This evening we celebrated Christmas. We've always traveled to our parents for Christmas, so this is the first time we have ever done it at our own house, and it was quite nice. We had a wonderful supper with a good steak, corn, salad, potatoes.
So after supper we sat down to open presents. We've had a gate around the Christmas tree because the boys would like nothing better than to tear it down and pull all the ornaments off, which would probably result in Finn trying to eat hooks. So Jon pulled the gate away and we pulled out the boys' presents. Ben began by tearing the name tags off (good thing there weren't more people involved in this celebration). Finn went right to the tree, which is his Everest. So while we got Ben to begin ripping paper and proceed to properly open his presents as a 2-year-old should, Finn spent the time playing commando in the tree. Jon captured him once to try and open a present, but it held no interest. He was so excited to touch the tree freely. I think he would have stayed in the corner behind the tree all night if he could have. When the gate finally went back up, he became interested in whatever Ben was playing with. We got the boys 2 potato heads with 5 "outfits," and they sat nicely playing with them for a long time. So the toys weren't all bad after all.
Jon bestowed upon me a beautiful cross necklace with diamonds at the tips and in the center.
We then had a bit of egg nog, which the boys couldn't get enough of, and some cherry pie that at least tasted decent. It was overall a very nice evening.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
And Baby Makes Three
I think I've got all my Christmas letters either out or ready to go. It seems to take a lot to get everybody's address, order pictures, print letters, and print labels. Microsoft Office's mail merge is one of the best things in life. No more writing out addresses for bulk mailings (not that we do bulk mailings regularly). It's a lovely thing.
However, I have had little to no ambition lately to do much of anything else after chasing boys all day. We are having a baby on or about July 28 next year!!!!, and I am in the feeling yucky/tired stage. I remember when I was pregnant with Ben and would come home from work and sleep, and Jon would make his own supper. Those were the days!
Due to the snow and the lack of a winterized stroller, I pulled the boys to the post office today on the sled. I think they enjoyed it, though Finn couldn't hold himself up from the forward momentum and basically laid on Ben's lap all the way there. They were pretty cute all bundled up in snowpants and barely able to move. Maybe another day I'll get a picture.
I am currently attempting to potty train Ben. He is a willing learner, so we're making slow progress. I had planned on starting anyway, but my goal now is to get him trained before this baby comes. Hopefully it doesn't take that long, but one never knows.
Ben is also really into colors. He loves naming the color of everything. Between that and naming everything on the page, books take a lot longer to get through. (This is good because it occupies him on the potty.)
Finn has a bad cold and is just a miserable little boy. He is still working hard to keep up with Ben and people have commented how active he is for his age. He's still getting into everything and we love watching him run away when he knows he's in trouble.
So that's what we've been up to. Merry Christmas to all!
However, I have had little to no ambition lately to do much of anything else after chasing boys all day. We are having a baby on or about July 28 next year!!!!, and I am in the feeling yucky/tired stage. I remember when I was pregnant with Ben and would come home from work and sleep, and Jon would make his own supper. Those were the days!
Due to the snow and the lack of a winterized stroller, I pulled the boys to the post office today on the sled. I think they enjoyed it, though Finn couldn't hold himself up from the forward momentum and basically laid on Ben's lap all the way there. They were pretty cute all bundled up in snowpants and barely able to move. Maybe another day I'll get a picture.
I am currently attempting to potty train Ben. He is a willing learner, so we're making slow progress. I had planned on starting anyway, but my goal now is to get him trained before this baby comes. Hopefully it doesn't take that long, but one never knows.
Ben is also really into colors. He loves naming the color of everything. Between that and naming everything on the page, books take a lot longer to get through. (This is good because it occupies him on the potty.)
Finn has a bad cold and is just a miserable little boy. He is still working hard to keep up with Ben and people have commented how active he is for his age. He's still getting into everything and we love watching him run away when he knows he's in trouble.
So that's what we've been up to. Merry Christmas to all!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
It's A Little Windy
We're currently in a blizzard watch until midnight tonight. It's been rather windy and we have some very high drifts on our yard. What a great excuse to stay in and do nothing! And for the first time in 2-1/2 years, I am cold. Let me tell you, I'm not really enjoying this new sensation. I've been wearing sweatshirts and putting blankets on.
Since I didn't get this posted before, we celebrated Finn's first birthday. He shares a birthday with my mom, and we were able to celebrate with my parents Thanksgiving weekend. I did a fish cake (with a lot of help from my mom) since Finn's favorite thing is his fishy.
Since I didn't get this posted before, we celebrated Finn's first birthday. He shares a birthday with my mom, and we were able to celebrate with my parents Thanksgiving weekend. I did a fish cake (with a lot of help from my mom) since Finn's favorite thing is his fishy.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Greetings From Iowa!
A couple of weeks have passed since my last post, and we are now officially citizens of Iowa. We moved down on Oct. 26 and have been quite busy. I rarely get online as we do not have internet in the house.
We had lots of people help us move in and begin sorting things to various rooms. Our congregation has been so wonderful to us. We are getting to know the people and the area a bit.
Jon passed his classical examination and was ordained on Nov. 8. He is now Rev. Spronk, which is somewhat odd sounding. Jon has been working on organizing his office and writing sermons this week. I have been trying to organize the house. The boys are having a great time and I could probably blog every day about them.
We put Ben in a big bed Monday night and he loves it. He had no problems with the change. The boys are sharing a room now, which doesn't always work out well, but hopefully their naps will sync soon. Their room is as big as ours, so they have plenty of room to play while I'm sorting through things. I have been working on painting some furniture and have finally finished the chest of drawers. It took a while since I did it after the boys went to bed. I did take advantage of the beautiful weather and did some painting in the garage last week. I can't believe how nice it's been! We had a beautiful 70-degree day for ordination, and we were thankful that some of our family could be here.
So that's us in a nutshell.
Just a note to Kris since I finally read your blog-your hives would not have lasted so long had you sat and watched U2 videos. Remember that if it happens again.
We had lots of people help us move in and begin sorting things to various rooms. Our congregation has been so wonderful to us. We are getting to know the people and the area a bit.
Jon passed his classical examination and was ordained on Nov. 8. He is now Rev. Spronk, which is somewhat odd sounding. Jon has been working on organizing his office and writing sermons this week. I have been trying to organize the house. The boys are having a great time and I could probably blog every day about them.
We put Ben in a big bed Monday night and he loves it. He had no problems with the change. The boys are sharing a room now, which doesn't always work out well, but hopefully their naps will sync soon. Their room is as big as ours, so they have plenty of room to play while I'm sorting through things. I have been working on painting some furniture and have finally finished the chest of drawers. It took a while since I did it after the boys went to bed. I did take advantage of the beautiful weather and did some painting in the garage last week. I can't believe how nice it's been! We had a beautiful 70-degree day for ordination, and we were thankful that some of our family could be here.
So that's us in a nutshell.
Just a note to Kris since I finally read your blog-your hives would not have lasted so long had you sat and watched U2 videos. Remember that if it happens again.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Starvin' Marvin
So this morning I'm cleaning in the living room, and I come into the kitchen to find Ben sitting on a stool eating Goldfish out of the box. Okay, no biggie. He has a few and I put them away. Pretty soon I come out of the laundry room to find him standing behind a chair (I almost didn't see him), and he stops chewing when he sees me. He's eating big marshmallows and probably has 2 in his mouth. So I put them on a higher shelf. A bit later I was in the bathroom cleaning, and here he comes with a box of graham crackers. Is he just starving, or is he eating because he can?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Okay, so I realize it's been a while, but honestly, I haven't had much to say. The days are getting cold and have been rainy, so we're kinda stuck inside. The boys seem to be rather crabby, and I think the weather could be a factor. Yesterday we woke up to frost; however, it turned out to be a beautiful day overall. I spent the afternoon and evening sanding some bed frames we bought at an auction, and the boys were able to be outside with me. I'm actually very excited about the furniture. We hope to start Ben in a regular bed after we move. We also got a chest of drawers that I have to work on today. Jon's mom will be helping me with this as it will require some stripping. I'm thankful to have the help (and the tools) here. Hopefully we'll get to painting this afternoon. Since we can't really restain it, we got a dark brown paint that I think will look very nice.
Tomorrow (Friday) will be my last official day of work, though technically the work never ends with kids. I am very excited for this. I will miss my job, because I do really enjoy it, but it's time for me to focus on the boys. We're moving in a little over 2 weeks! So I think organizing the house and taking care of the boys will be its own full-time job.
Finn is full out walking and just loves it. He loves to carry things around and just pace around the house. He does this most often while eating an apple slice. The boys have also been enjoying the Twins games. They each have a hat and love to wear them. Finn has not been one for hats, but he loves having that on. And they both look so cute! I promise, I'll get pictures on soon.
Ben is beginning to quote books at random times. He loves to read books and always says "The end" when it's done. He's actually doing well with numbers. He knows where 5 comes, but 9 seems to be his favorite right now.
Please pray for us as we make final arrangements for moving and prepare for our new home.
Tomorrow (Friday) will be my last official day of work, though technically the work never ends with kids. I am very excited for this. I will miss my job, because I do really enjoy it, but it's time for me to focus on the boys. We're moving in a little over 2 weeks! So I think organizing the house and taking care of the boys will be its own full-time job.
Finn is full out walking and just loves it. He loves to carry things around and just pace around the house. He does this most often while eating an apple slice. The boys have also been enjoying the Twins games. They each have a hat and love to wear them. Finn has not been one for hats, but he loves having that on. And they both look so cute! I promise, I'll get pictures on soon.
Ben is beginning to quote books at random times. He loves to read books and always says "The end" when it's done. He's actually doing well with numbers. He knows where 5 comes, but 9 seems to be his favorite right now.
Please pray for us as we make final arrangements for moving and prepare for our new home.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Timeout
We've started giving Ben short timeouts because he has a problem pushing, kicking, or hitting Finn and/or wrestling him to the ground to keep Finn away from "Ben's toys." This morning he did it, so I went over to him to get Finn away from him and to talk to him about pushing.
As soon as I knelt down by him, Ben: "Timeout?"
Me: "Do you want a timeout?"
Ben: "No. Don't push baby."
As soon as I knelt down by him, Ben: "Timeout?"
Me: "Do you want a timeout?"
Ben: "No. Don't push baby."
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
That's All, Folks
Last night as we finished supper, Jon read a passage from the Bible. When he finished, he closed the book and set it down. Ben looked at him and said very matter of factly, "The end, Daddy."
Remember Your Friends
I went out Friday night with my 2 best girlfriends I've had since high school. They live in the area where we are this summer, and we finally all got together. We went out for supper and played cards, but the best part of this was talking. We caught up on each other's lives, which I find is just not done as well by email. There are things you share verbally that you wouldn't write in an email. We talked about our past, some of our high school days, and our futures, as we each have some life-changing things ahead of us. Somehow we always end up laughing to the point of tears.
This short evening together really drove home to me the importance of friends. It's not that I never realized it, but having been away from these gals makes it so much greater to be able to see them. Many people think that when they get married their spouse will fulfill their every relational need. I don't mean to be preachy, but I just want to stress the importance of friends and keeping them close, no matter what happens in your life.
This short evening together really drove home to me the importance of friends. It's not that I never realized it, but having been away from these gals makes it so much greater to be able to see them. Many people think that when they get married their spouse will fulfill their every relational need. I don't mean to be preachy, but I just want to stress the importance of friends and keeping them close, no matter what happens in your life.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Mr. Independent
Our sweet little 9-month-old is growing up. Though he is a bit clingy lately, he is trying to be very independent. He loves to mess with the keyboard and mouse, and he will take my hand and move it out of the way to get to them. He knows where he's not supposed to be and goes there anyway, like playing with the toilet paper. He has been taking a couple steps at a time in the last week and is well on his way to walking. Now he just needs to learn to go down stairs. Head first is not the answer I'm looking for. My favorite part of this new independence is that Finn does not like to be fed. He has to do it himself (except for cereal in the morning-he must know the routine by now). If I put food in his mouth, he will spit it out and put it back in himself. If it's on a spoon, like applesauce, he just refuses it. He gives a deep blink of refusal and will push the spoon aside with a casual wave of his hand. It's a good thing he's pretty cute and still likes to cuddle once in a while. He's still my baby, after all.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Ben is 2!
Ben turned 2 on Saturday, but since we were leaving Friday for a weekend trip, we celebrated Thursday evening with Jon's parents, grandmas, and grandpa. We had brats and hot dogs and a couple of salads. I attempted my first cake, which I'm not exceptionally proud of but which turned out decent. It is a castle, in case you couldn't tell. Ben especially liked the Dots. My birthday was on Thursday, and Jon gave me the plaque you see in the picture.
Our Mini Vacation
We took the boys on our own mini vacation this past weekend. We headed up to the Twin Cities for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival and the state fair. We headed up Friday and met with my mom, brother, and sister that evening to celebrate Ben's birthday and eat some cake and ice cream.
Saturday morning we headed out to the Ren. Festival. They had a great promotion of bringing canned goods and getting $5 off a ticket, so being the good Dutch people we are, we eagerly complied. The day was somewhat cool in the 60s with some sunshine. We figured it was better than searing hot, especially trying to push a double stroller up and down hills. The boys did fairly well, though they got sick of sitting and we ended up only going to 1 show. Plus Ben was crabby because he needed a nap. We ate chili in a bread bowl and a turkey leg for lunch, and we ended our day with a sparkling apple cider float with cinnamon ice cream. Interesting is the word I would use to describe that. We got a couple of souvenirs, including some wooden swords that the boys will receive in the future. When we got back to the hotel, we all napped. We had pizza for supper, and then the boys got to swim with their cousins.
Sunday we headed to the state fair. As we made our way to the ticket window, a lady came up to us and asked if we had bought tickets. We said no, and she handed us a ticket and said, "Here's a free one." What a wonderful gift! We weren't sure if we looked pathetic pushing 2 kids in a stroller or what , but it was a prepaid nonrefundable ticket. So we spent our day pushing through record crowds to look at pigs, cows, sheep, and horses. We looked at tons of stuff for sale and ate great food including but not limited to fries, a Pronto Pup, a rhubarb-strawberry malt, and Sweet Martha's cookes. The boys enjoyed the fries and malt the most, I think, though Ben did quite enjoy the cookies. Finn didn't like the warm chocolate. We headed home Sunday evening. The boys were definitely sick of sitting. We stopped at a McDonald's for the playland, and Ben actually cried when we pulled him out of there. He was just figuring out he could climb up and go down the slide.
We had a good trip, but we definitely packed a lot in for 1 weekend.
Saturday morning we headed out to the Ren. Festival. They had a great promotion of bringing canned goods and getting $5 off a ticket, so being the good Dutch people we are, we eagerly complied. The day was somewhat cool in the 60s with some sunshine. We figured it was better than searing hot, especially trying to push a double stroller up and down hills. The boys did fairly well, though they got sick of sitting and we ended up only going to 1 show. Plus Ben was crabby because he needed a nap. We ate chili in a bread bowl and a turkey leg for lunch, and we ended our day with a sparkling apple cider float with cinnamon ice cream. Interesting is the word I would use to describe that. We got a couple of souvenirs, including some wooden swords that the boys will receive in the future. When we got back to the hotel, we all napped. We had pizza for supper, and then the boys got to swim with their cousins.
Sunday we headed to the state fair. As we made our way to the ticket window, a lady came up to us and asked if we had bought tickets. We said no, and she handed us a ticket and said, "Here's a free one." What a wonderful gift! We weren't sure if we looked pathetic pushing 2 kids in a stroller or what , but it was a prepaid nonrefundable ticket. So we spent our day pushing through record crowds to look at pigs, cows, sheep, and horses. We looked at tons of stuff for sale and ate great food including but not limited to fries, a Pronto Pup, a rhubarb-strawberry malt, and Sweet Martha's cookes. The boys enjoyed the fries and malt the most, I think, though Ben did quite enjoy the cookies. Finn didn't like the warm chocolate. We headed home Sunday evening. The boys were definitely sick of sitting. We stopped at a McDonald's for the playland, and Ben actually cried when we pulled him out of there. He was just figuring out he could climb up and go down the slide.
We had a good trip, but we definitely packed a lot in for 1 weekend.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
We Have A Call
Jon and I are very excited to announce that we have accepted a call to the Christian Reformed Church of Austinville, IA. We are beginning preparations already, though we won't move until the end of October. If you are asking yourself where Austinville is, my advice to you is to Google it.
Please pray for us as we make plans and arrangements for moving. Yay for a house!
Please pray for us as we make plans and arrangements for moving. Yay for a house!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Laughing
The other night I was giving the boys a bath. Jon was talking to someone in a nearby room and he was laughing. Ben said, "Daddy laughing? Ha! Ben laughing." Then he kept saying "Ha! Ben laughing."
If someone does something, Ben has to do it, even fake coughing and sneezing. He's such a little mimic now.
If someone does something, Ben has to do it, even fake coughing and sneezing. He's such a little mimic now.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Milestones
We hit a couple milestones in the past few days. Ben is quite adept now at opening doors, which I'm not crazy about and certainly haven't encouraged. Time to lock the bathroom door. I was in the shower Saturday morning and I heard some clicking, and suddenly the shower door was opening and I heard a sweet little voice say Mommy?. Thankfully Jon was close and ended that quickly.
Finn decided it was time to start going up steps. I went upstairs at my parents' house Saturday and left the door open. Finn likes to stand at the bottom and pound on the steps. Pretty soon my mom called to me, and I found Finn halfway up the stairs (with grandma close behind). My brave little baby. He has his first 2 teeth on the bottom, and the top 2 are working their way down. He's quite dangerous now between hair pulling and biting, and he comes at you with his mouth open and ready. But he still likes to cuddle and snuggle, so it's hard to turn him away.
Finn decided it was time to start going up steps. I went upstairs at my parents' house Saturday and left the door open. Finn likes to stand at the bottom and pound on the steps. Pretty soon my mom called to me, and I found Finn halfway up the stairs (with grandma close behind). My brave little baby. He has his first 2 teeth on the bottom, and the top 2 are working their way down. He's quite dangerous now between hair pulling and biting, and he comes at you with his mouth open and ready. But he still likes to cuddle and snuggle, so it's hard to turn him away.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
My Little Cleaner
Ben can sometimes be very particular about things, like putting something back in the exact same spot he took it from. He's a pretty clean kid. He usually hands us his dishes when he's done eating. This morning when he got done with breakfast, I put his glass on the counter to wash him up and get him out of his chair. He got down, grabbed the glass, and went to open the dishwasher, where he proceeded to put the glass correctly on the top rack, and then he closed the door. I just hope we continue this cleanliness for many years to come.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ben is starting to talk in phrases, most of which involve baby: Baby nigh-night, baby bye-bye, baby eat. He is also getting a good handle on possession: Baby bottle, baby bib. Things like that. He's got a few others: Puppy out there, all done with bath, things having to do with outside and being all done. It's so fun to hear what he comes up with. He doesn't always end his phrases. Sometimes he says baby and doesn't have the word to end correctly, but you can tell he's trying to come up with something. It's amazing how fast the language thing picks up once kids start saying words.
Finn is busy pulling himself up on anything he can and keeping up with his brother. He may be walking before he turns 1. He certainly has a ways to go, though. We had a family reunion last weekend, and Finn took down his 9-month-old cousin while using him to stand up.
Jon and I enjoyed a date on Tuesday. We went to the newest Harry Potter movie and out to eat. We enjoyed the short break. And it was all adults in the theater, so no crying babies to distract us. We did enjoy the movie, if you're wondering.
We haven't had any great adventures, but the highlight (for me anyway) is to watch the boys play and develop their skills. They enjoy being outside in their swings or watching Daddy hit golf balls. We just got a double stroller last week, so we'll have to take a few more walks. Come to think of it, I guess raising kids is a great adventure.
Finn is busy pulling himself up on anything he can and keeping up with his brother. He may be walking before he turns 1. He certainly has a ways to go, though. We had a family reunion last weekend, and Finn took down his 9-month-old cousin while using him to stand up.
Jon and I enjoyed a date on Tuesday. We went to the newest Harry Potter movie and out to eat. We enjoyed the short break. And it was all adults in the theater, so no crying babies to distract us. We did enjoy the movie, if you're wondering.
We haven't had any great adventures, but the highlight (for me anyway) is to watch the boys play and develop their skills. They enjoy being outside in their swings or watching Daddy hit golf balls. We just got a double stroller last week, so we'll have to take a few more walks. Come to think of it, I guess raising kids is a great adventure.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
After rescheduling due to a large rug burn scab on Ben's nose, we took the boys for pictures last Thursday. They did very well and I think they had fun. Ben didn't want to give up his stool, but that was about the only obstacle. Finn started wrinkling his nose a couple weeks ago, so that was on most of the pictures with his smile. We have a couple of good-looking kids, if I do say so myself.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Living On The Outside
We are settling in here in Minnesota. I think Ben has found his happy place. He loves being outside. He got to ride on the mower with Daddy and on the tractor with Grandpa. He gets to water flowers and pick stuff from the garden. He cries when someone goes out without him. He has seen a lot of all of his grandparents in the last couple weeks and now calls them Pa and Ma. At least he's got a name for them. He is picking up lots of words.
Finn's legs are getting stronger. He has the beginnings of crawling and is standing against things, trying to pull himself up, and I'm afraid he'll be walking quite soon. The boys are having more fun together, though Ben is somewhat less likely to share certain things than he used to be.
That's all I have for now. I'll try to post more regularly for some of you:)
Finn's legs are getting stronger. He has the beginnings of crawling and is standing against things, trying to pull himself up, and I'm afraid he'll be walking quite soon. The boys are having more fun together, though Ben is somewhat less likely to share certain things than he used to be.
That's all I have for now. I'll try to post more regularly for some of you:)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety Jig
We have had a very busy couple of weeks. Between work and Ben being sick, we tried to buckle down on packing. I can't say we did a great job, because by the time our parents got to us last week, there was still a ton to do. It's amazing how the little things just accumulate.
So last week we headed down to Chicago for CRC Synod. We arrived Sunday evening and spent time at the Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum. The boys got to ride for the first time on the subway. It brought back a lot of memories for Jon and me: The last time we rode it, we were going downtown to get my passport the day we left for Indonesia 2 years ago. We had a great day and enjoyed some relaxing time in the evening. Tuesday morning was Synod, then we headed back home to pack up the apartment. We have to say a huge THANKS to our parents, who have the experience and just got right to it. We got most of the packing and cleaning done on Wednesday.
We spent Thursday afternoon and Friday driving. And here we are back in Minnesota. We unpacked a few things Saturday, but it was nice just to sit and play with the boys without feeling like I should be packing. We are staying with Jon's parents, so we won't have to be unpacking everything. There are still a few things to do, like find the screws to my desk so we can put it together. We have some adjusting to do, but that will come with time. So begins our summer in Minnesota.
So last week we headed down to Chicago for CRC Synod. We arrived Sunday evening and spent time at the Shedd Aquarium and Field Museum. The boys got to ride for the first time on the subway. It brought back a lot of memories for Jon and me: The last time we rode it, we were going downtown to get my passport the day we left for Indonesia 2 years ago. We had a great day and enjoyed some relaxing time in the evening. Tuesday morning was Synod, then we headed back home to pack up the apartment. We have to say a huge THANKS to our parents, who have the experience and just got right to it. We got most of the packing and cleaning done on Wednesday.
We spent Thursday afternoon and Friday driving. And here we are back in Minnesota. We unpacked a few things Saturday, but it was nice just to sit and play with the boys without feeling like I should be packing. We are staying with Jon's parents, so we won't have to be unpacking everything. There are still a few things to do, like find the screws to my desk so we can put it together. We have some adjusting to do, but that will come with time. So begins our summer in Minnesota.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Happy June
I want to first start out by making Grandma Spronk proud. I was on the family website and clicked on a picture of Ben and Cocoa from spring break. Ben was sitting on my lap and pointed and said Cocoa. He knew right away. Cocoa and baby. At what point do kids start recognizing themselves in pictures?
So I was sick yesterday. Two kids plus a stomach ailment do not mix well, let me tell you. It was deja vu of morning sickness with the food smelling gross and hardly being able to stand the stinky diapers, but have no fear, it certainly was not morning sickness. I probably could have changed the diapers had I been able to stand long enough. Thankfully, Jon took Ben to church with him and did all the dirty work yesterday. I'm not quite 100% yet, but I'm sure it will get better through the day.
It is so fun to watch the boys interact. Finn loves sitting in the swing, and Ben likes to push the swing, give him toys, just entertain him. Finn always laughs, which makes Ben laugh. We will definitely have our hands full in a few months. I was talking to someone recently about the naughty stuff they'll do in a few months, and she said if one doesn't think of it, the other will. I do not doubt that. The show Malcolm In The Middle comes to mind... They are such fun little boys, and we are so blessed to be their parents.
So it's June already. Hard to believe. We have a good deal of packing to do yet, though I think I've run out of ambition already. Jon has almost all of his books packed, which is a feat in itself. I'm more and more noticing all the dirty little hand prints on the walls down the stairs. Isn't cleaning just the best part of moving out?
More thoughts later-time to work.
So I was sick yesterday. Two kids plus a stomach ailment do not mix well, let me tell you. It was deja vu of morning sickness with the food smelling gross and hardly being able to stand the stinky diapers, but have no fear, it certainly was not morning sickness. I probably could have changed the diapers had I been able to stand long enough. Thankfully, Jon took Ben to church with him and did all the dirty work yesterday. I'm not quite 100% yet, but I'm sure it will get better through the day.
It is so fun to watch the boys interact. Finn loves sitting in the swing, and Ben likes to push the swing, give him toys, just entertain him. Finn always laughs, which makes Ben laugh. We will definitely have our hands full in a few months. I was talking to someone recently about the naughty stuff they'll do in a few months, and she said if one doesn't think of it, the other will. I do not doubt that. The show Malcolm In The Middle comes to mind... They are such fun little boys, and we are so blessed to be their parents.
So it's June already. Hard to believe. We have a good deal of packing to do yet, though I think I've run out of ambition already. Jon has almost all of his books packed, which is a feat in itself. I'm more and more noticing all the dirty little hand prints on the walls down the stairs. Isn't cleaning just the best part of moving out?
More thoughts later-time to work.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Just Waiting
This past Saturday was graduation for Jon. We had a few family members over afterwards, then in the evening we as seminarians, families, and friends gathered in the back yard for one last get-together. It was a good day. We had a very nice weekend with our families. The weather was just beautiful.
We are now working on packing up and trying to get rid of what we can, awaiting Synod, which we will be attending in Chicago. Our parents will also be out for that, so we're looking forward to a couple days with them. I guess more like a week, because we will come back here, load up, and head out after Synod with their help.
Then we will await a call. It is by no means a passive process, but it will certainly not happen overnight. Thank you in advance for your prayers as we wait.
We are now working on packing up and trying to get rid of what we can, awaiting Synod, which we will be attending in Chicago. Our parents will also be out for that, so we're looking forward to a couple days with them. I guess more like a week, because we will come back here, load up, and head out after Synod with their help.
Then we will await a call. It is by no means a passive process, but it will certainly not happen overnight. Thank you in advance for your prayers as we wait.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Another quick update on us:
I'm still fighting Finn on the whole nap situation. I have internal debates with myself about how long to leave him when he wakes up, but he's a screamer. He usually doesn't cry and go back to sleep. He just screams and turns red until I come get him. He's been doing that since he was born. He certainly likes to be heard. I do have to compliment him that he does not cry in the morning when he wakes up. He just talks and scratches on his bed.
Ben is fighting a cold right now. I'm guessing it's because the weather has been up and down so much. He his learning new words every day. Last night we had pizza for supper, and this morning we saw a commercial for pizza and he pointed and said pasta. Close enough. It's still a word, even if he doesn't know that.
Jon is attending his very final class today. He has finals next week and graduation. Woohoo! It has been a long road but has also gone very quickly between school and work and traveling and having 2 kids.
I am working on graduation plans and contemplating packing and moving. We suddenly seem to have a lot to do in the next few weeks. I realize my posts have been few and far between lately, and it probably will remain that way for a while.
I'm still fighting Finn on the whole nap situation. I have internal debates with myself about how long to leave him when he wakes up, but he's a screamer. He usually doesn't cry and go back to sleep. He just screams and turns red until I come get him. He's been doing that since he was born. He certainly likes to be heard. I do have to compliment him that he does not cry in the morning when he wakes up. He just talks and scratches on his bed.
Ben is fighting a cold right now. I'm guessing it's because the weather has been up and down so much. He his learning new words every day. Last night we had pizza for supper, and this morning we saw a commercial for pizza and he pointed and said pasta. Close enough. It's still a word, even if he doesn't know that.
Jon is attending his very final class today. He has finals next week and graduation. Woohoo! It has been a long road but has also gone very quickly between school and work and traveling and having 2 kids.
I am working on graduation plans and contemplating packing and moving. We suddenly seem to have a lot to do in the next few weeks. I realize my posts have been few and far between lately, and it probably will remain that way for a while.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Just Another Day
Not much has been going on here. Jon headed to Minnesota for a funeral last week, and between our comings and goings, we are trying to establish some normalcy again.
Ben has become a blanket hoarder. He was sick a couple weeks ago and started piling blankets, taking no fewer than 5 to nap with him, only because I wouldn't let him take the one out from under Finn. So our living room is constantly piled with blankets and afghans, baby and adult size.
Finn has decided that napping is not for him; nothing too long, at least. Thankfully he sleeps well at night, though he still gets me up too early. This is probably the biggest difference from Ben at this point. Ben put himself into a schedule and napped very well. I guess Finn will just have a bit different schedule and it will come in time. He has more action to miss. Ben didn't have anyone else to entertain him.
Graduation is coming in 2 weeks. We are doing our end-of-year social events and making plans for that weekend. We praise God for the graduates but also send prayer as they seek out their next role.
Ben has become a blanket hoarder. He was sick a couple weeks ago and started piling blankets, taking no fewer than 5 to nap with him, only because I wouldn't let him take the one out from under Finn. So our living room is constantly piled with blankets and afghans, baby and adult size.
Finn has decided that napping is not for him; nothing too long, at least. Thankfully he sleeps well at night, though he still gets me up too early. This is probably the biggest difference from Ben at this point. Ben put himself into a schedule and napped very well. I guess Finn will just have a bit different schedule and it will come in time. He has more action to miss. Ben didn't have anyone else to entertain him.
Graduation is coming in 2 weeks. We are doing our end-of-year social events and making plans for that weekend. We praise God for the graduates but also send prayer as they seek out their next role.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
"Katt's In The Cradle" Book Review
A while back The Preacher's Wife had an offer of the book Katt's In The Cradle free from the publisher on the condition that whoever reads it has to write a review on their blog. So in good Dutch fashion, I signed up for this free book, and now I will attempt my review.
Katt's is written by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell. It is the third in a series they are writing called Secrets From Lulu's Cafe, though this gives enough background that I wasn't lost not having read the others. Let me tell you, these ladies know what they're doing, because each chapter is roughly 3-4 pages long, which is great for me because it's a lot easier to keep tabs on what's going on without having to reread. It took me about a week to get through this as it is.
This book is basically about the lives of 4 pastors' wives. They are good friends and share with each other their struggles and joys, their family and church life. They share a unique calling and can empathize well with each other.
I enjoyed reading this because it has a lot of real-world scenarios. These ladies have not had and don't have perfect lives and families. Their husbands are not perfect. You get a good glimpse of these pastors just being normal guys and going through every-day challenges. I found this a bit over the top as all of these women are wrestling with something very difficult. The authors also allude to things that have happened in their past, some of which I'm sure are in the previous 2 books. (But I guess that's what makes for good writing and consumer interest.) Things wrap up for them quite neatly like the end of a sitcom. I was about 2/3 of the way through the book, thinking there weren't enough pages left for things to turn around for all of them, but suddenly resolution struck, and everything was okay. Not back to normal, but okay. A bit of a cheese factor, but not unexpected.
The way these ladies and their husbands deal with their problems is really the key to this book, I think. With all the things going on, I think every reader will be able to relate in some way, even if it's not happening directly to them. It helped me to look at things in my life in a new perspective.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend it for anyone to read (geared towards women). It has good stuff about responding to certain situations in a Christian way, which certainly wouldn't hurt me. I think it's good for congregants to read and understand that pastors and their families are still people who need love and support and prayer just like everyone else, not scrutiny and judgment. It's an eye opener for everyone. I am looking forward to reading the first 2 books of this series.
Katt's is written by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell. It is the third in a series they are writing called Secrets From Lulu's Cafe, though this gives enough background that I wasn't lost not having read the others. Let me tell you, these ladies know what they're doing, because each chapter is roughly 3-4 pages long, which is great for me because it's a lot easier to keep tabs on what's going on without having to reread. It took me about a week to get through this as it is.
This book is basically about the lives of 4 pastors' wives. They are good friends and share with each other their struggles and joys, their family and church life. They share a unique calling and can empathize well with each other.
I enjoyed reading this because it has a lot of real-world scenarios. These ladies have not had and don't have perfect lives and families. Their husbands are not perfect. You get a good glimpse of these pastors just being normal guys and going through every-day challenges. I found this a bit over the top as all of these women are wrestling with something very difficult. The authors also allude to things that have happened in their past, some of which I'm sure are in the previous 2 books. (But I guess that's what makes for good writing and consumer interest.) Things wrap up for them quite neatly like the end of a sitcom. I was about 2/3 of the way through the book, thinking there weren't enough pages left for things to turn around for all of them, but suddenly resolution struck, and everything was okay. Not back to normal, but okay. A bit of a cheese factor, but not unexpected.
The way these ladies and their husbands deal with their problems is really the key to this book, I think. With all the things going on, I think every reader will be able to relate in some way, even if it's not happening directly to them. It helped me to look at things in my life in a new perspective.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend it for anyone to read (geared towards women). It has good stuff about responding to certain situations in a Christian way, which certainly wouldn't hurt me. I think it's good for congregants to read and understand that pastors and their families are still people who need love and support and prayer just like everyone else, not scrutiny and judgment. It's an eye opener for everyone. I am looking forward to reading the first 2 books of this series.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Pictures To Correspond With The Last Couple Posts
In Iowa. It's hard to tell, but he's having fun.
They both have an octopus on their clothes. What are the odds?
Ben running on the trail
A few minutes before we got back to the car
Our little superman. (The S lights up)Saturday, April 25, 2009
Our Long Walk
Yesterday was in the 80s and we took the boys for a nice long walk. There is a trail not far from us that goes along a creek and is nicely wooded. You actually forget you're in Grand Rapids. The trail is about 1 mile going one way. I think we walked about 1.5 miles, and Ben ran probably a good mile of that, only because we made him rest in the stroller in the middle of our walk. He just had a ball. Thankfully he generally stayed on the path. He was so fun to watch. We spent some time looking at the water and we saw lots of puppies, which Ben is very into.
When we got home, Jon started the grill for supper. Some of our neighbors came out with their kids, and Ben ran around with them for a while. It was just horrible when he had to come in and eat. Needless to say, he was tired last night. And it was even nice enough he got to wear his new Superman jammies! I think he had a good day. Pictures to come.
When we got home, Jon started the grill for supper. Some of our neighbors came out with their kids, and Ben ran around with them for a while. It was just horrible when he had to come in and eat. Needless to say, he was tired last night. And it was even nice enough he got to wear his new Superman jammies! I think he had a good day. Pictures to come.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Our First Shorts Day
It is supposed to be around 80 today, so we put the boys in shorts. So a bit ago I'm down here working, and Ben is upstairs, and I hear, "No, no!" This is what he does when he is stuck or otherwise frustrated. (Yesterday he got his foot stuck under the couch with his tennis shoe on.) So I go upstairs, and the poor boy is trying to cover his legs. He does not like when his pants ride up his legs, and now he is trying to pull his shorts down. But he's got overalls on, so it's not working. I tried to show him how mommy has shorts on and how they're not supposed to cover his leg, but how well does he understand? I'm not sure. He then proceeded to hit at my leg and was otherwise distracted. Until next time...
In other news, we have new Ben math around here, as in Baby + Finn = Fifi. Finn is now a poodle. And Ben has now opted to put on his tennis shoes all day instead of his sandals. They have Velcro, and he can manage that pretty well. He does a pretty good job, but he always smushes the tongues into the shoes and usually one foot isn't all the way in. We're considering hiding his shoes.
We plan on enjoying the day with a nice long walk this afternoon. Hopefully we can be doing that regularly.
In other news, we have new Ben math around here, as in Baby + Finn = Fifi. Finn is now a poodle. And Ben has now opted to put on his tennis shoes all day instead of his sandals. They have Velcro, and he can manage that pretty well. He does a pretty good job, but he always smushes the tongues into the shoes and usually one foot isn't all the way in. We're considering hiding his shoes.
We plan on enjoying the day with a nice long walk this afternoon. Hopefully we can be doing that regularly.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
New Shoes
I took Ben last week for new shoes before we headed to Iowa. I decided to get some sandals for him while we were out. He wore them for the first time last weekend when it was 75 degrees. He had a hard time focusing on what he was doing because he kept looking at his sandals. Ben loves to run barefoot, but the last couple of days he has put his sandals on in the morning (usually one of them backwards, and then he cries because he knows it's not right) and runs around all day in them. He even naps in them and cries when we take them off. I think he's figured out that having them on makes him ready to go out the door when we do, which he is always ready to do. It's supposed to warm up this weekend, so hopefully we can make good use of them.
It's Been A While
Yes, I know. Hence the title. Let me bring you back to over a week ago.
Last week Monday night brought Jon and Ben back to Grand Rapids. At the same time, I got a call that one of my relatives had died. So I spent Tuesday and Wednesday working and doing laundry and packing the boys and myself. Ben was tired from his week away, so he was not always easy to deal with. Thursday I worked, fed the boys, and off we went with my aunt and uncle to Iowa. We spent the weekend there while Jon had a nice quiet house for a few days. It was fun to spend time with family. My cousin has a son 2 weeks younger than Ben, and they had fun playing together.
We came back Sunday with a sick Ben. He has been sleeping a lot during the day (and better at night now) and eating very little with a runny nose and cough. He's getting a bit better every day. Finn has a cold, but thankfully that's it.
So it's Thursday already, and I'm trying to catch up on laundry and stuff around the house. I actually got to hear my alarm go off this morning, which was quite exciting to me.
Last week Monday night brought Jon and Ben back to Grand Rapids. At the same time, I got a call that one of my relatives had died. So I spent Tuesday and Wednesday working and doing laundry and packing the boys and myself. Ben was tired from his week away, so he was not always easy to deal with. Thursday I worked, fed the boys, and off we went with my aunt and uncle to Iowa. We spent the weekend there while Jon had a nice quiet house for a few days. It was fun to spend time with family. My cousin has a son 2 weeks younger than Ben, and they had fun playing together.
We came back Sunday with a sick Ben. He has been sleeping a lot during the day (and better at night now) and eating very little with a runny nose and cough. He's getting a bit better every day. Finn has a cold, but thankfully that's it.
So it's Thursday already, and I'm trying to catch up on laundry and stuff around the house. I actually got to hear my alarm go off this morning, which was quite exciting to me.
Friday, April 10, 2009
More Boring Stories
Here it is folks, an update of the rest of my week, which may bore you to tears. Tuesday I did some good cleaning, dishes, organized a bit. I had a friend over for supper and I think I just watched TV after she left. Wednesday I wasn't feeling well, so I started watching the first season of Criminal Minds while Finn and I hung out on the floor. Great show if you like psychological stuff. I went to some other friends for supper and came home late. Thursday I ran a couple errands and did a bit of cleaning downstairs. I found some stuff of Ben's that I knew was hidden somewhere. Somewhere in this week I managed some laundry, a bit of baking, and have spent a good amount of time on the phone. Last night we had church, tonight we have church, and tomorrow I am working extra. So it's been a semi productive week. I did find a set of knives yesterday that I didn't know we had. That was pretty exciting. Did you know that Goodwill takes eyeglasses? I found that out yesterday. So if you're looking for a place to go with your old ones, find your nearest Goodwill.
Finn has been enjoying most of his waking hours laying on the floor sucking on toys, so I've been hanging out on the floor with him. He has been getting up during the night and his schedule is just messed up. I think he misses Ben, despite being frequently injured by him. He had a great time in nursery last night just watching the other kids. He may also be hitting a growth spurt.
So there's my week in a nutshell. Not everything I wanted to get done, but I feel accomplished nonetheless. It's been rather relaxing and injury free (I think I get hurt as much as Finn does). Hopefully I can regale you with tales of Ben again next week.
Finn has been enjoying most of his waking hours laying on the floor sucking on toys, so I've been hanging out on the floor with him. He has been getting up during the night and his schedule is just messed up. I think he misses Ben, despite being frequently injured by him. He had a great time in nursery last night just watching the other kids. He may also be hitting a growth spurt.
So there's my week in a nutshell. Not everything I wanted to get done, but I feel accomplished nonetheless. It's been rather relaxing and injury free (I think I get hurt as much as Finn does). Hopefully I can regale you with tales of Ben again next week.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A Rant
(I have a good title for this, but it's not appropriate.) I need to share my annoyance, just for a bit. I was watching some news type thing the other day, possibly local, can't remember, when along comes a story about caffeine. The person is interviewing a doctor, who proceeds to tell us that caffeine is in fact an addicting substance that has withdrawal effects, and then they show him interviewing a patient who is telling us what her withdrawal symptoms are. We then learn that caffeine is a stimulant, and in order to avoid some of the negative withdrawal symptoms, it's a good idea to wean yourself slowly instead of quit cold turkey. Then the story ends.
Really? In Phoebe's words, "That is brand new information!" Who doesn't know this already, and why was this an actual story on the news? My thought was that maybe they just needed to fill a gap and picked something randomly from years ago. If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thank you for listening.
Really? In Phoebe's words, "That is brand new information!" Who doesn't know this already, and why was this an actual story on the news? My thought was that maybe they just needed to fill a gap and picked something randomly from years ago. If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thank you for listening.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
An Update
Well, Ben is in the able hands of his grandparents, and I'm assuming Jon is enjoying basketball on a clear screen.
Since yesterday afternoon, I have typed in my recipes in a Word document so as to create my own recipe book. I'm sick of recipe cards of all shapes and sizes all over the place, so I typed my recipes and will print them and place them in sheet protectors in a binder. Easy to add to and I don't have to search through 50 cards before I find what I want. Organization is my goal. I actually started this project about 2 months ago, but it fell to the wayside, and I've been waiting for this week so I could stop staring at my recipe cards on the desk. So today I had to go buy a printer cartridge, and I will get that taken care of in the next few days.
This morning Finn and I went out and ran a few errands. I had to convince the state of Michigan that I have in fact had my car registered here for 3 years and it should be renewed. They finally accepted my money. I actually shopped leisurely while I was in the mall, though I bought nothing. I also got my pile of dishes done, vacuumed, and sorted through my clothes in the closet. I even worked for an hour. It helps a lot when Finn takes multiple naps and is happy just to suck on something and watch you while you go about your business. We did play together, if you're wondering.
So that was my day. Finn was up at 6:00 this morning, so I should really get to bed in case that happens again.
Since yesterday afternoon, I have typed in my recipes in a Word document so as to create my own recipe book. I'm sick of recipe cards of all shapes and sizes all over the place, so I typed my recipes and will print them and place them in sheet protectors in a binder. Easy to add to and I don't have to search through 50 cards before I find what I want. Organization is my goal. I actually started this project about 2 months ago, but it fell to the wayside, and I've been waiting for this week so I could stop staring at my recipe cards on the desk. So today I had to go buy a printer cartridge, and I will get that taken care of in the next few days.
This morning Finn and I went out and ran a few errands. I had to convince the state of Michigan that I have in fact had my car registered here for 3 years and it should be renewed. They finally accepted my money. I actually shopped leisurely while I was in the mall, though I bought nothing. I also got my pile of dishes done, vacuumed, and sorted through my clothes in the closet. I even worked for an hour. It helps a lot when Finn takes multiple naps and is happy just to suck on something and watch you while you go about your business. We did play together, if you're wondering.
So that was my day. Finn was up at 6:00 this morning, so I should really get to bed in case that happens again.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Leaving Home
Jon and Ben are taking off today for Minnesota. Jon will be preaching over spring break, and Ben is going to get lots of love from his grandparents. While the boys are gone, I'm going to get a few things done around here that I normally would have too much "help" with.
I'm really going to miss Ben. He is such a good little helper. When I sit down to feed Finn, he puts a pillow behind my head, hands me the remote, and makes sure I have the footrest. When Finn drops a sock or a toy, he picks it up and gives it back. He helps me put laundry in the dryer (which I don't expect to do much of next week) and throws things away (the stuff that actually is garbage). He also likes to load me up with Mega Bloks and toys while I'm working. Some days my desk is full of stuff. I will miss Jon too, but he actually talks on the phone when someone is on the other end.
On a totally different note, I am very excited to have a bud on my lily. My aunt gave me the plant shortly after we moved here, and despite abuse from Ben, it is finally starting to flower.
Since I won't have Ben around next week, I may bore you with the details of what I'm doing.
I'm really going to miss Ben. He is such a good little helper. When I sit down to feed Finn, he puts a pillow behind my head, hands me the remote, and makes sure I have the footrest. When Finn drops a sock or a toy, he picks it up and gives it back. He helps me put laundry in the dryer (which I don't expect to do much of next week) and throws things away (the stuff that actually is garbage). He also likes to load me up with Mega Bloks and toys while I'm working. Some days my desk is full of stuff. I will miss Jon too, but he actually talks on the phone when someone is on the other end.
On a totally different note, I am very excited to have a bud on my lily. My aunt gave me the plant shortly after we moved here, and despite abuse from Ben, it is finally starting to flower.
Since I won't have Ben around next week, I may bore you with the details of what I'm doing.
Monday, March 30, 2009
We Have A Roller, and other tales
This weekend we had a couple of firsts. First, Finn has fulfilled his baby rolling requirements, i.e. tummy to back and back to tummy. He got caught up on his shoulder for a few seconds, but he made it. We just can't believe he's 4 months old already.
Second, Ben actually said "Finn." That doesn't mean he'll say it regularly, but at least he got it.
Ben is just so funny. Yesterday he was on a chair by the table while I was in the kitchen starting dinner. He spied the napkins and grabbed a bunch. I thought nothing of it because before he's just thrown them on the table. But this time, he wiped his whole face, which was not dirty by any means, with the top napkin. Then he got down off the chair and threw them all in the garbage. He got back up and tried grabbing another wad of napkins. I am now hard pressed to find a spot for them out of his reach.
This morning we're taking turns spinning each other in the office chairs. He does a very good job and I think he enjoys watching me spin as much as he enjoys spinning.
Finally, I had to post this picture for the aunt whom Finn looks like. I thought she would like this shirt and this would have looked kinda like her as a baby. (Click on the picture for a closer look.)
That's it for now, or at least until Ben does something else goofy. Have a good day folks.
Second, Ben actually said "Finn." That doesn't mean he'll say it regularly, but at least he got it.
Ben is just so funny. Yesterday he was on a chair by the table while I was in the kitchen starting dinner. He spied the napkins and grabbed a bunch. I thought nothing of it because before he's just thrown them on the table. But this time, he wiped his whole face, which was not dirty by any means, with the top napkin. Then he got down off the chair and threw them all in the garbage. He got back up and tried grabbing another wad of napkins. I am now hard pressed to find a spot for them out of his reach.
This morning we're taking turns spinning each other in the office chairs. He does a very good job and I think he enjoys watching me spin as much as he enjoys spinning.
Finally, I had to post this picture for the aunt whom Finn looks like. I thought she would like this shirt and this would have looked kinda like her as a baby. (Click on the picture for a closer look.)
That's it for now, or at least until Ben does something else goofy. Have a good day folks.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sharing Blocks
This morning I had Finn on the floor and gave him a small Mega Blok (is that an oxymoron?) to hold and suck on. Ben saw this and decided to help. He likes to hand you something and say dadoo (thank you), and Finn wouldn't take it of course, so there he stands, dadoo, dadoo, dadoo. I took it and laid it by Finn, so Ben got another one, which I laid down. Ben kept trying to regive those 2 big blocks to Finn, and I laid them on Finn's tummy. That seemed to satisfy Ben. He started making a pile of blocks next to Finn and sat nice putting them together. Ben is such a sweet little boy. I am so glad he is anxious to share his toys with Finn. We'll see how it goes when Finn can actually grab them and play like Ben can.
Just When You Thought The Potatoes Were Safe...
...Strucky has locksed again. (10 points to name the movie)
A couple days ago I bought a 5-pound bag of potatoes and used a few. I dutifully put the little plastic tie thing back on so junior couldn't get in it. Yesterday I went upstairs to grab my water and Ben started dragging the potato sack, stopping in the middle of the living room. I figured he couldn't get in, and he had worked so hard to pull it, I just left him there. A few minutes later I hear a thunk, thunk, thunk and something landing down here. Sure enough, he had ripped a hole in the potato sack, had taken the bag 2 or 3 stairs down, and was sitting there throwing potatoes down the stairs. (Many other things have made a trip down the stairs, but not food.) Thankfully he only managed 2 throws and had 1 in his hand ready. So I grabbed the potatoes and put them on the counter for the time being. I'm hoping he forgets about them for a while, because I really don't have a good place for them out of his reach, which, by the way, seems to be growing daily. It was kind of hard not to laugh because it was probably a lot of fun, but I didn't relish the thought of picking up 40 potatoes.
A couple days ago I bought a 5-pound bag of potatoes and used a few. I dutifully put the little plastic tie thing back on so junior couldn't get in it. Yesterday I went upstairs to grab my water and Ben started dragging the potato sack, stopping in the middle of the living room. I figured he couldn't get in, and he had worked so hard to pull it, I just left him there. A few minutes later I hear a thunk, thunk, thunk and something landing down here. Sure enough, he had ripped a hole in the potato sack, had taken the bag 2 or 3 stairs down, and was sitting there throwing potatoes down the stairs. (Many other things have made a trip down the stairs, but not food.) Thankfully he only managed 2 throws and had 1 in his hand ready. So I grabbed the potatoes and put them on the counter for the time being. I'm hoping he forgets about them for a while, because I really don't have a good place for them out of his reach, which, by the way, seems to be growing daily. It was kind of hard not to laugh because it was probably a lot of fun, but I didn't relish the thought of picking up 40 potatoes.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Books Go On The Shelf
Last night Jon was home with Ben while I went to Bible study. Jon was studying when Ben handed him a book, which they read through 3 times. We usually keep Ben's books upstairs. After I came home and the boys were in bed, Jon called me downstairs to show me his discovery. Click on the picture for a closer look.
Funny enough, as I write this, Ben has come to sit on my lap with this very book and is reading it upside down. Here's another picture of my studious boy. He may be just like his dad.
Funny enough, as I write this, Ben has come to sit on my lap with this very book and is reading it upside down. Here's another picture of my studious boy. He may be just like his dad.
Monday, March 23, 2009
A New Baby
Congratulations to Nathaniel and Sarah on a baby girl! We think she looks like her daddy. Click here to see pictures.
Friday, March 20, 2009
One Moment In Time
Yesterday Ben parked his Bumbo by the sliding glass door so he could sit there and look outside while he played. There are a couple of squirrels who frequent our back yard and the birds are back. So this morning I started work, then I brought Finn back upstairs so I could get breakfast. I set him in the Bumbo to look outside. Ben came and sat down next to him, and they were both looking outside. It was so cute, I wanted to take a picture of the back of their heads. Then Ben turned and started talking to Finn, who was looking at Ben as though they were deep in conversation. It was just such a cute moment.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Another Weekend
Friday afternoon we had Finn's 3-month pictures. Much to my chagrin, I dressed the boys almost alike because that looks nice on pictures. Finn was all smiles and we got great pictures. When it came time to do their pictures together, Ben was very wiggly but did well. As much as he kisses his brother at home, he wouldn't give him even 1 kiss at the studio. All 3 of us were prodding, but he just wouldn't do it. Regardless, they are soooo cute. I know, I'm their mom, of course they're cute. It was very hard to pick what we wanted. We went to Old Chicago for supper. Great stuff.
Saturday was cold, so we stayed inside and did our normal stuff. Jon grilled and I got away with heating up some peas as far as cooking went. It was a pretty relaxing day.
Sunday started out cold but ended up beautiful. After church, Jon and Ben went outside for a bit. The only problem is that Ben just wants to run, so Jon can't just sit out on the deck and enjoy the weather anymore. And he can't go out without Ben or we hear about it. So Ben decided he was tired and laid down on the kitchen floor, of all places-not on the rug. So the boys took naps and we played inside. After supper I took the boys out for a walk. We had the door open, but it was hot inside and too nice to resist. So we walked around the block a couple of times. They both seemed to enjoy it. I didn't hear a peep out of either one of them. Ben loves walks, and it was a lot of new stuff for Finn to take in.
So here we are back to Monday. We shall see what kind of trouble we get into this week.
Saturday was cold, so we stayed inside and did our normal stuff. Jon grilled and I got away with heating up some peas as far as cooking went. It was a pretty relaxing day.
Sunday started out cold but ended up beautiful. After church, Jon and Ben went outside for a bit. The only problem is that Ben just wants to run, so Jon can't just sit out on the deck and enjoy the weather anymore. And he can't go out without Ben or we hear about it. So Ben decided he was tired and laid down on the kitchen floor, of all places-not on the rug. So the boys took naps and we played inside. After supper I took the boys out for a walk. We had the door open, but it was hot inside and too nice to resist. So we walked around the block a couple of times. They both seemed to enjoy it. I didn't hear a peep out of either one of them. Ben loves walks, and it was a lot of new stuff for Finn to take in.
So here we are back to Monday. We shall see what kind of trouble we get into this week.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Ben's New Seat
So we brought the Bumbo up from the depths so Finn could start sitting in it. (If you don't know what this is, click here.) We've put Finn in it twice and he wasn't too excited about it. But Ben, who enjoyed it the first time around, is immensely enjoying it. He tried it out one night and found that his little butt and legs still fit in there. He even tried to pull Finn out of it, which he wasn't able to do, but he still managed to cause some screaming. Anyway, now Ben likes to carry the Bumbo around the living room. He'll put it down in some random place and sit for about 30 seconds. The great entertainment is that he tries to back up to it, and he usually misses the first two times. The other night he turned his body and ended up backing up to the side of it, and when he tried to sit down he completely missed it. He was semi crying and I was just laughing. I kind of feel bad, but it's just so entertaining and he didn't get hurt. Some things you just can't do for them.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sockies
Let me preface this by saying that Ben is anti socks. He will not keep them on his feet for any period of time unless they are covered with shoes, which he's okay with because then he knows he gets to go somewhere. Let's begin.
Yesterday Ben took off Finn's socks. When they fall off, Ben is very good about giving them to me. (He has also started doing this when he takes off his own socks.) So Ben just pulled off Finn's socks and handed them to me like a good little boy, but since I was working, I set them on the desk. He kept trying to put them in my hands or on the keyboard. I think he finally got mad at me for not taking them, because he grabbed the socks and took them upstairs. So pretty soon I went up to change Finn and asked Ben where baby's sockies were. He proceeded to Jon's sock drawer and pulled out his dirty pair of socks (he only wore them a couple hours) he had stuck in there from Saturday. I remember him slipping them in while I was putting Jon's clean socks away. I laid Finn down on the living room floor and Ben laid his socks at Finn's feet. He really is a good little helper. Fortunately, I did find Finn's socks just laying on the living room floor among Ben's toys.
Yesterday Ben took off Finn's socks. When they fall off, Ben is very good about giving them to me. (He has also started doing this when he takes off his own socks.) So Ben just pulled off Finn's socks and handed them to me like a good little boy, but since I was working, I set them on the desk. He kept trying to put them in my hands or on the keyboard. I think he finally got mad at me for not taking them, because he grabbed the socks and took them upstairs. So pretty soon I went up to change Finn and asked Ben where baby's sockies were. He proceeded to Jon's sock drawer and pulled out his dirty pair of socks (he only wore them a couple hours) he had stuck in there from Saturday. I remember him slipping them in while I was putting Jon's clean socks away. I laid Finn down on the living room floor and Ben laid his socks at Finn's feet. He really is a good little helper. Fortunately, I did find Finn's socks just laying on the living room floor among Ben's toys.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Children Conspire
People have talked about it, but I have now been a victim of my children conspiring against me. I don't care how young they are, it happens.
Thursday night Ben woke up crying. Jon checked on him and he actually looked to be sleeping yet. So Jon came back to bed. A while later it happened again, so Jon gave him some ibuprofen since he's teething, and Ben settled down. It happened a third time, and I got up to get him some Orajel. He had his blanket in hand and was ready to get out, so I just took him to rock him. Out in the living room, he started talking and looking around. A couple of times he went to lay in different spots on the floor. I finally took him to the couch to lay down with him. After finally finding a comfortable spot, he lay quiet for a while. Just as I thought he was asleep, he opened his eyes and let out this yell like he was being hurt. I asked if he was ready for nigh-nigh, and he put his arms around me. He didn't wake up after that. So there went an hour of sleep. I got back to bed about 2:00.
Then about 4:45, my darling little Finn, who has been sleeping through the night for almost a week, decides he needs to eat a bit. While that only took half an hour, my night was pretty much shot.
These two may be my biggest challenge in life, and they're not even 2. I have a long road ahead.
Thursday night Ben woke up crying. Jon checked on him and he actually looked to be sleeping yet. So Jon came back to bed. A while later it happened again, so Jon gave him some ibuprofen since he's teething, and Ben settled down. It happened a third time, and I got up to get him some Orajel. He had his blanket in hand and was ready to get out, so I just took him to rock him. Out in the living room, he started talking and looking around. A couple of times he went to lay in different spots on the floor. I finally took him to the couch to lay down with him. After finally finding a comfortable spot, he lay quiet for a while. Just as I thought he was asleep, he opened his eyes and let out this yell like he was being hurt. I asked if he was ready for nigh-nigh, and he put his arms around me. He didn't wake up after that. So there went an hour of sleep. I got back to bed about 2:00.
Then about 4:45, my darling little Finn, who has been sleeping through the night for almost a week, decides he needs to eat a bit. While that only took half an hour, my night was pretty much shot.
These two may be my biggest challenge in life, and they're not even 2. I have a long road ahead.
Our Weekend
Thursday was a beautiful day. Jon and Ben ran around with the soccer ball. I sat on the deck with Finn. He's a cool little dude with shades on. It was just nice to be outside. (Pictures to come. I now have the camera but not the cord.)
Friday was also a beautiful day, even nicer than Thursday. It was somewhere in the 50s. While we didn't get a walk in, Ben spent all afternoon running and screaming around the back yard, which was much better for him, I imagine. Jon was out smoking ribs and we had our neighbors over for supper. Ben had 3 guys taking turns chasing him down since our back yard is not completely fenced in. He was so worn out he was extra tired on Saturday yet. It is so fun to watch him. He cried when he had to come in.
Since we cleaned on Friday, Saturday was more of a lazy day. I did laundry and Jon worked on some homework. It rained all day, so no outside playing.
Sunday we had a good rainstorm, a little thunder, very windy. The rain was actually coming down sideways. I kept getting confused with the time since we didn't change all the clocks. I almost didn't get my kids to bed on time, though it didn't matter much since Ben played in his crib for probably another 40 minutes. He finds things to keep him busy in there, even in the dark.
So there's our weekend in a nutshell.
Friday was also a beautiful day, even nicer than Thursday. It was somewhere in the 50s. While we didn't get a walk in, Ben spent all afternoon running and screaming around the back yard, which was much better for him, I imagine. Jon was out smoking ribs and we had our neighbors over for supper. Ben had 3 guys taking turns chasing him down since our back yard is not completely fenced in. He was so worn out he was extra tired on Saturday yet. It is so fun to watch him. He cried when he had to come in.
Since we cleaned on Friday, Saturday was more of a lazy day. I did laundry and Jon worked on some homework. It rained all day, so no outside playing.
Sunday we had a good rainstorm, a little thunder, very windy. The rain was actually coming down sideways. I kept getting confused with the time since we didn't change all the clocks. I almost didn't get my kids to bed on time, though it didn't matter much since Ben played in his crib for probably another 40 minutes. He finds things to keep him busy in there, even in the dark.
So there's our weekend in a nutshell.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Randomness
I love the randomness of children. Sometimes I will come home and Ben will have a group of balls on the desk, or he'll have pop bottles set up in a tight group on the desk. By the way, he somehow hides things like these pop bottles until he's ready to play with them, because I won't see them and all of the sudden they're in his hands. Anyway, he has his 2 Little People zebras sitting on my stock pot on the shelf downstairs. He is playing upstairs right now and decided to throw his football down the stairs. I guess it can join the basketball and baseball on the desk. You just never know what you're gonna find when you walk in the house.
In other news, he can say phone now, which is his new favorite "toy." He loves to walk around with it and talk, though he becomes silent as soon as he hears noise coming from it. He is also saying fee for Finn. Those Fs are coming along.
Ben is really into stacking now. It's fun watching him figure out what toys fit into other toys.
As far as the pictures I mentioned, same old story: Have not uploaded most recent pictures and camera is also AWOL. I guess that will be another day.
Temps are supposed to be in the 50s tomorrow, so just imagine us strolling around outside. I'm really looking forward to taking the boys out in the afternoons when it gets nice out. I'm not an outdoor person, but I definitely have cabin fever. Ben is an outdoor baby for sure. He loves toddling around outside while daddy is grilling, or they play with the soccer ball. A couple weeks ago I took Ben in the backyard in the snow, and once he got used to it, he started walking. We walked for 45 minutes around our apartments and he cried when I made him go in.
Anyway, enough rambling. Have a good day.
In other news, he can say phone now, which is his new favorite "toy." He loves to walk around with it and talk, though he becomes silent as soon as he hears noise coming from it. He is also saying fee for Finn. Those Fs are coming along.
Ben is really into stacking now. It's fun watching him figure out what toys fit into other toys.
As far as the pictures I mentioned, same old story: Have not uploaded most recent pictures and camera is also AWOL. I guess that will be another day.
Temps are supposed to be in the 50s tomorrow, so just imagine us strolling around outside. I'm really looking forward to taking the boys out in the afternoons when it gets nice out. I'm not an outdoor person, but I definitely have cabin fever. Ben is an outdoor baby for sure. He loves toddling around outside while daddy is grilling, or they play with the soccer ball. A couple weeks ago I took Ben in the backyard in the snow, and once he got used to it, he started walking. We walked for 45 minutes around our apartments and he cried when I made him go in.
Anyway, enough rambling. Have a good day.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Say What?
Ben has become quite the little imitator, which I guess is how kids learn words. When he hands me things, he now says dadoo (thank you) to me, and especially loves giving me random things when I'm feeding Finn. He says down (we go downstairs) and die for both light and cry. Usually it's quite clear which one he means. He says bottie for bottle. We were saying oh man this morning. That's close to amen, which he does with a southern accent-amayn. He will say all duh for all done and hand me his bowl when he's finished.
He is stealing spatulas out of the drawer. He just sticks his hand in and grabs, or off the counter if he strikes at supper time. He is currently sucking the trickling pop out of a can that he just damaged. He likes to pretend to drink out of things, but I thought he was making an unusual noise. Sure enough, the pop is very slowly seeping out. I guess I better take care of that instead of writing. He also has a couple cans on the swing. I guess it's nap time for them.
Ben has also decided he's big enough to go down the stairs like adults. He just puts his hand on the wall and starts going. He has tried going up that way with the railing, but he's just not tall enough. Like a good mom, I just turn my eyes and hope he doesn't fall. Should I be giving him a learning curve with stairs?
As for the little one, he is now sleeping pretty much through the night. He would probably sleep longer except for all the noise when the rest of us get up. Ben is usually concerned about baby when he gets up and has to see Finn, and he's certainly not quiet about it. Finn is trying to figure out his nap schedule during the day. I think he's transitioning to 2 naps, but it's a work in progress.
Since it's been a while, just a quick update for us. Jon started his last quarter this week. I think it was a bit odd for him not to have to worry about filling out forms and thinking about summer assignments and fall quarters. We're already making plans for graduation and after. Seminary has definitely gone fast and we got 2 kids and some good friends out of the deal.
I am still working in the mornings. Ben takes 1 afternoon nap, so I like to try to get something done or just relax. Lately it's been spending good quality time with Finn or trying to get him to sleep.
I need to get some food into Ben before he crashes. I'll try to get a few pictures posted this afternoon.
He is stealing spatulas out of the drawer. He just sticks his hand in and grabs, or off the counter if he strikes at supper time. He is currently sucking the trickling pop out of a can that he just damaged. He likes to pretend to drink out of things, but I thought he was making an unusual noise. Sure enough, the pop is very slowly seeping out. I guess I better take care of that instead of writing. He also has a couple cans on the swing. I guess it's nap time for them.
Ben has also decided he's big enough to go down the stairs like adults. He just puts his hand on the wall and starts going. He has tried going up that way with the railing, but he's just not tall enough. Like a good mom, I just turn my eyes and hope he doesn't fall. Should I be giving him a learning curve with stairs?
As for the little one, he is now sleeping pretty much through the night. He would probably sleep longer except for all the noise when the rest of us get up. Ben is usually concerned about baby when he gets up and has to see Finn, and he's certainly not quiet about it. Finn is trying to figure out his nap schedule during the day. I think he's transitioning to 2 naps, but it's a work in progress.
Since it's been a while, just a quick update for us. Jon started his last quarter this week. I think it was a bit odd for him not to have to worry about filling out forms and thinking about summer assignments and fall quarters. We're already making plans for graduation and after. Seminary has definitely gone fast and we got 2 kids and some good friends out of the deal.
I am still working in the mornings. Ben takes 1 afternoon nap, so I like to try to get something done or just relax. Lately it's been spending good quality time with Finn or trying to get him to sleep.
I need to get some food into Ben before he crashes. I'll try to get a few pictures posted this afternoon.
Monday, February 16, 2009
My Little Helper
Yesterday Jon went to take a nap. He put the gate up so Ben wouldn't go banging on the door as he is like to do. Ben needed a diaper change, so I changed him in the living room and set the diaper on the other side of the gate to put in the diaper pail later. When Jon got up, Ben went running over as Jon took the gate down. We were thinking he was excited to see Daddy, but we were wrong (or maybe only half wrong). Ben grabbed the diaper, went walking into our room, and put it in the diaper pail. Now if only he could change himself...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Our Boys
The boys obviously have the same outfit on, but they were actually given by 2 different people. We just had to take pictures. Ben is 17-1/2 months and Finn is 2-1/2 months.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Who Has Time?
Last night I laid in bed thinking about the things I did (and did not get done) yesterday. I was thinking about the letter I finally wrote to my great aunt, who is 93, who is the only person I actually write letters to. With 2 kids, I really have not had time to do a whole lot and I've been thinking about this letter for a while now. It took me a whole half hour to fill up 1 piece of paper. Then I was done. I can usually ramble on for a couple of pages, but I just couldn't do any more what with one kid trying to take the pen out of my hand and another one crying. How did people ever have time to write letters way back when? I also used to write in a journal every day, and I was thinking about how therapeutic that was and would be for me now. I don't remember the last time I did that. It's a good thing I work on the computer, or I'm not sure I would ever check my email.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
More Things About Me
I was tagged in Facebook for 25 things about me. I just added on to my original 16. So here are 9 more things:
17. I love to organize. Cleaning is another matter. I have to be in the right mood for that.
18. Despite my frustration with my child, I love being a mom. I have always believed this is my calling.
19. I love to read and I love doing puzzles. When I was in college, mom and I would do a puzzle when I came home for Christmas, spring break, etc. I looked forward to that.
20. I like beef and chicken, but there's nothing like a good pork chop with a baked potato smothered in butter and sour cream (vegetables optional).
21. I'm not an outdoor person at all. I just hope I can enjoy being outside with my kids when they're older.
22. I really enjoy medical transcription. I wish I had come upon it sooner in my life.
23. I hear Ben say "Hey baby" about 100 times a day. No, he's not talking to me.
24. I'm really annoyed with commercials on TV.
25. I love how the simplest things make babies laugh.
17. I love to organize. Cleaning is another matter. I have to be in the right mood for that.
18. Despite my frustration with my child, I love being a mom. I have always believed this is my calling.
19. I love to read and I love doing puzzles. When I was in college, mom and I would do a puzzle when I came home for Christmas, spring break, etc. I looked forward to that.
20. I like beef and chicken, but there's nothing like a good pork chop with a baked potato smothered in butter and sour cream (vegetables optional).
21. I'm not an outdoor person at all. I just hope I can enjoy being outside with my kids when they're older.
22. I really enjoy medical transcription. I wish I had come upon it sooner in my life.
23. I hear Ben say "Hey baby" about 100 times a day. No, he's not talking to me.
24. I'm really annoyed with commercials on TV.
25. I love how the simplest things make babies laugh.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
17 Things about Me (Jon)
Okay I accept the challenge of Keri and will do her one better. Hence here is 17 (16 +1) things about me.
1. My favorite TV show is the Simpsons, followed closely by the Sopranos
2. I am a fan of random documentaries. This past year I have watched documentary series on the History of Soccer, Christianity, and the National Parks.
3. As a kid, my favorite activity in church was to fill in all the "o" in the bulletin with my pen. I then would count how many zeros or letter O's I had filled in each line. The most I ever had in one line was 17.
4. My second favorite activity in church was to count how many "1's" there are on a one-dollar-bill. As a kid growning up in the 1900's, there was always at least 10 ones on a dollar. The most I ever had on a bill was 24. It is still a habit I do to this day.
5. My favorite place in the world is the State Fairgrounds during the Minnesota State Fair. It kills me that it has been 4 years since I was last at the fair. You have to realize I practically grew up there as my family would show sheep and cattle at the fair for at least 4 days each summer. I along with my brothers probably know those grounds like we do our backyard. My younger brother Nathaniel and I as 12 and 10 year olds spent 9 days up there with 3 of those days completely unsupervised as Mom and Dad took sheep to the South Dakota State Fair. IT WAS AWESOME. Two young boys. 100 dollars for food and entertainment for three days while caring for one sheep. We spent more in the Arcades then what we spent on food, which considering food costs at the State Fair is pretty remarkable. Nathaniel saved up his meal money for one day in order to buy a big bucket of "Sweet Martha's Cookies", the best cookies ever. I believe he got sick from it. At one point we were so tired from running around the fair that we took naps in the air-conditioned comfort of the Minnesota DNR theater while watching Nature Survivial films from the 1970's (from these films, I basically learned that if you are a long-haired hippy whose dune buggy overtuned in the desert, you will DIE from the cold when nightfall comes; oh, and NEVER hike in the woods; blizzards are only seconds away). Can't wait to take my boys there someday(the state fair; not the woods, brrrr).
6. I love people's reaction when I tell them that I was a Meat Judging Coach in Grad School. The puzzled looks are priceless. In order to explain it, I am going to start telling people that basically Meat Judging is like the "American Idol" of Beef and I taught college students to find their inner Steak-judging Simon Cowell. (somehow I don't think Paula would have cut it).
7. My Thesis research primarily had me standing in a foot-deep pool of cattle blood eight hours a day for 5 different days. Good times. I always came out of the blood pit looking like I was in a horror film. Needless to say, my clothes had a certain odor afterward. By the way my Thesis project was titled, "Using serum chemistry profiles to predict beef tenderness for the purpose of on-line instrument grading." Catchy!
8. Once a year I play the Super Nintendo and pass the Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past game. It massages my inner geek.
9. I have debates about whether to even let my children become Vikings fans. Why would I saddle someone I love with this grief, this burden?
10. Still my favorite thing in the world is to get Keri to laugh. Believe me, it is too easy when she is tired. Which given we have two boys under 2, is alot lately.
11. I also believe Netflix Rules.
12. Hebrew was easier for me to learn than Spanish. Bless Mrs. Schoone-Jongen for trying.
13. I have never seen the "Sound of Music" all the way through. I was even in the Sound of Music play in High School and still could not tell you what happens in the first half of the play. (my small part was in the second half).
14. I long to find someone to play Trivial Pursuit with that will give me a good game, (I am not trying to be boastful, but my family and friends no longer will play with me :(
15. My favorite "dumb" film is Rocky IV. It is cheesy; It is improbable; Its conclusion is ludicrous; But boy is it entertaining. If it is on TV, I have to stop what I am doing and watch it.
16. What I miss about Meat Judging as a coach is the team camaraderie and the feeling of waking into an Awards Banquet knowing that your team is one of the favorites to win. It is a feeling that was just as good as winning.
17. I grew in the only county of Minnesota not to have a natural lake, nor did we have an ice rink in Pipestone county. Thus I never really learned to skate nor play hockey. I think the Canadians at Seminary believe I am lying about growing up in Minnesota.
Well I hope this list was affirming to you, and not the least bit disturbing (except perhaps for the cow blood part).
Jon
1. My favorite TV show is the Simpsons, followed closely by the Sopranos
2. I am a fan of random documentaries. This past year I have watched documentary series on the History of Soccer, Christianity, and the National Parks.
3. As a kid, my favorite activity in church was to fill in all the "o" in the bulletin with my pen. I then would count how many zeros or letter O's I had filled in each line. The most I ever had in one line was 17.
4. My second favorite activity in church was to count how many "1's" there are on a one-dollar-bill. As a kid growning up in the 1900's, there was always at least 10 ones on a dollar. The most I ever had on a bill was 24. It is still a habit I do to this day.
5. My favorite place in the world is the State Fairgrounds during the Minnesota State Fair. It kills me that it has been 4 years since I was last at the fair. You have to realize I practically grew up there as my family would show sheep and cattle at the fair for at least 4 days each summer. I along with my brothers probably know those grounds like we do our backyard. My younger brother Nathaniel and I as 12 and 10 year olds spent 9 days up there with 3 of those days completely unsupervised as Mom and Dad took sheep to the South Dakota State Fair. IT WAS AWESOME. Two young boys. 100 dollars for food and entertainment for three days while caring for one sheep. We spent more in the Arcades then what we spent on food, which considering food costs at the State Fair is pretty remarkable. Nathaniel saved up his meal money for one day in order to buy a big bucket of "Sweet Martha's Cookies", the best cookies ever. I believe he got sick from it. At one point we were so tired from running around the fair that we took naps in the air-conditioned comfort of the Minnesota DNR theater while watching Nature Survivial films from the 1970's (from these films, I basically learned that if you are a long-haired hippy whose dune buggy overtuned in the desert, you will DIE from the cold when nightfall comes; oh, and NEVER hike in the woods; blizzards are only seconds away). Can't wait to take my boys there someday(the state fair; not the woods, brrrr).
6. I love people's reaction when I tell them that I was a Meat Judging Coach in Grad School. The puzzled looks are priceless. In order to explain it, I am going to start telling people that basically Meat Judging is like the "American Idol" of Beef and I taught college students to find their inner Steak-judging Simon Cowell. (somehow I don't think Paula would have cut it).
7. My Thesis research primarily had me standing in a foot-deep pool of cattle blood eight hours a day for 5 different days. Good times. I always came out of the blood pit looking like I was in a horror film. Needless to say, my clothes had a certain odor afterward. By the way my Thesis project was titled, "Using serum chemistry profiles to predict beef tenderness for the purpose of on-line instrument grading." Catchy!
8. Once a year I play the Super Nintendo and pass the Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past game. It massages my inner geek.
9. I have debates about whether to even let my children become Vikings fans. Why would I saddle someone I love with this grief, this burden?
10. Still my favorite thing in the world is to get Keri to laugh. Believe me, it is too easy when she is tired. Which given we have two boys under 2, is alot lately.
11. I also believe Netflix Rules.
12. Hebrew was easier for me to learn than Spanish. Bless Mrs. Schoone-Jongen for trying.
13. I have never seen the "Sound of Music" all the way through. I was even in the Sound of Music play in High School and still could not tell you what happens in the first half of the play. (my small part was in the second half).
14. I long to find someone to play Trivial Pursuit with that will give me a good game, (I am not trying to be boastful, but my family and friends no longer will play with me :(
15. My favorite "dumb" film is Rocky IV. It is cheesy; It is improbable; Its conclusion is ludicrous; But boy is it entertaining. If it is on TV, I have to stop what I am doing and watch it.
16. What I miss about Meat Judging as a coach is the team camaraderie and the feeling of waking into an Awards Banquet knowing that your team is one of the favorites to win. It is a feeling that was just as good as winning.
17. I grew in the only county of Minnesota not to have a natural lake, nor did we have an ice rink in Pipestone county. Thus I never really learned to skate nor play hockey. I think the Canadians at Seminary believe I am lying about growing up in Minnesota.
Well I hope this list was affirming to you, and not the least bit disturbing (except perhaps for the cow blood part).
Jon
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Here We Go
I've been back to work for a bit here and I'm trying to keep the peace while I work in the mornings and Jon is off to school. Ben no longer takes morning naps and Finn's not yet on a feeding schedule during the day. It has been an interesting week so far. Monday things were going well. Finn was in his seat and Ben was happily trying to poke him in the head with something when I got my first job. As soon as it came up, Finn started screaming because he decided he was hungry. Ben walked over to the stairs and started yelling. As I struggled to hear my dictation, I could only laugh. Doesn't it figure? And isn't this the joy of parenthood? Two kids with very healthy lungs. Just when everything is going well...
As I write this, Ben is cruising his brother around the basement in his bouncy seat. A bit ago he brought Finn around the corner by the stairs where I couldn't see and left him there, then proceeded to come and sit on my lap.
I think Ben really loves his brother. He likes to try to share his cup and his toys. He also likes to help rock and burp Finn. He's such a big help, but just not in a very gentle manner.
It's exciting to see what the future will bring for these two. I think we're off on a great adventure!
As I write this, Ben is cruising his brother around the basement in his bouncy seat. A bit ago he brought Finn around the corner by the stairs where I couldn't see and left him there, then proceeded to come and sit on my lap.
I think Ben really loves his brother. He likes to try to share his cup and his toys. He also likes to help rock and burp Finn. He's such a big help, but just not in a very gentle manner.
It's exciting to see what the future will bring for these two. I think we're off on a great adventure!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Good Pregnancy
To go along with the last post, here are some safe baby pregnancy tips. Please keep these in mind for a healthy pregnancy.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Just Good Parenting
I am taking this from the Huisvrouw's blog. Please read these safe baby handling tips. It's very informative and you will be a better parent for it.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
16 Things About Me
Here is something I did on Facebook, so I thought I'd just post it here. I'm not sure you'll get 100 things on my 100th post, so here ya go.
1. Ben is driving me nuts lately. The grandmas are both threatening to keep him and I'm seriously considering it.
2. I love doughnuts, particularly Dunkin Donuts' sour cream doughnuts. Mmmmmmmm.
3. One thing I have missed greatly is playing piano. Getting one is a definite must in the future.
4. I believe Netflix is one of the best ideas yet.
5. I collect pigs.
6. When I do things like this, I wonder if people are really interested in what I'm writing.
7. I love getting together with family because we always play games.
8. I have become addicted to HGTV in the last week (thank you grandparents). For many reasons, it's probably good that we don't have cable. And unfortunately, this will probably not make me a better decorator.
9. I got to see my 2 best girlfriends while home, and I enjoyed it very much.
10. I hate reality TV shows. I've watched The Biggest Loser, but that's where I draw the line. It's not all that real.
11. I did not care to bake or cook until I got married. Then I found myself wanting to! I guess something kicked in upstairs.
12. I dislike shopping for clothes. Just give me a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt every day. Whatever is "in" is ugly to me.
13. I'm looking forward to having a house.
14. I absolutely hated art and doing crafts while growing up. My friend finished a lot of my art projects in grade school because she was always done before me.
15. I would like to learn to sew some day.
16. I wish I new more about cars. I would love to take classes or something and learn basic stuff so if I hear a funny noise, I may have some idea what it is.
1. Ben is driving me nuts lately. The grandmas are both threatening to keep him and I'm seriously considering it.
2. I love doughnuts, particularly Dunkin Donuts' sour cream doughnuts. Mmmmmmmm.
3. One thing I have missed greatly is playing piano. Getting one is a definite must in the future.
4. I believe Netflix is one of the best ideas yet.
5. I collect pigs.
6. When I do things like this, I wonder if people are really interested in what I'm writing.
7. I love getting together with family because we always play games.
8. I have become addicted to HGTV in the last week (thank you grandparents). For many reasons, it's probably good that we don't have cable. And unfortunately, this will probably not make me a better decorator.
9. I got to see my 2 best girlfriends while home, and I enjoyed it very much.
10. I hate reality TV shows. I've watched The Biggest Loser, but that's where I draw the line. It's not all that real.
11. I did not care to bake or cook until I got married. Then I found myself wanting to! I guess something kicked in upstairs.
12. I dislike shopping for clothes. Just give me a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt every day. Whatever is "in" is ugly to me.
13. I'm looking forward to having a house.
14. I absolutely hated art and doing crafts while growing up. My friend finished a lot of my art projects in grade school because she was always done before me.
15. I would like to learn to sew some day.
16. I wish I new more about cars. I would love to take classes or something and learn basic stuff so if I hear a funny noise, I may have some idea what it is.
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