All About Natalie

Natalie is a very sweet girl who reminds me a lot of myself at her age. She is five, but will be turning six on Sunday. I can hardly believe she will be six already. Some times she acts like a 6-year-old and other times she acts like 6 going on 16! The other day we went shopping for her winter coat and as we passed by the clothes, she would comment on them saying things like "stylin'," and "oooh...sassy!" I had to do a double take when I heard her say that one. Last month we were eating lunch after church when she spotted a boy from her preschool last year and she said "Mom, there's David...he is so cute." I just don't think I am ready for this yet!!!

She is already very influenced by her school friends. It is very important for her to have friends and play dates. When I ask her how her day at school was, it's usually not about what she learned, but who she got to play with or who was unkind to her that made her day a good one or a bad one.

It used to make me sad for her that she was not as outgoing as other girls, but then I just had to realize that I was the same way and I eventually got over it. I can relate to her insecurities and her shy tendencies, but I often wonder if there is something I can do that will alleviate her worries. Dan and I try to encourage her to try things, but she just doesn't like to try anything that is out of her comfort zone. I encouraged her to sign up for the Kid's Choir at church. She didn't really want to, but eventually warmed up to the idea after listening to the practice CD over and over. When she was younger she liked ballet, so she took lessons for a couple years, but when she decided she didn't like it any more, I didn't push it. I just want her to be happy, but I don't want to enable her to be shy by not pushing her every once in a while.

Natalie still has a very active imagination and enjoys dressing her Barbie and Ariel dolls up in clothes she makes with towels and bandanas held together with ponytail bands and hair clips. Now all of her dolls are sporting custom mermaid tails so they can all swim together. She believes with all her heart that mermaids are real. Her friend told her that she saw Ariel at the beach, so now Natalie is totally convinced. Meeting Ariel at Disneyland should be exciting for her this spring. I can hardly wait!

Her imagination is not limited to mermaids. This morning she informed me that "bat-girl" came to her room last night and was flying around with her purple wings. Besides mermaids, Natalie really loves horses, or at least the idea of horses. She is a little timid when it comes to riding on them. She also likes our cat Harley and her pet fish, Coral.

Natalie also loves to draw and she is really coming up with some cute pictures. They are mostly of mermaids or people with lots of hearts and or balloons and flowers everywhere. She has been learning to write things and always asks us to spell words for her pictures. She is very thoughtful and makes cards and pictures for people, even her brother Zander.

This summer we read Charlotte's web to Natalie and she loved it. She loves to hear stories and I'm sure will love to read as soon as she learns how. Until then, she can't get her fill of stories and almost every night she asks us "tell me a story when you were little."

Natalie is very interested in the world around her and enjoyed picking lots of flowers this summer. She is always making flower arrangements for me. It is so sweet, I think there was a new dandelion bouquet on the counter almost every day last summer.

Right now her favorite color is blue. For awhile now I have been dressing her in pink, pink, pink and she doesn't mind. But knowing that she likes blue too I have been looking for some cute blue clothes to add to her wardrobe.

Having a girl is really a dream come true for me. Being able to share my experiences with her and help her navigate her way through life is very rewarding. It's also so much fun to go shopping for a girl like Natalie, but sometimes I have to stop myself from overindulging her. I could go crazy with clothes, toys and crafts but there is this this whole budget thing I have to keep in mind. I have fun fixing up her room all girlie-like, it looks so pretty (Now if I could only keep it clean!) Now that she has her own room, she is big into privacy...not just from her brothers. Right now she has a sign on her door that says "No Mom." I don't take it too personal...with her limited spelling, it's just her way of saying I want to be alone for a while. Kind of cute...I just hope she takes it down before she turns 16!

This picture was taken last spring in a studio set up for fairy portraits.

I just couldn't resist. She won't be little much longer.

Snow Much Fun!

Brrrrrrrr!

Before it snowed much, the kids were already out there
making tracks in the grass.

A few hours later, it hailed and snowed until the ground was completely white. Our house looks good covered in snow, don't ya think?

What to do with snow...hmmm: eat, play, throw!

Come on guys, I want to play too!

Our snow covered road.

Hayden's first time in the snow. Once he got outside,
he walked all over the place.I could hardly keep up
with him to take his picture.


With Zander, it's all about snowball fights...look out!

This was the wildest sunset I have seen in a while.
It almost looked as if the trees were on fire.

Well it's dark out now, but I can see that it just started to snow again.
Maybe the kids will get to have a snow day tomorrow! Hooray for Snow!!!

Picture of the Day 11-27

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

After I dropped Natalie off at school this morning around 8 am, it started to snow. It didn't stick, but it was pretty to watch. By the time I picked her up at 10:45, it started snowing again. This time it kept on snowing and snowing and soon the ground was covered. It has since melted, but at least the kids got to have some fun outside making snowballs.

Good for a laugh

As a former weight watchers survivor, I had to share this with you. Someone found a bunch of old (from the 70's) Weight Watchers recipe cards and posted them, in all their glory, along with hilarious commentary. If you need to be cheered up, or just like laughing at disgusting food combinations, then head on over to this site for a good time where you will read about how to turn innocent green beans into a glorified gelatinous dome of wiggly wonder. Too bad I didn't think to make this for Thanksgiving. Oh well, there's always next year.

(Be sure to check out the header tabs on your browser window. They change with each new recipe and are just as funny as the commentary) Here's an example to whet your appetite...if you still have one after looking at the picture:

Poke it, It trembles-
See how the Ceramic Mushroom Family has gathered to show their children what happens to bad little mushrooms.

Thanksgiving Pictures

A Thanksgiving feast at Dan's mom's house.
It was the first in her new place!

Sharon (aka Grandma Flutter) helps Hayden with some yummy food.

After dinner, Aunt Rebekah read the kids some bedtime stories.
They had their first sleep over with Grandma Flutter.
Grandma even got new pjs for them to sleep in!

Roush Family Thanksgiving...we were all there!

Sitting down for the day after Thanksgiving turkey dinner
at Aaron and Tami's house. The food was all soooo tasty.

The kids all seated at the kid's table. Hayden was taking a nap.

There he is trying to get some of the yummy cake!

Picture of the Day 11-24-06

The Cat Came Back!!!

We returned in the dark after spending time with family at my brother's in Portland. As I was unlocking the door I heard a very familiar "meow." I looked down and it was Harley! I was so excited to see her. For the past 6 days or so, I was worried for her, constantly checking the door, expecting her to show up at any minute. This morning when Dan and I headed out, I mentioned that I wondered how long it would take for me to stop looking for her every time I went outside. I was pretty bummed, thinking she was gone for good. I teared up a time or two because it seemed very unlikely that we would see her again. I don't know where she went exactly, but it seems logical that she got trapped in a neighbor's garage or out building.

She was actually gone a whole week, so when we brought her inside she ate and ate. In fact, she is meowing again, so I think I will go down and give her some leftover chicken...her favorite treat!

Happy Thanksgiving

I just wanted to wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving. (click on the photo to see one of my favorite Thanksgiving songs). We have so much to be thankful for. This year we have been blessed with a new home. It has been an answer to prayer in so many ways. Not only does it have more room, but it is also in a great school district, and it has a huge yard where the kids will be able to explore and play and run around. We are thankful for our new friends and neighbors who have been so welcoming to us "newbies." We feel blessed to have moved to an area that is just swarming with playmates for our kids to play with. We see God's beauty on a daily basis...and without all that wind! Now that is something to be truly thankful for! Dan and I are thankful for grandparents nearby who love on our kids (and watch them for a while when we need a break!)

God has kept us all healthy this year (knock on wood). He has provided for us when money was pretty tight and he enabled us to keep up with and pay off all of the medical bills we accumulated from last year. We have been so thankful for all the recent design work that's come our way as well as Dan's job teaching at the college.

Most of all I am thankful for my wonderful family and our kids who make us smile on a daily basis. They are so much fun and I love to see their enthusiasm about the simplest things.

When I asked Zander what he was most thankful for he said: "my coat, my family, my toys, cars, Toystory movies, books and paper."

Natalie is thankful for: "my friends and family, our world, toys, my parents, turkeys, my school, my room and my pink pillow."

This morning I made a French toast breakfast for Dan's dad and his new wife. In about a half an hour we will be leaving to go have a delicious turkey dinner with Dan's mom and all his siblings. The kids will be staying over night with Grandma "Flutter," and then early tomorrow morning, Dan and I will hit the big sales. Later tomorrow afternoon, we will spend the afternoon with my family at my brother's house. When all is said and done I will really be thankful if I don't gain any weight!

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Picture of the Day 11-21

Choir BoyThis afternoon, Zander had his Fall program and "feast." Both three year old classes sang some fun Thanksgiving and Turkey related songs. Zander knew the songs really well and did great with all the hand motions. I can't get over how well he is doing with school. He had such a big smile on his face at times and other times he was serious and concentrating on the words. Nothing cuter than little kids' music programs.

Harley is Missing

I haven't seen Harley for a few days now and am starting to think the worst. With all the rain we have had, it isn't like her not to be inside.

The last time I remember seeing her was Friday night when I let her out for about 3 minutes...then she decided she wanted back in. I was relieved to have her in the house again as Dan had heard coyotes a few nights before. I'm not saying she got taken by one, but it really has me worried. I don't know how long to wait before telling the kids. What do you say to them? Natalie, will take it the hardest. She loves her kitty so much.

Harley was a stray kitty when she came to us on a cold February night going on 7 years ago. I let her in, fed her and she has been with us ever since. She is a great cat that loves to curl up on your lap, she doesn't claw the furniture or climb up on the counter and she has put up with three todlers pulling on her and learning how to pet kitty "softly."

Harley adjusted to the move great and has loved running and climbing all over the big new yard. She has even made friends with some of the neighboor cats. I have a pit in my stomach and find myself checking the back door every 15 minutes... I hope she is okay, but as more time passes, I don't think she is. This is the last picture I took of her. Natalie thought it was so funny that she was trying to crawl on the table, something she never does.

Making progress

This afternoon, Zander and I went to Home Depot to pick up paint. Shortly after we got home, I patched the holes and started to prime the walls. The girl at Home Depot suggested using an oil based primer because the walls had wall paper paste on them which is not easy to remove. Besides the fact that oil based paint stinks like crazy, it is also a bit messier to paint with. I have a fine mist of paint splatter all over my hands and fore arms.

After dinner Dan went to a Blazer game with our neighbor (who is the Blazer's dentist). After I read a few stories and brushed their teeth, I tucked the kids in and went back downstairs to start painting. Here is my progress for tonight. Those of you who have been into the house we had in Troutdale may recognize the paint colors and technique. I liked it so much I decided to try it again. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the top half is actually tone on tone, kind of blended together. I painted the darker of the two colors on the bottom and when all is said and done we will put the chair rail back up in the area that is white. So what do you think so far?

Picture of the Day 11-20

Zander was overdue for a hair cut and rather than spend the money for a cut, Dan did the job with the clippers. He looks so cute with his new short cut. After he was done Zander told Dan that he should get a lollypop. After you get a hair cut at Kid's Cuts, the kids always get one, so he wanted to make sure he didn't get short changed.

Get er' Done!

So here I am tearing the final pieces off the last wall in the dining room. Dan was gone again, so I had to document my progress using the timer on my camera. (Pretty good, no?) Tomorrow I hope to clean the remaining wallpaper paste off the walls, patch a few holes and maybe, just maybe I will get to start painting. Not bad for a weekend!

Let the Birthdays begin!

Yesterday was my Aunt Sue's birthday, today is my niece Becca's birthday and my grandma will celebrate her birthday at the end of the month. Then we have all those December birthdays (Dad, Natalie, Andrea, Zander, Aaron and John).

Becca had an Ariel birthday, so her mom (my sister in law) made this great cake featuring the lovely mermaid Princess Ariel. Her brother helped her with the fondant and did a great job, I think.

Natalie, came dressed in her Ariel costume, as you can see, Zander wore his favorite Lightning sweatshirt...again. Here they are eating some birthday lunch. There were 12 kids there, not including Hayden...so 13 all together. The kids made a cute magnet craft and then Becca got a special call from Ariel. Here is the cute card Natalie made for Becca...and then there is Becca opening up the Ariel shirt we got for her. Can't believe she is already 5! I still remember spending the night in the hospital waiting room waiting for her to be born.

Picture of the Day 11-18

How Cute!Alexis and Hayden had fun dancing at the birthday party. After a while, Hayden was done dancing, but Alexis wouldn't take no for an answer.

I finally started!

Bye-bye wall paper,
Hello paint...

After months of pondering what to do, it finally occurred to me to just go for it. The wallpaper must go. I remember when my MIL put the wallpaper up in the dining room years ago. At that time it was very popular to wallpaper. I really don't think it is ugly or anything, but it is a bit dated and too busy for my tastes now. It actually really reminds me of one of my favorite shirts from Jr. High that my mom made for me. At any rate, when my sister was over the other day we were talking about how I wanted to tear the wall paper off and she said it looks like wallpaper you would find in a church bathroom. It's funny cause as soon as she said it, I had to agree.

With all the upcoming birthday celebrations and Christmas coming up, I thought no time like the present. At first I tried to talk my self out of it by telling myself that I could wait until after January to start...but I am too "anal" and in the back of my weird brain was this nagging voice that kept saying it would be nice if the photos from all the get-togethers had a more neutral/calm background. See...I'm a total freak, I know. Control freak, sometimes, yes. Knowing that Natalie's birthday is only 2 weeks away, you may think I am a glutton for punishment, but there's nothing like a tight deadline to light a fire under this girl! Heck, if those guys at Extreme Home Make-over can build an entire house, furnished and decorated in one week, surely I can remove wallpaper and paint in 2 weeks, right?

So tonight, Dan left early to play games with his friends and would be gone all night. I put the kids to bed and was totally bored. I could have done the week's worth of laundry that was piling up in the laundry bin, or even the dishes, but no, that would be too practical. The compulsive urge was too strong. So I searched the house for a spray bottle to wet down the wallpaper...no luck. I did find an almost empty spray bottle of Windex, so I went around and washed all the mirrors, a few dirty windows, the microwave and the oven until the bottle was empty. I filled it with hot water and began to spray the walls and rip the paper off. What fun. My MIL did such a great job of hanging the wall paper that taking it down was a snap...at least the top half of the wall came off easy, the bottom is a bit more stubborn. After about 2 hours, I decided to call it a night. Now that I have updated my blog, I guess there is only one thing left to do...the dishes! Ugggh!

Fabulous Food Friday

Breakfast Idea
Typically in our house, when we run out of our breakfast staples (bread, eggs, milk and cereal) we have to get creative. Last weekend was one of those times. In my pantry there was just enough oatmeal to make breakfast for four, plus there were remaining misc. items I thought would go well with the oatmeal. So, I set it up like a build-your-own sundae bar and the kids loved putting toppings on their oatmeal. I even served it in dessert bowls and the kids didn't even notice there was no brown sugar! Instead we had peaches, coconut, raisins, pecans and cream.

Since Thankgiving is next Thursday I thought it would be fitting for me to include a recipe you could serve after the big meal. Here is a nice dessert that is easy to make:

Cranberry Coffee Cake
I always get lots of compliments on this one. It's a nice alternative to pumkin pie.
1/2 Cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 pint sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp almond extract
1 can whole-cranberry sauce
1/2 cup almond slivers

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs, mix on medium speed. Reduce speed and add dry ingredients, alternating with sour cream. Add almond extract. Grease a 9x13 pan. Put half of the batter in the pan and spread evenly. Swirl 1/2 the can of cranberry sauce over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the batter to the pan. Top with remaining cranberry sauce. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Frost while warm using the following icing:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp warm water
1/4 tsp almond extract

Mix together and drizzle over cake.

Picture of the Day 11-16

In her own room!

Growing up, this used to be Dan's room...amazing how some pink paint can change a place. (The bed used to be mine). Right before Halloween, we moved Natalie into her own room. Although she likes being in her room during the daytime, she is a little nervous about sleeping in a room all by herself at night.

All About Zander

Zander is now exactly 3 11/12 (he turns 4 next month). I can hardly believe how much he has gone through in his sort life. He is one tough guy. That said, he is also one of the most loving, happy-go-lucky little boys I have ever seen. When we found out we had a boy, I was thrilled (because we already had a girl), but also, I felt clueless as to what to do with a boy. What do little boys like? It was all foreign to me. Going down the "boy" isle in the toy department was like being on another planet.

While it's true that boys are different than girls in many ways, Zander, for the most part is pretty laid back. So far, he hasn't displayed any hyperactive or destructive tendencies, rather he is perfectly content to sit on the floor and build a garage for his cars out of Mega Blocks or Lincoln Logs. I am relieved that as he has gotten older he has discovered cars and blocks and pirates and such. It wasn't long ago when he would come down stairs dressed up in Natalie's dress-up clothes, tiara and all!

Currently he likes to play with his Lightning McQueen car and all the other matchbox cars (or hot-wheels as he calls them.) His preschool teacher told me at conferences that he spends a lot of time building things with blocks. I told her that Dan and I think he is going to be an engineer. She thought we were right! Zander also likes to play with his Toy-story Woody doll. When he first got the doll (happy meal toy) he checked the bottom of his foot to make sure it had "Andy's" name on it. Another similar Woody toy did not, so he asked me to write it in. Now he wants a "Woody with a string, that can talk."...guess what he is getting for his birthday! (Shhh, don't tell.)

Zander is also really into the Veggie Tales movies. We go to the premiers at the Hollywood theatre and that's all he can talk about for a week before and after. Whenever he draws or paints or plays with play-dough, he creates little Bob and Larry characters. It's pretty cute.

One thing I love most about being a mom of a three year old is listening to them talk. I love how cute they say things. Here are a few of my favorite Zander quotes:

"If your tummy is empty and your mind is full, it's berry hard to sleep that way, did you know that?"

When asked if his closet was messy he replied "My closet has things in it. That way it can look handsome."

Once he came up to me wearing his sister's pink dress up cape and so I asked him if he was dressed up like Superman and he said "No, I'm dressed up like Natalie's Hero!"

Whenever I let Hayden into the playroom to play with the other kids he says to his toys "Oh, no...A giant baby!"

"Hayden, I wuv you too, baby."

"Mom, am I growing too fast?" He is really concerned about growing up, so I asked him if he was going to be a daddy someday and he said "No, because I just want to play with my toys."

Since being potty trained about a year ago, he has become very vocal about all things potty related:
"Mom, I squeezed my shoulders and that's how poop comes out."

"Mom, we have to flush so the poop and pee can't see us, right?"

Just yesterday he came up with these gems:
"Mom, I'm wearing my foxers (boxers). Foxers are a kind of underpants."

"Dia-wee-a is a kind of poop that's like water."

Since his favorite toy is named "Woody" you can only imagine some of the funny things that he has said...trust me there are lots of them, but my favorite is:
"Natalie, will you draw a picture of me holding my "Woody." No joke! Thanks Disney/Pixar!

Besides saying funny things, Zander has little quirks with the way he likes to do things. If we are driving somewhere he will say to me "Mom, tell me when we're there, okay?" Then he will close his eyes and want everyone to talk quietly. Once he hears "We're here" he wakes up and gets ready to go. In the morning for breakfast he likes cold cereal, with no milk, but he wants to have milk in a cup to drink. He also doesn't like coming down stairs unless he is holding my hand. At first it was kind of a hassle, but now it is just part of our routine and I kind of like it. Is there anything better than holding your little boy's hand, really? I don't think so...other than his great hugs, I can't think of anything better. He is still a great snuggler.

Right now his favorite color is red. It has been for quite some time now. It started with Bob the Tomato, then the Incredibles, now Lightning is red, so he thinks that's pretty cool. His favorite shirt is a lightning McQueen sweatshirt that he changes into after school or sometimes wears to bed. Sadly, the sweatshirt is becoming too small...what ever will he wear? He's okay wearing other shirts as long as I can point out the red to him. As for pants...at times they are optional in his mind, especially during the summer months. He isn't as picky about pants, but feels most comfortable in his warm ups or sweats. He is currently on his third pair of Thomas the Train light-up shoes, but once he outgrows them I think he will be after the Lightning/Cars shoes.

Physically, he is a really solid boy. I wouldn't say fat or even chubby, but just solid. He wears glasses on the days that we can find them. His opthamologist thinks he is making good progress with them. Zander has a great smile and a cute little mole on his cheek.

He has been enjoying preschool this year and I am glad that he has the opportunity to play with other boys his age. On the way home today he was singing the funniest turkey songs to me. He has a Thanksgiving feast program coming up at school, so I'm sure I'll get to hear all the things he has learned.

Okay, that's another book. Glad to have all these details down about my little guy. Thanks for taking the time to connect with me.

For the record...

Being a mom is a pretty great job if you ask me. You get to play and laugh and watch your kids do all kinds of funny and not so funny things. One of the hardest parts for me is watching them grow up so fast. It is great to watch them develop through each stage, but I want to make a better effort at remembering them the way they are, right now. Even though I do a lot of scrapbooking and it seems like I keep almost every school project they do, I have a lot of mommy guilt for not taking the time to jot things down along the way. The following post is all about Hayden. It is more a reference for me, so I can look back and remember what it was like when he was so young, cause it goes too fast. During the week I will write about Zander and Natalie too. I hope this helps you get to know my kiddos better too. Enjoy!

All About Hayden

Hayden is now about 14 months old. He has really begun showing his own little personality since his first birthday. As a baby he seemed to us like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but in recent months we have seen less Dr. Jekyll and more Mr. Hyde. Hayden has been reaching for Dan or I to pick him up and now likes to snuggle and hug and even gives kisses!

We were used to the crying, screaming and flailing of body parts before, but now he has been learning other ways to tell us what he wants. His vocabulary is really developing which makes it easier for us to know what he is saying. Here are the words he uses regularly: mama, dada, buh-buh (bubble, his first word besides mama/dada), nana (banana or food in general), ma (meow, when he sees our cat), ti-tu (thank you), no no, moe (more food/drink), nye-nye (good night), ba-ba (bye-bye).

Physically he still doesn't have much hair yet, but I have noticed that he has a bit more than he used to. He also has the cutest gap between his top front teeth. Hayden has been walking since just before his first birthday. Another milestone for Hayden is drinking from a cup. As long as we are right there, he can drink from a regular cup without help.

Hayden has a healthy appetite. You can always tell when he is eating because he is very vocal about his food. "Mmmmmm...Mmmmmm...Mmmmmm." Some of his favorite things to eat are: bananas, cold cereal, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes (he can eat his own body weight in pancakes), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, homemade mac and cheese, applesauce, string cheese, dried fruit, banana cookies, cottage cheese, yogurt and he is known to carry an apple around and take bites as he goes about his day. His favorite thing to drink is the green juice you can find in the smoothie section of the produce isle.

Hayden has fun with his brother and sister and I know they will continue to play well together as they all get older. Until then, he does fine playing by himself most of the time. Hadyen likes to swing, play with the phone, push around toy cars and also enjoys passing time in the play kitchen. When he is not "playing" he enjoys getting into mommy's crafts, splashing his hands in the toilet (which makes Zander laugh hysterically), and eating the cat and fish food (which also make Zander laugh hysterically). He has the most fun when I am chasing him or when daddy is wrestling with him. He also likes to be bounced on my knee, and has fun with Peek-a-boo, Pat-a-cake, Row, row, row your boat, and This little piggy. Oh yea and he is really good at giving a high-5 and making funny sounds with his tongue.

As for his dislikes, he doesn't like to be in his carseat too long and he really doesn't like going to bed. He usually cries for 5-10 minutes and then settles right in. He has always prefered to sleep on his tummy, even when he was a tiny baby. Due to the SIDS risks I put him to bed on his back, but as soon as he learned to roll over, it was tummy time all the way.

I'm sure I could write a book, but this is my Hayden in a nutshell.

Picture of the Day 11-14

Foggy Fall Morning

This is the view of our neighbor's barn as seen from our bedroom window. Lately I have been noticing fog coming up from the canyon in the mornings, but today the fog was everywhere.