Lunch Time with the Littles

For some reason, I usually end up sitting at lunchtime with Ella and Felicity with Klaus in the high chair.  Maybe Kian doesn't like what we're eating for lunch or isn't hungry yet.  Maybe Abby grabbed her food quickly and is back absorbed in a book she can't put down. 

I don't usually enjoy eating lunch with the littles.  I prefer a meal with family members that know how to stay seated more than 30 seconds at a time.  I prefer to have a conversation where we all can share what we've learned that morning or what we plan on doing that afternoon.  With the littles, our conversation is more like this:

Ella: "My green smoothie looks like boogers!"

Felicity:  "Ha ha ha!!  Boogers in my cup!"

Klaus:  "Mo!  Mo!  Mo!  Mo!"

The conversation only gets worse from there.  And all throughout the disgusting discourse, in the background I hear Klaus yelling at me to get my attention, "Mom!  Mom!  Mom!  Mom!"  Or, "All Done!  All Done!  All Done!" 

All I want to do is sip my smoothie in peace after my very busy morning.  I usually leave the table and eat my lunch standing up in the kitchen, trying my best to ignore them.

Today, however, lunchtime was fun.  We had an interesting conversation (which met my requirement) and it was entertaining for the little ones too.  As Stephen Covey would say, it was a win-win situation.  Our topic of discussion:  pea-bo. 

Pea-bo is Klaus' word for peanut butter.  He loves pea-bo!  Today when I offered him some of my pea-bo sandwich, he gladly sang at the top of his lungs, "Pea-bo!"

That set Felicity laughing, her big belly laugh that comes all the way from the bottom of her gut and which makes me smile just hearing it.  Then one of us (who started it anyway?) came up with the idea of applying imaginary pea-bo to body parts.  "Pea-bo dripping from your hair! Ha ha ha!"  "Pea-bo coming out your ears!  Ha ha ha!"  "Pea-bo in your diaper!  Ha ha!" 

Before the conversation got out of hand, I redirected our peanut butter exclamations to items in the house.  "Pea-bo in the toaster!" I declared.  The girls laughed.  "Pea-bo in the toilet!" Ella contributed and Felicity laughed. 

Here are some of my favorite places for pea-bo that you have probably never thought of!  We were laughing and enjoying ourselves the whole time!

Pea-bo in the bathtub!
Pea-bo down your back!
Pea-bo in the backyard!
Pea-bo in your underwear!

"Pea-bo in the pantry!" Ella exclaimed.  "Wait a minute, Ella, that's where the pea-bo actually goes!" 

Christmas-time is here

Since today is December 1 and Abby has been playing Christmas music since Thanksgiving, it is only appropriate we got out our decorations. Now, all we are waiting for is the ultimate Christmas decoration...SNOW!

 

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A Hike of Consequence

When we started our family hike last Monday evening about sunset, Matt and I were looking forward to a quick excursion for the whole family to get some exercise out of doors and enjoy the beautiful fall colors around us. We had come to this state park several times over the past few months and hiked the shorter trails: a half-mile, then mile-long hikes, and even a mile and a quarter hike the last time we visited. They had always been quiet (except for the exuberant shrieks coming from our five kids), peaceful and enjoyable. With Klaus riding in a carrier on Matt’s back, Felicity was the youngest hiker of our group at age 4. She tired after awhile but I could always coax her to the end of the trail by praising her excellent hiking skills and observing the natural beauty around us.

Last Monday’s hike was not peaceful, restful or enjoyable, however. Last Monday’s hike turned out to be scary, dark, physically exhausting, emotionally stretching and much longer than expected.

We knew when we started we didn’t have time for the longest trail at 1¾ miles long. The sun had already set but there was a lot of light left in the sky. We were all excited to get going and we did not study the trail map as closely as we should have (and when I say “we,” I mean me!) Matt didn’t even look at the map. He was trusting us to take the appropriate trail and was busy cleaning up our picnic dinner of BBQ veggie pizza (no cheese).

When we passed the lake and read the trailhead sign, I got it into my head that we wanted the blue trail which was 1.25 miles in length. I showed Matt the longer trail at 1.75 miles. “We don’t want that one,” I said. I knew our daylight hours were limited but we were all full of energy and eager to start. I thought our trail was a simple, quick circle--a loop with a shortcut that led around and right back to the lake. We’ll be done before dark and get the kids home and to bed.

We walked. The kids shouted with joy to be out of doors and expending energy. They ran ahead, looking for the blue trail. We frightened a nest (or roost?) with dozens of large birds as big as eagles it seemed to us directly overhead. Their giant wings flapped noisily and we all stopped to watch them in wonder. We later found out they were turkey vultures. It was awesome! The reds, pinks, oranges, yellows and browns of the autumn leaves were just gorgeous.  It felt great to be visiting our park in a new season. The last time, a few weeks earlier, every leaf was still green!

We hiked on and on, Kian in the lead, Abby and Ella close behind. Felicity held my hand and I talked with her to keep her mind off of the exertion required. Matt brought up the rear with Klaus on his back. After some time (Why were we still on the red trail? Where was the blue trail we were looking for?), I turned back to Matt and offered, “Maybe if we don’t find the trail in five minutes, we should just turn around?” But he didn’t concur. He was silent on the matter. I figured we had already come this far. It couldn’t be much farther on. It couldn’t!

As we hiked on and on, I observed the light fading. I urged the kids to keep up the pace. We were in a race to reach safety before the sunlight faded completely. Kian kept a fast walking pace. We hiked on. There was no turning back now. We surely had come far enough on the trail to get back faster by continuing ahead.

We found the blue trail! I figured that meant it was the shortcut and we’d be back at the lake in 10 minutes. “Hooray!” We continued hiking the blue trail. The light was dimming. I told the kids how great it was that we had good night vision because we were using it! It was light enough to see but all of us could feel the impending darkness and Matt went to the front of the group to set an even quicker pace. I was in the back now with a whining 4-year-old. Not only were her legs tired but she had to use the bathroom. I knew that stopping for even two minutes would lose us precious moments of daylight so I urged her forward, pulling her along, using a lot of strength in my grip. She tripped often but with my tight grip, she never got hurt. I offered her a ride on my back to keep up with the others and give her a break.

It was dark enough now that Matt and I knew we would be hiking in darkness before reaching the lake. Oddly shaped branches seemed to reach out to grab me. Poky-needled vines clung on to our sweatshirts. A broken tree trunk with a bent limb closely resembled a scary animal! I was getting spooked!

With the very last rays of sunlight we hurried on, all of the kids worrying some. We reassured them. We encouraged them. I sang to Felicity to keep her mind off her worry. Matt said Klaus was falling asleep in the backpack. I tripped on something. I couldn’t really see the trail anymore and Felicity flew off my shoulders but thankfully landed square on her feet. No harm. I got up and we walked on.

Why was this blue trail so long?! We were walking so much further than we had before. Something wasn’t right. When we passed the familiar shore of a dry riverbed, I wondered if we were going in circles! I mentally reviewed the landmarks in case this were true (this of course was before it was pitch black).

I offered up a prayer that God would help us get back safely. I did not want to stay overnight on the trail with five children! It was going to dip down to the 40s or 50s tonight!

At this point, Matt pulled out his cell phone from the backpack. Oh joy! He could use the light from the screen to search for the colored flags on the trees of the trail to see if we were still on the right path. You couldn’t see anything with your own eyes now except for a faint outline of the person in front of you. I didn’t want to get left behind! I called ahead for everyone to stop while I finally let Felicity relieve herself. I figured it was dark enough now that it didn’t matter if we lost two minutes!

Why were we still on the blue trail?! Up ahead, Matt questioned the kids about the map. It was no use asking me, I was completely lost. Kian and Abby told him what they remembered, which way they thought we should turn when we had a choice, etc. They were right every time! What navigators! What truly amazed me was how Matt was able to figure out where we needed to go when we came to a fork in the trail because he hadn’t even looked at the map! I looked at the map; I chose the trail; I was completely lost. I never said this out loud, however. I always spoke very positive words about how brave the kids were and how completely safe they were in Mommy and Daddy’s care. Felicity and Ella really wanted to break down and cry but we just kept moving and didn’t give them the chance!

It was very dark. I had no idea where I was stepping or if I was even on the trail. There was no moonlight. It felt strange and unnerving. Having the cell phone was such a relief to me. I knew if we were lost, we could call the police and they could check a map and lead us on the right path or actually come with flashlights and rescue us! Matt used the cell phone to light the trail immediately in front of and behind him so we all huddled close to each other to best access the small amount of light it provided. We finally found the red trail again. I questioned Kian’s photographic memory as to how much further we had to walk now that we were back on the red trail. He approximated we were 75% through. We walked and we tripped. We hiked and hiked further. Finally, we recognized the turkey vulture’s nest because it smelled like bird poop. That meant we were almost to the lake!

After what felt like hours of walking, we crossed a bridge and got to the lake! When we came out of the woods and saw the reflection of the stars on the lake, we all smiled with relief! And then we observed the stars above us and they were magnificent! It was only just after 8:00 pm but the stars shone radiantly. I wanted to stop walking and just look at the stars but Felicity wanted to actually get in the car so we continued.

We studied the trail map sign by the light of the cell phone. We took the trail we weren’t supposed to take! We traveled over 2 miles! Matt taught a mini-lesson about how important the light was in getting us home and what the source of light really was but the kids were so talkative about the whole ordeal they couldn’t stay quiet enough to listen attentively. The lesson I learned was to always bring a cell phone on a hike! We all felt the tingling euphoria of safety when we got back into the car. What an adventure! Now that we were safe, it was kind of fun! A 2-mile night hike with 5 children was not our intention when we started, but it was memorable and exciting. We all talked about it on the ride home.

How thankful I am for my wise husband and protector and the excellent navigating skills of my two oldest children and the courage shown by my two others. We offered a prayer of gratitude when we arrived home.

My Talented Girls

Felicity reciting a poem she learned along with her sisters, Ella and Abby. Ella recites the same poem below.

Reaching a Goal!

I'm excited to announce that I have reached my original weight loss goal made at the beginning of this year to lose 24 pounds in 12 months and reach 129 pounds! Isn't that so cool?! I am so glad that I reached this goal because it is really important to me. I just didn't feel myself when I weighed more. I must shout a big THANK YOU to Matt for being my weight-loss partner. He's lost more than I have this year! I could not have done it without his support. The interesting thing about it is that I am not done. I am not going to stop losing weight. I am ready for more healthy challenges. I have more pounds to lose and more strength to gain. I want to push my toddler in his stroller up hills without getting winded. I want to feel fit, not flabby. I want to treat my body with healthy foods that make me strong and well. I'm making some dietary changes to the way we eat in our house. I hope that Matt and the kids will want to come on board with me. We went grocery shopping today and bought LOTS of fruits and veggies. Yum. I can't wait to try some new recipes. It's great to see how reaching a goal motivates you to reach further.

A random update copied from an e-mail to a friend

So I sent an e-mail to a friend tonight giving an update of myself and my family and I thought I would just post it here and give an update to all who visit the blog. If I dedicated more time to writing, I could provide more detail on several events/ideas within this one blog post such as homeschool workboxes, Cousins Camp, reaching financial goals, Klaus' antics, etc. but for now I don't feel I can write about them fully. So here is simply an update. This year for homeschool we have started a new organizational system which I first read about on a friend's blog called workboxes. I loved the idea and so began a search of some way we could use it and still be affordable. I found the most perfect cabinet for sale on Craigslist. It is a giant 72-slot steel cabinet that you can organize papers in. I have 12 rows for each kid and they start at #1 and work on their own time through #12. I am amazed at how much we have accomplished in the past month of homeschool. We are flying through books--really good books that I have been meaning to read for a long time! I have a half-hour "Free Play with Klaus" card that Kian, Abby and Ella each get so that I can have a half hour free for the other kids to read one-on-one and have kindergarten with Felicity. They love to play with Klaus and I love letting them! The kids and I are loving the system and we are really doing well this year for school. It takes me 30-60 minutes to get it organized at night and to change out their slots with new math pages and english lessons, etc. but it is much better than having to gather the right supplies in the middle of the day. I feel much less harassed. I still have quiet time each day where I can either have a nap or read a book. I love to read YA fiction but also have finally gotten around to some nonfiction. Bruiser was a new YA novel I really enjoyed. I am sometimes busy with my YW calling. I am the counselor over the Beehives. My class is so great. They are amazing girls and such good examples. I like to go to mutual. I feel younger being around them. I love the calling. Matt and I are still committed to losing weight this year. I am down 23 pounds! He is down 25! I am two pounds away from my goal but still have a bunch of flab around my butt and belly to get rid of before I can fit into my size 8 jeans that I wore after losing weight with Ella. Fitting well into those jeans is my new goal. I want to get stronger too. We are trying to exercise every week day but it's tricky if I don't get enough sleep. I had my first migraine headache the first week we woke up early to exercise. I took the next week off and then last week tried it again and had stomach issues. I have to find the right balance between enough sleep and exercising. It's tricky. I love working at the library and I put the first chunk of my paycheck toward savings each month. It feels so good to be able to have financial goals and actually feel like we can meet them! I shop for our food 3 months at a time, using the same menu plan for each month of the three. 14 dinner ideas twice each month makes for fairly easy meal planning. Less shopping = less spending. We had a great and busy summer. Cousins Camp was so much fun. Next year our family's plan is to take a trip westward to Utah and California to visit with family and friends. My brother Warren is getting married. So this year for history we are studying westward expansion and western American history. The following year I would love to take a family trip eastward and study early American history. It's cool to be right in the middle of the country! Matt's teaching 6th grade and enjoying it still. That takes up most of his time. He is ward mission leader. He plays softball on Tuesday evenings and takes care of the kids for me when I go to work. Kian is still a computer lover. He wants to play chess after reading a book about it but needs a chess board! He will be 12 on his next birthday--bizarro! He loves to listen to books on CD and likes scouts. Abby loves to read and play Barbies and all other girlie-girl toys. She loves Activity Days. She tells her sister stories at night before going to sleep unless they are listening to a story on CD too. When she is playing in a group of kids, it always seems like she gets boys to chase her around. She loves to listen to the radio (that's a new thing). I wish I could afford satellite radio and edit out the public stations. Ella is still Ella. Playful, cheerful, happy to be around, loves to eat. The girls made a batch of cookies the other day when we needed some all by themselves and they were great! She is an avid reader too. She and Felicity are BFF although she considers herself an "older kid" and Felicity would still be in the younger category. Felicity's hair is still so amazing. She will be turning 5 in December (and me 35!) and then Klaus 2 the following day! Turning 5 means she can chew gum and can cut her own pancakes and waffles. She follows Ella around. She gets worn out when we try to hike together as a family. She needs to get to bed early or else turns into a crying mess. Whenever there is a chore to do she tells me her legs are too tired. Klaus calls all of us "Mom" with a loving hug and pat. He is mostly happy and curious. He drank some dish soap last week and tried to eat some poisonous berries from a bush at church. He can open the doors at church and thus has escaped nursery. He can open the first set of doors leading outside of the church building but thankfully has not figured out how to open the second set which lead outdoors. He is strong! He can lead the other toddlers in the foyer at church into rooms that the other toddlers are too little to open. It's the age where we have to know what he is doing at every moment or else it means trouble. Like the entire box of puzzles dumped out and all of the pieces mixed together. We just threw them all away. It would've been too hard to organize them. We have lots of marker on the couches and the walls, etc. If he finds his way into the bathrooms--ugh the trouble he can get into there is just disgusting. Apparently Felicity cut a chunk of his hair the other day. I couldn't get anyone to admit to doing it. Matt asked her, "Felicity, did you have fun cutting Klaus' hair?" and she replied, "Yes!" Hah! We caught her! That's our life currently. School, church, work, reading, sleeping, trying not to eat too much, balancing the responsibilities of life. We have barely any time to watch movies anymore. In the evening we are too tired! But I feel so blessed. It's a good kind of busy.

What's New

It's about time we gave an update around here. Sometimes life is just too full to keep up! I'm composing this message on our Kindle Fire--me using new technology--that's worth writing about! It makes planning lessons for church so much easier. And it is cool how you can surf the Internet so conveniently. After about a year serving as Cubmaster for Kian's cub scout pack, I have been released and asked to serve in the Young Women Presidency instead. This is a calling I have looked forward to for a long time and I was totally ready for it. Actually, I knew I was going to be asked to serve in young women's even before they asked, but that's a whole other story. I get to attend a lot of youth activities now. And teach on several Sundays and attend meetings. But so far my experience with the youth has been really fun. Being around the young women makes me feel younger. My girls are awesome. I have felt my heart growing with love for them already. I honestly think that one reason I am comfortable being there is because I have lost some weight. Remember my goal at the beginning of the year? 24 pounds in 12 months. I am right on track, having lost 14 pounds so far. It feels awesome to pull on pants and feel their looseness when they used to be tight! The best resource I have used for the weight loss is the website loseit.com. You input your goal weight and how fast you want to lose it, and it gives you a daily calorie allotment. The key for me is adding exercise into my week. Matt and I have discovered that tennis is really fun and a great workout. We're still not good, but we're definitely better than when we started. I guess Matt caught the exercise and losing weight bug too, because now he has signed up with loseit.com as well! Matt and Kian are currently at Boy Scout camp, hiking in the heat of a Missouri summer. I got a text from them last night that Kian was covered in hives, but the Benadryl was taking effect. We don't know the trigger but it has happened before. Matt is enjoying the summer break. He gets to be Mr. Mom when I am at work. He and Kian started a little business together to pay for Scout Camp. They baked cookies, brownies, muffins, cinnamon rolls and donuts. They were all amazing and delicious. Kian earned his Webelos badge and Arrow of Light for Cub Scouts and has now moved on to the world of Boy Scouting. He lives and breathes computers. It's what he is always thinking about. It is hard to get his mind onto anything else. He likes to download programs from the Internet which he can then install onto his own computer. He plays some computer games but enjoys making games as well. When our Internet bill came to us $80 more than normal we realized he was downloading too many things! He now comes with me more often to the library where he can download without a limit. He has asked me some suspicious questions, however. Like if I can get him the administrator password for the public computers at the library and if he can copy the files that the library uses. I told him he better be very careful or he will get busted and lose his library card. He said the blue screen of death came up only once for him on the library computers and it just rebooted. I don't know how to keep up with him. He checked out a book on A+ certification the other night and I told him that after he studied it, I would pay for him to take the test! Miss Abby spends her time reading the Warriors books which are about various clans of cats. She is all about cats at the moment. She plays with Barbie's and dolls for a significant part of her day. She loves to knit using the loom from Grandma. She spends so much time playing alone that I wonder about her but when we were at a public event the other mitt, she joined several girls in the game they were playing without any problem. Ella is playful and silly as ever. She and Felicity are BFF much of he time. They dance and make up games. They dress up and color. Ella is the only one of the kids who chose to continue doing math during the summer. She enjoys it and is good at it. Felicity is growing so much! She loves to sing the do re mi song from the Sound of Music over and over. She can speak more clearly now which makes it easier for us to understand her. She is learning every day. She still has the bright red curls on her head. Klaus is a total menace! This stage is so hard because it's like he enters a room looking around to see what he can pull down and break. He is just so curious about everything and we have to be so careful! He is 18 months now so gets to go to the nursery at church. He says uh-oh but not much more yet. We are glad around here when he finally goes to sleep at night. We can then tidy up he house for a few hours.