Delena

We're Going Broke

2011-05-17T21:44:00.001-07:00

Because she has lost three teeth in 24 hours.

Hunting Camp

2010-10-03T23:42:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to say I attended hunting camp this year. We camped all of about five miles up the road (which makes running home quite convenient, especially when you forget EVERYTHING). Doug gets the kids up around 4:30 and makes enough noise that I wake up and just happen to help him - even with my ear plugs in I still hear him. But its good that I get up to help because each kid has about a bazillion pieces of clothing and socks and shoes and gloves and hats.....and then has to go potty. They embark on their hunt and I go back to sleep. Its quite lovely. We then spend the rest of the day hanging out, reading, napping, and this year we took a trip over the mountain road to Leavenworth. We return and they head out again while I, the good wife that I am, prepare dinner......right after I return from running home to get all the ingredients.

Farewell, Summer

2010-09-09T03:11:00.000-07:00

We started the summer with the building of a chicken coop What was supposed to take a weekend took a good six weeks. That's how things go around here.
We watched some softball. Usually on a cold day.
A little girl turned six.
And a boy turned eight
Doug took the kids camping. I'm a high maintenance camper and do not sleep on the ground. One of the kids even said "mommy would have come with us if there would have been a road to bring the trailer." I'm glad I've made myself clear.

The kids participated in a Cowboy-themed VBS. Doug was one of the leaders, fondly known as "Rusty Nails."
We hung out by the water.
We went blueberry picking with the cousins. Nobody came home until their bucket was FULL!

We played in the river (of course)
And those chickens finally laid some eggs!

Look What She Can Do.

2010-05-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Warning - these pictures suck. It was dusk and she was a moving target....

A little bit of this
And a few of these
Quickly turned into this

This Little Girl

2010-05-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Just turned nine

Just another day in the life

2010-05-06T11:32:00.001-07:00

Was that supposed to hurt?

2010-04-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

I decided today I really love Versed and Demerol. Together. With a splash of nitrous oxide. Ahhh. I found my happy place.

I went in this morning to have my wisdom teeth removed. I've spent the past two weeks hearing EVERYONE'S horror stories of how they couldn't eat for three weeks, the pain kept them up for two days straight, vomiting, spitting up blood, dry socket, infection, swollen faces....etc, etc, etc. My insurance agent even told me her story.

The worst part of this entire experience was working the night shift last night and being REALLY hungry because I didn't want to eat, then aspirate and die in a dentist office. Besides, my friend from nursing school was giving me the anesthesia and she'd feel really bad if she killed me. Which would make me feel bad. Even though I'd be dead. But back to the story.

Three teeth removed (thank you, Jesus, for only giving me three), home to sleep, then up this evening and feeling AWESOME. I think the infection I had in my mouth last week was WAY worse than this. A little Vicodin and ibuprofen, and I'm good to go.

Treehouses

2010-03-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

We found a fun craft to do from Family Fun magazine. We built treehouses. This was So. Much. Fun! I bought what I thought to be a big bag of balsa wood and a bag of tongue depressors to go with what I thought was a ton of hot glue. We gathered the sticks for the "trees" and drilled a little hole in some scrap wood and then started gluing.

I'll admit it - its probably more my dream than my kids to have a tree house, but they're getting one anyway. I had to build a life-like model (above) so Doug knows what to build here (below). Notice the little man in the picture shooting the turkey. That was an addition from the son. But it fits around here.

Character Flaws

2010-03-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Not proud of this one. Just keepin' it real.

I laugh at people's pain. That's not true. I laugh at the situations that cause people's pain. I like to think of it as "seeing the humor in every situation." My husband disagrees.

So today, pretending I worked at Supercuts, I was cutting Ty's hair. I'm no pro but I can get by. Don't know what happened exactly, but suddenly there was what I like to call a "haircut malfunction," a rather short spot on the side of his head. I've seen much worse, but this was definitely a "don't go in public without a hat" kind of mistake. I gasped and then started giggling. And then started laughing. Poor Ty had a very nervous look on his face. But I couldn't control the laughter. Doug walked in and bopped me on the head for making such a TERRIBLE (and I do mean terrible) mistake. (for the record, don't take "bopped" too seriously).

All morning I giggled about the mistake and I DON'T KNOW WHY!!!! Why must I laugh at things like that!!!! Or when Doug was violently ill and barely made it home before he was hurling in the bushes outside our house. He vomits so barbarically I was certain I saw the neighbors peeking through their curtains. Naturally, I started laughing. To the point of being unable to help him because I couldn't stand up.

And then there was the time I was in a dark theater with my sister, sister-in-law and my brother who had stepped out for a moment. When he returned, the three of us girls watched as he walked past us to the seats a few rows down, through the three "strangers" and sat down next to them before he realized they weren't us. (He claims its because he didn't have his glasses. Seriously?) We all started giggling. And giggling. And giggling. You know the serious part of Mrs. Doubtfire when Robbin Williams gets his kids taken away? Yeah, that's when it happened. We were laughing soooo hard, tears were streaming down our faces, the kind of stifled giggle that sounds like a cry - which was probably a good thing. I think we may have heard a "pipe down up there" from somewhere in the theater. I'm still laughing about it now.

I would tell more, but I've got to take Ty into town for some repair work.

A day in the life

2010-02-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Ty's To-Do list earlier this week:
1. Do schoolwork
2. Throw the Frisbee for the dog
3. Ride the motorcycle or my bike
4. Shoot my gun
5. Play on the swing
6. Make my bed

As he was taking care of #4,Aspen (the niece) was out with him. I would tell her to stand behind Ty when he has the gun, so that's exactly what she did.

Brooklyn had to get in on the fun, too. Every girl should know how to shoot.

So Sleeeepy

2010-02-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

I just want to curl up and go to bed. Must. Outlast. Children....

I started back to work a couple months ago. It was meant to be very part time, and it is, but even that part time sometimes is too much. They called me in two nights ago so I agreed to go in from 7 pm to 1:30 am, which means I'm home by 2 and wound-down by 3. And then up again WAAAAAAY too early. I'm still feeling it. So I went back to bed this morning. Doug came in to take a nap at about 8 am and I actually yelled at him to get out of the bed. What a mean wife I am. I mean, it wasn't a really loud yell or anything, but I made it clear in no uncertain terms that he would not be napping next to me and trying to warm up his cold feet on my legs this morning. He left. And I snored on.

We headed up the road to ski today. Ski on ice. It totally sucked. We ended up ditching the skis and hiking. The kids of course all had to pee, the dog was falling down the rocks, the kids were climbing up the rocks, "can I play in the puddle," "I'm hungry," "where's the water," until we turned around to head back. We could STILL SEE THE CAR when we turned around! That's how far we made it.

After that I drove the 30 minutes to town to do two lessons as all the other students cancelled for President's Day. Oh, and apparently one of the students I drove in for was cancelling, too. I just didn't know about it. :)

And then there were the playdates. My girls are friends with another family's girls, and they play soooo well together. The playdates are few and far between, so they are quite welcome when they come around. And since I was headed to town today, it was the perfect opportunity. And because they happen too infrequently, I seem to forget the after-the-playdate attitude. I was reminded this evening at dinner.

Wow, this post seems so crabby. Just tired. Bedtime will be not a second later than 8 pm tonight. I can do it!!!

More Good News/Bad News

2010-01-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

The Good News: On Wednesday morning I bounded out of bed, up and at 'em around 6ish, ready to greet the day.
The Bad News: I had an 8 am dentist appointment, meaning I had to leave at 7:15 to be guaranteed to be there on time.
The Good News: No wait in the waiting room. (But I must make a note there were so many people in the dentist office at 8 am. The place was packed! Who does that?)
The Bad News: Three fillings.
The Good News: My dentist is amazingly cool.
The Bad News: I pay for his amazing coolness. I pay dearly.
The Good News: I mentioned to him I was planning on piercing my nose that afternoon. So he said he could give me a long lasting anesthetic that would deaden my nose for hours.
The Bad News: I spent the rest of the day looking like a stroke patient. And I could barely drink my latte because I couldn't close my mouth around the straw. And I had lots of errands to run.
The Good News: My face was numb until I went to bed that night.
The Bad News: I still felt every. cubic. millimeter. of that HUGE needle. All the way through. It hurt like H-E-double hockey sticks.

Poor Joseph

2009-12-10T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today the Nativity Scene made its debut. Brooklyn was in charge of Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and a donkey. I looked over to see Joseph, lying supine.

"What's wrong with Joseph" I ask.
"He's dead."
"How did he die?" (The long journey to Bethlehem, living with animals, killed by the inn-keeper. What could it be?)
"He got a really bad flu....."

Okay.

I guess he should have washed his hands better. And, darn it, if he wasn't feeling well, he should have stayed home!

My son's obsessive compulsive disorder

2009-11-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

His entire life, Ty has gone through phases of rather strange compulsions. For awhile he would sniff his fingers whenever he touched ANYTHING! He'd grab his cereal spoon and then sniff his fingers. Scratch his arm and sniff his fingers. It was odd.

Thankfully that stage is gone. Onto another. Today we noticed him doing a little hoot....."who, who...." Not like an owl. More like a very airy, loud whistle. We think he's trying to mimic an animal call of some sort. The boys haven't been hunting owls, so we're not quite sure what it is. Here's a snippet of our dinner.

"On Madagascar the penguin says (blah, blah, blah)....who...."
"Lets put flames on it. ...who....."
"I like this dinner, mommy.....who, who....."

He wont stop. But he doesn't even realize he's doing it. We've pointed it out and he says "What?.....who"

By the end of dinner Doug and I were cracking up but trying to not show it as to avoid giving the poor son a complex. So we'll just ride this one out....who.

Yesterday's Puppet Show

2009-11-17T14:29:00.001-08:00

Tickets were made and handed out.
Chairs dragged into the kitchen and set up in rows.
Puppets ready.
On with the show!

Last Saturday's Date

2009-11-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

Two really cool neighbors who don't have kids.
A trip to dinner and a hockey game with said neighbors.
One suburban.
One apparently very expensive earring falling from cool neighbor's ear.
Falling down, down into the abyss of "THE SEAT." You know the kind. The seat where the kids usually sit.....
One super cool neighbor digging frantically to find earring.
Two super cool neighbors now looking for earring in the dark.
One car owner who isn't too mortified since she recently cleaned the car.
One super cool neighbor who flips up seat in search of wife's earring.
One super cool neighbor who unveils a secret compartment in the seat, hidden by a closure that one husband and wife never knew existed.
And had never cleaned.
Ever.
Because they didn't know it was there.
One unwrapped peppermint patty, approximately 23 crayons, 12 army men, the equivalent of seven packs of granola bars all in crumbs, 37 cents, a napkin, 17 french fries, the head of a barbie,and one shiny, silver earring.
Five days since date and two super cool neighbors probably still scrubbing under their fingernails.

2009-11-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

Just wandering around on the island out back. I believe the kids were looking for a salmon carcass they had found earlier. I opted just to take some pictures.
Someone taught them the "nanoo-nanoo" thing. A beautiful fall day.

2009-10-15T16:46:00.001-07:00

Trying to find the right blue for my bathroom, which is currently the wrong blue. And it may not even be so much the wrong blue, but I can't find the paint to cover a patch we made. I think I gave it away. Oh well. A good excuse for a makeover.

I decided to be adventurous and let the kids help. I wish it wasn't so stressful to see three of them with paint brushes, but stressful it is. I remember stopping by a friend's home last year, and her 8 or 10-year-old was carrying around a red plastic cup filled with paint and a paintbrush, doing touchups on all the walls. I don't know how she did it.

A few squares to share

2009-10-15T16:31:00.001-07:00

A couple of still-not-so-well kids mixed with some very cool, rainy fall weather made for a great day to try some sewing with Brooklyn. She picked some material a few weeks ago and I just haven't taken the time to cut out a few measly squares. But today was the day.

Brooklyn rummaged through the scraps and found some great pieces. Then she ironed the material. I marked the squares. She cut them out. And then I stood over her at the sewing machine and grabbed the material every time it started to go crooked. And then I remembered the its her quilt and she will the learn how to sew a straight line the same way everyone else does. So I backed away. Until I saw the material going crooked. I just couldn't help myself! But I will say that it looks mighty fine.

Its been a little busy around here

2009-10-09T23:57:00.000-07:00

Its not that I've been doing nothing blog-worthy. Quite the opposite. We're just keeping too busy for me to find the time to sit down and write about all of it. We've been doing more for school than any year before, the kids are swimming again two nights a week, and I've started teaching piano lessons three days/week. Add to that a steelhead season that has captured Doug.

I've been busy making these massively adorable bibs and others just as cute.

Catching one of these

Building a couple of teepees for a pow wow

And sewing like crazy creating these super cute outfits.

Looking forward to this weekend.

A new version of Angels, We have heard on high

2009-10-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

I overheard the kids singing some Christmas songs from the upcoming Christmas production. It went a little like this....

"Glo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooria....How does it go? Oh, yeah. In a shellfish stable....Glo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooooria."

"Yeah, that's it!"

May I have your attention please

2009-09-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

After a good four month respite, Brooklyn is posting again. Check it out on her blog.

I Saw Three Ships Go Sailing By...

2009-09-11T16:26:00.000-07:00

Today we set sail on the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. We're studying Columbus this week so the activity was to make some ships. The kids found wood that would float and then widdled some holes for the mast and decorated some sails. We originally secured the masts with hot wax. When that failed on one, we used Gorilla Glue. And when the wax broke on another ship today, we stopped by Walmart and bought some bubble gum. Worked like a charm. We had to go to Lake Chelan today so we stopped by to see if the ships could handle a long journey. They would have been fine if there were no jet boats on Lake Chelan. We lost a sail and capsized the Nina.

And then off to the playground.

The kids wanted to try again to sail the ships from one of the docks. Ty let his boat go and it got too far out. The girls were kind enough to do a rescue mission and retrieve the Santa Maria. Not that they minded too much.

A note I received today from my pastor.

2009-09-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

I laughed so hard and so long my stomach hurt. Really. I was still laughing hours after this happened yesterday.
I heard a noise outside my office. It was Ty. He was trying to get in all the glass doors, which were locked. He was definitely in a hurry. Then he looked around, and decided just to go ahead and pee right next to the building.
What he didn't know it was right under my office window. I went into Traci's office and said - "you're not going to believe this - take a look." We opened the blinds and were chuckling when all of a sudden Ty looks up, directly at me - perfect eye contact. I wish I could describe the look on his face. SHEER PANIC! He realized he was peeing outside my office window and the pastor was watching him from the window. LOL
Our eyes locked momentarily, his facial expression would have won us the grand prize on America's Funniest Videos - and then he was off like a world class sprinter! Traci and I laughed and laughed and laughed. I bet he was so scared - wondering what I was going to do. But hey - what is there to do - he's a boy and I can relate. Sometimes if I drink too much coffee and I'm heading over the pass - I have to find a tree myself.
It's just when a boy gets older, he gets more discreet and you make sure you aren't standing in front of someone's window. Just had to share one of the most memorable pastoral moments I've had - thanks to your boy. LOL
Sometimes I wish I would have started writing a book about 20 years ago when I became pastor. So many funny things have happened. Love you, Doug and your family. Thanks for being part of WFA and thanks for letting me share this funny story. Pastor Jerry

10 Years of Wedded Bliss

2009-08-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Tonight at approximately 7:45 I will have been married for 3,652 days.
That's 219,120 minutes.
Or 13,147,200 seconds.
~~Nothing but~~ mostly pure happiness.
This includes but is not limited to:
Three awesome kids
Five houses
Six cars
7 nieces and nephews
18 pets - three dogs, three cats, six ducks, five chickens and a goose
21 acquired in-laws
42 camping trips
365 days in jail with 364 suspended (Just kidding. Needed a filler)
Approximately 350,000 miles driven mostly together
Many, many horrible dinners that were gratefully eaten
Hundreds of naps together
Thousands of kisses
Millions of kind words (and a few not-so-kind)
And tons of fun. The funny thing is that 13,186,800 seconds ago I thought I really loved him. Ha! Who knew I could love him even more. So, to the one who NEVER reads my blog, I love you! Happy Anniversary.

Ty turns 7

2009-08-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Ty and Granddad celebrated their birthdays. Ty wanted to go camping for his birthday so away we went.
I, of course, forgot candles. But Auntie Tracy used to sell Partylite and just happened to have the "World's Largest Supply Of Candles One Could Carry While Camping," so we were good. Okay, she may not have had "The Largest Supply" because we definitely didn't have enough for Granddad to blow out....And, yes, the above picture shows my idea of a birthday cake. I'm not saying I'm proud of it, but its cake.

I've started having the kids pack their own bags because, by golly, by this time they should know what to pack for camping. I neglected checking the bags this time, though, because I was in a rush. Below is what Madelyn decided to bring to the dirty, dusty campsite. One thing is certain - the girl's got style.

Where Markers Go To Hide

2009-08-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was coloring with the kids at the kitchen table, sporting my new denim skirt, re-creating a Monet print, and thoroughly enjoying the moments with the kids. When it was time to clean up, I ran around the dining room and kitchen in search of the blue marker top THAT I JUST HAD IN MY HAND!!!! Where the heck was it? Had I tossed it in the trash? Was it under the fridge? Did the cat eat it?

Oh no.

Fast forward about 20 minutes when I stood up from the couch and felt something falling out of my underwear! For real! I have no idea how it got there. I amaze myself sometimes.

I mowed a park

2009-08-09T22:29:00.001-07:00

On Friday I thought I'd be neighborly and mow the lawn next door. Our neighbor just comes over on the weekends. He's been gone most of the summer so his grass was REALLY long. And apparently I thought I needed to walk, oh, three or four miles pushing a lawn mower. The sick part of me kept thinking what fun it would be to be the caretaker of this property because it is pretty as it is, but could be gorgeous with a little TLC. And then I'd snap back to reality and remember I can barely take care of my own yard.

The kicker, though? He didn't even show up this weekend.

2009-08-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight a family friend dropped off two motorcycles for the kids to learn on. I wasn't exactly excited about this as just prior to the man arriving, Brooklyn took the three-wheeler over the bank and heading straight for the river. In fact, she was drying her tears as motorcycle man pulled up. My personal opinion was that they should master the motorized vehicle with three wheels before we put them on one with two. But apparently I'm the only one around here who feels this way.

I will admit that after seeing the little 50cc motorcycle and all the accompanying gear AND THE KILL SWITCH ON A TETHER ATTACHED TO AN ADULT AT ALL TIMES my mind was put at ease.

So the kids all stuffed their adorable little faces into these helmets.

And away they went. Ty was up first. He and Brooklyn both did great.

I think I can live with this.

2009-07-31T15:33:00.001-07:00

No posts lately. Its been a busy few weeks.
We've been:
Spending many nights in the tent outside

Bathing

Spending time with my family

Hanging out with cousins

And taking the kids for a few spins on the Columbia River, one of whom absolutely HATES boating

What works for us

2009-07-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this post recently since its working so well in our home, and then a friend asked what we do for chores, so here it is.
I have a plastic cup filled with these labeled tongue depressors. They have all the tasks that need to be done around the house.

The thing is, due to my exceptional housekeeping skills, not all of these need to be done everyday. And also due my exceptionally poor housekeeping skills, sometimes these chores cannot possibly be done. When half of our house is spread across the living room floor, I don't really need them to vacuum it - I need them to stay far, far from the living room.

Each morning I pick the chores that can/need to be done for the day - and always in groups of three to ~~avoid excessive fighting~~ make it fun. Some days there's 12 chores, sometimes only nine. Each kid picks their allotment and then reads what they've chosen. I place them face-down on the table so its their fault if they don't get what they want - not the sibling-grabbing-the-fun-chores-first - and yes there are some fun chores at the Eisenhard House of Perpetual Cleaning. The rule is that if they want to trade, and both parties can agree, then they can trade to their hearts' content.

I pay them weekly for the way they've done their work. I don't aim for perfection. There is, however, a lot of teaching going on these days about doing the job well. I pay them for their attitude, though. The rule is that they must do their chores, like it or not, and if they do so with happy attitudes they will be paid.

There are several reasons this works so well for our family. First of all, I do not need one more thing to keep track of, so I don't want a "Chore Chart" that I have to check each day. And I can pick the ones that are needed for the day. I find that I function when there's some order (but not too much :) so when the house is tidied up, life is much more pleasant around here for everyone involved. I'm hoping its teaching them something along the way, too. And when they finish, they get to ring this bell.
Now don't' think for a minute that just because I have all these little people around that I'm off the hook. I have my own list of chores, too. I'd like to say that I pick one each day, but it doesn't quite happen like that. I think I've done three......since April.

Another Game of "Guess How Much"

2009-07-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

10 Sobe Lifewaters
1 Box of Excedrin
2 Boxes Honey Nut Cheerios
2 CoffeeMate Creamers

Grand Total: $3.96
Sobe Water: on sale 10 for $10. I had five "buy one get one free" coupons. Plus, when you buy 10 at Target you get a $5 gift card. - All 10 for Free.
Two Boxes of HNC: On sale for $1.99. Had a coupon for $1 off each. $.99 each.
Two Coffeemate Creamers: On sale for $1.99. Coupon for $1 off each. $.99 each.
Excedrin: Buy one, get one free.

2009-07-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

I crashed a wedding last week. There was an unattended wedding runner out on the bridge above our house and I thought perhaps someone may be proposing. I ran home and got my camera and waited. The groom showed up and I got the scoop. Their photographer twisted her ankle and couldn't make it so I asked if I could take some photos for fun. He agreed, so I started clicking away.

The bride arrived by horse-drawn wagon and then walked down an aisle on this old bridge (I informed Brooklyn and Madelyn this is where they will be married.)

It was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful bride. I hope she likes the pictures.

Bendaroos

2009-07-04T07:53:00.001-07:00

I don't know if you've heard of Bendaroos, but they are being sold on TV, apparently heavily advertised on the cartoon channels. I'd never heard of them, but they appeared at our house last night. They are wax-coated string things. They don't break and the wax stays on them, so I don't know their secret, but they are pretty cool.

So I'm sitting in the kids' room creating masterpieces when Brooklyn and Madelyn start telling me about them. In all seriousness they say "See, Mom, They can stick to a wall, and then we can remove them all! I can make a mask on plate or a gorilla that shakes! And I can even turn a plastic bottle into a fashion model!" And they kept spouting off these creative marketing lines. I've never seen the commercial, but I don't need to now.

Bendaroos. Only 19.95 plus shipping and handling. Not intended for children under three or other kids who eat toys. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Incredibly toxic chemicals used to make the wax stay on the strings. Please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery when all we really have to do is stick your address on the front and throw it in the mail. Order yours today!

Good News/Bad News

2009-07-03T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ty was trying to be Superman Wednesday evening at our church playground.
The good news is he walked away.
The bad news is that he walked away with a broken arm - the left arm this time.
The good news is his mom is a nurse and immediately recognized that he probably broke his arm.
The bad news is his mom is a nurse and knew that they would only splint it and wrap it and then charge her an arm and a leg (haha) so she did not rush him to the hospital.
The good news is we were able to go to his pediatrician the next day which didn't cost as much.
The bad news is I think I just recently finished paying the bill from the last arm injury.
The good news is he hasn't required any pain medication.
The bad news is he couldn't have any if he wanted some because I don't even have Tylenol in the house.
The good news is he has broken both arms so this should be out of his system.
The bad news is he still has two legs.

Just Call Me The Goose Wisperer

2009-06-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

This is Aflac. After my no-so-great experience with our rooster I was freaked out when the goose would chase me, too. This time I wasn't so naive to believe he wanted to be my friend. But when I was told that if geese are pissed they will hiss, my fear disappeared and I realized his/her warble wasn't him/her yelling at me but trying to communicate....to be my buddy. So I set out to tame this thing. And I am proud to announce I am successfully hand-feeding the little sucker. I went to the yard today and yelled "Aflac" and he/she perked up and came right over. I love this goose. (By the way, does anyone know how to tell if its a boy or a girl?)

The Mighty Road Ranger

2009-06-25T13:47:00.004-07:00

This is our trailer. It was given to us a few years ago and we LOVE it. I have a blog friend who's fixing up a trailer, so I thought I'd post pictures of ours. Imagine, if you will, the interior covered in peeling blue wallpaper, the cushions a blue and white stripe, and the curtains a blue floral print. I recovered all the cushions in camo because it hides dirt. Oh, and Doug is a hunter and uses the trailer during hunting season, too. And then I removed the peeling wallpaper and covered the circa-1980's brown flowered wallpaper that was underneath with a calming green and off-white.Above are the bunks that only small children or adults who are not claustrophobic can fit into. And below is the lovely dining area. It also doubles as our redneck spare bedroom when guests come over. Really, the only guests we ever have are my brother and his family, and they've been known to request to stay in the trailer instead of the house. I'm not sure why.....

Maddy's 5th Birthday

2009-06-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Madelyn turned five yesterday. We spent the evening at this great water park in town that we've been hanging out at alot lately. Its a great place to go because I can actually look away and not worry about someone drowning. Madelyn is:
The only brave child of three who will go to the basement alone.
A good little singer and loves to sing her heart out in a high pitched falsetto voice.
Usually the first asleep each night.
The child who sleeps like a ROCK.
Has the will of iron that I'm confident will be used in a great way.....someday.
Learning to ride a bike.
Really excited to lose her first tooth (which isn't even wiggly yet).
The one most likely to climb all over me and cover my face with kisses.
A very good helper.
Sometimes quite the pesky little sister.
Our favorite youngest daughter.

2009-06-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the Free Kids Fishing day at the fish hatchery down the road. Some great friends joined us for the adventure.

The fish were definitely biting. The problem was that they kept stealing the bait! We would watch five or six fish come up to the bait, eat it and swim away. It was maddening.

Madelyn was the first to catch a fish. Not everyone caught their limit this year (we could only try for so long) but it was great fun standing on a steep, grassy hillside in the blazing heat, surrounded by half-dead fish and stinky bait, bugs nibbling on my rapidly progressing sunburn. (I was reminded again why I don't fish). I don't get it, really. But its fun to see the excitement on the ~~dads faces~~ the kids' faces when they snag a gill.

My day today.

2009-06-04T20:59:00.001-07:00

Every once in awhile I like to give you a glimpse into the daily activities of my incredibly exciting life. Brace yourself.

7 am: Kid ends up in bed. Me not feeling well. Stay in bed pretending to be asleep so maybe I wont have to get up and make breakfast.
8 am: Up out of bed. Feeling a wee bit better. No such luck on getting out of making breakfast. Shower. Dress. Ready for day.
9 ish: Give kids chores - one of which is sorting their laundry. First load of laundry in. Start two sprinklers at various parts of the property. Feed the goose and ducks. Water all the flowers.
9:30: School starts.
9:35: Done with school.
10:00 Fell asleep on couch. Maybe not feeling so well after all.
10:30 Back up. Second load of laundry. Move the water. School resumes. Math, reading and a bit of writing.
11:00 Catch that stupid goose DEVOURING my petunias. Try to coop them back up.
11:20 Still trying to coop those darn birds. Ducks corralled. Goose on the loose.
11:30 Decide I will just kill the goose if it eats my flowers again and leave it unpenned. Move the sprinklers again.
12:00 Lunch. Folding clothes, starting next load of laundry. Go downstairs to start some work for Doug (he's forgotten how to do his own work since I spoil him so much).
12:30 Move the water. Begin cutting material for a project I'm working on.
1:15 All done cutting. Move the water. Fold another load. Start another load.
2:00 Take Ty down the road to meet his friend for a playdate. Fill up the gas tank. Stop at post office. Nothing exciting in the mail.
2:30 Move the water. More laundry.
4:30 Start dinner (and a fine dinner it was). Move the water.
5:30 Dinner done. Hanging out with fam. I think I'm done watering. Start a batch of cookies. Check the towels. Realize I haven't emptied the lint trap this week. Towels still wet and lint trap VERY full.
6:00 Begin cleaning the kids' room. Oh my, this is going to take awhile. Decide to go through toy bins and start throwing stuff away. Take cookies out of oven. Put more in.
7:00 Go pick up Ty.
8:00 Play a little piano just for the heck of it. Cant see the music because I didn't turn on the lights and don't want to interrupt my playing but then decide what's the point anyway.
8:30 Fold more clothes. Last load of laundry in the dryer. The end is near.
8:45 Start Roomba in kitchen and basement (love those things). Check email and blogs.
9:10 Still here. Kids begging me to read a story. Going upstairs now. Still have to fold the towels and put the kids to bed. Great day as the keeper of my home!

Maiden Voyage

2009-05-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first ride of the season. The darn thing sits in the garage all year and I'm always tempted to sell it. And then we go for a ride and I remember why we keep it. Tonight Brooklyn discovered that her feet touch the pedals....which means Ty's feet touch the pedals.....and it probably means Madelyn's feet touch the pedals.....which means they can all ride with daddy now!!!! AGGGGGGG!!!! They may be ready but I'm not so sure I'm ready.

More S'mores

2009-05-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

An unplanned playdate turned into an impromptu dinner for one of my favorite families. And the dessert around here this week has been s'mores. Tonight was no exception.

At first I thought that was drool. Upon further inspection, I beleive it is marshmallow.
Can't you just taste the goodness.
Do you have a special way of making s'mores?

2009-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Its finally slip&slide weather. Hours of entertainment.
What's your kids' favorite summertime activity?

Shopping

2009-05-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to continue to save money/live without debt, I did the coupon thing last night. It may not have been the first time, but I can't remember the last time, and its never really been my thing. Then I read about my friend who bought $180 groceries for $30 so I had to give it a try. I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but I did get $120 stuff for $60, so that's a good start.

Some of my finds:
Three Coffeemate creamers (a staple in our house).
Normally 2.59.
Store special 3/$5.
Two coupons totalling an additional $.70 off each.
$.96 each.

Two pkgs Kraft singles
Normally 4.49
Store coupons: 1.88 each
Additional coupon for 1.00 off.
$.88 each!

Albertsons Shredded cheese
Normally 3.99
Store coupon for .88 each.

Tombstone pizza
Normally 5.59
Store special 3/$10
Additional coupon for 1.00 off
2.33 each.

Excedrin
Normally 4.49
Store special 1.99
Coupon for 1.00 off.
.99 whoo hooo

Not as good as I hoped, but better than usual. Anyone have any tips for me? There are no stores in town who take competitor coupons so that option is out. I'm taking advice, though.

Ocean Shores

2009-05-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Ocean Shores this past week. Here's some of my favorite pictures. It wasn't the greatest of weather, but I suppose any day at the beach beats a day at work.

The cold weather did not dampen the spirits of the kiddos. Looks to me like they had a great time.

We went for a hike in the rainforest and we ran right into Hannah Montana! Imagine the odds.

Us without Doug. He's actually behind the camera this time.

The shelter we found on the beach. I could almost stay the night in this.

My favorite picture of Aspen (she's the neice) while we were walking through the rainforest.
A pretty flower I saw along the way.
And that was our trip in a nutshell. Wish I could say we did something really adventurous and exciting, but we mostly stayed holed up in a (small) room watching it rain. But a great time was had by all.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T08:14:00.003-07:00

I found this special note on Brooklyn's arm last night. I wont let her take a bath. Ever.

Brooklyn turns 8

2009-05-03T20:24:00.000-07:00

My little Brooklyn had her 8th birthday yesterday. It totally sucks that she could leave in 10 more years. But we'll just keep her dependent on us so she can never leave...

Brooklyn, I love the way you love and live life. You're the life of the party, and everything's a party! You love to sing your little heart out and put on a show. All day today you've been wearing a Hannah Montana wig, even out to dinner. Daddy thought it was silly, but I was pulling for you because its just part of who you are these days. I love your sense of style, mixing hot pink pants with green alligator boots. I love how you wrestle with your brother and aren't afraid to body slam him. I love that you can play dolls with Madelyn and share all your stuff with her. Yesterday I asked you to teach Maddy all you've learned in swimming this year and you hurried over to her to give her a lesson, lending her your goggles so she could watch you underwater. I love that you are so content being alone but also love to have people around. I love your love for nature and God's great creation, and that you recognize it's His creation we're in awe of. I love your love of scripture and Bible stories and asking me to turn the radio to Christian music. I love that you're planning on living next door when you grow up. ;) I love that you come running into our room in the morning with a huge smile and a good morning to greet us. I love how you love your Daddy and me and the whole family. You're such an important part of our family and I'm so grateful we were trusted to raise you.

Happy Birthday!

2009-05-01T08:53:00.000-07:00

Today we're off to the ocean for a week. Its been planned and anticipated for almost a year. I didn't realize when I booked the trip that Brooklyn's birthday was right in the middle of it, so we'll be celebrating her, too. (Did you notice the link to her blog on the right? Kind of "school" project. Good for writing practice.).

I thought I'd leave you with something Madelyn said the other day when it was just the two of us cruising around town.

Maddy: Mommy, sometimes I say bad words really quietly and I can't stop.

Me: Oh, really. What do you say? (hiding chuckle and smile)

Maddy: Um....guess.

Me: You tell me. You can say them this once and you wont get in trouble. (Secretly, I didn't want to "guess" and teach her new ones....)

Maddy: Sometimes I say stupid and dumb over and over.

We can deal with that. Sometimes I say them over and over, too....sometimes not so quietly. ;)

Interview with Ty

2009-04-27T11:09:00.001-07:00

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Time to do schoolwork.

2. What makes mom happy?
When we play well.

3. What makes mom sad?
When we fight.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
By making funny faces.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Ummm, I would say, ummm, I don't know.

6. How old is your mom?
I don't know. (Take a guess) I don't remember. 36 (not quite)

7. How tall is your mom?
Ten feet high.... just kidding..... are you three feet high?

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Go shopping, I guess.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Go to Starbucks and have a mommy-daughter day.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
To get money (hahaha)

11. What is your mom really good at?
Going to church and singing.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Getting her headaches away.

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Helping daddy do appraisaling.

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Italian? Is that it?

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
When we do fun stuff.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A good singer type thingy type girl. (?)

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Go on Mommy-son days....barely.... we haven't gone on one for so long (gulp)

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Because we have the same color hair.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Because we don't wear the same kind of clothes.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because she always wants to kiss me!

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Because he's nice to you alot.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
To Starbucks.

Flutterbies

2009-04-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

We're growing butterflies these days at the Eisenhard House of Perpetual Learning. I am amazed at how quickly these critters grow. They arrived being about 1 cm long. I was pretty sure they were dead because they move sooooo slow. (Imagine that). Now they're probably close to an inch - in a matter of days. In fact, we can see changes from one night to the next morning. Its quite amazing and I highly recommend it.

The butterfly's life is only a couple of weeks long. Lets hope its a good one. The caterpillars are supposed to metamorph in 7-10 days. Can't wait! And as I type this, it suddenly occurs to me that we may be out of town when this is all taking place!!!! They're coming with us. That's all there is to it. We'll just pack 'em up and take 'em to the ocean with us.

2009-04-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Ty: Mommy, why do you always wear make-up.
Brooklyn: Because she's not a peasant mommy. (?) Peasant mommies don't wear make-up.

Thought you'd like to know.

----------------------------------------------------------
This weekend Brooklyn was in a freaked-out mood, hand gestures and all, pleading with me to figure out the DVD player (way out of my league.) I was lamenting to the family about her over-dramatized way of life these days. They all laughed at me. Kind of like they thought I deserved it or something.

Fast forward a day or two when Doug asked me why I hadn't finished one of the many projects I'd started. I freaked out on him, hand gestures and all, explaining to him the lack of tools and buckets and just what exactly I needed in order to finish the job.

It was that exact moment that I realized Brooklyn has not inherited some recessive gene. Nope. I beleive she got it from me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

We've been making smores recently. Yum. Feels like we're camping.

The kiddos on a hike up to Silver Falls this weekend. It was awesome. Hopefully we'll get back up there soon.

A star is born

2009-04-10T17:56:00.001-07:00

I'm sure I'm just humoring myself, but this is my blog. Brooklyn grabbed the guitar today and was singing her heart out. Apparently she's been watching too much Hannah Montana.

2009-04-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

We are the proud owners of four ducks and a goose thanks to Uncle Shane and Co. No names yet but we're taking suggestions again! I've decided I like ducks alot more than roosters. We'll see what I think of the goose....
We moved them to their new home last night (do you call it a duck coop?) In keeping with the Entiat way of life, we covered the pen with a tarp and a couple of pieces of plywood. I'm so proud.

2009-04-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

Just a few fun pics from last weekend outside. This is Brooklyn, if you couldn't tell from her hat. She wears this costume all the time. I think the green alligator rain boots really set off the pink, don't you?

Fight Time

2009-03-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is the event of the day the kids L.I.V.E. for. Its something we in the Eisenhard house call "fight time." Its a call to battle heard throughout the property, perhaps even throughout the valley. One of the kids will start the fight with daddy and they will yell for the others "ITS FIGHT TIME!!!!" and the other two will come running to battle. Someone usually gets hurt but its all for a good cause and they always come back for more.

2009-03-16T23:15:00.001-07:00

Credit where credit is due: I copied this from Dawn's blog and thought it would be fun. Now you have to copy it.

1.My uncle once: told me the correct way to insert a suppository (we worked together. This wasn't just a random conversation) And for those wondering, its the blunt end first so that the sphincter sucks up the rest of the supp and you don't have to put your finger where the sun doesn't shine. Yep, its true.
2.Never in my life: Have I blogged about suppositories.
3.When I was five: I stole a piece of candy and then lied about it and had to return It after I was convinced I was going to go to jail. Never did steal again, though.
5.I will never forget: where I was when the Challenger exploded. Or when Doug called and said the Twin Towers were blown up.
6.I once met: a midget.
7.There’s this girl I know who: is waiting for her husband to return from Iraq.
8.Once, at a bar: my mom threw up outside.
9.By noon, I’m usually: wondering where the morning went.
10.Last night: I had a horrible headache and actually lost my appetite. Amazing.
11.If I only had: a brain.
12.Next time I go to church: I will love it.
13.What worries me most: missing the little moments.
14.When I turn my head left, I see: binoculars and the telephone.
15.When I turn my head right, I see: my couch.
16.You know I’m lying when: you see the whites of my eyes. (just kidding. I never lie).
17.What I miss most about the eighties: Fluorescent.
18.If I was a character in Shakespeare, I’d be: old
19.By this time next year: I will be living debt free.
20.A better name for me would be: something people could remember! And spell.
21.I have a hard time understanding: the Krebs cycle.
22.If I ever go back to school, I’ll: be a hairdresser
23.You know I like you if: I give you a hard time.
24.If I ever won an award, the first person I’d thank would be: I suppose the person handing me the award?
25.Take my advice, never: apply icy hot to just-shaved legs straight out of a hot shower. Never.
26.My ideal breakfast is: Biscuits and gravy.
28.If you visit my hometown, I suggest: you like apples.
29.Why won’t people: just get along
30.If you spend the night at my house: You will love it!
31.I’d stop my wedding for: no one
32.The world could do without: child abusers
33.I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: I got nothing for this one.
34.My favorite blonde is: My little Brooklyn.
35.Paper clips are more useful than: warts
36.If I do anything well, it’s: give unsolicited advice.
37.And by the way: Jesus is coming back, so you'd better be ready!

A beautiful day

2009-03-15T20:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was feeling very much like spring. The kids wanted to have a picnic outside. I tried to convince them to have a picnic on the living room floor because it looked a bit cold to me, but it turned out to be quite nice. In fact, I even sat outside to read the paper for the first time this year. Yippee!
Fast forward to today. Rainy. Snowy. Very wet. Here's a pic of Brooklyn outside in the trees. My kids have been outside NONSTOP lately which I love. The dirt is piling up in the entryway from all of their muddy gloves, boots and coats. But we can deal with that. This week they've discovered tree climbing.
I love springtime!

What can Brown do for you?

2009-03-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

About three days ago I received a package of clothes I had ordered for the kids. I intentionally ordered a couple of sizes in one particular outfit because I wasn't sure how they'd fit. So I went to return the over-sized outfit two days ago. This in itself is a major undertaking. I have to:
a: Keep the clothes-to-be-returned separate from the clothes-to-keep which doesn't sound like much but I think I had to repackage it more than once after the kids helped put their clothes away.
b: Find the appropriate place to do the send off; i.e. UPS, Fed-Ex, USPS (by the way, I think there should be a central mail service for all of these...maybe there is and I haven't found it yet).
c: Get to said store to return items with kids in tow who would rather have their toenails pulled out one by one than run errands with me.
d: Find the appropriate mailing container.
e: Deal with the grouchy employee who is about to go home after her four hour shift.
After all that, I open the door yesterday to find a package. "Well what could this be? I'm not expecting anything." Let this be a lesson to all of you out there to READ the RETURN LABEL very carefully and make sure that you affix the CORRECT ONE to the package or you, too, will have to repeat the process all over again after you mail the package to YOURSELF!!!!

Interview with a four year old.

2009-03-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few random questions I threw out there. Its always fun to hear their answers.

How old are you? four
What's your favorite color? Uh..pink
Who's your favorite parent. Uh...you ....(pause, pause, pause) and Daddy.
What's the funnest thing you did today? Going under the bridge and throwing rocks to splash Brooklyn.
What's the funnest thing you've ever done in your life? Going to Rachel's house because she's my best friend.
What do you want to be when you grow up? An appraiser.
What should we do tomorrow. Uh...I don't know...go to Starbucks. Lets go to Starbucks.
What's your favorite story? Milly Molly Mandy
What do you like most about Brooklyn? That alot of times she gives me things that she gets.
What's your favorite thing about Ty? That he does pillow fights with me.
Who's Jesus? He's big.
Who's God? He's the savior of our sins.

2009-03-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late posting this, but what's new. I have to brag about my little Ty. Well, actually Doug and Grandpa are responsible, too. They created the super fast winning Pinewood Derby car. I'm told Ty had quite the cheering squad from Brooklyn and all her friends. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- In other news, there's a lot of learning going on around here. Doug got a bass guitar for his birthday and has been burning the candle at both ends in an attempt to become a proficient bass player. He wants to join worship team someday. And he's full of theory questions for me. Sometimes I just make up an answer and he'll say "oh" and walk away. Here's a video of Brooklyn and Doug playing together. And, yes, I make them play in the dark. It strengthens their eyes.

2009-03-03T22:53:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid I could think of very few things more boring that birding. Snooooooozer. But lately I find myself wanting to learn of and identify birds. I really have no idea why. However, the more I watch them, the more interested I become.

I have a nifty little bird book with pictures for identification,I have no shortage of birds out my window, and I have a crappy set of binoculars sitting next that give me a headache whenever I use them because only one eye focuses at a time. But that's off the subject.

Last week I was SURE I had finally identified a bird and was feeling quite proud of my accomplishment. The description I read fit the bill (haha. Bird joke). But then I stumbled across another website with better pictures and description and I'm pretty sure I am WAAAAY off.

I have, however, learned some pretty funny things in my ornithological quest. Who names these birds, anyway? Must have been men. There's a bird called a bushtit!?!?!? And one called a booby!!! What the heck!?!?! What, exactly, does the booby look like??

2009-03-01T09:59:00.000-08:00

What gets my butt out of bed faster than anything? A kid screaming my name in the hallway with puke projecting from his mouth, that's what! Ty was "slightly" ill last night at midnight. At least he missed the carpet that still smells of vomit from earlier in the week when his little sister had some GI upset. He puked on her, instead. But she slept on (that girl sleeps like a rock).

After all was said and done and the puke bowl placed strategically by his adorable little head, I hear a screech from outside. Doug came bounding from the bedroom (I'm now on the couch since the boy is in my place in the bed). "I think Oreo (the cat) is being eaten by a coyote" he says. What does any good pet owner do? She rolls over and goes to sleep because she's REALLY tired and the cat has claws. But not Doug. Oh, no. He investigates. Turns on all the outside lights. Goes for a walk around the place. And then gets a LADDER and CLIMBS THE TREE to rescue the kitty!!!! Did I mention its midnight????

The cat wanders in five minutes later through the cat door. Unscathed.

The scuffle must not have been so bad because Oreo ventured outdoors a couple of hours later and brought back a mouse. Rewind to the part about me sleeping on the couch. I then get to listen to Oreo chase a mouse around the house, my blanket pulled up over my head, fearing that the mouse might climb up on the couch and under my blanket. Ackk! I'm too afraid to get up to take care of the mouse because its dark and what if I step on it. Ewww. I spend the rest of the night having mouse dreams. And puke dreams. And now I'm really tired.

The solar system

2009-02-23T14:32:00.000-08:00

We've been studying the solar system for a couple of weeks now. I wrote down some facts for the kids to copy for the next planet in the system. Here's what I wrote.

Uranus is a big ball of gas.

And then I read it later and laughed out loud. I think I will be changing that. Their teacher might see it. Then again, maybe I'll leave it.

2009-02-21T21:25:00.001-08:00

I tried to be "that kind of mom" who makes all kinds of fun projects with her kids for, you know, nature or something. So I dragged the birdseed in from the garage, rummaged through the pans for a heart-shaped mold, and found a recipe for bird feeders. It looked like it was going to be a great project. But it sucked. They all fell apart. Oh well. Good times spent together mixing birdseed, flour and water.... and then dumping most of it on the floor instead of into the pans, but who's counting.
And when you have toes like this, who cares if you have to sweep up a little birdseed.

Name that kid

2009-02-18T09:08:00.000-08:00

Creepy, huh.

I was going though my pictures and came across this one. Since I have nothing else to blog about, I decided to post it. I don't really know which kid it is, but as I'm sitting here wondering who took the picture I see Madelyn on the chair across the living room from me with my camera stuck close to her face, clicking away and then flipping the camera over to see her masterpiece. Mystery solved.

A little pick-me-up

2009-02-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

I've been stuck in a slump the past few weeks. Its the typical mid-winter funk that happens every year. I think I need to plan a trip to somewhere sunny next year about this time to combat the winter blues. Any takers?

Yesterday we broke out the nail polish and Brooklyn painted my toenails. Aren't they beautiful?

For those of you who may question the education of my children:

2009-01-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

I'm sure there are some of you who may wonder if my kids will be prepared for this cruel world being that they are educated at home. Well, worry no more folks. Here's a little run-down/overview of our month at home. I have to submit this stuff monthly to the school so they don't turn me into the state, I guess.

Art: Brooklyn and Ty have continued their study of Botticelli, specifically the prints "Young man being introduced to the seven liberal arts" and "Birth of Venus." They have been illustrating their book with watercolor paintings.

Science: This month Brooklyn and Ty are studying the planets starting with the closest planets to the sun. They have written in their nature notebooks about Mercury, Venus and Earth and seems to be enjoying the material. They have been watching a National Geographic video about all the planets in our solar system.

Math: Brooklyn and Ty started their new math program and are doing very well. They are to lesson 10. The work so far has been review of graphing, addition and subraction and comparing numbers for greater-than, less-than.

Language Arts: Ty and Brooklyn have been journaling daily in their nature notebooks and personal journals. They are encouraged to compose on their own and then are shown any corrections. They have both finished writing a small book: Brooklyn's about her bunny, and Ty's about a turtle. They are being read-aloud to during circle time from the book Milly-Molly-Mandy, and we are about to begin "The Incredible Journey." They are each reading to me daily.

Music: Brooklyn and Ty continue to play the piano and are practicing a few minutes three to four days per week. Brooklyn has a lesson once per week. Most of Ty's instruction is on his own per his choice. They are both completing worksheets from a music theory workbook.

Bible: The kids are each learning memory verses for their individual classes at church. They are also studying 15 minutes daily for Junior Bible Quiz.

The list goes on and on at the Eisenhard House of Perpetual Learning. Rest at ease.

Who Needs Birthcontrol?

2009-01-16T17:28:00.000-08:00

This is my H.O.T. husband sporting a fine pair of kid goggles as he was destroying the chimney. I just couldn't help myself but to take a few pics. Maybe for blackmail. Maybe just because I think he's adorable!

2009-01-12T19:25:00.001-08:00

I love my kids....I love my kids.....Really, I love my kids!!!
We spent six hours in the car today.
I have to keep repeating this until I feel it again.

Brooklyn went to bed two hours early. Its the best punishment for her because she HATES it (and then we don't have to listen to her nasty attitude.)

Ty mellowed out once we finally got out of the car.

Madelyn has since quit kicking the seat in front of her, pulling the hair of those near her, hoarding the toys and asking when we are going to have lunch.

It was a great day.....honest.

----------------------------------------------------
On another note - my sister says she finally knows why I am the way I am! What I think she means by that is 1)Why I'm never prepared, 2) Why my house looks like a tornado zone, 3)Why my kids' hair is rarely brushed and certainly never styled. 4)Why I really don't care about either of those.

Here's why: She has had little Zoe (and only Zoe) for three years. She had a clean house. She had the toys put where they were supposed to go (I'm so sure! What is that!). Even Zoe knew where the toys went. Her floor was NEVER dirty. Her bathrooms were ALWAYS clean. There was never any unidentifiable food stuck to the floors and seats of her immaculate, always washed, always vacuumed car. I really didn't understand it.

And now I do.

She had Chloe a month ago, and her world has been rocked! Kind of like mine was with number 3. (Okay, really we all know number 1 put me over the edge, but since we were already over, why not go all the way).

And now I can sit back and smile and feel perfectly "normal."

2009-01-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

So today Doug and I were in the office and the kids come in all excited. "Mom, Dad, there's big chunks of ice in the river and logs floating down." Yeah, yeah, okay, whatever. I was putting together my shopping list so I was really busy. And then I walked upstairs and took one look at the river and kind of freaked out myself. You see, it had rained all night and when I woke up the river looked fine. No flooding, yippee. All was well.

Apparently the county workers broke an ice dam up the river.

All of a sudden the river went from "normal winter" to "spring flooding" in a matter of minutes. HUGE, boulder-sized ice chunks and tree-sized logs came floating past. In fact, some are still left on the island out our back door. And then Doug started to panic. (That might have been more exciting than the flash flood) And in a matter of minutes, it was gone (the flooding, not the panic from hubs). We headed down the canyon, saw this and decided to go home instead.

Its too bad the video sucks because its difficult to really appreciate the amount of ice and debris. But it was cool. Doug has since settled down and he might actually get some work done today, too.

Help is here!

2009-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

I found this amazing site through Lisa, you know,one the ladies I've been stalking recently. Its called Menus4Mom. I'm so excited. It gives a list of meals for the week complete with side dishes (not my forte) and then you can print out a shopping list!!!! This is a.maz.ing. I made my first meal tonight and I must say it went over WELL.

Its not that I couldn't do this myself. Of course I should be able to come up with a meal plan. The fact is, though, that when I sit down to do just that I draw a total blank. Nothing. Nada. And then to add side dishes!?! I might consider using Dawn's menu, but a)She uses things that are kind of weird to me and b)I haven't seen an attached shopping list. Maybe she can work on that for me.

Resolutions

2008-12-30T21:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not always big on making resolutions because,lets face it, I can't even complete the stuff I'm supposed to do. Why add to my list. But I'm going to anyway. So, for the fun of it, lets recap 2008:
1. Make a quilt - Nope. Didn't happen. Too busy rebuilding an already built house.
2. Be a better wife and mom - Hmm. Ask the fam.
3. Spend time with my favorite friends - I'm doing okay. The move to "the middle of nowhere" has put a damper on that, but I've found a way to fit them in.

Now, for 2009:
1. Make a quilt.
2. Spend more time with the kiddos. Amazing that I can be with them all day and feel like I haven't even seen them.
3. Make Doug feel like a king. I didn't say "make Doug the king." And that's a very important detail. Between you and me, as long as they feel like they're in charge, all is well. We all know who keeps things running around here.
4. I would like to learn another instrument this year. The bass guitar is looking promising, but I don't want to steal Doug's thunder.
5. Adopt a kid. That was on the back burner because of all that was going on, but maybe now we can get the paperwork out. Oh, yeah, and that brings me to #6.
6. Prove my citizenship. Apparently that's an important detail when you want to adopt a kid. I mean, really. Nobody asked me when I had a kid if I was an American citizen. What the heck.

Now I tag Dawn, Pam, Chad, Kristin, The Melissa's, Lisa and Andrea for their resolutions. And none of that crap about losing weight or being a better person.

Not Just a Box of Junk

2008-12-27T15:22:00.001-08:00

What do you get when you cross three kids with a hot glue gun and a box of junk?

Robots! And at least an hour of fun. Thanks Grandpa for all the junk. I guess you were right - keep it because you might need it someday. :)

On another note, the kids got CC skis for Christmas and went for their inaguaral ski today. Madelyn lasted about 20 minutes with me picking her up every few feet. Ty was in tears and pissed off because he didn't master it immediately. And Brooklyn has skied all day. In fact, she's asking me right now to go out with her and help her back into her skis....but I'm blogging so she'll have to wait.

Merry Christmas to All.

2008-12-24T16:03:00.002-08:00

All I really want for Christmas.....
Watch this.

I've been tagged!

2008-12-19T08:39:00.000-08:00

This is a very exciting first. Melissa, who've I've been stalking for some time, has tagged me! So now I'm supposed to go to my sixth photo folder and pick the sixth picture and tell a story about it.
Here's our little Thanksgiving Day photo shoot. I was trying to get the perfect picture of the kids on the bridge above our house. It took awhile....

Now I tag Andrea, Kristin, Chad, Dawn, Pam, Melissa S., and Lisa

2008-12-18T10:56:00.000-08:00

Apparently Baby Chloe was born yesterday. It just took her parents a few hours to figure that out.... I think its official that her name is now Chloe Adelyn. She's still cute.

Its hard picking a name for those little ones. You have to think of what kind of horrible nickname the schoolyard children will make up and torture your children with. We had a difficult time picking Cameron's name. We were sure about "Ty" but Doug didn't want that as a first name which is funny because we call him that most of the time now. And he didn't want a long first name because we have a long last name. So how he got the name "Cameron" I still don't know. But I was on drugs.

2008-12-17T20:13:00.000-08:00

Baby Chloe did not arrive today. But baby Genevieve Adelyn did. And she's cute. Kind of like her aunty.
She was 7lbs 3oz and I totally want to have my tubes untied.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now a word from the torture chamber. Apparently nobody should have a mother who makes them eat tomato soup. You'd think it was poison from the response I got!

Look everyone! I'm a knitter

2008-12-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

As if I needed another project to try to complete. I've taken up knitting because "all the girls are doing it." I'm finding I have a lot of little breaks these days between swim practice and dropoff/pick up of kids, and all the errands I have to run but then I arrive too early and have to wait - anyway, little snippets of time that I can fill up with a handy little project I can tote around with me. And speaking of swim practice, there's two sets of bleachers: There's the "athletic, cool-mom bleachers" and then there's the "geeky knitting mom bleachers" and ne'er the two shall meet. I belong to the latter and that's fine. What's important is that I belong somewhere..... But back to the knitting. This was supposed to be a square washcloth. Still trying to figure where I went wrong..... Thanks Melissa for all your advice. Someday I'll knit cool stuff like her fingerless gloves. But that's many swim practices away.

The Eisenhards Go Tree Hunting

2008-12-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend we traveled up the road to a new Christmas Tree farm. It was a small family farm that just opened this year. We rode in on a horse-powered drawn wagon driven by The Son-in-law, complete with hay bales and cuddly fleece blankets that I didn't want to use because they were too nice. When we arrived we were greeted by The Father of the joint and then shown around the 7 acres of trees. It didn't take us long to find the perfect tree but we had to keep exploring so we took a jaunt through the "forest." Being out in the woods apparently induces the need to pee, so Doug found his own perfect tree (tacky, I know. But don't worry because it wasn't a Christmas tree, just a tree in the woods). The kids had a ball knocking snow off of the trees and onto one another. At the end of our adventure, I payed The Daughter in the gift shop full of handmade loot, and we all gathered around the bonfire and roasted marshmallows with Father. Back down the hill to see The Mother and tell her how much we loved the farm and will be back next year.

2008-12-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is Brooklyn's first attempt at doing her own hair. I know, she's 7, but she's never really taken much interest in doing her own hair other than brushing it. So I was happy to see her with some, um,.... style. She must get that from her mamma.

Let it snow

2008-12-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

I was told to pretend the blankets were snow. I guess that's what happens 14 days before Christmas when there's no snow outside. I want to know who gets to shovel that snow up when playtime is over. Hmmmm. I wonder.

2008-12-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

My sister has a new blog and today's post is funny. Go check it out.

2008-12-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was Brooklyn's one and only swim meet. I decided when we were there that this would be the one and only. It was jammed packed with hundreds of parents cheering on their kids who couldn't hear them because - hello - they're UNDER WATER! Quit yelling, people! Anyway, it was an experience, and one that I could probably do without for another, oh, five or six years. But she really wanted to participate and because we do whatever our kids want to do, we signed her up. ;)
I sound so negative about this event. It wasn't really all that bad, but just not my thing.
So when little Madelyn asked to play "I spy" at this swim meet I did not pick the most difficult thing to spy in order to keep her occupied for a LONG time.
And being that this was quite possibly the only swim meet Brooklyn will ever compete in, Doug, my friend Melissa and I DID NOT totally miss her swim her first race! When she showed up all soaking wet and proud of herself we did not look at each other with a "did-you-see-her-because-I-didn't-see-a-thing" look on our faces. And we did not congratulate her anyway and tell her what a fabulous job she did. And her face did not light up like a Christmas tree with all the pride she had in her little heart for completing the race. (For the record - the mob of people was obstructing our view and no I'm not just throwing that detail in there to make myself look like a better parent)

2008-12-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

Just look at those smiles. They loooooove their daddy.

Busted

2008-12-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

All was well Saturday night until... the son wore his roller shoes on a jungle gym. The parents of the year (again) let that one slip by their watchful eyes. And yes, he fell off. Broken right arm. To the walk-in clinic we go only to find out on the way that they closed at 4 pm - about three hours too soon. Minor detour. Head to ER. Only have to wait for about 20 minutes but get to see some good "ER waiting room drama" so it was totally worth it. A splint and some Vicodin do wonders for the little one. And today the ortho doc says he doesn't need a cast which means we don't have to pay for casting :). But get this - he says to "make sure he's not too rough. You know, no running, jumping, falling, wrestling, blah, blah, blah." Did I mention he's 6? And a boy?
And now, time for:

When I found out the Walk-In was closed and I had to go to the ER and pay three to four times as much, I did not think in my mind "this arm better be broken." I would never think such things.....

Post Thanksgiving Hangover

2008-11-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

Not from wine, in case you're wondering. No, I think I have a sinus infection and I've eaten way too much apple crisp and apple pie. I make apple crisp with twice the amount of crisp. I don't know why I even add apples.

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving and have so much to be thankful for. Its too bad we only have Thanksgiving once a year. But if nothing else it causes us to pause and realize all we have been given.

36 years and counting

2008-11-25T16:42:00.001-08:00

My parents have been married for 36 years today! That's a long time to be with anybody..... I don't care who ya are.

Happy Anniversary Folks. You've done well.

Tastes Like Chicken

2008-11-19T15:44:00.001-08:00

It was a cool, autumn night at the Eisenhard Family Farm. And Pepper had chased me one too many times. So he became a science lesson for my children.
This is our chicken, Pepper.

Uncle Shane did the killing (I guess you're supposed to call it butchering when its your pet). Can't say we'll be raising chickens to eat next year.
I know you're not supposed to play with your food, but Doug was opening and closing his mouth saying "Delena, why did you have to kill me...." Kind of creepy.

2008-11-14T20:34:00.000-08:00

I found this from Melissa's site and had fun reading her answers. Enjoy.

1. YOUR REAL NAME: Delena
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus fizzle.) : Delfizzle
3. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color and favorite animal) : Purple Rhino
4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (your middle name and street you live on/or neighborhood if it's a number) : Lindsay River
5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name): Eisde
6. YOUR SUPERHERO/CRIMINAL NAME: (Your 2nd favorite color and favorite drink): Hooker Red Tall Extra Hot Vanilla
7. YOUR IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, 1st letter of your last name, 2nd letter of your moms maiden name, 3rd letter of your dads name, 1st letter of siblings first name, and last letter of your moms first name) : Esealke
8. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (parents middle names): Lavonna Stanley
9. YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets) : Black Pepper

Cameron Ty

2008-11-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Ty during his helmet phase. He wore his bike helmet EVERYWHERE including the bathtub.
Easter 2003. What a roly-poly.

I came across these pictures today and had to smile. They are from a time not so long ago. How can he be 6! Six used to seem so old. Ty is my sweet little boy. He's the sensitive one but all boy nonetheless. He loves to hunt and destroy. He has a collection of knives he's not supposed to get into unless he has permission. He's recently been jumping from heights that are way too high for my liking. He loves to help me cook. He absolutely adores his daddy, but he's mamma's boy, too. He's not into kisses, but if I pin him down I can usually plant one on him before he wipes it off with a grin. He's a hard worker and is really motivated. He's friendly and kind. He really wants a puppy. He's learning how to pray and loves to practice his Bible Quiz facts. He's the easiest of the three to discipline. A stern warning will usually do the trick. A spanking totally crushes his little spirit. He wants to grow up to be firefighter, a policeman, a game warden and an appraiser, all at the same time. He's going to be great at whatever he does.

Name that Cat

2008-11-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

Since our new discovery yesterday, the name of our cat has changed. He's now either "Woreo (like warrior. Ty's idea) or Pokey because he has polka dots (from the girls, of course). Doug and I tried to explain that Oreo was a perfectly appropriate name for a boy kitty but the jury is still out on what the final name will be. I'll keep you posted.

Surprise

2008-11-12T16:27:00.001-08:00

We took Oreo our cat in to be spayed today. She's been "out and about" so we wanted to prevent any little kitties from joining our clan. And, surprise, she's a he! Just for the record, I never "looked" so its not my fault we were wrong all this time. Other people looked and told me so I naturally beleived them. But now he's neutered. I suppose we should get rid of his pink collar. The girls are going to be so disappointed.

2008-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

I have nothing too exciting to report today. I did, however, stay up late last night baking a pumpkin. This country thing is really sinking in. And then I used the food processor - the one my sister loaned to me and I conveniently never gave back - to mash up the pumpkin into, well, mashed pumpkin. It was my first try at baking a pumpkin to see if I should do that next year with all the pumpkins I'm going to grow. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all of it. I made pumpkin muffins for breakfast that Ty thinks I should make for Christmas morning (he said that about my blueberry muffins, too. I think he just likes muffins). Hopefully my friend Melissa will share her pumpkin scone recipe with me. Any suggestions for pumpkin mush?

And on the subject of country livin' I think the chicken is going to meet his demise. Sorry Chad. But I think he's stalking me. At first I pretended that he was running after me because he wanted to be friends and I was okay with that. But now whenever I turn my back, he high tails it for me, like he's going to strike. And then when I turn around he just looks at me like "What are you looking at." I'm telling you if that little sucker attacks me, we're having chicken for dinner.

As you wish

2008-11-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

The other night I went to dinner and we had a waiter who answered everything with "as you wish." I'd like water..."as you wish." And he had this thick spanish accent so it was even cooler. I instructed everyone at the table that I would now like to be answered with "as you wish" whenever I give a command or suggestion. So far its not working....

2008-11-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

So earlier when I started this blog I decided to start my list of 1000 things I was thankful for. Would you beleive it but I keep forgetting to add to my list. That's embarrassing. So I've decided to make a sidebar and keep it that way. Then it will be staring me in the face and hopefully I wont forget. Got this idea from a friend Kristen and I think its great!

Its the holiday season.....

2008-11-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

Never is it more apparent that the holidays are upon us as when Starbucks brings out the eggnog! They started serving up the hot frothy bliss today. Sigh.... I love fall. The flip side is that its kind of a downer when they finally run out of the holiday cups and the seasonal flavors.

On a totally unrelated note, Ty received the awaited bundle from Toys-R-Us today. He won a contest from Chad the Chicken (thanks Chad) and he received a $50 gift card. That thougtful son of mine gave his sisters some money to use, too.

He ended up with THREE lego sets and the sisters each got a substantial toy, too. I was surprised at how much he could buy for $50. Here's a picture of the "lego assembly." I beleive Maddy is trying to eat a lego. I put the kids in the picture for effect because really its just me assembling the toy (not my favorite thing) as they search for all the pieces that were flung off the table in their excited haste to open the packages. The things we do for those kids....

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T17:16:00.001-07:00

2008-10-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Who would tell the kids they had to "inspect" their Halloween candy so it was safe.... and it would probably take til morning so they'd be better off just getting a good night's sleep? Hmm. I would never.

Who would hide the M&Ms and tell their kids they were all gone? Not me, but maybe Doug.

Would would ever plan on taking their kids trick or treating so they could steal their loot! Well, definitely not me!

And who would go to one of the busiest neighborhoods in town so their kids could get a load of goodies. Not me. But it would make sense that I would do such a thing since I live in the middle of nowhere. But, no, I wouldn't do that.

Guess where I'm typing from!

2008-10-23T17:36:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting at my home.....at my kitchen table..... looking out my window! Say it isn't so folks. I'm connected!!! No longer a country bumpkin. I have high speed internet! Email me, people, and email me often because now I can respond!

Okay, enough of that.

I had a harvest party at my house last weekend with a bunch of kids in super cute costumes. We had a bonfire and carved pumpkins and hid a treasure chest full of candy that the kids had to hunt for in the dark. I was hoping our hiding spot would keep them occupied for at least a couple of hours. But who am I kidding. A bunch of under-10-year-olds? They could probably smell all the chocolate. We kept them looking for approximately 4.2 minutes. Next year I'm burying it.

Cute little Zoe dressed up as a chicken, which explains why the rooster tried to attack her. She was not impressed. But what do you expect when you dress up as a chicken around a very lonely rooster (all the females are dead. But you wouldn't know that because I don't blog....)

Little Ella. I love this picture!

I'm not dead

2008-10-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've just been a little busy. But I'm back! Here's the abridged version of the last month of my life.

My beautiful girls.

A fabulous new Starbucks coffee drink I shared with some fantastic friends. It was a salted caramel hot chocolate. Note to self: buy a small one next time. And get a large water to go with it.

One of my kids' faces. They got ahold of my camera. I think its Madelyn.

All the homemade applesauce I made from some apples we stole from my neighbor's tree. (Okay, he said we could have them) I'm really getting into this country living. Do you see the smile?

The stolen apples.

A nest we lifted from the same apple tree. It made a great science lesson. I've never really looked closely at a bird nest. It is AMAZING what kind of engineering goes into a nest.

Brooklyn getting her ears pierced with Grandma.
The before:

After:

That's all for now. Be back soon...... I promise.