Sledding...finally!

It snowed last night- and today was absolutely beautiful...PERFECT for sledding!



He was fine- laughing and having tons of fun!


Our sledding adventure lasted a little over an hour and I'm happy to note that there were no injuries, no frozen digits or bloody noses and only 1 run in with the barbed wire!
NOT BAD!

Video bloggers

The girls received digital cameras for Christmas- they love photography and are quite creative, so it was a perfect gift. This week they were playing around with the video functions on the cameras...as I was uploading this week's worth of photos and such...I noticed this one and just had to share!

CSI: Lincoln

The kids (+ 1 our cousin was over) were enjoying the beautiful weather yesterday afternoon. They happily chatted away as they chalked up our drive way. I was sitting on the porch step reading the mail. I must not have been paying as much attention as I thought I was...but my attention sure perked up when I heard one of my girls yell "Hey, Larry- Do you want to see our crime scene?" to our neighbor (the determined little mower man that I once referenced here).

Crime what?! I immediately turn my head towards the drive way...errr I mean crime scene! My entire driveway was covered in chalk outlines complete with cause of death, flowers and RIPs.

Our cousin died from poison- notice the skull and cross bones!


Corynn was flattened- by a big old dump truck!

Little wonders

Today I was having one of those days...you know one of those days where it seems like everything is going wrong! And its not any one big thing ruining your day- its all the little things that work together to cloud out your sunshine.

I was outside this afternoon, getting our recycling ready for pickup when I heard a child crying. Well, actually he was screaming bloody murder! I looked down the block and saw a woman having a way worse day than me!

She was walking two dogs, pushing a stroller with two babies (twins I later found out-age 9 months) and had three other little children walking next to her (ages 2,4 and 5). Well, they weren't so much walking... one was crying- in a fit refusing to walk anymore. Another one was trying to pull the crying child up the hill and the third was headed off to follow the neighborhood stray that had just wandered into someone's backyard.

At first- I was wondering "What in blue daisies was she thinking?" taking five children under the age of 5 and two dogs on a walk by herself...I'm thinking serious issues!

As I started to shake my head at the scene before me, I noticed she too was shaking her head. She was thinking the exact same thing I was thinking...and yes- she confessed to momentarily losing her mind. She was so taken in by the beautiful weather...and she couldn't stand being cooped up anymore (all of the children were hers and the cabin fever had apparently taken its toll.) She wanted to get out and enjoy the beautiful day!

She immediately realized I had taken pity on her and graciously accepted my help with corralling her tree loose children. The two year old immediately quit crying when he saw me returning from a side yard with his older brother in tow. The little girl - who had just previously been dragging her younger sibling, walked right over to me and introduced herself- complete with her age and the fact she had a rubber ducky birthday party two weeks ago.

The twins were chilling in the stroller- taking it all in. The dogs mean while, were yipping and running circles around the lady's legs. I asked her how far away she lived... my eyes just about popped out of my head when she told me. She was over two miles away....

I offered to give them all a ride home, but before I could inform her that I didn't have near enough car seats to accommodate everyone- she was hugging me and pouring on the sugar. You would have thought I fixed the economy- with the way she was going on.

It may not have been the most LEGAL two miles I've ever driven, but we took it slow and all made it home safe.

Funny- after that incident I couldn't really remember what was bogging me down...just one of those little wonders!

Cute Kids

So I'm in Primary now...no more music leading for me! Yippee...for me and the ladies in RS!

I help co-teach the CTR 6s (5 and 6 yearolds which is Pucca's class).

Two funny stories from last Sunday:

The first one was in Sharing time (the music singing part before we go to class). The 4-5 year olds sit right in front of us and there was a little girl sitting by a little boy. They were both talking and joking with one another- not paying attention at all and being kind of loud. I tried to get them to quiet down and so did their teacher, but some thing was in the air because these two were full of energy! Finally, their teacher said to the little girl, "You need to come sit by me!" She asked "Why?" "Because he is being irreverent!" the teacher answered.

The little boy taps the little girl on the shoulder and asks what the teacher said. She looks at him, smiles and says "She said you're a very nice boy!". He then gets a huge smile and says "Yeah- I am a very nice boy!" and then they both proceeded to giggle hysterically!


The second one came during the Sunday school lesson. I was teaching and the lesson was about prophets. I asked the class- Can just anybody be a prophet? They all answered no. Can I be a prophet? They answered "no- you have to be a boy!" "That's right" I said "It would have to be a special boy, right!?"

One of the boys looked at me and said "Hey I'm special and I'm a boy. I'm a pretty special boy!" Then another one of boys says "I'm special too- my parents always tell me that!" Then another boy says "I'm super special!" Pretty soon I had all five of the boys telling me how they were special boys...it was so cute!

Name Meanings

Sad to say- but I am totally into horoscopes, astrological signs and have been dying to get my palm read again- so stinkin cool! (frivolous and pointless BUT fun!)

I found a website awhile back that gave the meaning of any name you enter. Its probably totally random and they just match up as close as possible with some names, but I still liked it!

Here they are:

Audra:
You are usually the best at everything...you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and at times aggressive. You have a type A personality. You are a lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because your lucky, you don't have many worries. You just hope for the best in life. You are balanced, orderly and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, but people tend to see you as stubborn and headstrong. Patience is not one of your strong suits, although you are forever generous with your time and talents.

You are wild and crazy and tend to rebel You prefer casual relationships with not many walls or boundaries. You can be sarcastic at times and tend to be a handful too. You are likely to get into trouble, but your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You have a way of finding the humor in life.

John:
You are fair, honest and logical. You are well rounded with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal and tend to have life long friends. At times you can be too serious. And you put too much pressure on yourself at times.

You are an original person. You have amazing ideas and the power to carry them out, but don't always do that. You are intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You are prone to paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard interpreting signals.

Kynna:
You are a seeker of knowledge and you love to learn. You are also a keeper of knowledge- meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby and aloof, but you are just shy and it takes time for you to open to people.

You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it to be and you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your head. You are also very adaptable.

Kwynnie:
You are confident, self assured and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You are very open and communicate well. You connect easily with other people. You are a seeker of knowledge. You are a free spirit and resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous and always a little surprising.

You have the ability to understand the world better than anyone else. You have an over active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.

Pucca:
You are very open and communicate well. You connect with others easily. You are naturally creative. Your attributes are that you are solid, dependable and loyal. Although you have a wild streak that will never be broken. You will constantly be battling the lines between practicality and spontaneity.

You have a ton of energy and most people find you hard to handle. But you are also extremely charming. Dangerously so. You have the potential to break a lot of hearts. You know what you want, how to get it and that you will get it. You have the power to rule the world. Let's just hope you're a benevolent dictator!


So these aren't 100% but seriously close! CRAZY!

NO pix

We had a house full this past weekend. My mom came over from GI town and my little brother and his girlfriend came up from Kansas. It was a short visit- but fun none the less!

Crazy stories always find their way out during our family get togethers. I'm usually the one divulging sibling secrets...however this time Trev turned the tables on me!

My poor mom...I don't think anything would surprise that woman! And NO I'm not telling you what my once 'gone and buried, take-to-the-grave' secret was...it involves the law and I would hate to make you all accessories after the fact! :)

Sadly though- I was tired and busy all weekend and I didn't take any pictures! Which is truly sad, because my children just adore their uncle and visiting only twice a year is rough!

On an up note- we video conferenced with my older brother and his family this afternoon via googletalk ( i think that's what its called). It was fun and I can't believe how big my nieces and nephews are getting! I think we're going to make it a weekly thing- the kids really enjoyed it!

Cutest thing!

I just received my newest copy of Family Fun in the mail yesterday and found this super cute art project!

Do you like works of the impressionists...like Renoir, Monet or Sisley? If so, this is the art project for your family!

Super simple too! The end result would truly be worthy of framing!

Supplies needed:

• White card stock
• washable markers

Have your child draw/color a masterpiece with the markers on the cardstock. In fact, have them draw multiples! Then save for a RAINY day! Once you start to see the rain clouds roll in...put the artwork outside in the rain for a few minutes, then carefully bring inside- ensuring that the card stock is kept flat. Let it set until completely dried!

Here's an example


you can also dab it dry with a paper towel or tissue to give it a softer feel.

So stinkin cute, right!? Can't wait to try it!







and no- Family Fun isn't paying me to give this fantastic endorsement...I'm happily passing the word about how great a magazine this is!

No candy allowed

The girls have taken us up on a candy challenge we posed to them. Here's the challenge:

• No candy for a whole year (challenge ends 12/31/09 at 11:59pm)
• You can pick 3 'free' days to eat candy throughout the year...holidays such as Easter, Halloween, or if maybe you can't take it one minute longer- the chocolate bar is just calling you name....those kinds of days.
• This includes chocolate bars, gummy candy, hard candy, M&Ms etc
• This doesn't include sugar-free gum...which has pretty much been the girls' saving grace!

Each girl that completes this challenge gets $100 on 1/1/10.

All three girls chose Valentines as one of there days (Pucca chose Saturday and the twins chose yesterday). They didn't eat as much candy as I had thought they would.

They each have a candy box to store candy in until their next free day...and they have all been really good about it! So far so good!

I was a little skeptical about Pucca doing it- that child lives on sugary sweetness, but she's doing awesome! It helped when we explained how many princess books and webkinz $100 can buy ya! :)

I stole this idea from a friend's blog...I thought is was genius! What a great way to jump start healthier living for the whole family!

Eye dr.

John and I went on a date today....ahhhhhhhh....actually before you think we're all gushy- let me explain. We went to the eye dr, had exams and picked out some new glasses for both of us. There was no way I would let him pick out his own frames...no no no! I am a firm believer that most wives need to help 'nudge' or 'push' their husbands in the right fashion direction...except for this one guy at church! I don't know if his wife dresses him or not- but he always looks acceptable!

Back to my story....


Now here are some phrases the eye dr said during my exam:

Its been how long since your last eye exam?

So you don't wear any glasses or contacts right now? (just my readers) Only when you read...huh!? really?

And you passed your last driver's license sight exam?

Do you get lots of headaches?

Stop me when you can see the letters clearly click...click...click....click...click...click...click... Ummm- just stop me when they start to come into focus...click....click....click...click....click....click....
You can't see any of those letters?

(feeling a little ashamed, I ask "Are the letters black or white?") click...click....click....click...click.

Finally, I saw some letters! YAY! Come to find out I am very very very far sighted, but my auto focus is stellar....so it doesn't seem as bad as it is. The down side is that I'm prone to headaches after reading or studying for periods of time. My glasses broke about 5 years ago...Pucca thought they were hers. And I just never went back to get new ones. I wear readers now...but they aren't quite cutting it anymore. SO...back to prescription glasses. I really want some colored contacts- but I don't think I could get past sticking something in my eyeball...nope pretty sure I couldn't do that. So I'll just stick with my green hazel eyes and get some spiffy new specs! I have to go back and have some drops put in- to try and turn off my natural auto focus. Then we can see how bad my eyes truly are.

Down side: I'll be near blind next Monday for 2 hours

Upside: I get some new designer frames...I am really crushing on these black and pink Donna Karan frames....ahhhhhhh....maybe!

And John looks very handsome in his new frames...very intellectual!

Once there was a snowman

Once there was a snowman...snowman...snowman!

Once there was as snowman tall...tall...tall!

In the sun he melted...melted...melted! In the sun he melted small...small...small!

What the!?

First of all- snow day! LPS called lastnight to let us know. So I woke up the girls and told them "SORRY, but no school tomorrow. So we're all sleeping in!"

They all seemed very pleased with this idea...me too! Sleeping in at our house is 7:45/8- buts its still a whole lot better than 5:45am! So I fall asleep last night dreaming of how wonderful its going to be...no chaotic morning routine, no wardrobe fussiness, no schedule...it all sounded amazing!

When John left for work this morning at 6am- the twins were up playing the wii. John and I both told them to go back to bed - they didn't. Well, I was gosh darn it! 6:20....Pucca wakes up wanting to know where her breakfast is. I beg for 5 more minutes- she decides to crawl in bed with me...chatting like a morning song bird. Ugggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh - ok I'll get up and get you breakfast.

I crawl back into my warm and inviting bed at 6:45- thinking I just may get back to sleep for a little bit. I must of dozed off because I was awoken at 7:15 with Pucca yelling at her sisters from the top of the stairs. Then they yelled back. Then Emma ate someone's crackers and they yelled at her. Then I was up!

So much for my plan to sleep in! And did I seriously say "...what better way to spend Valentine's than being snowed in with you sweeties!"?????

Random stuff

I colored my hair today...its been more than 3 months...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! I was going through some pretty serious withdraw! Its a auburn/chestnutty color...I took some pictures but it just didn't do it justice. I really LIKE it. And I also got a nice little trim- angled long to the front with the back layered and textured for more oomph!

The impending whiteout...hmmm- I'm actually thinking it sounds pretty good! What better way to spend to valentines than snowed in with your sweeties! :) Plus- we are seriously wanting to go sledding! yippee!

Valentine Parties...the kids have their parties tomorrow and that's only reason I hope they don't cancel school! I'm helping at Pucca's...taking photos and documenting it for the school yearbook. The kids are sooooo excited- they've been bringing in their valentines all week!

Valentine's Day ideas...

Its not too late!!! Here are a few cute ideas I found/heard of:

For schoolaged kids giving Valentines to friends:
On Designmom, she had her son cut up a mad lib book so all the sheets were individual. Then rolled them up with a cute piece of scrap book paper, some string and a tag that had various sayings like "I'm mad about you!" "I can't lib without you!" you can see them here.

For husbands to wives:
I saw this on someone's blog but I can't remember who or where...but it was so funny I had to post it! A man bought his wife a entire new set of gourmet pots and pans. The note attached said "If it weren't for you- I wouldn't have a pot to piss in!" How romantic!? oh brother.....

For grandparents giving to grandchildren:
Both sets of the girls grandparents did well this year! The twins received journals complete with locks and invisible ink. I always think journals/diaries are a great gift- especially to pre-teen girls!
My mom sent the girls a 'Valentine Party in a Box'. The package arrived a few days ago and inside was everything we needed to have a little family Valentine's party ie cups, plates, cookies from Eileens (YUM), party favors, valentine shaped playing cards, pencils, balloons and a little Valentine making kit. It was pretty cute! Although, there was NO WAY those cookies were going to last until Saturday!





For kids giving to teachers:




The girls gave these to their female teachers...the hand lotion a small bottle from Bath and Bodyworks- smells super good!





And they gave these to the male teachers...we've done this one before with microwave popcorn and card stock popcorn cover. The idea is from that awesome magazine my mother-in-law gave me a sub to! So ours is slightly modified but the original idea was here.

Parent Teacher Conference UPDATE

John and I went to the twins' pt conferences lastnight. No surprises. The kids were great, they are doing great and they are great students. We received their report cards last week- so we knew what to expect.

The girls both turned in and presented their science fair projects. Kwynnie and her partners did "Which type of Bubble gum will produce the biggest bubble; sticks, gumballs or bubble gum chunks and why?"
Kynna and her partner did a demonstration/informative presentation on "Dwarf Planets"



Both girls did an amazing job and received the highest scores possible in their categories. They also have the option the present them at the District Science Fair at Pershing 3/31. I hope they decide to do it- if not just for the experience.

A Ring and Everything!

Pucca has a super dear friend that she's be with since the day he was born. They are exactly 5 months apart and simply adore eachother! His mother and I have been life long friends since as far back as I can remember. So its only fitting our children are close.




She has all boys. I have all girls.





Pucca and her friend needed some 'together' time (Kris and I were tired of hearing them whining and moping for some playtime together) so he came over and spent the day with us on Saturday.

Its so cute to see them together. Pucca is a tall little girl, but next to her friend...she's a towering bean pole! From the very beginning they related to each other like an old married couple. For the most part they get along, although moments of irritation find there way in. But they never fight and always work their little tiffs out all on their own (which is quite amazing considering their ages!)

Kris and I used to joke that they would probably end up married some day...and Pucca and friend haven't forgot that fact. Well, last Saturday when her friend arrived...he had a sweet little Valentine for her and she ecstatic!

After a couple of minutes of playing- he quickly ran up to me and asked where I had put his coat. I told him it was on the couch as I followed him into the living room. He searched his pockets, then a huge smile came over his face as he found what he was looking for. "Oh, Puuuuuuuuccccccccccccaaaaaaaa!" he called as he ran down the hall to her room. I couldn't help but wonder what he had for her- so I headed back towards the bedroom. This is the conversation I heard:

T: Its for you. (as he handed her the blue butterfly ring)
P: Really?! Its so pretty! Where did you get it?
T: Chuck E Cheese- and it cost 5 whole tickets! That's alot!
P: You went to Chuck E Cheese and got this just for me?
T: yep. I figured you needed one if we were going to get married.


Too cute!

wonderful

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE our acreage?! It is so peaceful and beautiful- even with the dull faded brown and yellow foliage. We headed out there Saturday afternoon to visit John's parents and enjoy the absolutely PERFECT weather! And of course we had to grill out for dinner...perfect end to a perfect day!

The twins and I took Ems for a walk in the pasture. As we walked, we talked, checked on the 'hideout' and I snapped some photos. Here are a few of the photos from a truly delightful afternoon...

The twins acting silly...not so much 'acting' - they just are silly! So cute how this photo really emphasizes their personalities....Kwynnie (daring, sarcastic and dramatic) Kynna (shy, quiet and guarded yet still sweet as can be)






Love this one of Kwynnie and Ems- that dog is CRAZY, but as loyal as they come. She loves to HERD us...especially the kids- she doesn't like them wandering off. In an effort to protect us, she runs circles around us to keep us together- kind of sweet! Unless you factor in that she's treating us like cattle... hmmm




Finally- our lone tree. The twins and I have become quite fond of this little tree. Why you ask...for a lot of reasons. For one it stands all by itself in the middle of this field...which is kind of strange because its a cedar (Cedars are spread by their seeds. And the seeds are spread by the wind. So usually cedars pop up in groups...where the seeds finally rested in a clump, usually along a bank or a fence line.) But this cedar stands alone. And there aren't any around it, not even saplings. We decided that this was significant...the fact that it was growing where no other cedars wanted to grow. The girls, in all their 5th grade intelligence, said it symbolized individualism. And that you don't always have to do what everyone else is doing to make it in the world. Now as a mother to pre-teen girls- I can't tell you how happy this made me! They are pretty dang smart little girls! My analogy was alot more philosophical and long-winded and the girls decided they liked their explanation better...win some lose some!:)

The girls also like it because of how it looks...most cedars look like full jagged christmas trees, but this one was trimmed a few years ago...and hasn't filled in. John just let me know that the tree is that way because the cattle that we were once there would rub against it...whatever!:)
They said it resembles a certain tree from one of their video games. Either way- its a pretty sweet tree!

It was good day...simply wonderful!

What do you do?

We recently attended my husband's holiday party for work- and I was asked by several people...and What do you do?

I confidently answered that I'm a mom and I'm home with the kids. (The CEO of the Kelly family...which includes budgets, finances, acquiring goods, schedule maintnance etc. )

Its a full time job- and one I'm proud to have. Its work - fun and rewarding work!


John thought that I was embarrassed or insecure about what I do...but I'm not! Many of the women who hear I'm a stay at home mom envy me and willingly tell me so. Its all rather crazy, because 11 years ago - being a mom was the farthest thing from my mind. I didn't want children and definitely wasn't going to be playing stay-at-home soccer mom! Talk about a 180!

I grew up with a single mom- she worked all the time trying to provide for us. She wasn't able to come to school events or participate in our activities as much as she would have liked. As a kid- I understood why she couldn't always be there...but I want to and have the opportunity to be there for my kids. Help out at their schools, be there when they get home, all those little moments that I wouldn't miss for anything.

One of my favorite things is picking up the kids from school...there's always so much they have to say or report on, the latest gossip or how a particular test went.

Another part of being a full time super mom - is groceries! Now that's some serious business! I always try to make my shopping lists around the store flyers in the Wednesday paper. I plan a two week menu based around what's on sale and what we have at home (in the freezer or in the pantry). Its a little time consuming- but I love saving money! I'm always so excited on shopping day. I call John and tell him how much I spent on groceries..his reply is usually that he doesn't care, but I have to brag to someone! Russ's is the best- because they print off on the receipt how much you saved! I always save that for John...evidentiary proof and all!

Anyway- I think he's finally getting into this grocery thing or at least appreciating what I do. He sent me this blog-link and I wanted to share with you...click here to find the latest grocery deals in town. I saved it as a bookmark- its pretty useful!


I think all mom's are awesome- whether you stay at home or work...infact I admire those of you who work all day and then come home to be mom and family manager! You're simply amazing!

The Written Word

"I'm addicted to the written word..."

Me too! Me too! I love books! So much so that my life has to hit the pause button until the last page is read. There's something to be said about losing yourself in another person's life...the fictional characters are what I prefer- although I do read a few biographies every year. There are some seriously fascinating people out there!

But fiction is my passion. Not the 'way out there' stuff involving other planets and stuff, but just good old fashioned story telling. I love a good story. The way the stage is set, how the characters are introduced, how the drama unfolds and the superbly satisfying ending. How can you not love it!? Its like a really good movie- but it lasts longer and you don't have to put up with mediocre acting...because in your head every scene is perfect!

I'm in need of some good books. I've been frequenting the library and am through the Fiction section all the way to the Qs. I haven't read every book (A-Q) just the ones that appealed, but I did look through almost all of them, reading the cover and what not to see if it warranted a full days attention to read it. I've read ALOT of them though- some where so-so, some were great and some where not very good at all. I'm one of those loyal readers- who gives a book every chance to 'get better' chapter by chapter. I think I've only NOT finished two books...but I don't think you can fully envelop the story unless you give it fair chance by reading it cover to cover.

I find myself much more inclined to read a book than watch tv. And so do my children- thank goodness! The girls love their books! The twins have just started the Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie series. They need to know the classics! Most dads who have a house full of daughters- fear the mall...clothing, shoes, handbags etc. Right now I think John fears Barnes and Noble! Our shopping trips there are enough to make him crazy. I recently went to a used book sale at the mall and came home with like 20 books...I would have bought more but my arms were full! It was like Christmas morning when the girls got home and saw the new additions laid out on the counter!

Some of my favorite books aren't even ones that can be read...I have a small collection of 18th and 19th century hymnals and some educational readers from the early 1800s. Love them!


Anyway- I guess what I'm saying is books are awesome! Cookbooks, fiction, biographies, collections of poems, botanical reference books, photographic travel journals of far away places and even the quintessential coffee table book...they are all GOOD!

Going Green!

Our family is doing our best to be 'green' or at least green-er than we used to be! We recycle all the plastic, cardboard (food boxes), tin cans, aluminum cans and paper that we can. We are also buying more eco-friendly cleaning products, using cloth bags at stores and the girls use reusable plastic containers in their lunches to cut down on waste.

The recycling program is really neat! I first heard about it through Christy's blog- its called RecycleLink. They give you a special tote to fill up with recyclables- not sorting necessary! How great is that! There's a point/incentive program along with it...but we've yet to really use it. I'm positive we will - but for now I totally think its worth the minimal fee we pay just to have our unsorted recyclable trash picked up!

I really hope the girls and all children for that matter- learn how important it is to take care of our planet! I'm sure their on the right track...when we go on walks we take an extra bag to pick up any litter we find along the way. And they really don't like it when they see someone throw trash out the window of their car...Kwynnie almost called someone the "s" word one time when she witnessed a driver throw a drink out the window...you know- stupid! :) (They refer to that word as the "s" word- so cute, but getting off subject!)

All that being said, I think the only part of being 'green' that our family has yet to work on is buying green. There are so many products out there that are better for our environment...I had no idea how many there were or how easy it is to buy a green product in place of another.

Here are a few websites I found that have some really nice stuff and they aren't all that expensive!

The first one is Pure by Chantal- its cookware.
Super cute and classic- would fit into almost any kitchen decor!

There's also a cute organic shop called Totally Organic...I really like the kids clothes! I think it would be great for a baby gift too!

greenpeople.org and evo.com are really great Eco-friendly marketplaces too!