She's SIX!

I can't believe it, but Drue Kathleen is six.  Like every mom, I remember the hours leading up to, during and after her birth like it was yesterday.  We were in the midst of an ice & snow storm.  I had a regularly scheduled appointment set for Monday, February 2, 2004.  Ryan and I stayed home and watched the Super Bowl.  I had been on bed rest the week before.  We played a lot of cribbage, watched too much t.v. and mom brought us dinner every night.  That Sunday night the weather and roads got so bad Ryan told me I was going to have to cancel my appointment for the morning.  I was so mad at him.  Didn't he know I was starting to feel pretty miserable just sitting on the couch all day?  I wanted to see who was in my belly!  I was hoping the doctor would just say it was time to have him or her! So I went to bed without a bath knowing I had no where to go the next day.  In the middle of the night I heard a loud pop! It was so loud that it woke me up.  I stayed in bed trying to figure out what that sound could have been.  We didn't have any balloons in the house, no one cracked a bottle of champagne...hmm.  I remember the time on the clock said 4:17 am.  I decided that since I was awake I might as well go to the bathroom.  So I got out of bed and Guuushh! That loud pop was my water breaking!  Oh my goodness!  I looked at Ryan, who was peacefully sleeping, and didn't want to wake him...but knew I had to!  I remember thinking, "he's going to be so mad at me! He said there's no way I'm going to the dr. tommorrow because of the weather!"  yikes!  So I calmly turned on the little light on our dresser and tried waking Ryan.  "ryan.  Ryan.  RYAN. R-Y-A-N!!"  "what?!?" "My water just broke?"  "Seriously?"  "yeah."  And he was GONE!  He didn't say another word to me.  He ran downstairs while I tried to figure out how I was going to get down there without making a huge mess.  My calm, level headed husband I grabbed my suitcase and changed my clothes.  By the time I got downstairs, like 4 minutes later...Ryan had already called his parents to have them come help get us out of the driveway (remember the ton of snow that had just fallen and our quarter of a mile driveway were no fun!) He also had scooped the side walk and had the car warming up.  He was speedy!  He didn't talk much at all the way to Waterloo.  He even got so nervous that he decided to be a rebel and turn left on a red light!  I was not feeling any signs of labor so was able to fully enjoy the humor in watching him become a wreck.   At 4:24 that afternoon, our firstborn, our daughter, Drue Kathleen Luiken was born.  I didn't think I was going to make it through those first 3 months.  I was the one who was a wreck then.  But we made it! 

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 She had her first friend party.  She invited 3 friends she has had her entire life, and 3 from her kindergarten class.  They had fun in DD's make-up vanity and singing to Hannah Montana while jumping on Lane's bed.  The girls also played school in the toyroom while Lane showed off his basketball skills...with no shirt on, I may add.  He was in hog heaven with that many girls around!

Each girl ordered her own mini-pizza and we enjoyed butterfly cupcakes.  Drue received so many cute gifts from her friends.  She was so excited to give them goody bags full of Bubble Tape gum, Littlest Pet Shop magnets and stickers and a lip-gloss. 

We are so blessed that God chose Ryan and I to be Drue's parents.  I love her more everyday, if that's possible.  I am amazed at the things she has learned in these 6 years and am so looking forward to the woman she will become.  But for now...I'm lovin on my SIX year old!!  Happy Birthday, DD!  Ubba!!

Workin' Calves

It happens every winter.  I've always enjoyed watching.  I'm obviously no help.  Truthfully, I'm probably in the way.  It's not always pretty and sometimes the words you hear are not very...shall I say...appropriate.  Occasionally, someone is hurt.  Occasionally, a fence is jumped.  Usually there are snacks...this year, donuts and pop.  I don't know what it is, I just love being there when Dad has the vet come work calves.  I have always loved being a 'farm-girl.'  I love that my Dad lets me 'pretend' like I know what I'm doing or talking about.  I clearly don't.  I love the smell of cow manure.  I love to watch the steam rise from the backs of cattle on cold mornings.  I love having 'farm-boots.' I am proud to be a Farmer's Daughter.  I honestly want nothing more in life than to be a mother and farm-wife.  I would be perfectly content helping Ryan farm and raise cattle just like my Grandma Mary helped Grandpa Harold for years and years...However, I love living in town.  I have to see people.  I need to see people or I go a little crazy. But, I love spending time out at the farm.

 

Preparing the chute.

They have no idea what is in store for them...they just think my Dad is being nice giving them an extra snack this cold winter afternoon.

Dad and Ryan were the sorters.  This is a perfect job for you if you like having your feet stepped on by 600 pound animals, or if you like being pinned between gates and the 600 pound animals.

Dig was getting tired and DD made sure I took her to watch after school.

 Uncle Shawn does most of the work.  He gives injections and applies the Pour-On. Dr. Steckleburg does the 'underneath' stuff! 

 Someone's not too happy...He's getting "banded," (a nice way of castrating, use your imagination what gets banded) ear tags if they are being kept, Green Tagged meaning they were properly vaccinated and can be sold at a sale barn, Pour-On for bugs, Wormer and implanted with hormones under the skin of the ear...I'm probably forgetting something, but I think Dad will be pretty proud I caught as much as I did! 

Us Balvanzes can always find something to celebrate and a reason to go out to eat.  So the next night we Luikens headed to Conrad to eat at That Place with Shawn and Kelly and Mom and  Dad to celebrate the completion of Workin' Calves!

More from Lane

Another quick post, but more cuteness I don't want to forget...

From Lane Ryan:

*  "Hey!  Let's shut the lights off and play BEDNIGHT basketball!"  or "I'm staying up 'til BEDNIGHT!"  (midnight)

*While wathing basketball with Daddy, "Mom! Guess who's playing?  The GUITAR-Heels!" (Uncle Shawn plays the guitar and the kids have enjoyed watching him play Guitar Hero as well.)

* During a library story-time Lane learned about the Guatemala Worry Dolls, little stick doll figures that the kids in Guatemala tell their worries and fears to.  Each child made there own out of pipe cleaners, wrapped them in yarn and made paper faces.  After school that day, Lane helped his sister make one and told her all about the "GUACAMOLE Worry dolls!"  That's now what both kids call them! 

Confession

So how many blogs do you read that start with pictures of bathrooms?! =)  Ok....  Have you heard the ad on tv about the 'Roll-Poll?'  They want you to vote which way you prefer the toilet paper to roll.  Hello?...am I the only one who thinks there is ONLY one way to correctly do it?  OVER.  The paper has to roll over itself, not rub against the wall.  Eww.  I have a secret to share, which will no longer be a secret and people will probably test me...but,  I have been known to switch the roll to be the way I like it.  Sad, I know.  Don't take it personally, it's like second nature to me.  I don't even think about it.  I just see it's on wrong differently than I do it and I change it.  Pathetic, I know.  It never crosses my mind that maybe the person intended it to be that way.  Nope.  I just figure, "oh, they must have been in a hurry and didn't pay attention to how they put it up."  Weird, I know.  Maybe it's time for me to control my OCD my urge to change the roll...or maybe everyone could just do it right the first time!  ha!

Quickies...

Time keeps getting away from me and I'm slacking at this blogging stuff! I thought I'd throw you a little bone until I have time to post some updates, they are listed on a sticky note inside my computer, just staring at me every stinking time I open the thing.  I do have a few excuses...my laptop was 'in the shop' having some viruses removed and Windows 7 installed, I've been working on my Dad's farm books & 1099s, and...um helllooo....I have a 5 and a 4 year old...enough said!  :) 

So here are a couple sweet things I want to remember right now... Drue's (and mine and Ryan's) best friends told us tonight they are moving.  We're bummed.  But, we know we'll still see them, just have to be a little more organized in our visits.  Drue cried the entire way home from dance.  We'll definitely be making the most out of the next few months so that the kids get their fills of eachother!  On the contrary, DD was told in school last week that there is going to be a new girl start kindergarten tomorrow.  All weekend she has been reminding us, "Tuesday I get to meet my new friend Maggie!"  I think it is so cute that she is going into this as if they are already friends, a good way to look at it, I believe!  We have no details on this mysterious newcomer, we don't know where she's from, her last name, why they moved, what color of hair she has... all we DO know is...She has a new friend waiting for her in Mrs. Hildreth's class tomorrow. 

Lane had the time of his life yesterday as we hopped on a charter bus with my mom and Drue and saw the Lion King at the Civic Center.  How awesome!  I'll blog more about it later and post some pictures, but he was in total amazement.  He just stared.  No smiles, no frowns, just s.t.a.r.e.d.  Then we got home and he put the Lion King sing-along video we have on and 'acted out' the scenes he remembered.  We have a very creative/ musical little guy on our hands... thankyouverymuch.

 He also has some really cute sayings or pronounciations....Here are the latest.

*  "I love spuh-gary-us!"  "Do you like spuh-gary-us?"  "We have spuh-gary-us in our garden!"  Do you get it???  He's saying ASPARAGUS!  Actually, DD says it this way, too.  So funny!

*  After I made breakfast sandwiches one morning, "Mom!  I love Comedian Bacon!! I like Comedian Bacon plain, I like Comedian Bacon on pizza...I just love Comedian Bacon!"  Our little guy is quite the "Canadian" if you know what I mean!...  :)

Well, hopefully, that will get you by a few days while I finish up some things on my never-ending 'To-Do List' I really love blogging and I'm anxious to get back at it!

 

Wordless Wednesday

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!