Naughty Kitty!

Miss DD is so proud of her new reading and writing skills!  Her class is focusing on "kid-spell," where the kids try to sound out the words and write them as it sounds.  The poor girl goes to school 8 hours a day, then comes home and PLAYS school until supper!  We have made an area in the toyroom into a classroom, I'll have to post pics sometime.  She loves being the 'teacher' and you can see what she learns at school by watching her play it.  I know that Mrs. Hildreth is a calm, polite, caring teacher because of the ways DD plays.  Early in the mornings, after Ryan leaves for work, DD will hop in bed with me for the last half hour.  I hear her sounding out words and trying to spell them, "buh, buh, buh, B...eh, eh, eh, E...duh, duh, duh, D...Bed, B.E.D."  The girl is thinking/learning/ absorbing all.the.time.  She loves to play hangman with Pa and trick him with words he doesn't even think she knows yet.  I keep way too many little pages with artwork & writing, but it's so stinking cute.  Remember my post where DD thought she for sure would be on Santa's Naughty List?  Well, she's hoping he forgets about her by making it quite clear, there is someone or something much naughtier in this house!  Here are my latest finds, with their interpretations...

"Penny's Naughty List. Penny growling, running away at time to..., Penny bit, Penny talks."

"Naughty Penny's List.  Biting. Not nice.  Penny List.  Mom"

And, my favorite...

"Penny Naughty List...Makin' Naughty Faces!"  Emphasis on the "!"

I think Penny's gettin' nothing but COAL!

My "Story"

So I've been known to do a little bit of 'blog-stalking'...one of the blogs I read told of the bloggers *angel* encounters. I replied that I too had *a story*...here it is.

I was a Senior in high school.  1994-95.  The beginning of the year was awful.  There were girls in my class that were just plain mean.  You know the movie, Mean Girls?  Well, I had no desire to see it, had my own mean girls!  The 3 or 4 girls were able to make my year pretty miserable.  I had my car keyed, I had nasty letters put in my locker, people pushed me in the hall, made fun of me, called me terrible names, accused me of things I had never done, you get the idea. They also plotted out to surround me and my date on the chartered bus to the Botanical Center for prom.  They wanted to harm my dress, mess up my hair, make fun of me. The school found this out prior to the trip, thankfully, and seating arrangements changed.  I was a boring kid.  I'm not claiming I was perfect, but I was a good kid.  Honestly, didn't do anything wrong, didn't drink, didn't have sex, didn't smoke.  I was involved in a lot of school activities, cheerleading, vocal, band, musicals, speech, golf.  I had a boyfriend who was a 'good guy.' He also didn't mind that I had several boys as friends.  My parents were and still are married to eachother.  I didn't have to work, because my parents always stressed that school was my job.  All of these things were things "those" girls were jealous of.  I wasn't an aggressive girl, not big on confrontation.  But had had my full and finally had to go to the Principal's office to have a meeting with the main instigator of these happenings.  My Dad warned him that if he didn't take care of it at school, the police would be involved.  It is because of this that the Eldora-New Providence High School realized they needed to have a Harrassment/ Bullying procedure put in place.  It's also because of this that I am not afraid of confrontation now and will always stand up for my kids & my family.  Anyhoo...on to the *story.* 

While all of these things were happening to me, my parents tried comforting me.  Tried to explain things away.  They did what they could to make me feel better but I still was petrified to go to school.  Scared to walk to my car. Scared to make eye contact. Scared to talk in class. Scared to pick out clothes for school. Scared to go certain places. Scared to have fun. Scared to talk to certain friends.  Mostly, scared to be me. So, my Mom would pray. 

One night I was in my room, sittng on my bed reading a book.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a dusting of peachy color float past my window.  Didn't think alot of it, mom had just turned the heat on for the year, so I thought it could be dust or something.  But, it happened again, I looked up and it had disappeared.  I got a little nervous so went and sat in a chair in the living room.  Which was a little too close to the sliding doors for my liking and as I was getting up to move I saw the same peachy colored dust float out of my room, down the balcony hall, down the steps and skip around the corner down the basement steps.  I never really saw a figure, but what I saw looked like the very bottom of a long skirt, white/gray on the bottom and faded up to peach.  It moved flowing-ly and kind of skipped like a child would down the steps.  I was freaked but didn't tell anyone what I had seen.   Later in the week I would see the little skirt in my room, but just out of the corner of my eye. 

October rolled around and the guy I was dating sang in the Central choir so we all traveled down to watch a concert.  Afterwards, we ate at Pizza Hut, where they had decorated it in the cheesey blobs of cotton pulled to be cobwebs with spider rings stuck in them, Frankenstein on the salad bar, bats hanging in corners...  My mom had a handfull of straws and napkins and as she sat down she said, " I probably shouldn't say this...but I've been seeing things at our house."  I froze.  I listened as she told her story and knew it was the same thing.  My Dad noticed I looked a little shocked  and there were tears in my eyes, he said, "What, now you're going to say you saw something too...?"  He gave us each napkin to draw what we saw and we described it the exact same way.  Mom later explained to me that since she couldn't be at school to protect me and comfort me, that she prayed that God would send a guardian angel to watch over me and give me peace.  I believe that's exactly what I got!  The year got better, the girls got bored with me and I ended up having a great Senior year thanks to another bunch of girls.  Erin, Stephanie & Amber.  They saw me coming out of the Principal's office that day and invited me to sit with them at lunch.  From that day they kindly welcomed me and included me in their activities and watched out for me.  They gave me a reason to go to school and I don't know if they really understand the comfort and safe feelings they provided me that year.  We had a super fun Senior year growing our friendships and I am grateful that those relationships have continued into adulthood.  (Love ya, Gals!!)  It's not that I still don't feel my heart skip a beat when I see those same mean girls, but I'm confident about myself and realize, you know...they did have a lot to be jealous about. My life was and is...GOOD.

I have seen the angel again.  A few times in college, I know Mom was praying for me then.  I saw it when I lived in Adair and going through a divorce. Mom was praying even more then.   I've even seen it since Ryan and I have been married...which freaked Ry out to know!  I'm not afraid when I see it, but I smile and know that God is with me and I remember that prayer does change things.  I have even used the same prayer for my babes.  Maybe, someday, they'll have their own *stories.*

Snow Day!

She finally got one...her first snow day of kindergarten! School was dismissed early yesterday and we knew before bed time that there would be no school today. DD slept until 7:30, Lane rested a little longer because the poor guy had the flu Monday night. He only threw up once...but it was alot...and in my bed! Ugh! I'm not good with the flu, but have made it through yet another bout. I have such troopers for kids...they know their momma is a scaredy-cat when it comes to vomit. Anyhoo, after staying up most of the night watching a Dora movie and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, he's feeling back to his old self. He even asked me last night, "Hey Mom? Can we stay up really late & watch movies and eat freezies like we did last night? That was so fun!" Dig has always been such a happy-go-lucky kiddo!

Ryan got a snow day today, too. He's been spending some time online watching a live cattle auction. We all bundled up and waddled ourselves over to Mom and Dad's for lunch. The kids had been begging to play outside, they don't yet understand the word blizzard! Our trek over to Balvanz's reminded DD and Dig of the Little House on the Prairie episode when Mrs. Beadle, the teacher lets the class out early for Christmas break and a quick moving blizzard catches everyone off guard and several kids are stranded in the wind and snow. When we got home from lunch, we decided to get out my Little House activity book and do some fun winter activities.

Of course...the first thing on the agenda was SNOW CREAM! My dad introduced the kids to this the winter we stayed with them while Ryan was gone during the week in Southern Iowa. They love it! I just happened to have some cream left over from the rice pudding we made last night and oh it made the ice-cream taste so good! Just snow, cream, sugar and vanilla!

The kids thought it was pretty silly that the only time the Ingallses would have had ice-cream was in the winter when it was so cold outside and not during the summer when the treat would be so refreshing...they think they are pretty lucky to be able to have ice-cream any day they want!

Our next project was Ma's Clove Apples.  The activity book said that the "apple would not spoil, for so many cloves would keep it sound and sweet." Well, we had very few cloves left, so our apples will definitely spoil but it was fun and smells so good!  We decided after this 'epic blizzard' we'll head to the store and get more for another time. 

We finished off with Molasses-on-Snow Candy.  Just so happens were running out of molasses, too.  So we made just a tiny batch.  Which was just fine because the kids didn't care for the taste of it at all.  We just boiled molasses and brown sugar then spooned it over fresh (and clean!) snow until it hardened.  Our kids didn't like it, but I'm sure back in Laura's day it would have been a real treat! 

(notice the sign on my stove...'Love Grows Best in Little Houses"...Little Houses in Eldora, or Little Houses on the Prairie!...no doubt my favorite books & show of all time!)

After spending a fun day snowed in our own "Little House", I imagine how exciting, yet scary a big blizzard would have been in the late 1800's and I am reminded how blessed we really are. 

Naughty List

A few days ago Lane was watching a "seasonal show" and came running into the kitchen to tell me, as loud as he could...

"MOM! DO YOU KNOW SANTA HAS A NAUGHTY LIST AND A NICE LIST?! AND IF YOU'RE NICE HE WRITES YOUR NAME ON THE NICE LIST AND IF YOU'RE NAUGHTY HE WRITES YOUR NAME ON NAUGHTY LIST!" Um yeah...and I thought you knew that too.

Then all of a sudden I hear a very tired DD crying hard and saw her run off to her room. "I'm probably on the naughty list! I'm always naughty. I try not to be naughty but Digga always starts it!" Poor girl. I had to reassure her that she's not naughty and like we read in the Berenstein Bear book, "Santa doesn't expect you to be perfect...just good." She loves to make me feel guilty and knows just how to do it!

Side note: Drue was so excited to have a green dress that she could wear over a red shirt to be all "Christmas-y" ... I do love when she wears dresses over jeans...no really, I do. The funny thing is that Lane also wanted to wear Christmas colors. He surprised us by going to his room and putting on a navy shirt with WHITE stripes, his tennis shoes that have RED stripes on them and he ingeniously turned his summer reading program shirt from the library inside out so it was only GREEN! How could I tell him to change when he worked so hard to make sure he had ALL the Christmas colors on!

50, 50, 50!

Lane Ryan cracks us up with the things he says... He's beginning to act an awful lot like his Uncle Shawn! Definitely likes to get laughs. So here is something he's been chanting all day. You know the Hefty Garbage Bags commercials? Here's Dig's interpretation...

"stinky, stinky, stinky...FIFTY, FIFTY, FIFTY!!!"

He says the stinky really high-pitched and the 50 really deep and loud. I don't have the heart to tell him it should be "Hefty, Hefty, Hefty!" What a goof!

Happy Veteran's Day

Thank you to all of the men & women who serve or have served our country...

Especially my Grandpa Harold, Ryan's Grandpa Ray, Ryan's Dad, Arnie, several Great-Uncles and many other friends & family members!

We're off to the Veteran's Day Program this morning...and I have my very own "Red, White and Blue Singer!" I'll be sure to post a picture of her, if I can get one!

Morning Parade

It started the same day as Kindergarten. DD would try and skip stall getting to school. She'd ask every morning if we could drive by Nanny & Pa's house to see how the siding was coming along. Then we'd drive down Grandma Mary's road to do the same. We live in the middle. From our backyard we can see Nan & Pa's front yard. From our front yard, we can see Grandma "Mair's" backyard. Well, after a week of our siding inspections, we let my parents and grandma know we had been driving by their homes every morning before school. And to our surprise the next morning, we had WAVERS!

And EVERY morning since, Nanny & Pa (and sometimes Uncle Shawn) will be at the window waving good morning to DD & Dig. When Great Uncle Jim, Uncle Steve & Cousin Joey were here, they too took part in the morning parade.

As you can see...this Momma doesn't "get ready" before taking DD to school. And this brother doesn't even get out of his jammers!

We never miss Great-Grandma Mary's house either. She's always on the front step waving and yelling, "Have a good day!" to the kids. It's kind of a neat way of checking in on her, making sure she's doing ok.

I can't help but think our "Morning Parade" and the smiles that come with it are a great way to start the day, not only for the kids & I...but for the 'wavers' waiting for us to cruise on by!

My Budder

That's how Drue used to say 'brother'..." I love my budder!" Drue & Lane are exactly the same age apart as Steve and I are, 19 months...so it's fun to come across pictures we've taken at the same ages...for example,

Then came Shawn. My own real-life 'baby-doll.' Sorry, DD, you won't be getting one of those.

Happy Halloween!

Excuse the messy counter, Awana books, Costume/ sewing supplies everywhere! But, look at those cute pumpkins...and the jack-o-lanterns!

Drue was a Pumpkin Princess for her Kindergarten Fall Party. They walked around the business in Eldora. Her skirt even lit up!

Pebbles & Bam-Bam! This picture was also on the WHO-TV13 News this morning...the news caster said, "I bet those kids were chilly last night!" He didn't know we hadn't trick-or-treated yet, but, it will be chilly tonight!

More pictures to come. We beg for candy at 5 and head to New Providence for the Costume Carnival at 6:30. Should be fun!

25 Random Things

I'm joining the blog-wagon and sharing 25 random things with you as requested by a blogger I follow, I BELIEVE it will be fun!

1. I really don't think there's much about me or my life that is "random!" I 'schedule' everything and often need to say my schedule out loud just to hear it myself. (yes, Ryan pretends to listen)
2. I've attended all 3 State Universities...and have degrees from 2 of them.
3. When I was little and people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the only answer I ever gave was "a Mom!"
4. I love everything Amish!
5. I brain-washed the kids into loving Little House on the Prairie so I could watch it with them.
6. I sometimes pretend I'm on cooking show while fixing supper!
7. Secretly (or not) want to take photography lessons.
8. Always write 'To Do' lists and LOVE the feeling of crossing things off...I'll even add things to my list that I have completed, but weren't on my list, just to cross them off!
9. Loved being pregnant & in labor (however, there will be no more little Luikens)
10. I have seen a 'ghost' or angel as I prefer...several times, same one.
11. almost have a panic attack if towels are put away messily in kitchen drawers or bathroom cabinets.
12. Enjoy decorating and used to dream of being an interior decorator.
13. Love to organize!
14. Need & want to make time to read the Bible more.
15. Worry waaaaay too much!
16. Love, love the feeling of an empty laundry basket.
17. Love to watch people fall or be scared! (I know, it's a sickness!)
18. Am petrified of mice, baby goldfish-like fish and baby (newborn) kitties (ick!)... but LOVE to scare Ryan with snakes!
19. Got engaged to Ryan after knowing him only 5 weeks! I'd never even seen him before!! (Now don't go and try that on us, Drue Kathleen! No-way!)
20. I think the kids have grown up way too quickly!
21. I always wear slippers.
22. Feel so fortunate to be able to have stayed home with our Monkeys!
23. I really wish I could help Ryan farm and raise our cattle, drive equipment & all ...when the kids are both in school...Just like Grandma. I'm not even sure Ry knows this!
24. I melt when I hear Drue & Lane say, "Momma, I love you forever, for always, no matter what! Ubba!" (Ubba is our translation for Love ya! It's how Drue said it when she was tiny and it has stuck, Grandmas & Grandpas, Aunts & Uncles use it, too. Ryan and I even say it to eachother!)
25. I still rock both kids to sleep EVERY night...and will until they don't let me any longer!

Yes kids, we are lost.

Well, we were for a while. We went to the corn maze in Wellsburg Sunday afternoon. Finally, a beautiful Fall day. Even with a tall daddy, we couldn't find our way out very quickly. But, speed was not the objective. We had to find 5 paper punchers hanging from posts inside the maze. If we found them all the kids would receive a prize...little did we know it was a single piece of Halloween candy...oh well, they were happy with it. At one point, Lane did get a bit nervous and asked to be held, but when he realized on daddy's shoulders he could see the barn, he relaxed a little and was able to enjoy the rest of our adventure. We were in there at least a half hour!

The kids also fed animals in the petting barn (yard) rode bikes in a straw maze, played in a corn box and picked out pumpkins for carving...Now Momma has to get busy with those Halloween costumes!

Brutis

Dig got a Bronco uniform from Uncle Steve & Lisa for his birthday. He wears it at least once EVERY day. Somedays, he even gets his own cheerleader.

Recent quote from the Little Man...

"MOM!! I'm gonna be a Backer-line when I grow up and play for the Broncos!"

I have to be honest...it took this mom a minute to figure it out. I admit I don't know much about the game...but I know a tight-end when I see one! ha!

This Future-Football Mom has some serious learning to do.

Real Princesses

This morning DD noticed a book my mom purchased for me on the kitchen coffee table.

"Mom, who is this...Ellen?" (Ellen Degeneres)

"uh, no it's actually a lady named Princess Diana. She was a real princess."

"oh...like me?"

"yup, honey. Just like you."

I guess Little Miss Eldora is forever a 'Real Princess' ... at least in our eyes!

Pictures

Hey All! Here are a few recent pictures!

Kindergarten Roundup

Today, Drue Kathleen had her first of two days of Kindergarten Round-Up. She was so excited. Wednesday, she kept saying, "Mom...I'm DYING to go to Kindergarten Round-up! I'm so excited!" That sure makes a mom feel better than wondering if she'd be nervous, like the first day of preschool. I woke up early to make the breakfast she requested, sausage and pancakes. She woke up herself up before I had to. She came in the kitchen grinning, hair all braided up (she wanted curly hair for school today). Pretty routine morning, that actually went better than a lot of mornings do around here. She had her outfits picked out on Monday, they were laid out on her bedroom floor, since then. She looked just like I would picture a little girl going to round-up would. My parents stopped by before heading to work to see her off. She wore pink plaid capris and a pink shirt with a gray sweater...cutie pie! at 7:50 we headed to the school. She was in the same room as her uncles, Steve & Shawn had Kindergarten. She even had a locker with her name on it. The theme for round-up is "Round-up" (duh!) It was a cowboy/ cowgirl theme. She was a little bothered by the fact she didn't get to pick who she sat by, but ended up being at a table with 2 other girls she is friends with so that turned out ok. I took a few pics. of her sitting at her spot doing a puzzle. Swinging her little legs, happily looking forward to her day. She was perfectly fine. Momma, on the other hand? Well, I held my tears until I heard the door shut behind me. Then I lost it for a couple minutes, then realized, Lane probably thought I was sad it was just him & me, and I whipped myself back in to shape. It was weird without her. I constantly wondered what she was doing. Lane and I did a craft, took a walk, made sour-cream raisin bars for my dad, at lunch at mom & dad's, took a little rest while watching Diego, he played on the kids' computer while I did dishes, then it was time to pick up Sister! She walked out of the school with a gazed look in her eyes, kind of numb-like...I think she was asleep standing up! :) It was so funny! She told me that she ate all of her lunch, (chicken fingers, green beans, applesauce) and all but a little bit of her brownie. They had 'art class' as she told me. She enjoyed 3 recesses, snack time, story time, nap time...tomorrow will be more testing and sharing! She really enjoyed herself and informed me that she thinks she should just skip the rest of Preschool and go to Kindergarten from here on out. "preschool is just so boring!"

After school, we stopped home to pick up a couple Mr. Freezes...you know like we used to get at the pool...the kids ate theirs while heading to the farm to feed the bottle calves, Daphney, Dora and '46'...poor calf can't have a real name because he/she will be sold, so I told the kids not to get too attached, (really cute though) We saw Uncle Shawn feeding some year old calves and stopped to see Pa who was planting corn. Drue had phone calls from her Nanny and best friend Campbell to see how her day went, actually, Campbell called before school, too! She gets to go to her round-up the first week of May. Then we came home and I started to make dinner as DD hopped in the bathttub. She requested biscuits and sausage gravy for supper. Then Dig had a bath, we ate supper and packed up supper for Ryan. We took his out to him while he was cultivating. Lane fell asleep before he even got to see his Dad and Drue didn't make it all the way home before zonking out. So, at 7:30, both kids were in bed, out for the night. Whew! What a day. I sure missed Drue today, but also really enjoyed the time I spent with Lane. I was home w/ DD for 19 months, just her & me...now I get some Mom & Lane time before he goes to preschool the year after next. Drue is quite the little lady. We love her so much and are so proud of all she's learned and accomplished in the past 5 years. It's truly amazing to watch her grow up.

*for some reason, my camera keeps changing the date to Oct. 2007...hmm...no, these pictures are from today, April 23, 2009

If you haven't noticed, i'm back at the old blog I just found it a little easier to navigate and add pics, etc...plus, a friend of mine was hosting the other blog, and he never charged me for his work...I felt bad. But I don't want to lose the posts I've made over there http://www.theluikens.com/ so I'm attempting to cut & paste them here...excuse the mess...I just want everything in one place...pay attention to the date if you don't want to be confused! :)

I'd love to say I will keep up better...but you know how schedules get. The main reason for the blog is to keep a journal of memories, so the kids can read it someday and know how much we cherish them and how blessed we are to be their parents. Secondly, for those other readers who want to keep tabs with our family... that's you...so enjoy!