Fodey.com is Fun!

This is a sample "report" on the life cycle of frogs done on www.fodey.com. It's a fun site that is very easy to use!

October Fun

 The kids love to go out in the country to the sand roads and dig.  It's already a bit chilly in the afternoon!

 The neighbor kids came over to help scoop out the guts in the pumpkins.

 Posing with their pumpkins!

 Ready to go trick or treating!

Our little Chiefs fans and their pumpkins!

Summer Fun!

The kids have enjoyed our vacations this summer.

We got to go to Eagle Nest, New Mexico for a few days to breathe the fresh mountain air, take long walks, visit with friends, and dream of one day owning a home up here!

We went to Kansas to visit Phil's family for a while, too.  We got to go to a city water park that was beyond fun for the kids.  Who am I kidding?  The adults had a great time, too!

 It had slides, big and little.

 The kids also got in some fishing time with Grandpa Keith in the pond behind the house.  Not many kids can say their grandparents have a fishing pond in the backyard!

Family Reunion in Red River, New Mexico

What better way to spend a summer weekend than with your family!

The kids got acquainted (or reacquainted), and they were instant friends.

Some of the grown-ups proved they are still kids at heart.

All of us had a wonderful time and agreed we needed longer than a weekend. Hopefully we will do it again in 2013!

God's Promise

Every time I see a rainbow, I think of God's promise:

I will put my rainbow in the clouds to be a sign of my promise to the earth. Genesis 9:13

Today we were blessed with a short rain shower and a double rainbow. Double promises!

20 Year Class Reunion

Can it be? 20 years? Well, however those 20 years went by...here we are!

Are you sure? We're not old, are we?

I had a great time catching up with old friends and classmates this weekend.

The New "Princess" Beds are Up and Running (or Sleeping?)!

The girls now have their "big girl" beds!  The toddler beds and changing table were sold to a family who had little bitties, so we got these beautiful beds out of storage and put 'em to good use!

The bedroom is small, so we had to be creative with the placement of beds!

These beds used to belong to my mom and her older sister, my aunt Sue.  My mom said she got her bed when she was around 5 years old.  That would mean it's been over 56 years since it was "new to her."  The beds were already antiques when my mom and aunt got them all those years ago.  These are some old beds!

After my grandparents got divorced, my grandma sold these little beds to her cousin, MaryBelle.  MaryBelle kept them in an upstairs bedroom for most of the in-between years.  She died a few years ago after a battle with cancer.  Her granddaughter (my distant cousin Heidi) put them in an estate auction.  My mom bought them both from the auction, and now here they are.  Full circle. 

The girls (who are 3) love them. We all think they look like princess beds. We finally got to use this bedding from a long-ago post! Kids--they sure grow up fast. Now, should I cry or celebrate?

Since they're tall beds, we had to put the guards on--unsightly as they may be!

We also got this bench at the auction.

It comes in handy for little girls who are too short to get in/out on their own...

R O Y G.  B I V

(or How I Got My Own Rainbow)

My son, who is 6, made me a gift for my birthday.  He couldn't wait until the big day, so he gave me my gift a day early.  It looked like this when I got it:

Now, that alone melted my heart, but there was more.

It was a crisp one-dollar bill wrapped around some type of craft item.  He gave me his own money and took the time to make me something from his crafting supplies--so sweet and thoughtful!  But wait, there's more.

It was my very own portable rainbow, labeled and everything (sorry the picture does not do it justice)!  He glued it together, then taped it, too (just in case!).  He searched through many sticks to find an indigo AND a violet.  He labeled it with a pen prior to gluing.  Only after he finished gluing did he realize it was backward.  I told him it made it original which was worth more anyway.  But wait, there's more.

He decided I needed a little more mad money, so he went to his room and got a five-dollar bill that the Tooth Fairy recently left him.  Can you say "tear-jerker?"  Oh, and there's not any more.  Now I'm going to go get a tissue--again!

To Tell You the Tooth...

This cute boy lost another tooth today courtesy of the dentist (who had to break it out with pliars).

Of the four teeth he's lost so far, three have been broken out by the dentist and one was lost to a playground accident.

I am NOT a tooth person, and I'm definitely NOT a loose tooth or pulling tooth person.  My prayer is that the rest of his teeth get loose and fall out the regular way.  Join me if you, too, are NOT a tooth person...please!  I need all the help I can get!

I think one of the biggest challenges faced by parents is potty training.  With the oldest, we didn't struggle at all with #1, but #2 was a different story altogether.  I tried everything (even went so far at to cut a hole out of the crotch area of a pull-up so he could still wear it but poop in the potty at the same time.  It didn't work.).

The girls are now mostly potty trained.  The #1 is good--almost 100% success.  The #2 was still a hide-under-the-kitchen-table-and-grunt-it-out issue until very recently.  I guess it really is true--you have to wait for them to be ready or it is just going to be a power struggle that the parent loses every time.  My babies aren't babies any more.  *sigh*  That's not a sad sigh, just a tired one.  I wouldn't want them as babies any longer than necessary. 

Now if we could only get their coughs to go away...one thing at a time, eh?

We're getting a new-to-us minivan from Arizona.  Phil researched, called around, shopped around, and finally came to the conclusion that a minivan on eBay was our best bet.  I've been a little iffy at times, but I'm going to stay positive.  Next weekend, I'll have my new(er) ride!  It has a DVD player with wireless headphones, Stow-n-Go seats, a 6-disc CD player, and keyless entry with remote open/shut.  I will be super-spoiled.  Yay!

A Friendship From Adversity

When Padraig (sounds a bit like Patrick) the dragon finds a lost turtle named Roger, a friendship begins to bloom. Roger, who had been playing pirates and gotten turned around, does not know how to get back to his house.

When Padraig offers to help, he asks Roger what his house looks like. After that fails to get Roger home, Padraig has to know how the house looks, sounds, smells, feels, and tastes. With all of these clues to go on, the little flying dragon finally succeeds in getting Roger home.

And he gets a new friend and cookies, too!

A sweet lesson on helping others even when you don't want to.

I received this book for free to review from WaterBrook Multnomah.  Do you Blog For Books?

**There is now a contest open related to this book!  See below for details.**

Here's how to enter:


1.Enter the contest here: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bookcontests/ . Be sure to fill in all the information and use the contest code SAFARI.

2.Have your child(ren) make their own Roger the turtle and Padraig the dragon crafts. We have some ideas and downloadable pieces to help you below.

◦Click Here for Ideas [pdf]

◦Download the Roger Coloring Template [pdf]

◦Download the Padraig Coloring Template [pdf]

3.Take a picture of their unique Roger and Padraig creations on their own "adventure" (i.e. at the library reading a book! swinging on a backyard swing! on the bus! in a tree!)

4.Send the pictures to us at info@waterbrookmultnomah.com with "Safari Picture" in the subject line and a short description of what adventure the picture captures.

The Annual Christmas Letter

Hunter is a first grader this year.  At AWANAs he is about to finish memorizing all the books of the Old Testament.  He played t-ball again this summer (he had really improved and grown a lot taller!).  He loves to play outside, watch Spongebob Squarepants, and play video games.  He likes school and playing a "Sparkles" spelling game.  He can read very well, and he has earned some pizzas at school by reading lots of books.  He is beginning to go hunting with Phil, and he's been wearing his Chiefs clothes, too.  He lost his first two teeth on his 6th birthday--not his idea of a happy birthday present!  He is just as sweet as ever.

Hadley and Harper are big talkers and singers.  Staying at the babysitter's house each day seems to be going better now (not as much crying when mama leaves).  Potty training is in progress with many successes lately from Had and Harp (mama and daddy are very happy about this!).  The girls enjoy listening to music (they love to dance!) and story books.  They love baby dolls, stuffed animals, and dishes.  They think Hunter is the cat's meow and follow him everywhere (much to his dismay).

The kids have had their share of bumps, bruises, and medical episodes this year.  Hunter got some cuts, scrapes, and bruises from a playground incident.  He also lost a tooth (his third) to that same fall--ouch!  Harper fell off the porch steps at the babysitter's house and cut and bruised her face.  She also had a black eye from running into a table and a bruised cheek courtesy of her cousin.  Hadley, at some point in time, put a piece of fleece up her nose.  After one unsuccessful trip to the ER and several to the doctor's office it was FINALLY removed at the hospital in Liberal, KS under general anesthesia.  Amy was actually glad to see that chunk of fabric--she KNEW something was up there!

Amy crafted her way through the first six months of 2010 (felt food, an apron, or a ribbon tag blanket, anyone?) along with finishing up her Masters of Education.  She passed her certification test and finished her graduate portfolio.  She's now back to work as a Library Media Specialist for four sites (over 700 kids from kindergarten to fourth grade!).  The job is challenging and tiring, but the extra income is nice.  She's hoping for a new(er) vehicle in the near future.

Phil is teaching and coaching.  His basketball season is underway, and he thinks both teams will do well.  He is still raising German Shorthaired Pointers (he has a new litter right now!).  He had a great container garden this summer, and the family enjoyed lots of the fruits (well, veggies) of his labor.  He helped put a metal roof on the house, and he built a beautiful little playhouse in the backyard.  He's got in a few days of hunting already, and he looks forward to many more this winter.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Phil, Amy, Hunter, Hadley, and Harper

A Message of Love

Little Star wants the older, bigger stars to see him, talk to him, realize he exists. They aren't mean to him; they simply ignore him, which is much worse.

The stars begin to speak of a rumor that a king would soon be born. When the baby arrives, he is born in a stable to poor, young parents. The older stars don't believe this could be the King, so they ignore him, too.

Little Star sees that Jesus is the King and chose to come as a baby of meager means. His heart fills with joy and his light burns bright enough to shine down on the stable in Bethlehem.

This sweet story has a good message: sacrifices big and small are rewarded in Heaven.

The illustrations are nice (my young children liked them), and the story flows well. I know I will remember Little Star when I decorate my tree with a star topper this year, and that will help me to also remember the true meaning of Christmas.

A gem of a story that packs a lot of meaning and truth into a small children's book!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  Do you Blog for Books?

I've been helping my mom start a new "school" blog for her kindergarten classroom.  Check out our rough draft at Little Tiger Paws !

Sometimes I have to remind myself that things could be a whole lot worse.  Three years ago my twins were tiny premature babies in the NICU.  Now they are big three-year-old girls with a large vocabulary and energy to spare.  That's an amazing miracle if you stop to consider how they started out.  Thank you, God, for all of my blessings in life thusfar.  (is "thusfar" a word?  if not, it should be...)

I guess she got it from her brother!  He fell while pretending to fly.  My little bird learned the head-first hard way that flying is not meant for boys, only birds.  OUCH!

He skinned up his chin and his lower lip.  He lost a top tooth and tore up his bottom gumline.

Hunter, my dear, you can't fly!

She's an accident looking for a place to happen!

Black eye from running into table corner

Bruised cheek from cousin biting her on the face

Black eye from falling down porch steps at babysitter's house

Fall Fun!

Fall is a time when the kids can get out and enjoy the day without being too hot.  We went to visit my sister in Tulsa recently.  We enjoyed the gorgeous days and the beautiful leaves turning.  I think by next week it's going to feel like Winter.

Glad we enjoyed Fall while it lasted!

Look at the long legs on those kids!  They are growing up fast...

And judging from a previous post from Labor Day weekend...this is the only outfit they own.

The UFO (unidentified food object) Removed and Identified:  It's Not What I Thought It Would Be



The drama of the stinky nose continued WAY past July.  On September 9, I took Hadley to a local pediatrician.  He looked in her nose, agreed with me that there was a strong, rotten smell, and told me there was not a thing he could or would do.  I got a prescription for Omnicef and was told to find an ENT.

On September 14, Phil and I took Hadley to an ENT about 45 miles away.  He looked up her nose and told us he didn't see a thing.  The odor was also not present since she had been on antibiotics for a few days by then.  He told us to finish the medicine and call back to schedule a scope if the odor returned.  That was on a Tuesday.  By Friday evening, the odor was back with a vengeance!

Phil called and scheduled a scope for September 22 at the hospital in Liberal, KS.  We had to be there (45 miles away) by 7:00 a.m.  The doctor really didn't think anything was up her nose, but he agreed to do the scope to appease me.  I was insistent that something was still up there. 

The medical staff took Hadley just before 9:00 a.m.  About ten minutes later, the doctor showed up with a specimen cup and this:

What is it?  Some sort of felt or fleece.

How big was it?  About an inch long, about a centimeter wide.

How long has it been up there?

At least since the beginning of July...maybe a lot longer.

When the ENT first inserted the scope (it had a camera on the end), he didn't find anything.  He kept looking because he was in there and we wanted him to find something.  As he was moving from the nose into the back of the throat (the posterior rhinopharynx, to be exact), he found the chunk of fabric.  He believes it was there due to the probing of the ER doctor done in July.  The ENT said there was no way a two-year-old could have lodged it back that far all on her own.   If he hadn't kept looking, he would have just pulled the camera scope out and told us he didn't find a thing.  Mini miracle number one. 

The ENT said she was lucky she didn't develop a staph infection which could have led to MRSA or sepsis.  Any one of those could have proven deadly if left unchecked.  Mini miracle number two.  I thank God for watching over our little Hadley Sue.  She is now perfectly healthy, happy, and odor- (and object) free.

Eww!