Random tidbits from today...

Today I went to TRF to do some errands. I finally was able to go tanning for the first time in like 5 years. 3 kids in 4.5 years doesn't leave a lot of unpregnant time. I like to go a few times in the spring to have a little color otherwise I do not go tanning. Plus it makes me happy!

I am trying to wean Ashlyn from the bottle so I have been trying to put her formula in a cup. A few minutes ago I had the cup upstairs and offered it to Ashlyn. She took a couple drinks and was uninterested. Kehan came over all interested as he likes sippy cups but has not been allowed to use one on a regular basis since last summer after he turned two. He said he liked the baby's milk so I let him try it knowing he would not like formula. He didn't like it but it was fun to let him try. Then Kjerstin decided she wanted to try it, needless to say she didn't like it either! It was funny and kind of cute.

Earlier this afternoon I caught Kehan in the refridgerator pulling the green top off of a strawberry and eating the strawberry. This kid would eat all day long if I let him. He is a perfect example of a "grazer" when it comes to eating.

Kehan also loves to take his clothes off! He will run around the house in his undies all day long. He has no modesty and loves to change clothes. Tractors on his shirt in the morning and Lighting McQueen in the afternoon. He creates so much laundry because I have no idea what is clean or not on his bedroom floor. He also changes his underwear all the time too!

Enough for today as this is just a glimpse of what life is really like in our home!

Weaning from the bottle!

So today Ashlyn took the big first step to no more bottles! She is not thrilled with it though either. I gave her a bottle this morning but since then I have only offered her a cup. She was not happy right before nap time today! She maybe drank 3 of the 6 ounces I offered her. Hopefully she will catch on soon. Can you believe she will be one in just a matter of a couple weeks? It all went by so fast!

In the picture Ashlyn is trying to figure out how the baby got inside her toy...you have to love mirrors for simple entertainment!

Weekend of Cousins

This past weekend was wild! But that is what happens when you have 5 kids 4 and under in one house all weekend. There was 2-4 year olds, 2-2 year olds, and an 11 month old. It was certainly fun, but wild at times too.

My brother Scott and his wife Sacia came up for a visit from Elk Mound, WI. Scott went fishing with Quinten, Paul, his friend Greg, my Uncle Darrel and some of his buddies at Lake of the Woods this weekend, leaving Sacia and I all 5 children! Really it was ok we had a lot of fun and I hear the guys had fun fishing too. Although Quinten's brother Tyler went fishing up at Lake of the Woods too and he did A LOT better than Quinten's group of fishermen.

Friday night we had a Mary Kay party. It went well and I finally learned how to put on eye liner!! That is funny because I rarely wear make up and find that I might start wearing it a bit more, because I looked really good!

Saturday was ballet. I took Kjerstin, Dillon, and Kehan with me to Grand Forks. Sorry I didn't say hi to you Sunny and Kelly if you read this. I was trying to get the boys strapped in so they wouldn't run away from me! Saturday night we let the kids try out a bunch of discontinued Mary Kay samples and wow was that fun to watch. There are a few pictures posted of this fun time, we even allowed the boys to join in with the girls....will they appreciate these pictures when they are 16 though I am not so sure.

Sunday was Church and Sunday School. Sacia stayed home with the younger 3 and I took Kjerstin and Dillon with me. Then after lunch my brother's family took off for home. Thanks for coming up for a visit! It was a really good time!

First Major Life Crisis

Today was the first major life crisis for Kjerstin. Nothing bad happened to her, well, I guess that depends on who's perspective you are looking from to make that decision. She would say it was bad and I would say it was a good life lesson. Lately Kjerstin has been pretty apathetic when it comes to picking up her toys. There is always an excuse and she has to be asked a few times before she will actually do the job and then has quite the attitude while doing it.

It was the same today. I asked her the second time and she went into her room finally after the threaten of getting a garbage bag. When she got to her room she preceeded to lie down on her bed saying she was tired. I went and got the garbage bag. You should have heard the screams coming out of that girls mouth. She even ended up in the corner for saying, " I hate, I hate, I hate" She never did finish that sentence. While in the corner she started yelling, "I want Grandpa. I want Grandpa." When I asked later which Grandpa she had wanted she said Grandpa Jack. Some of you may not know, but Grandpa Jack is my step dad who passed away from cancer in Oct. 2006. Kjerstin was 3 years old. I asked why she wanted Grandpa Jack and she said because she didn't want to be in our house any more. In her child brain I don't know if she thought because he is in heaven with God and Jesus that he could come and get her I just don't know. But it melts and breaks my heart at the same time because the one person she wanted most when she was in the most need of comfort and compassion in her little world she wanted Grandpa Jack. I am so glad that she remembers him and remembers him in away that she knows she felt safe with him. I am sad that she cannot call him or have him to tell her problems too.

In the end the toys were put in a garbage bag and stored away until further notice. I told her when she can pick up her remaining toys without attitude and when I ask consitantly then she can get them back. Poor little thing!

Monkey Bread

Today's adventure was making Monkey Bread. Kjerstin and I did this together while Ashlyn was sleeping and Quinten had Kehan with him in Oklee. Basicly it is Pilsbury biscuts cut up rolled in sugar and cinnamon, placed in an angle food cake pan or bundt pan, a stick of melted butter and 3/4 C. of brown sugar mixed and poured over the top. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Quick and easy carmel rolls, well, in chunks. They are good.

Frog Quilt

I have been meaning to post this picture for a long time. This is a quilt that my Aunt Mary Jo made for Ashlyn. I had originally found the pattern, which I still have if anyone is interested in it, and asked her if she would be willing to make it for me if I payed for the supplies. Well, to my suprise when I came to visit Wisconsin in June, Ashlyn was about 2.5 months old, I found the blanket waiting for her in the playpen at my mom's house! I was so surprised because I had basically forgotten about that blanket. It was such a nice and unexpected gift. I love this blanket I think it is so cute. Also you can not see the detail in this picture but all around the outside edge in the yellow are hand quilted dragon flies. The rest is also hand quilted in a meandering manner. THANK YOU AGAIN MARY JO! Oh the other picture is of Ashlyn playing peekaboo with the blanket. You can see the top of her hair that sticks straight up all the time peeking over the top of the blanket.

A little slow last week...

Not a lot happened last week. Wednesday night Kjerstin sang with the Sunday School during Lenten Services at Oak Park Lutheran Church. She loves to sing. Now she is learning the new hymn for Palm Sunday. "Hosana, Loud Hosana" I think she likes this song because it has the word children in it a few times. We are diligantly working on the two verses she has to learn so she can sing it nice and loud on Palm Sunday.

Thursday Kjerstin went to Preschool. Quinten came home early from work so he stayed with the kids while I went into Thief River Falls to run some errands. I drop more blankets off at Sjorberg's Cable in TRF for Project Linus, went to the bank, Universal Screen print to pick up T-shirts we had made for Nelson and Nelson Construction, RV sports for a new battery for the kids' 4-wheeler, and Wal-Mart for some odds and ends. I ended up buying some flannel to make a couple more blankets but it has to wait until I finish the current project I have going. Plus Quinten said to me the other day, "How many blankets are you on a mission to make?". Well I think I would make blankets almost every day for most of the day if I had an option to do so. It is a hobby that I have really gotten into and would totally enjoy it if I found a job where I could do just that, but that is not really an option. Plus right now my kids need me at home. When I came home Ashlyn and Kjerstin were asleep and Kehan was going strong after a nap. I guess Kjerstin came home was up for awhile and then just went in her room and went to sleep. Sometimes dads do not know the little things there kids do that moms know. I knew imediately that Kjerstin had a fever after Quinten told me what she had done. Sure enough she was at 100.7. I gave her some Ibuprophen and she slept for a while longer and then got up. The kids had colds all weekend. They are on the tail end of them now.

Friday we took the kids out to eat at Cafe Rhombus in TRF. They had fun but they never eat much when we go out to eat unless it is McyD's. When we got home we put the kids in bed and then I went to the church to do the bulletin, I am the church secretary after all.

Saturday Kjerstin had ballet in Grand Forks. A neighbor picked her up along with her granddaughter Karlee and they went to GF. They had a great time as they got to go to McyD's and play and then to Cabela's after that. She returned home around 8:30pm. Uncle Chris was going to take her as he was already going to GF, but the neighbor called Friday night and offered to take her.

Sunday was church and grandma Lana's for lunch then home to do a whole lot of nothing. Which is a good thing. All though we do a lot of nothing at our house I guess.

Today is a slow day too. Just cleaning and playing with the kids. The endless piles of laundry continue to run through the washer and dryer. Man 5 people really make for a lot of laundry. I can't imagine how it goes at our Pastor's house when they have 9 children, 11 people in that household to do laundry for! I would be greatful that they have a well and do not have to pay city utilities for water!