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.