ALPHABET CHALLENGE G

1) GOATS- i hate them. They stink. They are weird looking. Maybe I feel such disdain for them since my sisters and I were forced to milk them growing up. Plus drank the milk- DISCUSTING! If you've ever wondered how goat milk tastes- it tastes exactly the way the goat smells! I promised myself when I was younger that I would never make my kids milk goats! I hope I dont go back on that promise! I have been thinking lately that I need to get some animals for the kids to have some chores. ( I think that is very important) I wouldn't mind getting some pigs. Yes, pigs stink too but they arent quite as annoying as a goat!

2) GROCERIES!!! I don't know about anyone else but haven't groceries gotten horribly expensive. Maybe I didn't realize until lately because my kids have become bottomless pits. I could easily spend $150 a week just on food. I am scared what I'll be spending when they are teenagers! Ben said thats why he's teaching them to hunt- so they can live on wild meat and potatoes.

3) GIRL KISSERS- this is Ben's favorite way to annoy the boys. Anytime he wants to get them going he ust has to whisper these words to the boys and they go absolutly nuts! The hands start slapping and feet start kicking. Its turned into the favorite thing amongest themselves to say when they are mad at eachother.

One more thing I just have to tell. Quite an embarressing one at that! Last Thursday after our Homeschool Co-op we went to Target to get a few things. I really should have known better than to take five tired cranky kids into a store by myself, but I think I must love to torture myself in some wierd way! Anyways, we were wandering around looking at things, trying to remember what I was doing there since I forgot to make a list and I tend to forget everything I'm supposed to be doing when I walk into a store. I bumped into my sister- in-law in there with her kids who were being nice, sweet children ( Yes, Danielle, your kids were being good at least when we were visiting  ; ) ) Out of the blue- Blake shouts " I gotta POOP!!! " Quickly I try to tell him he's going to have to wait. He says loudly again "I gotta Poop bad! " so I say goodbye to Danielle and hurry towards the bathroom with five children surrounding me, all the while Blake keeps saying a little loudly for my taste that he really has to POOOOP" I try to tell him to stop saying it out loud and yes we are almost there. Get to the bathroom and wonder what should I do?? Take all five kids into the bathroom? It'll take to long to get Audrey and Blake out of the cart and the way Blakes acting he's going to have an accident reall soon. So I send Ethan and Blake into the Mens bathroom to do what needs to be done. We sat and waited outside for what seemed like a long time, finally Ethan comes out. I ask him what's taking Blake so long?? He says he's still going (yuck! ) I go over and crack the door open, an employee from Target walks out as I shout in there "Blake- what's taking so long" He yells........" I'M NAKED!!!!!!!!!" I think that employee felt sorry for me- he said he'd wait at the door and keep anyone from going in so I could go in and help my child. I hurry in and thankfully he wasn't naked but unfortunatly it would have been better if he had. His hands and shirt were covered in the poo.  I had to really try not to vomit as I cleaned him up. Why oh why don't I listen to myself when I tell myself over and over that I'm never taking kids with me into a store again. I must have some sort of memory loss that I forget that many horrible things happen when I take the kids out.

ALPHABET CHALLANGE F

Fridays : I have a love/hate relationship with fridays! I hate it because it is usually the longest day of the week- the kids are crabby, I'm crabby. I usually have a couple breakdowns every Friday because I just can't take anymore and desperatly need a Mommy break! Poor Ben usually has a pysco wife those days- calling him repeatedly and asking if he will just hurry up and get home NOW! He really can't hurry across Wisconsin fast enough for me! I love fridays because it means we have finished the week of school and can enjoy the weekend. I love it when Ben gets home on Friday nights, the kids LOVE it too! They get so excited when he comes home they usually attack him as soon as he walks in the door.

five: I can't believe I have 5 kids! I remember wanting to have at least 6 kids when we first got married! I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING!!! 5 is my perfect number! I love how each child is completely different from each other! You would think that with having five kids they would look alot alike but really they each look so defferent from eachother. Their personalities are so different too- life would be so boring if they weren't:)
Many times a day I feel overwhelemed with all these kids and then there will be a few times when I have to count to make sure they are all here because they a being so quiet and I think- hey I could handle a few more....but then it gets crazy again and I wake up from that little dream!

finger: the pinky finger to be exact! I think I may have broken or at least sprained my little finger. It has been over a week and it still is in alot of pain. It really hurts to grasp anything with my right hand. A little embarressing how it happened-( things like this usually are) I stupidly decided to jump onto Ben when he was laying on the couch. While I was flying through the air Ben moved quickly out of the way and my hand dove in between the couch and the cushions and my finger struck the wood beam that is under the cushions. OUCH! Yes, I can be very stupid at times and this was one of those!

ALPHABET CHALLANGE E

O.k, O.k....I've been avoiding my blog for a couple weeks now- this alphabet thing is more challenging than I thought it would be! We had a wonderful Christmas! I was pretty stressed out the last week (even though i was trying NOT to be) I am always waiting until the last minute to anything- I am a procrastinator my nature- so of course I waited until the last 2 days before Christmas to start wrapping presents and making the boys their Vikings fleece tie blankets ( by the way- they LOVED them)

Ethan showing off his Vikings blanket

 Ben didn't get home until late evening Christmas Eve because of the weather but I was very happy that he MADE it home at all- The roads were horrible in Wisconsin on his way back to MN. We spent Christmas Day at my parents with the WHOLE huge family! I love it there! Its so much fun when we all get to be together. And you can count on it being very LOUD! It just wouldn't be the same without all that noise.

We went to Ben's parents the day after, and Wow, what a difference in noise level! There are even more people in his family and it was SOOO quiet! I still haven't figured out if my side is abnormally noisy or if his family is abnormally quiet. Either way- I love the noise :)

hanging with Melina and Zander

daddy with his babies

Yeah, you're probably noticing that my topics are NOT starting with "E's ". ( did you notice how I enlarged the words that do start with E??? Yes, I'm lazy...

Owen is going to be 2 in nine days! I really don't want that kid to grow up- he is such a funny, cuddley, sweet boy. I'm scared that when he turns 2 his personality will change into a strong-willed guy. I have been trying to decide if I will have a party for him or not- leaning towards the NOT! We usually just do a big party for the kids when they turn 1. I just get too stressed out to have both of our large families over to our very tiny house. I really wish all my kids would have been born in the summer- we would probably have more parties if that was the case. He is really starting to talk- FINALLY-. His favorite words are- meow, dad, mom,what,peas(please),Bake(Blake),hi,gus(guys),bus(boys) kiss,and his absolute favoite is "Ewwww". I really shouldn't write this but this morning while I was showering he somehow snuck in the bathroom and opened the shower curtin, looked and me and said....."EWWwwww" It was so funny- I just starting laughing which just made him say it more- thanks little man!

It was back to the diet yesterday- haven't stepped on the scale yet since I took a week and a half off. Kinda scared to- I'll probably wait til the end of the week and hopefull be where I was before I went on the break.
But before the break I had lost 17 lbs. doing pretty good so far :-)

Audrey's 1st Christmas

Clint got a Jared Allen picture!!

Audrey's 1st doll

Ethan and Carter

Clint eating Monkey break

(one of our traditions on Christmas mornings)

Blake

Audrey' fell asleep while we we having breakfast.

Opening presents can be alot of work :)

Clint and Daddy reading the Christmas Story

Grandma Kay and Mommy with Audrey

Uncle Isaac with Audrey ( he doesn't look too happy about this, does he??)

ALPHABET CHALLANGE D

1. Decorating :)  The kids just finished decorating Christmas cookies. It was Owen's first time and he thought it was awesome! He mostly just ate the frosting and sprinkles and with mommy's help managed to get some on the cookies. The kids really enjoy getting to decorate their own plate of cookies that are only theirs. I started doing this because I'm a little picky when it comes to decorating cookies that others might eat, I mean who wants to eat cookies that have had the knife licked off each time it was dipped in the frosting? Not Me!! So they each get one of each shape to have for themselves. I try to get them to agree to only eat one a day but that never works- they've already eaten 2 each!

More on decorating..... Ben has been decorating MY kitchen! Grrrrr! This really irrates me! It started this past summer when I found a cute little scale at a garage sale for a $1. I thought it would be cute above my cabinets. As most people know, Ben is a crazy collector.( He has collected so many thing starting with rocks and pens when he was little all the way to coins and guns as an adult!) Well, he has always wanted me to collect something! He even gave me one of those little souviner spoons once from a truck stop in Michigan hoping I would collect those- sorry NO WAY!!!  So when he saw the scale he must have thought " finally something I can get Joy to collect". He started bidding on some on ebay and has gotten me 2 more since then. Now he's been decorating the tops of my cabinets with scales and kerosine lanterns (his new collecting object!!). I would hav been fine with that but then he went further and started pulling weird, ugly things out of my pantry( that I should have tossed a long time ago) and started putting them up. I should have know Ben was a little weird when he told me he made a lap quilt for the fair and won a ribbon for it!  Don't worry, he's not ashamed about that piece of knowledge- he is very proud of it. but what can ya do- I love that guy even when he's stepping in my territory! Wow I went a little deep their for the letter D! Guess there will only be 1 subject for todays Letter!

C

C

1. Wish you a Merry Christmas! Every Christmas seems to get more and more stressful. Money is always tight.I am always worrying that we won't be able to do our shopping for the kids and that we won't be able to afford to buy them what they want. But by the time Christmas gets here, I"m always amazed that everything usually works out. I don't know why I stress about this stuff because I don't want my kids learning that Christmas is not about presents and everything being perfect, its about Jesus' birth and the HOPE we have because he was born so long ago. Its just that I'm a worrier. I worry about everything. It drives me crazy!!!! This year I'm trying to not worry so much, realize that more than anything I need to just cherish my kids while they are young, and stop thinking about what might not get done.

2. Cookies..... We made Christmas Cutout Cookies today. Normally I start my Christmas baking a couple days after Thanksgiving, but this year I have started until today. Why? I started a diet the beginning of November. I've lost 14 lbs so far and I just haven't wanted to tempt myself with all the yummy treats! The boys keep asking when we are going to start making Christmas cookies and I decided today was the day. I probably won't make all the different kinds I normally make because I just have way too much of a sweet tooth and not enough self control to NOT eat them! It kinda sucks but I'm sure I'll thank myself when the holidays are over and I haven't gained that holiday weight!

3. Carmels. I made carmels for the 1st time this year and its soooo much easier than I thought it would be!I made some around THanksgiving and made a double batch on Sunday to give as gifts for some of the kids teachers at church. Owen loves them- he is always standing next to the cuboard I keep them in and just keeps saying "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm" i can't help but give him lots cause its just so darn cute! I wasn't thinking when I made them though and ran out of wax paper to wrap them in- so i have the ones that didn't get wrapped in wax paper in plastic wrap until I can get some more. This time I ended up with almost 200 carmels.