Feel free to laugh

After a day of melting and then more freezing temps, our steps out front and back were DANGEROUS. I love our mailman. I love getting mail. So I decided to try and break the ice up a bit so he wouldn't fall and kill himself. So I grabbed this roofing shovel I found in the garage and started chipping away at the ice on the back steps. It was flying everywhere...including my eyes. So I ran inside and grabbed the glasses that Paul wore home after his laser surgery (I keep them in my kitchen drawer so I can wear them when I chop onions because my eyes water horribly!). So I was out front chipping away at the ice with these hilarious glasses on and just laughing at myself. I'm sure the neighbors loved the entertainment for the morning. And for further entertainment, they may want to watch me chop onions sometime!

It's still no love affair...

Ok runner friends. You told me 6 weeks. It's been 8. I have been on this beginner running schedule for 8 weeks now. I am up to running 30 minutes straight on my treadmill. The one thing I can say is this...I suppose now I would rather run 30 minutes than give birth...Maybe. It depends on the day. I do not love it. I am not skinny. So I'm not sure where to go from here. The one thing that has gotten me through is the idea of running in Race for the Cure on May 11. I think I am going to stick with that plan for now. But I assure you, there is NO love affair between myself and running. And I think that all you runners out there love it and think that everyone would love it if they just gave it a chance. I'll let you know in 10 months...

My lap top...

So Jody called me this morning. She was not happy. She claimed her lap top was broken as well as her coffee pot and her shower head. No shower, coffee or computer access. If you know Jody at all, you know that this is enough to push her over the edge. So I gathered my lap top and a travel mug of coffee and headed out there. She spent 5 minutes on my computer and gasped and said "Uh-oh...". Not good. I said, "WHAT?!?" She says everything is fine...my screen just flickered. AND she can't get online with my computer either. (she is blaming that on my computer). I inform her that maybe it is her network. If MY computer and HER computer both will not connect in her house, she may need to reboot her router. She does. Her computer connects. My computer is now permanantly broken. Something happened. It sounds as though the hard drive is still working and running properly, I just have a black screen. So I am posting from my PC in the dark corner of my bedroom. I'm not really sure how I survived before wireless. So you may be seeing less of me until I get the computer situation taken care of. If I were you, I wouldn't risk bringing my lap top to Jody's house...

It's just sad

when it's 24 degrees out and you are considering that warm enough to put away the winter clothes and pull out the spring stuff!!

Funny

She was seriously giggling right before I pulled out the camera. Then bam...all serious...refusing to crack a smile. She's too much.

I tried...

I REALLY wanted to get a good pic of the lunar eclipse tonight. Didn't happen. This was the best I could do. I'm hoping that one of my friends with a fabulous camera captured it!! We got Brigg up to go outside and see the eclipse...he wasn't that impressed. He is buried under that coat Paul is holding...just so we have proof that we tried! :) He wanted to get back into his warm bed. I found it to be pretty spectacular. Must be my old age.

Kinda like Florida?

Mom went to Florida yesterday. The kids BEGGED to go with her. I was begging in my mind to go, too. This weather is insane. So today after I went on Lani's preschool field trip with her, I couldn't take it anymore. I said, I HAVE to get OUT OF HERE!! So we loaded up and went swimming for family swim at the Y (we are going to try not to share this with Brigg, he'll be so mad!). We went in the theraputic pool. The air temp was 86 degrees and the water temp was 92 degrees. I looked at Lani and said, "See, this is almost like Florida." Ok...not really. But it did help. And Ayla loved it, too. I'm thinking of making reservations at the waterpark in Dubuque for the weekend. This is getting ridiculous!

That face...

This is the same face I get from Ayla everytime I pull out the camera. She gets very serious and refuses to smile. And those eyes look huge!

Cold

There's no way around it. It's just plain cold. And our 100 year-old house lets a lot of that cold air in. Brigg was trying to find a way to keep warm tonight. And he said more than once, "Mom, I can't WAIT for spring!" Me either buddy, me either...

For Mom and Jody

Ok girls...Paul is proving his love for you. He had the day off and this is what he worked on!
Here is the old accordian door from our bathroom...yes, it is outside, in the snow, ready to be sent to the dump!

And this my dears, is the new and improved bathroom door. It shuts AND it locks. Good stuff. I think Paul feels his days working on projects can now be officially over. You will both be very happy to come over and use the toilet, I'm sure...

(we still do need to do some trim work and painting, but hey, it closes!)

Sub-zero temps=Lots of paperwork finished

I paid bills. I worked on taxes. I balanced my check book.

Paul put a door up on our bathroom...a REAL door. SO excited about that!

The kids fought. Brigg had a melt down. Lani started coming down with a cold and we backed out of small group for the night.

It's been a busy day. THIS WEATHER STINKS! (but as least my bills are paid and taxes finished!)

Might I recommend...

Blurb.com
For all you bloggers out there, this is a fantastic resource. You can convert your blog into book form. I have my blog book from 2006 sitting on my living room table and I am currently working on my book for 2007. It is a pain in the neck, no doubt. It will take you hours upon hours, but hey...there is really no hurry. And when it's done you have your whole year in review. I have been reading my entries as I put my book together for this past year and I just keep thinking over and over again, "I am SO GLAD I blog this stuff!" I have been reminded of so many stories that I would have forever forgotten had I not blogged it. It's great. So go to blurb, download the booksmart software and click on "Blog to book". It's worth the work!

"What just happened?"

That's how I felt this morning. I woke up and wondered what had happened over the last 24 hours. I am thankful that my children survived! About a half hour after my last post, I was down for the count. Could not move. Burning up...everything was just kind of blurry. I remember nursing Ayla a couple of times, in a fog, and telling Lani she could get herself some string cheese and water. Paul was home at 4:00 and he took over. He fed and bathed the kids and got them to bed and I just continued laying there...feeling half dead. But I am better today. It was pretty quick, so that's the good news! So I am back and trying to catch up with household chores today. Not an easy task.

i'm afraid it's coming

the flu. i'm not feeling great and it kinda comes in waves. we'll see what happens...ugh.

Tater the dancer...

He is SUCH A HAM!!

Our day

We had a fun breakfast and Brigg was very excited about his valentine! :) I went and helped out at Brigg's school Valentine's party. It was so much fun and fulfilled my teacher fix for the next couple months!

I made supper and Paul made dessert...chocolate milkshakes. It was a great day! I love these people SO MUCH it hurts!!

Some more words on love from my tablecloth...

Valentine's Day

Ok, I still have a little "teacher" in me. On practically ALL holidays I plan and prepare the night before. Valentine's Day is no different. Tonight I got the table all set to surprise the kids in the morning. I pulled out some special things that remind me of "love". The dishes on the table belonged to my Grandma Clodfelder. The heart in the center was the cake topper at our wedding and the tablecloth is one that traveled with me to two of my bridal showers. It is covered with love quotes and sayings from so many people that are dear to me. I posted a photo of a couple of my favorite sayings on it. Happy Valentine's Day to all!! We'll be celebrating in them morning with heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes!! YUM!

Yummy!!

After a yummy lunch of homemade Dora Wot and Injera (traditional Ethiopian cuisine...with a "Tesi twist"...made in honor of Tesi's son on the other side of the world, whom they should be bringing home next month!)...

We are taming things down a bit tonight with grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup!

Monday

Not much going on around here today. A quick trip to Iowa City to the co-op and we are back home trying to get the house presentable. Brigg's mohawk was a hit at school. He still loves it. Ayla spends most of the hours of her life sleeping like a rock. Must be that Paul gene. She is quite possibly the easiest baby ever...I'm just scared that this will all change when the teenage years arrive!
Have I mentioned that I am beyond ready for spring? Well if not, I am!

Another Bread Post

A few weeks ago, I posted about baking bread. I had a few people who commented that they wanted the recipes. Let me first say, that I am no expert on bread making. I believe it is an art to be mastered and I'm nowhere NEAR having it mastered. But each time I make it I think it's a little better. But trust me, it will take years. In the photo on that post, there were 2 kinds of bread. The longer, lighter loaves are my grandma's recipe. I LOVE making that bread...even though I usually don't even eat one piece. I'd be able to go without bread for the rest of my life, I'm quite certain. Anyway, there is something about the smell of bread...it brings memories rushing back. Memories of my grandma and memories of my childhood. It is a great joy for me to bake this bread with Lani and Brigg and have them knead the dough and get covered in flour from head to toe. It makes a mess and it's usually and all-day event, but I'm sure it creates memories for Nalani and Brigg as well. I don't think it's possible though to just post the recipe. There are too many quirky things that are not in the recipe and need to be demonstrated. BUT the other loaf of bread in that photo (the round one) was a new recipe. Paul brought it home and we tried it out. He thought it was pretty good! (Remember, I don't eat the stuff, so I cannot verify how good it was!) But it was an EASY, no-knead bread recipe that I thought others might want to try. The good thing about bread is that you can mix things up once in a while and try it with different kinds of flour and it totally changes the bread. So anyway, here is the recipe for that crusty bread. Paul suggests that you eat it with soup or dip it in something. It IS a crusty bread. Here ya go...

No Knead, Dutch Oven Bread

Back to my "roots"

Some of you may not know this, but there has been a rumor around town that I am not a natural blonde! I KNOW! People are insane! How could you possibly think THIS is not natural...


Ok, my friends, that is what you call OUTGROWTH. And I seem to have a lot of it most days of my life. So, in an effort to avoid such obvious future outgrowth, I went back to my roots and we now have three new do's in this house.

(AND, those may possibly be the most adorable children on the planet!)

More Angles

The New Do's...

i'll leave you in suspense...

haircuts are done. lani has a bob...it's pretty short. brigg definitely has a mohawk...it's pretty scary. it looks a bit like the middle photo in my previous post. you'll have to wait on pics until tonight!!

Eyes

"Eyes that look are common; eyes that see are rare." (J. Oswald Sanders)

Mohawk

So Brigg wants a mohawk. Jennie is coming this weekend and setting up shop. Brigg has decided on a mohawk. I, personally, am not a big mohawk fan, but he is confident that this is a perfect hairstyle for him. And he IS six years old now, so he has an opinion. So this morning we went online to try and find the perfect mohawk hairstyle. He was certain that this was NOT the one...

And he definitely didn't want this one...

But he said this one was "PERFECT!"...

I'm not sure about this, but of all three, this one is my favorite, too. I'll be posting pics of my little "6 year-old trying to look like a 25 year-old movie star" on Saturday.