 3 2009
so I am sitting here all sweaty in my exercise outfit, with Leah doing acrobatics on my lap, and I noticed,that we smell faintly of poo. yes, poo. Esther decided to save me the trouble of rinsing her underwear when she had an accident by putting it in the machine for me. I was mostly done putting the load into the dryer when I noticed the offending stuff all over the washer.But I decided to ignore it, since it was not much, and now I am paying the price for laziness. It may not have been much, but the smell will be part of my wardrobe for a while I fear. we have had a month of poo. Esther has forgotten the finer points of using the toilet. I am not sure why, but it has been messy. mostly a litte here and a litte there, making a lot in the end. things seem to be turning around now, so I have hope for March.
Andy is working on a Doctoral Proposal be that he will be presenting for the final (and most important time) On friday. this pretty much determines our future, so he is pretty stressed out. I on the other hand think he is a genious, so I am not as worried as him. then again I am not giving a 2 hour presentation. He has been working on it day and night for the last while.
I am singing this week for a program for the pre-Easter time of year. I am singing with a Harp, something I have not done before. it is pretty cool. we are doing a program before the sermon, a number during, and a few numbers postlude. I chose the hymn "oh savior thou who wearest a crown" It is worderful. It has Mormon Lyrics. I am thrusting mormon doctrine on unsuspecting audience members moo-haha. I figure my voice is a gift from God, so I might as well do his work. I have also been asked to sing with a quartet for a wedding this month, so I am finding use for my vocal training.
On the subject of music, I am trying to learn the piano. I can play 1 hymn really slow so far. I am giving it am honest effort. I decided my lame excusses for not being a piano player were becoming worn out. And since we own a piano it is even convinient. It is becoming easier,and I have mostly convinced the kids that when I play they can't, so my practicing is getting more productive.
well my moment of computer freedom is over. I need to change Leah she just pooed.
Andy is working on a Doctoral Proposal be that he will be presenting for the final (and most important time) On friday. this pretty much determines our future, so he is pretty stressed out. I on the other hand think he is a genious, so I am not as worried as him. then again I am not giving a 2 hour presentation. He has been working on it day and night for the last while.
I am singing this week for a program for the pre-Easter time of year. I am singing with a Harp, something I have not done before. it is pretty cool. we are doing a program before the sermon, a number during, and a few numbers postlude. I chose the hymn "oh savior thou who wearest a crown" It is worderful. It has Mormon Lyrics. I am thrusting mormon doctrine on unsuspecting audience members moo-haha. I figure my voice is a gift from God, so I might as well do his work. I have also been asked to sing with a quartet for a wedding this month, so I am finding use for my vocal training.
On the subject of music, I am trying to learn the piano. I can play 1 hymn really slow so far. I am giving it am honest effort. I decided my lame excusses for not being a piano player were becoming worn out. And since we own a piano it is even convinient. It is becoming easier,and I have mostly convinced the kids that when I play they can't, so my practicing is getting more productive.
well my moment of computer freedom is over. I need to change Leah she just pooed.
march 16 2009
The snow is almost gone! we Just have Ice skating rinks on our lawn where our 7 inches of snow melted and then froze again. I will never wonder why our lawn is so uneaven again.
I had a concert yesturday, I was not really ready for it but it was fun to make music anyway. Andy gave his final doctoral proposal today. I need to call him and see how it went. he has been practicing all week, and Esther I am ashamed to say made a better audiece since I fell asleep every time, and she liked the pictures.
I wish it were spring. I used to make a string of blossoms for my hair each Easter when I was younger. now I guess I can settle for the ground being brown, and no longer having to risk wet clothes from slipping and falling. the spring comes late here.
I found this funny. A group of us went to the zoo, (since it was above 30 WOW) and they did a news story on how warm it was. and I was on the Minneapolis news for about 2 seconds. here is the link: http://wcco.com/local/minnesota.warmer.weather.2.929102.html the little video thing is on the right, and it is the first one that loads. Esther is right behind the stroller of the girl talking, and leah is in a hiking backpack. when the news person first approched us she asked if the group I was with were a daycare. there were a lot of kids, but I didn't think much of it. there was also a story time and Esther was brought to the front and got to be a princess. that was the first time Leah has been to the zoo, (at least that she was not a baby) and she learned a new word: "see". see is now how she begins most of the things she says. we were all a little embarrased since our kids were dirty, and we were all pretty frumpy, and the girl in the interview said "if I knew I was going to be on tv I would have taken a shower." oh well.
we bought a bird feeder for our yard. since there are so many trees here the birds are all over, and we thought they would be easier to admire in our yard. so far Esther is the only one who has seen any eating form it, but the birds are not really back from their migrations yet.
we also got a big bird cage, it is brass, and very pretty. Our neihbor breeds parakeets, and said we could have some for free. so we have yet to buy birds, people seem to think we make good bird people and are always giving them to us. now Salmonella (our bird) will no longer be by herself.
have a great spring everyone! and I can only dream of popcorn popping on the apricot tree since we have none.
I had a concert yesturday, I was not really ready for it but it was fun to make music anyway. Andy gave his final doctoral proposal today. I need to call him and see how it went. he has been practicing all week, and Esther I am ashamed to say made a better audiece since I fell asleep every time, and she liked the pictures.
I wish it were spring. I used to make a string of blossoms for my hair each Easter when I was younger. now I guess I can settle for the ground being brown, and no longer having to risk wet clothes from slipping and falling. the spring comes late here.
I found this funny. A group of us went to the zoo, (since it was above 30 WOW) and they did a news story on how warm it was. and I was on the Minneapolis news for about 2 seconds. here is the link: http://wcco.com/local/minnesota.warmer.weather.2.929102.html the little video thing is on the right, and it is the first one that loads. Esther is right behind the stroller of the girl talking, and leah is in a hiking backpack. when the news person first approched us she asked if the group I was with were a daycare. there were a lot of kids, but I didn't think much of it. there was also a story time and Esther was brought to the front and got to be a princess. that was the first time Leah has been to the zoo, (at least that she was not a baby) and she learned a new word: "see". see is now how she begins most of the things she says. we were all a little embarrased since our kids were dirty, and we were all pretty frumpy, and the girl in the interview said "if I knew I was going to be on tv I would have taken a shower." oh well.
we bought a bird feeder for our yard. since there are so many trees here the birds are all over, and we thought they would be easier to admire in our yard. so far Esther is the only one who has seen any eating form it, but the birds are not really back from their migrations yet.
we also got a big bird cage, it is brass, and very pretty. Our neihbor breeds parakeets, and said we could have some for free. so we have yet to buy birds, people seem to think we make good bird people and are always giving them to us. now Salmonella (our bird) will no longer be by herself.
have a great spring everyone! and I can only dream of popcorn popping on the apricot tree since we have none.
may 2009
I was reflecting on all of the funny things that kids say.
when Esther was small she had a disconcerting way of combining the words "duck" and "frog". this led to a few rather embarrassing experiences in the store, and in baths with friends kids. the problem was that even with my best efforts she inevitably got people to laugh, so it took her a while to straighten that one out.
Esther in defence of boredom has adopted the habit of talking to herself. I frequently get useful incites of the inner working of her mind. Mostly it is just funny. she usually creates an invisible friend, and carries on both sides of the conversation. sometimes one is "mommy" and I have more than once made the mistake of replying to which I am always rebuffed "you are not mommy."
this week our neighbor was planting flowers in the wind and Esther Joyously proclaimed "the flowers are blowing up!" she has quite the concept of the world around her. the other day we went to the dentist and I asked her if she liked the dentist and with a wrinkled nose she replied "not really." I then proceeded to explain to her that going to the dentist is good for us, and helps keep us healthy. to which she replied "I just don't think that could be true." maybe she is right.
Leah has a rather limited vocabulary. She has decided that to simplify life she would refer to all small animals as "meow" (she does not bother to distinguish between what they are called and what they say) and all large animals say "moo" and occasionally "neigh" this is especially silly since we live next to 2 lakes and ducks and geese visit us every day. I have however convinced her that our pet birds are not meows, but in defiance she will only do the sign for bird, words are apparently not fit for animals.
about a month ago we went to the grocery store and when in the checkout I heard horrible feedback followed by "hi", and 1.5 year old turkey noises. Leah apparently decided that everyone shopping that day needed to learn to be turkeys, so she taught them how on the loud speaker. in her defence the receiver was shaped like a phone. what kid can resist that?
at a recent orchestra concert the director announced the song and said something along the lines of "I think we should get started now" and Leah declared "NO!" in agonised tones.
I also remember one day when I put Leah to bed when she surprised me by saying "I yove you" it was before she could even really talk. I guess it was her first sentence, and she said it with a smile.
Esther was never much of a No-er she preferred simply showing her defiance. she did however pick up "yep" which is about the cutest thing a one year old can say.
So, even though they declare all of the bad things mommy says, or does to anyone who will listen, and swear at unsuspecting store goers, and show poor concert etiquette from an early age, they are our kids and we love them.
when Esther was small she had a disconcerting way of combining the words "duck" and "frog". this led to a few rather embarrassing experiences in the store, and in baths with friends kids. the problem was that even with my best efforts she inevitably got people to laugh, so it took her a while to straighten that one out.
Esther in defence of boredom has adopted the habit of talking to herself. I frequently get useful incites of the inner working of her mind. Mostly it is just funny. she usually creates an invisible friend, and carries on both sides of the conversation. sometimes one is "mommy" and I have more than once made the mistake of replying to which I am always rebuffed "you are not mommy."
this week our neighbor was planting flowers in the wind and Esther Joyously proclaimed "the flowers are blowing up!" she has quite the concept of the world around her. the other day we went to the dentist and I asked her if she liked the dentist and with a wrinkled nose she replied "not really." I then proceeded to explain to her that going to the dentist is good for us, and helps keep us healthy. to which she replied "I just don't think that could be true." maybe she is right.
Leah has a rather limited vocabulary. She has decided that to simplify life she would refer to all small animals as "meow" (she does not bother to distinguish between what they are called and what they say) and all large animals say "moo" and occasionally "neigh" this is especially silly since we live next to 2 lakes and ducks and geese visit us every day. I have however convinced her that our pet birds are not meows, but in defiance she will only do the sign for bird, words are apparently not fit for animals.
about a month ago we went to the grocery store and when in the checkout I heard horrible feedback followed by "hi", and 1.5 year old turkey noises. Leah apparently decided that everyone shopping that day needed to learn to be turkeys, so she taught them how on the loud speaker. in her defence the receiver was shaped like a phone. what kid can resist that?
at a recent orchestra concert the director announced the song and said something along the lines of "I think we should get started now" and Leah declared "NO!" in agonised tones.
I also remember one day when I put Leah to bed when she surprised me by saying "I yove you" it was before she could even really talk. I guess it was her first sentence, and she said it with a smile.
Esther was never much of a No-er she preferred simply showing her defiance. she did however pick up "yep" which is about the cutest thing a one year old can say.
So, even though they declare all of the bad things mommy says, or does to anyone who will listen, and swear at unsuspecting store goers, and show poor concert etiquette from an early age, they are our kids and we love them.
kids
june 8 2009
whew, so we had quite a day today. We went to the Children's museum. it is a 5 story building with the coolest things ever. the whole thing is a giant play area, they have places to paint, make mosaics, hear stories, and all kids of other stuff. everything is made to touch. my kids loved it. unfortunately I forgot the camera.
Esther had to get glasses. we noticed a few months ago that she would go cross eyed whenever she tried to look at anything close up. so, we took her to the optometrist, and the said come back in 6 months, and we made it only about 2 when Esther started pulling a chair to the middle of the room to watch TV, and acting like she had a head ache, so I went back, and we got glasses, it took a few phone calls to find anywhere that would take our insurance, and in the end their was only one pair of frames to choose from, they are pink, good thing she is a girl. I could go into a tirade about insurance and stinking commercial doctors, but in the end we payed nothing so I will save my breath, after all, beggars can't be choosers.
we got a free grill this weekend Andy's boss gave it to us,I love grilled food so it made me happy. the only problem is, that Andy has decided it is a man's job to do the grilling and has practically banned me from it, oh , well I guess when the novelty wears off he won't care any more. besides, if it helps me get out of cooking sometimes, I won't fight the system.
Our Orchestra held a benefit concert recently where there was a silent auction. in the end there were a few things left over. Our orchestra held another auction to get rid of them. I decided to be funny and I bid 2$ for a trip to the acupuncturist. the problem Is I won, so I guess I have to go since I am not one to waste 2$. I guess it might be cool. lots of people like that sort of thing right?
Leah has updated her animal vocabulary. she now acknowledges that dogs bark. she does however sound like one of those annoying lap dogs that people in Hollywood carry around in their handbags, but hey it is better than meow.she had been talking more and more she adds words every day. at this rate she will know more words than me in a year.
whew, so we had quite a day today. We went to the Children's museum. it is a 5 story building with the coolest things ever. the whole thing is a giant play area, they have places to paint, make mosaics, hear stories, and all kids of other stuff. everything is made to touch. my kids loved it. unfortunately I forgot the camera.
Esther had to get glasses. we noticed a few months ago that she would go cross eyed whenever she tried to look at anything close up. so, we took her to the optometrist, and the said come back in 6 months, and we made it only about 2 when Esther started pulling a chair to the middle of the room to watch TV, and acting like she had a head ache, so I went back, and we got glasses, it took a few phone calls to find anywhere that would take our insurance, and in the end their was only one pair of frames to choose from, they are pink, good thing she is a girl. I could go into a tirade about insurance and stinking commercial doctors, but in the end we payed nothing so I will save my breath, after all, beggars can't be choosers.
we got a free grill this weekend Andy's boss gave it to us,I love grilled food so it made me happy. the only problem is, that Andy has decided it is a man's job to do the grilling and has practically banned me from it, oh , well I guess when the novelty wears off he won't care any more. besides, if it helps me get out of cooking sometimes, I won't fight the system.
Our Orchestra held a benefit concert recently where there was a silent auction. in the end there were a few things left over. Our orchestra held another auction to get rid of them. I decided to be funny and I bid 2$ for a trip to the acupuncturist. the problem Is I won, so I guess I have to go since I am not one to waste 2$. I guess it might be cool. lots of people like that sort of thing right?
Leah has updated her animal vocabulary. she now acknowledges that dogs bark. she does however sound like one of those annoying lap dogs that people in Hollywood carry around in their handbags, but hey it is better than meow.she had been talking more and more she adds words every day. at this rate she will know more words than me in a year.
june 13, 2009
Because of storage space (or rather the lack of) our 5 gallon bucket for pinto beans currently in use is in Esther's room. Unfortunately the lid is a pain to open, and close, so I sometimes don't try too hard. Needless to say the children exploit this oversight, and this week we have had some pinto bean adventures. first, Leah (at least Esther said it was Leah) put some in the fish tank. there they sat and swelled up creeeeeepy. Next Esther stuck one up her nose. I thought I saw a booger up there, so I went to get it out, and when looking a little closer I thought it looked like something else. so, we got out the tweezers, and picked at it until it was out. It is hard to say how long it was there because the bean was swollen and soft. she had complained of her nose hurting, I guess that explains it. in the end the softness aided in the removal, so it was a blessing in disguise. we had to irrigate her nose just to make sure there were no more. hopefully her nose stuffing career is over. in the end I guess we all learned a valuable lesson. I learned that I must close the lid on 5 gallon buckets, even if it means I have to open them again. Esther Learned that when it comes to noses things go out, and not in, Leah learned that if mom does not catch you, the punishment is less severe. and the fish learned that beans give you gas.
kids converse
june 17, 2009
we walked to the store today. it is muggy, and I cannot decide if I want to call it hot. It was our usual trip to the store for weekly deals. on the way home as we were walking we saw a runner and Leah got really excited and started saying "meow, Meow, meow" and Esther declared "that's not a cat it's a person running." to which Leah replied "run, run run."
we have been observing the wild life in our yard, we frequently have birds of may kinds, squirrels, bunnies and sometimes turtles (painted and snapping) the kids love them. Esther has been learning to identify them. Leah is still hard to convince that they are anything but "Meow." Our walk this morning was the first time I have heard her call a person "meow." I guess she is digressing.
we walked to the store today. it is muggy, and I cannot decide if I want to call it hot. It was our usual trip to the store for weekly deals. on the way home as we were walking we saw a runner and Leah got really excited and started saying "meow, Meow, meow" and Esther declared "that's not a cat it's a person running." to which Leah replied "run, run run."
we have been observing the wild life in our yard, we frequently have birds of may kinds, squirrels, bunnies and sometimes turtles (painted and snapping) the kids love them. Esther has been learning to identify them. Leah is still hard to convince that they are anything but "Meow." Our walk this morning was the first time I have heard her call a person "meow." I guess she is digressing.
updates
July 31,2009
Here we are at the walker art center sculpture garden what we are sitting on is "art" it looks suspiciously like a bench to me.
Leah is now "one, Two!" she is very proud of it. she has conceded that animals say more than meow, but she is incredulous that their are more numbers than one and two. I guess she will know the truth some day.
Esther is now 4 she is working on letter recognision she is very exited whenever she sees no parking signs, and stop signs which are octogons, not cicles. this is a picture of her "blowing up" the candles.
this is where Andy works!!! it is a pretty cool building (at least on the outside) it was built in 1913. the University of MN is one of the premeir chemistry departments in the country. Andy is under a prof. who has won a great many awards, and he seems to enjoy it. He is doing "bio-inorganic" chemistry. if you really want to know he can tell you better, a couple of years teaching have made him pretty good at explaining things.
I require no update, my life is pretty boring.
Here we are at the walker art center sculpture garden what we are sitting on is "art" it looks suspiciously like a bench to me.
Leah is now "one, Two!" she is very proud of it. she has conceded that animals say more than meow, but she is incredulous that their are more numbers than one and two. I guess she will know the truth some day.
Esther is now 4 she is working on letter recognision she is very exited whenever she sees no parking signs, and stop signs which are octogons, not cicles. this is a picture of her "blowing up" the candles.
this is where Andy works!!! it is a pretty cool building (at least on the outside) it was built in 1913. the University of MN is one of the premeir chemistry departments in the country. Andy is under a prof. who has won a great many awards, and he seems to enjoy it. He is doing "bio-inorganic" chemistry. if you really want to know he can tell you better, a couple of years teaching have made him pretty good at explaining things.
I require no update, my life is pretty boring.
turtles
sept 1 2009
Every fall and spring the turtles migrate. We live sandwiched between two lakes and so every time it cools off or warms up the turtles come. This year we had a neighbor that had lots of snapping turtles in his yard, so we helped them (the turtles)out a bit. they get scared and burrow, when they do that they are very hard to see. there are a few streets between the lakes, and we do not like finding the little guys in them. We also caught a little frog.
on Andy's Hand.
an attempt to get the kids with the turtles.
10 turtles 1 frog
it is hard to tell here, but this guy was about a foot and a half long.
and just because it was funny, this is Esther protecting her eyes from a rather strong onion.
Every fall and spring the turtles migrate. We live sandwiched between two lakes and so every time it cools off or warms up the turtles come. This year we had a neighbor that had lots of snapping turtles in his yard, so we helped them (the turtles)out a bit. they get scared and burrow, when they do that they are very hard to see. there are a few streets between the lakes, and we do not like finding the little guys in them. We also caught a little frog.
on Andy's Hand.
an attempt to get the kids with the turtles.
10 turtles 1 frog
it is hard to tell here, but this guy was about a foot and a half long.
and just because it was funny, this is Esther protecting her eyes from a rather strong onion.
zoo
we went to the Minnesota zoo a couple of weeks ago, and these are a couple of pics. After we left the zoo, we got a flat tire. (I was unable to document that.)our camera is on the fritz so we have not been able to take as many pictures as we would like. we will probably have to get it fixed. (ah, stink)
diggin for dino's
chicken Esther
sept 28, 2009
Leah on daddy's back
and finally here is leah "helping naked" (she sometimes feels clothes are in her way.)
diggin for dino's
chicken Esther
sept 28, 2009
Leah on daddy's back
and finally here is leah "helping naked" (she sometimes feels clothes are in her way.)
gloomy
Alexander Graham Bell
Esther has entered the what, why, and how phase of life. We are trying to encourage it. I recently stumbled across a DI .25 cent book that is a 40Th anniversary edition of the best of readers digest published in 1961. This article was written in 1922. It is about Alexander Graham Bell, and how he kept his mind young. in his words: "the education of the mind is after all not a mere question of remembering facts that someone else gives us. the mind should conduct it's own education to a better extent. And it cannot do this unless it thinks for itself. a mind that does not reason is comparatively useless. I have given the subject of self education a great deal of thought, and have evolved what you might call a 'rule of three' in regard to it. the rule is simply this: 'observe!, remember!, compare!" the article further explains that we can adopt this method of thinking and apply it to everyday life. but the part that caught my attention is when it explained how to teach this principle to your kids. I have applied it to answering Esther's questions with some success. we were watching the news and the weatherman described the day as "gloomy." Later that day Esther said "it is a gloomy day is it" (she has not learned compound words yet) then she said "what does gloomy mean?" I then applied this wise principle by asking her what color the sky is, then I asked her what happens when the sky is grey, and what we see in the sky: lightning, clouds, etc... and then we discussed what the sky looks like when it is not gloomy. we had a fun discussion about what it means to us, and how only on sunny (not gloomy) days can we play outside. and it all made sense. we should not just answer our kids (if we can help it) to best teach them to think for themselves. Esther has been using her new vocabulary word well the last week or so, because we have had a great many gloomy days.
("how to keep young mentally" from "The American Magazine" by Mary B. Mullett 1922)
kids
Oct 30, 2009
sorry no pics. today. we still have no camera, and the old pic's have not all been recovered from the broken computer (see the last post) so to prevent the few pics I have from becoming stock photos I am just foregoing it today.
Esther loves to sing she runs around singing all day...
sometimes her lyrics are creative.
the real song: my heart is leaping inside meee....
Esther's version: my heart is bleeding inside meeee....
the real song:...h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
Esther's version:...h,i,j,k,lemon,n,o,p
Leah categorizes all princess/barbie anything as Ariel. which incidentally she has never seen, and we do not own. she calls "Beauty and the Beast" "Ariel Beast". and we have many "Ariel movies"
Leah refuses to get dressed this morning (I have not bothered to wrestle her yet, I am waiting until the library is closer to opening) because she does not have a pink shirt with a kitty on it.
Esther and Leah not to be outdone by mom have decided that Leah has a baby in her tummy and Esther has a kitty in hers.
the other day Esther came to me and said "mom you are a square" if only she really knew...
sometimes I try to explain the truth to them, or correct their english, but is it really worth it? they will know the truth someday...
sorry no pics. today. we still have no camera, and the old pic's have not all been recovered from the broken computer (see the last post) so to prevent the few pics I have from becoming stock photos I am just foregoing it today.
Esther loves to sing she runs around singing all day...
sometimes her lyrics are creative.
the real song: my heart is leaping inside meee....
Esther's version: my heart is bleeding inside meeee....
the real song:...h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p
Esther's version:...h,i,j,k,lemon,n,o,p
Leah categorizes all princess/barbie anything as Ariel. which incidentally she has never seen, and we do not own. she calls "Beauty and the Beast" "Ariel Beast". and we have many "Ariel movies"
Leah refuses to get dressed this morning (I have not bothered to wrestle her yet, I am waiting until the library is closer to opening) because she does not have a pink shirt with a kitty on it.
Esther and Leah not to be outdone by mom have decided that Leah has a baby in her tummy and Esther has a kitty in hers.
the other day Esther came to me and said "mom you are a square" if only she really knew...
sometimes I try to explain the truth to them, or correct their english, but is it really worth it? they will know the truth someday...
esther swears
oct 31 2009
Esther now refers to herself as "the mistress of all evil"
the other day she approached me and threw up her arms and declared "now you shall deal with me oh mommy and all the powers of hell" in her defence it is what is in the movie. if you don't believe me watch it again. and you thought Disney made wholesome movies...
Esther now refers to herself as "the mistress of all evil"
the other day she approached me and threw up her arms and declared "now you shall deal with me oh mommy and all the powers of hell" in her defence it is what is in the movie. if you don't believe me watch it again. and you thought Disney made wholesome movies...
pumpkins
nov 4 2011
Andy carved this pumpkin (after Esther's design) this is Leah in the luminescence.
the kids colored these designs they were pretty proud of themselves.Esther also thought the "really gross" pumpkin innards were pretty cool.
Andy carved this pumpkin (after Esther's design) this is Leah in the luminescence.
the kids colored these designs they were pretty proud of themselves.Esther also thought the "really gross" pumpkin innards were pretty cool.
what not to say at church
nov 16 2009
Esther has been growing fascinated with her body.I guess she noticed I have some things she does not. she has been discussing her "private parts" with me every time she takes a bath. her favorite topic of discussion lately has been breasts. she washes hers carefully each time she takes a bath. and more recently she decided that my explanation that mom's have them and kids do not was not enough information. so I promised her that some day she would have them too. Yesterday in sacrament meeting she announced (not in her church voice) that my parts are much bigger than hers. she followed that up by telling me "I can't wait until mine grow bigger too." just wait until she sees what else she gets along with it.
Esther has been growing fascinated with her body.I guess she noticed I have some things she does not. she has been discussing her "private parts" with me every time she takes a bath. her favorite topic of discussion lately has been breasts. she washes hers carefully each time she takes a bath. and more recently she decided that my explanation that mom's have them and kids do not was not enough information. so I promised her that some day she would have them too. Yesterday in sacrament meeting she announced (not in her church voice) that my parts are much bigger than hers. she followed that up by telling me "I can't wait until mine grow bigger too." just wait until she sees what else she gets along with it.
I do it self
dec 5, 2009
"I do it self" is a popular catch phrase at our house. Leah has declared her Independence and now I am only useful when she wants me. dressing yourself is not without it's hazards.
the classic dress upside down predicament....
sometimes clothes are too much trouble, so she gives up. I then have to wrestle her, and that usually ends up with me dressing her at lest 3-4 times before it sticks.
and finally the confusion when four limbs are involved in one article of clothing. she is mad because I made her leave it that way for the picture. I guess it hurt her pride.
"I do it self" is a popular catch phrase at our house. Leah has declared her Independence and now I am only useful when she wants me. dressing yourself is not without it's hazards.
the classic dress upside down predicament....
sometimes clothes are too much trouble, so she gives up. I then have to wrestle her, and that usually ends up with me dressing her at lest 3-4 times before it sticks.
and finally the confusion when four limbs are involved in one article of clothing. she is mad because I made her leave it that way for the picture. I guess it hurt her pride.
christmas 2009
for Christmas we kept things simple. Andy's family showers us with gifts and we decided that that was more than enough when filled out with a few more.I would list them all because I was soooo exited. but... that would be boring, so here are some highlights.
Leah is covered in chocolate because she insisted on eating all of the candy in her stocking before she would open her presents.
I made dress up dresses for Esther, and then decided Leah needed one too, so I made another. They were pretty easy.
and the girls loved them.
"no white"
Cinderella
technical difficulties.
we got a webcam and a microphone from Kurt (Andy's dad) and spent a few hours on skype(our ID is: meikjn.fielding). if you have not tried it out it is awesome I tried it for the first time and I give it 10 out of 10. the best part is, it is free!!! all you really need is a microphone and a free download. and the Internet. The camera is a neat added bonus. My parents recently got into it to be able to see everyone since they are all the way in Ukraine right now. Andy liked the feature of distorting his face with the webcam. he made the best of it.
and finally. A little Christmas humor. Andy's sister sent us a really cool board game that is called ticket to ride where you try to visit cities all over North America. the problem is, that the people who made it were not too savvy on American cites. and here is the result:
(for those of you who do not get the joke, the city marked Duluth is actually St. Paul. trust me I know I live there.)
I really don't know If Andy's sister realized the mistake, but it made me laugh.
stories
jan 11, 2010
poor computer
first, our computer got a virus... again. it was sad. we ended up having a friend fix it, and he also recovered everything from our old computer, so it all worked out. he then made a security system out of our old computer so we have a lynyx security system now. cool. our old computer filters everything. and the best part it was free. don't ask me how he did it I don't know. so we are back in business. and in the end we are better off than before.
Fishy Heaven
another sad (kinda) story... we had a fish die that we have had a couple years. we bought him a friend, and the friend was sick. go figure. his friend killed him. RIP Napoleon (we have a dictator themed fish tank) oh well he was only a couple bucks anyway. however our fish tank was boring, so I bought another one just like him.
Esther, when I was giving Napoleon his final send off made the comment that he would be sad that he died, and I told her that he will be happier now. she then said she was happy that he gets to go to "fishy heaven, and then he will be resurrected, and then he can be with us forever." I guess she is listening even if she can't hold still.
Fun as a Family
here are some pics. of evenings at our house. Andy (who is crazy) rides his bike in all kinds of weather. it is 5 miles one way, and he just adds to his pile of clothing depending on the forecast. the frost is normal, he even gets ice-cycles on his eyelashes sometimes.
after arriving home starving Andy downs ridiculous volumes of food, then he chills on the couch a while. and Leah claims her spot. Esther usually sits at his feet.
Bad Boys
and finally one day we got a reggae Cd from the library and it had this song on it. we had lots of fun jammin' Jamaican style. I did not get a good video of Esther, but she had fun too. here she is taking a picture of herself notice her crossed eye, that is why she wears glasses (at least when we can keep them on).
poor computer
first, our computer got a virus... again. it was sad. we ended up having a friend fix it, and he also recovered everything from our old computer, so it all worked out. he then made a security system out of our old computer so we have a lynyx security system now. cool. our old computer filters everything. and the best part it was free. don't ask me how he did it I don't know. so we are back in business. and in the end we are better off than before.
Fishy Heaven
another sad (kinda) story... we had a fish die that we have had a couple years. we bought him a friend, and the friend was sick. go figure. his friend killed him. RIP Napoleon (we have a dictator themed fish tank) oh well he was only a couple bucks anyway. however our fish tank was boring, so I bought another one just like him.
Esther, when I was giving Napoleon his final send off made the comment that he would be sad that he died, and I told her that he will be happier now. she then said she was happy that he gets to go to "fishy heaven, and then he will be resurrected, and then he can be with us forever." I guess she is listening even if she can't hold still.
Fun as a Family
here are some pics. of evenings at our house. Andy (who is crazy) rides his bike in all kinds of weather. it is 5 miles one way, and he just adds to his pile of clothing depending on the forecast. the frost is normal, he even gets ice-cycles on his eyelashes sometimes.
after arriving home starving Andy downs ridiculous volumes of food, then he chills on the couch a while. and Leah claims her spot. Esther usually sits at his feet.
Bad Boys
and finally one day we got a reggae Cd from the library and it had this song on it. we had lots of fun jammin' Jamaican style. I did not get a good video of Esther, but she had fun too. here she is taking a picture of herself notice her crossed eye, that is why she wears glasses (at least when we can keep them on).
feb 8,2010
A couple months ago I had an early church meeting, and Andy had to get the kids ready for church. out of kindness, or laziness he let Esther dress Leah. it was.... creative. I teased Andy about it, and then in my piousness resolved that if I wanted Andy's help in the future I needed to be nice about how he does things Even if it is different than my methods. but there are some things I think I should just do myself.
Andy is a smart guy. that is why he is the one earning a PHD. but sometimes his y chromosome is too much for him.
these are the shoes she wore to church. both black=pair right?
and this is what Andy put her in for bed. I laughed until I cried. so much for that resolution.
my new resolution is that if it's funny I will laugh even at Andy's expense. good thing he has a sense of humor.
Andy is a smart guy. that is why he is the one earning a PHD. but sometimes his y chromosome is too much for him.
these are the shoes she wore to church. both black=pair right?
and this is what Andy put her in for bed. I laughed until I cried. so much for that resolution.
my new resolution is that if it's funny I will laugh even at Andy's expense. good thing he has a sense of humor.
feb 17, 2010
....at least they would be if we had hills.
Esther LOVES to sing!!!! I could not be happier. the last 4 days in a row she has requested Julie Andrews (thanks Muppet show) today it was Mary Poppins, and the previous 3 it was "the sound of music" (her idea not mine) what a kid.
On Sunday she made my day by joining us in true primary fashion (really loud) on "families can be together forever" in sacrament meeting. Someone I don't even know came up to me to tell me it was the cutest thing they had ever heard.
I have to say my years of indoctrination are finally paying off. I hope she becomes comfortable with music (something I am still working on) I want her to feel like she can sing and make noise in her own way.
ruth is born
March 21, 2010
well I did it I had another one. ( I am feeling a little to selfish to let Andy have any credit yet)
Bonnie Ruth (we will Call her Ruth) Fielding
Born March 19, 2010
6lbs. 11 oz.
20 inches
here she is:
and here is the best picture we could manage after... I have really cool hair, but it looks like that sometimes on regular days too.
I will add some more when I can sit at the computer for more than a few minutes.
and for anyone who wants to know (by that I mean girls this is a bit detailed) here is my latest story...
I woke up at about 6:00 in the morning feeling some bothersome contractions that were very much like the ones I have had for the last couple weeks. and I told Andy I might be in Labor. following that we had an hour or two of getting ready, and deliberating if he should go to work and (thankfully) we decided that we would drive all together to his work and he would put some stuff together to take home, then if it wasn't we would go to lunch and hang out. we wandered over to the library got some movies... (our usual Friday ritual) so I entertained the kids in Andy's Lab for an hour, and freaked out a couple people by telling them that I was probably having a baby. at which point I decided I was probably in labor because it had not gone away yet. and was getting a little stronger. so we dropped of the kids, and headed for the hospital (which takes a while here) and we wandered in and went to the desk of labor and delivery and told them I needed to check in. they sent me to "assessment" where they informed me that I was dilated to a 7 (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!) at which point I decided maybe it hurt worse than I thought, and I quit trying to be tough. the nurse (to whom I explained that I was probably pretty much done ) was awesome, and she grabbed some friends and an anesthesiologist because I told them to get me drugs now. and they rushed me to to the delivery room, and checked me in at the same time, and then I got and ITN which is a local they put in the back that does not need nearly as much work as an epidural. which lasts an hour or 2 it is now my poison of choice. and they got it in as quick as possible, it slowed things down enough for my doctor to make the trek to the hospital, and he came and we hung out, I pushed a little and that was that. it was even easier than last time. for which I am very grateful. and now I understand how people have babies in cars.
for the road, our pile of girls.
well I did it I had another one. ( I am feeling a little to selfish to let Andy have any credit yet)
Bonnie Ruth (we will Call her Ruth) Fielding
Born March 19, 2010
6lbs. 11 oz.
20 inches
here she is:
and here is the best picture we could manage after... I have really cool hair, but it looks like that sometimes on regular days too.
I will add some more when I can sit at the computer for more than a few minutes.
and for anyone who wants to know (by that I mean girls this is a bit detailed) here is my latest story...
I woke up at about 6:00 in the morning feeling some bothersome contractions that were very much like the ones I have had for the last couple weeks. and I told Andy I might be in Labor. following that we had an hour or two of getting ready, and deliberating if he should go to work and (thankfully) we decided that we would drive all together to his work and he would put some stuff together to take home, then if it wasn't we would go to lunch and hang out. we wandered over to the library got some movies... (our usual Friday ritual) so I entertained the kids in Andy's Lab for an hour, and freaked out a couple people by telling them that I was probably having a baby. at which point I decided I was probably in labor because it had not gone away yet. and was getting a little stronger. so we dropped of the kids, and headed for the hospital (which takes a while here) and we wandered in and went to the desk of labor and delivery and told them I needed to check in. they sent me to "assessment" where they informed me that I was dilated to a 7 (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!) at which point I decided maybe it hurt worse than I thought, and I quit trying to be tough. the nurse (to whom I explained that I was probably pretty much done ) was awesome, and she grabbed some friends and an anesthesiologist because I told them to get me drugs now. and they rushed me to to the delivery room, and checked me in at the same time, and then I got and ITN which is a local they put in the back that does not need nearly as much work as an epidural. which lasts an hour or 2 it is now my poison of choice. and they got it in as quick as possible, it slowed things down enough for my doctor to make the trek to the hospital, and he came and we hung out, I pushed a little and that was that. it was even easier than last time. for which I am very grateful. and now I understand how people have babies in cars.
for the road, our pile of girls.
well I did it I had another one. ( I am feeling a little to selfish to let Andy have any credit yet)
Bonnie Ruth (we will Call her Ruth) Fielding
Born March 19, 2010
6lbs. 11 oz.
20 inches
here she is:
and here is the best picture we could manage after... I have really cool hair, but it looks like that sometimes on regular days too.
I will add some more when I can sit at the computer for more than a few minutes.
and for anyone who wants to know (by that I mean girls this is a bit detailed) here is my latest story...
I woke up at about 6:00 in the morning feeling some bothersome contractions that were very much like the ones I have had for the last couple weeks. and I told Andy I might be in Labor. following that we had an hour or two of getting ready, and deliberating if he should go to work and (thankfully) we decided that we would drive all together to his work and he would put some stuff together to take home, then if it wasn't we would go to lunch and hang out. we wandered over to the library got some movies... (our usual Friday ritual) so I entertained the kids in Andy's Lab for an hour, and freaked out a couple people by telling them that I was probably having a baby. at which point I decided I was probably in labor because it had not gone away yet. and was getting a little stronger. so we dropped of the kids, and headed for the hospital (which takes a while here) and we wandered in and went to the desk of labor and delivery and told them I needed to check in. they sent me to "assessment" where they informed me that I was dilated to a 7 (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!) at which point I decided maybe it hurt worse than I thought, and I quit trying to be tough. the nurse (to whom I explained that I was probably pretty much done ) was awesome, and she grabbed some friends and an anesthesiologist because I told them to get me drugs now. and they rushed me to to the delivery room, and checked me in at the same time, and then I got and ITN which is a local they put in the back that does not need nearly as much work as an epidural. which lasts an hour or 2 it is now my poison of choice. and they got it in as quick as possible, it slowed things down enough for my doctor to make the trek to the hospital, and he came and we hung out, I pushed a little and that was that. it was even easier than last time. for which I am very grateful. and now I understand how people have babies in cars.
for the road, our pile of girls.
well I did it I had another one. ( I am feeling a little to selfish to let Andy have any credit yet)Bonnie Ruth (we will Call her Ruth) Fielding
Born March 19, 2010
6lbs. 11 oz.
20 inches
here she is:
and here is the best picture we could manage after... I have really cool hair, but it looks like that sometimes on regular days too.
I will add some more when I can sit at the computer for more than a few minutes.
and for anyone who wants to know (by that I mean girls this is a bit detailed) here is my latest story...
I woke up at about 6:00 in the morning feeling some bothersome contractions that were very much like the ones I have had for the last couple weeks. and I told Andy I might be in Labor. following that we had an hour or two of getting ready, and deliberating if he should go to work and (thankfully) we decided that we would drive all together to his work and he would put some stuff together to take home, then if it wasn't we would go to lunch and hang out. we wandered over to the library got some movies... (our usual Friday ritual) so I entertained the kids in Andy's Lab for an hour, and freaked out a couple people by telling them that I was probably having a baby. at which point I decided I was probably in labor because it had not gone away yet. and was getting a little stronger. so we dropped of the kids, and headed for the hospital (which takes a while here) and we wandered in and went to the desk of labor and delivery and told them I needed to check in. they sent me to "assessment" where they informed me that I was dilated to a 7 (ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!) at which point I decided maybe it hurt worse than I thought, and I quit trying to be tough. the nurse (to whom I explained that I was probably pretty much done ) was awesome, and she grabbed some friends and an anesthesiologist because I told them to get me drugs now. and they rushed me to to the delivery room, and checked me in at the same time, and then I got and ITN which is a local they put in the back that does not need nearly as much work as an epidural. which lasts an hour or 2 it is now my poison of choice. and they got it in as quick as possible, it slowed things down enough for my doctor to make the trek to the hospital, and he came and we hung out, I pushed a little and that was that. it was even easier than last time. for which I am very grateful. and now I understand how people have babies in cars.
for the road, our pile of girls.
babies and motivations
april 2 2010
New Baby
just a disclaimer: I am not much of a photographer, so pictures will be repeated.
so far this baby is great. she is my best eater yet. she has been sleeping really well, the last 2 nights she has only woken up once. (please let that continue) and she cries less than my other kids did too. which for those of you who remember Esther that is saying something. she is also incredibly patient when she is hungry, which is something of a miracle considering how much she loves to eat. and the two nights ago she accomplished a feat for the record books: she slept through getting her nose cleaned out. it is true it really happened, Andy was there. she does however have many woes whenever she gets a diaper change. but most importantly she is very sweet, and I am bamboozled.
all of these things are good because I have a low threshold for aggravations. My other 2 kids provide enough. which leads me to my post within a post.
Motivations
Esther is a silly girl. she loves to laugh, and play (like a boy), and she never stops. she is a precocious girl who loves to create which usually leads to destroying. this is a mixed blessing.
every day Esther takes all the chairs, pillows, blankets, and all other large items in her reach and builds a fort. she has a few that she repeats sometimes. this morning it was "church" which looks remarkably like the primary room complete with microphone and stool for the kids giving talks. she also built a "house for the baby" this week which she put the baby in, hopefully that can be avoided in the future. she is very proud of her creations, and quite honestly they really are pretty cool. and I am sad to say that since I see them all the time, I have quit taking pictures.
Esther also is terribly destructive, no need to go into that. (that is why half of our house is barred and locked)
What motivates Esther is attention and being praised. she thrives on acknowledgement. she loves to be told how wonderful she is. she seeks attention in all it's forms. so this week she adopted telling me that she needs to puke (because the baby spits up) and expects me to respond to it 20 times a day. she also adopted pooing her pants a few months ago after over a year of no accidents this supplies her with all the positive and negative attention her little heart desires. I just hope she quits before she starts school. there is no need to fuel the fire of her classmates eager to bully. she is a pretty good girl, but she is rarely obedient if she does not have a good enough explanation of why she should do something.
so, she does what she wants, and expects praise for it. she is however easily entertained. so, all is not lost thank goodness for her vivid imagination.
Leah is motivated by making people happy. she is always asking if things make me happy. she needs lots of hugs, and snuggles whenever anything unpleasant happens. she is scared if anyone plays too rough, but she loves to dance to music, and play games where she is not being attacked in any way (this often leads to tears with Esther for a sister) Leah loves stories, and especially loves the pictures. and for some strange reason she climbs everything. she is the helper, and is also pretty obedient which is refreshing. she needs help getting dressed, going down our front steps, and just about everything else. she also sometimes wants me to feed her, which usually leads to gagging (I don't understand the appeal) she is sweet, but she has a very lusty screech whenever anything unjust happens to her.
this little one just wants me to love whatever she does...
Ruth is motivated by food.
New Baby
just a disclaimer: I am not much of a photographer, so pictures will be repeated.
so far this baby is great. she is my best eater yet. she has been sleeping really well, the last 2 nights she has only woken up once. (please let that continue) and she cries less than my other kids did too. which for those of you who remember Esther that is saying something. she is also incredibly patient when she is hungry, which is something of a miracle considering how much she loves to eat. and the two nights ago she accomplished a feat for the record books: she slept through getting her nose cleaned out. it is true it really happened, Andy was there. she does however have many woes whenever she gets a diaper change. but most importantly she is very sweet, and I am bamboozled.
all of these things are good because I have a low threshold for aggravations. My other 2 kids provide enough. which leads me to my post within a post.
Motivations
Esther is a silly girl. she loves to laugh, and play (like a boy), and she never stops. she is a precocious girl who loves to create which usually leads to destroying. this is a mixed blessing.
every day Esther takes all the chairs, pillows, blankets, and all other large items in her reach and builds a fort. she has a few that she repeats sometimes. this morning it was "church" which looks remarkably like the primary room complete with microphone and stool for the kids giving talks. she also built a "house for the baby" this week which she put the baby in, hopefully that can be avoided in the future. she is very proud of her creations, and quite honestly they really are pretty cool. and I am sad to say that since I see them all the time, I have quit taking pictures.
Esther also is terribly destructive, no need to go into that. (that is why half of our house is barred and locked)
What motivates Esther is attention and being praised. she thrives on acknowledgement. she loves to be told how wonderful she is. she seeks attention in all it's forms. so this week she adopted telling me that she needs to puke (because the baby spits up) and expects me to respond to it 20 times a day. she also adopted pooing her pants a few months ago after over a year of no accidents this supplies her with all the positive and negative attention her little heart desires. I just hope she quits before she starts school. there is no need to fuel the fire of her classmates eager to bully. she is a pretty good girl, but she is rarely obedient if she does not have a good enough explanation of why she should do something.
so, she does what she wants, and expects praise for it. she is however easily entertained. so, all is not lost thank goodness for her vivid imagination.
Leah is motivated by making people happy. she is always asking if things make me happy. she needs lots of hugs, and snuggles whenever anything unpleasant happens. she is scared if anyone plays too rough, but she loves to dance to music, and play games where she is not being attacked in any way (this often leads to tears with Esther for a sister) Leah loves stories, and especially loves the pictures. and for some strange reason she climbs everything. she is the helper, and is also pretty obedient which is refreshing. she needs help getting dressed, going down our front steps, and just about everything else. she also sometimes wants me to feed her, which usually leads to gagging (I don't understand the appeal) she is sweet, but she has a very lusty screech whenever anything unjust happens to her.
this little one just wants me to love whatever she does...
Ruth is motivated by food.
newborn pics
april 24, 2010
a week or two before I had Ruth a friend of mine offered to do a free photo session. she came to my house with her pile of stuff, and we did our best to keep the kids happy while she worked. the photographer is Colleen Hutchison.this is her business website and here is her blog. and I take full credit for the cuteness of the subjects.
Esther Ruth Leah
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a week or two before I had Ruth a friend of mine offered to do a free photo session. she came to my house with her pile of stuff, and we did our best to keep the kids happy while she worked. the photographer is Colleen Hutchison.this is her business website and here is her blog. and I take full credit for the cuteness of the subjects.
new vision
may 2010
Esther and Andy are now sporting some new glasses.
I like this one, Esther loves to be silly. here she is after stealing daddy's hat. I am no good at taking pictures, but I have a cute family (if i do say so myself) so that makes up for it a little. Ruth is in there just for fun.
Esther and Ruth.
we chose some large-ish frames so she could not look over them. they fit wonderfully, and do not slide down her nose (like the last ones). and I can already see that her vision is improving. hooray!
I also like Andy's these are his no-frame ones. I like them, but they are more visible in person. I think it makes him look sophisticated. I may have to work to get him to wear them all the time. Husbands are like children sometimes...
Esther and Andy are now sporting some new glasses.
I like this one, Esther loves to be silly. here she is after stealing daddy's hat. I am no good at taking pictures, but I have a cute family (if i do say so myself) so that makes up for it a little. Ruth is in there just for fun.
Esther and Ruth.
we chose some large-ish frames so she could not look over them. they fit wonderfully, and do not slide down her nose (like the last ones). and I can already see that her vision is improving. hooray!
I also like Andy's these are his no-frame ones. I like them, but they are more visible in person. I think it makes him look sophisticated. I may have to work to get him to wear them all the time. Husbands are like children sometimes...
july 5, 2010 e's b-day
Esther is 5 (tomorrow) We celebrated today, and will finish tomorrow on her real birthday. today we got together with My cousins Robert and Justin and Robert's wife and kids
Leah's birthday is next week, and I let the girls have these dresses early for church. this is after a day of wearing them so the kids have the customary layer of filth, and disheveled hair, but you get the idea. the back of Leah's is an attempt at correcting making it too small. Here is where I got the idea. the best part is I used scraps so it was free (:
playing on the beach before cousins arrive.
tryin' her out
Ruth got hot so we stripped her then things were much better.
Esther snitched most of the candles, and we only had 2 left. andy lit them multiple times to equal 5 I am sad I missed it with the camera. the cake is supposed to be a cherry (use your imagination) it was pretty tasty with a chocolate coating, and cherry flavored cake it is however rather wonky. good thing she is 5
this is a bag I made I let the kids pick their own fabric here is the pattern( Leah is getting one too (shhh it's a surprise) Esther will get it tomorrow also some squirt guns.
Esther was born on a Tuesday it was a nice day, and I started labor in the middle of the night. we watched about 1/3 of the movie "Clue" and then headed to the hospital where they tried to send me home. I said I would not leave I had her about 4 hours later. sometimes it is good to be right. she was so pretty even after being born I think she was my prettiest newborn. she got a cute little bow on her head an I was very happy. she is so much fun (if lots of trouble) Esther loves to play, and play hard. she is also the smart one. I look forward to seeing here grow up more. she will start School in the fall.
Leah's birthday is next week, and I let the girls have these dresses early for church. this is after a day of wearing them so the kids have the customary layer of filth, and disheveled hair, but you get the idea. the back of Leah's is an attempt at correcting making it too small. Here is where I got the idea. the best part is I used scraps so it was free (:
playing on the beach before cousins arrive.
tryin' her out
Ruth got hot so we stripped her then things were much better.
Esther snitched most of the candles, and we only had 2 left. andy lit them multiple times to equal 5 I am sad I missed it with the camera. the cake is supposed to be a cherry (use your imagination) it was pretty tasty with a chocolate coating, and cherry flavored cake it is however rather wonky. good thing she is 5
this is a bag I made I let the kids pick their own fabric here is the pattern( Leah is getting one too (shhh it's a surprise) Esther will get it tomorrow also some squirt guns.
Esther was born on a Tuesday it was a nice day, and I started labor in the middle of the night. we watched about 1/3 of the movie "Clue" and then headed to the hospital where they tried to send me home. I said I would not leave I had her about 4 hours later. sometimes it is good to be right. she was so pretty even after being born I think she was my prettiest newborn. she got a cute little bow on her head an I was very happy. she is so much fun (if lots of trouble) Esther loves to play, and play hard. she is also the smart one. I look forward to seeing here grow up more. she will start School in the fall.
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