Girl Power

I just read an article out of Yahoo News regarding some environmental pollutant that is making male frogs turn female. Do you think we could slip a little--not too much--of that pollutant into our husbands breakfast in the morning?? I have a funny feeling that my house would be more picked up, the dishes would be put in the dishwasher and not thrown in the sink, I would no longer have to do the ironing (my biggest pet peeve), the kids' clothes would match on days I am not there to get them dressed, I could go shopping with my hubby on "date night", I could watch unlimited chick flicks, the toilet would always be clean, the list could be endless. I am curious where to get that pollutant? Hmmm....and I wonder why this pollutant isn't making frogs go from female to male?--Could it possible be that females are the dominate gender, or that God knows what this world needs more of??? Hmmm....

Sweet Belly

I had the privilage of taking some maternity shots of a dear friend of mine. She is 5 days from her due date and looks awesome. And yes, she did give me the ok to post these, as long as I left out the topless ones!! (just kidding).

I felt a tinge of jealousy as I was taking these. I LOVED begin pregnant, and I miss it at times. I would absolutly be pregnant over and over again. It's what "comes out" that I would not want to do over and over again.

Ok "Girls", here is the start of our pool--us girls always take a pool of when, what, and how big our babies will be while we are pregnant. My guess : Feb. 27 / Girl / 7 lbs. 8 oz. What's your guess?

My 80's Girl

The result of a mommy vacuuming upstairs, an open make-up case on the bathroom counter, and a 3 year old going on 18.

Oh the value of a $1.00

We just came home from a 45 min. trip to the Dollar Store. Forty-five min. to and from a store that is maybe a mile down the road.
Dean's mom is so nice. She sent the kids each $1.00 for Valentine's Day!! They acted like they had won the lottery. (don't you wish you could be so thrilled with $1.00?) The second they realized they all had $1.00 in their cards, the dreaded sentence emerged, "can we go to the Dollar Store?" Uggggg!!! Now mind you, our town has probably one of the best Dollar Stores around, and we do frequent "outings" to it just to get out of the house, but does that mean I like it? Absolutly not!! I tend to be a in the store, get what I need, and then get out kind of shopper. So, spending 45 min. in a dollar store is pure torture for me. And in one aisle alone too yet. They all have to first brouse the aisle and take in every last item. Then they have to touch every item, which ultimatly ends up with it being deposited in the middle of the aisle left for mom to pick up and try to figure out where the heck it came from and where the heck to put it back, all the while trying to either hold Tessa or retrieve her from another aisle that she has wandered off to. Only to go and find Tessa in another aisle, depositing her own findings and mom crawling around on the floor picking things up in a frantic as Tessa manhandles everything in sight. To go back to the $1 aisle to find yet again 50 items on the floor that the kids found were not "appropriate" for them to buy. Forty-five minutes later, 2 breakdowns from kids who "5 more minutes" just wasn't enough time left to make their decisions, 50+ items in completely wrong places on the shelves (I gave up!!), and 3 $1 items in the car back home. To get home and have the "magic wand" Josie bought break in 5 minutes, to the diary Elli bought find out only contains 3 pages (which for a 5 year old who can't even write yet is fine) and the foo-foo pen not even work, to the toy dart gun Thys got have a wretched smell of plastic that he won't even play with it. Oh, how my mother in law is just laughing her head off. Do you think she knew what she was doing when she sent those 3 little $1 bills? I think she owes me a lot of money for therepy I will need after that trip!!

Sydney and Dylan

My friend, Natalie, was nice enough to let us come over this morning and take some pictures of her kids. Her kids acted like little models--not minding at all that they were getting their picture taken--why can't I be as fortunate with my kids!! Thanks Nat for the practice, and sorry if we trashed your house!!!! You can trash mine at the next "playdate".

Happy 5th Birthday Elli

My Little Miss Elliana turned 5 today. I cannot believe that I have a 5 year old. It honestly just seems like yesterday, that I was in the hospital anticipating the birth of our 1st baby. I was 14 days overdue, and couldn't get her out fast enough at that point. After a LONG day of induced labor, around 10:30pm they decided to do a c-section. Out she came, 20 minutes later. Weighing in at a hefty 8lbs. 9oz. She was perfect in everyway. And I can say without a doubt, she is the most caring, laid back, helpful, sweet, little girl I could ask for. I absolutly love having her around during the day to entertain and be the best "babysitter" I know.
Elli's pre-school was cancelled today because of the Blizzard of '07, so we packed up the troops and headed over to the cousins house to hang out, as I said earlier. Auntie Kristin made a yummy cake for us for our snack. When Dean got home, we headed over to McDonald's for 99cent Happy Meal night (every Tues. night--great deal for us Hollanders), and then picked up a movie for the kids to watch when we got home. Tomorrow, the family is coming over for presents and cake, which Elli has been anticipating since 10 sleeps ago!!

Brennan & Sophie

My sister in law graciously let me and the kids come over this morning for a little "cabin fever" getaway. Her only request was that I practice some pictures on my niece & nephew. The kids loved getting out of the house and seeing the "other" world besides their world contained in our 4 walls.

What else do you do....

What else do you do when your pretty much snowed in? Put your kids to work by giving mommy practice in taking pictures!! Oh how I want to believe they love helping me out!

Confessions of a SAHM!!

I have been tagged by Chelle. Here it goes--

• My one year old daughter gets most of her daily calories picking up what is left on the floor from the other 3 kids meals--who needs a dog right!
• At "rest time"--1:00pm, I send the oldest 3 down to the basement for a movie, while Tessa is nappping. I have been known to prop a chair in front of the basement door, so that I get my "30 minutes" of uninterrupted "sanity time" without kids pretending they have to go to the bathroom 10 times in 30 minutes. They tend to pound, but you can't hear what you can't see right? (please don't call social services!! I promise its done out of love).
• I let my kids climb all over the kitchen table. This started when the twins were little -and at that time I was in "survival mode"--so I let it go with them in order to have some peace and quiet. Now, I just am too lazy to break the habit. So, don't be alarmed if you invite our clan over, and they start to "surf" YOUR kitchen table--no harm done!!EEEKKK
• My kids get warm milk every night before bed. Which wouldn't be a bad thing, except for the fact that I let them have it AFTER they have brushed their teeth. You would think that I--being a dental assistant--would be the last person to send my kids to bed with "milky teeth", but again, life is so much easier if we don't try to break those bad habits!!
• I reuse dirty diapers. Hold on--hear me out!! If Tessa does the nasty in a totally dry diaper, I scoop the poop into the toilet and put the same diaper back on her. I started this tradition when the twins were born and I had 3 in diapers at one time. According to Dean and I, it was either reuse the diaper, or let one of them go hungry for the day. (kidding) Money was tight!! Don't tell me YOU haven't done it before?
• I buy, almost exlusively, off-brand items at the grocery store. I am the Spartan queen. My kids don't even know what Fruit Loops are--to them it is Fruity O's. I figure I still have a few years left before my kids start asking for the name brands, so I might as well save the money now.
• If my hands aren't shaking by 10:00, that means I have not had enough coffee yet that morning.--if you call me at 8am, I will already be on my 3rd or 4th cup.
• I secretly would love to be on Nanny 911--I am just afraid for the whole world to see my "parenting tactics".
• Last confession: no matter how many of you I have complained to about being a mother of 4--4 years old (almost 5) and under, I honestly treasure these 4 little people that God gave me everyday, and treasure the fact that I have an awesome husband who works his tail off so that I can be, even on these dreary, LONG, cabin-fever days, that SAHM (stay-at-home-mom).

Ok, now who to tag? I have this feeling my resources are all used up. May have to get back to you on that one!!

• One more confession. I still do not know how to make a link with someone's name only and not their whole www.blah,blah,blah. Who can give me a quick tutorial?

Since Sonny was the first to answer my blogger question, she wins the prize of being tagged!! You didn't know you would be so lucky did you??

Winter Wonderland

Anyone who like to join us for burgers on the deck tonight are welcome. The table is set and the BBQ is fired up!! Holy cow---will it ever stop snowing???