Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About....

...how we celebrate Christmas, but didn't care enough to ask 
(Taken from another blog that you'll find here)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? hot chocolate with Peppermint or crushed candy canes.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps! But he leaves them on the table in the living room for the boys alongside their stuffed stockings.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? white. Always white. Maybe someday I'll be crazy and mix it up one year and do colored.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? I have 2 children and animals - it'd get eaten or yanked down. No way!

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually soon after Thanksgiving. It's a crime to put them up any earlier.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Hmmm...dessert! Cheesecake of any sort. This year it was peppermint cheesecake-mint Oreo's as the crust....need I say more?!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Hearing the bells before Santa came to our house Christmas Eve night back when my cousins from Milwaukee would come up for Christmas.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? That's a good question...don't remember the trauma. Must have blocked that one out...

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Usually, yes.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I take an ornament, a put a little hook on it, I hang it on the tree. Ha! This year Austin helped me on a snowday, and we (I mean, he) only broke 3.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? It's wonderful when I'm inside sipping on my cocoa and can gaze out my window to see it blanket the Earth....but I dread driving in it.

12. Can you ice skate? At one time, yes. I still have skates and have been tempted to blow the dust off the box and lace them up.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? As a child, a camera...I must have been 10.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? The love of family

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? see #6

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music.

17. What tops your tree?  A star. I still long for an angel, but I am sooo picky and haven't found the perfect one to adorn the tree yet. Still looking.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? All Christmas hymns make me tear up. That's a tough question, to single out one song.

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? Yum, just not the peppermint ones. They belong crushed up and in my hot cocoa.

21. Favorite Christmas Show? It's a Wonderful Life. Gotta be!

22. Saddest Christmas Song?  Rudolph - I always felt sorry for Rudolph. Poor guy...

A Few of...

...Austin's favorite Christmas gifts:

a new combine from Santa on Christmas morning

a pirate ship from cousins

a sled from Uncle Kyle and Whitney

12 Months = One Year

Mr. Ethan on his one year birthday. . .

He continued to enjoy his balloons he got from school..

...he loved his birthday cake...

...and his new Handle Hauler!

♥

Right now...

Outside my window... wind, snow, cold, drifts, Christmas lights

I am thinking... so glad the flu bug is gone!!

I am thankful for... a warm home on a cold day like today

I am wearing... fuzzy socks, jeans, long sleeved black t-shirt

I am remembering... how last year this time I was anticipating the birth of baby #2

I am going... to try and get to bed early tonight

I am currently reading...Christmas (shopping) lists

I am hoping... for some "me time"

On my mind... someplace warm

Noticing that... as soon as I clean up the house, it's a mess again. Why is this so??

Pondering these words... "Mama I don't need any more toys or jackets" -Austin last week (!)

From the kitchen... pizzas!

Around the house... toys, books, boots, jackets, mittens....

One of my favorite things...good music!

11 Months and a Funky Hat

I got this goofy hat for Ethan awhile back....but it was waaay too big for his little head. I was cleaning out the 'too small' clothes and found it in a basket in his room, so I decided we'd have some photo fun. It now fits him perfectly, looks silly, but hey...that's what having fun is all about, eh? These were taken yesterday - his 11 month birthday! Hard to believe he's going to be a year old December 22nd. Where is the time going?

Hitchin' a Ride

Today Ethan discovered the ride-on toys. He's been pushing a plastic chair and the walk-behind toys around (will he be walking by Christmas?) for a while now, but today Austin busted out the "Big Digger" ride-on toy he got a few years ago. Okay, two years ago. He isn't that old. Anyway, now Ethan is in looove with the digger. Either Austin is riding on it and Ethan pushes him from behind, or they both ride on it together. Or...if he is lucky, he can climb right on it by himself and he rocks back and forth to get it to go. Then mama comes running over and gives him a ride while he hangs on to the steering wheel tightly. My baby's growing up! ♥

Desolate

Today I told Austin I'd take him for a drive through Wildwood Zoo to see the buffalo and albino deer. He enjoyed them, but was wanting me to rush through so he could play at the playground. Poor thing. I knew it was chilly out; we were dressed appropriately. He didn't want his mittens on, so when he reached out to touch the playground equipment to go up the stairs, he quickly pulled his hand back complaining how cold the bar was. He lost interest right then and there. He was the only child there today. I guess all the kids stayed away because their moms knew better. Shame on me, huh?! I thought fresh air would be good, and I thought there would be a few kids there....but not another warm body to be seen. Oh well. I did encourage him to go on a few things, and then we scrambled back in the car and headed to Auntie Dawn's house for a visit and some hot cocoa. ♥

The Great Pumpkin

Austin's costume ideas for this year ranged from a shark, to a pirate, to a pumpkin. I knew he passed up on the shark idea and was all aboard for being a pirate, so I ordered him a Pottery Barn pirate costume from eBay. The next day he informed me he wanted to be a 'punkin' and that he was not going to be a pirate anymore. We were in Madison and I kept asking him what he wanted to be, and I kept getting the same answer back, 'a punkin'. Katie and I had been shopping, running in and out of my car and in and out of several stores. Before we went out to eat on Saturday night, we decided to run into Marshall's quick. Right smack at the store's entrance were a few racks of Halloween costumes. I asked Austin again, and got the same answer. OK, I thought. If I'm going to have to take him trick-or-treating, I want him to be happy with his costume. I turn around and....what was there hanging on the rack but a pumpkin costume, in size 4T! I swear the lights in the store dimmed and rays of light shone upon the only pumpkin costume in the store hanging on the rack. It was mine. I snatched it up so fast and showed Austin and his eyes got huge and his smile even bigger. I threw it into the cart and all was right with the world. Done. Whew.

Austin Trick-or-treating with a few of his friends from school.

Mad-Town

This past weekend I packed up the Pilot and ventured down to Madison. I wish I could get down there more often. I miss Katie! We have fun when we're together...crazy with 3 kiddos! :) The boys will make excellent husbands someday....they had absolutely no problem shopping! We ate at Ella's deli....and went on the carousel. Delaina and Austin ran around the yard on Sunday....the weather was perfect all weekend. Here are a few shots...

♥

Betty Crocker...

...is what Katie called me when she was over a few weeks ago. Austin and I were getting dinner and dessert ready. Together we made a fabulous creamy chicken casserole and strawberry shortcake completely from scratch. YUM-O! Boy was it delicious.

Betty Crocker? What? How do you figure that one? I asked her.

Kelly, you are a baking-cooking maniac. I can't remember the last time I made anything.

Katie has officially lost it.

Me? Betty Crocker?

Ha!

That's a good one.

I try, but I'm no Betty.

Ok, ok, so I stepped it up a notch and ordered 4 cookbooks from Amazon.com in one sitting. One I haven't received yet. It was a pre-order, and I should be getting it soon as it comes out on October 27th. I'm taking my cookbook and high-tailing it over to the Mall of America on November 21st for a book signing to meet the woman/author I've been 'stalking' online - Ree Drummond. Her site, The Pioneer Woman, has been one of my favorites for months now. I have no idea how I found it but I am so thankful I did! I can't wait to get the cookbook.

Gotta love the self-timer.

Here are Austin and Delaina, the little munchkins after dinner. We went traipsing through the garden looking at pumpkins and picking grapes.

Love is in the air....

Times Are A-Changin'

When it comes to teaching high schoolers, there is so much involved that 'matters' to them...academics, parents, friends, acceptance, athletics...the list goes on. I am not just a Spanish Teacher...but a nurse, a counselor, a mother, a teacher, a mentor...and that list goes on. So when I have a student that is having problems in some aspect of their life, I try and help. I do what I can. But when I try and do all I can and it hasn't made an ounce of difference, that is frustrating. I want to shake life by the shoulders and make it black and white, but that doesn't work. Sometimes I succeed, but other times I fail. And I have to be OK with that. I have to be OK with the fact that I did my best and that is all that anyone can do.

So often I wonder why todays' teenagers don't get along like the teens from my era. Why are things so more complicated now? Is it because I'm at a smaller school and everyone knows or is related to everyone else? Or are the teens of today different? Maybe both. Actually, I'm convinced of it. It has to be! Drama over the littlest things. Kids who don't want to do homework because they are lazy. Kids who spend time bouncing between their parents' homes because they are divorced. And, they forget their homework at the other parent's home. And the parents don't get along so they put the other parent down right in front of their children. Kids who lack respect and manners. Kids who swear like it's part of their vocabulary & most likely is at home. They've been taught that its OK to swear because their parents model it. And the underage drinking. Whoa. Stop right there in your tracks, mister. Underage drinking. Yes. I mean no. It should't happen, but it does waaaaay more than we like to think. Kids who don't bat an eye at staying up all night to play video games. The damn video games. WE WILL NEVER, EVER OWN THEM IN THIS HOUSEHOLD. They are the DEVIL, and I DESPISE them. Sorry, had to get it out of my system.

But, times they are a-changin'. Today's youth is not the same as the youth of my time, that is for sure. Either that, or I'm sitting on the other side of the fence as an older, wiser person and a parent and not liking the view. Don't get me wrong! We do have some fine, respectful, intelligent teens out there. Just that there is no balance...I wish there were more of the good ones. Having said that, my boys (& future children) will be on a tight leash when it comes to homework, the opposite sex, drinking, and video games. Tight. No slack. These words may come back to bite me in the ass, but hey, I'll do my darndest!

♥

One On One: UPDATED

I added the photo of Ethan and Granddad. Just got it tonight! :) ♥

Ruby...

...is her name. That's what I'm calling her, anyway. And Austin, too. Michael...well, he's not convinced on the name yet. Give him some time.

She'll be red.

And sparkly.

And a gem.

I suppose I could have come up with something horse related, seeing she's a Mustang and all.

But I'm sticking with Ruby.

Hi, Ruby, nice to meet you. Promise I'll be gentle...

Ahhh, Ruby. The adventure is just beginning. I've wanted a convertible for a few years now, and always elbowed Michael and said that my convertible should be his next project. It has to have a backseat for the kids I would tell him. He always has to have a project in progress.

Dawn's brother Doug was up north for an auction and happened to drive by the 1966 Mustang convertible. He stopped and got the number, and supposedly changed the number on the sign so future passersby would get the wrong number when they tried to call in about the car. Sneaky. I don't know if its true or not. I plum forgot to look. Michael called and talked with the guy, and it turned out the car had belonged to his brother who passed six years ago. The man had started to work on it, had the motor rebuilt, and the top redone. Now the car belonged to the widow and they hauled the car out of a shed and wanted to unload it.

We stopped on our way to a wedding in St. Francis MN (just north of the Cities if you were wondering) and Michael looked the car over, got the top up, and then the son of the owner showed up and we all talked. We got his cell number and said we'd call within the week to let him know. Michael and I hopped back in the car and sat quietly for about a mile. Then we talked for another mile and called by the third mile to say we wanted the car. Quick decision, huh? We got everything in order and the next Saturday Michael and Doug went to pick up the convertible with Austin. How exciting! She was and still is rather musty, smelly, dirty, dusty, and now in pieces....but after Michael washed her up, she came out quite clean on the outside. He's working on the carburetor as of now and that's all I know.

Ruby's Homecoming

The driver's seat....ahem...my seat.....

A must-have backseat

Yes, Ruby's got a little 'junk in her trunk'

Her first bath....

I'll keep you posted on her progress!

♥

One On One

Sunday I took the boys to Point and we stopped by Grandma and Granddad's house...the boys had such a blast!

♥

I Got the "EK"

Eyeballs.

That's my topic of conversation of late.

I had been flirting around with the idea of having corrective surgery done on my eyes for a few years now, and out of the blue said: now is the time.

So I had it done.

On Thursday, September 17th. I had to be in glasses since the first day of school, August 26 for the consultation on the 9th. That appointment lasted 2.5 hours...measuring on different machines, checking my vision not once, not twice, but three times, watching videos on both LASIK and LASEK procedures, and dilating my eyes so well I had to wear shades. Yikes! The doctor, Rebecca Bartow, is a little pistol. Cute. Petite. Brunette. Mom of I think 4. Is in the same zumba with me. She comes bursting in the door, sits down, and says its a go. LASIK. I immediately cringe, saying no, no, no....I want LASEK.

The difference?

LASIK cuts a flap, then does the laser to correct the vision, then 'hinges' the flap back into place and voila. Crystal clear vision. No pain. No recovery. But....it does have more risks......infection, yadda yadda....and the flap can, in a rare case, come loose again. Then it's time for a trip back to the doctor to get the eye washed up, numbed, and the flap stitched back into place. Yuck.

LASEK has no flap. An alcohol solution is poured onto the eye, and the epithelials are 'scraped' and the laser corrects the vision, and a nonprescription contact lens is worn for a few days while the epithelials grow back. 100%. An optometrist not knowing the procedure was done would not be able to tell during an exam. But...the healing process is longer, more painful....with less complications.

She was a little hesitant to do the "EK" since my colon has been funky in the past, but she told me flat out "I'm not saying I won't do it. I'd just watch you more up to the point you're all healed, and then you'd be at the point of other patients where I won't have to worry about you so much."

Thank you. Call my gastro and confirm this, please.

And she did. Surgery is scheduled for the 17th.

Michael takes me in...and waits. I go back, take my vallium, chill out for 20 minutes, then they take me to get my eyes numbed (drops) and I'm taken to the laser room. I lay down, hug a stuffed teddy bear, and stare at a red flashing light. In all, it took maybe 1-2 minutes per eye. It was reeeeally fast. Then I walked out and Michael joined me in another room where she explained after care, drops, etc. We went home, I collapsed on the couch and took a 3.5 hour nap. He went back to school.

Friday morning I got ready with my left eye closed. I saw the Dr. the next day at 8am and she tells me "You look how I expected you to look" which was comforting, but at the same time....yeah. She put numbing drops in and said everything looked good. i went home, took another 3 hour nap.....

Saturday was a repeat of Friday. Since the clinic was closed, she met me in the lobby and we went up to her exam room and had a replay of Friday.

Sunday was the same, but not so bad with the left eye.

I continued to see her every day for about a week....

My vision is improving, staring out crystal clear in the morning and slowly getting a tiny bit fuzzy by the end of the day. Soon that will change and the clear part of the day will outweigh the fuzzy part of the day until I am clear all day.

I just am dying to rub my eyes.......and wear mascara and eyeliner again! :)

♥

"Eye See..."

Yes, yes, yes...let me have it. Spank me, ground me, scowl at me. I haven't been blogging in a long time. It's been rather hard to find time lately... raising two boys, back to the grind of educating 100+ students...having LASEK eye surgery...and attending zumba and dance mix classes at the YMCA.

I am living.

One day at a time, I do the best I can, and that is all I can do.

Ethan is growing strong...my 9 month old baby is 18.4 lbs now, and has been crawling on all fours for awhile, has been pulling himself to a standing position for, oh, awhile now too...and is starting to 'cruise' (walk around the table, go between the chair and table, walk along the couch...you get the idea). He's a little stinker that loves his daddy at the moment. He adores Austin and wants to play with whatever Austin is playing with. But he still prefers the remote control to the tv over a tractor. That boy just down right loves electronics.

Austin has been wanting me to do everything. If it's time to get dressed, I have to help. Heaven forbid daddy tries to put on a shirt or his shorts for the day. Has to be mama. It's flattering, but sometimes downright frustrating when I'm trying to get Ethan ready and he whines about mama having to do it. Hopefully its just a phase.

I took Ethan in to the doctor for his well-baby check on Tuesday, and had the boys get their flu shots and I got mine too. Yay. Austin was brave and just got a funny look on his face - the face of "I'm going to fight the pain and not cry" look- and was all better when the nurse opened the huge-ass drawer chocked full of stickers. That boy was in heaven. Ethan let out a little wail, but I popped his binky back in his mouth and drew him in close for a snuggle and within seconds all was better.

Whew. My eyes are bugging out from looking at the computer screen. LASEK is a healing process, that is for sure. More on that to follow....

Upcoming Blogs: Eyes. Mustang. Photos.

Pooh

As long as I can remember, my younger brother has donned the nickname "Pooh". I have no cotton-pickin' idea where it came from, who started it...but I just love to keep it going. He's my "Pooh", and always will be. He's not too keen on babies...and he could have had me fooled when he came to the hospital when I was in labor with Austin, and stayed in the waiting room while all the drama unfolded and I gave birth to my first child. He held newborn Austin, who is half named after my brother - Kyle Austin - and then not long after that meeting between the two of them did I notice he wasn't too sure of the whole baby thing. As Austin started getting older, Kyle started warming up to Austin, and now has fun with him when they're around each other. Now we can add Ethan to the mix.....and he doesn't warm up too much to the idea of holding him, since Ethan is, as you are fully aware of, a baby. At least that's my take on things. On Labor Day I took the boys to the beach at Bukholt Park (which is, well, neglected? That's another topic to blog about.), we met up with Nicole, who is expecting baby number one in 9 days or so! Kyle and his girlfriend Whitney also met us out at the beach. He brought his newly aquired vintage jetskis, and came to visit us first before putting them in the water. I handed Ethan over to him, and he.....surprisingly, looks like a natural to me. Granted the holding didn't last long, as he passed him over to Whitney who is ga-ga over the boys....but I took the opportunity to snap this shot of them together. And I love it! Hopefully my brother will take his own walk down the aisle and start a family of his own someday...I want to be an Aunt! *hint, hint!!*

Balloons for a Boy...

...that was so well-behaved during his grandma Cheryl's retirement party back in late May. Austin loved those balloons as long as he could, before they expended all their power of staying afloat in the air. I love the post-processing on this photo and wanted to share...

Sunday Afternoon - Ethan

This fabulous August afternoon, while Austin was independently playing in the sandbox, Ethan and I hung back a few feet in the shade and hung out. I had my camera. (Don't I always!?) I took the opportunity to snap a few shots - of Ethan, and of he and I together. I find the timer on the camera takes better pictures than my husband (sorry, Michael, but its the truth). Gotta take advantage of the self-timer! If your camera has one, USE IT!!! :)

Yes, he's crawling on all fours! Yikes!

This one is my favorite of the two of us!

:)

It Has Been a Long Time...

...since I have seen either one of these women; particularily Miss Tiffany. Her mom Lori entrusted me with parts of her life many years ago as the official babysitter for her...I got the pleasure of knowing Lori as she works with my mother. I believe Tiff was around the innocent age of one when I met her. A few years later her older sister Brittany came into the picture and I had two lovely girls to love up. And did I ever! I do get the chance to see Lori when I venture over to Point and dash into Fleet and I'm lucky enough that she works when I'm there running around the clothing department looking for her...but it has been awhile since I've seen either of her beautiful daughters. Brittany is off frolicking around Florida (lucky girl!) so I missed her tonight. It was a treat having Tiff and Lori over...I'll take any of the Firkus women when I get a chance! (And Kenny too! hehe)

The Long Thread

In perusing the web tonight, I came across this fabulous site for 50 crafts for kids.....I think I'll have to knock a few off the list with the boys! They look rather interesting, and fun!

Just...Ethan!

Just hangin' in the grass...

After Sasha dropped her stick on his toe....

Ahh...all better, I think.

Who Ate the Fruit From the Fruit Bowl...Who Me? Yes You!

It's a never ending problem with that first-born child of mine....yes, it's true. A problem...sort of. Yes, it is.

I have been striving to get Austin to eat more fresh fruit...so I keep the fruit bowl stocked. The only problem with doing so is Austin can hop up on the chair and select his fruit of choice, and take a huge bite out of it. Or two. Or three. Then he decides he really wanted the peach instead of the pear, so he returns the bitten-into pear to the fruit bowl and sinks his teeth in to the peach. After his taste buds are satisfied, he decides its time to play, and so he puts the peach back...

...alas, I have bitten-into fruit in my fruit bowl!

It's For the Birds

Austin loves to go to the Wildwood Park & Zoo, so on Thursday we ventured over after I picked the boys up from school. We had a bag full of bread/buns to feed the geese and ducks that inhabit the ponds there. I used to feed the ducks and geese back in Stevens Point growing up...and loved it. Why not share that with my boys? Ethan got the comfort of the stroller, while Austin found joy in carrying the bag of bread. We first paid Ms. Grizzly a visit. She is a brown bear that was stirring in her sleep while we watched. Austin had to growl at her a few times, to see if he could wake her up. He was unsuccessful. Austin looked the other way and spotted a pond full of ducks and geese so we had to feed them as Austin sensed they were hungry and we had their lunch in our bag.

We strolled around the zoo part and saw the owls, the eagle, the hawks, the falcon, the cranes, the prairie dogs....there used to be monkeys there but I don't know what happened to them. Then Austin fed more ducks and geese to finish our stash of bread goods off, and we headed to the playground to play. Ethan even got in on the action on the teeter totter, of course with mama's help.