A New Beginning

Eleven days after C was born I sent Hubby on a plane to the west coast for a couple of job interviews. I know what you, or anyone of reasonable mind, is thinking...'what was I thinking?' Don't worry - I had my mom with me helping to hold down the fort while I delicately balanced the new role of mom of three. She cooked...yum. She played. She gardened. She crafted. She showed me that life doesn't slow down one bit (to anyone who doesn't know - my mom courageously raised six children...how did she do it?). She made it look easy. And fun.

What came of that trip? We spent our summer sifting through our life in the Midwest, selling or giving away unused possessions. Our house was listed on the market and a large box semi was ordered for pick-up in mid-September. We decided to move west.

The big boys waited in anticipation, 'helped' pack box after box, and said their good-byes to friends through play dates at favorite parks around the city. None of us knew what to expect with our move - more family time, yes; more time in the mountains and by the water, yes; less bone chilling (below) zero degree winter days, yes! None of us could anticipate the friends we would meet on this new journey or what our life in our new corner of the world would look like. We just hoped and trusted that it would be good.

O double checking the size of the bag the boys would be using on our drive West. Yup, he fits!

Saying goodbye to our beloved babysitter!

Baker stuck close to the boxes (and the door!) for fear she would be left behind. 

Baby C being oh, so helpful (and darling, don't you think?).

The World Is Your Oyster!

Introducing the littlest one, C. We have spent ten long months waiting, dreaming and praying for him and he finally arrived in mid-May! I realize that most mothers are quick to announce the arrival of their little ones. I am no different, but somehow the time that has lagged between the arrival of baby and publishing this post has felt a little bit like a blink of the eye. With number three there is no idle time. No staying at home while you adjust to the new life you are supporting. No hesitation to keep going strong with daily routines and outings. Caring for three has meant things get put on the back burner. If you know me at all, you know that it won't ever be my children or my husband, but something has to. I've been slower to answer emails, slower to fold the baskets of laundry, slower to sit down and take a break.

But as I look at my precious little one I am of course reminded of new beginnings and fresh starts. Instead of dreaming about what he will look like and how my other boys will adjust to life interrupted, I am thinking about the possibilities that lie ahead for C. What will he dream of. What things will inspire him? What will his passions be? I am thrilled to be a part of that journey with him, guiding as best as I can, nurturing and nudging along the way.

The world is your oyster, C. The world is your oyster!

"I Think Getting Our Hair Cut Was A Gooder Idea Mommy!"

Raise your hand if you've ever gone through the car wash. Now raise your hand if you've ever gone through the car wash with one and a half screaming kids. Grrr....I should have known better.

Yesterday was that day for us. I was trying to kill some time with the boys so hubby could have a quiet house to study in and the choices were a) go get O's hair cut or b) go get the car washed. We attempted option a) first. Coupon in hand, a willing boy and we were set. But when we got there I could tell from just looking through the window that it was going to be a long wait. Yes, it's true that we wanted to kill some time, but waiting in a waiting room with no kiddo instruments (you know the kind - cars, books, dinosaur figurines) in hand might have been a disaster.

So I asked the boys if they would like to go through the car wash, to which the replied an enthusiastic, "YES!" Generally we would wash our car at home, but with hubby busy studying and my big belly screaming at me to clean everything in sight (not to mention protruding from my normal frame in such a way as to make it literally and physically impossible to accomplish such a feat) I decided to pay to let someone, or rather something, else do it for me.

I chatted with the boys about what they would see, thinking that prepping them might help alleviate any of the fear should there be any. "First, our car will be sprayed on like a rain storm. Then, it will spray soap and not just any soap. This soap will smell like bubble gum (side note: why on earth do car washes have bubble gum soap anyway? Like the scent of bubble gum is going to make the claustrophobic experience and the really loud rumble of the washers any less scary. Maybe they should add soothing music.). Next, the washers will come scrub the car. It might make a loud sound but it's like when we wash our selves with a foofie (I don't know the real name for those sponge balls people use in the shower/bath. At our house, they are simply "foofies."). The car needs a big foofie to be washed. And then we'll get a rain shower again and be done. Does that sound like fun?" Again, an enthusiastic, "YES," came from the back seat so off we went.

The first part of the car wash went off without a hitch. Wait in line - easy. Pay - good. Enter the car wash until the obnoxious buzzing sound told us to stop - fine. Gentle spray of water spraying our car wet - nice and soothing. Bubble gum soap - fascinating (O thought that we were being 'rainbowed'). Car wash foofies - not bad for the first minute, but what a long minute. I wasn't watching the car foofies during this time, I was watching the boys, trying to keep tabs on how they were doing emotionally. O looked curious. H looked curious...then sad...then scared. Then, whatever the word for more scared is, he looked it. Then it happened...the inside or our car erupted with the sounds that no parent enjoys hearing - loud, terrified screams, sobs and pleas from the littlest one of the bunch, "Me don't like car wash foofies. Stop Mommy. Stop."

Oh, buddy if I could have stopped the car wash and let us out I would have. It's horrifying to think that in that moment I was scaring my kiddo. I don't know how long that fear will last, but I do know that it was real and it was intense.

The rest of the day, evening and week was spent playing 'scary car wash,' with H's little fingers wiggling as if they were the foofie and his voice repeating,'Me no like car wash foofies,' over and over.

I don't like car wash foofies either. We won't be seeing them again any time soon.

Dinosaur Love

What I learned about dinosaurs...from my four year old!

1. Brachiasaurus is twelve kids tall! That's really tall.

2. The biggest dinosaur is Argentinasaurus.

3. Meat eaters have sharp teeth and lots of plant eaters have beaks.

4. Xenotarsosaurus - that one starts with an X, but it sounds like a Z.

5. Troodons they have great night eyes and they're omnivores. That means they eat meat AND plants.

6. Dome heads bonk heads with their crests. That might hurt. What is a dome head - pachysephalasaurus and stegaserus.

7. Buitre Raptors are smaller than robins. "Were there worms in dinosaur times?"

8. Euopolosephalis and ankylasaurus were 'tank' dinosaurs.

9. This is a long neck - shunosaurus - and he has a club on his tail!

10. Bird hipped dinosaurs and lizard hipped dinosaurs - a bird hipped dinosaur is archyopteryx and a lizard hipped dinosaur is a t-rex.

Hmmm...I learn a little something every day.

"Don't Worry, We Speak Iowan!"

This morning at breakfast we were talking, about what I'm not so sure at this point, when hubby and I caught each other's eye and said, in unison, "What?" Each boy had something important to say. So important that it couldn't wait until their mouth full of cereal was not only swallowed, but chewed. We asked O to repeat what he was trying to say. It sounded something like this, "Whurta ourfta prtujhumctug." We asked him three times to repeat what he was saying and it didn't change any time. Until finally he said, in exasperation, making sure to annunciate each syllable, "What are we doing today?" Got it!

We asked H to repeat what he was saying too. He repeated two times, "Rscpis ma hy." After repeating his phrase two times and hubby and I still not getting it, O carefully explained to us that H was saying, "Rice Krispies make me happy." So glad we have a live-in translator!

And then it dawned on me and I shared my epiphany out loud because it affected us all, "We're speaking different languages." And it's not just the boys that are misunderstood. Somehow when I say, 'Time to pick up the cars,' play continues without not so much as a glance in my direction. Or when I find myself yelling the directions after saying them kindly four other times. No wonder. I get it now. It was then that I had another realization - all of the grandkids on my side of the family are fluent in another language. Not us. I shared that with hubby to which he replied, "Don't worry. We speak Iowan!" Breakfast continued with me giving directions in fluent Iowan (no offense to anyone who is from Iowa - this was purely for fun). "Oink, oink, snort, squeal, corn, soybean, snort, oink." The boys got a kick out of this and belly laughed throughout it all.

Laughter we understand. It's a good thing we do it often!

It's A Boys' World Around Here

Dirt, dirt and more dirt! That's our world. On one side of our house we have an unfinished garden, perfect for digging, scooping and filtering dirt. The boys have already logged many hours this spring getting as filthy as humanly possible. If I'm not careful about after-dirt-bathing the boys will be sprouting their own greens soon.

As much as I love playing with the boys there are days when I would rather not play in the dirt or talk about the names of every dinosaur or Thomas train that ever existed or referee the latest wrestling match. Sometimes I find myself scratching my head and thinking, 'Why do boys play like this? I don't get it?' But those days of pondering are just the beginning...

Any day we'll be expecting our third boy. All of us are excited as can be. O and H talk about 'Baby,' kiss my belly, and look through the drawers of his baby clothes asking which ones they used to wear. Hubby is reminding me to take breaks, which I am trying to do. And I am constantly reminded about the little one I'm carrying every time I feel a kick, a tickle to my rib or the rhythmic beat of baby hiccups. The bags have yet to be packed and the pak-and-play has yet to be set up, but we are ready for one more pair of hands with tiny fingers that will soon be big enough to filter dirt in the back of a dump truck.

"It's Too Fancy For Me!"

A few nights ago I made dinner. I love cooking and this is mostly all joy, but the experience is completely amplified if the food is gobbled, ravenously or otherwise, by the people I'm cooking for - mainly my kiddos. I chose a recipe that has been a family favorite (even with the kids) for years - More Than Minestrone Soup. Simple. Delicious. A great combination. The boys love smoked meat and this recipe has plenty of it. A little bit of bacon and a lot of kielbasa. Nothing new. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The boys always start their meal in this way - fruit first, salad if it's there, milk, then the main course. It's predictable and if I could set my clock by it, I would. After gobbling the above, my youngest, H, just sat. And sat. And sat. We tried encouraging him to eat his soup and in his adorable two year old voice, he said, simply, "No, I don't want to (which actually sounds like, "No, I want to"). He said it politely. No tantrum. No fuss. Very respectful. So we encouraged a bit more. "But H, it has kielbasa. You LOVE (insert dramatic voice here) kielbasa. Here (scooping a piece onto his spoon). Try it. You'll like it." And just as we were trying to get him to eat in a dramatic way, he had a dramatic response. Hands on table. Head on hands. Head shaking from side to side (still respectfully I might add). "No. It's too fancy for me."

I wish I had my camera. The moment was precious. But you know if you try to recreate a perfect little moment like that it can never be reproduced in the same way...especially when it involves kiddos.

What did we do? We laughed. It was funny. Our little one expressed clearly enough how he felt about trying something he has already eaten on plenty of occasions, but in this moment the kielbasa was too fancy.

Sometimes life is like that for me too. I've tried something or done something a million times, but sometimes in the moment doing it again feels too fancy. Kind of like writing this blog. I've been writing for years. Journaling for years. Telling stories for years. Taking pictures for years. Blogging, inconsistently (sorry J, H, K, M, M, R) for years. And the thought of starting a new blog with a different purpose has felt too fancy. But just like my little guy eventually tried (and liked) his kielbasa that evening, I am trying again with a different approach this time.

This blog is about life. Our life. The adventures we take and the mistakes and triumphs we learn from. It will involve crafty things, sporty things, cooking things, kiddo things. Things that make us, us. So, enjoy.

And in case anyone would like it, here's the More Than Minestrone Soup recipe that I made (and gobbled). Try it. You'll like it.

5 slices of bacon, diced

1 c. onion, chopped

1 pkg. turkey kielbasa

2 celery stalks, diced

2 small carrots, diced

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 28oz. can Italian-style tomatoes

1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped

6 c. chicken stock

1 10oz. can each kidney beans, great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 9oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 t. each dried basil and oregano

1 1/2 c. small seashell shaped pasta

Fresh Parmesan cheese

Saute bacon in lg. pot for 5 minutes until soft and crispy. Add onion, kielbasa, celery and carrots. Cook until veggies are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT pasta and cheese. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pasta shells and cook for 8 minutes longer, or until pasta is al dente. Stir frequently to prevent pasta from sticking. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy, then tell me what you think.