So, today I finally posted our bedroom sets ~ yes, we have more than one that I want to get rid of. After drooling over the website that Monica showed me, I've really been itching to sell and simplify. I posted both our king set and our queen set ~ well, we sold the queen one already and that was the one that was serving as our dressers in the master bedroom. . . Chris and my clothes are now in laundry baskets and in piles on the floor. The dressers that go with our headboard are in Brayton's room, but it doesn't seem right that I clean out his stuff so my stuff isn't in baskets. Afterall, this was my doing. Now we just have to get busy building, but what to start with! I want to build a headboard and footboard for Brayton's bed, a new something for the spare bedroom (headboard with drawers under the matress ~ Stratton), a Stratton for our master bedroom ~ oh where to start!!! Chris just said, "get the plans printed off" :~) As my Grandpa would say "I have to live with her!" LOL
Tonight was the last night we have to turn the key in Brayton's mouth~ YAHOO!!!
Last night we had the privalege of getting my Grandma out of the house for supper at our house! She hadn't been out since Thanksgiving! I can't imagine and I thought she was going to start crying when I invited her on the phone yesterday! I even made one of her favorite casseroles and had her and mom and dad over. It was fun and I felt great being able to give Grandma some new "scenery"! With the warmer weather, her sidewalk was all cleared off so she could go outside safely.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
I bet you've been wondering. . .
We are all doing fine. Well, except for Bray ~ last night he said he couldn't go 5 seconds without coughing at school yesterday. He didn't cough once at home and no fever or anything, so we are thinking there might be some dust or something at school that he's allergic to. Speaking of allergies, when we did the testing on Bray, he was most allergic to Orchard Grass ~ which we had never heard of! Yesterday Chris and I were in Fleet Farm and they sell Orchard Grass as a "sweet treat" for hamsters, and that stuff!
Yesterday
Brayton had another ortho appt at 8:30 and everything is looking good and on track! Only 3 more times to turn the key and then next Thursday we go back to make sure it's where it needs to be and we are done widening!!! Yay!
After his appt, I had to get my Grandma some groceries and she wanted cash by writing the check over. . . I couldn't think of anywhere that would still do that, but I guessed HyVee might and they do * * * whew* * * Since I had to go all the way into Rochester for a HyVee, I swung into Savers :D I found a Triopoly game for kids! We enjoy playing the adult version at my mom and dad's so I thought it would be fun to try this one with the boys and for $3 I couldn't pass that up. Brayton and I played last night before bed (his bedtime, not mine). He is such a good sport that I feel like we need to force Taite to play just so he'll get used to being a good sport! We were laughing so much at one time that Taite came up to see what we were doing and then went back downstairs to his chair to watch more TV (boring. . . :D)
I know you know that we LOVE soup here and you know what I like even more than good soup? Good easy soup! Here is a recipe that my mom found in a free small magazine she picked up at a gas station:
Tomato Basil Soup
4 Tbsp onion, chopped
4 Tbsp butter (we used 3 of Smart Balance spread)
2 (14.5 oz) cans Del Monte diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (Del Monte was the only brand I could find with all 3 spices)
2 Tbsp sugar (the boys, Chris included, thought this was too much, so I'll try less next time)
10 oz evaporated milk
Cook onions in butter with a little water (if you use SB, there is some water content already in there :D) until tender. Puree tomatoes, sugar and onion mixture in the blender (do NOT add the milk as this makes it really frothy and not soup like consistency ~ I learned that when I was just making plain tomato soup from the can for Bray's lunch after getting his "appliance" in). Pour blended mixture into a stove top pan and add evap. milk and heat.
This soup was very yummy (don't get it too hot because the milk will kind of curdle. . .) and we paired it up with another really easy recipe that I had been meaning to try:
Herbed Pull-Apart Bread
1 tube refrigerated bread stick dough
2 Tbsp butter, melted (again, used SB)
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from can and slice (mine were already in 8 pieces of rolled up dough "sticks") into 8 rounds. Do not unroll the twists (they will look like those cinnamon rolls you get in a can).
Place rounds on an ungreased baking sheet with sides touching ~ 2 rows of 4.
Combine the other ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
Brush the herb butter over the tops of the rolls, using all the mixture.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
I'm thinking that the small bar pan from Pampered Chef would work just as well, if not better, than a big baking sheet. These were extremely easy as well and a hit with the boys! Oh, and I tried one other thing last night. We had a bunch of broccoli and it needed to get eaten. I wanted to steam it, but we had red onion and bacon pieces (I LOVE those little packs of real bacon bits you can get! When you calculate the price, it's really a good deal and you don't smell after using them! :D) so I was also thinking salad. I ended up steaming the broccoli and onion. Drained the water off, put about 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp of ranch dressing on it and covered it again so the dressing would warm up. I added a couple shakes of the bacon to the broccoli/onion/dressing mixture and they practically licked their plates clean!
Last week we were in the grocery store and anytime the boys want cereal, it's a big deal because we watch the sugar content of them along with the BHT they add to packaging. I looked over and here was Bray:
We probably have one of very few 7 year olds who reads the labels in the grocery store aisle, but I tell you ~ it HAS cut down on the arguing we get from them when they don't get the sugary cereals! In fact, they had Reduced Sugar Frosted Flakes on sale and we rarely get those, so I picked up a box. Taite asked me today why we purchased them ~ um, they were on sale and reduced sugar. . . He won't touch them because they have BHT in the packaging! Guess what I had for breakfast so we can get that box out of the pantry. . . . :D
Yesterday
Brayton had another ortho appt at 8:30 and everything is looking good and on track! Only 3 more times to turn the key and then next Thursday we go back to make sure it's where it needs to be and we are done widening!!! Yay!
After his appt, I had to get my Grandma some groceries and she wanted cash by writing the check over. . . I couldn't think of anywhere that would still do that, but I guessed HyVee might and they do * * * whew* * * Since I had to go all the way into Rochester for a HyVee, I swung into Savers :D I found a Triopoly game for kids! We enjoy playing the adult version at my mom and dad's so I thought it would be fun to try this one with the boys and for $3 I couldn't pass that up. Brayton and I played last night before bed (his bedtime, not mine). He is such a good sport that I feel like we need to force Taite to play just so he'll get used to being a good sport! We were laughing so much at one time that Taite came up to see what we were doing and then went back downstairs to his chair to watch more TV (boring. . . :D)
I know you know that we LOVE soup here and you know what I like even more than good soup? Good easy soup! Here is a recipe that my mom found in a free small magazine she picked up at a gas station:
Tomato Basil Soup
4 Tbsp onion, chopped
4 Tbsp butter (we used 3 of Smart Balance spread)
2 (14.5 oz) cans Del Monte diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (Del Monte was the only brand I could find with all 3 spices)
2 Tbsp sugar (the boys, Chris included, thought this was too much, so I'll try less next time)
10 oz evaporated milk
Cook onions in butter with a little water (if you use SB, there is some water content already in there :D) until tender. Puree tomatoes, sugar and onion mixture in the blender (do NOT add the milk as this makes it really frothy and not soup like consistency ~ I learned that when I was just making plain tomato soup from the can for Bray's lunch after getting his "appliance" in). Pour blended mixture into a stove top pan and add evap. milk and heat.
This soup was very yummy (don't get it too hot because the milk will kind of curdle. . .) and we paired it up with another really easy recipe that I had been meaning to try:
Herbed Pull-Apart Bread
1 tube refrigerated bread stick dough
2 Tbsp butter, melted (again, used SB)
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove dough from can and slice (mine were already in 8 pieces of rolled up dough "sticks") into 8 rounds. Do not unroll the twists (they will look like those cinnamon rolls you get in a can).
Place rounds on an ungreased baking sheet with sides touching ~ 2 rows of 4.
Combine the other ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
Brush the herb butter over the tops of the rolls, using all the mixture.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
I'm thinking that the small bar pan from Pampered Chef would work just as well, if not better, than a big baking sheet. These were extremely easy as well and a hit with the boys! Oh, and I tried one other thing last night. We had a bunch of broccoli and it needed to get eaten. I wanted to steam it, but we had red onion and bacon pieces (I LOVE those little packs of real bacon bits you can get! When you calculate the price, it's really a good deal and you don't smell after using them! :D) so I was also thinking salad. I ended up steaming the broccoli and onion. Drained the water off, put about 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp of ranch dressing on it and covered it again so the dressing would warm up. I added a couple shakes of the bacon to the broccoli/onion/dressing mixture and they practically licked their plates clean!
Last week we were in the grocery store and anytime the boys want cereal, it's a big deal because we watch the sugar content of them along with the BHT they add to packaging. I looked over and here was Bray:
We probably have one of very few 7 year olds who reads the labels in the grocery store aisle, but I tell you ~ it HAS cut down on the arguing we get from them when they don't get the sugary cereals! In fact, they had Reduced Sugar Frosted Flakes on sale and we rarely get those, so I picked up a box. Taite asked me today why we purchased them ~ um, they were on sale and reduced sugar. . . He won't touch them because they have BHT in the packaging! Guess what I had for breakfast so we can get that box out of the pantry. . . . :D
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Moving on. . .
Sunday we were out of the house at 9:45 with the dog and all. My friend, Monica, dog sits for almost everyone :~) so she said it was "no problem" to watch Baby while we were gone for 2 days. It went very well (Baby even got used to the Doggie Door ~ she would sneak out when one of the other dogs was headed out because they were so much bigger, she just went under them!) and I am extremely grateful that they watched her!!!
Mom and dad got us kids' hotel rooms so we wouldn't have to go back and forth between the wake and funeral. The boys got to swim a little after the visitation and then we went to Grandma's house for food. My uncle's girlfriend and my mom's cousin made food for the family (it was sooo nice of them and not expected at all!!). It was a nice opportunity to get the family together for a little while. Brayton's new friend is my cousin Stacy's son, Joshua. Too bad they live in Indiana! Brayton kept asking me where India was and I didn't have any idea how to explain that without the globe and when we got home, I figured out he meant "Indiana" NOT "India"!
Sunday was the funeral. I thought I had done enough crying, but I can't help it when I see someone else crying or if I let my mind wander. . . Chris was honored to be the only blood grandson to be a pall bearer (I was too, for that matter!) Grandpa didn't look at all like himself, but my cousin Amanda said he still had the bump on his nose from a fishing incident. You see, when us kids were younger, my mom's siblings would get together every Memorial Day weekend to go fishing at some resort that my Grandma & Grandpa picked out. Of course, it always seemed like they were hours and hours away, but then again, I was young :D At one of these resort weekends, someone had caught a bullhead (fish) and my Grandpa was pretending it was biting his nose (he always had stuff on his nose or was hanging stuff on his ears) only to have the fish clamp down on his nose (it wasn't dead!)!! That was Grandpa! I'll never have another Popsicle without thinking of him either. I remember that from when I was young too ~ Grandpa LOVED Popsicles, so whenever we arrived, he was ready to share :~) * * * sigh* * *
After the funeral, we went to Grandma's house for a little bit and then said our goodbyes. We still had to get the boys to do homework and get everything ready for school today. It worked out that it was perfect timing when we left because we had a little more grieving to do at home. Brayton was working on his homework and having problems with subtraction problems on a review sheet when he started crying. This got me started and we had a little "session" together on the couch. We read a couple of the books his teacher had checked out for our boys. The one book was extremely helpful in that it talked about every aspect of death ~ ways to die (including suicide and murder), feelings you may have and ways you might act or feel like acting. We cried and read and discussed things. At the end of the book, there was a "book" for the child to fill in the blank about the person who died and how they feel about it. I made copies of these pages for Brayton. He filled out some and then told me I could read it if I wanted to. I took it as the offer that he wanted to talk about it. Here are some of the things he felt/said/wrote:
This is my book about: Fuzzy
If I could speak to this person one more time I would say: I love you
I am worried that: something I've done caused this person to die
Brayton also told me he is worried that someone else is going to die. I had no idea this would be so difficult for Brayton even though it's his first real death to deal with. At the wake, I couldn't find him one time and I looked at the casket. Brayton was standing near it, looking in, all by himself. I went and hugged him. I didn't know what else to do ~ I asked him if he had any questions, but he kept saying 'no'. I'm glad we had that time last night to talk about his fears. After being so upset, we let him sleep in the spare bedroom and laid with him while he calmed down and went to sleep. Today, he was rested and got back into his routine with friends and school, so tonight went much better.
Last week I was going through a photo album that I have setting around and saw this picture. It makes me laugh every time I see it! I remember this Christmas photo op very vividly. Chris was traveling for work and I had dressed the boys all up and was determined to get the "perfect" Christmas shot! Well, you can see it didn't exactly work out that way!
This is a picture from last Christmas. My Grandma wanted a picture taken with Grandpa and no one knew it would be the last. . . This is always how Grandpa was dressed (unless he was headed to church) bib overalls :D I have to point out his full head of hair. Many nurses and doctors commented on it when he was in the hospital. We'll always love you!
Friday, February 19, 2010
We can go to the quilt shops now. . .
It was on Monday that my mom called to see if I wanted to go to a couple of quilt shops. We have finally finished up the one quilt block of the month at one (that I hated) and had signed up for another quilt block of the month at another (really fun!) and could pick up our next month's instructions for the new one. That was the day Grandpa was supposed to be transported to a nursing home for finishing his recovery. My mom said she felt so bad for him because he was so scared. Only when they would remind him that it was temporary would he feel better about it. Mom called that day to tell me that we wouldn't be going anywhere and they were moving Grandpa back to the ICU instead of a nursing home. Tuesday is the day we got the call that they were removing all of his medications and only giving him morphine. Yesterday he was giving a continual drip of morphine and last night was when the call came in that he had passed away. I happened to be at my mom & dad's house when my uncle, Gary, called. After Chris stayed with Grandpa on Tuesday night, Gary had with him Wednesday night and again last night, but around 10, Grandpa was gone. I must say that I am sad to see him go, but I would rather have it be this way than living in a nursing home for a long time and not recovering. I do know one thing; my mom is a rock. I know she needs a hug now and then, but her house has kind of been the cornerstone for when her family has been over here seeing Grandpa and she's been dealing with that along with her dad dying. I offered our rooms and space up to everyone, but had no takers. In my opinion, her strength has far surpassed anyone elses' and I'm thankful that my dad has been right by her side this whole time. This seems like it has been a long time of ups and downs, but no one has felt like that more than my mom, I think. I was at the hospital yesterday and grateful for Grandpa's peacefulness. He wasn't struggling and looked like he was just in a peaceful sleep. I'm also grateful that someone was there with him when he left us. Chris was most concerned about this after having been with his mom when she passed. She opened her eyes, looked right at Ken and then passed away. One thing I've decided in this is that if Chris or the boys are ever in this situation, I will not be able to stop myself from moving tubes and such so I can curl up next to them on the bed. It's so difficult to look at them laying in a cold bed all alone, you know?
Yesterday Brayton got his "appliance" put in. I already hate having to be the one to "turn the key". We've also got to work on Brayton being able to clean out between the appliance and the roof of his mouth by himself. Last night it took him 45 minutes to eat supper because he would take a bite and then clean the food out of his mouth. Then we spent about another 20 minutes brushing it and cleaning the food out even further! I have no idea how this will work when he's at school. I am taking his lunch to him today until we figure out the food removal process (he'll be eating tomato soup, yogurt & a smoothie!). When I brought him home last night, he wanted to go to the office to play in the snow. I didn't think anything of it and I should've reminded him of the dangers of the icicles hanging off of Grandma's house. Here's a picture of the first one he brought ~ he called it his weapon and when he walked with it, it was parallel to the ground and he crouched down like he was hunting for something.
When I was ready to come home for supper, I yelled and yelled for him, but no response. I HATE that when we can't find them over there. Especially since the snow will fall off the barn roof in big avalanches and if we didn't happen to notice, ugh. . . So, anyway, Brayton came from the south side of Grandma's house carrying a chunk of an icicle about 7-8" in diameter. There is a whole line of huge icicles like that on the southwest corner of her house and if they would've broken off, Grandpa's funeral wouldn't be the only one we had to attend! I chewed him out (because I was scared!!!) and apparently, after I left Chris "reminded" him too that he can't play over there. Apparently he'd forgotten from last year, but I'm thanking the good Lord that Brayton was safe.
Yesterday Brayton got his "appliance" put in. I already hate having to be the one to "turn the key". We've also got to work on Brayton being able to clean out between the appliance and the roof of his mouth by himself. Last night it took him 45 minutes to eat supper because he would take a bite and then clean the food out of his mouth. Then we spent about another 20 minutes brushing it and cleaning the food out even further! I have no idea how this will work when he's at school. I am taking his lunch to him today until we figure out the food removal process (he'll be eating tomato soup, yogurt & a smoothie!). When I brought him home last night, he wanted to go to the office to play in the snow. I didn't think anything of it and I should've reminded him of the dangers of the icicles hanging off of Grandma's house. Here's a picture of the first one he brought ~ he called it his weapon and when he walked with it, it was parallel to the ground and he crouched down like he was hunting for something.
When I was ready to come home for supper, I yelled and yelled for him, but no response. I HATE that when we can't find them over there. Especially since the snow will fall off the barn roof in big avalanches and if we didn't happen to notice, ugh. . . So, anyway, Brayton came from the south side of Grandma's house carrying a chunk of an icicle about 7-8" in diameter. There is a whole line of huge icicles like that on the southwest corner of her house and if they would've broken off, Grandpa's funeral wouldn't be the only one we had to attend! I chewed him out (because I was scared!!!) and apparently, after I left Chris "reminded" him too that he can't play over there. Apparently he'd forgotten from last year, but I'm thanking the good Lord that Brayton was safe.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
I love you. . .
I am trying to catch up on work from today. My mom called to say that Grandpa's kidneys quit working, his heart valve isn't working right, so they were unhooking everything. . .
I went to the hospital ~ not quite sure what to do in this situation. You see, we haven't had to go through this much. We've only lost my dad's dad. By 'we' I mean my family. Chris has had to go through this and he's very sympathetic towards the whole situation.
When I got to the hospital, Grandpa was on a few meds and a CPAP machine. If you don't know what that is, it forces air in while you try to sleep. It's not very comfortable and it reminded me of if you were walking into a very stiff wind, trying to catch your breath. Grandma wanted him to wear it until all my aunts and uncle could make it to Rochester, but Grandpa hated it and would ask about every 10 minutes to "take it off!". I don't ever want to be kept alive for any reason and I now truly understand Chris being adamant about the same thing from when we made our living wills. We would calm Grandpa down every time with the promise that he could take it off in a little while. The poor nurse got all the blame but when my dad would tell him that, he'd say "okay" and try to calm down. It was very difficult to watch, but it was even more unbearable to think of him being alone, so we stayed. Eventually everyone arrived and they could take that damn mask off. . .
My Grandpa
~ lover of homemade ice cream
~ lover of Popsicles
~ biggest hands of anyone I know
~ an even bigger heart
~ only accordion player I know
~ always smiling
~ loved to tell jokes
~ bib overalls
~ loved to garden
~ still building backyard sheds at 82
~ body of a 61 year old at 82
Fuzzy
We will all miss him and his joking nature. The Pastor from their church came today and he had a difficult time reading from his book. Grandpa would stop on his way out from church every Sunday to tell him a joke. The only thing is my Grandpa couldn't hear so well, so most of the church heard the joke to and they weren't always appropriate. . . :'~)
My mom called to say they had decided to leave the hospital for the night. A difficult decision because we didn't want him to be alone even if he didn't know we were there. My husband, being the wonderful man that he is, is now sitting up there with Grandpa. He wanted to put the others' minds at ease so he will go for us. . . I don't think I tell him I love him enough. . .
Monday, February 15, 2010
The Weekend, modified. . .
Due to the weather forecast for the weekend (last), we decided to not go to South Dakota (which turned out to be a very good idea!). As a compensation package, we took the boys to the Cities for a little get away. On Saturday the plan was to go to the Mall of America and let the boys ride rides. It's a good thing we didn't buy the wristbands before getting there because we ended up buying none at all! The boys apparently have their fathers' stomach and opted to just walk around and "view" the rides. At one point, Brayton thanked us for taking them there because "whenever we take a step, in any direction, it's pure fun!". The first thing we found when we entered was Legoland and the boys were thrilled! Taite was impressed by how much time constructing all the pieces took. One of the items (don't know why I didn't take a picture) was a grandfather clock with moving pieces and everything which took 25 people 2 1/2 months! This was one of the displays the ~ the triceratops.
When we got to the hotel, the boys put their Legos together and after supper went swimming. We mistakenly thought it would be less busy after supper, but it wasn't. It was extremely loud and Chris was very nervous. He once saw a kid slip and "crack his head open" around a pool so busy chaotic pool scenes really make him edgy. After the pool, I was joking with the boys when they were showering by taking pictures when they were in the shower ~ they were all completely innocent and Taite had fun :~)
Guessing which side of the curtain I'm going to pop out of:
After a not so restful night (noisy kids above us, much too hot), we went to the Science Museum because they were having an Engineering special thing. Chris found out the museum opened at 9:30 and the Engineering thing was at noon so we wanted to get our moneys worth (Chris thought it was like $24 per person, but that was for Imax movies and everything ~ it was much cheaper than that). The first thing we found was a real news broadcast type station. It showed the boys how the teleprompter works and how they start over and make it move down. To give the whole effect, they have a TV to show what it would look like if they were real news casters.
Too much fun. . .
I just thought this fish was kind of cool. It looked like it was made from all "recycled stuff" (or junk, if you will).
This was a little trivia/game show type set up that the boys enjoyed playing against Chris at.
The board they were reading the questions on and they had a limited amount of time to answer the question.
Brayton was especially excited when we got to the dinosaur display. He said "I can't believe I am touching real dinosaur bones! I've always wanted to do this, since I found out there was such a thing!" LOL
This was a little puzzle type display that you can put the pieces together to form the dinosaur.
The finished product:
At noon, we headed over to the Engineering special: Spark, Slime, Speed. The kids worked on 4 different projects and when they were all completed, they received their very own, signed and personalized Jr. Engineering certificate. They also got a free t-shirt for participating!
Speed #1
Taite winding up his pencil getting ready to let it "roll".
Slime
They said this was similar to Silly Putty, but we aren't taking it out of the bag :~) This had glue, water, food color and an agent that held it all together, but I forget what it was called.
Light-up Bugs
By the time the final station came around, the lack of sleep the night before had kind of caught up with them.
They are trying really hard to pay attention to the speech. . .
This was the first thing the boys had to do: cut out two strips of paper ~ 10"x1" and 5"x1". . .
Here the boys got to test their new "planes". They even had a "runway" taped on the floor to show the distance of the "flight".
When we got to the hotel, the boys put their Legos together and after supper went swimming. We mistakenly thought it would be less busy after supper, but it wasn't. It was extremely loud and Chris was very nervous. He once saw a kid slip and "crack his head open" around a pool so busy chaotic pool scenes really make him edgy. After the pool, I was joking with the boys when they were showering by taking pictures when they were in the shower ~ they were all completely innocent and Taite had fun :~)
Guessing which side of the curtain I'm going to pop out of:
After a not so restful night (noisy kids above us, much too hot), we went to the Science Museum because they were having an Engineering special thing. Chris found out the museum opened at 9:30 and the Engineering thing was at noon so we wanted to get our moneys worth (Chris thought it was like $24 per person, but that was for Imax movies and everything ~ it was much cheaper than that). The first thing we found was a real news broadcast type station. It showed the boys how the teleprompter works and how they start over and make it move down. To give the whole effect, they have a TV to show what it would look like if they were real news casters.
Too much fun. . .
I just thought this fish was kind of cool. It looked like it was made from all "recycled stuff" (or junk, if you will).
This was a little trivia/game show type set up that the boys enjoyed playing against Chris at.
The board they were reading the questions on and they had a limited amount of time to answer the question.
Brayton was especially excited when we got to the dinosaur display. He said "I can't believe I am touching real dinosaur bones! I've always wanted to do this, since I found out there was such a thing!" LOL
This was a little puzzle type display that you can put the pieces together to form the dinosaur.
The finished product:
At noon, we headed over to the Engineering special: Spark, Slime, Speed. The kids worked on 4 different projects and when they were all completed, they received their very own, signed and personalized Jr. Engineering certificate. They also got a free t-shirt for participating!
Speed #1
This was the first thing they made, a little spool with a rubber band and pencil (a few other things, but these are the main ones) to make a little "car" that releases the energy stored in the rubber band.
Taite winding up his pencil getting ready to let it "roll".
Slime
They said this was similar to Silly Putty, but we aren't taking it out of the bag :~) This had glue, water, food color and an agent that held it all together, but I forget what it was called.
Light-up Bugs
These are by far the coolest thing they got to make! There is a button battery, wires, tape and pipe cleaners (for legs) to make a cute bug that has light up eyes when you touch the one wires to the antenna.
By the time the final station came around, the lack of sleep the night before had kind of caught up with them.
Speed #2
The boys made an improved airplane. They learned about lift and drag and I got a good laugh during the beginning of this exercise.
The boys made an improved airplane. They learned about lift and drag and I got a good laugh during the beginning of this exercise.
They are trying really hard to pay attention to the speech. . .
This was the first thing the boys had to do: cut out two strips of paper ~ 10"x1" and 5"x1". . .
Brayton was VERY into this task and here was the picture I took of him. This continued to go on, so I had to take a video of how exactly precise he was when cutting these strips!
Here the boys got to test their new "planes". They even had a "runway" taped on the floor to show the distance of the "flight".
Grandpa
On our way home, we went through Rochester (we normally go via a more direct route) to pick up some groceries and were going to visit my Grandpa because today he was to be transported to a nursing home closer to home to finish his recovery. I called my mom and they were just leaving the hospital and Grandpa wasn't doing too well. This was kind of how they said things would go ~ a good day or two and a bad day. Well, last week he had a lot of good days, so I thought it was kind of expected, but it wasn't. Instead of moving from the floor he's on to a nursing home, he was moved back to the ICU today. His heart isn't functioning as it should and his lungs are full of fluid. The doctors are not too hopeful today. We are praying this isn't the end, but if the Lord has other plans, I just pray Grandpa doesn't have to suffer. Hug the ones you love and make sure they know how you feel. Toby Keith's song "I'm Cryin' for Me" seems appropriate here. Instead of a "upside down, left-handed, backwards bass guitar" my Grandpa would be playing his accordion, better known as his "squeeze box" up in heaven. :'~{
Friday, February 12, 2010
Early start to a busy day
So, I'm sitting here with my 1/2 cup of coffee (bottom of the pot) waiting for 6:30 to wake the boys up. I've already vacuumed and wiped down the floor mats in the van. How did I get that done already, you ask? Well for some unknown reason (unknown because my husband isn't up yet) Chris turned on the light above our bed at approximately 4:16. He immediately shut it off, got up, went to the bathroom and went back to sleep. Well, there is something about a bright light flashing in my eyes that kind of wakes me up. . . :~)
Cleaning the van was the only thing I could figure out that would be productive and not wake anyone (besides researching how to free-hand quilt my projects ~ still stumps me even with Internet research. . .). As I was cleaning, I was thinking about something to post on here to see if anyone else had the same thought/question. You know the Hyundai Superbowl commercial ~ the one with all the stuffed animals going to night clubs and doing "human" things? I don't get it. At the end of the commercial, it is shown that these are really big images of the child's toys in the backseat, but still. Is the Hyundai so fun that the toys feel like adults? Because you know the kids aren't going to the night clubs and taking the toys with them. Or, did the mom have them in her purse when she went to the nightclub? All Chris said about it was " you can tell Koreans made the commercial" (not necessarily so, but I didn't feel the need to point that out).
Last night we had Brayton's 2nd and final conference at school. It was MUCH better than the 1st one (refresh: last time he was having behavioral issues and after seeing how the one girl spoke to him when I was in the classroom, standing right there, I was surprised there weren't more reports of him saying inappropriate things!) and she even called him a "sponge". He wants to learn, likes to learn and has study skills that will be needed as he gets older! WOW!! We commented on the report he brought home and she told us that was NOT done in class, but rather in the special reading groups. The school does and EXCELLENT job of helping those kids who need it and challenging those who need more. For reading, they divide the whole grade into groups based on their reading levels and teachers, paras and moms help with these groups I believe multiple times during the week. Brayton is in the highest group possible and it was in this group that he did the report on Bats. We're talking note cards, outline, possible questions to answer and the final report he brought home! In 2nd grade! She also told us that he's in this group of about 16 kids (there are roughly 130 in his grade) at the highest level because of his work ethic. They get to their classrooms, go to the desk, are focused and self-motivated to get started on the project they need to do. I was surprised to hear her say that the group below this one is where the teacher wanders around the room and is guiding the class more ~ Bray's group, they are given the assignment and the kids all work on their own. She also said (while smiling) that Brayton is very easy to read ~ if he is stumped on something, his face reflects his confusion, but he works at it on his own before asking questions.
Now if only Taite could "get" some of these study habits. His conference was a lot about what it's going to be like in Middle School and she said he needs to work on perfecting, or rather, just starting some study habits. I think it's so funny that Taite's teacher is one of the fastest talkers I know (sometimes you can see her mouth isn't moving as fast as her brain) is :~) and her conferences are 1/2 hour long, but the other classrooms have 15 minute conferences. She goes through a lot of stuff in that 1/2 hour too! Well, this last time most of it was spent with her in awe at Taite. She had never seen him not really talk back (not to be confused with Talk Black ~ LOL ~ watch Modern Family???) but just be Taite as we know him! Argumentative and sassy. He must be really good in school because most times we can't tell him anything without him trying to negotiate something in his favor. LOL He's our Taite :~) I did have to tell his teacher about the day he came home and said Mrs. Fuchsteiner hugged him and she was like hugging a "brick"! She told us that Mrs. F's favorite student is Taite and she wants him to be a scientist, not a police officer ~ she's even warning him that his mom and wife will be very worried about him if he becomes a P.O.! Like he's concerned about that! He's still clueless! Yesterday in the mail he received a "special Valentine" from the one girl in his class who absolutely LOVES him. I'm not exaggerating either. That's what this card said all over it ~ "I LOVE YOU!" I really like Carlie and her mom, but I'm sure Taite will break her heart in his cluelessness * * * sigh * * *
OH, on a WONDERFUL note ~ my grandpa is well enough to leave Mayo today and go to a nursing home as he finishes up his healing and physical therapy!!! Not too shabby for almost being dead 2 weeks ago!!! Yesterday my uncle told one of the nurses to go wake him up so they could visit him and she told my uncle "you go wake him up and listen to those words" LOL ~ yep, he's feeling better!! Thank God and thank you for any prayers you sent his way on my grandpa's behalf!!!
Well, I'm off to get the kids up and start my day! From 11-2:40, I'm at the school ~ much to Chris' dismay he'll be in the office all day by himself. . .
Cleaning the van was the only thing I could figure out that would be productive and not wake anyone (besides researching how to free-hand quilt my projects ~ still stumps me even with Internet research. . .). As I was cleaning, I was thinking about something to post on here to see if anyone else had the same thought/question. You know the Hyundai Superbowl commercial ~ the one with all the stuffed animals going to night clubs and doing "human" things? I don't get it. At the end of the commercial, it is shown that these are really big images of the child's toys in the backseat, but still. Is the Hyundai so fun that the toys feel like adults? Because you know the kids aren't going to the night clubs and taking the toys with them. Or, did the mom have them in her purse when she went to the nightclub? All Chris said about it was " you can tell Koreans made the commercial" (not necessarily so, but I didn't feel the need to point that out).
Last night we had Brayton's 2nd and final conference at school. It was MUCH better than the 1st one (refresh: last time he was having behavioral issues and after seeing how the one girl spoke to him when I was in the classroom, standing right there, I was surprised there weren't more reports of him saying inappropriate things!) and she even called him a "sponge". He wants to learn, likes to learn and has study skills that will be needed as he gets older! WOW!! We commented on the report he brought home and she told us that was NOT done in class, but rather in the special reading groups. The school does and EXCELLENT job of helping those kids who need it and challenging those who need more. For reading, they divide the whole grade into groups based on their reading levels and teachers, paras and moms help with these groups I believe multiple times during the week. Brayton is in the highest group possible and it was in this group that he did the report on Bats. We're talking note cards, outline, possible questions to answer and the final report he brought home! In 2nd grade! She also told us that he's in this group of about 16 kids (there are roughly 130 in his grade) at the highest level because of his work ethic. They get to their classrooms, go to the desk, are focused and self-motivated to get started on the project they need to do. I was surprised to hear her say that the group below this one is where the teacher wanders around the room and is guiding the class more ~ Bray's group, they are given the assignment and the kids all work on their own. She also said (while smiling) that Brayton is very easy to read ~ if he is stumped on something, his face reflects his confusion, but he works at it on his own before asking questions.
Now if only Taite could "get" some of these study habits. His conference was a lot about what it's going to be like in Middle School and she said he needs to work on perfecting, or rather, just starting some study habits. I think it's so funny that Taite's teacher is one of the fastest talkers I know (sometimes you can see her mouth isn't moving as fast as her brain) is :~) and her conferences are 1/2 hour long, but the other classrooms have 15 minute conferences. She goes through a lot of stuff in that 1/2 hour too! Well, this last time most of it was spent with her in awe at Taite. She had never seen him not really talk back (not to be confused with Talk Black ~ LOL ~ watch Modern Family???) but just be Taite as we know him! Argumentative and sassy. He must be really good in school because most times we can't tell him anything without him trying to negotiate something in his favor. LOL He's our Taite :~) I did have to tell his teacher about the day he came home and said Mrs. Fuchsteiner hugged him and she was like hugging a "brick"! She told us that Mrs. F's favorite student is Taite and she wants him to be a scientist, not a police officer ~ she's even warning him that his mom and wife will be very worried about him if he becomes a P.O.! Like he's concerned about that! He's still clueless! Yesterday in the mail he received a "special Valentine" from the one girl in his class who absolutely LOVES him. I'm not exaggerating either. That's what this card said all over it ~ "I LOVE YOU!" I really like Carlie and her mom, but I'm sure Taite will break her heart in his cluelessness * * * sigh * * *
OH, on a WONDERFUL note ~ my grandpa is well enough to leave Mayo today and go to a nursing home as he finishes up his healing and physical therapy!!! Not too shabby for almost being dead 2 weeks ago!!! Yesterday my uncle told one of the nurses to go wake him up so they could visit him and she told my uncle "you go wake him up and listen to those words" LOL ~ yep, he's feeling better!! Thank God and thank you for any prayers you sent his way on my grandpa's behalf!!!
Well, I'm off to get the kids up and start my day! From 11-2:40, I'm at the school ~ much to Chris' dismay he'll be in the office all day by himself. . .
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Just a Wednesday
It's a rare night. . .
I have everything all caught up (except for the packing) as far as Valentines, sewing projects and work!
Tomorrow night is the packing night for our big trip to SD (South Dakota, NOT San Diego ~ I wish!). Brayton came home tonight with a 4 page spelling packet he has to complete this week (well since he didn't have school Monday and no school yesterday, that leaves today and tomorrow), but he did the whole thing tonight because he can't wait to go to SD!!!
This morning I gave my Grandma a haircut (my mom's mom) because she was in need of one (her words, not mine) and she didn't know how she'd fit one in since she's only going to be home for an extended weekend starting tomorrow. I think it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. I came home and trimmed Chris' hair and now the boys could just use a touch-up, but they HATE haircuts and I just don't feel like working that battle. I learned a little more about Taite's activities from yesterday when they were at the hospital. He was very attentive to everyone and at one point was looking up facts to recite to my grandma about random things :~) They have a computer in the waiting area and my grandpa was in the whirlpool, so that's how he passed the time. Of course a discussion about supper came up (they didn't go to the hospital until 1 or so and stayed kind of late) so Taite asked my grandma if she had any suggestions ~ he gave her a few ideas in case she was short of them: noodles and spaghetti! Yep, that's Taite!!
Sometimes I am still amazed at my kids (and pleasantly so, I might add!).
~ Brayton didn't whine or complain when we told him Taite was going to the hospital and he couldn't. He asked a few times when Taite was going to be home, but no complaining.
~ Grandma said that they were in the waiting area while grandpa was in the whirlpool and as soon as they wheeled him by, Taite went over to the wheelchair for my grandma and asked her if she was ready to go see him. . . (he's so sweet)
~ Brayton finished all his valentines yesterday afternoon while waiting for Taite to come home (he personalized them all for each individual student in his class ~ I can't remember if I shared this already)
~ Taite seems to be "catching" more of Brayton's sense of humor: my mom asked Taite if he had to be home by a curfew and after he himmed & hawwed, he told her his curfew was 12:30 AM!
~ Taite had an incomplete assignment on his report card, but still had an M- (E = A, M = B, etc., so it was basically a B-). He was so panicked he was trying to figure out how to fix this and his teacher was surprised he even had the incomplete.
~ Brayton brought home a real report on bats! It was impressive. They did the research in the library and technology (basically computer) and had to write it in paragraph form, etc.
I'm quite proud of my boys!
The only thing I don't have complete on my To-Do List is to create business cards. I can make some up on my own and I can envision what kind of scrapbook type of card I want to create, but I don't know how! I have a guide DVD that takes me to a website to create my own, but it keeps locking up my computer or when it's working well, I have work interruptions. Chris said to remind him tomorrow and he'll help, but I'm not sure he'd know what he was doing either :~)
Well, I'm tired after last nights late night so I'm signing off, but not before I tell you this: if you want to receive an email whenever this blog is updated just send me and email and I can set it up on my blog site. This will help so you don't have to keep checking it LOL
I have everything all caught up (except for the packing) as far as Valentines, sewing projects and work!
Tomorrow night is the packing night for our big trip to SD (South Dakota, NOT San Diego ~ I wish!). Brayton came home tonight with a 4 page spelling packet he has to complete this week (well since he didn't have school Monday and no school yesterday, that leaves today and tomorrow), but he did the whole thing tonight because he can't wait to go to SD!!!
This morning I gave my Grandma a haircut (my mom's mom) because she was in need of one (her words, not mine) and she didn't know how she'd fit one in since she's only going to be home for an extended weekend starting tomorrow. I think it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. I came home and trimmed Chris' hair and now the boys could just use a touch-up, but they HATE haircuts and I just don't feel like working that battle. I learned a little more about Taite's activities from yesterday when they were at the hospital. He was very attentive to everyone and at one point was looking up facts to recite to my grandma about random things :~) They have a computer in the waiting area and my grandpa was in the whirlpool, so that's how he passed the time. Of course a discussion about supper came up (they didn't go to the hospital until 1 or so and stayed kind of late) so Taite asked my grandma if she had any suggestions ~ he gave her a few ideas in case she was short of them: noodles and spaghetti! Yep, that's Taite!!
Sometimes I am still amazed at my kids (and pleasantly so, I might add!).
~ Brayton didn't whine or complain when we told him Taite was going to the hospital and he couldn't. He asked a few times when Taite was going to be home, but no complaining.
~ Grandma said that they were in the waiting area while grandpa was in the whirlpool and as soon as they wheeled him by, Taite went over to the wheelchair for my grandma and asked her if she was ready to go see him. . . (he's so sweet)
~ Brayton finished all his valentines yesterday afternoon while waiting for Taite to come home (he personalized them all for each individual student in his class ~ I can't remember if I shared this already)
~ Taite seems to be "catching" more of Brayton's sense of humor: my mom asked Taite if he had to be home by a curfew and after he himmed & hawwed, he told her his curfew was 12:30 AM!
~ Taite had an incomplete assignment on his report card, but still had an M- (E = A, M = B, etc., so it was basically a B-). He was so panicked he was trying to figure out how to fix this and his teacher was surprised he even had the incomplete.
~ Brayton brought home a real report on bats! It was impressive. They did the research in the library and technology (basically computer) and had to write it in paragraph form, etc.
I'm quite proud of my boys!
The only thing I don't have complete on my To-Do List is to create business cards. I can make some up on my own and I can envision what kind of scrapbook type of card I want to create, but I don't know how! I have a guide DVD that takes me to a website to create my own, but it keeps locking up my computer or when it's working well, I have work interruptions. Chris said to remind him tomorrow and he'll help, but I'm not sure he'd know what he was doing either :~)
Well, I'm tired after last nights late night so I'm signing off, but not before I tell you this: if you want to receive an email whenever this blog is updated just send me and email and I can set it up on my blog site. This will help so you don't have to keep checking it LOL
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Another '1' shirt!
So we've been kind of busy lately, but I'm not going to update you on everything at 11:30 at night. Let's just say, with Grandpa in the hospital, Valentines Day coming up, a project ordered and a trip to SD next weekend, I'm feeling overwhelmed! Today was a productive snow day, however. Chris willingly drove the boys and I over to my mom & dad's house with everything imaginable to make Valentines for my grandpa to cheer him up. Needless to say, Taite wanted to go with them to the hospital when we left and Brayton still has a runny nose, so he coulnd't go. Bray and I worked on completing his Valentines for his class (I decided to make them this year, but they were very simple and I used lots of sticky labels!) and we finished them! We practiced spelling words as Bray hadn't been in school yet this week with a sick day on Monday and no school today, but he knew all the words except one and even that one he only forgot one letter! Then I got caught back up with my work work which allowed me to get started on a '1' shirt for Monica's friend's daughter :~) I had a couple hiccups, but it turned out beautifully, if I do say so myself. Steph has ordered one for her nephew (on Brian's side ~ not a nephew I'm not claiming LOL) and I can't wait to see how that turns out! I already have a blockier '1' and will use a different font for the boys' shirts.
Oh how I love this little girls name!!!
With Josey's shirt being the first one, we learned some things. . .
~ The sleeves were too long, but with the bows on the sleeves, it was hard to roll them up and hide them!
~ Josey kept biting and pulling on the bows.
Solution: gather the sleeves so they aren't too long and maybe the bows won't hang over the hands and be inviting. I think it turned out OH SO CUTE!!!
Oh how I love this little girls name!!!
With Josey's shirt being the first one, we learned some things. . .
~ The sleeves were too long, but with the bows on the sleeves, it was hard to roll them up and hide them!
~ Josey kept biting and pulling on the bows.
Solution: gather the sleeves so they aren't too long and maybe the bows won't hang over the hands and be inviting. I think it turned out OH SO CUTE!!!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
On a positive note. . .
(I hate being negative)
1. The boys still tell me the love me and look me in the eyes when saying it!
2. Brayton has a new hat and some of the kids at school laughed at him for wearing it, but he still wears it! Yea for him! I want my kids to have the confidence to wear things that others are afraid to!
3. The bullies on the school bus have been pretty well taken care of! We ask often how the "bus ride was" and there is nothing to report!
4. I've been consistent on walking on the treadmill lately and this helps my jeans to fit in the butt area better ;~)
5. Taite was invited to be a part of Cub Time (special reading group) that starts today and he is soooo excited and nervous! I'm not sure why he's so nervous because he's been in this group in previous years!
6. There are basically only 4 1/2 months of school left!
7. My sistahs (Steph and Amber) and I are planning a birthday party to celebrate both my mom AND dad turning 60 this year. We are going to have a big bash at our house this summer (just so we can celebrate more since my mom's actual birthday is in January and my dad's is in September). I think it will be TONS of fun and we are going to invite lots o' people!
8. I sold my corner hutch already! The guy had no problems paying my asking price.
1. The boys still tell me the love me and look me in the eyes when saying it!
2. Brayton has a new hat and some of the kids at school laughed at him for wearing it, but he still wears it! Yea for him! I want my kids to have the confidence to wear things that others are afraid to!
3. The bullies on the school bus have been pretty well taken care of! We ask often how the "bus ride was" and there is nothing to report!
4. I've been consistent on walking on the treadmill lately and this helps my jeans to fit in the butt area better ;~)
5. Taite was invited to be a part of Cub Time (special reading group) that starts today and he is soooo excited and nervous! I'm not sure why he's so nervous because he's been in this group in previous years!
6. There are basically only 4 1/2 months of school left!
7. My sistahs (Steph and Amber) and I are planning a birthday party to celebrate both my mom AND dad turning 60 this year. We are going to have a big bash at our house this summer (just so we can celebrate more since my mom's actual birthday is in January and my dad's is in September). I think it will be TONS of fun and we are going to invite lots o' people!
8. I sold my corner hutch already! The guy had no problems paying my asking price.
Just an update
So, lately I've had a lot of stuff on my mind and I just don't feel like blogging about it:
~ I haven't posted video from Taite's music program. It takes a long time to upload.
~ We went to Josey's party on Saturday and it was nice to get out and visit with their friends. We (Chris and I) don't have any. Something people who work outside their homes or live in town take for granted. I said it would be nice to have neighbors who were fun (Steph & Brian's neighbors are super easy to talk to and were fun) and Chris said "We could have neighbors like that and just don't know it!" (we don't know most of our neighbors).
~ My grandpa has been in the hospital since Saturday morning (or was it Friday?) and yesterday the hospital decided they didn't know what to do with him, so they just wanted to send him to a nursing home. . . Um, they didn't run hardly any tests and didn't give good care at all so I think everyone is relieved that they brought him to Mayo last night.
~ Monday the boys didn't have school so my friend (well, we need couple friends) :~) Monica and her son came out to go sledding. The boys had a blast! You'll have to check out her blog (it's connected to mine and is at the top called the Willits Tribune) because she made a little montage of the pictures and videos she took. Just to let you know who's who, Taite has the green/black coat on with the Vikings hat, Brayton has the red coat and Matthew has the gray/orange coat and scarf.
~ Brayton brought home the list of students in his class so we can get started on Valentines and guess what?? They still don't have anyone whose stepped up to plan the party. Now as much as I hated planning the Christmas party, I would HATE for this room of 25 kids be disappointed and not have a Valentine's party!! What is with parents sometimes??? If you don't have time or money to raise your kids then DON'T HAVE THEM!!!
~ The boys came home from school yesterday and were disappointed that the 3" of snow we got on Monday didn't let them sled very well (they didn't even get down to the terrace, let alone go over it!).
~ Speaking of weather, we were planning on going back to SD to see the new baby this weekend and of course the weather report last night showed snow/sleet showers on Thursday & Friday and then starting up again Sunday & Monday ~ exactly the days we would have to be traveling! UGH!
~ Oh and the Japanese have really been stressing Chris out lately so that doesn't help. They don't give him any information, just have him working on "highly important" things and then once he completes the impossible, then they change their minds and don't want whatever it is they had him working on.
So, there it is, I've been in a blah, mid-winter mood lately, but the boys are up and getting ready for school, so I'll put on my smile and send them out the door with a hug and a kiss and another day will begin!
~ I haven't posted video from Taite's music program. It takes a long time to upload.
~ We went to Josey's party on Saturday and it was nice to get out and visit with their friends. We (Chris and I) don't have any. Something people who work outside their homes or live in town take for granted. I said it would be nice to have neighbors who were fun (Steph & Brian's neighbors are super easy to talk to and were fun) and Chris said "We could have neighbors like that and just don't know it!" (we don't know most of our neighbors).
~ My grandpa has been in the hospital since Saturday morning (or was it Friday?) and yesterday the hospital decided they didn't know what to do with him, so they just wanted to send him to a nursing home. . . Um, they didn't run hardly any tests and didn't give good care at all so I think everyone is relieved that they brought him to Mayo last night.
~ Monday the boys didn't have school so my friend (well, we need couple friends) :~) Monica and her son came out to go sledding. The boys had a blast! You'll have to check out her blog (it's connected to mine and is at the top called the Willits Tribune) because she made a little montage of the pictures and videos she took. Just to let you know who's who, Taite has the green/black coat on with the Vikings hat, Brayton has the red coat and Matthew has the gray/orange coat and scarf.
~ Brayton brought home the list of students in his class so we can get started on Valentines and guess what?? They still don't have anyone whose stepped up to plan the party. Now as much as I hated planning the Christmas party, I would HATE for this room of 25 kids be disappointed and not have a Valentine's party!! What is with parents sometimes??? If you don't have time or money to raise your kids then DON'T HAVE THEM!!!
~ The boys came home from school yesterday and were disappointed that the 3" of snow we got on Monday didn't let them sled very well (they didn't even get down to the terrace, let alone go over it!).
~ Speaking of weather, we were planning on going back to SD to see the new baby this weekend and of course the weather report last night showed snow/sleet showers on Thursday & Friday and then starting up again Sunday & Monday ~ exactly the days we would have to be traveling! UGH!
~ Oh and the Japanese have really been stressing Chris out lately so that doesn't help. They don't give him any information, just have him working on "highly important" things and then once he completes the impossible, then they change their minds and don't want whatever it is they had him working on.
So, there it is, I've been in a blah, mid-winter mood lately, but the boys are up and getting ready for school, so I'll put on my smile and send them out the door with a hug and a kiss and another day will begin!
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