all she wants for Christmas...

And I was just telling her to ask for practical gifts, you can't get much more practicaller, can you?

here are some quotes from the birthday girl:

ew, I hate blood

did you know #2 eats his blood, mom?

blood is so gross

I can't look at that tooth is all gross and bloody

I can't believe I am swallowing my own blood, it tastes yucky

I am going to be so ugly now

I guess eating apples is out of the question

I'll never eat an apple again

sigh, mom, the other one is loose, too, I am going to be losing teeth all night!

Happy Birthday #1

It's impossible for my brain to wrap around the fact that 6 six years and a few hours ago I was in labor for the first time. I get goosebumps just typing about it. She is a bit on the dramatic side (ahem, don't know where she gets that from) and a might bit spoiled (ahem, again) but we love her, every sassy bit of her and we can't believe how fast she is growing up.
We took 4 of her friends and the whole fam damily to dh's sisters apartment building to swim and have a party. It was practically effortless. I cannot believe how much changes in one year. The girls were all on their own. Playing and talking and figuring out the world in their little heads. #2 and #1 were tons more work than the 5 party girls. Anyway, I would do it again tomorrow sans the cake. The castle cake was a big hit. She had me at, "Oh, mommy I LOVE it.". It tasted pretty good, too. Although the frosted ho ho towers had enough sugar in them to launch a body into orbit...good thing I overdosed them all and sent them home to their families.

I haven't seen hide nor hair of #1 this morning. She has been playing with her new toys in her room. I'm waiting for hunger pains to force her to surface.

Castle Cake

Ariel is the princess under the sea and dd is turning 3 + 3!


***Kudos to Scribbit for the cake idea!

here's why I have been a bad blogger...

It's been crazy here, as I am sure every one's home is this time of the year. We are all on antibiotics at the moment, except #3, of course. She sounds the worse, though. I just can't stand to hear a baby cough. We have all had our noses swabbed or fingers pricked and the best the doctor can come up with is our blood counts are just bad enough to warrant a bit of the old zithromax.

Today I am finishing up a bit of the baking for Christmas and #1's birthday. My hands are raw and bleeding from washing so often. I am pretty much done, though. Ginger bread cookies, dipped Ritz peanut butter sandwiches, peanut blossoms, brownies with Reese's cups, homemade Snickers and Bing bars and chocolate coated pretzels are in the freezer waiting to be devoured. I just can't make it unless chocolate is an ingredient. The round cakes for the palace cake for #1's birthday are in the freezer,too. As this is my next venture. I will try an decorate it this afternoon and snap a photo. I hope it doesn't flop. Last week as we were baking I watched out the window as some construction workers were taking down a building, it was quite a site. The photo does not do it justice.

Of course the weather is looking down for tomorrow and I am planning on taking my whole family plus 5 of #1's classmates into town for swimming and pizza to celebrate her 6th birthday. Too bad I was on the ball this year and sent out invites 2 weeks early or we could have just went ice-skating for her birthday...

All the presents have been delivered. Thanks amazon.com, er um... Santa.
Most are wrapped and under the tree. I have overdone it again this year. Those $5 toys are so easy to buy and wrap and I know that the box they came in will probably bring more minutes of play time for the kids. But, I can't stop myself. Brrr, there is a definite spending freeze in my future. You know what they have been playing with the most lately? The stockings!

The Christmas cards have been sent. I wrote a quickie letter on the 6th and finally got my photos in the mail a week later. Then the magnets I ordered for some cards were too heavy and needed an extra 17 cents to mail. AARRGGHHH. But, they are out. So far, I haven't gotten any cards from anyone who wasn't on my mailing list. But I am sure I will soon and then I will spend time mulling over whether I should make up more cards and send them or not. Happens every year. I drive myself nuts.

#2 has his Christmas program tonight. The other day we were out shopping and found him a orange sherbet shirt and navy and orange tie. He was so excited. I told him he would look so sharp. On the way home he drowsily said to me,"Mom, I need to sharpen my hair" I figured he was dreaming but he continued."if I put some spray in it like daddy then I will match my sharp clothes."

I got a half of a Christmas card in the mail today from my auntie. It looked like an alligator took a bite out of it. It was in a clear window envelope from the postmaster that apologized in a few proper paragraphs that try as they might to be perfect, accidents happen. The top half of the card was gone, but the bottom part with the message from my auntie was clear as day and I thought to myself how lucky I was that it didn't get eaten from the other side...my cup is half full today, must be the antibiotics talking...

our family...

illustrated as only we should be in December, by gingerbread cookies! Don't you love my bling?

It's great to skate...

Montrose Ice Rink Now Open!

Ice Skates Available For Check-Out At Montrose General Store

For Immediate Release—The outdoor ice rink located just south of the Montrose Softball Complex is frozen and ready for action! The rink is one of the only outdoor facilities available outside of Sioux Falls, and is being maintained by community volunteers.

A variety of ice skates, hockey-style and figure, is available for check-out at the Montrose General Store. The used skates were purchased using funds available to Montrose through the Horizon’s Community Leadership to Reduce Poverty Program. Montrose was chosen to participate in the program in the fall of 2006, and is now in the action phase of the Horizon’s process. The ice rink is just one of the many projects being tackled by volunteer committees. The committees were formed during the Montrose Vision Plan meeting, held December 2.

“Getting more people involved in a healthy activity like ice skating is exactly the type of thing Horizon’s is here to promote,” said Horizon’s Community Coordinator, Martha Landes. “One of the goals was to provide more opportunities for area residents. Hopefully people of all ages will take advantage of this great asset to the Montrose community.”

Plans to improve the ice rink include bringing in some picnic tables for sitting, and possibly building some benches for changing into and out of skates. The ice skating rink committee is also looking into future plans for a winter shelter near the rink, installing an overhead light and other enhancements.

Skate donations—especially very small and larger sizes-- are also being accepted at the General Store, in addition to the twenty pairs already available. Use of the ice skates is free to the public, but the ice rink committee asks that the skates be returned immediately after use so others can enjoy them.

For more information on the ice skating rink or to volunteer your time in maintaining the rink, building benches or teaching others to skate, contact Jamie Grosdidier at 605-363-3927.

that's what happens when Satan leaves you...

That's what Pastor said as he was drying #3's head off from the water she was baptized with. She had this great big grin on her face while he was pouring the water on her head. It was a joyful day for all of us. Welcome to God's family baby girl!

She wore the same outfit #1 wore as well as my niece and my Godmother's daughters. We feel blessed to have been able to share it as it is now almost 35 years old and considered an antique. The bonnet is especially beautiful. I wish I had a photo to share.

attention deficit

This picture is from last week. I was really going to post it, then got sidetracked, who me?

Anyway; apple crisp, nursing and keyboards do not make company. It was a sticky ooey goey mess and I am surprised the keys still work. In other computer news the right click button on my mouse has quit working. I never knew how important that little clicker was...

#1 lost another tooth and I am embarrassed to say the tooth fairy got caught in the bad weather we had and was unable to collect. My heart fell to my feet when I saw her face as she realized the fairy had not come. Amazingly enough, while we were at church that morning, she was able to visit. It MUST have been the snow that slowed her down. It couldn't be that her brain is completely fried and sleep deprivation has caught up with her in a bad way...
This morning #1 noticed another loose tooth. I am going to try and be on top of this one in case the tooth fairy's presence is requested in the next few days. Pray for me.

It's cold today. This morning the door was frozen shut. I don't like taking #3 out on days like this. BRRRRRR

oh no...

1 - box of pure white fudge covered Oreo cookies purchased Monday evening.

1 - cookie is a serving boasting 100 calories (almost half from good old fat)

12 - cookies in the box when purchased

0 - left in the box today

4 - people in my house that did not eat any cookies

crap

Wordless Wednesday

to the person who invented the vibrating bouncy seat!

May GOD bless you today and everyday!

SHHHHHHHHHHH, she is sleeping.

I love her, I love her, I love her.

But she won't sleep anywhere but people arms. I try to get her to take naps in the bassinet, and some days she will scream herself into a sleep coma for a short time. While I am putting my finger into her nostrils every 15 minutes to be sure she is still breathing...

So this morning after holding her close all night (just like the other 5 and 1/2 weeks of nights) I drug out the old bouncy seat. I just happened to remember batteries at the $100 dollar store last week and now we can use the vibrate function, too. I snuggled her in tight and hopped into the shower for (what I thought to be) my 5 minutes of clean up. I was conditioning my hair when I realized it. She was quiet. Not a whimper. I peeked out from behind the shower curtain. She was wide-eyed. Looking and and her lower lip was quivering, but not from crying. From the rapid vibrations of the seat. It was amazing. It was also a bit saddening. I have to resort to sudo- rocking to get her to calm down. No more screaming in my arms and watching her eyes roll back and forth in her tiny head until she finally shuts them while my head is spinning and I am completely dizzy. Maybe this is a good thing? No, THIS. IS. A. GREAT. THING.

She is currently taking her 2nd, sudo-rocking, vibrating, bouncy, chair, nap of the day. AMEN!

I wonder what all that vibrating is doing to her baby head. Are these things safety tested? Part of me doesn't want to worry, I am finally hands free again. Look out kitchen, here I come...

Baby it's cold outside...

it snowed.

#3 and I feel the same way about it.


The boys, on the other hand, love the snow. Case in point.
Dh spent the morning helping our new neighbors, (just in from California the day BEFORE it snowed) with their van. It seems that water will not work in the radiator in South Dakota like it does in Cali. Not in December anyway. There was a bit of a language barrier but dh says that they both agreed that ice was ice and there was no getting around the frozen part. One propane tank heater and a couple of hours later I think they got the van started. One more awesome reason why we love living in the village. No matter what language you speak, helping your neighbor out always makes the top of the list.