Winter on the farm

We had a snowfall on Friday that left 8 inches of the most beautiful snow.

I'm beginning to see why my mom and dad moved into the country . . . .

















Ryan actually took most of the barn structure pictures - he seems to have a better eye for architecture! I can't always see it. Well done, Ryan!

Oh, I did see family members too - I'll have pictures of them soon.

Training

I have mentioned in the past that potty training is an adventure -

Now Owen is dressing for the occasion:

The 25 questions of Christmas

My friend, faithful neighbor and provider of depleted kitchen supplies Donette tagged "me" to answer the following questions. This is a tough one. I am very Scroogy at Christmas - but I will do my best just for the fun of it. Maybe I do have an ounce or two of Christmas spirit to share.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on what I have on hand. I have happy memories of helping my mom wrap presents as a kid, but I will wrap or stuff it into a bag depending on shape, size and time.

2 . Real tree or Artificial? Real. My hubby loves the smell of a fresh tree.

3 . When do you put up the tree? We only put up a tree on the years we will be home for Christmas - which makes the Scrooge in me very happy. The tree usually goes up right after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? It comes down the first possible moment after Christmas!

5. Do you like egg nog? We love the Kemp's brand. It is a treat we all look forward to! (Note: It can also be found at Easter - a pleasant surprise in March or April!)

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I don't know if this one is my favorite (I have a terrible memory!), but I remember wanting a specific teddy bear that I saw and I actually got it for Christmas. I don't remember being overly excited, but instead just deeply and quietly "happy". I still have that teddy bear too.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I would love one! I look every year for the "perfect" one. I see lots I like - but a nice one is usually out of my price range! (I really want Buff to find me ones from his world travels. Unfortunately, he doesn't shop much when he travels because he is too busy teaching. He has two trips planned next year - - - maybe he'll find one this time.)

8. Hardest person to buy for? Our parents.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The kids.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I honestly can't think of anything. I remember getting a Barbie doll named "Tina" and she broke 5 minutes into Christmas. When we went to exchange her they were all out - and I was very disappointed.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I am not much into movies, but the ever sentimental Buffington plays the traditional "Santa Clause is coming to town" and "Rudolph" movies every year. Everyone also looks forward to the "Charlie Brown Christmas."

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? We had all the kids gifts by Thanksgiving (I think we started buying them one at a time in September.) Of course, we only bought them one big item and one small treat.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so, but I know I have received some.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade caramels and Swedish pecans (which I decided I am taking a break from this year. My Scrooginess is very strong this year.)

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear lights only. (And no blinking allowed!)

17. Favorite Christmas song? I have to agree with Donette about Oh Holy Night; Joy, Joy; and Star of David (I think that's the name) by David Phelps and Here With Us by Joy Williams; The December CD by George Winston.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Every other Christmas we venture out to Colorado to be with Buff's family. We then have Christmas with my family around New Years. On the opposite year we celebrate with my family whenever everyone is available due to work schedules and church. Some years it is actually on Christmas afternoon, other years it is the day before or after.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Remember. Scrooge. I really have never tried or cared to try.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Crown of thorns

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We usually open one gift Christmas Eve and save the rest for Christmas morning. Since we don't buy much for our kids, it is usually our gift we give them on Christmas Eve and then let Grandma have at it Christmas morning. (When we are in Colorado, we all sleep under the tree Christmas Eve and Grandpa wakes everyone up by delivering the stockings on the back of his miniature donkey, Pansy.)

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Maybe the 25 questions about what I think about Christmas! ;0) Actually, the pressure of buying a gift that my family member will actually like - that I can actually afford. I am too intensely practical and cheap!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our homemade Advent tree ornaments

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? NO BIG DINNERS ALLOWED! Everyone brings their favorite appetizers and snacks and we just graze all day long.

25 . What do you want for Christmas this year? No one ever asks me this question so I'm not prepared. I can't think of anything . . . . Is this where I am supposed to say "Peace on earth"?

Okay, now I tag all my family members who read and participate in this blog - and anyone else who wants to join in! Leave a comment that you answered the questions on your blog so I can go and learn about your Christmas!

Taking a break from decorating the tree...

We can't wait to see you!

Who's in charge here?

So, Ryan asks me if I would be willing to keep his boys overnight on Tuesday so he can take Ruth to a Christmas concert in Chicago.

Yes, I have four kids, but Ryan's kids really are very good, compliant, happy children. (I know, life isn't fair). Jonny is the happiest kid and Aaron sits when I say sit, sleeps when I say sleep and eats when I say eat. The child is even potty trained!!!! Clark doesn't even do all that!! Outside of the occasional spat concerning who deserves to play with the toy of choice, I didn't foresee any issues. What I also didn't foresee was the influence my darling children would have on sweet, innocent Aaron.

I decide to continue with school for the big kids as the little kids played quietly in the living room. If you have ever been to my house, you will know that the living room and the dining room are attached. We do school in the dining room so I am not far away - in theory.

So can anyone explain how I missed that this was happening?

Every piece of furniture was upside down with the cushions strewn all over the floor and the kids on top.

Another tidbit of interesting info is that Owen was dressed originally but I found him on top of the overturned furniture, naked, sword in his hand and shouting "For Narnia!"
(Mikayla and Brice had nothing to do with the mess - they just jumped in for the picture and found it all very amusing.)

If that wasn't enough for one day, I later ventured upstairs, assuming the boys were still playing quietly in Owen's room to find this mess in MY room.

They toilet papered my bedroom! No wonder they were so quiet!

I don't know if Ryan and Ruth will trust me with their kids again. I swear I was there the whole time.

At the end of the day, Aaron never rubbed off on Owen because Owen still stands when I say sit, plays when I say sleep and talks when I say eat. Not only that - he still isn't potty trained. I am afraid that maybe Owen might be rubbing off on Aaron. Hopefully Aaron still has his clothes on!

Vocabulary Lesson

Carra has developed a reputation with the medical field for being a bit of an impossible child. She is generally not very cooperative which means she is not soon forgotten. Seriously, do not mess with this girl when she is in pain.

She turned 5 this month and so was due for her 5 year immunizations. Four shots. Lots of fun.

I talked to her about it and she said she would do it - and do it she did. She hugged her daddy's neck, closed her eyes, clenched her teeth - and didn't make a peep. We were all very proud of her.

That was two weeks ago.

Today she throws me one out of the blue.

"Mom, you remember all my shots?"

"Yes, Carra, you were very brave."

"Well, Mom, I'll have you know that it hurt all the way to my scubbles."

"Your scubbles?"

"Do you know what your scubbles are, Mom?"

"Nope, never heard of them."

"Your scubbles is the skin on your eyeballs."



Thanks, Carra, I needed a good giggle!

Birthday!

HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY, MIKAYLA!!!!!!!

We love your perky spirit!

We love your smile!

Have a happy day!

Christmas through Byren's eyes!

This is Byren's first Christmas to experience all that
Christmas (grandma!) has to offer! It has been fun to
try and see it through his eyes!! He has been very
animated! :o)

Helping Grandpa!

The boys love helping grandpa out with any project
he may be working on. Here are a few pictures of their
adventures!



















Hudson being OSHA compliant!

Brady just poured the apron for the barn and Hudson and
Cooper thought they needed to help clear away the left
over concrete and dirt!





















Byren helping grandpa feed the 'hosies'!!

Stinking Thanksgiving

The turkey was wonderful.

All the food was fantastic. (We had homemade noodles! It's tradition!)

The fellowship was fun. (Mom beat Ryan at Farkle!)

But at the end of the day . . . Thanksgiving really stunk.

I mean that in the most literal and loving way. It really smelled bad.

As the story goes, we had eaten our dinner already (thankfully). The guys were in the garage doing a project for dad, the women were cleaning the kitchen, and the kids were playing "quietly". Too quietly.

Owen comes up from the basement and declares to Grandma that he has dumped water on the stairway. Nope, it wasn't water. It was Liquid Fence.

I didn't know what Liquid Fence was either, but I believe I am now educated in the product well enough to share with you a very vivid explanation. Liquid Fence is a chemical that can be poured outside (key word) around lot lines and garden boundaries to keep animals from invading your territory. The secret to Liquid Fence is that it smells REALLY, REALLY bad. How bad? Pick the two worst smells you shouldn't ever combine - and you have Liquid Fence. Yeah, and it is now on Mom and Dad's basement stairs. We bleached and we gagged and still it smells.

And so the memory of Thanksgiving lingers for Mom and Dad. It will be a while before they forget this one, unfortunately. Mom says it ranks up there with the holiday where Kristen fell down the basement stairs, Brice locked himself into the bedroom, and all the kids drank the water from the fish tank. I think there must be a better way to make memories. Seriously, what happened to making craft or playing a game? I'll check the library - certainly someone has written a book about it. We'll all need to read it before Christmas.

In the end it was a fun day. We all left laughing (although I think Mom was crying ;0) and apparently Christmas is being held at the Powers' house.

Here are some pictures of the happy memories of the day . . . .

Grandma and Jonny

Amazing Aaron building with Legos.
Okay, he was just playing, but doesn't he look smart?

Cousins
Also spelled T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Did you see that?

The big kids table. Lots of laughing. Not a whole lot of eating.

Jonny

Crackers and cousins. Who knew they could be this fun?

Mikayla and Jonny "wrestling"

Out west

Yesterday in science class we were discussing compasses and how they work. The important information needed for a compass is direction, and so we were discussing which way is north, south, east and west.

When I asked them which direction was which, Brice very excitedly exclaimed that he wanted to share what he knew.

"Mom, Mom, I just figured this out the other day. Everything "out west" is in the west! Do you get it, Mom? If it is "western" it is in the west!"

Yep, they are home - schooled. Brilliant, brilliant children.

Costume Fun

After Halloween, I managed to pick up some costumes on clearance. The kids have had tons of fun dressing up lately and I got some shots of their imaginations in action.

Princess Carra
I wonder if Cinderella thought of pink sparkly sunglasses on sunny days . . .

Clark as Clark.

He still doesn't know quite what to think when there is a kangaroo jumping around the house.

"Inja"
Who knew spending $1.50 could bring one child such enjoyment.
The instructions are that he is not to hit any person -
but he insists he can hit the bad animals.
Do you see Clark cowering in the corner?

Here is my favorite.
I think he is the white version of Zorro.
We call him "Kotex".
Seriously, why did I bother to buy a costume? There was one in my bathroom drawer all this time.

Reading Level

Just for fun!

I came across this little test for our blog. Apparently you write at a higher level than the Hawk's blog - they only gave us a Jr. High reading level. (All mine are identical on each blog- so I have to give the credit to the other contributors!)

Get a Cash Advance

Anybody want a kissy?

Wax Lips: 75% clearance Halloween special

Pictures for blackmail opportunities: Priceless

SMOOTCH!

Yes, she can only ever kiss a man with 3 inches of wax between the two of them!

Too Sexy for those lips!

Grandma's Fall Party

These were pictures taken from Mom's fall party she had last weekend.

The kids had a ball. They had egg races, wheel barrel races, carved

pumpkins, three legged races, and had gunny sack races!