::Reminder::

This is a post I wrote before school started... I finally got the picture to load so I thought I'd still share. 


Tues. Aug. 23, 2011
Mom sent this to me this morning.  She has kept it for 21 years.  She's always known just what I needed to hear and always has the best mothering advice.  She has had to remind me often to enjoy each season in my life as it all changes so quickly.

She's the one who cross-stitched the poem about "cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow, so quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep.  I'm rocking my babies and babies don't keep."  She also gave me one called "Excuse This House...."Some houses try to hide the fact that children shelter here...for when at times I'm forced to choose the one job or the other; I want to be a housewife - but first I'll be a mother."  I have it framed in our kitchen.  Mom  has kept this comic for 21 years as a reminder to herself and has shared it with me often. It is so appropriate as there are many days I feel like I clean one room, move on to the next and when I turn around the once clean room is back to tornado conditions. 

(hard to see but this is from Feb. 4, 1999.  The mom asks "When will all these toys ever be put away properly?"  Then she imagines herself an elderly lady and the toys are 'properly' put away... in the attic.)

Mom has always made it clear that being a mom was her most important job and that is why there is no other job I have ever wanted.  I'm so extremely blessed for many reasons ~ for a husband who works his tail off and has made it possible for me to stay home for nine years to be with Drue and Lane and who wouldn't want it any other way ~ for our parents who have been wonderful examples ~ and for my greatest gifts...my MONKEYS!

I'm getting a little too sentimental here...I feel sorry for you all as I'll have more time to blog after school starts tomorrow.  =)

Twas the Night Before Kindergarten

Selfishly, I've dreaded this and all posts related to this post.  I get emotional just re-living the events of the past few days.  I've procrastinated, knowing my heart will pound, my fingers will shake and my eyes will flood.  In fact, I've already written one post that I can't bring myself to finish.  I'm sappy. What can I say?

For crying out loud, it's "just" Kindergarten... but these aren't "just" any ol' kids...they're MINE.

Dig has always been an outgoing kid, so I knew there was nothing to worry about when it came to school. He's a friendly guy and loves to make people laugh.  He also, proudly attracts a lot of attention from "the ladies." 

He never voiced any concerns about going to school. Going to Preschool was Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy. He did well and loved it. I had no reason to think Kindergarten would be any different.  Thankfully, it hasn't been much different at all...for him. 

The night before the first day of school, I, admittedly, was a wreck.  I tried to hide this from the kids, but they can see right through me.  Heck, they know my better than I know me.  Lane started to get a little nervous.  He was doing his "penguin walk" (self-explanatory) and quieter than normal.  When I would say something to ease my nerves like, "are you so excited? It's going to be so fun,"  Lane would answer then say, "I wish you wouldn't talk about it."  I took my cues and sat quietly. 

I gave Dig his allergy meds, Singulair pill, nose spray and eye drops.  We sat back on the couch and he said,

"I wish I was still 4."
"Why Bubs?"
"Because when I was 4 you'd rock me to bed" (disclaimer:  I still do when ever he lets me, trust me, he couldn't get me to stop just because he was 4!!)
"awww! I would love to rock you!"

We snuggled a bit without saying a word, then he points to his eye.  I smiled, not really knowing what he was doing. He did it again, but this time says, "this is not from my eye drops."  He was pointing to a little tear in the corner of his eye. 

That was it.  I lost it.

I assured him it was ok to cry and ok to be nervous, but that everything was going to be so fun and exciting.  I was trying to reassure myself, too.

I tell you what.  This little guy knows how to pull my heart strings.  He told me, "you're the best momma in the whole world and I'm gonna miss you so, so, so much tomorrow."  {I'll hear his sweet little voice forever.}


Then he pointed to his picture on the wall and said, "if you get sad tomorrow, momma, you can look at that picture and kiss it if you need to."  Wow.  For a mom who was trying to "be strong," I was failing...miserably.

We pulled ourselves together and got a drink, then Lane escaped to the kitchen, I followed him and he had a black Sharpie in his hand.  This is what he wrote. 

He wrote it so if he missed me he could kiss it and know I was missing him, too. I drew a heart on DD's hand every morning for most of Kindergarten, (and some of 1st grade!) too. =) So, Lane knew just what to do!

I'm so in love with this little guy.

We're ALL proud to say, the first day of school went off without a hitch...
like we ALL knew it would! Pictures of that to come!

{Back} To School!

Our 2nd-Grader & Our Kindergartner!

Ubba, DD & Dig!

What's Up, Doc?

If you don't have kids who watch Cartoon Network, this post may make no sense to you.  That's ok.  I just have to document it as part of my motherly duties.

In case you haven't heard, the Looney Tunes are back.  They aren't as good as they were when we were kids, or when my dad was a kid for that matter.  I remember many Saturday mornings when Looney Tunes were the only cartoons on t.v. I wasn't a  fan as a child.  In fact, I despised that stinkin' Road Runner and Wylie Coyote.  No words? ugh. But, I grew to love those cartoons.  Dad knew most of them by memory.  "Oh, this is the one Foghorn Leghorn does such-and-such."  "Which way did he go, George? Which way did he go?"  Dad even has most of the voices down.  But, like I was saying, the new ones are...just that...new.  Not the same. 

Cartoon Network has been promoting the new shows with a commercial containing two of their most famous characters, Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny.  I think they are in some sort of game show format.  Someone asks Daffy, "what's your best friend's CATCH PHRASE?" 

Daffy, of course, can't come up with the correct answer.  "Um. I don't do Mondays?"  On and on with silly answers.

For over a week Lane has been asking, 

"Mom? What's a SKETCH-RAY?"

"Huh?"

"What's a SKETCH-RAY?"

"Um, Bubs.  I don't know."

Finally, last night, I figured it out.

"Mom? What's your SKETCH-RAY?"

"Uhhh. I don't think I have a SKETCH-RAY?  Do I??  I don't even think I know what a SKETCH-RAY is." (Talk about feeling like an old lady.  I had no idea what he was talking about!) 

"You know, like, Bugs Bunny's SKETCH-RAY is 'what's up, Doc?  He calls everybody Doc!" {giggles!}

"OH! Catch phrase!  I don't really have a catch phrase.  Do you?"

DD piped up. "Mine's I Don't Do Mondays!"

Dig yells, "Mine's When am I Getting a Bunny Rabbit?!" 

Long story short.  Dig wants a bunny.  Hasn't stopped asking for one since the fair.  I guess that's the new SKETCH-RAY until he decides he wants something different! 

Where We've Been...

Obviously, I'm not a very good "Summer Blogger!"  There just aren't enough hours in the day right now! We are busy having fun and enjoying ourselves and, as usual, I have a long list of  'Things-to-Blog-About' when I finally have more than just a few free minutes...BUT, do you wonder what we've been up to this week?

I'll let this group of pictures fill you in...

blurry...but you get the idea!

Stay tuned for more details of all the new adventures we've had this year at the FAIR!

Another Day of Firsts!!

The kids have easily slipped into "summer vacation" mode...so did this momma!  The morning after school was let out for summer, both kids slept until 9 am....which means so did this momma!  DD has even slept until after 10 a couple of mornings!

I have so many things to blog about, not for your sake...but for mine.  I just want to make sure I have all these fun and important times in our lives recorded.  I'll try and knock some of the posts off of my list here in the next few days.  Hang tight!

Here are some exciting happenings from THIS week!

Our horse-lover is taking RIDING LESSONS!  Drue was thrilled to have her first lesson Thursday.  Of course, it was a hot day...but that girl knew she had to have her jeans on!  Drue's instructor showed her how to brush out tails, clean out the 'frogs' in the horse's feet, how to properly hold the reins, how to get on/ off the horse, what to do when approaching other riders, how to saddle up the horse, that kind of thing.  She also got to ride for most of the session, no lead rope, just the instructor nearby...her favorite part was when she and Copper got to trot! Drue was pretty expression-less the entire 45 minute session, but, once she slid off the saddle and climbed over the fence to me, she had a priceless smile and quickly informed me, "I want to do it TWICE a week!"  We assured her, she can take them ONCE a week for as long as she'd like! 

I can't think of anything that would make her more happy than being on a horse!

As you can imagine, we're constantly counting

down the days until the next riding lesson, now!

Thursday was a busy night...after riding lessons, I had to hurry and make supper so I could go to the movie, Bridesmaids with Kelly.  Funny, funny movie! (But I'm glad we didn't take our moms along...would have been a little embarrasing!)

While I was in the kitchen plopping 4 chicken breasts into foil packets for the grill, I'd say about 10 minutes max...Ryan had taken off Dig's training wheels and the two were walking down the street.  Ryan had his hand on Dig's bike seat.  I put the chicken on the grill and yelled to the boys, "I better go get the camera!" Ryan said, "you won't need it tonight, we're just starting." 

Well, like usual...I didn't listen!  Good thing, too because that little stinker rode without training wheels the very first time his dad let go!  And, he didn't just poke around...he FLEW!  He pedalled so fast that Ryan had to full-out RUN! 

I happened to catch the moment with my camera...the camera I wouldn't have had if I listened to my husband! =)

Dig is so proud!  Today, he mastered starting himself.  He's still working on stopping in any other way but crashing into the curb, but he'll have it in no time!  We are so proud for him! We knew it wouldn't be long before our little athlete was showing off on a bike without training wheels...I just never thought it would be this easy!  He's definitley feeling like big stuff the last two days. 

Surprisingly, there are no new cuts or bruises...yet!

His bike sheild suffered a little during the crashes, nothing a zip-tie can't fix!

He's off!

Momma thought he went a little too fast for his first time!

But both boys were EXCITED!

Just another Thursday evening with the Luikens!

We're Pooped!

Or in the words of the Balvanz family ..."we're exhausterated!"

(how we found Dig after the pool, before dinner last night!)

Since my last post we've had school trips, Preschool graduation, the last day of First-grade, Uncle Steve & Aunt Lisa home for a long Memorial Day weekend, all the Luiken kids home, a summer clothes shopping trip, hot summer days at the pool, doctor appointments, nightly Bible study lessons, evenings spent at the shop building a chicken coop (why? you ask? stay tuned!) practicing showing sheep and we're closing in on our week at Bible school. 

Two weeks of summer vacation and we're already pooped!

More posts to come...once we've rested up!