Madeleine

All I lost for Christmas were my two front teeth....

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 34

FOR TODAY... December 28, 2009

Outside my window... it's cold! We now have TWO FEET of snow on the ground (we got another 12.9 inches over the last several days). The sun came out for about an hour Sunday afternoon. It's out again today after five days of rain, ice, and snow!

I am thinking... about this baby. She'll be here in 7 1/2 weeks! I am eager to meet her.

I am thankful for... safety at home, our furnace, snow blower, gas fireplace, well stocked cupboards, and the snowplow that came down our street late last night.

I am wearing... maternity pants, a long sleeved maternity shirt, wool socks and sandals, and a baby around my waist.

I am remembering... how good it felt to cuddle my goddaughter and make her smile.

I am going... to make it to Starbucks later this evening to have coffee with friends!

I am currently reading... Discover Magazine's 100 best stories from 2009



I am hoping... that the rescheduled Christmas celebrations happen!

On my mind... debtcare, healthcare and one Nebraska senator who will most certainly not be reelected in this conservative state. Adios, Ben Nelson!

Noticing that...it's not so bad to be snowed in for Christmas.

Pondering these words... "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country!"

From the kitchen... We had Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, BLT sandwiches, Broccoli, bacon, and raisin salad, Taco Salad, and other goodies while we were stuck at home.

Around the house... we bought bunk beds for the boys from a seller on Craig's List. Jeremy and his dad brought them home and then Jeremy hauled the pieces upstairs one by one and assembled them. Noah proclaimed, "This is the BEST day of my LIFE!"

Now Isaiah's crib is downstairs in the baby's room and awaits its next resident. Noah's crib/toddler bed will be put in storage in our garage's loft. Those cribs have been assembled for many years; it will be the first time one has been put away since before Morgan was born nearly eight years ago!

One of my favorite things... an afternoon nap

From my picture journal...one very tired two year old missed his nap last weekend and finally fell asleep on my grandma's lap at the end of the night. Give it up, Isaiah! Visit Peggy, our gracious host, to read her Daybook and those of other Simple Women.

Treats from Taiwan

Joel and Carrie, Evie and Ethan, thanks for the treats from Taiwan! We've been snowed in since Christmas Eve but were finally able to get out to Grandpa and Grandma's house tonight to open presents, eat Christmas supper, and ingest LOTS OF SUGAR. Hope you had a merry Christmas, too. If you rub it in about how it was really warm there without a foot of snow, we'll scream (ha ha). Okay, so the kids screamed anyway ... evidence is at the bottom of the post.A box of treats from Taiwan looks like this. Isaiah looks like this when eating sugary treats. Does McDonald's hand out these stickers in Taiwanese Happy Meals? This bracelet was in a box of goodies. These were my favorite! Yummy! They look like shrimp but taste like strawberry ice cream. Anderson is pictured here.

Baptism

We introduce Genevieve, our newest goddaughter! She was baptized this morning after Mass. The back story is neat; she is actually my youngest cousin. John and Trudy are her parents. My Aunt Trudy, Genevieve's mother, and I are about five years apart in age. I am the oldest cousin in this family; Genevieve is the youngest. The last cousins were born in 1993! I love how generations intermingle! She is a beautiful little blessing and we are grateful to be her godparents!

Reason #45746 why I love our diocese: when we approached church for mass, Father was spreading salt along the back walk. He stopped and we introduced ourselves; he recognized our names since we were sponsors today for Gigi's baptism but from a different parish. Then he said that our girls looked like their aunts and that he remembered Jeremy from his altar boy days back in the 1980s! It's a small world here in our diocese and I love it.

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume 18

I know I'm bored when I overuse Facebook. It's below freezing outdoors and there's ice and snow everywhere. We've been staying home rather than drive on ice. Thus, the boredom. So my Quick Takes are my boring Facebook posts from December.

1. Only in the age of the Internet would the FedEx website tell me that the package is on my front porch. Thanks, FedEx.

2. It took me a whopping five minutes to wash the six large dishes in my sink. Why on earth do I procrastinate? Silly me.

3. What is the best Christmas gift you've ever received?

4. My five year old son came into the kitchen [this morning] and said, "Mom, do you know what reversible change is?" He then explained that reversible means that water can turn to ice and then back into water. Irreversible is like making pancakes--once you mix the eggs in, you can't take it apart. I love PBS.

5. Met with Dr. K [this morning]. The date is set: February 19th at 7:30 a.m. we will welcome our newest daughter!

6. The plows just came through! Three cheers for city employees and their hard work! May they rest well tonight (after digging out the rest of the city).

7. First update from my iPod Touch. Yay for free wireless!

Reason #742....

....to make your child learn an instrument: It helps fight off boredom on a cold winter day 30 years in the future when there's laundry and dishes piling up, Christmas presents to wrap, and she wants to do anything but chores.

Wordless Wednesday

Random Dozen Meme

1. Which Wizard of Oz character are you most like?
Right now, six months pregnant, I'm most like the Scarecrow who is clumsy and has no brain.

2. When you're deciding what you're going to wear each morning, which item do you select first? Why?
First I pick a clean pair of pants from my limited maternity selection and then look in the closet to see what shirts are clean and big enough to fit around my belly. If I have a clean shirt that says NAVY, I wear it. If not, something else.

3. What kind of animal do you think the world could live without?
Dogs. They're really not my thing. Sorry, everyone.

4. How many Christmas trees are in your home?
One regular tree and three miniatures.

5. Would you prefer to be emotionless if it mean you didn't have to feel a heartbreak?
Absolutely not. In fact, I wish sometimes that I felt more emotion.

6. Do you ever experience holiday let-down or depression?
No.

7. Do you like Michael Jackson's music?
Some of it. I grew up with it, so it's a glimpse back into my childhood. My favorite is Black or White.

8. Why is it that we never judge people who have their teeth fixed for cosmetic reasons, but every other cosmetic procedure has a stigma?
I have no idea. But if I had my way, I would have my nose straightened; it was broken when I was a child. I don't want it to be different, just straight. And as for teeth, if someone offered me a set of porcelain veneers, I'd take it in an instant. My teeth are the part of me that I like the least. I guess I think it's odd when people have surgery to completely change a body part--to inflate something or deflate something else or to change their face. But I have no judgment for them.

9. Enjoy horseback riding?
Yes. I wish I could figure out how to enjoy it without having a sore rear end for a week.

10. Shoes--practical or stylish?
Both. There are plain, functional shoes in my closet--no heels! But if I had to pick only one, it would be practical. I'd rather wear sneakers and be comfortable than wear heels that are pretty. I think my chiropractor would agree.

11. What was the name of your first pet?
Dandelion--a parakeet.

12. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done?
I'm not shopping so much as I am making things for people. Shhhh ... it's a secret.

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 33

FOR TODAY... December 14, 2009

Outside my window... it's cold! We got a dusting of snow last night over a layer of ice.

I am thinking...and praying about what we should name this baby. We thought we had settled on a name but now we are trying something else. We liked the name we chose originally and we still do, but we weren't as excited about it as we thought we should be. We've seen Monsignor several times over the weekend and I was able to discuss our baby names with him on a couple of different occasions; he had some good insight for us.

I am thankful for... Christmas parties, friends, and the joy of the Christmas Season.

I am wearing... sweats and a restless sweet baby girl around my waist.

I am remembering...the fun of the Christmas parties that we attended this weekend. Thanks to Kevin & Laurie and to Nathaniel & Staci for hosting such fun events! It's so nice to be together with friends.

I am going... defeat my laundry pile!

I am currently reading... The Acts of the Apostles ... still!

I am hoping... for good traveling weather over Christmas (read: safe, clear roads).

On my mind...the Navy did not approve my brother's request for leave at the end of this month and the beginning of January. They are working 100 hour weeks preparing the ship for next year's deployment (click that link to see my visit to the ship back in April). I pray that he'll be able to come home before the ship leaves. The last time he was home was August of 2008. May God bless the military men and women who sacrifice so much to keep us safe. Go Navy!

Noticing that...the wood floor now exposed in our bedroom makes the room look bigger and cleaner. I love it!

Pondering these words... "Many hands make light work." I'm trying to get more consistent about including our children in the chores which need doing around the house.

From the kitchen... Bean & Bacon nacho dip with Fritos Scoops for a party this evening. The ingredients are simple: Bean & Bacon soup, picante sauce (salsa), and cheddar cheese. It's yummy!

Around the house... we bought a king sized bed frame last weekend--a beautiful cherry sleigh headboard and footboard from the clearance section. Until now, we've simply had mattresses on a frame. The store delivered it on Friday, put it together, and went to set our mattresses in, only to find out that we have California King mattresses (they were a gift which we love and appreciate very much) and not standard king mattresses. So the bed frame went back onto the truck and now we ponder what we are going to do about it. It was quite disappointing, since ordering the proper bed frame for our mattresses is more expensive. It would be about the same price as buying a standard king frame with new mattresses, which is not really in our budget at this time. *sigh* At our old house, our bed was up against a wall which I would rest against as I nursed our babies during the night. This time, our bed is unavoidably pushed up against a wall with a large window. That doesn't make for comfortable sitting and nursing. I'm sure we'll figure it out, but it's a little frustrating to have a little kink in our plans.

One of my favorite things...Brothers and sisters and parents/grandparents who are willing and able to watch our children so that we may get out together from time to time.

From my picture journal...My mother-in-law sent this picture of my husband in the sink taking a bath. There's a two year old running around this house who looks an awful lot like that!Be sure to visit Peggy, our gracious host!

7 Quick Takes Friday Volume 18

1. With only 10 weeks to go, I am starting to feel a little funny. Most women start to get jittery about labor and delivery (as they should) but I start to get jittery about cesarean recovery. This being my fifth C-section, I know what lies ahead and it's not fun. Maybe this recovery will be easier than the others. On the other hand, I cannot wait to see this baby girl who has been growing inside of me for nearly seven months! I'm looking forward to cuddling her and nursing her and loving her. I can't wait to introduce her to her brothers and sisters and for her father to be able to hold her.

2. For those of you outside of Nebraska, we had a large snow storm and the kids were out of school for 3 days, Jeremy was off of work for 2 days. We call those snow days. Snow days at home have given my husband a little extra time to do the things he normally can't get to. He removed the carpet from our bedroom to reveal a pretty wood floor. It needs only a good cleaning and looks great! In addition to that, we bought a real bed! Up until now, we've had our king sized mattresses on a bed frame with no headboard. But our sleigh bed will be arriving later this evening and I am very excited about it. I almost feel like a grown up!

3. I've been rather lazy about visiting blogs and leaving comments. Please don't take it personally and please excuse me. It seems that one thing or another has come up and I get behind on reading and then just don't. I promise I'm still interested, just busy.

4. I'm done with snow. Let's call it quits for the winter. Snow is greatly overrated.

5. My iPod Touch is awesome. You have got to get one.

6. Speaking of babies, we thought we had chosen her name but in a recent discussion, decided to start examining our favorites list again to see if we can choose something that appeals to us a little more. We like the name we had chosen but aren't excited about it like we think we should be. Who is this little person? Hmmmm....

7. Our kids are each going to receive three Christmas gifts this year. After all, Christ was given just three gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So one toy or toy set, one 2009 photo book which I made using Blurb, and one Christmas ornament to add to our tree.
::
Be sure to visit Jennifer over at Conversion Diary to read her Quick Takes and those of other bloggers.

Tinkerbell ... Tinker All the Way....

Isaiah is singing, "Tinkerbell, tinkerbell, tinker all the way...." That's what happens when you have two princess-happy older sisters in the house!

24 inches down?

Schools were out yesterday and today, Jeremy can't get out of the driveway to go to work. A Sheriff was stuck on our street yesterday and a State Patrolman--in a truck!--couldn't get up our very small incline of a street this morning! The university canceled classes yesterday and today, which is almost unheard of. In the four and a half years that I was a student, classes were canceled ONCE. Welcome to Nebraska ... I think it snowed!This is our deck on a normal day back in April. This is our deck yesterday during a break in the snow. This is our deck this morning after it's finished snowing and blowing! To give you an idea, you can see the gray corner of the hot tub in the upper left hand corner of the picture. It is about three feet taller than the deck!

6 Inches Down, 12 to Go!

These pictures are for those of you NOT in Nebraska right now. Or for those of you who are and really want to know what my street looks like as opposed to yours. ;)

Carrie and Joel, I hope you are lounging on a beach somewhere enjoying the palm trees and warm weather. Here's what's happening here in Nebraska, and we're just getting started....Holy cow, where'd the street go? The kids have been outside already this morning. They take 1/2 hour to get ready, play for 1/2 hour, then undress for 15 minutes. They tromped around on the deck and in the backyard and threw snow at each other.

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 32

FOR TODAY... December 7th, 2009

Outside my window... four inches of snow! It's sunny, so it's COLD bright and pretty outside.

I am thinking... about this new little baby girl inside of me. Can't wait to meet her!

I am thankful for... my bible study and the girlfriends that come with it.

I am wearing... sweats.

I am remembering... the smell and feel of a new baby. Only 72 more days!

I am going... to be very careful driving on the snow today.

I am currently reading... The Acts of the Apostles.

I am laughing about ... I found a tiny sticker in my son's dirty diaper a few days ago. It read, "Inspected by #303." I don't know where it came by but finding it made me laugh so hard that I cried.

I am hoping... for a mild winter.

On my mind... my wonderful husband. He's the best husband a girl could hope for, a good man, amazing father, and wonderful provider.

Noticing that... pregnancy hormones are a roller coaster! At our hospital, a lullaby is played on the maternity floor whenever a new baby arrives. When bagging my groceries yesterday, a lullaby played in the grocery store and I actually had to wipe my eyes. The same thing happened when I washed my hands at my doctor's office the other day--it's the same soap as at the hospital. Sheesh. Wish I could get a grip!

From the kitchen... Home made play dough, Wild Rice soup, leftover pizza, and spaghetti later this week.

Around the house... I'm working it over and trying to clean it and straighten it up in preparation for hosting bible study tonight. That is, of course, why I'm sitting here at the computer making my Daybook....

One of my favorite things... watching my two year old dance to Old McDonald Had A Farm

From my picture journal...my pregnant tummy, for those of you curious. I'm stacking finished kolaches in the kitchen if you're wondering what the mess is! :) Be sure to visit Peggy to read her Daybook and those of other Simple Women!

Wordless Wednesday

Well, almost....Noah was sent to his room for misbehavior and fell asleep under his bed, with his lantern, during his unofficial time out.

Pregnancy Woes

It's when I have gotten big enough to weigh more than the men in my life that hope begins to dwindle. I weigh more than my husband, my father-in-law, and my younger (but not little) football player brother. If my kids all stood on the scale together, I would weigh more than them. The good news is that I have an instant weight loss plan ... birth. I will walk out of the hospital weighing 20-25 pounds less than when I entered. Eight of my pounds will be riding in the back seat.

But forget the physical trials of pregnancy. We all have those. Every mother has hips that don't work quite right, feet that trip over nothing, the nausea, fatigue, headaches, and other woes that, in the bigger picture, are surmountable obstacles in the quest for a child.

My biggest beef with pregnancy is the emotional roller coaster.
I want off.

Why on earth should I come to tears over commercials? Cute pictures? Good stories? Forget it. I don't like to cry and I want to regain control of my moods. Why should my poor husband have to come home to a wife that he no longer knows? He'll walk in the door and ask how my day was. I respond, "Good, but I'm a bit crabby and my patience is gone. I'm sorry and I don't know why." Well, I know why. It's because I'm trying, with every cell in my body, to make a new person. But why should that affect my mood so much? There are days when I wish I didn't have to see another human being and days when I get lonely at nap time when the house quiets down. Sometimes it's the same day. Some days I need lots of cuddles and hugs and some days I think I'll scream if someone so much as touches me on the shoulder. It's like the body snatchers have come and robbed me--only they've taken my mind instead of my body.

And what's up with having mush for brains? Why can I no longer compose a complete sentence when I'm conversing with someone? I can't add, I can't subtract (mind you, those weren't my strengths to begin with). I can't write notes in ink. You'd never know that I made the Dean's List once because when I managed that, I hadn't yet been pregnant.

I can't remember anything, either. I stand in the laundry room in the basement and wonder what on earth I went down there for. The good news is that more laundry gets done that way. I figure since I'm down there, I may as well switch some loads over and start a new one and fold the dry one while my rusty memory wheels attempt to turn. The bad news is that sometimes our washing machine washes a load of water and sometimes wet laundry sits in the dryer because my brain stopped in the second between shutting the dryer door and walking away.

Thank heavens for calendars and sticky notes. Thank goodness for alarm clocks with two alarms that can be set: one for morning wake-up, one for afternoon pick up from school. You wouldn't think it necessary to have to be reminded to pick up the kids from school but I assure you that the alarm--aptly named--has made itself very useful.

I want my brain back!

What's your beef?

The Simple Woman's Daybook Volume 31

FOR TODAY... November 30, 2009

Outside my window... sun and the promise of warmth today--a high of 58 degrees!! This is Nebraska, folks, it's been unseasonably warm here lately. I love it.

I am thinking... about a funny incident with Morgan this weekend. See the picture at the bottom for more of the story.

I am thankful for... receiving the Eucharist while pregnant. Not only am I nourishing my daughter with meals, I am nourishing her with the very body and blood of Christ. Amen.

I am wearing... maternity jeans, T-shirt, and long sweater, and my daughter around my waist. She's a wiggly little thing this morning.

I am remembering... a fun visit to the Insect Zoo at Kansas State University this weekend. I'll post about it later this week.

I am going... to keep Madeleine home today. I ran her into our doctor this morning with a possible ear infection but instead, her ears are healthy but ... surprise! ... she has a mild fever, possibly a virus. So she's got Monday and Tuesday off of school.

I am currently reading... The Acts of the Apostles

I am hoping... for a healthy LAST trimester, delivery, and recovery. Only 81 days to go. If you're looking at my baby counter and wondering if I can count, I assure you that I can, in spite of my pregnant brain. I get to deliver early.

On my mind... speaking of that, I'm working on a post about what pregnancy does to the mind. It's intended to be funny--it'll be up tomorrow.

Learning at school and at home... I'll be teaching Madeleine at home to keep her up with her class while she's out of school Monday and Tuesday.

Noticing that... the UPS truck takes longer to arrive when you know it is coming. LUSH is shipping some seriously yummy merchandise to me today. What on earth did we do before we could click a link and find out that an order is ... On the truck for delivery? Maybe I'll start pacing.

Pondering these words... A watched pot never boils.

From the kitchen... I hate to say that I haven't thought that far ahead.

Around the house... Christmas things are going up, as Advent has begun!

One of my favorite things... my iPod Touch, which is currently on its way here from Shanghai. No kidding. Shanghai, China. I've been saving for it for awhile and got it online from Apple for a mere $175 on Black Friday with no shipping and free engraving. Yes, I'm watching FedEx, too.

From my picture journal...I found Morgan, my second grader, at the computer like this, saying, "Mom, there is no L. How can I finish my postcard with no L?" Upon further investigation, I found that there is indeed no L on our keyboard. It's been rubbed off with use. Poor Morgan! ::
Be sure to visit Peggy to read her Daybook and those of other Simple Women!

Kolache Recipe

Back by popular demand ... a simple recipe for kolaches.

KOLACHES

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups warm (room temperature) milk

2 (1/4 oz / 7gram) packages dry active yeast--quick rise works well.

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 tablespoon salt (no kidding)

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

6 1/2 + cups of all purpose flour

2-3 cans of pie filling (cherries, apricots, apples, blueberries, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Move oven racks to the lowest 2 positions.

2. Put a cookie sheet of warm water on the bottom rack.

3. Heat oven to "warm" setting (less than 200) and turn off.

4. Warm milk to room temperature and add yeast. Stir and then let sit.

5. Beat together sugar, shortening, salt, eggs, and egg yolks.

6. Add milk/yeast mixture and beat together.

7. Mix flour with other ingredients until it is smooth but a little sticky. You may need up to a cup of extra flour.

8. Grease a large bowl and pour/scape dough into it.

9. Put the bowl of dough above the cookie sheet into the oven.

10. Let it rise until it's doubled in size, about an hour.

11. Grease baking sheets

12. When the dough has risen, remove it from the oven and punch it down.

13. Turn oven to 375.

14. Using a tablespoon, make balls slightly larger than a golf ball with the dough, dip in flour and shape into smooth balls with your hands. Place balls on baking sheets several inches apart. Spray balls with cooking spray or brush with melted crisco to keep the dough from cracking. Allow balls to rise to about double in size, not too much. I find that by the time I get the last ball rolled, the first ones have usually risen enough to start working the next steps with.

15. Flatten balls with hands and, with your thumbs, press and stretch the dough in the center to make the indents. Do not tear the dough.

16. Add the filling. (Wal-Mart brand fruit filling is mostly gel and very little fruit. Get something else.)

17. Bake for 9-11 minutes, checking regularly, until barely brown. If your oven heats unevenly, you may need to rotate the trays while baking.

18. If desired, drizzle with home made frosting which is made out of a lot of powdered sugar, a little vanilla, lots of butter, and just a tiny bit of milk. Canned frosting ruins the kolaches, folks. Yuck.

This recipe yields 35 to 40 rolls.

*Remember to store in airtight containers soon after baking.

*They'll stay fresh for 2-3 days.

*Jessica M. says that you can freeze them.

*To add moisture if they've dried out a little, warm in the microwave on a damp paper towel.

*The recipe yields a lot, but remember that they're fun to give away!

Thirsting for Life

It doesn't matter that this is our fifth pregnancy, our fifth child, our fifth trip to the hospital, our third daughter. I'm mesmerized by her already. As I key this post, I can feel her strong kicks right above my belly button. I stopped to put my hands there and enjoy it. Rather than just twitches in my tummy, I can feel hard spots now, a head or bottom, and she's comfortable with her trunk on my right side. When she kicks and I feel it, I feel the body part that is kicking, perhaps a knee, foot, or elbow. There is no less novelty in this pregnancy than there was in the previous four.

A family in our parish recently had their seventh child. This may seem routine to the world, seeing a new "Jones" baby, but it's not routine to this mother. The look on her face and the way she holds her son shows that his new little life is a pleasure to her, that it is new to her, not routine in the least.

Wanting this child is intense. It is comparable to aching with thirst a mile from home on foot without water. I think of what it will be like in the delivery room the morning she is born. I think that the moment that Jeremy hands her to me will be like taking a long cold drink after a long hot hike. Every part of me will feel relieved. She will truly fill me up.

I am already in love.

Thanksgiving at the Farm

Jeremy's mother is one of thirteen children. Most of the siblings are married. There are 35 first cousins, a number of second cousins, and even some third cousins. Jeremy's grandparents farmed when they were alive and now Uncle Emil farms on the same land. Every year, the extended family gathers at the farm at least three times: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve. It's always good for the kids, as Uncle Emil usually has cows and calves, plenty to do outdoors, cats, and sometimes corn to play with after harvest. No cows today, but corn took center stage and the kids were busy scooping, tossing, throwing, collecting, and playing with it.

There is food enough for a Czech army, Uncle Steve's pickles and ribs, kolaches, homemade noodles, and an assortment of delicious things to eat. But most of all, there is family time with brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Post harvest farm yard
Madeleine carried around this docile farm cat all afternoon.
Jeremy scoops corn with the boys.
The harvest
Isaiah tosses corn.
Jeremy tossed corn into the gravity wagon and it came out the open bottom. Kids are easily amused on a farm--click on the video at the bottom of the post but turn your volume down first.

Grandma supports the wheelbarrow while Isaiah attempts to climb in.
In the farmyard, this is where you take a time out.
We took five pictures of everyone in the wheelbarrow. At least one person was off each time. *sigh*.

Noah plays in the corn.
Noah sits with his cousin Alex.
Note the leaves in the boy's hood. He was playing with another cousin in the leaf pile.
See that itty bitty boy climbing the combine? No fear. Maybe next year he can help with harvest.
Now he's going to drive the combine. Heaven help us.
These are the future farmers of Nebraska.
Grandma helps the kids down from the combine.
Noah continues to play in the corn.
The sun sets over (or near) the Bohemian Alps.
Jillian, this last one's for you--Jeremy's grandparents raised 13 children in this house with two bedrooms and an attic. You can do it! ;)

Here are our children beneath the gravity wagon experiencing ... gravity. Turn your volume down!