They WERE playing nicely together...

My five year old and three year old WERE playing nicely together this morning.
My toddler was toddling around, playing independently.

Last night/early this morning, I had labeled, stamped, and inserted Christmas cards into 150 envelopes. (Believe it or not, that was just the "in-state" Christmas card list!) And, since it is Christmas Eve, my goal was to have them postmarked today.

My husband was home (he had a 9:30 meeting, so wasn't leaving the house quite yet, and he offered to stay home so I could run out and be back shortly.

So, my six year old offered to help me on the 8:45 am errand to the post office. The trip went smoothly, and that was the ONLY errand this whole week that took about ten minutes total!

Unfortunately, when we returned home, we were greeted by a strong whiff of VINEGAR. "What? Why? What happened?"

IT turns out, my five year old, remembered once upon a time that Mommy had used vinegar to clean something, so, the idea was hatched to dump 2 cups of Apple Cider Vinegar on the floor, and dry the floor.

The smell does dissapate slightly when washed with hot soapy water, but Guess what? Apple Cider Vinegar STRIPS hardwood floors.

I really hope some lessons were learned by the kids.

This fiasco pushed 'refinish floors' to a more urgent task!

This is how Christmas Eve Began

Pie time!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving...

And, along with the majority of Americans, we did indeed eat Turkey. (Supply and demand, though, the producers of turkeys have been raising and freezing turkeys since last thanksgiving, so there is a greater supply than demand, and turkeys, happily end up being an economical mainstay for Thanksgiving).

But in my mind, competing with turkey, pies are a universal thanksgiving dessert.

I could be like most people, and either buy my pies or make them the week preceeding Thanksgiving, but the making of the pies is as important (and fun) to me as the eating and sharing of pies.

This year, my 6 year old was in charge of crusts: he made three batches of crust = 3 crusts. (Somehow, although following the recipe for 2-crusts each time, each batch really made 1 crust).

PUMPKIN PIE This was completely made by my 6 year old. With molasses in the recipe, it turned out as a yummy darker shade pumpkin pie.

CHERRY PIE Since the 'extra' crust didn't materialize from the batch of crust, we ended up using brownsugar&oats to make a 'crisp' topping. This was the easiest pie to make: store-bought cherry filling mix, made this easy as 1-2-3.

APPLE PIE, Since I had actually bought heavy cream, I *finally* got a chance (with the help of my 5 year old) to make an old-fashioned apple pie recipe. Interestingly, this recipe didn't have any cinnamon - but healthy dose of allspice, nutmeg and clove. This recipe only called for a TOP crust (no bottom crust here) -- which worked perfectly, considering there was only 1 crust obtainable from the third batch.

HOME-MADE WHIPPED CREAM (the real stuff -- the kids have a blast making the whipped cream, and it's less sweet than the artificial whipped topping I typically buy.

With the help of our company and the kids, two/thirds of the pies got eaten for dessert on thanksgiving -- leaving just enough for leftovers today!

Pumpkin Cookies -- a no egg recipe!

I think this is the first cookie recipe I've ever made without eggs,

A good friend brought some pumpkin cookies to my house last month, and I've been looking forward to making them ever since. I finally got the recipe from her, I've modified it for out house.. and now we've made them, and are eating them all up. (Be careful, these are addictive!)

PUMPKIN COOIKIES
These are cake-like, delightful, relatively healthy treats.

I'm excited to have found a no-egg recipe, so that tasting before cooking is (finally!) allowed. (A habit that my kids all have).

1/4 c butter
1/4 c shortening
1 c pumpkin
1 c sugar

CREAM those four ingredients in a bowl

Follow with dry ingredients:

2 c of flour
3/4 t vanilla
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 T brown sugar
1 t baking soda

After well mixed, combine in the raisins and nuts:
1 c raisins
1/4 c chopped nuts


This makes a the perfect autumn afternoon snack!

Beautifully Clean FLUORESCENT GREEN bathroom...

This morning was a successful morning.

I had the three youngest awaken EARLY at 6 a.m.

Since they were up early, I made a hot breakfast: scrambled eggs and Cream of Wheat.

Everyone got dressed, the only hitch in getting the oldest off to school was that uniform shoes were nowhere to be found. (but, we had size-to-big-that-we'll-be-wearing-soon shoes, which saved the day!)

I did make 2 trips to drop kids off at school. (Kindergartener didn't want to risk being late while First grader still only had socks on).

My 3 year old adeptly used the potty un-invited.(My laundry burden really appreciates the fewer accidents. I like the final stage of potty-training!)

I had a leisurely grocery shopping excursion with my two youngest.
(I even remembered the reusable shopping bags, and it was so nice to have easy-to-carry bags to bring back into the house.)

Our 1 year old decided it's a good morning/day for a LONG nap.

I tackled my goal for the morning: thoroughly clean the main bathroom. This took a whole hour, but the tub, sink, floor, toilet, walls were all shining.

My husband came home to have an early lunch with me. (Thanks to the shopping trip, there was bread for sandwiches!)

Now, comes the fluorescent green part: While mommy and daddy were enjoying a rare lunch together in the dining room, 3 year old decided that reading books for quiet time was too boring, so the paints got opened, and turned into body paint. Of course, when this happens, one needs to go to the bathroom to wash off one's hands...

You guessed it, I was left with a Beautifully clean, fluorescent Green bathroom! It's amazing how many places a little body and hands touch in the process of reaching the sink!

Thankfully, it was kid, non-toxic, easily washable paint. And I've removed the fluorescent green decoration from the bathroom. Maybe it'll stay clean again for the next half hour?

Now, it's time for an afternoon...

All I want for nighttime is four sleeping kids....

Some nights are easy.

Some nights are hard.

Right now, things are happening. I have a moment to sit at the computer (and I'm not working yet) and half the kids are asleep, one is wide awake, and one quarter is drifting off...

Tonight our three year old said (after being told to put pj's on. "It's o.k. mom, I'm ready for bed!" and was asleep within 5 min.

Our 6 year old read quietly in bed for a few minutes, and was asleep within a half hour.

Our 5 year old is wide awake reading books with the lamp on (But, she took a rare nap this afternoon, so this is explicable)

Our 1 year old is quite tired, but she doesnt' want to fall asleep. She finally took a nap today from 5 to 6, so, although she usually falls asleep around 7:30, it's an hour past bedtime and she wants up!

So, the BIG question is this: who will wake earliest tomorrow, and who will want to sleep in? We only have two weeks left before school dictates the morning wake up hour.

While you were sleeping...

I thought up the title for this blog while my husband was sleeping-in/napping (very much earned, mind you) this morning. [His job required him to wake up 4a.m. yesterday, and he wasn't able to compensate by going to bed early last night (see previous post) like he usually does). Since he has since gotten up and begun his morning routine, a better title might be "things I did this morning before breakfast", but some of this was indeed while he was sleeping... (not necessarily in this order).

Nursed our baby (at 12 months, she's not quite an infant, but still not weaned yet. I'm willing to wait till 24 months to wean, but none of my kids so far have made it that long).

Turned on and watched portions of Adventurs of Winnie the Pooh with children.

Checked email, composed a blog entry while older children were still watching said video (and youngest was eating a bananna).

Unloaded dishwasher.

Supervised/ Participated in making of waffles for the family breakfast (but, I had momentum and was in the process of cleaning, that I myself didn't join them as I typically do... so no breakfast for me yet.)

Loaded dishwasher.

Scrubbed down counters.

Picked up food from the floor (yesterday's snack?)

Picked up clothes off the floor (why were they there?)

Carried overstuffed laundry hamper into the basement.

Tossed a load of laundry in the washer machine.

Picked up toys off the living room floor (the joy of having all the kids take out 1 year old's toys, and then wander off...)

Picked up papers off the floor (I'm amazed how many papers ended up in my purse, and then got dumped on the ground - evidence that bringing pads of paper, pencils, crayons, markers do keep little hands busy during church).

Swept (o.k. not sweep everything, but piles left over from yesterday's cleaning actually made it into the trash can).

Took out the trash (three trash bags).

Took out recyclable items. (Doing my part to save the planet? or, at least filling up the recycle bin outside as well as the trash cans).

Changed a diaper.

Put ear drops in child's ears.

Read a book.

Coaxed potty training three year old to use the toilet properly (yay!).

Put baby-getting-to-be-toddler down for morning nap.

Referreed sibling conflict.

Encouraged second oldest to get dressed (and complimented oldest for doing it without being prodded).

Encouraged older children to make their beds (but didn't get around to doing mine yet, hopefully I'll get around to washing sheets today).

Picked up some shoes.

Directed children to pick up some shoes.

Cleaned up orange juice spill.

Wiped down bathroom sink (still needs to be scrubbed further).

Rinsed out coffee pot.

Wished I had more time in the morning.

Cleaned hands of 3 year old and 5 year old who got into paint...

Got items out of the van that needed to be washed (such as 1 year old's cup).

Listened to various stories.

Oversaw time outs.

Picked up towel off the floor (why did the bathroom towel make its way into the hallway??)

Sorted through one 'misc papers' container (so that the "I want to keep" papers from church had a temporary home).

-----
I've lossed momentum to do household chores, but, I think things are looking better than when we fell asleep (or woke up?). I was able to have a delightful morning -- I got to eat breakfast with my husband (just the two of us! sipping coffee too, having conversation too? When does that ever happen?).

Ok, now I hear commotion going on.. Now I'm off to "things I did after breakfast this morning"....

Something you don't hear everyday.

Yesterday, we went on a family excursion:

We took a short drive and drove down to Long Beach.


We figured that we could get the beach town experience, sans crowds since we were going late Sunday afternoon.

We did miss the traffic (lots of cars leaving, we were one of the few entering). Oh, except we did have a little congesion when we had to wait for the draw bridge, but that was worth it -- kids enjoyed seeing the "big boat".

So, we found a place to park (which probably wouldn't have happened if we had gone earlier in the day or a different day of the week).

And the six of us took a walk down to a cool restaurant my husband had happened upon during a business visit.

And, my husband says, "That looks like a girl I married".

I couldnt' help myself from laughing. He, of course repeated himself, "You know, the one I married last month".

I continued to laugh, because that isn't something a wife hears her husband (who's only been married to her) say!

Of course, I'm his only wife of the past 11 years, and we have a good marriage.

So, most of you reading the blog, will know the solution to this riddle: my husband was requested as a minister to do a Beach Wedding (In Long Beach), and officiated the ceremony. So, he did marry someone who frequents Long Beach, and who probably was that girl we saw walk in the opposite direction. Just, he wasn't the groom.

Oh, the business visit mentioned earlier did have to do with the rehearsal dinner for said wedding.

Oh, and we did have a delightful evening at a beach restaurant, and a fun run through the sand, chase seagulls, and poke our toes in the Atlantic Ocean.

I guess there are advantages to living on Long Island.

Fireworks, anyone?

This past weekend, we went to a fun family bar-b-que and fireworks. (A scant 40 miles away, but, being that it was on the OTHER side of NYC, it did take almost two hours to get there.)

The kids enjoyed running around in the LARGE yard (size of about 5 of our yards put together). Kids enjoyed the wading pools.

Kids enjoyed the food.

Kids (except 11 month old who slept through them) DID NOT enjoy the fireworks. It was too loud for those little ears. "Why did we have to go see them?" "Why?" "I just want to go home". "Are they over yet?" "How much longer?" "Please hold me mom".

Moral of the story: Next time, I'll bring ear plugs... prepare the kids... bring comfort things.... and try to have Daddy come with! Aunts and Uncles (and Cousins) tried to help me console the 3 older kids (while I had sleeping baby in my arms with blanket to shield the noise).

Or, maybe I'll do what I've done every other year: try to honor kiddie bedtime, leave before the fun walk to the park for the firework display, and deprive my kids of the American pastime of watching firework display.

Just another ER trip..

Today started with my three year old being "sick". (Long story short, potty-woes. someone is reluctant to use "the potty".. so holds it.. and feels a little sick until getting the gumption to actually confront that this is a fact of life that can't be avoided...)

After taking my 3 year old to the Dr's... (he said the right thing, and we are much better.. I dread the bill though)... My 5 year old started fighting on the way out of the Dr's.

Of course, this brought about a time-out when we arrived at home. (Manners are important, and not having good manners merits a few minutes to reflect. Isn't that fair?)

Of course, no one wants to stay in time out.

So, My five year old repeatedly pressed the boundaries, getting out of time-out...
And, in the process... got more rambunctious and angry...

This led to a "push" (I'd use the euphemism of a 'bump' but it really was a push) against older sibling 'cause the 6 year old was tattle-tailing that the 5 year old got out of time out (again).

BUT....
This didn't happen without consequences.

My six year old was standing next to a closet door which was left ajar.
The "bump" caused a head collision with the edge of a door. "MOM, IT HURTS" oh, yeah, and blood splatter.. and then blood-soaked paper towel.

Then the debate: where to go? I tried to get phone and get ahold of the dr who we had JUST SEEN. (Ironically, if it had been for the SAME kid, the receptionist implied that we could get in, but, we were told to go to the ER).

We chose the Not closest ER (1 1/2 miles away -- That one has terrible wait times), and when to the one 21/2 miles away.

Turns out we made a wise decision -- from triage time until exit time was about 2 hours. (Not bad! last ER visit was over four hours if memory serves me correctly). Although the Adult ER was swamped, the pediactric ER had empty beds, and we got great service.

So, at the end of the day, One Dr Visit, one ER visit, 3 staples in one kid.

All stories have happy endings (eventually). Drum roll...

I have four kiddies in bed. And, I even have a few spare minutes to post a blog entry!

There's a farm in New York City!

Would you believe that there's a farm in New York City?
(Oh, and what other farm gives directions based on subway and bus routes??)

Back 'in the day' there used to be several... now there's only one.

Proof that everything is so dense here: I had heard about it, but it took living here for two years to actually drive that "far away" (about two miles, took between 10 and 15 minutes).

The kids LOVED the experience!

We got to see chickens, turkeys, cow, sheep, goats, peacocks, pigs, ducks, goose, apple orchard, fields. The kids (except the 11 month old) even got to go on a hay ride!

I want to return on a weekend to get a tour of the historic farm house (The Queens County Farm Museum dates back to 1697).

How can you go from Starving, to stuffed without really eating?

Ok, so my kids claimed they were starving.

We had a large lunch at the mall (a treat)

They had munchies (i.e. samples) at Costco while shopping (again, a treat)

They had a real snack of (Costco-bought) granola bars.

When we arrived home. "MOMMMMMM, You didn't give us snack, we're starving!!!"

I gently reminded them, they had eaten, at which point they stopped complaining. But they said they wanted to eat dinner soon.

Dinner was cooked and served.

Yummy pizza (I was hungry - I hadn't had all their snacks, It tasted good). They barely touched their food.

When asked by their father "why aren't you eating"

"Dad, we're stuffed... we had too much to eat"

go figure.

What do Whole Wheat Flour and Bathroom Sink have to do with each other?

We have creative children.

Who knows where they get their ideas?

Perhaps it's the Mr. Roger's tune "Let's think of something to do while we're waiting, while were waiting..."?

Well, I wish Mr. Roger's song included "never make a mess, while you're waiting", THAT would be a helpful tune to have in my kids' heads!

So, this evening, I was on the phone with a college friend.

I returned her call immediately after dinner.

I assumed my children went to the bathroom to wash their hands.

Perhaps, that was the original idea?

Someone (I think it was the 5 year old) brought the 5 pound container of whole wheat flour into the bathroom.

When I checked in on them (It's amazing how it only takes a few minutes for a mess to develop!) The sink was full with a Brown Liquid. Oh, goodness!

Time Outs, to each and every one.

"You know that mom paid money for that flour, and that flour was reserved for baking?"

"Oh, we didn't know that"!!!!!


Rather than risk a clogged drain, I emptied the sink out into the pail.

But, as I write this, there is a small area of paste on the bathroom floor that I need to remove, before it hardens...


At least my life isn't boring!

Just a little Cup of Apple Juice?

As parents, we've encouraged our children to do things for themselves that they can do.

In some ways, it's paid dividends: our oldest learned to tie his shoes at five years old, our next in line learned at three.

And our current three year old likes to do things too!

But, the other day, it started with a simple desire of a little cup of Apple Juice.

Now, I had just opened a full Costco-purchased 2 gallon jug of apple juice.

Of course, a three year old, can't pour that.

So, The FULL juice container (minus the one cup that had been poured previously, and the few ounces that remained) got spilled onto the kitchen counter and kitchen floor.
This, of course, included getting into the toaster oven, on cutting boards, etc.

Do you know how much a mess sticky apple juice is to clean up - when it's just a cup spilled?

Now, imagine volumes that should satisfy thirst for this family of six for at least a week...

Yup, you guessed it: A mess.

But, the adventure didn't end there. Realizing that it needed to be cleaned up, this three year old, grabbed the kitchen sink hose, and tried to spray it off. (Which, was an admirable idea, but, you guessed it -- wet. We don't want to let juice leak into the basement too!

Thankfully, I happened by the kitchen as the spill was expanding. And, we did have clean towels accessible.

It took a few days to get rid of the sticky residue from the floor and the counter. But, it got done.

Adventure concluded.

Of course, that means another one is around the corner!

Just another adventure...

What do you do when it is gorgeous outside?

Today, after taking our quick walk around the block, I realized it was indeed a gorgeous day!

I lamented that our library (my only errand of the day) is no longer in walking distance (few miles away 'bigger & better' community library).

Solution? Let's bikeride to the Library!

I have an awesome WIKE bike trailer that the almost-toddler and almost-preschooler were able to sit in. The preschooler-almost-kindergartener sat in the front (WeeRide Kangaroo) bike seat.

I love this setup! I am so glad 'the baby' is finally big enough to sit in the trailer and enjoy bike rides. Last time I went on a good bikeride -- well over a year ago -- I was pregnant with our youngest.

I was able to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors with my children, arrive at the library just when it opened, enjoy library time with my children, and arrive home in time for PB&J lunch.


What could be better?

Oh, yea.. fresh air enticed all the little ones to take a nap this afternoon!
(So, a little laundry was done, and a little cleaning too)

Sometimes I wish I lived in the City...

(Comment: I've not been posting my adventures recently. It's not that I haven't had any advetures lately, but rather that they've been such a common occurance, that I haven't had time to share them!)

Ok, I'm almost a city girl, but not quite.

Today we picked up the car from being serviced. While it was "routine maintenance", it did cost $1,400. The price of just maintaining a vehicle, sometimes seems expensive.

If I were completely a city girl, and relied soley on public transportation/pedestrian/bicycle, we wouldn't have to maintain our vehicles!

However, I think living without a vehicle would be quite a challenge!

(For instance, it's easier to pile kids in the van and go on errands than it would be just have an adventure getting there.)

History Repeats itself TWICE in the past 2 days...

The advantage of having a super-sized washer machine, is that one can actually do decent sized loads (A big plus considering how much laundry this family of six goes through).

THE DISADVANTAGE of having a super-sized washer-machine, is that IT USES A LOT OF WATER. And, when do we realize this? WHEN IT OVERFLOWS.

Case 1: laundry scoop gets bumped into utility sink (causing overflow, water on the floor): slight flood.

Case 2: laundry hose gets jostled out of the utility sink - CAUSING MAJOR HAVOC, ruining storage items,etc.

Lessons 1: Never get lazy and skip the "check the utility sink" step before leaving the laundry area.

Lesson 2: Don't leave clean laundry on the floor by the dryer, when water overflows, it stops being clean. There's nothing frustrating like rewashing laundry before it ever gets worn!

Lesson 3: Don't leave cardboard storage boxes on the floor (assemble shelves and get off the floor!)

Lesson 4: Don't put off cleaning the basement area.

Lesson 5: Water is tough enough to clean up, but SUDSY water is even worse...

Lesson 6: Next time you buy a wet/dry vac, don't try to be cute and cheap and get the smallest (apartment-sized) unit. Small unit needs to be emptied almost as fast as it gets filled up.

Lesson 7: Don't let kids go into basement unsupervised when there are puddles in the basement. (How can a kid resist jumping in puddles--- making MORE laundry dirty??

Lesson 8: Buy a laundry line for outside: it would be nice for all drying to not rely on the dryer.

Lesson 9: It's better to have a "flood" in spring weather, when you can open windows and air everything out.

Lesson 10: Beware of tax time, something always happens!

Aquarium & Walrus sights

When school lets out early for a half day, shouldn't it be a fun day?

After noon dismissal, we piled in our vehicle, stopped by the gas station (Although I should get used to it, at $3.39, it felt a tad expensive, until we saw $3.45 later in our trip!)

Surprisingly, I didn't get a "mom where are we going" until we had been driving for 30 minutes. (It did help that each child in the back seat was given a sandwich to eat lunch while I drove). That was changed to a "OH, are we going to the AQUARIUM?" (It's been 9 months since we've been, but smart kids recognize landmarks!).

We had a blast!

The advantage of going OFF SEASON is that there are no crowds. It was a pleasant day, and we had plenty of space to view the aquatic life at our leisure.

Not only did I enjoy it (I could look at fish, and keep four kids in eyesight, and be the closest adult to all my children), but the children did as well! Our three year old enjoyed having the freedom to walk. (Too often, for crowd control, the stroller with seat-belt is mandatory). Our Four year old had fun being detective and finding what was in each tank. Our six year old, actually practiced reading! I think the "hogfish" was the most fun to read.

Brooklyn's Walrus family was, of course, one of the highlights of the trip. (We got to see the Daddy Walrus eat!).

We were brave enough to go into the shark exhibit (pretty cool!) The sharks looked tame with a giant sea turtle swimming with them.

Baking Time

I must admit, today's kiddie cooking adventure started a few weeks ago with a grocery-store trip.


"Mom, other kids at school have mini chocolate chip muffins"

My reply "oh, we can make miniature muffins". (I categorically don't buy sugar treats at the store. The only baked goods I usually buy are bread and the occasional donuts. )

I took another visit to the grocery store to actually buy mini muffin tins (ironically, grandma gave us some at Easter too).

and, a nice Saturday afternoon with younger siblings sleeping to finally make...

Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins

http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=239

We halved the recipe, and it was just right to make 18 minis (1 dozen pan, 1 1/2 dozen pan).

Yummmmmm....

Adventure to the ART Museum

I love museums,



and my kids seem to too!



Today we went on an adventure to the NCMA (http://www.nassaumuseum.com/).



We had a blast!



We got to see the "I SPY" exhibit (my children LOVE those books and that genre). It was neat to see both the models and the photographs.



We arrived at the heels of a school trip, so we got to hear some of the guides explaining to the elementary school students different aspects of the art -- which we all enjoyed.



We played in the outdoor "maze" (any garden that has hedges is considered a maze to us: if you can walk through pathways, it's a maze).



We visited the miniature museum -- and got to look at a MILLION DOLLAR DOLL HOUSE!!! (A castle, really... I didn't know that there were doll houses that were worth over a million dollars). The exhibit puts the hobby in perspective (and makes the fisher-price house we own look like nothing!).

Ode to a keyboard

Last week, a few adventures happened in close proximity to my computer desk.... and, my beloved keyboard has walked into the trash.

Although there have been sticky kid fingers and dirty fingers for over a year, one little week brought the keyboard's demise...

First it was the Jello.

Then it was cookie crumbs (not that bad)... (most of jello and cookie crumbs were removed such that the stuck keys seemed to temporarily become unstuck)

Then, it was a full mug of my cafe au lait!

Why, you might ask, did all of these occur this week? Well, Each of these incidents involved sitting at the computer, trying to do work, with eight-month old baby (and grabbing fingers) in my lap!

Pretend Kitchen Play

While Playing "pretend" kitchen, my kids needed "real" baking.

Solution? No-bake cookies!

(my 3yr old and 4 yr old had fun with this!)

CHOCOLATE OAT NO-BAKE KID COOKIES

Measure ingredients and stir after each addition...

2 1/2 c oats
1/2 c sugar
2 T cocoa powder
2 T peanut butter
2 T water
1/2 c butter

roll into balls, and roll balls into powdered sugar

3/4 c powdered sugar (I put this into bowl in 1/4 c increments)

Let set in the fridge for few minutes.

YUM!!!!!

I was inspired by http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Bake-Oatmeal-Cookies/Detail.aspx.

This was a big hit! Fun, EASY, and just a little messy....

This turned out a little sticky (Probably because of the amount of water, next time I'll use less butter) This recipie is authentically no-bake (as oppossed to the many no-bake recipies that involve stove-top boiling etc.). Stickiness meant little fingers got lots of licking!

Apparently, not enough visits yet.! ....

LAST NIGHT

Our three year old decided to play "what can fit in my nostril?" while listening to bedtime story.

Half-way through the bedtime story, a panicked, tear-stricken face got out of bed: "mom, it's stuck... I need help"

So, off to the ER (or, thankfully, Urgent Care Center: can call before get in the car, and they are waiting and ready when you arrive! No four hour waits like the traditional ER.)

Moral of the story: Red Bead falls easily out of right nostril in bedroom, Blue Beads (or, left nostril) are trickier, and need doctor's assistance to be removed.

Counting: as of last night, there were total of 9 doctor's visits for the six of us, in the course of six days.

How many visits.......?

TUESDAY= Parent/Teacher conference [2 kids in tow, for one child]

WEDNESDAY= Double Visit to PEDIATRICIAN (follow-up on ear infection, follow-up on flu shot for baby who needed six week booster) [ 3 kids in tow]

THURSDAY = Parent/Teacher conference [for one child, just one parent attending 4 kids left at home with other parent]

THURSDAY= Double Visit to ENT (routine visit every three months) [ 4 kids in tow]

FRIDAY= special athletics class [2 kids]

FRIDAY= Religion class. [1/ 2 kids, take advantage of other mom waiting to watch other 2/3 kids so I can observe/help.]

SATURDAY = Double visit to PHARMACY (ENT called, throat swab turned up positive for strep, even though there had been no complaints of sore throats or anything from those two kids -- but pink throat merited a culture) [ 4 kids in tow]

SATURDAY = single visit to URGENT CARE CENTER (Since I had sore throat, 2 kids positively have strep, I should get tested asap, right?) [4 kids in tow]

SATURDAY = single visit to 24 hour PHARMACY (to fulfill my own perscription) [by myself, barely counts as a chore. I bought gummy worms which will be important for tomorrow's adventure]

SUNDAY = church (just about 24 hours with antibiotics, so o.k. to go. Wouldn't want to miss Palm Sunday!)

SUNDAY = single visit to ER in ANOTHER STATE (went on a 3 hour drive to a special service at a friend's church, someone FELL OUT OF THE VAN, and needed 2 staples in head!) [4 kids in tow. This took just over five hours. most of the time was spent WAITING. The Gummy worms turned out to be the PERFECT incentive for kids to mind manners and be patient in the waiting room. The kids had a blast watching the golf tournament on the hospital's golf channel. I am VERY thankful that I remembered the double-umbrella stroller for our day's outing. It got much use in keeping 3 year old still, and giving me an extra set of hands when not holding almost 8 month old!)

MONDAY = maybe? need to call doctor and get strep test for 2 who were in thursday -- although they had a visual check, need to make sure they aren't positive.

MONDAY = maybe? need to get husband to get strep test at his Dr. too.

FRIDAY = need to have appt with pediatrician to remove two staples.

WEDNESDAY next week = need to have follow-up appt for ENT to make sure antibiotics cleared up strep

calendar: need to schedule dentist visit, need to schedule other follow up for ENT, need to schedule other follow-up for pediatrician. Need to schedule appt. for the car. Need to get ready for Easter.

Everyone (still) has clean underwear!

Not that anyone out there in cyberspace cares,

but,

Everyone (still) has clean underwear!

A couple days ago, (almost) everyone in the family was wearing their LAST PAIR of clean underwear. This is a sign that I was behind with my laundry. (Of course, this is because I was a little sick.... )

All different portions of our wardrobes end up in the dirty laundry, and get cycled to clean laundry... and get put on a waiting list, and, if lucky, eventually end up in folded laundry, end, if not sneaked out of the cycle and worn and put back in the dirty laundry, it will eventually become put-away laundry.

I'd like to say that the reason the cycle goes this way is because it is for six individuals, and little kids create mountains of laundry. However, I think I've operated this way for a long time, even before marriage and kids!

When I had doled out "last" clean underwear to myself and two of my children the other day, I realized that "amount of clean underwear in drawers" is a good barometer of household laundry status.

The good news, although I'm not caught up (by no means!), I am catching up -- and, in the past 5 days, there has been enough clean underwear to go around. (Yay!)

Just posting this gives me motivation to go, toss another load in the washer, fold a load, and file it away for another day!

What's that status of your laundry?
Do you have an article of clothing that can measure how "caught up" you are?
Is it underwear? Socks? Your favorite jeans? Something else?

It only takes a sock

IT ONLY TAKES ONE SOCK TO CLOG THE WASHER (or utility sink).

Thursday morning, I did my typical routine of "toss a load in the washer".

Earlier in the morning, while getting clean school clothes for my kindergartner, I had earlier emptied the dryer, and sorted the clothes into nice, neat piles on the laundry-area floor.

A little less than an hour later, I went into the basement to do my "cycle the laundry": put wash in the dryer. (If clothes are in the dryer, take them out; If clean clothes are in the basket/ on the floor in front of the dryer fold-if needed- and put away...).

To my dismay, my socked feed got soggy as I entered the laundry-area: A FLOOD not of Biblical proportions, but water was all over the floor, covering about a third of the basement. I waded (not quite, but my feet were indeed wet) through the pathway and discovered a stopped-up utility sink.

I discovered an innocent toddler sock which had stopped up the drain.

After a phone call, the wetvac was found and put to good use.
After some good exercise, the floor no longer had puddles of water in it.
After a couple MORE loads of laundry, there were only a handful of ruined articles of clothing.
After a headache, I determined to ALWAYS CHECK THE UTILITY SINK BEFORE TURNING ON THE WASHER!
After this lesson, maybe I'll NOT leave clean clothes on the floor either?
After a full morning, things that I had planned to get to in the morning, got done in the afternoon.

C'est la vie.

IKEA VORTEX

Yesterday we went on an afternoon excursion to IKEA.

I must say, I really like that store.

Unfortunately, there is something called the IKEA Vortex:
* Usually, I end up buying things that aren't on my list.
* I end up NOT getting the things that are on my list (Yesterday, it was because the intended purchase items were out of stock).
* I end up spending more than intended (Yesterday, suprisingly, it was the opposite: we had planned on buying a piece of furniniture as well, but we couldn't make up our mind, so our overal purchases were much cheaper!)
* I usually get some amazing deals on necessities. (Yesterday we replenished our soup-bowls. They were diminishing due to breakage with kid-handling).

We also went for the full-experience: we ate dinner at the IKEA RESTAURANT. (Quite reasonalbe! Where else can you get kids MacNChees & Drink for only $0.99? )

We had dissappointed children who were not able to use the play zone (because it was closed).

We had antsy children who wanted to try every piece of furninture in the showroom.

Has anyone else had IKEA VORTEX experiences?

Sunday Morning Muffins In the Oven

oatmeal banana applesauce muffins

2 med bananas

2 c oats

1 c flour

1 c brown sugar

4 oz apple sauce

2 eggs

1 T baking powder

1/3 c oil

dash ground cloves

dasg allspice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, makes 18 med. muffins

Now I have "just threw it together" yummy muffins ready to bring to church! 3 1/2 kids dressed... and 45 minutes to get myself put together too!

Edible Activities: Pretzels

Today we made PRETZELS

Since we were unable to buy pretzels at the mall the other week, I had promised my children that "some time" we'd make them "from scratch" "like Grandma did when I was a little".

Today turned into that day!

I went online, and chose a recipe

http://strothotte.com/pretzels.php

There were helpers to assemble the dough.. then we watched a PBS Show while we let the dough rise (in a warm oven so it wouldn't take all day), then we had dough-fun of assembling pretzels, pretzel knots etc. (Oh, and of course, all little helper hands enjoyed nibbling on the dough!)

It turned out "o.k.", next time I'll try a different recipe out there. But, it wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be!

Kentucky-Style Wedding Reception: NOT like a New York Wedding...

At Saturday's wedding reception, we had a conversation with a non-NewYorker who discussed "other" wedding receptions.

As mentioned in a previous post, the New York Wedding Receptions we've experienced have been extravagant!

I must admit, that, in my lifetime, I have only experienced Weddings and Receptions in five different states. What I've seen here, has indeed topped the list as far as expenses spent.

Apparently, Kentucky weddings can be a little different.

You might be invited to a pot-luck dinner. Or maybe a pot-luck picnic. Which means, "You're invited to the reception, please bring something to eat". No kidding.

And, such weddings might be held at a county park, with baseball game as the primary entertainment.

Anecdotes from these weddings have related that such receptions are more memorable than any fancy wedding attended.

So, instead of having a wedding that costs as much as some mortgages, if you want a cheaper wedding, have it in Kentucky!

Weddings, Long-Island Style

This weekend we were invited to a wedding reception. We had a blast! It is always fun to celebrate the newlyweds, get out, meet people, and have a good time.

It was a LONG-ISLAND-STYLE Wedding reception.

As we noticed in our last Long-Island-Style Wedding reception, there are people who attend the reception who don't even go to the wedding. Also, the reception starts an hour and a half after the wedding concludes -- which not only gives the bridal party plenty of time for pictures, but, it also gives most of the guests time to change from wedding dress to party formal dress. (We didn't observe this feature, but, this is a far cry from the texan dress-down into jeans before/during the reception!)

This means, among other things, that the COCKTAIL HOUR/open bar was more ornate, elaborate, and had more food than most wedding receptions I attended south of the Mason Dixon Line.

• Mashed Potato Bar
• Fruit/Vegetable Bar
• Pasta Salad Bar
• Pasta Bar
• Hot Sides Bar
• Meat Bar
• Cheese Bar
• Circulating Appetizers

Of course, this was followed by a full six-course sit down dinner. (I had the roast-duck for the main course. Althogh, I must admit the somthing-done-to-it portebella gormet dish looked yummy too!)

The dinner portion had entertainment of professional DJ's....

Next post I'll describe a non-long Island style wedding reception.

Answer to Prayer...

Yesterday was one of those days:
A day that doesn't feel productive, not much gets done.

And, then, it happened....
I was Little bit distracted,

I had two errands to run:

2nd errand was to go to the bank

But, at the bank, the two paychecks were missing!!!

I went home, praying... I know I brought the checks with, but, maybe I was mistaken??

After frantically searching in the car, around the house....

We got a phone call, they were picked up by the side of the road!

(Did I have them in my coat pocket and they fell out? Did I have them in my purse and they got bumped out as I searched for my keys?...)

The good news is: God answers prayer, someone cared enough to search for our phone number based on our name, and ...

there are honest teenagers who didn't try to cash & spend hard-earned income

Just Milk and Bread....

Today I took my three youngest to the grocery store "just to get milk and bread".

Since we were out of bread yesterday, I made home-made bread. But, because I 'eye-balled' the amounts and proportiosn. And, because I have munchkins who like to munch on dough, the home-made bread was only enough of a loaf to last through supper last night.

Of course, there were sundry other items that creeped into the short shopping list (dinner, yogurt, salad, juice).

I often delay shopping because it can be a big ordeal, and a drain on the budget.

However, today, I was impressed that it was a relatively short trek. ( Which means that the shopping trip was less than an hour).

Like any other shopping trip, there are curious eyes when I juggle an infant, a toddler and a preschooler. (Everyone took a turn in the grocery cart.)

This log is to report that the trip was a success! I spent less than one hundred dollars (only $60!), got dinner for the evening, and we have milk for tomorrow's breakfast.

The dreaded adventure...

Well, the dreaded adventure that we had last year has re-occured:

Our heat has stopped working!

Living in the neighborhood we live in, this means I called my husband and told him to stop at the supermarket and buy some logs for the fireplace.

It's below freezing outside.

Inside, although the thermostat says "heat on", there is no heat coming from the radiators, the furnace is not on, so I deduce the heat isn't working!

Thankfully we usually keep the house at a toasty 69-70 degrees F. So, now, the thermostat reads 66F (not too cold, this is the temp my mom keeps her house). Also, although there are a few drafty rooms in the house, for the most part, the house will maintain it's heat.

This is a perfect opportunity to catch up on laundry (hey, the dryer heat should do a little something, right? ) Also a great opportunity to clean the oven (self-clean is 4 hours and gets HOT, not bad source of extra heat too, right?) And, after my dear husband comes home with firewood, a good excuse to put the fireplace to good use.

In story time with my kids, we have been reading LittleHouseOnThePrarie series. Having recently read how the Ingals "roughed it" -- barefoot chores in freezing weather etc., I think we'll still be comparitavely be luxuriously warm with the heat off until calling the furnace guy tomorrow morning.

The adventures of finding the remote...

Have you ever looked all over the house just for that darn remote, becasue the appliance won't work without it?

We have remotes for air conditioners, tvs, vcr, dvd-player, cable-box, remote-controlled robots, remote-controlled cars, air-purifier.... Thankfully, we aren't high-tech enough for our ceiling fans, window blinds, garage door or sundry other appliances to presently have remotes too.

Ironically, as I write this, the important remotes are indeed in their cubby, waiting to be used. So later today when I need to use one, But, WHY is it that most of these appliances can't function without the aid of the remote? And, why does a whole cubby in my computer-armoire need to be filled with remotes?

The adventure will continue, when each of these remotes walks off: into seat cushions, under the couch, as play phones for kids, near the battery depot because they don't work without their life-energy of AA or AAA batteries....

Sometimes Getting Dressed is an Adventure

Every day we encounter all sorts of adventures: some big, some small.

Today, getting dressed presented a couple different adventures.

I Love uniforms for kids. Whereas my preschooler might try several different outfits before deciding on the "right one" for school, my kindergartener gets dressed efficiently with only uniform options.

BUT... somehow, although enough shirts were purchased at the beginning of the school year for each day of the week... We are down to two shirts, and both were dirty this morning!
Of course, since it's winter-time, the solution was easy: Wear your sweater, but don't take it off today!

AND... Even though it is winter outside, my preschooler and toddler both decided summer clothes were the "right" thing to wear today. It took prodding and cajoling to convince them that sleaveless shirts NEEDED sweaters on top (which must stay on), if they were to be worn at all.

AND... Little baby has now outgrown a complete wardrobe -- it took many many attempts of grabing articles of clothing out of the drawer, only to discover "wow, you've outgrown that too!". We eventually ended up with the "one size fits all" sleeper-pajamas as the clean clothes after shower time. Time to box-up little infant clothes!

Not to mention... I still am not into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but rather lingering in a post-pregnancy funk. I am making exercising more a higher priority, and hopefully those last few inches will be shed soon! (Or, should we think about getting pregnant again? Then I can wear those cool maternity clothes.... not a reason in and of itself, but a cool side-perk, if we do go that route?)

Of course... The 'experts' say that morning getting-dressed woes can be prevented by putting out clothes the night before. Maybe I'll try that sometime. Although it would be efficient, I'm not sure if I want to deny myself the fun adventure of scavanging for clothes in the morning!

Sunday Adventure: Hike through the woods

I really enjoyed Sunday's adventure!

We went on a family hike through the woods. I'm glad we have a friend that's an avid hiker who knows how to find treasures of perfect walking trails in hidden sanctuaries.

It was gorgeous weather: sunny, brisk enough to merit jackets and hats, but warm enough that all gloves were off after 15 minutes of walking. There were patches of snow here and there, and the ponds/lakes were definitely frozen.

We had a pleasant afternoon of exploring terrain, climbing a few trees, around several hills.

The biggest hitch of the afternoon was the end. Although the ranger station was posted as open until 5pm, it was completely locked when we got back at 4pm. This meant that the much-anticipated bathroom break at the end of the hike, couldn't happen as planned.

Thankfully, though, there was still refreshment. We had packed carafes of hot water and hot chocolate mixes, tea&coffee bags in the van. So, we concluded the terrific afternoon outing with a picnic of warm refreshment and snack (crackers & cookies).

Makes me want to pencil another hike on the calendar!

One Adventure a day just isn't enough.

If this morning's adventure wasn't enough, this afternoon I got around to taking all four kids shopping at IKEA.

Tomorrow is the twelfth day of Christmas! There are certain kid items that I want to have under the tree before the end of the Christmas season. Since grandparents left the morning after Christmas, and other circumstances, we haven't had any babysitting lately. I had hoped we might possibly get babysitting so we could go out as a couple and shop, or, at least have some babysitting so I could go shopping solo. Well, since that didn't happen, I went ahead and took the kids shopping with me.

As a sensible parent, I started the IKEA adventure with an early dinner in the Restaurant. (Quite decent food for a reasonable price! The five of us ate for five dollars and change.) I figured it was wiser to embark on meandering through isles with kiddies stomachs full. Of course, What we saved on dinner I more than squandered on purchases.

Before we made it to the Restaurant, we hit the adjacent Children's area: with play zone and toys etc. I was able to purchase some 'classic' toys that the kids' home play area lacks: art easel, art supplies, puppets, doll cribs. I don't think they'll be surprised when they wake up to the easel in front of the Xmas tree tomorrow morning (it was the biggest item, and hence they could see it in the cart). But, I do hope they'll be surprised at a few of the items that I stashed in the cart while they were enjoying the tunnel and tent in the play area.

After our dinner, I stocked the cart with some good child plastic storage boxes (on wheels, in bright colors of pink, blue, green) . Although reasonably priced individually, the cost multiplies when you get adequate supply.

We definitely did Meander through the store.While I love shopping at IKEA (although I only make it there a few times each year), the layout of the store forces shoppers to meander through the merchandise. Of course, this creates a little challenge with baby in sling, toddler in the cart, and Kindergartner and preschooler each pulling the cart in different directions.

I gave up looking for a 'perfect' laundry hamper. It took me a while to locate the "right" lightbulbs in the lighting section. I gave up looking for the storage containers I wanted for flour. I ended up buying much more than I planned in the picture-frame area. I gave up looking for a new basket for the shoes. I gave up looking at the curtains/carpets for sale. I gave up looking for a few other things on my wish list.

My hope is that the organizational tools and the needed house hold items (such as paper towel dispenser) balance out the splurges (let the kids each pick out a poster for their rooms, etc) I made.

The biggest adventure, by far, was the check-out line. I'm all in favor of the do-it-yourself-checkout, save-some-money, etc. BUT, when you have 2 "helpers", a toddler trying to climb out of the stroller, and NO conveyor belt to put all the items on to clear out the cart efficiently, life is fun! I should be thankful that there was an associate who came over to help scan things into the register. But some things are too little, too late!

I have a feeling that, being stressed going into the shopping adventure, I didn't put on my shopping-breaks soon enough. Nonetheless, it seems the kids did have fun (after all, they did behave well -for the most part- and they did get ice cream before leaving the complex).

Tomorrow is the twelfth day of Christmas! I hope it'll be a good day. May the new items replace nicely the oodles of spent toys etc. that I've been able to fling in my pre-christmas preparations. I also hope that they occupy the kids nicely, so I might be productive tomorrow and get around to my long to-do list, including real work online.

Panick Attack: Squirrel in the house!

Today's adventure began very calmly. Three of us were in the living room: I was listening to Bach cello suites on the computer, My 2 year old was reading a book on the couch, and the baby was playing with toys in the playpen.

All of a sudden, I heard a rustle noise in the front room. I got up and looked, and I saw two little eyes of a cute little squirrel skittering past the Christmas tree, under the piano bench, and under the stroller.

EEEEEEEK!

I was panicking -- I probably would've been o.k. if it weren't that I had two little ones underfoot, not far from the squirrel. I picked up the phone as fast as I could, called my husband's secretary, asked for him, and just told him very curtly "come home RIGHT NOW". Thankfully, he sensed the urgency in my voice, and was home within a minute and a half. I told him the scenario, and bundled up the little ones, and left him to be on rodent patrol.

He realized that the squirrel must've come in through the fireplace (the flue was opened, the fire-place door was ajar). He promptly (smartly) closed all the doors. He was unsuccessful at getting the squirrel out front or back door. So, he changed plans: opened the window in one of the bedrooms, and cornered the squirrel into the bedroom, and closed the door. He listened for the squirrel to make an exit, then closed the window, and invited me to come back inside.

Thankfully, my life isn't boring, but I'm hoping we don't have more squirrel incidents.
(This is the second squirrel in a year and a half! Last time was a little less flustering, because there was a friend with her friendly aussie in the house to assist in cornering the squirrel out the back door.)

Shopping Adventures

Today we went on a Shopping Adventure.

Part 1 of today's adventure involved filling two super-sized shopping carts at our favorite wholesale warehouse. This trip was not only to restock our pantry with necessities and groceries, but also to have a fun family excursion. Although it wasn't cheap, it was productive! Now, we are stocked-up on many things including toilet paper, cereals, carrots and shampoo! The nice thing about heavy-duty shopping is that it should keep items off of the shopping list for weeks to come!

Part 2 of today's adventure involved returning Christmas-gift clothing to a nearby department store, and getting exercise by walking the mall 'loop'. I must say, we were quite appreciative of gift receipts: 5 out of the 6 items we attempted to return had them. The sixth item, lacked a gift receipt, and, the clerk said he could only give us one cent for the item. (I want to know where the rack in the store was which had 1 cent merchandise???) Needless to say, we didn't exchange that last item.

Part 2 wouldn't have been possible without the double-umbrella stroller: Our toddler took a nice after-lunch nap, and our infant joined her after a good snack.

I thoroughly enjoyed the outing. It was productive, and enjoyable. It's been quite some time since we've done it. It was nice to get exercise in the warm indoors. I look forward to doing it again sometime. (Although I won't be surprised if it isn't summer when we're all able to do it together again....)