It is FINISHED! *swoon*

Our bathroom is done. I have few words for this phenomenon... especially after each of those 12 tortuous months in which we thought about working on it but never quite found the time. Drumroll please...

Just kidding... this is the OLD bathroom. YUCK! We tore out the walls and made it bigger...

Another drumroll please...

Presenting... Our new bathroom!

100% created-by-us, from scratch, from boards & drywall to shelves and towels.

Notice the little blue man I drew... nice, huh? He will be replaced with a photo soon.

We installed this tile (I did most of it, yay!) and now swear we will never tile anything again. It looks fine now, but the actual process was nightmarishly lengthy and stressful... but now well worth it. We love showering in this very BIG airy space. There's even an overhead light so it's quite pleasant. It even has a built-in shower niche for soap, shampoo.

The view of the vanity from the shower.

So you're all invited to stop by and take a nice shower. You can pretend you're in a warmer climate. That's what I do. And I lock the doors and stay in there a nice, long time. In fact, I think I'll go take another shower now...

Happy Birthday, Silas!

Silas turned 4 today. Happy Birthday, Silas. We had a party here at home this morning with several friends and moms. Then tonight we had a family party. Here are some photos of the big day...

Silas and Lorelai


Silas sporting the stylish Elmo hat



Cupcake mustache...





family photo

Daddy & Silas share a cute moment

Mommy & Silas

A little about Silas:

Silas is happy, energetic, and always trying to keep up with his big brothers. He plays with small Lego, just like Azael & Ephraim, and does a pretty good job. He can play board games fairly well now, especially Candyland, Hissss, Go Away Monster, etc. Silas has a temper at times, but what 4-year-old doesn't? He still takes naps (at my insistence) and he loves Backyardigans, Blue's Clues, and anything his older brothers believe is "cool." He plays computer games very well for his age. Silas has a great love of music. I have a suspicion that music will always be an important part of his life. He will stop everything to listen to music, especially classical.

Sweet little Silas loves sweets, including fruit, cookies, etc. Although I risk revealing his potential eating disorder, I'll share... Silas frequently stashes food under his bed to snack on without parents noticing. We would be happy to let him snack at will, but he doesn't seem to have developed his "shut-off" or "full" mechanism yet. He once ate an entire carton of strawberries in one sitting. The other day I was making cookies for a funeral and I couldn't find the brown sugar. Guess where I found it... half eaten, under his bed. Oh boy. The joys of parenting. I need to ask the doctor how to handle this one. Cupboard locks? I have talked to him about this countless times, but I tried again. This time I mentioned the fact that his room will soon have "snakes, bugs, and rats" if he doesn't stop sneaking food under there. This method may have worked, as I haven't found food under there for a few days. Today he even asked my permission before taking his 2nd cupcake. Progress....

We greatly love Silas. He has THE CUTEST smiles and a devilish laugh. He takes after his mother; he often laughs just to laugh. Happy Birthday, Si (his nickname). Love Mom & Dad!

25 Random Things About Me

25 Random Things About Jen

1. I love yoga; I look forward to the day when I can do yoga daily.
2. I once made a Lincoln Mercury Zephyr station wagon airborne.
3. I am allergic to Christmas trees.
4. Certain types of music/songs can move me to tears.
5. Trees are my favorite type of plant.
6. I play tenor saxophone.
7. I used to be so OCD at age 5 that I would dump all the contents of my room on my bed and rearrange everything neatly. I am recovering...
8. I own a business.
9. I love to dance (not like ballet or anything... just good ol' dancing).
10. I love watching my children dance.
11. I want to learn to play either the violin or the banjo as soon as my kids are all in school and I have the time.
12. I can't drive more than an hour without getting sleepy.
13. My church friends are extremely important to me.
14. I love my down comforter VERY much. In fact, I really love my bed. Period.
15. I would like to spend several weeks in an Ashram one day.
16. Mystery Man and I plan to drive to Alaska one day. Or not.
17. I love hugs and kisses from my kids.
18. I grew up on a farm in southwest Iowa.
19. We do not own any video games. our children are highly deprived... :)
20. I love to travel, if only to get away from my to-do list.
21. I'm enough of an introvert that I actually get energy from being alone.
22. I thought the Soul Patrol guy on American Idol was lousy. I would never buy that type of music.
23. Mystery Man is my best friend.
24. I love to meditate, ponder, and pray.
25. Mystery Man and I didn't take our first few dates seriously because he was shorter/I was taller.

Burger Marketing with Children

In the past week my kids have asked me 5 times (yes, FIVE times) to purchase... you'll never guess...
The Big City Slider Station Mini Burger Maker!!!
As Seen On TV! You, too, can make delicious restaurant style mini hamburgers in your kitchen. Big City Slider Station is the mini burger sensation that's sweeping the nation. You just scoop, press, and cook on ANY stove...and in just minutes you'll have 5 mouth-watering sliders! WORKS ON ANY STOVE COOKS BOTH SIDES AT ONCE JUST SCOOP, PRESS & COOK! Restaurant Style Mini Burgers - Make Delicious Sliders In Your Kitchen Anytime! View the commercial here. https://www.bigcityslider.com/flare/next
It's amazing that a commerical could draw all three of my boys in like that!

Incidentally, while on this burger kick, they also keep talking about the "ANGRY BURGER!" (and they say it just like that, with a mean, loud voice). They're referring to the Angry Whopper at Burger King. We don't really go to Burger King much, but the commericals have convinced them it is the best burger ever and they want it. You can view that commercial here. it's cute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_vCEPRJ0Q4

So, if you're interested in going into marketing, my kids would be a fantastic test-market, at least if it has anything to do with burgers....

Lorelai's Episode in the Night

Lorelai woke up with a rash late last night. The on-call nurse recommended bathing her in case it was a topical irritation, so we did. We also decided to wash the sheets and her favorite stuffed animal, a white fluffy cat (that incidentally used to be mine when I was a little girl). Isn't it cute?

After her bath, her rash seemed better so we put Lorelai back to bed.

But instead of sleeping, she did this:

While she screamed, she gestured repeatedly for her cat, but it was still in the washing machine...

...so we tried giving her this:

But a teletubby wasn't good enough for Lorelai, so she threw it on the floor...

...and did more of this:

We also tried giving her this:

And this:

But, alas, Lorelai threw them both out of the crib...

...and did even more of this:

Finally we took her out of bed and let her hang out with us until the cat had dried sufficiently. Mystery Man then put her in bed, shut the door, and in 10 minutes we went back in to see that she had done this:

Ahh, the beloved fuzzy cat... At least she knows what she likes, right?

Caillou, or Silas?

This is a picture of Silas from a year ago... Who is more handsome, Caillou or Silas? I know who I'm voting for...

Happy Ephraim

Ephraim drew an interesting picture with a shining apple instead of the sun... I'm curious, what metaphors can we come up with to interpret this? Use the comments section to share your thoughts... A little about Ephraim: he LOVES school. He missed school once due to illness and he cried for about 2 hours straight because he was so sad. Ephraim is very social and has lots of friends. When we pick him up at school, kids are always walking by saying, "Hi Ephraim!" and he's just in kindergarten. Ephraim enjoys reading and he is super good at math. Ephraim loves to play with his siblings... every one of them. He helps Lorelai play dolls, giving her frequent hugs and kisses. He enjoys taking baths with Silas, making Santa Claus beards out of the bubbles. And he and Azael enjoy playing Lego, computer, or sledding outside with neighbor kids. Lately Ephraim begins every sentence spoken to Mom and Dad with "Mommy, I need to talk to you." It's funny. Ephraim is enjoying the Little House on the Prairie series at bedtime right now. And when it's time to sleep, he insists on covering his head with the sheet so he will have no view of the aliens that come at night! In a nutshell, Ephraim is easy going, happy, friendly, and gives really great hugs and kisses. He is a fantastic brother and a wonderful son. He brings positive energy and zest to any situation. We love you Ephraim!!!

Skiing

Mystery Man took Azael and Ephraim skiing yesterday at Tyrol Basin, which is about 20 minutes away. It was 7 degrees out, so I was a little nervous, but they returned without any frostbite. Azael and Ephraim each had a lesson and were skiing down the beginner hill on their own after the hour lesson. Azael was able to try the intermediate hill later. MM went on the Double Diamond on his third and subsequent runs and was happy he hadn't forgotten how to ski, since it has been about 10 years. Here are some very poor photos taken with the cell phone...

Azael's Creativity

Our oldest child, Azael, is very creative. He designs things continuously, including robots and other machines. Recently he designed a submarine with various rooms, as well as a self-described “gizmo that makes eyes go on someone’s computer and scare them.” Azael’s greatest dream is to build his own robot from scraps around our house. So far, he has collected an old kitchen mixer, various wires leftover from MM’s basement renovation, an old DVD player, etc. (Little does he know that his parents have almost no clue how you put everything together to make something resembling a working robot. Oh well, let him dream!) Azael is also planning a website called AXG Kids which will include all his favorite computer games. When I asked what that stands for, he decided it meant “Awesome X-Games.” He even figured out a way to get 2 buddies to split the startup costs (I will believe it when the money arrives). Azael has asked us all to call him his nickname, “Flip,” instead of Azael. We haven’t complied yet. Pictured below is Azael's drawing of giant pickles attacking the world.



Azael said today: “If I were president, I would make houses $1000 dollars a year. I would make more pizza restaurants and more eco-cars and flat screens.” Needless to say, Azael helps us to look at the world a little differently. Not only is he logical and a deep thinker, but he is a fantastic big brother, always helping out his younger siblings. We love you Azael! We are so blessed to have you in our family!

An Inversion a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Today I read my monthly issue of Yoga Journal. One article encouraged people to practice daily inversions to assist in relaxation. Well, with 4 kids stressing me out much of the day, I knew this was for me. This afternoon I tried it while resting on our bed with my feet up against the wall (similar to photo). I placed a rectangular beanbag over my eyes because darkness increases relaxation and pushing down on the bones around your eyes triggers a reflex that helps slow down your heartbeat. Within the first 30 seconds of the inversion I noticed a euphoric feeling as the blood rushed from my legs to concentrate in my torso and head. I became very relaxed very quickly. I actually fell asleep within 5 minutes, waking 25 minutes later with my feet still propped against the wall. I brought my legs back to horizontal and rested on the bed a few minutes more and noticed a few things:

-my stress was gone
-My upper back pain was gone
-I felt like I had just worked out… endorphins or some other “good chemicals” were pumping through my body, helping me to feel really content and blissful
-I no longer had the craving for chocolate that I had most of the early afternoon; in fact, I didn’t really feel hungry at all

Needless to say, I think I’ll be doing this every afternoon before the kids get home from school. Late afternoon tends to be the most stressful time of day, so I’ll help myself out a bit with increased sanity and calm before the storm.

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An article from some experts says inversions reduce tension, improve circulation, accelerate cleansing of lactic acid from muscles, improve oxygen flow to the brain (and literally causing the brain to use more of its cells more fully), help the internal organs to stay in their proper place rather than “heading south” as they tend to do with age, and many more things too numerous to list here…

Courage of a Woman

After President Obama’s inauguration, I was impressed to hear Michelle Obama plans to concentrate mainly on raising their two girls and helping them to have the most “normal” life they can under the circumstances. Like many women, she will be the hidden hero of their family’s story. While thinking about the unsung heroism of so many women across the world, I came across a touching story chronicling the bravery and courage of a wife and mother who lived over a century ago. Enjoy!

The Story of the “Hole in the Rock” Pioneers

Approximately 250 people left their established homes to travel to southeastern Utah. On their way, they traversed through much uncharted territory, a feat which their descendants have described as one of "unparalleled difficulty." They blasted rock and carved a passageway through a sheer 1,300-foot crevice now known as Hole in the Rock. With blasting powder and tools, working most of December and January of 1879-80, the pioneers cut a precipitous, primitive road into the face of the canyon precipice. With this roadbed created, the task was now to get the first 40 wagons down the "Hole."

Twenty men and boys would hold long ropes at the back of each wagon. The wheels were then brake-locked with chains, allowing them to slide while avoiding the catastrophe of the wheels actually rolling.

In one of the great moments of pioneer history, one by one the company took the wagons down the treacherous precipice. When, miracle of miracles, they reached the canyon floor, they eagerly started to ferry across the river with a flatbed boat they had fashioned for that purpose. As it turned out, the Joseph Stanford Smith family was the last wagon to descend that day.

Stanford Smith had systematically helped the preceding wagons down, but somehow in their one-by-one success and consequent disappearance, the others apparently forgot that the Smith family would still need help as the tail enders. Deeply disturbed that he and his family seemed abandoned, Stanford stood for a moment and looked down the treacherous "Hole."

He turned to his wife and said, "Belle, I am afraid we can't make it."

"We must make it," she replied.

"If we only had a few men to hold the wagon back we might make it," he said.

"I'll do the holding back. We will make it," she said.

Positioning herself behind the wagon, Belle Smith grasped the reins of the horse hitched to the back of the rig.

Stanford started the team down the "Hole." The wagon lurched downward. With the first jolt the rear horse and Belle were literally catapulted into the air. Recovering, she hung back, pulling on the lines with all her strength and courage. A jagged rock cut a cruel gash in her leg from heel to hip. The horse behind the wagon fell to his haunches. The half-dead animal was literally dragged most of the way down the incline. That gallant woman, clothes torn, with a grievous wound, hung on to those lines with all her might and faith, and with her husband muscled that wagon the full length of the incline all the way to the river's edge.

On reaching the bottom, and almost in disbelief at their accomplishment, Stanford immediately raced (1,300) feet back up to the top of the cliff fearful for the welfare of the children. When he climbed over the rim, he saw his three children literally unmoved from the position their mother had placed them in.

Carrying the baby, with the other two children clinging to him and to each other, he led them down the rocky (path) to their anxious mother below. At that point, in the distance they saw five men moving toward them carrying chains and ropes.

The Smiths had been missed from the larger party. Realizing the plight they were in, these men were coming to help.

Stanford called out, "Forget it fellows ... (Belle) here is all the help a man needs to make this journey."

(As told by Jeffrey R. Holland, adapted from David E. Miller, “Hold-in-the-Rock: An Epic in the Colonization of the Great American West,” 1959.

Ephraim's Song for Barack Obama

Today Azael and Ephraim got to watch some of the inauguration at school. Ephraim was especially excited, because within minutes of arriving home, I heard him at the piano playing, then yelling, "Mom, I wrote a song for Barack Obama!" Click on the piano to hear an audio clip of his performance. (It takes a little while to load). Enjoy!

Hairspray Commercial

This evening all the kids were playing nicely in the kitchen. After awhile I noticed Silas wasn't around anymore. I found him in the bathroom with a can of hairspray. Wearing a guilty expression, he said, "I made my hair stick up, Mom." As the hairspray fumes overpowered me, I mustered a "Wow, it looks nice." I felt it and realized his hair wasn't just sticking up - it was rock hard. He must have been spraying for the full 10 minutes he was gone from the kitchen.

We decided Silas could be in a commercial. Here goes...

"Fantastic hair begins with BeautyLocks hairspray. Ten minutes of fume-filled fun, and you'll have hair like mine! "

"BeautyLocks will give you a rock-hard hold to keep your 'do in place for weeks! Look how happy it has made me!"

"BeautyLocks even has a smoothe, cool can, perfect for rubbing against your face. Ahhh, soothing!"

"The paparazzi won't be able to stay away when you have the sophistication of BeautyLocks."

A Happy Little Tree

This morning, prior to enjoying our traditional Saturday morning waffle breakfast prepared by Chef Mystery Man, I went downstairs to turn off the cartoons. I casually flipped to the next channel and noticed that "The Joy of Painting" with Bob Ross was on. Ephraim immediately asked to watch. Then, one-by-one, every single child and even MM came into the room, saw Bob painting, then sat down to spend an enthralling 30 minutes with the Master. In silence (and awe) we watched him paint each "happy little tree" or "quiet little rock" using well-named colors like Ochre Yellow, Titanium White, Van Dyke Brown, Sap Green, and Prussian Blue. The end result was impressive. While the kids didn't say much, Bob had a big impact because later, while we enjoyed our waffles, Ephraim proudly proclaimed , "Now I'm going to be a painter when I grow up because they get to be on TV!"

Outside Play

Our kids have had a blast playing in all 79 inches of snow (yes, we shattered last year's record for snow, and no, we haven't been out in a few days due to the extreme cold). Our backyard borders on a city greenway. We even have a hill where our kids can sled right out into the park. Last week, the park was covered with a sheet of ice, so Ephraim spent 10 minutes slipping back up the hill to show me his "ice crystal." Wow, Ephraim, I bet that could power your entire Lego fleet! Our roads weren't plowed for about 24 hours, so I allowed our kids to have free run of the neighborhood (2 block radius) that day. They went to a cul-de-sac and built forts with the neighbor kids Drew, Devin, & George. Our neighborhood is full of kids, and with the park in our backyard, there is no end of friends to play with back there. Forts, snowball fights, sledding, more forts... Azael even decided to write his name in snow on the driveway. Clever! Whoever wants to complain about Wisconsin weather needs to remember all the fun kids can have. I love all this snow... it reminds me of the fun I had in the snow when I was little. Needless to say, when all the fun was over everyone had some nice rosy cheeks (and snotty noses) when they came inside... Time for hot chocolate!

We Love Lorelai

I have always envied my friends who have sisters. There's just something extra fun about hanging out with "the girls." I've tried to find substitutions-Girls' Night Out or bookclub-but it's just not the same. But yesterday I realized I have something even better: a daughter! Since she was born, Lorelai has been a pure joy for our family. She loves to give hugs and kisses, she's curious, independent, and rarely whines. Lorelai makes her own fun, either with or without her brothers. She is just a happy little girl! For Christmas, Lorelai received a Hasbro Busy Ball Popper from Grandma & Grandpa Johnson. When we first turned it on, she began to shake with excitement while emitting this devilish laugh. It was so FUNNY!

Lorelai even has fun watching TV (OK, well, what kid doesn't?). I caught her with a delighted expression while watching Dora the Explorer.

We had chocolate fondue at Christmas, and true to style, Lorelai went to town, enjoying every last drop! That's Lorelai: excited, happy, and fun !

Christmas 2008 Photos

Our kids had a lot of fun this past Christmas. Ephraim had a unit at school about a gingerbread man. He came home and yelled, "Mom, Mom!!! Mrs. Nelson was grading papers while we were at gym and her gingerbread cookie jumped up and ran out of the room!!! We put signs up all over the school, asking if anyone knows where he is." Later that week Ephraim's class received a postcard from Mrs. Nelson's sister in Minnesota, saying she had just seen the gingerbread man crossing the freeway there. More postcards followed from all over the country. Ephraim loved it! Here's a photo of Ephraim's own gingerbread man.

Lorelai, our impish little Christmas elf.

Silas sat on Santa's lap for the first time; however, he was still
extremely uncomfortable, as the photo shows...

And here's another cute photo of big brother Silas
holding Lorelai (both in PJs) while watching a Christmas movie.

Although we went to Jen's parents in Iowa for Christmas, we celebrated our own little Christmas in Wisconsin before leaving. Here are some photos of opening our presents...

Silas: "Look what I got, Dad!!!"

Azael shouts: "Bakkugan!! Just what I wanted!"

Mom helps with the gift opening...

Lorelai received a doll. She was in heaven....

In fact, Lorelai sat down with her doll and ignored the chaos around her for the rest of the night. Just Lorelai and her doll... what bliss!

Azael, Ephraim, & Silas check out their loot...

Posing with the toys sent from Christa and Wolfie, Jen's friends in Germany.

A family photo...

Then we headed to Iowa where...

...Lorelai continued to play dolls.

Grandma played dolls with her, too.

We had a fun time! Here's a photo with Jen's parents and brothers.

Christmas 2008 was great!