Katja Rose...YOU ARE HERE!

What a journey life has been lately!  I can't believe I am a Mom to five kids! I was surprised and scared when I found out I was pregnant with number 5! I was only scared because we had so much coming up in our family, that I didn't know how we would fit in time for having another baby.  We had a big move coming up plus building a home, so having a baby was not planned by me.  Actually, I was trying not to get pregnant, however, when we have plans...sometimes God has other plans.  When I told my husband that I was pregnant, he was thrilled and said that God's timing is always perfect and he will provide.  So, this summer at the end of July, Katja Rose came into our world.  I was due on July 14th, according to the Dr., but I figured I was closer to the 18th or 19th.  We said that we were not going to do anything with this pregnancy to induce or interfere, and I am so glad that the experience was a much better one!

I started having slight back aches, contractions and tightening when I had gone out to eat for Chinese with my Mom-in-law on the 23th of July.  I was about 1 1/2 weeks past my EDD, and pretty soon the Dr.'s were going to encourage me to set up for induction.  I went home that night, and my contractions came steady and stronger.  At 1:30 am on the 25th, I thought we should head into the hospital.  When I was checked I was at a 2 cm, but after sitting in the hospital for about 6 hours, and my contractions pretty much slowing down and becoming so sporadic, we went back home.  I sat at home all day with being able to get a nap squeezed into my afternoon.  That evening, my contractions became super intense, and approximately 11 p.m. I felt the need to push with them....so we went back up to the hospital.  This time, we weren't going home, because I was dilated to an 8! :)  The nurses all got the room ready, because we were having a baby!
I could get into all the details of that night, but I will just keep to the big details.  My husband was going to be catching our baby, and I love that! Doesn't he look great in scrubs?

My best friend, Randi, has been with us for 4 of our deliveries.  I love having her and my husband in the room for support.  Both of them are such an encouragement for me and blessings.  I so gratefully appreciate them!  So, back to my story of Katja's entrance...without much for pain meds., I pretty much cried and yelled out in pain.  I am sure the whole hospital heard me a few times, and I remember thinking that.  I had Phetanol (which is like Neubain) just 2 doses. With that pain med., I was able to rest slightly between contractions.  I had an unusual labor, because my contractions never came one on top of another with little time in between.  My contractions stayed coming at about 1-1 1/2 minutes apart for all of the labor.  I knew time was close when I started naturally pushing through my contractions.  What an amazing thing!  I don't recall how long I pushed, but it didn't take long, and Katja (literally) flew out.  Terry almost had her slip through his hands.

My Dr. was super!  He was technically still on vacation, but he was officially back to work later that day on the 25th.  So, having him come in was a very nice sacrifice.  I think he did a great job, and he showed up in his shirt and cap. LOL 

I love my dear friend, Randi!  (Thanks for all you do, all you are, and for being my dear sweet friend! I appreciate you!)

Katja Rose (Katja: pronounced caught-ya, is a form of Katherine, meaning PURE) weighed 8 lbs., 10 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Here is one of my nurses.  I loved all my nurses, and I really don't have a complaint about any of them. Usually I get one that we either clash a little or I just don't care for them, but this time....all of them were super!  My whole experience with this labor/delivery was excellent!  I was at a different hospital this time, and the care far exceeded the last hospital.  I had small town hospitality here!

My Mom holding her littlest granddaughter.  Katja is number 24th of the grandchildren on my parent's side.  It would have been fun if she was born on the 24th.

My Dad making faces at his granddaughter.

Here I am holding my second little girl, and also holding my friend's daughter who is 2 months older than Katja.  My face is starting to swell on this photo.  I had one allergic reaction during my stay, and I had big time swelling, and chest tightness.  Good thing I was in the right place if things went wrong.  After I removed myself from all medication, I had to be on Prednesone for 5 days.

Daddy and his two princesses...

Grandma Cheryl with her two granddaughters. (Maddy is so in love with her baby sister)

Grandma Cheryl with our kids~ Nathaniel (12 1/2), Caleb (6), Madelyn (4), Cole (2) and Katja (newborn).

Katja and her little friend, Kayla...holding hands.

Getting ready to go home. 

I love this photo!  My favorite!

Crying newborns are actually pretty cute. :)

All set in the car seat.  She looks so tiny!

Welcome baby Katja! We are so thankful for our little daughter! I am thankful for the hospital, Dr., nurses, my husband, best friend, and for having such a beautiful & healthy family!

Nathaniel is so creative and inventive

Nathaniel loved to be outside by the lake in the summer. He was outside for sometime yesterday, and I really wasn't sure what he was doing. I trust him being outdoors, and he usually finds something to do, whether that is fishing, looking for frogs, or something else. Well, yesterday he was busy being creative and inventive. Look what he made~ he made a dock and a raft out of reeds. My hubby and I were pretty impressed with what he came up with. At the time he had his pet salamander outside, so he had made these for "Sally." Nathaniel has had that pet for 4 years. He got the salamander from his great grandma's window well the summer we moved into our house. He has kept his salamander in an aquarium with dirt and water. In the summer he digs up worms, and in the winter we buy worms from the bait and tackle store. It has been a fun pet for him. Anyway, I had to post about his raft and dock he made because it was pretty cool.

The Pulse Slither is the Ultimate Scooter!

It is that time of year when the bikes and scooters come out! We were so excited to review the new Pulse Slither from Bravo Sports, my son couldn't wait for the snow to melt!
He rides around on his scooter constantly! He loves how easy it is to maneuver and do tricks on it. He loves to go really fast, lean into the curve and glide quickly around in another direction.

The Pulse Slither has three wheels, two bigger wheels in front, and a smaller wheel in the back. With this awesome design, the Slither makes doing cool tricks easier because you can pivot around with that back wheel and have the support of the two bigger wheels in front.

The Slither also has a great design on it. The graphics are very vibrant, plus they won’t chip or peel! The Pulse Slither is available in two dynamic color ways: Electric Blue “Skull Wing” and Toxic Green “Von Scroll.” The Slither, which retails for $59.99, is available at Target, K-Mart, Academy, AAFES, Sports Chalet, Dunhams and other select sporting goods retailers.

The Pulse Slither has a base board the size of a skateboard or snowboard, and it glides like a surf board on the waves, only you are on the sidewalks/roads. It can be ridden facing forward or standing to one side and is propelled by “slithering” from side to side or by pushing with your foot, opening up even more trick possibilities. The rudder-like rear wheel with variable tension gives the rider the freedom to drift in and out of turns, zip around corners, execute lightning-quick 180º turns and adjusts to their skill level.

My son loves riding around on this every chance he can get. A few of his friends want the Slither, because they see how much fun it is, and they have tried it out themselves.

As a parent, I love that the Pulse Slither is a great product, my son loves it, and it provides an opportunity for him to get out and enjoy the outdoors (plus getting some exercise). This is a great alternative to indoor video gaming this summer!

The Pulse Slither is the long-awaited follow up to last year’s hit ride-on toy, the Pulse Kick N’ Go. Bravo Sports CEO Tony Armand, the creative mind behind both scooters, adds “We are so excited about the arrival of the Slither. The Pulse extreme scooters offer more versatility, functionality and excitement than a traditional scooter and are great fun for kids of all ages and skill to ride. The feedback so far has been incredible! Once people get on a Slither, they don’t want to get off!!” For additional product information and to see the Pulse Slither in action, view photos and get a complete list of retailers, visit www.pulsescooters.com.

About Bravo Sports

Bravo Sports, headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, California, is a global leader in the recreational and sporting goods markets. With offices, factories and warehouses in the United States, Italy, Thailand and China, the Company’s operations truly span the globe. Since 1965, Bravo has provided the highest quality and most innovative products to sports and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. With a stable of market-leading brands including Pulse™, Quik Shade™, Moto Shade™, Airzone™, Tony Hawk™, World Industries™, Kryptonics™, Hyper™ and Variflex™ to go along with industry leading licenses with outstanding partners like Nickelodeon and Mattel, Bravo consistently seeks to exceed the expectations of its consumers and customers alike. At Bravo, the goal is simple – to create simply the best products for price in the world.

I was contacted by Bravo Sports, who asked me for my participation in posting this information. I was sent a Pulse Slither to review in exchange for posting a review, and sent information to post with the review. I was not compensated for my time or written review. The opinions in this review are of my own.

MythBusters Science Kits~ Great for home school experiments!

As a child, and even as an adult, I love hands-on projects. Ones that get you so involved you can't help but learn~ and retain it! Being a home schooling mom, I really enjoy finding or being introduced to new, fun and exciting programs that help my kids learn and enjoy doing it! I was sent the Elmer's all-new MythBusters Weird World of Water kit to review!

We have watched the show of MythBusters on the Discovery Channel, when we had cable, and we enjoyed the crazy, bizarre, interesting...etc. stunts/experiments/etc., that Jamie and Adam, the two hosts, perform. Very entertaining, and educational.
Nathaniel had a great time "experimenting" with the MythBusters Weird World of Water Kit! The kit came with all the items necessary to complete the experiments. Included in the kit was: 2 soda bottles with lids, 3 pieces of Balsa wood, clear cylinder, clear straw, clear tube, fin holder, funnel, 15 beads, glitter, nose cone, pipette, food coloring, stopper assembly, vortex connector, and an activity guide book.
Nathaniel loved the "hurricane effect" when he shook up the bottles to create a funnel (tornado). Madelyn (little sister) really thought it was neat, too. I really like the MythBusters kits, especially with home schooling. I think these are great kits to really engage the student, and help them learn by doing hands-on experiments. Kids can write down their studies, and their conclusions. The kids can get a cause and effect with these experiments.
Nathaniel likes the Weird World of Water kit, too. Here are the experiments you can do with this kit: myth of the pantry projectile (do this one outdoors), myth of the deadly vortex, and myth of the man who could walk on water. I like that there is room in the activity guide for kids to write their notes and conclusions down.
For ages 8 and up, the Weird World of Water science activity kit is available nationwide at Toys "R" Us, Target and Walmart. The SRP is $19.99. This great product has just received the FamilyFun Magazine 2009 T.O.Y. award, too!

This review was sponsored by Team Mom and Elmers.com. They have supplied me with a free product to keep for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Some sweet & funny things

About a month ago, we had vacation Bible School at our church (V.B.S.) and the kids had a great time with the whole week. One of the days, the kids got a Rice Krispie treat with a note on it saying something like, "Thanks for being my Leader." The kids were suppose to give it to someone who is a leader in their life. Caleb and Madelyn gave me theirs and I thought that was sweet. Then, Nathaniel came and gave me one, too. But, what was incredibly sweet was Nathaniel said, "I wish I could tie balloons onto this and send it up to Jesus."

*************************************************************************

We have a children's picnic table in our family/rec room. It is a plastic Little Tykes table, and for some reason my kids love to stand on the top of it. I constantly tell them to get down and stop standing on there. Well one day, Caleb decided to hop on up there. I said, "Caleb, you need to get down from that table. You know I don't want you up there, and I never want you to stand up there. Ever. Now, get down."
To which he replied, "Mom, you should make a sign."
I asked him what he meant, and he said, "You should make a sign saying, "No Standing on the table," so we know that we shouldn't stand on the table."

Where did he hear or see that we need signs for things?

*************************************************************************

We had our cousins here from Colorado/Washington this last week. They came to our house yesterday and spent the night last night. We took the boys, Nathaniel and his cousin tubing behind the pontoon. We decided to drop them off at the Island so they could go swimming for awhile while we drove around the Island. The plan was we were going to pick them up after we circled around. Well our dog, Lena, was not impressed with this choice~ at all! In fact, she was pacing the floor of the pontoon while barking. It was like she was saying, "You left the boys! They fell off! We need to go back! Hey, do you hear me? We are missing the boys!"
~lol It was very comical!

*************************************************************************

What is up with you??

Seriously, I have been really rather scarce in the "bloggin' world," really. Not intentionally, either. I love blogging, posting family photos, telling stories, sharing memories, sharing funny things my kids do/say, product reviewing, hosting contests....all that blogging is for. What has been happening lately? I am really not totally sure, but I think that I got a bit burnt out. I think I said, "yes," too much, and not enough of "not right now", or "no" to the requests. I can see from the past few months, that my blogging has become less of me, and more of reviews. I am so sorry about that. I got so busy, and everything got piled up. I have some catching up to do, and I hope you will all understand.
I haven't even been keeping up with the daily reviews and personal life stories, photos, or the like. I am sorry to all my readers who have come to see what is going on with me, as a person...to find not much new posted. Actually, we have been quite busy, and I fully intend to catch up, if that is possible. I have been through surgery to remove the melanoma in my ear. I am recovering, and healing! Praise the Lord the melanoma is gone from my ear, too! I just saw the Plastic surgeon on Tuesday, and he said it is looking good. I told him that I feel like I am sleeping on a rock, and asked if that will get better. He wasn't sure, but he said he could fix it in about 6 months if I am still having a hard time. I saw my dermatologist on Wednesday, and she checked me over again. We decided to have another mole removed on my back, and the surgery is set for the end of August. This surgery will take awhile, since the mole is bigger. I have had this mole most of my life (I believe) but it does concern her. I am praying that it is a cancer free mole. So, this is a worrisome fear on my heart, and I know I need to put my trust in God for good results. I also had Nathaniel in to see the dermatologist and had him remove a mole from his right temple. I hope that the results will be cancer-free for him, too. So, we ask for prayer that any and all moles removed are free of cancer, and that our trust remains strong in the Lord.
My blogging is going to be getting back to more of personal life and less of reviews. I won't be giving up on reviews, because I LOVE doing them. Plus, I like being "in the know" of what is out there. I am going to do my best to keep you all up to date on what is going on with my family, me, and our life. I want to put up lots of pictures of my kids, and their funny stories. Also, I don't want to lose touch with all the wonderful blogging friends I have made! I am sorry that I haven't been around much, but I hope to get back into the swing of things. I know my mind has been so much on the melanoma, and just life being so busy with 3 kids under the age of 4 and a pre-teen child. Plus, it is summer...so, that is less time indoors and at the computer. Thanks for hanging in with me. I hope we see more of one another. God bless you! Happy 4th of July!!

He is so sweet!!

Nathaniel did the sweetest, and very loving, gesture yesterday morning. He really loves his mom~ He offered to let me sleep in by getting up with Madelyn and Caleb. He tried doing this for me on Tuesday morning, but he wasn't aware that I was up at 6:20 with Cole. I had gone down into our basement with Cole, because I didn't want to disturb my other three sleeping children. Nathaniel had got up, went into Caleb's bed and laid down. His plan was going to keep Caleb occupied in his room while I slept longer. Madelyn and Caleb share a room (for now). She is in a toddler bed and Caleb is in a full size bed. Anyway, yesterday morning, Nathaniel had got up with Caleb and Madelyn. He had them in the basement watching a video while I slept. He is so sweet. I woke up at 7:30 with Cole, and didn't even notice the time. I nursed Cole, snoozed off a bit, and woke up. I looked at the clock and it was 8:00. Nathaniel still had to get ready for school, eat breakfast, and get on the bus. I think he maybe wanted to "skip" out on school that day. Who knows, there maybe some fringe benefits to home schooling him next year if we go that route. :)

Random thoughts and funnies

I am sorry I haven't been blogging my life stories, experiences, situations...fill in the blank.....lately. Life with four children is definitely a lot busier than life with three children~ especially since right now, I have a 3 (almost 4) year old, a newly 2 year old, and a 3 month old. My son, Nathaniel....who is 10 1/2, is very helpful, but he is in school. Plus, he has difficulties, too. He is a great kid, smart, funny, lovable, and sensitive...just a hard age and life changing age right now. We are considering home schooling him next year. He has been in the public school for the last 2 years, after being home schooled for the first 3 years of school. He has experienced what "school" is now, and he is asking to be home educated again. One of the main reasons he wanted to go to "real school," A.K.A. public school, was to ride the bus. Now, that is one of the biggest issues he has right now. He hates the school bus ride. He is very sensitive to swearing and loud yelling/screaming, and he has been in tears over the whole mess. He has also had some issues with this year's teacher. Personally, I just don't think that she really "likes" Nathaniel. As his mom, I really struggle with that. She just doesn't have that warmness and caring presence that his teacher from last year had. Some of the issues I have with her is her lack of spelling tests and some of her reasoning. Nathaniel's biggest struggle is spelling. He has actually gone backwards in his spelling this year. They don't work on it in school, so how can he start getting it? There really aren't enough hours in the day to have him come home to practice/memorize spelling words for 2 hours each day when he gets home just before 4 PM. It is really frustrating. Nathaniel excels in Math, Reading, Language, and Science...he just really struggles with spelling. So, home schooling is probably the direction we need to go. I would love to have him go to a private school, but the cost is way out of our budget. Nathaniel's Dad isn't a big supporter of home education, however, he has seen it to be successful. He knows Nathaniel's grades have decreased this year, and that he has been struggling. Also, I think if Nathaniel shares his feelings with his Dad, he will be more apt to go along with home education. So, we are praying about it. One really great thing we have been doing with Nathaniel lately is having a talk session once a week. Terry and I sit down with him, and he has the floor to say whatever is on his mind. He can tell us if he is mad at us, disagrees with something, is upset about school/bus/friends/siblings, etc.~ all as long as he is respectful. Terry and I don't share our opinions, get mad, or correct him....we just listen. Thankfully, Nathaniel has been very open with us, and he is sharing so much. I see that he is just filled with so much suppressed emotion, and it breaks my heart. He is at such an impressionable age, and I really hope we can understand where he is at and help him overcome some things. I love him so much, and he is so precious to me. I am sure it is a challenge for him to live in one home with certain rules and expectations, visit another home with his Dad, and maybe feels out of sorts. Plus, he is entering pre-teen and that has a whole bunch of feelings/emotions attached. Terry and I are making some changes so Nathaniel can be happier with his home life, and school life. We are working on his own room, more one on one time with him, more time with his Dad, and his own space.


Caleb has been in a stage that is, what I would call,~ extremely independent. He has been very testy lately, and saying, "NO!" He is almost 4 years old (end of May). I think he is feeling a lack of attention lately with Maddie and new baby brother, Cole. Terry and I have talked about making sure he has more one on one time with us soon. He has been doing great with his potty training, and keeping his underwear dry during the day. Most nights he has accidents, but he really can't wake himself up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. He has been very observant of his body parts lately, and I find it embarrassing. I know God made him with those parts, but how do you explain it isn't a toy, or something that is of common discussion with just anyone. He says things like, "just playing with my ***," like it is just a game that he is playing. I know it is normal for this age, it just has never been comfortable to work through. Caleb loves wearing shorts so much lately. On Friday, I told him to put on jeans. He got so upset and what throwing them down on the ground. After a few rounds of me telling him he was going to wear them, and him telling me no with throwing them down....he said the funniest thing.
Me: "You will wear those jeans, and you won't tell me no."
Caleb: "I don't like wearing jeans!! I love my mom and dad, but I DO NOT like wearing jeans!" It was very comical.

Madelyn's favorite words right now are, "What?" and "Why?" She is really becoming more vocal and clearer with her words. She struggles a little with her pronunciation, but she is getting better at it. She is very strong willed, and independent. She is loving to dress herself, especially if she has a zipper on anything. She loves to be barefoot no matter where she is. If we are home all day, I don't even bother putting socks on her. She finally moved into a size 4 diaper. We also just moved her from the crib to a toddler bed. Last week, Nathaniel put the whole toddler bed together by himself without directions! We were so proud of him, and you could tell he was happy with himself and the results. I set it up in Caleb's room, moved the changing table, and she loves it! It is quite funny, because she will not get out of bed in the morning or after nap. She calls for Terry or I to come, and she waits for us. It is precious, and I am glad she likes it.

Maddie and Caleb are at Grandma's for the weekend. Caleb and his other boy cousins were peeing outside today by the trees. Madelyn was standing by a tree, and just kept still. Grandma asked her what she was doing, and Maddie said, "I go potty, too!" Then, she tried to go. Poor girl! She is the only girl grandchild with 7 boy grandchildren. I know she will fair well, but it would be nice if there was another girl for her. OH well!

Cole is growing so much these days! He just rolled over from tummy to his back this week on Wednesday, I believe. He is now 3 months old. He is also reaching for toys, and putting them in his mouth~ when he makes it that far. He is such a happy-go-lucky baby! He is a great sleeper, and is great about crying when he needs the necessities: feeding, changing, sleeping. He does bite down on me sometimes, and that isn't very pleasant. He is a great breast feeder, though. I love his smile! He really lights up when he is talking or being talked to. I am totally not rushing him into his stages or milestones. I want to just enjoy his growth, and learning. He may be our last baby, so I just try to relish his moments and cuteness!

Terry has been working with the DNR this whole week. He is a smoke chaser/fire fighter. He loves fighting fire. April and May are the big fire months of the year. His full-time job has been very slow this week (not good) but he has been able to get his fire-fix with the DNR at least. He has been on some great fires this week, too! I love hearing his stories and hearing about what happened with his evening. My house has seen better days than this week, but Terry has been gone most of this week. Tuesday night he was home at 2 AM~ Wed., 9:00 PM on Wed., and 7 PM on Thurs. So, the hours are a lot longer. I was so happy to have the whole day with him today with our drive to Wisconsin for a train show. It was a beautiful day! Tonight we looked for refrigerators. Ours is dying, so we need to get a new one. It was good to go hunting around for prices, but I know that I am not much of a shopper these days.
Tomorrow I have a bridal shower to go to for my future sister-in-law. Terry is going to work with the DNR again, so we will both be busy. I am excited to go because I love showers! The shower is about an hour from my house. After the shower I will be picking up Caleb and Madelyn. I plan to head home after that, but if Terry gets called out to a fire, I may have to drive another 2 hours to pick up Nathaniel, and then an hour and half home. So, I may have a lot of drive time tomorrow. I hope you all are having a great weekend! Thanks for visiting, and reading my blog! I will try to write more about us, and visit you all more soon!

Xeko Pals~ Giveaway!

My son loves the card game Xeko! He gets to learn about endangered species, play a strategic game, and collect valuable cards gaining education while playing! I have reviewed the Xeko game a few times (see here, & here). Xeko Mission is a 2 player card game that he can learn about conservation and the environment while he plays.A new line of eco-friendly plush, the Xeko Pals, also debuted this fall. Each plush is based on the most popular characters from the Xeko eco-adventure game. The plush are made with soy and certified organic cotton “fur” and filled with soy-based stuffing. These new toys feature “mission codes” that allow kids to join the fun at xeko.com, where the Xeko adventure comes to life on the web. The most popular character from Mission: China is the Giant Panda.
Xeko Pals, “Hairy,” is the newest little Xeko critter. "Hairy" is a dwarf lemur from Madagascar—the toy is life-sized (these lemurs are about the size of a softball in real life). He is so cute, and his eyes are so big! He has a really long tail, and my son loves playing with him!
As you can see, Nathaniel has a great time playing with the Xeko Pals! Not a dull moment! Each animal comes with a Mission Code, which gives unlimited play of the “Hairy the Nibbler” game at xeko.com. It is a fun game!
Nathaniel now has a companion to help him complete his mission while playing the Xeko game.
Xeko has offered to give you a discount on their products (games, cards, or stuffed animals):
Just go to the Xeko Store, select your items, and you can get 15% off your entire order by entering the code: gogreen
Expires: 10/31/09

Since Earth Day is quickly approaching (April 22), Xeko has offered to give a Lemur away to one of my readers! This contest is open to USA, and will end on April 22nd~ Earth Day! Go to Xeco.com and find out a few facts, or something you find interesting...then come back and comment on it.
You may comment on as many other posts (that I have written in the past) as you want to for an additional entry, just leave the url in your additional comment! You have many chances to enter this contest! In order to qualify, you must do what is required. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment AND/OR Click here to see how you can earn even more extra credits to win!! Click here to see guidelines and the official rules.

Happy Birthday and bits of pieces....

Today is my husband's birthday! Happy Birthday~ honey! We had a great day so far...we got up and went to church. It was Youth Sunday~ and that is when the Youth Group leads in worship, song, and prayer. Our Youth Pastor gave the sermon. I missed most of the sermon, because Cole needed a diaper change and to be fed. This usually happens during the church service when my babies are little. Cole is getting so big! He had an appointment last Thursday for his 2 month check up. He is now 11 pounds 14 ounces! It is hard to believe that he is almost 10 weeks old already! Don't worry, I am not looking to have another anytime soon...the labor/birth/recovery is so fresh in my mind, and it isn't a pleasant thought. At least I have a beautiful baby, and he is healthy! He still has a bump on the top of his head. It is hard, and that is a bit worrisome. I asked the Dr. about it, and she said it was odd to her that it was still there after 2 months. She said sometimes when they give shots, and they hit a vein, kids can get a harder lump from calcium build-up (from the blood). So, she thinks that may be what it is. Too hard to tell. She said we could maybe go to a Skull Dr., but with Cole being so little, there really isn't too much the Dr. could do. So, we wait. Madelyn had her 2 year check up the same day as Cole's 2 month. She is finally on the charts with her weight! She is now 23 pounds (still a little peanut), but she is growing well. She will just always be petite, I think. She a busy little girl, and learning more everyday! I can't believe my little baby girl is a toddler. Of coarse, she loves to say, "NO!" and she is learning Independence with getting dressed/undressed. She loves to give kisses and hugs, and is our cuddler.
For the last two nights, we have had friends over for game night. We love having friends over and entertaining. On Friday night, we had over our friends Lisa and Donnie. Our other friend, Jody and her husband were suppose to come over, but they had forgotten. We had fun playing our new Yatzee game. Good laughs, and fun. Then, on Saturday evening, we had over Jodi and Ben. We have really enjoyed playing this game called Ticket to Ride. I was hoping to review the game on my site, but no luck. It is a really fun game, and my husband especially loves it because it is trains.
I am sorry I haven't been writing too many personal blogs lately. I have been so busy with 4 kids. It really makes a difference from 3 to 4.....especially since they are all under the age of 4~ Caleb will be 4 end of May. I do want to get better with writing about our kids, what they do, and our family times. I will try to get more pictures uploaded too.
Tonight I am going to go pick up Nathaniel from his weekend with his Dad. I hope he had a good weekend with his Dad. We have been going through some things with Nathaniel and we are seeking guidance. I pray that we can help him get through his heart issues. He is 10 years old, and in such a crucial moment in his life. The other night we sat down with him and let him say anything he wanted to us. He could share his feelings, anger, fear~ whatever he wanted. If he was mad at us, or whatever. He had to stay respectful through it. It was amazing what our results were. I will have to go into more details about that another post. I hope you all had a good weekend. More later.

Fourth Grade Choir Concert

Last night, we went to Nathaniel's yearly choir concert. There are so many children in his school that they have separate nights for each grade to perform their concert. There is one main choir teacher, and she has a helper. It was fun to see all the kids. I have to give props to his choir teacher, because she had kids playing different style drums, all of them playing recorders, bells, egg shakers and keeping them all in order. They sang 5 individual songs, and a patriotic medley of 7 songs. I think my favorite was the train song. This was a song of hand actions, singing in rounds, and leaving out words on beats (like BINGO). When the kids were starting to leave out words to the song, and just doing the hand actions, Caleb started noticing something was different. He said, "What happened to their voices? Why can't they sing?" Of coarse it was quiet, and those of us around Caleb had to laugh. It was so comical! I thought it was so funny that I laughed for some time after that comment~ just thinking about it.
It was a great concert, but Caleb and Maddie were quite restless. Maddie couldn't keep her hands off of the lady's coat in front of us on the bleachers. She had fur lining....it was funny.

Blogging Time

Hello all my faithful readers! Thank you so much for sticking with me. I am so sorry that I haven't been doing too much personal blogging lately. I can give you all an update this evening, so I am jumping on the opportunity. Being a new mom (this time around) is a bit more challenging. Having 4 children can sure be tiring, and demanding. I love being a mom, and I wouldn't trade my children (or position in life) for anything. I do question my sanity some days, though. Some days I feel so much older than I am, and I really do think that I am getting wrinkles. I have a hard time deciding if they are wrinkles or tired marks. My son Caleb has been my big-time work load lately. Age 3, almost 4, is a patience-trying time. He has so much energy, and doesn't seem to listen very well. Quite honestly, I think he purposely ignores me just to get my goat. There are days that I just want to be a child again so I can go on time out. Why is it that all the things we "had" to do when we were younger, we enjoy and long for as an adult? I would love to HAVE to take a nap...I would love to HAVE to play outside, and I would love to HAVE to be on time out~ or sent to my room!! Seriously, if we could have looked into our future, maybe we would have enjoyed our time outs and free play more as children.
Anyway, updating on my children. I know this post could be about 10-15 pages long, so I will try to summarize a bit. Nathaniel is doing OK. I had a report on his grades this last quarter, and all of his grades have gone down. I am not totally sure why this is happening. One of his classes he didn't turn an assignment in, and the result was a D+. Needless to say, we weren't happy about his grades. I fear that he is just not liking school, the teacher he has this year, and longs to be homeschooled again. I have a hard time with the teacher he has this year (and I won't get into that now), but I just have a feeling we may be taking him back out of public school and homeschooling him again. My husband thinks that this is the best option, but my fear is that Nathaniel and I will suffer in our relationship as we did in the past. Please be in prayer with me over this decision. I could say so much more about this, but I know my post is getting so long already. Nathaniel is a great helper, and he is growing up so fast. He loves to learn facts, and he has such a good head on his shoulders.
Caleb is still very funny (comical) but his actions have been so naughty, too! He is at a difficult age. He wants to be independent, wants to grow up, wants to bully/control his sister, and fights with his brother. Most days he is like a ping pong ball bouncing off of everything! I think he really needs to get outdoors to wear off some of his bottled energy. I think he is also feeling the need to have quality time, and my husband and I know he needs more time with us. I think he is having a bit of a hard time adjusting to Cole's entrance into the family. I try so hard to make sure he knows he is valued and loved. Potty training is good during the day, but he has been having accidents at night time. We need to buy some heavier duty pull-ups for nighttime.
Madelyn is talking a lot more, and she is still as feisty as ever. She has learned to point her finger at us and tell us "NO" in a stern voice. While she does this, she gives you a glaring look and scowls at you. NO, it isn't very fun at all. At first it was kind of cute, and now you just get upset with her. She is our strong-willed child. She is also very sweet and loving, too. She loves to be cuddled, gives lots of hugs and kisses, and is our little co-sleeper. She is also cutting a ton of teeth right now, which could be reason for a bit of her mood.
Cole is growing bigger everyday, and I can't believe he is 5 weeks old already! He is getting cuter everyday, too. He has lost some of his hair on the top of his head, but his hair is still darker. His sores have healed up nice and the blood pooling is going down. Still has a lot to go down, but it is improving. Right now he is a bit congested. That is something new. I hope it doesn't turn into anything. I don't want to isolate him from everyone, but I really don't want him catching anything nasty, either. So, I hope he gets healthy, and it doesn't turn into anything worse. He is in the 0-3 month clothes now. I will try to post pictures of all my kids soon.
This weekend we had some good times! Friday night was my favorite night of the month~ Ladies Night Out! I always look forward to this great night of friends, laughter, food, games....and just pure fun and therapy for the soul! Thank you friends for the great time! Saturday was my monthly stamp club. I missed last month (that was sad) so it was great to be back enjoying my hobby. It was fun showing off Cole, too. We had some yummy treats, chocolate, and made some great cards. On my way home, Terry called me and said that we were going out for dinner. My wonderful MIL sent us a package of Valentine's Love. She sent us money to go out for dinner, cards and gifts for the kids. Thank you Cheryl! You are so thoughtful and giving! It was a fun time. Then, Saturday night, we had some friends over to play games, and have dinner together. It was great to spend time with them. Sunday, we went to church~ heard a great sermon, visited with friends, and then had a relaxing afternoon. It was a great weekend.
I will try to write more personal posts to update you on my life. I do have some funny stories to share, and I will try to post some tomorrow. Right now I need to sleep. I have shorted myself on sleep too much lately. GOOD NIGHT~

Candlewick Press Books~ PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

My children love books, and a great place to find great books for your kids is Candlewick Press! We got some books from Candlewick Press for Christmas time, and I was so excited to get some books for Nathaniel's age! Nathaniel is an avid reader and loves to keep his nose in the books. It can be a challenge to find books that really spark his interest, and I was excited to see his joy when he picked up the 'Where's Waldo? The Complete Collection', and the 'Moon Landing' books!
'Where's Waldo? The Complete Collection,' is a collection of 5 books...the complete series of Where's Waldo? These books are filled with pictures overloading the pages with eye stimulus, and the reader needs to find and pick out Waldo. The Where is Waldo? books are like I spy, but you need to find Waldo. My kids and I like to tryand find other things/people in the pictures after we conquered finding Waldo! The Complete Collection of Where is Waldo? can be purchased for $45.00 found at many book stores, and is geared toward ages 5-12 years. Moon Landing is a book my son really dazzled over, not only is this book fun to look at with the pop-outs and special effects, but it is filled with great information and facts. Wanting to be an astronaut himself, Nathaniel was wide-eyed over 'Moon Landing'! Richard Platt is a great author, and his book features traveling to the moon, the race to conquer space, the technology needed to reach the moon and sustain the astronauts in space, and the moon landing itself. The pop-ups display a rocket, the lunar module, a spaceship, and a spectacular spherical moon. There are even booklets and flaps which are filled with facts. *Published in anticipation of the fortieth anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969*Features official NASA photographs, two mini-books, and fun informational flaps. At $29.99, I think this book is a great value of educational information! This book is geared toward ages 8 and up.
Some other great books Candlewick Press has are Let's Play in the Snow (from the Guess how much I love you series). Little Nutbrown Hare plays I Spy with Big Nutbrown Hare, and finds out what is Big Nutbrown Hare's favorite thing is that he spys. Maisy's Christmas Day is a story about Maisy and her friends seeing what gifts they get. The pictures are colorful and bright, easy for smaller children to look at. A story of sacrifice and meaning is portrayed in The Gift of the Magi. Della and her husband, Jim, have made great sacrifices for each other just to get the gift long sought for. Coming to realize that Christmas isn't about the price of a gift, but that the gift is in each other and what they share. I love the watercolor pictures in this book, and the meaning behind the story.Another fun pop up book for your kids (and you) to enjoy is A Present for Santa Claus! My kids had a great time watching the pop-ups come to life in this colorful and entertaining book. It is a story about a little boy who would like to give Santa a gift. What would Santa want? At the end of the book, there is a sneak peak of Santa's cottage that kids can get a 3-D look to see inside.
Candlewick Press has books for all ages, and their books are of high quality! Since Candlewick Press first opened their doors in 1991, they’ve received more than 1500 accolades and honors, and have been named "the fastest growing children’s publisher in the U.S." by Publishers Weekly. One thing I find rather fascinating is: Candlewick Press is 100 percent owned and operated by their employees, making them one of the largest independent publishing companies, not just in the country, but in the world!!
Candlewick Press is graciously offering to sponsor a giveaway to you lucky readers! There will be three winners! Here is what you can do to enter: This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, check out the books at Candlewick Press, find one that interests you (besides the ones I mentioned) and comment about it. Please let me know what book you would like to win of those that I mentioned, too! If you do not do the first required entry, you will be disqualified. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win, and click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on January 6, 2009 at 11:59PM CST. GOOD LUCK!