Grown-up Drue's Dream and Crab Rangoon at 8/7 Central

Oh.My.  Drue sure has kept me laughing the past few days.  The girl is a hoot...and I don't think she always means to be.  Dig...he tries.  He's the entertainer.  Drue.  She's the serious one...who still manages to CRACK me up.  I have a few different stories that I want to make sure and post about, since I wasn't getting around to doing them, I thought I could group them all together in a little "Drue Collage."  So here ya' go...


> Monday, as I was making supper Drue came into the kitchen with a little note she had just written.  She proceeded to read it to me.  See for yourself.

"I am 7.  I love being 7.  I {feel} like a {grown-up.}

It is fun being 7.  2011"

Ah, yes!  I remember being 7.  It was almost exactly 27 years ago (yikes!!) that my dad moved to Eldora.  He was 27 (or 28...but work with me) he was moving home to help his dad farm and would eventually take the operation over.  Dad moved for planting season, in March or April, but Mom and the boys and I stayed in Jefferson, IA until school was let out for the year.  I was in 1st Grade.  Just like DD.  Mom would take us to visit on the weekends.  I still get butterflies in my stomach when we get to the bridge in Ellsworth on 175. I knew when I saw that bridge it was 27 miles (see what I did there with the 27s?!) until we'd be in Eldora.  About 27 minutes until I would see my dad!

I was only 7, but I remember feeling so grown-up.  I would be moving to a new school, have to make new friends, but I don't remember being worried about those things.  I remember feeling grown-up...like my DD feels at 7.  I just didn't bother writing a little note telling everyone, like she did!

> Then Tuesday night she shocked us with quite the grown-up comment.  We've never had bedtimes.  Ever. When you're tired, go to bed, or fall asleep in the living room. It has never been crazy, but before they were in school the kids would stay up later, like 9:30-10.  But since they've been in school, it's more like 8:30-9.  The kids still sit on my lap and fall asleep.  I love it.  I get sad when, occasionally, they fall asleep on the floor alone.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, the time change was hard.  Mostly on me.  Drue must have been feeling it too, because Tuesday I heard something I don't know if any 7 year-old has ever said in the history of all time..."Mom, I think I want to start having a bedtime."  Excuse me?! So she explained to me that she'd go to her room and get in bed at 8:15 so she would hopefully be asleep by 8:30.  Well, she's done it one night.  She's not making any promises! 

> Last night, I heard Drue crying in her sleep.  I was tired and didn't get up to check on her. Bad Mom! I figured, if she woke up, she'd come get me.  I waited in bed thinking she'd be coming and she never did.  I easily fell back asleep.  When I woke her up this morning I asked her if she had a bad dream, thinking it probably had to do with the tornado on last night's episode of the Suite Life on Deck.  She popped her head up and with big eyes said, "yes!  We were having a school play and there was only ONE cowgirl and ONE horse...and I got the horse part!"  Not exactly what I was expecting.  Drue was so sad.  The girl wants to be a cowgirl so badly.  Eventually, she told me that the little girl who got the cowgirl part never learned her lines so the two switched and that little girl had to be the horse, while DD starred as the cowgirl.  So, the bad dream ended well.

>  This morning, Drue was getting a few minutes of morning cartoons while eating breakfast.  She must have found a show she wanted to watch because I heard,  "Mom? Will I be home at 8 - 7 Central?"  When she got home from school she said, "the movie I want to watch is on at 8/7 Central.  When is that?" 

> Warning:  Do not give Drue Kathleen a crab rangoon.  Oh my goodness.  It was hilarious.  Ryan and I ordered Chinese tonight and I told Drue she just had to try one.  They are so good, I assured her.  She took a big ol' bite and immediately ran to get a drink.  Then she disappeared, so I thought all was fine.  A minute later she runs from the living room with the chewed up rangoon in her palm and scratching at her tongue frantically trying to get the taste off! I started laughing to the point I almost peed my pants.  True story. I told her to go to the bathroom and she gags, almost puking the entire way there.  She brushed her teeth for 3 or 4 minutes and took a drink of my Dr. Pepper in hopes of washing the taste out of her mouth.  I am still laughing to the point of tears.  She told me it tasted like "rotten cheese, raw hamburger and rocks!"  Ahhh.  Tears!  heehehheha! The girl doesn't like cheese.  When we play "Would You Rather" she tries to think of the grossest/ scariest things she can... "Would you rather swim with a shark...or eat CHEEEEEESE???"  Like cheese is the most disgusting thing on Earth.  I believe her new question will be "would you rather jump in lava or eat crab rangoooooon?!!" 

Oh, my dear DD.  You make me giggle.  And pee my pants.  I love you so.

Point Taken

Remember THIS? 

Well, in not so many words, Lane has
delivered the same kind of message. 

I actually had walked past the sign on his door several

times and noticed "Lane Dad Mom" but it wasn't until

yesterday that I noticed he had

written and crossed out his sister's name. 

He may not know how to write

complete sentences yet,

but he definitely got his point across!

Madness

It's March.  That means March Madness around here.  This year Dig filled out 2 brackets of his own.  Ryan let him pick his own teams.  He chose some by jeresey color. Some by mascot, some by how silly the name of the team was.  For a brief time this afternoon, he led the local bracket all by himself.  That all came to an end a few minutes ago when Wofford lost.  Wofford, who???  Lane has had so much fun filling out the brackets, highlighting the winners, watching the games, spending time with Daddy playing ball.  He's definitely MAD about March Madness! 


Lane had me set the kitchen timer for when the games started.  He sat in front of the little kitchen t.v. eating lunch and watching the first game.  I had strict instructions to "keep watchin' this game and tell me who wins when I get home from school!"  It's going to be a long month!

March also brings a different kind of MADNESS, that is very apparent in our house today! 

Someone has a bad case of Spring Fever.  Not to mention that terrible, horrible, no-good time change! Ugh! It's been killer on us! (and by us...I mean, ME!)

Drue is ready to be done with school.  She's worked so hard.  She's missed exactly one math problem and has yet to miss a spelling word.  She's reading words through the 4th grade and running laps like crazy in PE.  She's ready for summer break!

 Just look what a double-sided subtraction worksheet did to her tonight!

And I quote, "how could she?! How could she send home a two-sided SUBTRACTION worksheet!?

She knows I know all of these!"

 And then it got UGLY

 THIS is what happened when she realized I was laughing hysterically

while sticking the camera in her face.  Eeek!

March Madness is SO here!

Another Sure Sign of Spring!

It's {almost} soccer time!

Dig is FINALLY able to play soccer this year! He has been waiting for at least two years already.  The Spring of DD's preschool year, Ryan and I coached her soccer team.  We knew nothing about it.  Like, really, nothing at all.  We had fun, DD enjoyed the running around...the kicking...not so much!  She got hit in the chest with the ball early in the season and that pretty much turned her off for good.  I actually have video of her reaction to that...I'll see if I can figure out how to post it.

Whatta' ya know...I did it!

You can hear someone say, "that was a good block."  =) and then I said, "at least you stopped it."  Not very reassuring, huh?  I have a feeling this won't be a problem with Dig.

Uncle Steve gave Dig the Galaxy uniform/shoes when he was 2.

(for some reason, the yr is wrong, it was '08) 

 He loved it and still tries to shove himself into it!

Notice Dig's pose...I didn't tell him to do that...you'll see it again.

DD's gear straight from CA.

Anyway, Lane just can't understand why DD doesn't want to go out for all the sports that are offered. 

He wants to, but isn't old enough...she's old enough but doesn't want to.  Just doesn't seem fair!

Well...his time has come! Practices start the first week in April and Lane cannot wait! Ryan and I will be coaches for his team, also. 

Yesterday, the kids received a very special package.  Uncle Steve and Lisa sent Lane all the soccer gear he'll need...just like they did for DD two years ago.  Uncle Steve & Lisa both play in soccer leagues in Los Angeles...let's just say, they know a little bit about soccer! Lane has been playing soccer in the toyroom all morning!

Look how studly he thinks he is! Same pose.  He knows he's pretty stinkin' cool.

You can just tell he genuinely loves sports...wonder where he gets that!? =)

He's trying to hit the ceiling in this picture...actually, not so much "trying" but IS hitting the ceiling!

Can't wait to see how he reacts in a game. 

He's been waiting for so long for this season to come!

A Rhyme

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Luiken kids have little lambs,

Little lambs,

Little lambs.

The Luiken kids have little lambs,

 their fleeces are white as snow... er...black as coal.

They followed them to school one day,

School one day,

School one day.

They followed them to school one day,

which was against the rule...

actually, it was

perfectly fine!

Sonic braved a bunch of Preschoolers on Tuesday afternoon.
{Of course, I didn't get a picture.} 

Then, this afternoon, Teddi visited the First-graders!

Introducing...

SONIC and TEDDI!

What are we thinking?!  A few days ago Nanny mentioned how cute it would be if there were a few lambs at the farm we call, "Ted's."  "Ted's" is an acreage/ farm land my parents purchased this winter.  It is a charming little place that makes it easy to invision all sorts of farm-related things...like, a henhouse full of chickens, a little vegetable stand, apple trees and homemade pies and a lot full of calves.

But what little farm would be complete without a couple of SHEEP?!

I grew up with sheep.  Big sheep, little sheep, old sheep, baby sheep.  I have so many great memories that revolve around sheep.  The year we moved to Eldora, I somehow talked my dad into getting two bottle lambs.  His cousin, Mike Buchanan, raised them near Hampton, IA and was happy to provide our family with our first two sheep...Oreo and Cookie, on March 10, 1985.

 I remember that day plainly.  We met Mike at Grandma Mary's.  When I walked in, he was leaning up against the kitchen counter with two adorable lambs in a box on the floor.   I was so excited.  Oreo and Cookie started our flock and lived for many, many years.  I can't remember which one, but either Oreo or Cookie was still alive when I was dating Ryan in 2001!

I mentioned to Ryan that I'd like to find a couple lambs for Drue and Lane...batted my eyelashes and ta-da!  Ok, not really.  We called back Mike, but he's raising goats now.  So, where else does one look for bottle lambs? ...Craigslist, duh! I would have never thought! But as I was working in the Sunday School office this morning, my phone rang.  Ryan had found two lambs and we'd be on our way after dinner at Mom & Dad's!

Luckily, we picked up minimal supplies last night in Waterloo, just in case.  When we arrived at the Stanhope farm, this afternoon, the farmer's wife reached down in a mineral bucket and pulled out a little wooly boy.  Oh.My.Goodness! He is tiny! Like, half the size of our cat, tiny! Lane has named him, "Sonic."  Sonic is one of a set of triplets. When he was born he hid under a feed bunk and his momma never claimed him. 

Next, the farmer reached in a pen and pulled out a little speckly girl.  Drue named her "Teddi."  Teddi is even a little smaller than Sonic!  She was still with her momma when we got her.  She is also one of a triplet, but was being supplemented with milk replacer.  She cried the whole way home. 

They are SO tiny.  So incredibly tiny.  So tiny that I can't bear to put them out in the big old barn at Ted's just yet.  So tiny that I can't even put them out in the garage tonight.  That is why I have two baby lambs in our kitchen at the moment.  They are sleeping, curled up in little balls on towels.  They'll spend tonight in Cash's carrier/crate in the kitchen.  I'll get up with them every 3-4 hours and pray that they'll eagerly eat their little 2- ounce bottles. 

Soon, they'll get big and healthy and noisy and jump around like crazy...just like my "real" kids.  Hopefully, Drue & Lane can make as many great memories with our wooly babes as I did growing up.  

We'll keep ya' posted! 

DD & Teddi

Dig & Sonic

Dig telling Teddi a story.  He says he will tell them the same stories every day.  The titles of the stories will be, "First Time at Home" and "Sheep Jump Over the Moon."  I do belive the memory making is well under way!

Workin' Man

Dig is such a little man.  He loves being able to help out and when he helps...he REALLY helps! He offers...yes, offers to sweep the kitchen floor, water plants, put dishes in the dishwasher, even scoop the driveway for Daddy. 

During the day, Lane and I are home together and when it snows, he'll go look out the front windows and say something like, "well, looks like I better get out there to scoop the driveway before Dad gets home," or "I should go scoop a little so when Dad gets home it won't be so much."  Seriously, what a thoughtful little man!  So, he bundles up and scoops the driveway...for real. 

Lately Lane's been calling me "Kris" alot.  "Krissss, can I have more cereal? Krissss, where's my DS? Krissss, is it time to go to school?"  I've explained to the kids before that if someone calls me Kris, I know I've known them a long time. My parents, well, I guess mostly my Dad, calls me Kris.  All of my grandparents call/ called me Kris.  My brothers both call me Kris...in fact, I don't think I've ever heard Steve or Shawn call me Kristy, likewise, their girlfriends, Lisa & KK, call me Kris.  I remember getting on a Cambus my freshman year at the University of Iowa.  From the back of the bus someone hollered, "Kris Balvanz?"  Before looking to see who it was, I knew it had to be someone I went to school with in Eldora.  It was.  I don't know exactly when I became "Kristy?" hmmm.  I remember getting my first job after college and thinking it would be a good time to start going by my given name, Kristine.  But I never did.  But I do love it.

Anyhoo...I asked Dig the other day, "why are you calling me Kris lately?"  His reply..."Cuz' I've known you a LONG time!"   Silly me.

Yesterday, I re-filled his juice cup and he said,
"Thanks Kris!"

"You're welcome, Dig."

"No. If I call you Kris, you call me Lane."

Evidently, we're on more formal terms around here these days!