Friday Fragments / Friday Freewrite

          

It’s time once again to purge your mind of all those little thoughts, too small for their own post, too cool to forget about… Please drop by Mrs. 4444’s Half Past Kissing Time and Sara’s Ordinary and Awesome to see more!!

Its been raining for the last two days.  Aria is ok with that. Last week her gym teacher thought it would be fun (in the still-warm weather) to lead her second grade class on a little hike through the “Boys’ Woods” that adjoin the school property.  The kids like to sneak in there to go through the trails (the entire “woods” is about 2-3 city lots), they are usually not allowed to be in there during recess or school hours.  I’m sure the gym teacher thought she was doing a fun thing since most of the kids love the trails.  Unfortunately about halfway through they came across a wasp nest on the ground and someone had stepped on it! I can just imagine 22 screaming second graders running from the woods as the wasps swarmed, and the teacher being at the head of the line not knowing what’s happening!  Aria and a couple of others got stung, one kid got sent home.  I suppose they won’t get to do this again!!!

I discovered a stolen picture while I was legwarmer hunting on e-bay this week (look about 1/3 down to #109 & #108).  At least I’m pretty sure it is stolen.  I have no idea why I recognized it, but it’s MckMama’s “Nuggey” wearing legwarmers and stripey training pants.  It was from a post about potty training.  I emailed MckMama but I really don’t expect to hear back, I’m not sure she even read her own mail anymore, but I thought I’d like to know if someone was advertising with a stolen picture of one of my kids.

NDSU HOMECOMING THIS WEEKEND!!! Hope it quits raining long enough for a parade, at least the game is inside.

We applied to potentially adopt a dog.  The whole app process is almost like adopting a child! After my 3 references were called from the multi-page questionnaire, I was notified that we were approved PENDING a home visit (!) as well as a visit with the dog in her current foster home.  Most people who know us also know that Aria has dreams of owning Huskies and running the Iditarod. The dog we’re looking at is a Husky mix, so we’re kind of sold.  She sounds sweet and because she’s older she’s already housebroken and over her puppy stage (yaay! less chewed up stuff!).  The listing for her is HERE.

I have all sorts of family and senior pictures this week, yaay! You can peek at them on my photo blog if you feel so inclined.

And because no post in complete without a picture of my kids… here ya go!

A Thousand Words Thursday – Achieving a Family Picture

TheMomJen hosts A Thousand Words Thursday, your chance to share your favorite pictures, old and new, that are really worth a thousand words!  See more or link up at Cheaper Than Therapy!

I’ve been wanting to take an update picture of the four kids for a while.  The last one I have features JC at barely 2 months old and almost unrecognizable from the one-year-old JC.  I broke it to the kids that we were going to take some quick pictures outside (whether they like it or not) before the weather got any worse (which could happen in a day around here!).  They were less than enthused, but I soldiered on.  I finally got one I could deal with, maybe not exactly what I had hoped for, but not bad:

But getting a few shots I like, means getting plenty of others that are….well…

Actually, I STILL like them.  Maybe even more.

Wordless / Wordful Wednesday - Homecoming

Wordless Wednesday is hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom – check them out for more!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And now the wordful part! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s Homecoming at our alma mater.  I plan on taking the kids to the homecoming parade (to see the band) and then a big “feed” (to hear the band).  Then we’ll take our sugared out kids home.  No tickets for the game, besides I wouldn’t take the kids just yet, they’re a little too restless.  They all recognize the team logo and can yell “Go Bison!” My husband and I met as part of the marching band.  Yes, we’re band geeks!!

Wordful Wednesdays are hosted by Angie at SeVeN cLoWn cIrCuS.  Please don’t forget to stop by her place!!

  PS – It’s my mom’s birthday today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!  I love you!

Friday Fragments / Friday Freewrite

Got lots of little things you need to get off your mind, but can’t NOT mention them? Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissing Time and Sarah at Ordinary and Awesome  give us the chance to get it all out there!

• I started using my phone to take notes for Friday Fragments/Freewrite.  It has a little note pad feature I can keep adding on to.  There have been plenty of times I have thought I should remember this for Friday and then can’t think of a thing to say by the end of the week!!
• Have you ever brushed your teeth in the shower? I had forgotten how satisfying this really is.  I know it sounds weird, but I think my teeth get cleaner! My room mate in college used to do it all the time and I thought it was totally strange.  Then I tried it, attempting to save some time.  I don’t know if it's the inhibition of making a complete mess or what, but I swear I do a better job in the shower.  Seriously. Try it.
• *Potential TMI alert* I caught a cold the beginning of last week and my right ear felt a bit closed up.  I chalked it up to the congestion and let it go.  Then I woke up one morning and my ear was completely blocked.  I realized it wasn’t my cold.  I have always had problems with my ears getting plugged up with wax, but its really been years since this has happened.  Having been to the clinic many times in the past, I figured I could take care of it myself.  I dug out the largest syringes I could find (kid’s oral meds) and fashioned a loop out of craft wire.  I flushed my ear and eventually got out the big cork of wax.  It was as if someone had turned the volume back on in the world.  But now my ear hurts….. I may need to go in anyway. sigh.
• It has been so chilly in the mornings these last couple of days that I actually busted out a pair of socks to wear in the house.  My feet haven’t seen socks outside of work for about 4 months.
• Max received a couple of turkey feathers during the trip to the orchard Wednesday.  He took it upon himself to learn how to fly.  Good luck, there, Max…

A Thousand Word Thursday - A Trip to the Orchard

Max’s class got to take a field trip to an apple orchard on Wednesday.  I was asked to help and I said I could as long as they didn’t mind a few little people tagging along.  With JC on my back and Piper at my side (and a camera around my neck) I helped wrangle kindergarteners to the orchard. 

We got to pick apples, make apple stamps, and go on a scavenger hunt. We read stories about apples then took the picked produce to the pail.  After a quick wash they were ground up and pressed to make fresh apple juice.  (Nevermind the bees we may have squished into the press, they were everywhere! Hope you’re not allergic!)

A Thousand Word Thursday is the brainchild of TheMomJen at Cheaper Than Therapy.  Please head over to her site to see more great shots that are worth a thousand words!

Wordless / Wordful Wednesday – Parade Time

Wordless Wednesday is brought to you from the gals at 5 Minutes for Mom.  Stop by their site to join in or read more!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And now for the Wordful Part~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The big kids got to ride the Lions float in our hometown parade.  The route goes right past our house!  Our neighbor just happens to be the guy in charge of the parade float, so they were IN!  They got to throw candy and were promised the leftovers, but they ran out even before the hit the end of the route.  Not to fear Piper (with Grandma’s help) caught plenty for all!!!

And for your viewing enjoyment, Grandma taking a picture of Grandpa with her camera phone.  After she called me with it to ask how to work the camera (again).  I love old people and technology! I’m sure that’s exactly what my kids will be saying of me someday!!!

Please stop by Angie’s SeVeN cLoWn CirCuS for more Wordful Wednesday!!!

It’s Over.

It’s over.  I guess I knew it was coming, but I’m sad nonetheless.  I was really hoping to give it a little more time but it has been made clear to me that I no longer have a say.  I’m done.

Breastfeeding.  JC has decided he’s done. I’m done.  And for all the wishing I could take aspirin again, I am sad.  He somehow heard the chimes of his 1st birthday ringing and decided it was over.  I have made offers to no avail.  Sure, I could be happy to relieve my migraines with fantastic medicine.  I could be glad to be rid of the breast pump I carried to work, or to overnight stays where I might be away for several hours.  I should be glad to use up all the frozen stores of milk taking up space in the freezer.  I should be celebrating with a beer (or several).  But I’m just not in the mood.  I’m feeling a bit sad. Nostalgic.  All of my kiddos nursed until 14 or 15 months.  JC has asserted his independence and caught me a bit off guard.  This probably won’t be the last time he does that.  I really assumed I was calling the shots and would be weaning him when I was ready.  No, I wasn’t planning to be feeding him during his kindergarten milk breaks, but I thought I at least had a few more months.

It’s not just that I was feeding him.  Breastfeeding is bonding time.  Quiet time.  It was the few moments in a day where I was forced to NOT do something, no multitasking.  I liked it.  Even when I complained that I can’t get everything for everyone else and nurse the baby at the same time (well, most of the time).  I will miss it.  This is the last baby, so this is really the last time.  My breasts have retired.  According to me, anyway.  Apparently my husband disagrees.