Moving on...and Other Things...

Just so you don't get too excited right away, no I don't have any new pictures yet. I've been lazy (to be perfectly honest) and have yet to download the latest pics, however, I will get them done soon because I took a really cute one of Ethan today in his undies:)

I just thought that this would be a good time to do a little blogging to let you all know that I've gotten over my election day blues. I'm moving on now, and hoping that the rest of the country will do the same.

So, you're probably wondering what's going on in the crazy Hatfield homestead...Well, a lot actually. Always, A LOT! Cassy and Madi are homeschooled now (as you already know) and I am teaching pre-school (also repeat info.). Mike just returned from a trip to D.C. (hah! betcha didn't know that!) And I'm getting ready to go to Fairbanks for a weekend of shopping and merryment with my ladies (party;) Cassidy now needs braces and that's going to cost a pretty penny. Madison is just enjoying school and is flying through her curriculum. Ethan is finally, almost completely potty trained (not at night yet), and Zach has two new hobbies...book reading a.k.a read-to-me-books, and screaming at an octive that would make the deafest dog howl. We are trying to rid him of the latter. Other than that, there's not much else to report.

The weather has been steadily cold here, hanging out between -10 and 10 above. Yesterday, the wind blew all of the snow from our neighbor's yard into ours, and I actually had to use the backdoor to leave the house so that people could get in through our front door which was stuck behind three feet of snow. We have a regular old Mount McKinley accumulating right under Cassidy's bedroom window. Winter has been hard for us this year. Even the kids seem to be down in spirits compared to last year. Alaska's summer was a short one this year. Fall lasted longer, but the winter came on hard and fast, and we've had a lot more snow this year than we've had since we moved here. We're doing our best to get them out and about. We take them to the gym, or the indoor playground. We go to the MWR functions and whatever else we can think of to get them off of the couch. We are planning a trip to Hawaii in spring of '09 and that's really helping them to have something exciting to look forward to.

Before I close, I just want to send out Happy Birthday wishes to my Grandfather, Fred Bell (Nov. 4th), my sister Robin (Nov. 6th), my mother-in-law Barb (Nov. 19th), and my Grandmother Jane Bell (Dec. 11th). You didn't get cards and I'm sorry, but we didn't forget about you all. We love you and hope that you had or will have a wonderful birthday this year!

Last, I just want to ask for prayers for some friends of our family...For the Browers and their baby boy Timothy, may God keep his little heart safe until the doctor's can do their part...For Brooke's husband, may God continue to heal your ailments that you can enjoy this holiday season with your family...And for the Smith family, may the Lord bless you and keep you, bringing you peace in this hour of sorrow and know that Dick is in a place where he will no longer suffer earthly heartache. A-Men

Confessions of an Alaskan Mom/Voter

I talked to my children all day about how important today was. I told them that today was a very important day in American History. I told them that it was very important for their father and I to vote, and that one day they will need to vote too.

Then I put my warm coat on, my hat, my gloves, and my snow boots. Next, I had the kids, all four, put on their hats, gloves, and snow boots. After that mission was accomplished, we all departed our warm, cozy home to face the 10degree weather and two-feet of snow, to load up in the truck and drive to the polls. The children all patiently, and some sleepily, waited for me to go inside and cast my vote. When I returned to the truck, I described what it was like and how easy it was. I also told them that I am glad that I did it and I am proud to be one of the many Americans who would help decide who the next President of our nation will be.

After driving home, unloading everyone back into the 10degree weather and two-feet of snow, we returned to our nice, warm home and settled in to watch the election results. The kids enjoyed it almost as much as I, asking every so often, "Who's winning now?" Then something happened that really, really bothered me.

Before the California results were televised, and before the Alaskan polls were closed, the next President of the United States, Barack Obama was announced! Now, I realize that by this point it was no surprise that Obama was going to win the election, and most certainly not California however, isn't that a little like announcing the winner of a football game during the 3rd quarter just because the leading team is ahead by twenty points? Most announcers wouldn't do that because it's rude. After all, it truly is the "Principal of the Thing".

Yes, I know that when the final tally comes in, my vote will be there. But tonight, when history was made, my vote was still sitting in Alaska because the people here weren't even done voting yet. Did my vote really count? Should I tell my kids one day to stay in the lower 48, preferrably the eastern part of the United States because "The time zone thing really puts a downer on elections and New Year's!" Of course, now I'm thinking that returning to Ohio one day is much more important than I ever thought!:)

Well, to all of you Americans that voted today, whether it was in a swing state, eastern, central, mountain, pacific, or Alaskan time, be glad you did. Especially if you got an "I Voted Today" sticker. The little old lady at my election center that was passing them out forgot to give me one:( Maybe I should have taken that as a sign...

WE HAVE NOT BEEN EATEN BY BEARS...

YES...we are still alive and well here in Alaska. After a full and busy summer, we returned home (via airplane, not car) and jumped right into a very hectic school-year. I am now teaching pre-school out of a friend's home, and we are now home-schooling Madison and Cassidy. I'll give you the long version sometime if you'd like to know. On top of that, I still have one toddler and one pre-schooler to manage. Sounds crazy, huh?

I have missed blogging and having the opportunity to share my life with everyone. Not that my life is that interesting, but it's a great outlet for me:) I did find out that my fan base is larger than I thought! Many of my readers came out of the "blog-lurker's closet" when I was in Ohio for the summer. I'm so glad that so many of our friends and family have enjoyed checking in on us. Maybe this year you could leave a "hello" or two, also?;)

I wish I had the time to share with all of you how much fun we had this summer and all of the wonderful things we did, but sadly :( I don't. So I will just end this post by saying, If we saw you while we were in Ohio and West Virginia, we're soooo glad we did, because we've missed you. If we didn't get the chance to see you, then we are still sad and regretful, because we really, really wanted to and just ran out of time :( You all know who you are! Love you XOXO

Here's some pics of Ben, Liz, Christian, Jacob, Chloe, and Robin's visit to Alaska last May. We had a blast!

Here's Robin, Liz, and me standing in front of the Mountains in Seward, Alaska. Beautiful view isn't it?


Here's a pic of Ben and Mike violating Exit Glacier in Seward, AK. Soooo sorry, Mister Park Ranger! Next time they will have adult supervision!


Last, but not least, here's the Bells' seven grandchildren and great-grandchildren having a great time at the Wildlife Conservation Center just outside of Anchorage. We really miss those nephews and that niece of ours! Love you little guys...

the last first birthday...

On March 28th Zachary turned one. Our little surprise, the one we had never imagined, has arrived and grown, and now he is already one year old. For his birthday, we celebrated with friends and tried to make it as much fun for him as we could, though the larger part of the celebration was for us. A bittersweet reminder that we have decided to begin the next chapter of parenthood and stop with the child-bearing.

I couldn't have asked for a better turn out. And thanks to my friends who helped me pull it off without a hitch. Kathi Jurva helped me make "Pupcakes" for all of the kids. They were soooooooo stinkin' cute! Exactly what I had imagined!

So here is a brief synopsis of Zach's special day and how the events evolved from one to another:

First, Andrea handed Zach his very own specially made (by Momma of coarse:) cake. He's not sure what to do with it at first, but with a little encouragement, this turned into....



this. A cute little chocolate covered boy! Then this became...



This! Fun in the tub! But what fun is a bath without a buddy? So, the solo tub became the...



Double tub. You just can't keep toddler boys away from the water! It's impossible!


Here's a pic of the playfully perfect pupcakes! We got the idea from the March issue of Family Circle magazine. Look familiar?


And since we have ended another first year of life, a note to "Baby Zach" as he's called 'round these parts...

When we moved to Alaska, we never ever thought that our first year here would be marked by the arrival of such a loving, sweet, and adorable baby boy. It hasn't always been easy taking care of you and your big brother at the same time, but your seemingly abundant patience has made many very long days, a lot more bearable. When you smile at us, your bright blue eyes twinkle, and somehow we know that everything is going to be okay. We thought there was no more room in our world for someone new, but you have proved us all wrong. Now we know our lives are complete because God has sent you to us. This last, first year of life for us, has been a rollercoaster, but you...sweet, sweet baby boy...you have made it one of the best. I wish that you would always stay small and let me kiss your chubby cheeks, while you throw your head back and giggle with delight. Oh, how I wish you could stay small and not grow big like your sisters and brother before you have done. You will never know how much you have captured the heart of every member of this family...

sooooo, sorry....

I have been a bad, bad, blogger! I am sooooo sorry that it has been over a month since my last post. Although, nobody has been commenting, so I wonder "is anybody out there?"

Our lives have been crazy insane. We came back from vacation and immediately jumped into Easter, and then Zachary's first birthday. After that it was April and I had to get going to the gym. I am doing the Golden Nugget triathelon on May 18th in Anchorage and I need all of the help I can get! This will be my first triathelon (not a full, but what is called a sprint. I'm learning as I go...) And I am going to be teaching pre-school in the fall as well as homeschooling Madison, so I had to work really hard to catch up on my Montessori 3-6 course that I am taking. I had work due on the 17th, which I had to extend to the 25th, but "WHEW!" I finally got it all done and now I can b-r-e-a-t-h-e, or at least catch my breath.

Only for a minute, though, because in less than two weeks Ben, Liz, Christian, Jacob, Chloe, and Robin are all coming here to visit! Yippee! Then, we all fly back to Ohio together on the 22nd of May. The kids and I will be there for a couple of months until Mike does the big cross-country road trip to pick us up and then we all do the road trip with our new pop-up back to Alaska for another year of snow and darkness. At least we will have the daylight and warm weather when we return.

I also have a lot of catching up to do on my household chores. I think I lost Zach in the laundry room the other day because the pile of clothes was so deep. I guess I'm not supermom after all. It turns out that when I have to do schoolwork, I really don't get a lot of other things done, except taking care of the boys' needs. Who would have thought? Anyway, it's really late, but this week is a sort of down week for me so I PROMISE to catch you up with some fun photos! If you stop by, please leave a note so that I know you were here. The blog was getting kind of lonely without any comments from my regular remarkers!



See...this is what happens when you get really, really busy!

Vacation Pics

I realize that I promised some vacation photos and had yet to fulfill my promise. So, here they are! There are many more, but I'm going to let Mike tell you about snowmobiling in Seward with the girls.

This first pic is of a bald eagle Madi spotted perched outside of the SeaLife center in Seward. It was the closest we've come to one since our arrival here almost two years ago.


This is a picture taken by Mike of the Seward Harbor, as seen from one of the mountains he went snowmobiling on. It was sunrise when he took this photo. Beautiful isn't it?


This picture was taken by Mike at the SeaLife center. Who's entertaining who?


This last photo is of Madison blowing a huge bubble at the Imaginarium in Anchorage. They had a great time there, but it's nothing like COSI!


We are still doing pottytraining with Ethan and this is "training week". Hopefully by the end of this week, other than having a severe case of cabin fever, Ethan will be completely day trained and we will start with the night training. Wish us luck!

vacation, potty progress, and pretty kitty

If you were wondering what happened to us, we have been very busy. Last Sunday we left with the Jurva family for spring break. We went to Anchorage and then on to Seward. It was a lot of fun and very exhausting, though I'm not sure why...we did a lot of relaxing! Anyway, lots of great pics will be coming soon so stay tuned!

UPDATES:
Ethan has been doing such a good job with this potty training! I am very proud of him. It seems like every time I work with him, he progresses even more. Love It!


"Can I get that to go?"

We recently adopted a stray cat. She was found outside of our house a couple of weeks ago, and the girls refused to come inside until I agreed to take her in and find her a home. Madison called her Frostbite. Little did I know that the home she would be going to would be ours. No one else could take her, so after a clean bill of health from the vet, Mike and I agreed that she could stay. She has been tolerating Raven and visa versa. The kids just love her. We let the girls name her, and after much deliberation and a lot of disagreements, they finally agreed on the name Mimzy. Welcome to the family Mims!

Mommy Mondays Buddy Post: Potty Training

Okay, so here it goes. My friend Erin Cobb has started a Mommy Mondays post and the current topic is potty training. Since we are smack-dab in the middle of training Ethan right now, I thought it would be good for me to share my ups and downs with all of you. Please check out the Cobb's blog under our "Favorite Family Blogs" in the right hand column.

I am no genius when it comes to potty training kids. I am training my third child now and I still feel like I'm doing it for the first time. I have learned that all children potty train differently and in their own time. That said, I also believe there is a short window of time in which potty training your child will be the easiest. If you start too soon or begin too late you will only make it more difficult for you and your child.

When is the right time? I don't have an exact answer only to say to trust your instincts and follow your child's readiness cues. If they aren't even talking about the potty and still don't understand what to do in it, then it's too soon. If they are asking for new diapers so they can mess in them, they are probably ready. If they are getting ready to go to Kindergarten and they are wearing pull-ups off and on, you've probably waited too long (unless there's a medical reason) and you need to push a little harder.

I think motivation is key. It really doesn't bother a child who has been wearing diapers throughout their short little life to continue wearing them, so what's in it for them? You really have to think like this and try to put yourself in your child's shoes. What motivates one child won't motivate another. Some kids love sweet treats, others love presents. Some love stickers, others love videos. What is your child's favorite special activity? If you can't decide, then maybe you need to incorporate them all, changing the "Potty Surprise" every time they use the potty. Reward jars are great for the kids who will respect the jar and not try to sneak things out of it. That would never work for my son, Ethan.

My oldest daughter hated to be wet. After doing the sometimes pottying sometimes not thing for a while, I finally committed to big girl undies and started it out for a few hours each day. Every day I added more time in the big girl undies, less time in the pull-ups. After a few wet accidents, she decided that she was always going to use the potty. She night trained at the same time, only because she slept all night in big girl underwear (oops! Thought we put a pull-up on her!) and stayed dry. After that, it was a breeze. Big lesson from her was, always, always, bring a change of clothes with you when you go out. Had a couple of #1 accidents in Wal-Mart that first year. It started to look like she was just trying to get new clothes out of me!

My second daughter was much, much different. She could care less if she wet her underwear. I tried everything I could think of to make it fun for her, but she was still having a lot of accidents. Finally, I bought a new kind of cookie and brought them home. I declared, "Everyone who pee-pees in the potty today gets a cookie!" Madi said, "I want a cookie!" I told she had to go in the potty and she told me "NO!" About an hour later, after Daddy, Cassy, and Mommy had all had their cookies she ran to the bathroom, sat on the potty, did her business and said, "Can I have a cookie now?" After that we didn't have anymore problems. It took a little longer to night-train her, but once we cut back the drinks in the evenings, she was soon out of pull-ups all together.

With Ethan my most difficult task was getting him over the hump of actually using the potty for the first time. He would sit on it, but not go. He finally did (check out my 02/28/08 post) and now we are at that place where he really just needs continual motivation to keep it going. It's hard when you're involved in other things, but I'm doing my best. I will keep you all posted! I have to say, though, things with Ethan started a lot like Sarah Cobb's experience, I introduced it early on and he refused. Then the other day I just had this feeling that we could do it this time, so I asked him if he wanted to try and much to my surprise he said "YES!" He finally went and now we are on our way. Still a long way to go, but we finally left "START":)

Potties, Pirates, and Naked Ice Cream

Looking at the title of this post you're probably thinking, "What the heck?" Well, I don't blame you, so let me explain. Today was the first time ever that Ethan peed and poo-ed in the potty. YEAH! For those of you reading who don't have children yet, you probably don't totally get the excitement you feel as a parent when your child finally does his/her business in the potty. It's pure elation! And yes, it's elation over poo. So, so, sad. Trully. Anyway, that was pretty much the highlight of my day. I cleaned up poo and I was happy about it. Do you think it's time for me to start looking for work outside of the home?

Seriously, Ethan finally went which was like driving over a really big speedbump in the potty training department. We still have a lot more work to do, but the fear is gone now. He has just discovered that I wasn't lying. The potty really doesn't bite your booty off when you go.

For his first time on the potty celebration, I gave him a little ice cream in the middle of the day, which is unusual for us (despite my ice cream fetish). This particular moment also qualifies for the cutest moment of the day because he was completely nude while eating it (so funny). It was just easier to let him run around the house in his birthday suit while we did the PT thing. Later he went a second time (whoo-hoo!!) and Daddy brought him home a pirate play set. He played with that new toy for about three hours stopping only for one piece of pizza before passing out for the night. Tomorrow morning we will be back at it again. Wish me luck!

Cassidy received the Good Citizen award from the elementary school this semester, and the only child in fifth grade to receive one. She has also been chosen for Student of the Month for March. Way to go, Kid! We're proud of you!

*You should have seen her face when she told me. You could tell she was proud of herself, but she tried very hard to suck in her smile, and act like it was no big deal. Please! I was the queen of acting! Who does she think she's dealing with?:)

cutest moment of the day...

Okay. So I realize I have been like super blogger woman or something today, but I absolutely had to do a quick post about this. Mike and I had talked before about doing a cutest moment of the day. With four kids hanging around there is always something super cute happening, so I figure why not? Anyway, the moment that inspired me today actually came from Madison. We were doing her spelling homework for this evening which was an assignment for the both of us. My job was to write down the sentences that she was to dictate to me using one spelling word in each sentence. Things were going very well, Madi used her spelling words appropriately, "I see a big bug." Bug being the spelling word. I'm sure you get the picture. We kept going like that until number five or so. She had not read the word aloud before she used it in the sentence, so I wasn't sure which one was the spelling word. "I want to fly and tap dance." she declared. I giggled. "What are you laughing at Mom?" she asked. "Madi, I was just wondering which of those words is your spelling word?", with a sentence like that I thought it must be fly or tap. "It's and Mom!" I laughed out loud and told her she had made up a great sentence. She couldn't figure out why I couldn't stop smiling while I continued writing the rest of her sentences. I almost wet myself when she proclaimed her last sentence, "I wish I was a princess with a monkey." The spelling word...with.

After nine hours at home with four children under the age of five, I really, really, really, needed that laugh! I love your imagination little girl!

Zachy's naptime

I realized the other day while looking through old photos, that I had not taken any pictures of Zachary in his crib. This is something that I have always done at least once, with every child. Yesterday was busy, but since I had the camera out anyway, I decided to take some pictures of Zach before he laid down for his nap. As you will see, he had a lot of fun posing for me. I think most of the pictures are self-explanitory. I have to tell you that Mike and I call him "Pretty Boy" because his features are so flawless. I know amazing that he came from the two of us, huh? He just has these gorgeous blue eyes, creamy smooth complection, red pouty lips, curly, strawberry-blonde locks, and pinchably chubby cheeks. He's going to be a heartbreaker. He already melts mine:) By the way, thanks go out to Erin Cobb, I got the idea for the mirror pic from you! I just wish you had taken it. It would have turned out way better, but I worked with what I had. That's all you can do, right?

I have to add that even after the excitement of the photo shoot, Zach still laid down with his bottle and fell asleep when I finally turned off the lights and turned on his music. What a great baby!











I hate that I cut off half of his head while trying to get his reflection in the (very dirty) mirror. I just love the way he touched it with his little hand, though and his reflection turned out pretty good. I guess you could call this Mommy Art...You know, the kind of art only a mother could love...

Ethan's playdate

Yesterday Ethan felt like a very special boy. He was able to have two of his best friends over to play all day long! Their names are Jake-4yrs., and Ashley 2-1/2yrs. and they are brother and sister. The kids played well together and there were no meltdowns which is always a plus when you have toddlers and pre-schoolers together all day long. All in all it was a great day. We will get to see them again today, too:) Check out the cute pics below from the playdate:

Things started a little slow. There was some sliding and checking out the toys in the basement...

Then we moved into the TV area where Go Diego Gowas on. A favorite of all three!

The boys left Ashley alone for a while to go play with some very growl-y animals...ROAR!

Ashley didn't mind though, she was doing her own thing which happens to be the princess thing! She loves playing with Madi's Disney Princess cash register. How much are those glass slippers, Ashley?

The day ended with some quiet time. Jake fell asleep on the couch while the terrible two (who are only four days apart in age) played with the big girls downstairs. What a fun day:)

By the Grace of God...

I have been saved. I accepted Christ as my Savior a long time ago, but that's not what I am talking about now. I am referring to my last post about flying to Ohio with four kids. I had some trouble finding a flight that could configure seating for one adult with four children under the age of 12. I thought that I was going to have to pay a lot more money just to find a flight that could take us. Then, I had an idea. I thought if my youngest sister Robin could fly out and visit, I could buy her a return ticket home and she could fly with me and the kids. Between me and my mother we were able to work it out and now I have purchased airline tickets for the flight that I really wanted in the first place and I have another adult with me to help manage the kids. Thank you Lord for answering my prayers!

I found this picture taken on Ethan's second birthday. I had forgotten all about it. We were on our way home from celebrating with him in Fairbanks when God painted him this beautiful gift. How do you top a birthday present like that?

What am I getting myself into?

Well, in a couple of minutes it will be official. I am about to go online and buy four airline tickets. One for me and each of the kids. Zach will be a lap baby. We are going to fly home (Ohio) May 22nd, arriving the 23rd. Am I nuts? Flying alone with four children? I must really love you guys, because I am doing it again! At least this time I will have Cassidy with me to help. Ugh! I hate the thought of going through security with all of these kids. Breaking down the stroller, taking off your shoes and theirs, no belts, no liquids, etc. the list just keeps on going. If you have never flown with children (at least not since 9/11) my advice to you is to BE PREPARED! Bring as little as possible, keep it simple, and a little Benedryl never hurt any child:) Actually, I can honestly say I have never had to give my kids anything to make them sleepy on the plane. The droning of the engines is enough to put them to sleep and they have all been great fliers thus far. I do give the babies Tylenol just in case the popping hurts their ears, but that was only after the pediatrician recommended it.

We will be home from 5/23 to sometime in July. Mike will stay here in Alaska, and take leave in July to drive all the way to Ohio to pick us up, with our new pop-up camper (thanks mom and dad), and we will all take the big cross-country tour of the U.S. and Canada until we arrive home in Alaska. What a big, busy, crazy, memorable summer this will turn out to be! I can't wait to see everyone again!

things you didn't know...

Today I feel compelled to share some things about myself that you may not have known. Some of this is new stuff, some of it has always been a part of me. Either way I hope you enjoy reading this post:)

1. I recently cut and dyed my hair. The blonde is gone. Why? I couldn't stand finding food from the boys' hands in my hair anymore, and I felt like I needed a drastic change. I like it!

2. I eat icing when I am craving sweets but can't find any chocolate or ice cream. It's very, very bad for you, but it usually only takes a teaspoon to stop the craving.

3. I have started writing songs. Lyrics mostly, but I am working on the music part!

4. I am taking a Montessori Pre-school course to become a certified Montessori Pre-school teacher this fall. Wish me luck!

5. I love to cook, but I absolutely abhor doing the dishes. Really, I hate it.

6. Even though Zach is almost a year old now, I still count all of my children to make sure that I really do have four kids. I know, as if someone accidentally left a child at my house or I dreamed about Zach's birth and it wasn't real... I'm working on this one. Honestly.

7. I love helping other moms. I don't mind watching their kids, bringing them food, getting stuff from the store for them, whatever. Helping other moms gives me a sense of joy because I know how much it means to me (has meant) when I receive that extra help. I just want to make someone else feel that happiness (and relief) too!

8. I get teary-eyed every time I see or hear something about soldiers overseas. Whether they are serving, have served, or have fallen. My heart goes out to their families. It's a very emotional subject for me. See! I've got tears in my eyes just typing about it!!

9. I asked Zachary not to grow up. I know, what a silly request. By the way, eventhough he can't talk yet, I'm pretty sure he told me "NO". As a matter of fact, he's been very busy trying to grow up. Oh well...at least I tried...

10. I can be a very moody person. Because of that I was a jerk to my husband the day after Valentine's Day, which was supposed to be our night out, cancelled the evening, and pouted about...nothing...? I did apologize the next day, but I still feel really bad for acting like such an idiot and for ruining his night as well as mine. I don't even have a good excuse! Again...I'm really sorry about that night, Michael! I love you and thank you for the Valentine's gift. It was perfect!

And since I can't think of anything else to tell you about myself, I will include some pictures of Zach since he was not in the last post, and a pic of my new 'do (not a very good one though, sorry!)


I love this picture of Zach because it shows how happy he always is. He wasn't even looking at anyone in this picture! He was just trying to crawl away from the camera and thought it was funny. Plus, you just gotta love that hair:)



This is a picture of Zach playing under the dining table. Not my favorite place for him to play, but he loves it there! Notice the crazy hair again



Here's me with my new style. What do you think? It's an asymmetrical cut, chocolate brown with red highlights. I've had a lot of compliments on it. Most people don't even recognize me at first, others are just amazed that I would have the guts to change it so drastically. It's only hair, right?

all things crazy...

This Valentine's Day was a swirl of crazies...crazy day, crazy hair, crazy cookies, crazy boys, crazy in love with my family...get the picture? My day started with baking four dozen large heart shaped cookies and a couple dozen little heart cookies so as not to waste cookie dough:) The girls got their valentines done on Wednesday night, and instead of giving candy (which seems to have become customary in elementary schools) they shared giant heart shaped cookies with their classes. Madison's class decorated their own cookies while Cassidy's class had theirs already done by moi.

I decorated the last cookie while running out the door to take Ethan to the Doctor's office because I was pretty sure he had strep throat. Madison and Zach were both diagnosed with it on Monday.

Sure enough Ethan tested positive, I was negative (yeah!), and we were off to drop the cookies off at the school. After all of that we went home to relax for a couple of hours until it was time to take the poor old dog to the vet. She has a skin tag and a lot of cysts that we can feel, we were just concerned that there may be something worse going on. The vet assured us that all of these things are just because she's old, and after muzzling her so that he could clip her claws (she put up quite a fight I'm told) he sent her on her way.

We picked the girls up from school and took them over to the hair salon for a surprise appointment. Their valentines gift from us was to get color highlights put in their hair. Cassy chose red and Madi chose purple. I am such a cool mom:) Actually, our philosophy is let them do it now. Then it won't be such a big deal when they are older and want to find something that will make us mad! Their hair turned out really cute! Thanks Libby and Patsy!


After all of that we returned home for homemade subs (the girls' choice), yummy ice cream for dessert, and shortly thereafter, bed. What a crazy day! Hope your Valentine's Day was a little less hectic and a lot more fun! Love y'all!

Winter Fun

It's been very cold this last week. It dropped to -60 twice leading to school cancellations. The trucks survived the cold but they were challenged. I usually started the truck 20 minutes before leaving and was very careful not to pop the power steering hoses. The tires square off when it drops to -50 and it takes a while to warm them up and get rid of the flat spot. Imagine driving to work drinking coffee while riding in a bouncing car. In LA you have to pay a lot of money to make your car bounce in AK it's free.


Recently I traveled North towards Paxon, AK to ride sleds in the powder. This is the location that they hold the annual Artic Man competition. Dave, Mike and myself rode snow machines for about 5 hours. It was not bad at first riding the trails through the mountains. However, when we reached the powder the fun really began. The snow was about shoulder deep. This is a soft powder and when you jumped off the sled you sank like it was jello. I had never been in powder this deep and I had to re-learn how to ride the sled. Turning normally is impossible and within seconds I flipped off the side head first into the snow. It took 15 minutes to dig out and to get sled the oriented again. I took off went 20 yards and got stuck again. I'm thinking "what am I doing out here". So I sat on the sled and watched the others ride like it was nothing. After a couple of minutes I realized that you had to ride the sled like a seadoo in the water. Steering is done by placing both legs on one of the side rails and pulling with all of your weight. After a while I started laying down on the side using my body for drag for rapid turning. We rode for a long time and it was probably the greatest workout of my life. We got stuck 8 times and you have to lift the sled back on top of the snow.



The moose you see was in our yard the other day at -60. He was lying on his front knees eating grass when I came home. I walked out to take a photo and he had moved into the woods. He was enjoying some twigs and bark during an afternoon snack.

Madi and Ethan Super Friends

Whew! Finally, we're back. Everyone is healthy and feeling much more normal. It feels like we've been away on a really bad vacation. Anyway, it's over and I'm glad to be back in the groove of things.

We have been so busy this last week. The kids are back into gymnastics and Madi is selling girl scout cookies for her brownie troop. Cassidy is suddenly becoming more social and is starting to call her friends after school. Ethan is learning things left and right and his vocabulary grows everyday. He sounds like a little boy now, and not so much like a baby. Zachary is learning how to "play" with his big brother and is starting to wave Bye-Bye, though he still doesn't really say anything except the occaisional "mama", "dada", or "baba". He is most commonly known for his delightful squeal.

As you have seen above I have included some pictures of Madison and Ethan who have become best friends. They can often be spotted sharing food and playing together with Ethan's new castle, or more commonly wrestling each other on the living room carpet. We actually have to watch out for Madison, because Ethan is apparently a linebacker in training and can tackle Madi with such force that she will sometimes get hurt. Madi is a trooper though, and takes it all in stride with delightful giggles and a return tickle to Ethan's ribs. It warms our hearts to see our children getting along so well. Ethan is even allowing Zach to touch some of his toys and play with his new castle, though Zach is only allowed to play with the toys that Ethan chooses for him. This is much improved from the "NO BABY ZACH" scream that we used to get everytime Zach came near one of Ethan's toys. I guess there really is a light at the end of the tunnel!

a case of the cruds...

Sorry everyone. I just wanted to let you know why I haven't posted anything for awhile. The flu is going around this little town like crazy and I got it. It's been several years since I've had a bad case of the flu, so I guess I was due. Madi was sick last week, but her main problem was a fever that stuck around for three days. I've been sick since Monday, and I am very, very, slowly getting better, but I'm still not up to par. I'm sure that by the start of next week I will be up and running again, so stay tuned! Hopefully there will be a new post with new pics for you to check out!

Cassidy is 11!

As many of you know, Cassidy just turned 11 on the 10th of January. Boy, do we feel old... She chose to go to Fairbanks with three of her friends for her birthday, which we did on the 12th. On her actual birthday, we invited friends over for a Mexican feast and some Black Tie Mousse Cake for dessert. Everyone had a great time as you will see below. Please note the picture of Cassidy at the computer with her best friend and neighbor, Kerstin Spencer. Kerstin is 12 and is a 7th grader. The two girls are very much alike and get along great. We're glad Cassidy has such a good kid to hang around with.

For her Fairbanks birthday trip, Cassidy and three of her friends (Kerstin, Elsie, and Abigail) went to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets, played mini-golf at Glo-Putt Golf (an indoor, glow-in-the-dark miniture golf place), shopped, and ate at Gallo's Mexican Restaurant. We all had a great time!




Since we're already talking about Cassidy, I thought I would include a few extra pictures of her, not from her birthday. You will see pictures of her with her brothers, who just adore her, and a strange picture of her with toilet paper in her nose. "What on earth?" may be your response, it certainly was mine. Cassidy had been having trouble sleeping due to sinus problems. One night, I went in to check on her and found her like this, sound asleep with toilet paper plugging one nostril. I immediately ran to get my camera. I don't know if she was trying to prevent nightly drainage or what, but I plan to use this picture when she starts dating, especially if she has poor taste in boys!!

playful pain and sibling rivalry

No gain, no pain. Yes, this statement is more commonly stated in reverse, however I have recently come to learn that this phrase when reversed, suits our most recent parenting experiences. As our little ones grow and become stronger, they have also learned how to apply this strength in a manner of personal contact. That is to say, they are beating the crap out of us. Every day when Mike comes home from work, Ethan is elated at the sudden arrival of his father. So elated, that recently he has taken to, shall we say, performing the nutcracker. Michael is quite regretful that he failed to ask Santa for a cup this Christmas. Whenever Mike tries to protect himself with his hand, it just becomes a bullseye, which to a toddler means, "hit me here, hit me right here".

I wish I could say that my experience with Zachary has been better than Mike's experience with Ethan, but I can't. Zach has now entered that clawing and grabbing phase. Not that he didn't ever do that before, it's just that now he is bigger and stronger. I think he carries around superglue in his diaper because he will grab a handful of my hair and it's like ripping hair out of vacuum cleaner. I have to pull my hair very hard to remove it and inevitably not all of it comes back.

Another more recent (and sometimes painful) phase has been the beginning of Ethan and Zach's sibling rivalry. I knew it was only a matter of time, but I had hoped that perhaps it would be delayed for another year or two. Now that Zach is mobile, this is not the case. Every toy that Zach tries to play with is taken from him with the statement, "No baby Zach, that's mine" or "No baby Zach, that's Madi's". This is always said as he rips the toy out of his brother's hands.

We are doing our best to deal with these new phases accordingly. In time there will be new things to talk about, but for now we will keep you updated on the boys' new , very physical, goings-on.

searching for normal...

Happy New Year everyone! Our family brought in the new year with friends at our home. The grown-ups had a fondue party and the kids had finger foods in the basement (where all of the toys are:) Everyone had a great time bringing in the New Year, watching the replay of the Times Square ball drop.

With all the commotion that is the holiday season, we are now starting to wind down and find the way of life that was pre-Christmas. We put the kids to bed at 9:00 pm last night, and followed them soon after. This was a big change from the 2am, 3am, and 4am bed times from the days before. We still overslept this morning, but I just tell myself that I am catching up on missed sleep.

The girls will be returning to school on the 7th and all of the activities will start up again. We will return to our busy schedules and soon our lives will feel "normal" once more. For now, we will enjoy lounging around the house and watching movies, playing outside in the snow, and catching a few extra zzzz's.


*Pictures are of Zachary begging Mike for a bite of ice cream and Zach choosing Raven as his pillow.