Roughing it

Friday night the girls begged to set up the tent in our yard.  (No, this is not my tent, or my yard.)  It was a beautiful night and I didn't have anything commitments on Saturday, so I said why not.  We all threw our blankets and pillows in there and had a great time making crazing faces with the flashlight, reading books, Heidi even told us a silly ghost story.  As it happens any time you get a group of girls together and they have stayed up much past their prime, things got really silly and the giggled continued to crescendo until 11 pm when I finally had to threaten them with a, "The next person who makes a SOUND is going inside and I'm. not.joking."  There was immediate silence and they were all asleep in ten seconds flat.

Last night, the girls asked if we could sleep in the tent again.  Why not?  Only difference was I had to be up for work at 7am and I didn't have a clock with me. (Yes I still live in the dark ages and No I don't own a cell phone.)  The girls fell asleep rather quickly and I laid there wondering if I was a man and didn't have hips, if camping would ever actually be comfortable.  I'm not so sure.  Leah and Emilia were sleep yelling at each other.  Entertaining, but not restful.

Eventually I fell asleep but I kept dreaming that I overslept and missed half a day of work.  Then in my dream I would wake up and tell someone about the dream and go back to sleep (in my dream).  This happened three times before I finally just got up, really confused if I was actually getting up, or if I was still dreaming that I was getting up.  Heidi was happy to finally have all of my blanket that she had been fighting me for the whole night. When I came inside it was only 6 o'clock.  I knew if I went to my real bed there was no way I would get up again by seven, so I decided to go for a "run."  I hadn't even finished tying my shoes before my body was reminding me that I hated running and this was the worst idea ever...except for sleeping in the tent in the first place.  I went anyway.  I didn't pass out, so that's good news.  I have a feeling as long as I leave the tent up I'm going to be bombarded with requests to sleep in it every night.  Either we need a good old fashioned ghost story freak out, or some strategically planted spiders to disenchant those girls from sleeping in the tent.  This could be fun.  :)

I don't wanna grow up!

Lars had his birthday on the 18th.  The girls picked out a set of Nerf guns for his present.  (Back story: Any time we go to a store, Lars will peruse the toy aisle and make the comment, "They never had toys like this when I was a kid!")  This was, hands down, the favorite family gift.  As soon as they were out of the box, Leah grabbed one Nerf gun and Lars grabbed the other.  Leah immediately started trying to shoot at Lars and Lars immediately dove into a sermon about Nerf gun safety, including first and fore most, never aim at someone's face.  In the next second, a Nerf dart came whizzing across the room and hit Lars directly in the eye!

Leah fell all over herself apologizing, "Sorry Dad!  I was aiming for your chest!"  I fell all over myself laughing.  Lars immediately instituted a "No Nerf guns without safety glasses" policy.  (Which is hilarious if you know ANYTHING about Lars as a child!)  The rest of the day little girls in sunglasses (because who actually owns safety glasses?) were running around my house shooting Nerf guns at each other.

Best. Present. Ever. 

NAOMI

While I vividly remember giving birth to this child, I often wonder if she's actually mine.  People say she looks like me, but the similarities end there.  Naomi likes order, predictability, repetition.  As her birthday approached this year I asked her what she wanted to do for a party etc.  Naomi handed me a piece of paper divided neatly into categories, Food, Games, Guests and it even included a mock up design of her birthday party invitation.  She wanted her party on the 1st, because that's the date it was on last year, and she informed me, the date her party will be on EVERY year until she dies.  For dinner she requested her favorite meal, Sloppy Joes, because that's what we had last year and that's what she wants EVERY year for dinner on her birthday until she dies.

Yesterday Naomi approached me and said, "I think you chose a very appropriate name for me.  NAOMI.  Almost every letter is symmetrical.

That about sums it up folks!

Negotiation

My current photography assignment is a self portrait.  It's difficult.  Not just the context, but physically taking a picture of myself with a 35mm film camera.  I had an idea, set up the camera on a tri-pod, set up the lighting, attached the shutter release cord and then realized the cord was only about 8 inches long.
Help!
So I snagged Heidi off the couch and asked her to come help me.  All she had to do was press the button.  Well, she whimpered, and whined, and complained that it was going to be boring.  I tried to bribe her with fruit snacks, crackers with the nasty cheesy spread.  Nothing.  Finally I offered five pennies.  Her little ears perked up.  She looked at me, realized she had the upper hand and said, "Fine.  But I want ten more."  Fifteen pennies it is.
Heidi pushed the button 36 times at my command.  I thanked her and sent her off on her way.  Before she left the room, Heidi turned to me and said, "Actually, I really wanted a dollar."
I gave her 15 pennies and I'm looking into Pre-Law Kindergarten.

Who are you?

So this whole full time-student, part-time mother thing has been a challenge.  I've been trying to decide what my summer plan will be, if I should go to school and plow through it or take some time off.  Well, last night I got home from school/work/studying at 8pm and when I walked in the door my girls all ran to me, hugged me and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Um...I live here.  I'm your mom.  You know...that lady who's holding you in your birth photos.

That made my decision for me.  Summer break from school.  I'll still be working but there is very little mental investment required there.  That means I'll have time again to thing about things like my children, my dear patient hubby who puts up with me being gone 100 hours a week, blogging, cooking...I don't know...maybe I'll sleep too.  That hasn't happened in a while, and it won't for three more weeks until this school term is completed.  After I wake up from my three day coma, watch out because I'll be catching up on the last, eh, year. Blog overload.  You've been warned. :)

Anatomy and Physiology

This album came up on my Pandora station.  The girls all saw it.
8 yr old. "What is that?!?!?"
7 yr old.  "Duh.  It's his toe."
10 year old in a fit of laughter, "That's a long toe!"

Softest Sugar Cookie Recipe

1 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
Mix until fluffy.

1 t vanilla, lemon or almond extract
1/4 c sour cream
Mix in.

1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
Mix in.

4-5 c flour
Mix in.

Roll out to 1/4" to 1/2" thick.  Cut out shapes and bake on a cookie sheet for 6-9 minutes at 350 degrees.

It's like this...

Lars sent the girls into the bathroom to brush their teeth.  For the next ten minutes there was a constant stream of chatter and when I say chatter, mostly I mean the girls instructing each other on the proper way to brush their teeth, squeeze the toothpaste, flick off the excess water, wipe their mouths and whatever else they could find to nit-pick each other about. 

When they finally came back into the living room Lars asked, "Is it possible for you girls to be in a room with each other without bickering?"

 Leah shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I don't know.  It's never happened before."

Best Gingersnap Recipe EVER

Aunt Big's Gingersnaps (my way)

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons hot water
4 cups flour
1 heaping tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add molasses and blend until smooth. 

Mix the baking soda into the 2 Tablespoons hot water.  Stir until dissolved.  Add into first mixture.

Add ginger, cinnamon and salt.  Mix.

Dump in four cups flour and mix (in mixer) until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop dough into balls.  Roll in sugar and press flat with the bottom of a glass cup. 

Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from pan while still warm.

aaaaand now it's December

Wow.  My first term of school ended today and truthfully, this is the first time I've thought about this blog since it started!  Well, it's been an intense ten weeks.  Crazy but amazing!  Lars has taken on being a "stay-at-home Dad" with so much grace that it kind of puts me to shame.  He's got the girls on a schedule, he helps them with their homework and went to their parent-teacher conferences, he does the grocery shopping and makes the meals.  It is so nice for the girls to have this time with their Daddy. 

It's been a bit of a transition being gone so much.  Any time I get ready to leave Heidi will ask why I'm leaving.  I'll tell  her I'm going to school and she will say, "But Mom, I love you.  Don't leave."  Breaks my heart, but I know this is the best thing to be doing...so I do it. Lars is so incredibly supportive, encouraging me to go study any time I need to. 

As for school itself, I am SO excited to be back.  I had some amazing teachers and awesome classes.  I love, love, LOVE photography!  I'm not going to lie, when I see all the painting and drawing classes I feel pulled in that direction too; but I met with my advisor and told him to keep me on track and I'm following his guidance so I get all the classes done that I need to.  I think I could just stay in school for five years taking every class I want.  Surprisingly, there are a lot of students my age or older who apparently have done that very thing. :) 

I'll post some of my projects so you can see what I've been working on.