Racing through January

We recently celebrated our 100th day of school. Aaron was such a good sport and posed for this picture. What am I going to do when I don't have any little ones to do these cute things for me? His sign states that he is 100 days smarter, and he truly is. I love it when he reads me books and figures out Kaleb's math facts. Kaleb doesn't love that so much. I think it's funny that he wanted to bring 100 cheese balls to school for his 100 day party. Too bad I didn't have any cheese balls that day. His second choice? 100 rubber bands. Silly boy! After plucking 100 rubber bands out of my junk drawer in the kitchen, there were still some left over. Imagine that. :) I never knew I hoarded rubber bands. After finding a huge container of cheese balls the other day, Aaron now has all the cheese balls he wants.

The Pinewood Derby was on Monday. Grandpa was able to come and watch this year! Of course Grandma came too, and Derek's brother and family made it in time for Kaleb's races. It was a fun, fast night. Kaleb ended up in second place for his den, and he was happy with that. Braylen placed third in his den...out of 3. But he had such an incredible attitude and was happy for the other boys. Even Kaleb. That says a lot about his heart. Next time he chooses to be a "not very nice brother," I'll have to remember when he was a nice brother. :) Aaron raced his car before and after the official Cub Scout race, and he LOVED doing that. Next year he will be an official Cub Scout, while Braylen will be a Boy Scout in less than a month from now. I remember when he was a cute little Tiger Cub.

Do you know what A and B the C of D means? Braylen says it frequently. If you're not familiar with 11 year old boy-speak it means, "Above and Beyond the Call of Duty." I don't know where he got that from. I love it that he's maturing but he still lets me give him hugs and kisses. His favorite times to talk to me are at bedtime. Lots of times I'm tired by then and just want him to go to sleep. But the mom in me tells me to grab onto these opportunities when I can.

Today I'm thankful it's Friday. I'm thankful we have our new homeowners and auto insurance policies figured out. That was a month-long headache that is finally settled. I had lots of fun in Braylen's classroom again today. :) Every January 28th I remember a friend of mine whose birthday is today. I haven't seen her in many many years, but I'm thinking of her today. Dates stick in my mind. It's so strange, but I remember lots of things I don't need to remember. I used to think it made me kind of nerdy, but I've decided that it's God's way of using me. An example? January 28th, many years ago, I witnessed a baby's delivery for the first time. I was in college, and I was the student nurse assigned to this particular mother. I "coached" her through her delivery and I've never forgotten it. She had a baby girl and every January 28th I think of this "baby." She's a teenager now, and I even found her on facebook. Not that I friended her. That would be weird I'm sure. But I can say a little prayer for her on her birthday. How many other people can say their student nurse from the 90's prays for them on their birthdays? I'm not a stalker, I promise. :)

Wrapping up, can you tell from this picture what Aaron will be getting for Valentine's Day? When the snowmen at our house start wearing pink boots and hats, it's time for some new paints. :)

The Red Crayon

Last Sunday my little sweetie wore this outfit to church. My mom knit the sweater for Aaron, and being the good little grandson that he is, he wore it with pride. He received lots of compliments from our friends, and he stayed plenty warm in Sunday School. What a happy day. What I didn't know, but soon found out, was what he put in his pocket at church.

I've washed lots of things in my years of mothering. Chapstick leaves greasy spots on clothing. Everyone knows how kleenex shreds itself into millions of pieces. Rocks tumble around and make lots of noise in the dryer. Chocolate candy bars melt. But never in my life had I washed and dried a red crayon. In a load of whites.

I opened the dryer and it looked like a small animal had exploded inside of it. Angry red blotches covered t-shirts, underwear, socks, and the khaki pants that once held the offending crayon. Centered on top of the mound of clothing was a perfectly preserved (empty) Crayola wrapper. It sat there like an offering to me, immediately answering my question of, "What happened in my dryer?!"

Some people might have turned everything into rags and bought new clothing. We're on a single income here, so that's not really an option for me. Plus, some of those "rags" were actually new a few weeks ago. I was NOT going to give up! But I was pretty upset. Poor Aaron. Before googling it, I threw everything back in the wash with bleach. Yeah, that didn't do any good. I know that now. So I left the mess in the laundry room and went to bed.

The next day I found lots of suggestions on the internet. It seemed like for every concoction that worked, someone else would report it wasted their time and money. Which of the many "recipes" should I try? I decided to pick and choose from these suggestions and create my own. I didn't want to spend any money, but I was willing to put a little time into it. My next step was to call my mother-in-law. She brought over one ingredient I needed, and also some more advice. Here's what I did:

• Looked for the big blobs of wax on clothing. They were easy to find. With my iron set to medium heat, I ironed the spots with one paper bag over the clothing and one underneath the clothing. This melts the wax and the paper absorbs it. It really didn't take long. And this is coming from me, the girl who never irons.
• Filled washing machine with hot water. My 4 "magic" ingredients were Era detergent, Shout, Oxiclean, and white vinegar. I didn't measure them, I just guessed. 
• Added the clothing and let it soak for 2 hours.
• Turned the washer back on after 2 hours and let it do it's thing.

I was amazed! No more crayon!!! A few light pink spots here and there, but NOTHING like before! The load of laundry was saved! My kids and my husband witnessed my delight and thought I was a crazy woman! Aaron was off the hook--and I learned a lesson too. Check his pockets. :)

Derby Time

Where do I begin? I have several posts rattling around in my brain. I'll pick this one. :)

January is such an empty month for us. Open weekends and routine weekdays. It's a relief for me, especially after December. We all know what December is like. Derek's been hunting for two weekends with his dad. Braylen went along one day, and our friend Shawn joined them both weekends. They ended up with two deer, and while Derek would like me to post some pictures of his hunt, he didn't bring me any that were blog-worthy. At least not in my blog. :) Maybe next time. Now that hunting is done until spring, I'm hoping to get my living room painted. Braylen will help Derek build some shelves for his room, and of course January is all about Cub Scout Pinewood Derby cars.


Kaleb's sanding his wheels while Aaron sands his car. Braylen's inside not feeling well, but he's building a car too.




Aaron won't be in scouts until next year. But one look at his drawing, where he planned to use his brothers' leftover wood scraps to build a car and wait until next year for tires and stuff, Derek and I melted. I found him a car kit and Derek's including Aaron with the big boys. :)

Aaron sure does love to do whatever Braylen and Kaleb do. But he's still my little boy, and I want to remember how he shows me that. :) So here are some of his latest funnies.

He chants a "song" from one of the "Despicable Me" mini-movies: "I like bana-a-nas" over and over again. So I give him a banana for a snack and he says, "I didn't used to like bananas but now I do. Did they change them?"

He calls tater tots "croutons."

He says, "for the forty-tooth time" instead of forty-second. He also says, "I catched it." When I correct him, part of me regrets it. Soon his baby talk will be gone.

When I ask him where Kaleb is he says, "In the bathroom of course. He's just the king in there!"

So many times when he chatters I'm doing something else at the same time. Last week I had to stop what I was doing and figure out what in the world he was talking about. He said, "Is that a fake woman on a diving board? Or a little woman on a diving board?" Huh? Turns out he was looking at something in the newspaper.

Fridays are his favorite days of the week because he can write in his journal about anything he wants. Today he wrote about his pinewood derby car. :)

Finally, I want to remember how much things have changed between our firstborn and our baby. When Braylen was little, and he had bad dreams, he'd cry out for me. I'd get out of bed and go to him. I'd soothe him any way I could--pray, sing, or snuggle--sometimes it took all three. When Kaleb had bad dreams, he'd come find me in the middle of the night. I would take him back to his room and snuggle him in his bed until he was okay. A few nights ago Aaron had a bad dream. He came to my side of the bed and said in a very bossy tone of voice, "I had a bad dream. I DON'T want to talk about it. I'm getting in your bed to snuggle with you!" I rolled over and let him snuggle beside me. I don't even remember saying anything. Oh, how times have changed. :)

Times at School

Mondays are busy, so I can't believe I'm sneaking in a blog post on a Monday!
For the past 5 school days, Braylen's been doing the morning announcements. This involves reading some words of wisdom for the day, along with leading the school in the pledge of allegiance and character pledge. Not only does his voice reach everyone inside the building, but I can hear it outside too. On his first day he asked me to stay and listen in the car while he did his thing. I liked listening to him so much I've stayed all 5 days. :) Next school year he won't be at this school anymore, so I want to soak up all I can with him until then. I've also been blessed with the opportunity to help in his classroom on Fridays. It's so much fun! A few other moms come and help too, and we play math and literature games with the students. I've known these kids for 6 years now and so it feels a bit like a family. :)

Every Monday morning I spend an hour with Kaleb in his classroom. I lead a guided reading group called "The Wacky Khaki Cactus Club." His teacher makes learning so much fun! Besides reading with these 3rd graders, it gives me the chance to see Kaleb in his element. Like Braylen's class, this class has been together since the first day of kindergarten. They are pretty close, and I've loved getting to know these kids over the years. I'm even starting to (finally) tell a set of identical twins apart. :) Kaleb still lights up when I come to his room, and it truly helps us get over our Monday morning grumblings. (Remember, Kaleb and I are not morning people!)

Every Monday afternoon I spend an hour in Aaron's classroom! I've LOVED watching these kindergartners learn to read. I can literally see the lights go on in their eyes when they're sounding out a new word in a story. I'm not a teacher, but I can understand why people want to be teachers! How rewarding! My favorite part of it, of course, is when Aaron comes to the reading table and scoots his chair as close as he can to mine. Then he leans on my shoulder and says, "Hi Mommy." Some days he'll even give me a big hug and a kiss--right there in his classroom! I know from experience that it will not last, so I'm loving it while it does. I've had fun getting to know this new group of kids. Some of them have older siblings in Braylen and Kaleb's classes, but most of them are new to me. It's amazing how much I can learn about these kids by being in the classroom for just one hour per week.

I love being a part of my kids' day at school. :)

Baby it's Cold Outside

Last weekend my mother-in-law offered to take the boys to an eagle viewing center. Since Kaleb loves eagles, and since Derek and Braylen were deer hunting, I took her up on her offer and invited myself to come along. :) The eagles didn't disappoint us. We must have seen dozens! Some would swoop over the water, and some would glide above the trees. One even perched on a branch a bit closer to the viewing windows, so I snapped a picture of it. 

We used binoculars to see the other eagles. I learned that Aaron preferred using his binoculars from home rather than the high-powered sets provided at the center. Why? They were easier for him to hold up! The others were heavier, and he had a hard time holding them still against his eyes. On our way home we noticed the snow was just beginning to fall...

Our first major snow event of the season brought us 10 inches of snow, a snow day, and a 2 hour late start. Yay! I love being snowed in. My boys, however, would rather be out in the snow. With their daddy of course. :) They shoveled, built forts, and went sledding on the big hill.



Ginger the snow dog in her blue snowman bandanna LOVES to play with her boys!

Once I made my kids come inside to warm up, we played cards and Sorry. They watched GI Joe cartoons and I enjoyed some down time at home with my family. It's my favorite way to spend my day. No running around town, no shopping, no list of things to get done. Just staying cozy warm at home. :)


our football theme supper in honor of the BCS championship game

 Today was our first full day of school since our snow storm. In my opinion, we could have used another day to stay warm at home. See how cold it was on our drive to school this morning?

I actually saw -11, but by the time I got my camera we'd warmed up one whole degree. Winter is officially here. Well, it's time to go pick up my little popsicles from school. Stay warm everybody!

Believe

Derek and I wondered if this past Christmas would be the last time Kaleb believed in Santa. I just didn't know his belief would disappear 8 days into the new year.

Yesterday he woke up early for school because his tooth was really loose. Being a nice and thoughtful son, he insisted on pulling it himself. :) A few minutes later--success! Putting his tooth beneath his pillow last night, he asked me what the tooth fairy does with all the teeth. I reminded him of the books we've read on that very subject and told him to pick whichever explanation he liked best and assume that's what happens. By the way, we're quite a bit more specific with our theological explanations, but I digress...

This morning he woke up and found his tooth fairy gift: two quarters taped to a package of gum. He said, "These quarters look just like the ones on the computer desk. They're the same years and this one has an apple on the back of it." It's actually a peach, but...I was busted.

He asked me, "Are you the tooth fairy?" Since Aaron was not in the room, I confessed. He thought about it for a few seconds and then he said, "Are you Santa Claus too?" I really didn't want to take away his belief in Santa. The tooth fairy is one thing, but Santa? Out of all our kids, Kaleb has loved the idea of Santa the most. But I knew I couldn't keep the charade up anymore. He's getting too hard to trick. So I came clean with that too. I explained how Braylen helped me keep the secret and now he needs to help keep the secret for Aaron. He asked how long Braylen has known the truth about Santa, and I really don't remember. I told him he was probably 9, just like Kaleb is now. Feeling a bit like I spoiled his childhood, I said I was sorry that Santa isn't real. In truth, I really do wish he was real. I'd love for him to pay for all the presents! Kaleb's response to my little apology was, "That's okay Mom. It was fading for me anyway." Well! Okay then! I guess his childhood isn't ruined after all. :)

This must have been the morning for these types of questions because later Aaron asked me if the Polar Express is real. I told him it's a book and a movie, but no, the Polar Express isn't real. His eyes got real big and he said, "But Alex told me he rode the Polar Express with his family!" Then I remembered our town had a Polar Express event with trolley rides and hot chocolate and such, complete with a visit from Santa. We chatted about that and he let me know he wants to do that with his friends next Christmas. I think the confusion is straightened out for now.

Watch out Easter Bunny--you're next. :)

Already 2011

Today my kids are back in school and Derek's back at work. I guess I should be back at "work" too. Groceries, bills, cleaning, etc... Instead, I'm pretty much doing nothing. Derek would say with a sarcastic tone, "That's weird." Hey, I think traveling over a thousand miles in the car (with three kids and a large dog) over Christmas break entitles me to a slow morning. :)

Reuniting with my extended family for a week was so great. I love Derek's family, and I'm grateful to be in town with them. But it was SO NICE to be with my family. I've decided 2 years is way too long to go without seeing my brother. Derek reminds me we have Skype and I should use that more often. I remind him that Skype is not the same as being face to face.

Favorite memories from this trip:

• Laughing uncontrollably while we played The Game of Things
• Playing Clue as a family with Braylen old enough to figure the game out
• Watching football and HGTV without wondering if there was anything else I should be doing
• Catching up with my cousins, aunts, uncle, and grandma
• Meeting Bill and Dawn for supper in downtown Chicago (so thankful we could use my dad's car and his I-Pass)
• Watching Braylen learn how to snowboard
• Playing with Ginger in the same house/yard I once played in with Sonja and Misty
• Shopping with my mom and sister-in-law in a mall that has everything I'd ever want or need
• Learning how to knit. My mom and her family are pros...I must take after my dad's family. :)
• Watching mom and Aaron bake cookies together in my old Easy Bake Oven
• Despicable Me was our movie of the week. The boys sure love those minions! I love hearing them repeat favorite lines from the movie.
• Treating Dad to lunch at Tony's Cafe and Mom to lunch at Panda Express
• Staying up past midnight talking and ringing in the new year with Eric and Amber
• Clinking glasses of bubbly with the kids at supper on New Year's Day

I'm sure I'm forgetting a thing or two, but those are the highlights. Derek would add several trips to Cabela's to that list, but these are my highlights, not his. :) Now that we're back home, I've been thinking about what I'd like to work on in 2011. I'd like to be more organized, but what should I be working on that has an eternal value? I'm thinking on that.

Some pictures of the fun we had at Christmas...turn on your speakers if you want. :)

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