Monday Randomness

1. The forecast is saying that it could get to negative 50 this weekend. That seems so unreal! People were not meant to live here - only polar bears.
2. Why doesn't anyone deliver pizza to my house? It's just not the same going to pick it up. Life is so unfair :)
3. Why don't all 5 of my kids fall asleep at the same time? It sure would make for a more peaceful evening. They seem to take turns sleeping so that I am up a good part of the night.
4. My vacuum cleaner isn't working. This isn't good. I use it once or twice a day. You wouldn't believe the mess on the floor after a day and a half of no vacuuming! I guess I should quit being lazy and find the broom...
5. I'm heading out in the cold weather today, because I have a doctor's appointment. I think I might have pink eye or something. Just what I need :)

Wow, all 5 of my random thoughts are so negative today! Sorry! I guess I just felt like complaining this morning. I promise to get over it :)

Update

The girls went swimming and had a lot of fun. It ended up being negative 36 out when I took them! Can you believe that? Of course I was out of gas and had to stop to get some. BRRRRR! I was going to do some grocery shopping (out of milk and bread again...) but I ended up getting them at the gas station, because I just had no desire to go while it's this cold out :)

Wow, I'm sore!

I woke up so sore this morning and I couldn't figure out why until just now.

With Andy coming home soon, I didn't want him to have too long of a honey-do list when he gets here :) I only have a couple of things - hanging a curtain rod, fixing our telephone wire etc. I didn't want him to end up shoveling snow also. So, yesterday I went out and shoveled all of the snow off the deck (we have a large deck and the snow was DEEP!) My arms and back are feeling it this morning!

I was planning on doing the driveway this week (a little at a time) but I don't think that will be happening. We're having a "cold snap" and it's getting down to negative 40 this week. With how little daylight we have, there isn't going to be much of a difference between the daytime and nighttime temps. I suppose I should get to the store today when it's only negative 25 out and make sure we're stocked up!

The girls are supposed to go swimming in 2 hours, but I'm not sure we're going to go. We'll see....

Happiest Little Girls on Earth

They got exactly what they wanted and they have been blissfully happy all day long. No fighting - they each have their own! It's been peaceful and quiet in the house.

We did stockings and a few presents. The rest we are saving for when Andy gets here. One problem though - Nick doesn't seem to understand the concept of opening only 2 presents and saving the rest. Every time I leave the room, he opens another one. I think I'm going to have to pack them away until Andy gets here :)

Too Cold

It's supposed to get down to negative 35 this weekend. The only thing we had planned was a swimming party. I guess I should make sure that they blow dry their hair when they're done - otherwise it might break off!!

Why oh why...

do I have to have sensitive skin?

My hands are always dry here in Alaska. I have to remind myself to use enough lotion (and chapstick on my lips too for that matter).

I have had problems in the past with different soaps causing my hands to itch and break out.

Now, I tried a new face soap (Aveeno) and my face feels like it has been peeled off with sandpaper. I'm not kidding. It itches and it's rough and red and no amount of face lotion is making it feel better right now.

Of course, I promptly threw it in the trash. I'm hoping that in a couple of days it will be healed....

Flashback Friday #3

1994

1991

Maybe 1978?

80s?

Late 80s

This week, I decided to post some pictures from past Christmases. It's funny seeing how we have changed over the years. I sure wish that I had labeled them better. Oh, if only we had digital cameras back then!

I LOVE My Auntie!

She is dazed by the flash of my camera - still cute though :)

Monday Randomness #2

Ok, with the kids being sick, I got behind on my posts. Monday Randomness is being posted on Tuesday:

1. Kate wants to know if she can be a scientist, an archaeologist, and a spelunker all at the same time! It sounds like she will have some adventures ahead of her!

2. Nick has started chewing on his shirt sleeves and it is driving me insane. His whole left sleeve is soaking wet. If he goes outside too long, his shirt will be frozen solid. I wonder if he is getting some molars? I can't seem to remember when they get them...

3. Nick is still not potty-trained. I am hoping that this week and next will be a good time to do it since we don't have a lot of classes and running around to do (well, not as much as usual). I KNOW that he is ready. He has started pulling the front of his pants down and going on the floor. I found 4 or 5 puddles in the past couple of days. That means he's making a conscious decision to go..... I have hung up a piece of paper in the bathroom and I am giving him a sticker when he goes in his little urinal or in the toilet. He got one sticker so far :)

4. Has anyone else noticed that "peeps" which always used to be only available at EASTER time are now made for almost every other holiday? I guess they couldn't resist making money throughout the year. I just think it's funny seeing "gingerbread men" and Christmas tree-shaped peeps.

Update

I think that everyone is back to normal now. We slept in this morning, but I figured everyone needed it after being sick. We have nowhere to go today and we're devoting our day to working on schoolwork and getting stuff done around the house. Ellie is currently struggling through long division and I need to go help her....

Blech!

It's past 3 in the morning. The kids didn't go to sleep until after 2 and Tori is awake again right now. She is very fussy tonight. Lexie and Kate have thrown up a total of 15 times put together and Nick had 3 stinky diapers within a 2 hr period. Poor Ellie has quarantined herself to her room. She is deathly afraid of throwing up and she won't get anywhere near it. I am afraid to lay down because the girls keep waking up and needing help, so I'm sitting on the computer and feeding Tori. It looks like I'm in for a long Sunday with little sleep.....

Flashback Friday #2 1/2

I couldn't help myself. When I came across these pictures on my computer, I decided that I had to do another flashback today. I really wish that I was as talented as Andrea and could paint a mural in our playroom. She did one on Ellie's bedroom in Texas and these are pictures of the kids' bathroom in Monterey. I miss it :) Andrea, you are amazing!! When are you coming to visit?? :)

On the ceiling were the bottoms of boats, with fishing poles hanging off. She also painted the bottom of surfboards with the kids' names on them.

Happy at work. Poor Andrea was visiting us during the summer and ended up spending 2 days of her vacation in our tiny bathroom!!

Notice that the scuba diver is catching Nemo.

My personal favorite - the shark eating the toilet paper roll :)

Flashback Friday #2

Could this possibly be our now oh-so-grown-up little girl?
Ok, so she's only 9 and a half now, but she's on her way.... halfway to adulthood.
That's a scary thought!

These are some pre-digital camera pics that I thought I should scan to save :)

Ballet Class

Look out world, here she comes!

Look out world - Tori is mobile! I can't say that it's a pretty crawl. She gets up on her hands and knees and then faceplants. She does move though and that's all that counts, right? Notice the trail of drool left along the bed :)

Pics from today

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

Happy 55th Birthday Grandma!! Wish we could be there to celebrate with you!!

Monday Randomness

Vintage Metal Shopping Cart
1. I don't know why this annoyed me so much: I went to the commissary and got a ton of groceries. The bagger took the cart out to my vehicle for me and unloaded it. I had another cart that I was pushing with Tori and Nick and my purse and a couple of bags that wouldn't fit in the other cart. I tipped him (they work for tips only - it's a commissary thing). Then he took ONE cart back to the store and left the other one right next to my vehicle. The commissary doesn't have cart return places (because they have baggers that are supposed to do it!). I don't think that I would have been so annoyed had I not had the exact same experience the last 3 times I was there! Come on, you just got paid $4 to bag my groceries and take them to my car. It didn't take long. The least you could do is take BOTH carts. I guess next time I won't tip until they have both of them in hand :)

Labyrinth
2. The kids have finally discovered the movie Labyrinth. They had watched it before, years ago but they hadn't seen it in a long time. Kate's jazz class is doing a dance to the "Dance, Magic Dance" song from that movie - you know the one I'm talking about: "You remind me of the babe. What babe? The babe with the power. What power?...." Now they are absolutely enamored with that movie and are asking to watch it constantly. Lexie is upstairs alone watching that scene over and over again :) It's a great movie. One of my favorites from my childhood. It's a bit frightening watching David Bowie with all of that make-up and hair and stretch pants though. Yikes! Today I actually had to download that song from iTunes for them :)

3. Why does Nick have to take his boots off every time we're in the vehicle?? It's really frustrating having to put them back on each time we get to where we're going. I'm about to duct tape them on :) I mean really - it's below zero here for 6 months of the year. He thinks we're in Hawaii instead of Alaska.

4. Kate is hard on jeans. She wears out the knees so quickly - plus she just keeps growing. The result is: I can't wash them fast enough. She will get dressed in the morning in a skirt or capri pants - obviously not something she could actually leave the house in! So, today I bought her 2 new pairs of pants. She was excited that they weren't hand-me-downs and she actually got to pick them out. They have all sorts of sparkly things and do-dads on them. She tried them on when we got home and said "Mom, I've got Bling!" WHAT? Where on earth did she learn to say that?? :)

Thanks Christine for the idea of putting all of the randomness into one post :) I think I will do this every week!

Kate's Christmas List

I was going to scan this, but she did it in pencil on notebook paper and it didn't come out dark enough to see. I have decided to change her spelling, because it's hard for me to type misspelled words :) The reason she has 52 items, is that is how many lines there are on a sheet of notebook paper (both sides). I think she was struggling to think of things :) She likes to make lists though! Make special note of #20 and #40.

1. one thousand pieces of candy
2. fifteen pairs of clothes
3. new pajamas
4. a make-up set
5. five cups of hot cocoa
6. a fountain
7. candles
8. bracelets
9. necklaces
10. earrings
11. a new cup
12. a scarf
13. a hat
14. a few pencils
15. crayons
16. shells
17. a phone
18. a camera
19. a blanket
20. a gun
21. a shirt
22. markers
23. a bag
24. a glass box
25. chess
26. pants
27. candy
28. stockings
29. puzzle
30. board games
31. "Katie" books
32. cookies
33. marshmallows
34. spy kit
35. flashlight
36. clock
37. pottery
38. coloring books
39. chocolates
40. another baby
41. oranges
42. a notebook
43. a laptop
44. a card
45. a new dress
46. a decoration
47. I spy
48. a new robe
49. new clothes
50. magnifying glass
51. my own Christmas books
52. a wooden box

Update on the kids

Tori is now 19 lbs. 2 oz. She was in the 90-something percentile for height and weight. She's not sitting very well yet, but she rolls both directions and low crawls to where she wants to get. I think if I set her down on the floor once in a while, she would probably be more mobile. I don't want her to be squished though....

Nick is 35 lbs. He was in the 90th percentile for weight but only in the 50s for height. Short and stocky??? That would be funny if he ended up being shorter than his sisters :) He is speaking SO well now. Full, complete, concise sentences. Still not potty-trained yet. We're working on that slowly.

Lexie was in the 90th percentile for height and weight. She is very proportionate and is still slender. I think that lately she has definitely been feeling the "middle" child. It's hard to be in the middle of 5 kids. She's really starting to read well, but still doesn't want to sit and do it for very long.

Kate is a 4 foot 1 inch now. She is still very wiggly and active. She probably always will be! She is reading very well now and enjoying it. She is reading chapter books now and I'm SO glad she's finally to that point.

Ellie is 4 foot 8 inches (in socks!) She seems much taller with her shoes on :) I think her shoe size must be about a 6 now. She's growing by leaps and bounds lately. She's still quite the reader and you can find her by following the trail of books left around the house. REALLY! I don't know how many times a day I have to ask her to put her books away. I guess it could be worse and I shouldn't complain :)

I just had to laugh

I posted a while back on how I though it was hilarious that in such a small community, I have ended up with so many phone books.

Today, I opened my mailbox and there was YET ANOTHER different phone book. This one specifically for North Pole. It just cracks me up! I'm not sure why I would ever need 5 different phone books for this area :)

Flashback Friday #1

I have been looking through my photo albums and realizing that a lot of the pictures I have are already starting to fade. We got our first digital camera in mid-2002. Everything before that is only in print.
I decided that I'm going to start scanning and posting a few old pictures every Friday. It should be fun!



These last two were taken the last time Andy was in the Middle East! It looks like he might be getting promoted to E-5. Please correct me if I'm wrong honey :) I think that the top one is probably him when he got back from Desert Storm and was visiting his folks.

Tori's Silly Laugh

Tori has the silliest laugh. She sucks in tons of air. It's so funny to hear. It sounds like she's going to hyperventilate!

Something had to be done.

The time had come. The time was now.

Nick's hair had reached a point that was no longer manageable. I had to do something. Before someone mistook him for a girl. Before Andy flew home to intervene. This is what his sisters did to him last night -

Yes Honey, this is your son! :)

So, I have now conquered one of my greatest fears. Using the clippers to cut his hair.
It's not that I'm afraid of the clippers - just what sort of craziness I could do with them.

Here is what the back of his hair looked like before the cut:
And here is what his hair looks like now:


Please keep in mind that I have never used clippers before. And I had absolutely no idea what I was doing - and no one here to help me - or save me when I made a mistake.

It was really hard starting out with it as long as it was. I think I would have had a much easier time if it were already done professionally and I had just "maintained" it. This was definitely not the case this time. It's far from perfect, but it will do. I will chalk it up to a learning experience. It's cold out anyway - I'll make him wear a hat for the next few weeks :)

I don't wanna go!

I am dreading going to the commissary. I wish what I needed could just magically appear on my shelves. I was hoping to go later this afternoon, but it looks like I am going to have to break from school to make the trip. I am down to ONE diaper (for Nick). How could I possibly let this happen? I am using cloth diapers for Tori, but the thought of having to change and WASH a 2 yr old's diaper is not at all appealing to me at the moment. So, off we go....

LOOOOOOOONG DAY

I am so struggling to get through today.

Since Andy left we have been gradually shifting our "day" later and later. It finally was just completely out of hand and I had to make an abrupt change. I was putting the kids to bed at 9, but they weren't falling asleep until midnight. They just weren't tired. Maybe because they were sleeping in past 10? That might have something to do with it :)

I really have a hard time in Alaska this time of year. The days are just too short. We have about 4 1/2 hrs of daylight right now. That just doesn't feel right. My body is rebelling. I need some sunlight and fresh air. I need a vacation to Hawaii :) We all know that isn't going to happen though.....

So, I woke the kids up at 7 this morning. They didn't like it. It took a good half hour to peel them out from under their covers. We have all been tired and grouchy and slow-moving. I don't blame them, I feel the same way. I'm just hoping that I can keep Nick awake when we leave for dance class - otherwise he will feel refreshed and be up all night again. I don't think I could deal with that tonight. I'm ready for sleep now!

We'll see if I can make it through this day without some caffeine. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I need something to open my eyes up today. I just don't want to pass the caffeine on to Tori, because then she won't sleep, and then I won't sleep..... It's a vicious cycle.

Wish me luck!