My Heidi Girl

I love this girl! Heidi is so funny! She is very good at communicating. I'm pretty sure Heidi understands everything we say to her. If we ask her questions she will purse her little lips and then nod her head yes or no. If she feels like it, she'll say Uh-huh, or Uh-uh. To show us she's hungry, she'll walk over to the drawer, open it and take out a plate. Then she'll push a chair over to the counter and either take food off the counter, or if there isn't any in her reach, she'll point to the cupboard she wants food out of and screach until someone gets her what she wants. Heidi will say Mama, Dada, HiYaya, Ee-ah (for Leah), and her newest sound is Baba...which to her means baby. Heidi LOVES babies and baby dolls. The girls each got one for Christmas and Heidi has laid claim to ALL of them. She puts one in the stroller and one in the carseat and then hauls the rest of them around in shifts. She kisses on them and pats them, wraps them in blankets and gives them hugs. Occasionally she does find it humerous to throw them off the couch and laugh when they hit the floor.

Heidi is becoming quite dramatic. She will throw fits over the silliest things. She used to flop straight back, but she hit her head too much, so she's revised her antics. Now she'll flop in her stomach and then smoosh her face straight into the floor. Sometimes she hits her face a little too hard and then starts crying for real, gets up and comes to me looking for sympathy.

A new favorite past-time is digging her hand down the back of her diaper. I think she's just realizing that there is more of her body underneath the diaper. So far she hasn't found any treasures...just cheeks. Heidi loves baths and telephones and shoes. She loves to show off for anyone who comes over. Heidi loves her daddy and will run down the hall to his room looking for him, then knock on the door and yell "Dada!" until he answers and gives her a big hug and kiss. Miss Heidi baby is just the sweetest little girl. We all love her to pieces!

I Believe

Pictures top to bottom: 1. making graham cracker shacks with the cousins 2. Yaya with her completed house 3. Leah being the star of Bethlehem 4. Naomi and cousin Eli as Mary and Joseph 5. Yaya and cousins being angels 6. Our Christmas Tree 7. Heidi baby 8. The girls creating with some of their gifts

We spent Christmas Eve up with Grandma Ingrid in Hillsboro, OR. All of Lars's family got together for the yearly smorgasbord of delicious food, gifts from Grandma and this year we acted out the nativity while Lars narrated from Luke 2. It was a great time and great food. I tried brussle sprouts for the first time ever. Not too shabby. Ingrid roasted them with onions and pears. We also had danish pork loin, yams and apples, red cabbage, fruit salad, swedish meatballs, mushroom pate, hummus, meats and cheeses and crackers and Camille made a Yule Log for dessert. It was quite delicious.

This Christmas, as with many others, our family has been so blessed by the generosity of others. With Lars in his final semester of Grad school, we're livin' on love. Unfortunately, love doesn't put physical gifts under the tree...you know, the kind that kids like. Anyway, a couple days before Christmas, "Santa" left a box of presents outside our door. The girls were thrilled, and I felt very humbled. I can't wait for the day that I can give freely to others like that as well.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

We totally scored this year buying our Christmas tree. There is a "used again" store in the next town over called H2O (Help and Hope to Others). It is basically a local Goodwill, except instead of handicap people working there, it's recovering meth heads. Wish I was kidding. Anyway, someone set up trees in the parking lot and were only charging $5 for them. We got a gorgeous tree! The girls had a great time unpacking the ornaments and hanging them on the tree. Heidi had a great time ripping them off the tree and breaking them. We kept moving the ornaments higher and higher until finally the top 1/3 of our tree is decorated. The bottom 2/3rds has one measly string of lights and few plastic ornaments that we wired to the tree. Heidi still tries hourly to rip them off, but she hasn't succeeded yet! I love the smell of a fresh Christmas tree! It's beginning to feel like Christmas.

Unexpected Perk

I guess there are some perks to the commercialism of Christmas. Tonight when I was putting the girls to bed, Yaya flopped on the ground and started crying that she was too tired to brush her teeth. So I told her to skip it and get in bed. She started crying even harder and blurted out, "But I don't want to be on the 'Naughty List', I want to be on the 'Nice List'!"

I haven't even pulled "the Santa card" once this season, but she used it on herself!

i never knew

Naomi cleared her plate from dinner, which was still full of food, and announced, "I'm full. Can I have some dessert? "If you're full," I said, "You wouldn't be able to eat any dessert." "Yes I can." Naomi clarified. "The dinner side of my stomach is full, but the dessert side is empty!"

Revisiting

In September I wrote a post, "Babies Can't Have Tastebuds". I would like to revisit that for a moment.
This morning I made the girls scrambled eggs for breakfast. After I got the girls off to school, I laid down on the couch. After a few minutes I heard some crunching. I couldn't place the sound, but I didn't want to get up and find the source. When it didn't stop, I got up and found Heidi had dug the egg shells out of the garbage can and was chomping on them. I guess next time I'll skip the scrambled eggs and give them to her whole. :)

Just not feelin' it

I'm trying really hard, but I'm just not feeling the Christmas spirit yet this year. Not sure what the difference is, but I haven't even baked one batch of Christmas cookies yet. I usually try to eat cookies for breakfast every morning of December...because I can...but I don't even feel like doing that. The girls and I have started doing some Christmas crafts, so it's looking more festive around here. Hopefully I can turn it around before the holidays are over!

It's a hard knock life

When we first moved into this duplex, our neighbor warned us to lock up our bikes since her family had had several stolen from their driveway. I thanked her and passed the warning along to Lars who did not lock up his bike. A couple months ago it got stolen. Well, we bought Lars another bike for $15 and this time he locked it up. Today he was riding to a study group down main street. As he was crossing the entrance to the bank, some lady didn't see him and plowed right into him. He flew up onto the hood of her car (thankfully) and she completely mangled his bike. Fortunately Lars has the hardest head in the world and aside from a sore shoulder, didn't receive any injuries. But now we're bike-less again...

Thanksgiving!!!

A Dedication

To the Blazer who was driving in front of me through the road work in Salem: While it is true that trafic fines double in a construction zone; there is NO monetary reward for driving fifteen mph BELOW the speed limit. Just wanted to clear up any misunderstanding.

i'm a mechanic

Our brakes have been loudly protesting lately. Ok, for a while now. We didn't want to spend the money to take it in to a mechanic because we know there are about fourteen other things wrong with our car that probably need immediate attention. Sometimes it's just better to live in ignorance! So, one of our friends offered to help us change them if we wanted since he had all the tools.

I really wanted to learn how, so we went over to their house on Saturday and Byron (our friend) got out all his tools, jacked up the car and took off the first wheel. The brake was just being stubborn. The thingy was stuck and wouldn't come off the other thingy until he finally had to beat it into submission. (And yes. Those are the official names for every part of my vehicle.) But it really took about an hour and a half to get this one side changed. I quietly observed, since I really had no helpful input, and when he finally finished he said, all right, you get the other side. So I hauled the tools around to the other side and within ten minutes I had the whole thing changed, put back together and tire on.

I know it had nothing to do with skill...but it sure was gratifying in a prideful, boasting sort of way. :)

EPIPHANY

Recently I have been pondering my aversion to doing the dishes. Actually, it's more than an aversion. I HATE it. I always feel better when they are done, and to be completely honest, my day runs more smoothly when I don't have to use coffee filters as plates and empty peanut butter jars for cups. But I think I have come to an important (although illogical) connection in my brain.
When I create things, whether it be food, or an art project, or what have you, I leave a trail of mess and disorder in my wake. So I've always associated chaos with creativity. As I was cleaning the other day I realized I was CREATING order and a peaceful environment in my home. For once cleanliness equaled creativity! I was so excited to have had this moment of revelation because all of a sudden I don't swear the entire time I'm washing dishes. I do have to chant "I am creating order" the whole time, but it's working. I'm making new pathways in my brain for positive thinking.

What am I trying to prove?

Last night I went with my friends to the midnight premier showing of "New Moon". Some of the gals in our group went to the theater at 6 o'clock to get in line. I showed up around 9pm. We laid on the nasty, dirty carpet and played card games until 10 when they started filling up the theaters. We sat and talked while everyone else filled in. The social time with my gals was tons of fun. But let it be known...I am not a night owl. During college I stayed up way too late every night and between that and having babies, my body now shuts down at 10pm. So by midnight, I had a headache and was feeling nausious.

I can't say I loved the movie so much, but I can say being in a theater with two hundred pre-teen girls made it such a lively experience! Every time Edward or Jacob came on the screen (especially if they had their shirt off) there was loud swooning and oogling and I could hear buckets of drool hitting the floor.

Well, I got home and in bed close to 3 am with a pounding headache wondering why in the world I had just done that to myself. Maybe I wanted to feel like I wasn't "old" at 30. Unfortunately, I disproved my own theory. Bedtime at 10 from here on.

So stinkin' smart

This morning sweet Heidi walked into the kitchen,handed me a box of noodles, signed "more" and then pointed to her booster seat. I love when babies start to communicate coherently.

problem solving

I was listening in as Yaya and her friend Ellie were playing this morning. I could hear their voices accelerating as a little tiff was about to ensue. And then I heard something new, Yaya making an attempt to problem solve. Now, the logic and reasoning was a bit off...but it was a good attempt for a four year old.

Attempt #1: "Ellie, I don't want to fight, so YOU need to stop."

And when that didn't work...

Attempt #2: "I'll buy you a pony for your birthday if you play with me!"

That one did the job.

the early bird gets whatever it wants

So this morning I was just a little slow on the go. Ok...I laid on the couch until 8am leaving fifteen minutes to get everyone ready and out the door to school. While I was "resting", Leah decided to be helpful and pack her own lunch. She used a brown paper bag instead of her lunchbox. She commented to me that her lunch was so full, she had to tape it shut. That peaked my interest and so I asked her to show me what she had packed for lunch.

She opened the bag and pulled out a honey sandwich, a tupperware container filled with sugar and cinnamon (followed by a shocked look and an exclamation of, "How did that get in there?!") a chocolate granola bar, two hand fulls of frosted animal crackers neatly wrapped in a paper towel and taped shut, and five pieces of Halloween candy.

I realize this has only slightly less nutritional value than the lunches served at school, but still...as a parent I had to regulate. So out went the sugar and cinnamon, out went the frosted animal crackers and out went the Halloween candy. In went some celery and an apple. I can guess where those ended up, but at least I tried. Right?

Gratitude

"When gratitude fills our hearts, there is no room for unhappiness. Happiness does not depend on obtaining all the desires of our hearts. In large measure, happiness depends on our ability to feel gratitude for the abundance we already have."
- Carolyn Wright-

I was asked by the leaders of the Young Women in our ward at church to speak to them tomorrow night on the topic of having an "Attitude of Gratitude." In doing some reading on this topic, I came across this great article, "A Thankful Heart" by Carolyn Wright in the Liahona magazine, November 1994.

Then it listed ten ways to cultivate Gratitude. #3 was to "Carefully nurture every feeling of gratitude, no matter how small." That got me thinking of all the spectacular things I enjoy everyday and don't even give a second thought to having.

Here are 10 small things I take for granted but am VERY grateful for:
1. Music
2. My classy mini van, even if the windows don't roll down, one headlight is out and the brake pads need replacing :)
3. Dishes
4. Shoes
5. A computer and the internet
6. My talents
7. A safe, warm and dry place to live
8. Always having food
9. A comfy couch
10.Warm showers

I'm just getting started. I have SO much to be thankful for. I'm glad I have this opportunity to reflect on all these things...just in time for Thanksgiving.

"eye-eye" mate-y

Yaya has had two close calls with her eyes this week.
Episode 1
I asked Leah to unload the dishwasher. She opened it up and then got distracted. Heidi seized the opportunity and grabbed two sharp knives, one in each hand, and took off. First she went after Naomi, but Naomi screamed and ran away. Yaya wasn't paying attention, until she (and I) heard Naomi scream at her "Heidi has sharp knives!" Well, it was just a second too late and Heidi hit Yaya in the face with one of the knives. Thankfully Heidi is shorter than Yaya because the tip of the knife hit her just under her left eye. And thankfully Heidi isn't that strong because it gave her a nice poke, but didn't cause any major damage. That would have been a fun one to explain in the E.R.

Episode 2
Yaya was at her friend's house and they decided to be helpful and "clean" the bathroom mirror. Well, they were using shampoo...and teetering precariously on the edge of the sink to get to the mirror. Yaya ended up slipping and fell onto the faucet. She hit her face in the exact same spot, but under her right eye. So now the poor girl has a puncture wound under her left eye and a black eye on the right.

Too bad Halloween is past so I can't dress her up as a pirate and cover up some of the damage with an eye patch.

Cleaning Fairies

Today I thought I would try a new tactic to encourage the girls to clean...and be happy while doing it. I was in the kitchen making bread and I said to the girls, "I wonder if the cleaning fairies are going to come and clean up the living room." I had three very different responses from the three girls, none of which actually involved any cleaning.

Leah immediately ran into the living room, drew a picture of the cleaning fairy, taped a bottle cap to it and taped it on the wall.

Naomi sat right where she was and demanded to know who the cleaning fairies were. "Are you talking about me? Because I'm not going to clean."

Yaya moved to the chair in front of the computer and said, "I know where one of the cleaning fairies is! She's listening to music on the computer!"

Well, they're clever, I'll give them that.

Head in the Clouds

I was helping Leah with her homework tonight. I explained something to her and then asked if she understood. She looked at me and said honestly, "I don't really know what you're saying because I just keep thinking of the flute on Peter and the Wolf."

30-minute meals

You know, I really really like the idea of cooking a meal in 30 minutes. The reality of that happening in this house is just a pipe dream. Let's observe the differences between Rachel Ray's kitchen and mine.

RR has an idea for dinner before she starts making it.

I have that nagging thought all day until 5:30 when I finally open the fridge and start cooking something...and often I'm STILL not even sure what it will be.

RR has all the ingredients on hand.

When I finally decide what I'm cooking, I usually have to change my idea in the middle of cooking the meal anyway because I don't have half of the ingredients. Otherwise I have to run to the store if I can't find a suitable substitute, or send my most charming daughter to the neighbor's house and beg for any missing ingredients.

RR has clean dishes.

I generally have to wash a load of dishes so I actually have counter space. Then I have to wash all my pots and pans so I actually have something to cook in.

RR magically seems to have all the spices she needs at the forefront of her cupboard.

I spend at least ten minutes digging through my awkward spice cupboard, lifting each bottle, reading the label, dropping it, knocking over eight bottles, half of them fall out onto the counter and one inevitably ends up in the butter dish. Clean off spice jar, replace and repeat.

RR doesn't have kids.

You can just add 15 minutes per kid onto any recipe prep. time. I always end up getting someone a drink, or running from the kitchen to see if there was any blood accompanying the scream, answering the phone, or shuffling slowly from the sink to the stove with a pot of water in my hands and a baby wrapped around my legs.

In the end, I consider getting ANY meal on the table a feat worth a cooking show of my own. The only problem with that is "30 Minute Meals" seems so much more catchy and optimistic than "90 minute meals with two time outs, fourteen homework questions and a minor concussion".

Get this message

We live in a college town. It is interesting to observe the students as I sit at the stop signs and watch them cross the street in front of my car. I am always amused at how many people have their heads down and are so engrossed in "text-ing" that they don't even look up before they cross the street. True, pedestrians do have the right-of-way on a cross walk, but sometimes a car is already crossing the street and they will walk out two feet in front of the car without even knowing it!

Up to this point in my life, I have yet to hit a pedestrian on foot. I have hit one on a bike before, but there were no injuries sustained and it was in high school (sorry mom, never told you about that one!) But as far as I'm concerned, if you can't even look up from a text to save your own life, you might have your priorities a little mixed up.

A New Phase

Heidi has developed a couple new talents recently. Thankfully she's really really cute.

Talent #1. Climbing onto everything, including the kitchen table.

Talent #2. Meticulously emptying out the kid's dish drawer and sitting in it.

It's just a phase. It's just a phase. It's just a phase. It's just a phase.

Barfy Halloween

Leah

Heidi and Heidi

We missed Halloween this year due to the stomach bug/flu. Leah and Heidi held strong and avoided the whole illness, so Leah got to go out with her friend to the Trunk-or-Treat at church. Naomi just accepted it and didn't put up a fight. She really got the worst of the sickness. Yaya, on the other hand, put forth her best effort to convince me (between dry heaves) that she wasn't really sick and she could still have her birthday party and go trick-or-treating. We postponed her birthday party for a week and I'm going to take the girls trick-or-treating around to our friends houses tomorrow night :) They have some super cute costumes that I want to get some use out of!

Since Leah went out, she did get dressed up. My little tree hugger here made her cat tail out of old socks. She sewed it herself and stuffed it with recycled plastic bags. Leah will single handedly save the planet. (Just ask her.)

Klepto

Yaya came up to me crying. "I was showing Heidi my gum, but she took it and stuck it in her mouth." Sure enough I looked over and Heidi was standing there, innocently, chewing Yaya's piece of gum. Yaya solved the problem by reaching into Heidi's mouth, stealing it back and putting the gum right back into her own.

Joker

This morning the girls were sitting around the table eating breakfast and telling jokes. After Leah and Naomi had told every possible "Why did the chicken cross the road?" joke they could come up with, Yaya decided to give it a try...with a twist.

Yaya-"How did the cow cross the road?"

Naomi rolled her eyes and said flatly, "He walked."

So much for that!

The girl who cried wolf

This morning Yaya was playing on the computer and chewing some gum.

Yaya-"Mom, could I have another piece of gum?"

Me- "What happened to your other piece?"

Y-"It fell out of my mouth."

Me-"Out of your mouth into your stomach?"

Y-"No, onto the floor."

Me- "O.K." I responded, immediately knowing she was lying again, "Get down from the chair and find it."

Y-"I can't."

Thankfully Lars was in the kitchen as well. We exchanged a silent look, ensuring we were on the same page, but I still couldn't pull it off with a straight face.

Lars-"Yaya, turn off the computer and find your gum."

Immediately Yaya's lip started to tremble and her eyes filled up with tears. For some reason it's not as easy to lie to Daddy.

Y-"I can't (sniffle) find it (sniffle)."

L-"If you just admit that you swallowed it, you can turn the computer back on."

Yaya's whole face lit up with excitement for this unexpected easy out.

Y-"Ok. I swallowed it."

At that moment I had to turn around and hide my face so she couldn't see me laughing. Lars then sternly reprimanded her for lying, and then took the time to tell her the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Maybe it sunk in this time???

Pumpkin Carving

Leah, Naomi, Heidi and Yaya on their pumpkins

falling off their pumpkins!

Heidi baby

Leah and Yaya

Naomi's slimy pumpkin hand

Leah digging and Heidi...helping

Heidi

Heidi

the finished pumpkins

Leah, Naomi and Yaya by their respective pumpkins

(Heidi was one tired little pumpkin)

Last night for Family Home Evening we carved pumpkins. Leah tackled hers all on her own this year. She cleaned it all out and cut out the design on her own. I was rather impressed with the finished product. Naomi drew a picture of the face she wanted and Lars carved it. We asked Yaya to draw a picture of the face she wanted on hers, so she drew a circle, two dots for the eyes, one dot for the nose and a big thin line for the mouth. After we explained that was virtually impossible to carry out on a pumpkin, she revamped her design and came up with Bucky here. I took the artistic liberty from Heidi's scribbles to come up with her pumpkin design :)