December Pictures

I know...I know...2 posts in the same day. What is this world coming to? if I have to answer another phone call that begins with "You need to update your blog!" I may give up all together.

See, I have a million things going on in my life and that isn't to say that other people don't. I just seem to have fewer hours in my day living over here on the East Coast - 3 hours fewer to be exact.




Here are some of the things that keep me busy:

3 kids - ages 5, 3, 1 - who can't seem to do much on their own except make a mess
a house that never seems to get the hang of cleaning itself
a kitchen that WILL NOT make any meals without alot of assistance
a husband - who is able to do many things all by himself
laundry - that multiples at an astonishing rate
a job (teaching swimming lessons) - I actually have to go to the pool 15 hours a week so that money appears in our bank account
another job (www.Roanoke4Kids.com) - at least I can do this one from home but it doesn't matter how much work I do on it money doesn't seem to be appearing in my bank account very quickly
this blog - that I obviously do a poor job of updating
another blog (http://roanokeforkids.com/roanokekidsblog.html) - that I update more frequently but it is all another job related

So, please don't phone me anymore asking for an update....here it is. All of you on the West Coast should be thankful that you have 24 hours in a day to get everything done that you need to. 21 hours is just not enough time :-) And please remember that when it is 8pm in BC it is 11pm in Virginia.

Happy Holidays!!

Dayna, Jim, Bryden, Hayden & Landen

Hope everyone is well and having a wonderful time with family and friends. We miss you all and hope that one year we will see many of you for Christmas!!

The Joy of SANTA

Last night we took the kids to see Santa. Now, Bryden and Hayden love Santa. Landen will have had no memory of Santa from last year so that could prove to be interesting. Landen is Mama's boy but I was hoping he would at least sit on Santa's lap and not cry. I figured that the other 2 would be blabbing Santa's ear off. That would be a Harvey thing to do.

After waiting oh, about an hour, we finally got to see the Jolly Old Soul. Bryden so badly wanted to sit in Santa's lap but because she was the biggest she had no kneel on the floor. Hayden sat on Santa's knee with the most sour face I have ever seen. He did not crack a smile...not even once. Landen keep looking at me with that "Holy crap!!" look on his face. He had to make sure that I was never out of his line of vision.

After the LOVELY picture was taken and a horrific amount of money spent to pay for it...Landen was passed off to Daddy. Then came the big moment. Hayden was going to get to ask Santa for the "big plastic gun" he wants. He wouldn't look at Santa, nevermind talk to him. So, I had to tell Santa what Hayden wants for Christmas. Hayden did say Merry Christmas when he climbed down off Santa's knee though. He could at least remember some manners.

Bryden climbed up on Santa's knee all on her own and snuggled into his arm. He asked "Bryden, what would you like for Christmas." She replied "An Ariel doll from the Disney Store." Santa then said "Oh, an Ariel doll. What else would you like?"

HANG ON SANTA!!! We have been telling our kids that Santa will only bring them 1 present each!!

Bryden looked at me with the biggest (and most confused eyes). She had only thought of 1 thing to ask for. So, in her sweet way she looked back at Santa and said "Just an Ariel doll thank you." Phew!! Had she asked for something else I was gonna be in trouble. As far as I am concerned "Santa" is done shopping for this year!!

Well, 1 out of 3 smiling is OK...no crying is even better. On the way out Hayden says "I don't like that Santa guy."

Another successful year going to see "that Santa guy". Thank goodness we don't have to do it again for another 365 days!!

Ho Ho Ho.....

My SWEET Babies :-)

Do they get any cuter than this? :-)

B- is 4 1/2

H- is almost 3

L - just turned 1

My how times flies!!

Remembering 9/11/01

It is amazing to think that 5 years have already passed since that horrific day in New York, at the Pentagon & in Pennsylvania.

I was sitting in my vehicle this morning and at 8:45 the radio station that I was listening to had a minute of silence in remembrance of the first plan hitting the first tower. I actually sat and cried as a million thoughts went through my mind.

I was living in Springfield, VA at the time and that is a mere 15 miles from the Pentagon. I remember hearing a BOOM and within a minute we heard on the news that the Pentagon had been hit as well. It was terrifying. That night we as we laid in bed we heard the F16 airplanes above the apartment building patrolling the airspace and they were armed. I couldn't help but think that this is how many people in other countries go to bed every night due to war and civil unrest.

Within 9 days of the attack I had to fly from Washington, D.C. to Toronto and then take a train to Montreal as my final immigration hearing has been scheduled. I was 6 months pregnant and had to make the trip all on my own. I waited in line at the airport for more than 4 hours. So many thoughtful people helped me with my bags or pulled up chairs so that I could rest. I have NEVER been afraid to fly. I have been to Thailand for crying out loud!! Once I got checked in and through the security check point I sat down and wept. I was frightened for myself and for my unborn baby - my sweet Bryden.

So, from that extreme to another....on this day last year I was bringing home my little Landen from the hospital. It was such a happy day. There was not time to reflect on what had been lost because I had just gained such a beautiful little treasure.

I pray that everyone will always remember the events of 9/11/01 and be so grateful for the free countries that we live in. I am blessed to be a citizen of Canada and a resident of the United States. Some people never belong to a safe country and I belong to 2. I am so fortunate and I will never take my freedom for granted and I will always be grateful for the men and women, many of whom are mothers and fathers, for the sacrifice that they are making to keep us safe.

Never Forget!!

Being 35...

On Friday I turned 35. There was a time that 35 seemed like it would be so old. Now it just seems like another year. I actually took some time to reflect on the last 5 years. 30 - 35 was the time of the most dramatic changes in my life. I want to write down my thoughts so that in 5 years I can look back and remember where I was at in 2006.

I have moved twice...given birth to 3 babies...worked for 3 different swimming organizations...started my own business again...left childhood friends at home to make new friends as an adult...I have been back to BC only 3 times...started a blog :-)...I would rather be at home with my family than out running around...I love my children more than I ever thought possible...I am so far behind in all my scrapbooks...I am a child person not a pet person...I love having pictures of my family all around me in my home...I enjoyed renovating rooms in my house...I love my husband more than I ever thought possible...I want to be more involved in my community...I want to take more time to travel to new places as the kids get older...I am proud of what I have accomplished and how I have handled the difficult times...I would not go back to my 20's :-)

The last 5 years have gone by so quickly in some respects. Amid all the chaos of life with children - diapers, nursing, not enough sleep, picking up the same toys 5 times in one day - and working part time I feel like I may have missed so much. Yet, as I watch Bryden learn to print her name and color beautiful pictures...and Hayden learn his ABC's and count to 10...and sweet little Landen starting to walk along the furniture and learn to sign "more" so he can ask for more food....I think that I have done the best job that I can to be there for my children in each moment.

Jim has flourished in his career as an attorney. Maybe one day he will be in a position to want to start his own law firm. I think that in the past 5 years I have been instrumental in encouraging his success. I thank Jim often for working as hard as he does to support our family and so that I do not have to work full time. I can focus on maintaining our household and caring for the kids. For that and for him I am so grateful and blessed.

Leaving BC and the business that I worked to hard to create was very difficult for me. I started to teach swimming lessons again (on a very small scale) when we moved 3 years ago. Now, I have a business that is as successful as it was back in BC. I am teaching about 100 children every 6 weeks. I am so fortunate that I get to do a job that I love to do.

So, what will the next 5 years have in store for me? What exciting times will be waiting for me from 35 - 40? Some things will never happen again -like giving birth to 3 babies in 5 years and starting up another swimming lesson business. Other things may repeat itself - like moving and keeping my business successful. Still other things will happen for the first time - the kids entering school, taking all 3 kids on an airplane to come back to BC, cutting back how much I work as my children get older. Some things will remain a constant in my life - loving my husband and children, looking to challenge myself in the business arena, making new friends and keeping up with old ones, taking time to be proud of what I have accomplished and looking forward to all the moments yet to come.

So, what do I want to accomplish in the next 5 years? That is such a tough question to answer as I feel that my goals are all over the map.

I want to be the kind of wife who is supportive and encouraging but who also can challenge Jim to make decisions that may be out of his comfort zone because I know that together we can accomplish anything. I want to date my husband since we kinda missed out on that aspect of our relationship :-) I want to make sure that I say "I love you" on a daily basis but I want my actions to support those words.

I want to be a loving mother who is attentive and caring but yet a mother who encourages my children to set goals for themselves and strive to reach them. My children will know that I would rather that they try something and fail than not try at all. I will be there to help pick them up, dust them off and set them on their way again. My children will know that I am proud of them. I want to make sure that the kids are given opportunities to try sports (not just swimming :-) and musical instruments. I never want my children to be spoiled. I want my children to always feel comfortable in coming to talk to me.

I want to take a bit more time for me. I will get all my scrapbooks caught up because it is theraputic for me :-) and they will be treasures for my family. I will start to wear clothes other than sweats..right now I am a great candidate for "What Not to Wear". I will start training again as I would like to compete in another natural body building competition in 2009. I want to get involved in our community - maybe with Special Olympics. I want to take some classes at the college....like photography and cooking. I want to meet a girlfriend for coffee once a week and have an adult conversation. I want to start swimming again because I know how theraputic that can be for me.

So much to do in the next 5 years. I can wish it to go by slowly but I know that the reality is that it won't so I need to make the most of each day with Jim and the kids and with myself. I am truly blessed to have so much and only be 35. I would not change a thing...OK, maybe I would want a few more hours in each day so that 8 hours of sleep would be attainable...

Being 35 is going to be great!! Wine gets better with age...so, why can't I? :-)

Ahhh...the summer of relaxing...

I have always loved summer...there is so much time to just sit around and relax and do a whole bunch of fun things. OK, maybe that was true when I was 8!! Not so much now. I feel like life gets busier as the summer goes on. The Palmer family has accomplished so much just since the beginning of June!!

First we went to St. Augustine, Florida which was heaven on earth for a week. No computers, no cell phone and no work!!

When we got home I started a 2 week swimming lesson set. I had almost 50 children registered to swim Monday - Friday for 2 weeks. I was in the water 6 hours a day!! I have not taught that much since...well, EVER!! What was I thinking?????

In the middle of all that was a birthday party that Bryden and Hayden were invited to. We have this neat place in town called "Pump it Up". It is a whole warehouse filled with "jumpy toys". You know...those big balloon type things that the kids can climb into and jump around in. The
cool thing is that the parents can join in too. The party was fun and the kids were worn out which in turn means that it was fun for me!!



Father's Day also fell in that time...which we celebrated in grand style. OK, not really grand style but I made dinner (which is an event in and of itself) and we had a picnic outside (which the kids love). We filled up our oversized plastic pool and set out the "Slip-n-Slide". Jim had a good time playing with the kids.

Jim's mom and dad arrived on June 29th for a 2 week visit. It was great to have them here. The kids adore Grandma and Poppa. Every time we hear an airplane Hayden says "Poppa come here?" We took them to Charlotte, North Carolina which is about 3 hours south of us. There was a HUGE outlet mall that we did some shopping in. Good thing I have the excuse of needing to buy school clothes!! Then came July 4th and the fireworks show on the street in front of our house :-) The kids hate the fireworks because they are too loud but we do it for the tradition.

Poor Bryden has a December birthday which means no party with friends year after year. So, this year we decided that she would have a 4 1/2 birthday. We had a beautifully sunny day with about 12 kids here. We rented one of those "Jumpy Toys" for the day and the kids had a ball. The really funny thing is that all of Bryden's friends from school have become swimming students of mine :-)

Then came the FAIR. What an exciting (and expensive) outing that turned out to be. Pony rides, funnel cakes, roller coasters, petting zoos and silly fair games...but it was all worth it!! The kids had so much fun. At the very end of the day the kids wanted to go and see a magic/kids show. So, off we went. The very last act called for someone to JUMP and someone to DANCE. Bryden went up on stage to do the JUMPING and Hayden went to do the DANCING. At the end of the "act" the audience cheered for the person they felt did the best. Our sweet Hayden won the gold medal :-) After a bit of talking about second place and how everyone can't win at the same time...Bryden was OK with Hayden being the star. Someone said that her behavior reminded them of ME!! I was offended :-)



Well, there is a month's worth of updates. Now ya'll can stop bugging me to update pictures f the kids. I have lots to tell you all still....the trials of potty training Hayden....Landen's obsession with food...Bryden swimming the length of the pool "freestyle" and "backstroke".

So, all is well in the Virginia Palmer's house...would love to get some updates from our friends and family who are all over the place....except Virginia :-(

Magic Sissies

Hello, my name is Dayna Palmer and I lie to children. I lie to the children that I teach swimming lessons to but worrisome of all I lie to my own children. See, I often have new "swimmers" in my classes who do not like to put their face in the water. Worse than that task would be for the children to open their eyes up while under water!! It is torture...or at least you would think so by the tears and screams that come from the pool when I am teaching.

My dear little Hayden is one of those children that I torture. He has not been in swimming lessons all winter with me because he has been sick with colds and after colds come ear infections. His torture has only been able to come in the form of a bath. So, I figured that a week in Florida would be the start of a wonderful relationship between Hayden and the water. He was a little reluctant at first but after about a day and a half he wanted to "Yump!!" into the pool, he would float back to the wall if I gave him a push but best of all he was going under water and keeping his eyes WIDE open.

This is where the big lie comes in. In order to get the kids - Hayden included - to open their eyes in the pool I tell them that I have put fishies in the pool. The only way that they can see them is under water. They won't see them if they look for them on the top of the water....because they are MAGIC fishies.

A first born child will usually look at you with skepticism and then maybe give it a try. They often bounce right back up and say "There are NO fishies in there!!" A second born or later has a bit more imagination than us first borns so they will go and give it a try (with a bit more drama) and stand up and announce "I saw a BLUE (or their favorite color) fishy!!" After those first moments the task of opening their eyes is not so bad and finding different color fish can be very exciting.

So, without any prompting after the first time he tried to open his eyes Hayden went under water and when he came back up he ammounced (as loud as his voice could be) "Mama, I saw the MAGIC SISSIES!!" Hayden has a bit of a problem pronouncing "F's. So, while I was so proud of how brave he was I had to laugh (along with all the other people at the pool). Maybe Hayden will learn to love the water just as I do
So, the following picture is proof that Hayden loves to look for MAGIC SISSIES!!! Hopefully little Landen won't be too far behind :-)

.

Fun in St. Augustine

Well, after 3 months I am finally getting around to "blogging" again. Life has been busy with the kids and with swimming and being on the computer when I don't have to be doesn't appeal :-) So, when Jim agreed that it was in the best interest of our family to get away for a week or so I quickly planned a trip.

We went to St. Augustine, Fl which incidently is the oldest city in the United States. I have to be honest though...we drove through the city...but other than that I didn't do one "touristy" thing. I spent the week reconnecting with my husband and the kids. We did alot of swimming in the pool (can't we do that at home :-) and in the ocean. We built many a sand castle and chased many waves. It was relaxing and stress-free...well, as stress-free as a vacation with 3 little ones could be!!

So, here are some pictures of everyone. I promise to post some more in the coming days. I have to catch everyone up on the kids and tell a funny story for each of them :-)

Swabs & Bald Seagulls

There is no question, Bryden is a very smart little girl :-) Everyone agrees...her grandparents, her teachers, her friends even say it....but most of all her Mama thinks so!!

Every once in awhile she will be trying so hard to carry on or start a conversation above the 4 years old that she is. That scenario often produces funny little "kids say the darndest things" moments. This weekend she had 2 in the same day!!

We had a beautiful, sunny weekend last weekend. It was about 80 degrees and Jim took the kids outside to play in the backyard. Soon after being out there Bryden ran into the house like her hair was on fire. "Mama!!! There are big swabs outside!!" You can imagine my confusion in not being sure what a swab was. So, I asked "What is a swab?" She tartly replied, "Mama, you know. They are so big." Still not sure I prompted her to tell me a little more about what a swab looked like. She said, "It is big and has wings."

OK, from that description I realized that it is big and that it flies. So, I went outside onto the deck to see for myself what a swab looked like. When I got out there Bryden ran away screeching "Another swab!! It can eat you!!" I didn't see a thing out there that was big and was flying nevermind something that could eat me. My brave little Hayden came wandering up and pointed and said "Mama, fly." Then I realized what a swab was. It was a WASP. At that point I didn't know which was funnier...Bryden who couldn't pronounce wasp or Hayden who thought it was a fly.

For some reason Bryden can't get her mouth wrapped around the word wasp or wasps. It comes out swab everytime. It makes me laugh everytime I hear her say it or think about her saying it. The funny thing is that she is hearing herself say wasp and doesn't realize that she is saying the word wrong.

Second funny word of the weekend. Same beautiful day, same deck outside, same sweet little girl who is so smart (thought I'd throw that in there again :-). Bryden looks up into the sky and points at a large bird. Then she says "Mama, that is a bald seagull isn't it?" I didn't have the heart to correct her so I said "Yes Bryden it is." I am sure that if God created a bald seagull he would have had them flying over our house that day.

So, when you see a swab or a bald seagull think of sweet Bryden.

The Love of My Boy

Yeah, today is Friday and it is the day that Hayden and I get to spend a little bit of time together. Landen is sleeping and Bryden is at school so Hayden and I get to have some fun.

For anyone who knows me well you will know 2 things. The first is that I always said that I would not have children (or get married for that matter). My logic was that I didn't need my own because I taught swimming lesson or coached competitive swimmers all year round. Those parents paid me to work with their children and then I got to send them home. What a good deal that was!!

The second thing is that I do not have an artistic bone in my body. My type "A" personality does not seem to allow me to be artistic and creative. Now, I can color in the lines with the best of them but I really struggle to draw anything freehand. I know that I don't do it well so I shy away from it. OK, that is an understatement...I stay away from drawing like it is the plague.

Well, this morning Hayden and I sat down with a pile of books and started reading. I love to read and it was going along very well. Then suddenly Hayden stood up and said "Mama draw". He ran to his desk and picked up some paper and a pencil and came back to me and with all kinds of anticipation in his eyes said "Fava Tuck, Mama". My initital response was "No Hayden...you draw Mama a firetruck." That did not go over so well. He said "No, Mama draw."

So, with all the apprehension in the world I started to draw a firetruck. As I am drawing I am thinking "What a lame attempt this is." When I finished Hayden said "Nice. Draw airplane." So, I drew an airplane. Then he asked for a "Nana" (which is a car...cars say nanana...that is where the name comes from). Then a "Bus"...then a "Boat"...then a "Choo Choo"...then a "Peace Car"...then a "Tuck" (truck).

As I drew Hayden smiled ear to ear...the smile that only my sweet boy can do. He didn't care that in the world of artists his Mama would receive a failing grade. He only cared that I was sitting with him...he had 100% of my attention and I was able to "draw" his favorite things.

I now know that I could never have lived my life without children of my own. I love to teach swimming lessons and I love to coach those swim team kids but I think that I was meant to be a Mama. All the years of loving everyone else's kids was preparing me for the time that I would love my own in a way that I never knew possible. I am so proud of each of my kids and I love them so much and yet so differently.

I will NEVER be an artist in the "real" world but in the little "Palmer World" this Mama can draw firetrucks, buses and boats with the best of them. The love in my son's eyes is what tells me that. I hope that he can see the love in my eyes staring right back at him.

The Way to Hurt a Mama's Feelings

It happens all the time to my kids. People stop us and comment on how beautiful their auburn hair is or how cute their curls are or how pretty their smiles are. On the outside I smile and say "Thank you". On the inside I am crying because all three of my children look JUST LIKE JIM!! It isn't fair. I carry these precious children for 9 months (Bryden was 9 1/2 months) and they don't look a think like me. One would think this was odd since the Harvey genes were so strong in our family.

The nice thing is that no one (other than family...which doesn't count) has ever made a comment about the children not looking like me. That is until we went to the mall a few months back. A nice little old lady came up and said "Oh, your children are beautiful." And I said my usual "Thank you." But she continued. The next words out of her mouth were those that no mother wants to hear. "They must look like your husband."

Now, while I know that is true I DO NOT need a sweet little old lady to remind me of it. So, I am not in therapy for this but I am tackling it head on. YES, MY CHILDREN ALL LOOK LIKE JIM AND NOT ME!! There, I said it and I am OK with it but it doesn't mean that my feelings aren't hurt just a little bit :-) Maybe I should try one more time to have a baby that looks like me :-) So, below you will see what I am talking about and you can draw your own conclusions.

The first picture is Hayden at 21 months old and the second is Jim around the same age.

The above picture is of Landen at 6 months old (well almost) and the picture below is of Jim with Michele at about the same age.

Well, there I have posted these pictures for all to see. Uncanny isn't it. Imagine how I felt in the delivery room when they hand me these babies that I know came from me but don't resemble me at all. I hope now everyone feels sorry for me and will always tell me from here on out how much my kids look like me. I will know that you are lying but I promise not to care :-)

Bryden & Hayden - First Haircuts - Pictures

Bryden holding her "hair bag" and not being very pleased with the process. Hayden is more than entertained with the sucker that he got. My boy sat still!!
The end result is 2 little kids that look better than when they got up this morning!!

Our 1st Haircuts

Today was a big day in the Palmer household. Bryden and Hayden had their first haircuts. I know...Bryden is 4 and Hayden is almost 2 1/2 and it seems odd that now would be their first haircuts. Many children get a haircut in their first year of life. Well, my children didn't have enough hair in their first year of life to have a haircut. Sad isn't it?

People thought that Bryden was a boy all the time because of her short hair. She has such beautiful naturally curly hair (thanks to Daddy) and I was really afraid that cutting out the curls now would cut them out for good. That is what happened to my sister so this was hard for me to do. Due to the curls her hair looks like a rat's nest more often than not. No matter how much conditioner we use or how often we brush it the tangles return. The poor child cries every morning before school because I have to brush her hair. She has been asking for a haircut for a few weeks now.

Hayden, on the other hand, was looking more and more like a girl according to Jim. He also has naturally curly hair (thanks to Daddy) and I loved the little curls at his collar and around his ears. Jim thought that enough was enough and it was time for Hayden's hair to be cut as well.

So, off we went to the mall. There was no wait and we were ushered right it. At that point Bryden started to cry and said she didn't want to do it. Being the mean Mama that I am I sat her up in that seat and saw to it that we went through with the hair cut. I would rather deal with a few minutes of tears (due to fear) than tears every morning (due to pain). When all was said and done we actually got a smile out of Bryden. Maybe the sucker had something to do with it.

Hayden was my brave boy. He climbed right up into that chair...also with the bribe of a sucker...but at least there were no tears. He sat really still and let the nice lady cut his hair.

So, the end result is that after some apprehension (on my part) and some tears (on Bryden's part) we have children who are more beautiful than when we started the day. That from a biased Mama but you can look for yourself :-)

Oh dear furnace!!

I came home from work on Thursday night not feeling very well, kinda like I was coming down with a cold. Great...this is all I need. Bryden had an upper respiratory infection that was almost gone and Hayden's ear infection had cleared up. I guess that it is only fair that it is my turn.

I didn't take the kids to school because I was feeling pretty awful. You know, the kind of sick when your skin hurts to touch and you are hot one minute and freezing the next. Yep, that was me!! So, we made it through Friday and it was on to Saturday. Thank goodness for Jim. He let me sleep in a bit and rest most of the day. I still wasn't feeling great. Why is it that when mom's get sick (the person in the family least available to get sick) always gets it worse than anyone else?

Well I thought that Sunday things would start on the upswing I quickly figured I was wrong. Bryden was still coughing...Hayden was really fussy...and Landen had a "yuck nose" as Hayden would say. Nobody ate much and we all just sat around hoping to feel better sooner than later.

At about 6pm I wondered why the house felt chilly. I figured that Jim had turned the temperature down a bit. When I looked at the thermostat it read 67 degrees - that is 19 degrees for those of you in the "NORTH" :-). We usually keep the house at about 69 or 70 as the kids won't wear socks and don't keep the blankets on at night. What was odd is that the gauge was set for 70 degrees. We are all sick and our furnace is BROKEN!! At one point during the night I checked and the house was a little more than 63 degrees which is 17 degrees back home.

Jim slept in my office with Bryden because it has electic baseboard heating. The boys slept in their room with layers of clothes on and a space heater to provide warmth...and I got to sleep in the king size bed all by myself with lots of clothes and lts of blankets. OK, sleep in a realtive word I guess. Hayden cried most of the night (a signal that his ear infection has returned) and when Hayden wasn't crying Landen was because he could hardly breathe. His "yuck nose" was filled (and I am not exaggerating) with more green snot than I had ever seen before. Sometime between 4am and 7am I got about 90 minutes of sleep.

So, what is the end result you ask? The furnace needed a new ignitor switch which for almost $200 was replaced on Monday. I wish everything else was as easy to fix. Hayden has another ear infection so he is on more medicine. Landen has an upper respiratory infection and it will just work it's course with some help from triaminic. I am suffering from a sinus infection and exhaustion :-) Bryden is still coughing and my loving husband is caring, sensitive and made dinner last night for me!!

I hope that the rest of the week gets better...as do the kids and I. Please don't take your furnace for granted. Get it checked before winter starts :-) Too late for this year and too early for next year.

Family Picture 2005

We only do family pictures once a year so here it is. Our wonderful family of 5. Hayden is 26 months old, Bryden is 1 week shy of being 4 and Landen is almost 3 1/2 months. No one is crying and all the clothes are clean. It was a success all the way around :-) 

Santa's Gift to Landen!!

Out little Landen was only 3 1/2 months old at Christmas time but since he was already sleeping through the night Santa figured that he also deserved a present. Landen enjoys being upright much more than laying down so this jumper that makes all kinds of noise (thanks Santa) has been entertaining him for hours (thanks Santa). 

What Santa brought for Bryden!!

Wow, Bryden got a Cinderella bike from Santa. That Santa is one smart guy to know how much Bryden loves Cinderella. She left Santa a bunch of cookies and some egg nog. Hopefully we have a nice Spring so that she can ride her bike down to the park.  

Santa came!! Santa came!!

Santa came to our house on Christmas Eve despite the fact that we weren't sure that Hayden was always good ;-) Santa left a Pooh bear bike for Hayden. His poor short little legs (thanks to Mama) don't quite reach the peddles but maybe they will by Spring.

The Kids with Santa :-)

Well, we waited until the very last minute to get pictures done with Santa. I am usually good about getting to the mall about 2 weeks ahead of time...but not this year. We had to stand in line for about 45 minutes. The things that we do for memories!! Bryden was happy to sit with Santa, Hayden was tired of waiting to sit with Santa and Landen could have cared less about sitting with Santa.

It was a positive experience all the way around :-) I am glad that it happens only once a year. Oh, that isn't right...we do it all again with the Easter Bunny in April!!

February 10, 2006 - Finally Friday

Alright, I called my sister on Wednesday and she says "Why don't you start a Blog?" "A WHAT?" I ask. I know that now being in my almost middle 30's technology is starting to get away from me a little bit but a BLOG??!! How was I to know that it was a hip term for a diary that I would be OK with the entire world having access to? Didn't I spend my whole childhood trying to keep my diary from being read?

Since I now live about 3000 miles away from all family and most friends I thought that this might be a good way for everyone to keep up to date on my crazy life. I have all the good intentions of keeping in touch by phone (at best) or by e-mail (at worst) but really, I seem to do a whole lot of NEITHER!!

I suppose I could blame it on the kids...or Jim...or work...or the laundry (that is completely taking over my house by the way)...or the dishes (no, can't use that one as Jim does the dishes)...or the fact that there are just not enough hours in a day. OK, that is the one I am going with. I DON'T KEEP IN TOUCH BECAUSE THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN A DAY (and there are 3 hours less if you live on the West Coast :-)!!

So, I hope that everyone will forgive me and now we can all get on with our lives and maybe this will be a better way to keep in touch.

I love Fridays!! Bryden (4) goes to pre school 9 - 12. The boys and I get to stay home. Landen (5 months old today) slept 9 - 11 and Hayden (2) and I watched a Thomas the Train movie and had a sing-along session with the "Wiggles" guitar that he owns. Good thing no one could hear us...I am sure that I was singing off key and you can't understand most of the words that come out of Hayden's mouth.

After we pick up Bryden we eat lunch. Well, we eat lunch after we go to Wendy's drive thru and get chicken nuggets, fries and sweet tea (remember that I live in the "South" now). Whoever (or is it WHOMever...you pick the correct one) created chicken nuggets should be given an award. Mothers all across North America might not be able to feed their children if it was not for that fabulous food!!

After a great lunch it is my favorite time of day. NAP TIME!! I am blessed that all 3 children rest at the same time...some days they don't all sleep though. I use this time to get some work done on the computer and attempt to start thinking about dinner. I have a baby monitor in my office so that I can hear everything that is going on. The monitor's are also walkie-talkies. Bryden has not figured out how I can hear her or where my voice is coming from when i tell her that I am sure she does not want me to have to come upstairs.

As I type Hayden is singing (and I use that term loosely) about Choo-Choo's. Did I mention that he is ALL boy? Loves anything with wheels - "Fava Trucks" (firetrucks) and "Peace Cars" (police cars) are the things we love to see when driving. Back to naptime...I think that Landen is sleeping. I only hear heavy breathing so I assume that is him. He has started to roll over now (a 3rd mobile child - lucky me!!) and will do it in his sleep and then wake up because his arms are flailing. So far so good though. Bryden usually does not sleep but she said that she didn't feel well and asked to go to bed. She put her Cinderella dress on and collected up all her Dumbo's (every elephant stuffed animal that she has is named Dumbo) and climbed under her G.G. blankie and has gone to sleep.

I also love Fridays because I don't have to go to work. Maybe that isn't the right way to put it as I think that I actually have to do quite a bit of work. I don't teach swimming lessons on Fridays so I don't have to leave my home to do any work. I know that one day Friday is going to mean that I get a babysitter to stay with the kids while Jim and I go out for dinner and a movie or something. Here is a sad statistic...since having children Jim and I have been to exactly 1 movie in the theater TOGETHER. I guess that we have brought it on ourselves having 3 children in 5 years but I would NOT give those kids back for anything and thank goodness for Blockbuster :-)

Well, I suppose that I should think about getting dinner started before the natives start to stir. Once they are up it is a constant whirl of chaos until bedtime at 8pm. So until the next time that I have 15 minutes so write...