And we're off...

...in search of the great morel mushroom. As long as I can remember, my family has made an annual trek to northern MI to find these mushrooms. This year we decided to try "mushroom hunting" with the girls. We are leaving early Saturday morning and will be gone through Wed. The weather looks cool and rainy but we are hoping it won't be too cool or too rainy. I think the girls will enjoy camping but I am not sure how much mushroom hunting they will actually do. I am looking forward to being out of the house and hoping that a camping trip will provide a diversion from the nausea and fatigue.

Don't know a good thing....

(Clothesline Catastrophe Cont.d for Lydia)

Our neighbors' system was working wonderfully. They have used the chain-link drying method ever since they moved in over a year ago. For some reason this week they have decided to try the more civilized yet less reliable approach of an actual clothesline. This might have something to do with the mother-in-law being in town from CA.

I just wanted to show you that their clothesline has had disastrous results too. It's not that the line suspended from house to garage is falling down, it's just that the clothes are not staying on. I wonder if they know about clothespins?

Looks like the mother-in-law is already back to the trusty chain-link method.

Mother's Day

My mom came last Thursday evening and left Tuesday afternoon. I had quite an ambitious list of things that I wanted to get done and I was optimistic enough to think that I might even help. I guess you can consider it my Mother's Day present because it was more than anyone could ask for. My mom worked and babysat tirelessly from the time she walked in the door until the time she left. My house is completely clean for the first time in months (Nate really was doing a good job keeping things picked up). I didn't take before and after pictures but you would be impressed if I had. I did keep the overwhelming "to do" list and I will print it here so that you can be amazed at all the things my mom accomplished.

To Do:
Organize clothes in our closet (I actually did this job)
Dust our bedroom
Sweep our bedroom
Mop our bedroom
Organize armoire
Clean out refrigerator/freezer
Sweep/mop wood floors in dining room and living room
Sweep/mop bathroom
Sweep/mop kitchen
Dust downstairs
Dust upstairs
Clean potty chair
Organize magazines (recycle or keep)
Organize and clean out computer armoire
Clean wall behind high chairs
Laundry
Sort/clean toys in playroom
Sort girls clothes (put away winter, sort sizes, bring out summer)
Clean upstairs bathroom
Clean basement (Nate did most of this)
Take pillows and comforters to laundry mat (I did this)
File papers and bills upstairs
Disinfect trash can

She did all these things (some more than once) and kept the girls entertained (engaging them in housework too). I guess it wasn't much of a Mother's Day present for her but I sure appreciated it. My house is so clean that I the girls aren't allowed off the couch and they cannot touch their toys - just kidding.

A few quotes and a poem

Here are some semi-recent Violet quotes. I haven't done as good of job recording them lately (add that to my "am I a bad mom list").

Violet made up this little song on the way to the grocery store.
"Mommy, mommy I still love you even when you lose your patience. Mommy, mommy I still love you even when that baby makes you cry."

"Yuck! I just said yuck about Anara's breath."

"Oh sweetie, you're so tired." She said this to me when I was laying on the couch yawning.

"Anara was like, 'What?!?'"

"Mama, am I a big girl?" I responsed, "Yeah, Violet you are getting pretty big." "No, I don't want to be big I want to be little. Dear Jesus, please make me little again because I don't want to be a big girl I just want to be little again." I said,"Awww..." and Violet was annoyed by this interruption and said, "Mama, I want to pray to God and ask Him to make me little again and I don't want you to say 'aw' this time okay. Dear Jesus, please just help me to be little again because I don't want to be big.."

"This sodapop is so spicy and so poppy."

"Get away balloon. I want to watch this show. Are you going to watch this too? Mama, my balloon is watching TV with me."

Violet wanted to get rid of Anara and she said, "Hey Anara, can you go tickle mommy?"

Christina was saying, "What do you know Joe?" to Violet and Violet was getting upset. She said, "Don't call me Joe. You shouldn't tease me because I have this green balloon."

"'Wait Thomas!', she cried. 'We want to go with you.' So they went down the track." This was overheard while Vi was playing trains.

""When the baby comes out will your belly just break open?"

Grandma Angie had an appendectomy and Violet was talking to her on the phone after she came home from the hospital. "Did you get some new tubes and a band-aid?"

Our nephew, Guy 7y/o, is a pretty bright kid. He has always been a little wiser than his years and here is a recent example of this. Guy was not asked to write a poem... it was just something he wanted to do.

The Sun
By Guy Dallas Platter
Hot and blazing by the day,
Helps the planets stay in orbit,
Burns up anything that it swallows.
Nothing can survive its burning heat.
Someday it will stop its shining,
Burn up and fade away.
Cats love to bask in it.

Am I a bad mom...

-because most of the mothering I do (the past 8 weeks) is conducted from the couch?

-because I don't take prenatals or any kind of vitamin for that matter?

-because my kids are way too familiar with Chef Boyardee and forget what fruits and vegetables taste like?

-because as soon as Nate gets home I crash and leave him with all the evening responsibilities?

-because right now the girls are eating macaroni and cheese for the 2nd time this week?

-because we never eat hot dogs but for some reason I really like them right now (microwaved until brown and bubbly with lots of mustard - nasty). I realize this is disgusting and they cause brain tumors - my poor kids.

-because I keep promising to actually make dinner but I'm even more worthless in the evenings?

-because I let my house become an absolute disaster lately knowing that my mom is coming this weekend and will put things back together?

Yikes, that really is a pathetic list. Don't answer those questions. I guess this post was more a confession than anything. Don't worry, I will be back on the horse in no time at all.

Clothesline Catastrophe Solved (for Lydia)

I have the solution to your clothesline woes. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, our neighbors have been doing it for over a year now. Your clothes will never drag, the line will not droop or fall, there are special places for small things like underwear and socks, the line will never absorb the color from your pinks or reds, and you don't need pins. The only downside might be the rust stains or little bumps in the dried clothes.

Last night I was looking over into the neighbors yard and I just had to take a picture for you. When they wash whites the underwear and socks are stuck individually through the little diamonds in the fence. It's working for them so maybe you and Brad should just put up an ugly, chain link fence ;)

Catch-up blog not to be confused with Ketchup blog

There were quite a few photos on the camera so I will just start posting them. I have been struggling with nausea and tiredness. I have a low level off nausea throughout the day and it peaks in the evenings. Most nights I try to fall asleep to avoid getting sick and bedtime has ranged from 8-9:30pm. Hopefully this stage will be over soon.

Hot air balloon from Uncle Andy

Ring-around-the-rosy at the combined birthday party

Uncle Rick helping Anara blow out her candles

Violet blowing out her candles

Violet 3 years old on her real birthday

Anara "smiling" on her real birthday

Sunday we went to the zoo and gardens

I asked her to stop and smile but I don't know what this pose is

That's about it. Not too much excitement around here lately. I have barely been parenting the last 8 weeks but hopefully I will have renewed energy and less nausea very soon. This pregnancy has definitely been better than when I was pregnant with Violet so I shouldn't complain. Hopefully I will be back to posting on a regular basis for all you faithful people who click on our blog only to be disappointed by no new post ;)