Good Idea Bad Idea!

Bryan decided that it would be fun to make some cookies with Abby and Dylan. Now I know better than to invove Dylan in anything that includes something that can remotely be messy and I think Bryan learned that some activites should be reserved for kids with a little bit more self control! You can see some pics in my scrapbook!

A New Skill

Lacey is learning young how to multi-task! It is so funny to watch her crawl around or play with a toy as she continues to drink her bottle as it dangles form her mouth! Funny girl!

Park fun!

I took the kids to a nearby park early this morning with a couple goals in mind. First, I was hoping that by doing something different they would be so excited and be in greats moods for the rest of the day because they had so much fun. Second it got everyone out of the house. And third I wanted to get out before the bugs did and before the humidity jumped to obsene levels! I don't know if everyone is battling nats like we but if you are you totally have my sympithy! The nats here have been out of control! As soon as you step outside they just swarm all over and worse, they bite! And those bites itch worse than mosquitos! So I thought if we go out now Abby and Dylan wouldn't be quite as mad if we didn't get to go outside after naptime. Unfortunaltly the good moods only stayed untill we had to leave the park so that kinda back fired on me! Oh well can't really do much about that! I can only hope that naptime works its magic and they wake up happy!


Lacey looks happy to be there don't you think?!

Eclipse

another great book! I would say Eclipse was better than the first two! Now I have to wait till the next one comes out. That is not cool! I should have just waited till it came out to read them all! Thanks alot Jen! Anyway after I got done with the book this morning I looked around at my house with my reading blinders off and realized that it was trashed! I had gotten play-doe out for Abby and Dylan to play, not just because they like it but I knew it would give me the time I needed to finish up the book! Well that was everywhere and then at lunch Dylan thinking that he is stronger than he really is tried to pick up a rather large bowl full of watermelon and lets just say that I need more carpet cleaner and the kitchen floor will have to be mopped really well! Kids Kids Kids!

Something cute

Why is it that children know exactly when you are at your wits end and they know exactly what will make you laugh even when you are very unhappy with them?! There were sitting in church after having one of those not so good mornings and getting to church in not the mood I would have prefered to be in. Dylan was making me fume more the longer the meeting went on. In all honesty he really wasen't doing much he should not have been doing-just being two-which can really drive anyone mad! So he is up, down, over here and over there and I can not get him to stay still. He doesn't talk in a whisper so anything he says is really loud. We are in a small branch with not many small kids so it is usually really quiet. A prayer get finished and above everyone else you hear Dylan "A-men!". It just makes me laugh because he is soooo loud. If you have met Dylan you know he is just a loud kid. I have really been trying to get him to talk quietly but obviously it hasen't sunk in! Then you can see everyone kinda half turn and smile. So while it might be really annoying to me how can I really be upset when he was actually paying attention, if it was only for a split second!

New Moon

O.k. I just finished New Moon. It was as equally fantastic as the first one. Stephanie Meyer has a way of writing that just takes a hold of you and you just have to know what will happen next. This book is a little more low key than the first but you still just can not put it down! I just found out that she is rewriting Twilight from Edwards perspective called Midnight Sun. So for those of you who have become Twilight junkies I put a link to the website where you can read the first chapter!

Twilight

O.k. the book Twilight was fantastic! I loved the whole entire book. Her decriptions of things were awesome! Thanks to all the people who bugged me and bugged me to read it! I read the whole thing yesturday. I could not put it down! Luckily it was another sunny warm day so we went outside and I read while Lacey climbed all over me and pulled my hair and Dylan and Abby played. It worked out really well! I could barely tear myself away long enough to take care of my kids (besides the basic nessessities!). I love reading a book that completly sucks you in. It is so exciting to me to be able to use my imagination guided by someone else's words to created a whole different world! It is one of my most favorite things! The only bad thing, atleast for me, is when I start reading a really good book that is all I want to do and nothing much else gets done! I have to know what happens and sometimes I do not have the willpower to make myself put the book down! Those who love reading know what I am talking about and those who don't are really missing out! I went and bought New Moon- the second book today but I can't start it yet because i really need to do some laundry!

No Rain!

The weather since all the rain has stopped has been beautiful! Only in the 70's during the day and down in th 50's at night. Completly not usual for June around here but totally not complaining! The kids are enjoying being outside. We got a swingset from a guys Bryan knows at work who's kids didn't use it anymore so that was awesome! Abby and Dylan love! They would be outside all day if I let them! Lacey on the other hand, oh man! Why is it that babies do not like grass?! I know it is probably really mean to torture her but sometimes I cannot resist a photo opt.! I see everything through the eyes of a scrapbooker!

True confessions

I must confess, we have the t.v. on at our house way too much. Mostly it is just background noise. But yesterday it was beautiful so we had all the windows open and music playing and I was amazed at how much more got done! Although I really shouldn't be that suprised right?! Time seems to fly by when your watching t.v. and then nothing gets done! I even was able to get the floor mopped and with my schedule that was amazing! Mopping the kitchen floor is something that, with 3 small kids, should be done fairly often but never seems to get done at our house. Usually by the time the kids go to bed I am done for the day! But do to some unforseen circumstances-thanks Lacey-the floor got mopped right after dinner! Lacey's bottle some how got loose and milk poured all over the kitchen and she then had a great time rolling in it so as you can imagine she also was cleaned up with some scrubbing only she did her cleaning in the tub! On a funny note I think Dylan is starting to grasp the concept that numbers actually mean something and are not just there. We were in the kitchen and Abby asked my if I liked to eat something (I don't remember what) and I said "I do like it", she said "me too" and Dylan piped up "me three"! It was really funny and he will even switch to "me too" if only Abby says she likes something! So there is hope that he is actually paying attention and learning when we talk about things! Always good to get a confimation!

The Flood '08

That has been the headline for just about forever out here in Iowa! I am sure most have heard about it on the news. Thankfully we are on the other side of the state and out flooding is not as bad as out the other way, or I should really say those who don't live by the river don't have flooding like that! The rivers are high and are supposed to crest today or tomorrow the last I heard. The Mississippi River has spilled its banks and they have been asking for volunteers to help fill sandbags to try and stop it from spreading. But I am not quite sure how successfull they will be. There are alot of roads closed, obviously! I-80 going west is closed, for those who aren't familiar with the layout out here 80 is the main freeway to get across the state and it usually jampacked with semis. Well now they have to go up 61 (which is right by us) to Dubuque and take another smaller freeway to get back on 80. Such a pain! But you will see in the pictures that the Wapsi, the river between us and civilization has completly come out of its banks and the water is really really high under the bridges and there isnt much room left if the river doesn't go down before they will have to close 61. That will cause so many problems! So we are hoping since the forecast calls for sunshine till friday that it will give the rivers alittle time to settle down!

That house isn't ours but it gives some perspective! Also everything you see that has water on it is usually farm land! Totally crazy!

Lacey Lacey!

Who would think that an afternoon after nap time starting out like this:

And happily eating a snack like this:

could end up, without any warning like this:

Gotta love the instability of baby moods!

Fun Fun Fun!

Road Trip!

Yea! Finally time for an Ohio visit! The kids and I went out to Ohio last week, for the whole week! We had a blast! The car ride out went great. I have to admit I was a little scared! But anything is possible with a portable DVD player, some juice and unlimited snacks! We had some pretty dirty faces by the time we got out of the car!
I was really excited that my brothers Bryan and Jeff were still at home because living around "Stoker" family the kids know them really well and I like it when they get to be with my side. Dylan walked around the first couple days with his permanent blank stare and bored look getting into anything and everything. Until Uncle Bryan brought out the light saber! He was totally gone after that! He was poking everyone banging it on stuff to hear the sounds. If he saw it before we left I am sure he would have tried to bring it home!


Abby was excited when she found out that Uncle Bryan's computer had her games on it too. She would go up to anyone in the house and ask "can I play my puter games? They're at pbs.org" It was really funny! She of course kept everyone laughing because you never really know what she will say!
I had to take Lacey in to urgent care on monday and she ended up having an ear infection so she wasn't much fun the first couple days! But once the meds kicked in she was in a good enough mood to actually be on the floor and start exploring!
We were also able to visit some friends of mine. Which was a total blast! Sarah and Jeanette (whoops, you are lucky I caught myself Jeanette I almost put your nick name!) are friend from way back in high school and girls camp day-future camp leaders of America right Sarah?! Anyway between the three of us we had 8 kids age 4 and under running around. Kinda funny because sometimes when we all get together like that it feels like we are babysitting! But then no parents come to pick up the kids and I get back to reality and realize "oh these are mine and no one is coming to pick them up!" It is going to be really fun being able to keep up with everyone through blogging! I have a lot of cute pics so that is why I did the slide show!

We also got together with the Young clan-minus Tabby and her family. We had a nice bbq on what turned out to be a gorgeous sunday afternoon. And you guessed it more kids running around! This time only 6 kids! They loved being able to run around and play with kids their own age!

It was also fun to see Felicia and Christie. You guys crack me up! It was fun catching up with you "cornish hoes"!

I love being out in Ohio, it make my Bryan a little mad but it will always be my other home! Thanks mom and dad for letting us crash your otherwise quietly life and reek a little havoc and cause a little chaos! And as Abby says "ucle Bryan and ucle Jeff" thanks for occupying the kids!
Love you guys!