Grandma got run over by a reindeer

Every time I used to hear the song 'Grandma got run over by a reindeer' I used to cry when I was little. I didn't like the idea of my grandma getting run over by a reindeer. This year as always we had Grandma up for Christmas a my parents house. When we used to live in Greenville in Orange County Grandma always used to come and stay over night. I remember yelling one Christmas Eve night that I heard the reindeer on the roof. And one year we even had Christmas at Grandma's house because we lived with her a few months as our house in Sullivan County was being built. This year we went and got Grandma out of the assisting living home. She is 87, and she spent the day with us. She really enjoyed it and I was happy we got to spend it with her as always. I love the top picture of them with her.

My favorite memory of Christmas this year has to be at 3:30 am I woke up for some unknown reason, and I see two little boys at the top of the stairs holding hands ready to go down the stairs. I quickly wake up and yell, 'No guys! Not yet!' Not in a mean way, just because I was totally shocked upon seeing them and surprised that I woke up. Chip jumped out of bed and by the time he got their room, Adam had climbed in with Van on Van's bottom bed, both of them huddled together. How adorable is that? So he gently explained to them that it wasn't time to wake up yet and Adam reluctantly climbed back into his bed and we all got up around 6ish maybe? I can't remember. But Chip suggested we hook the gate after that episode which I agreed was a good idea.

Adam wanted a camera this year so that was his main gift and Van got a snow plow which you can see in the above picture and he LOVES that. What does a little 7 month old baby girl need? So she got a bunch of 'girly' sippy cups. And the cutest pairs of shoes from Uncle Joe and her grandparents as well. A girl can't have enough shoes. I am going to line them up to take a picture because they are just so darn cute.

But it was a fun day. We went to Christmas Eve service the night before and was longer than I expected, the kids got home and were tired, Anna especially since she usually goes to bed when it started. But they were all really well behaved. We had a wonderful few days of Christmas.

The prison Christmas party

For the past few years my dad has had a Christmas party at his work. Last year my parents took Van because we were on the cruise. My how much has changed in a year! We have an almost 8 month old and I am back to work. But anyway, we always enjoy this party. It is low key and the kids have a great time. Santa brings them each a small gift and we have dinner. I remember going one year when I was pregnant with Van and Adam didn't want ANYTHING to do with Santa. This year, everyone likes Santa and has a lot to tell him. I hope we can go again next year.

A confession

This really has nothing to do with my kids but I have a confession that I just realized about myself.

I am obsessed with collecting recipes.

And I just realized it the other day. I posted a year ago or so that I love getting the Taste of Home magazines. They come twice a year and I have been getting them since we have been married so it's about 7 1/2 years. So let's see, 7 x 6 is 42 plus the three is 45 magazines. I have them ALL! And I look through them. Seriously. And have tabs on them and stuff written on the front. Well we got a new TV for Christmas and are moving the living room around so we are getting rid of the 'center' that holds the old TV, and the magazines are underneath. Where am I going to put them? Anyway, I sort of got off topic.

I realized that I really am obsessed with the recipes. I have a binder that I keep, and I honestly use it probably about 3 times a week. It has all of these different recipes that I have found over the years and I have them in sleeves and organized. I used the binder twice today. But it is getting a little full, I think I need a bigger one.

I get emails from Martha Stewart and Betty Crocker and Parents and one other one that Martha Stewart does.... I can't think of it right now. But I always open them and on occasion will print out a recipe and it goes in the binder. I was just on Betty Crocker that is why I thought of this post. And you know in the Sunday paper when you get the coupons and they sometimes say 'go to helavucheese.com for recipes'? I do. And I print them out. And they go in the binder. And when my house is clean (which is the WORST time to cook because then you make a mess again) I open the binder or go to my tabbed magazines and make something. I decided if we won the lotto and I had a house cleaner and my kids were in school and I decided to take advantage of a wash and fold service because holy hat.....laundry takes all day.... I would stay home and make food all day like containers of spiced almonds for snacks and really yummy sandwiches and scrumptious dinners with dessert choices. But for now, I'll keep plugging away at the binder on occasion.

Professional Portraits

My beautiful beautiful children (minus one of course)!

Things I am looking forward to with my daughter

1. black patent leather shoes
2. making intricate sugar cookies
3. toe nail polish
4. baby dolls
5. bows and barrettes
6. gingerbread houses
7. doll houses
8. tea parties
9. french braids
10. American Girl Doll store
11. going to see the Nutcracker with a red wool coat that has two buttons on the top with a black fur collar and a black headband with a bow and the shoes in number one (have I thought about this one?)
12. horses
13. striped cotton tights
14. entering an animal in the fair
15. Mary Janes
16. purses

Crap

I have just noticed that I am blogging like once a month now! Oh well. That's what happens when you are busy I guess.

OK, is it just me or do you have an unlimited amount of crap lying around your house? Dear Golly, I am not really in the mood to scrapbook and am sort of caught up on emails so I decided, (Anna is taking a VERY long nap) to look 'pick up' this little area up here where I scrapbook, have my computer, and also hold buckets of clothes and diapers and anything else. Holy Moley!! This is the problem, I have trouble I guess throwing things away- for example, I just came upon the cd of the sono pictures they took of Anna when she was 13 weeks. It has been sitting on my scrapbook table for over a year now. What do I do with that? I have the pictures in a scrapbook already, I have the living baby downstairs sleeping. Do I hold on to the cd? I feel bad chucking it. But I did.

I have all these left over crafts from VBS that have been sitting on my scrapbooking table since the summer. Now you know why I scrapbook on the floor, the table is a little full. :) But what am I supposed to do with them? There's nothing wrong with them, yet they don't belong on my table and if you saw what the Sunday School stage looked like you'd hang me out to dry if I put something else in the Sunday School area. So they are on the floor. The scrapbook table is clean. So basically I have just 'moved stuff around' up here. I have all these certificate of Adam's story hour, some preschool things I have saved (believe me, it's like two things) first Halloween cards for Van from Great Grandma. What do I do with this stuff? Sigh.

Clinging to the line

OK, this is going to be a really sappy somewhat strange post so just a forewarning.

I moved the bassinet out of our bedroom today. It is LONG overdue. She has been in her own bed now for almost two months I would say? The bassinet has been serving as a catch-all for my school clothes. I take them off when I get home and put them in there. The funny thing is, Chip hasn't really said anything about the bassinet because I think he knows I don't really want to move it out. Our bedroom has been a little cluttered. Since we moved the boys into one room we have all these old baby blankets I guess, some people made, some were given to me, one was Adam's old comforter. And they are all in a pile in our room. As well as a bunch of other stuff. (This part of the post is really not important information.) But anyway, the other night I felt this draft and we realized it was this space of air between the air conditioner and the window so he took it out of the window. He was like, 'If we didn't have so much stuff in this room, it would be a little easier.' And that was the extent of the reference to the bassinet but like I said, the blankets are there, I have birthday present stuff on my floor, there's is a lot, not JUST the bassinet.

So today, I got up the nerve and took it down and out of the room. (As well and put all the other stuff away too.) I said as I brought it downstairs to him to take out, 'I think I am emotionally detached from this now, you can take it out.' He said, 'I don't think you are until you throw it away.' And I said, 'Well, I guess I'm not then because I'm not throwing it away.'

I'm not saving it because I want any more babies. Or maybe some clinical psychologist may say that is why I am saving it. But my mother in law has hers from her kids that my kids have slept in. Hers is still in her house too, she hasn't put it away yet. (From Anna I mean) I thought maybe I could save mine too for that reason. But it all makes me really sad. I titled this 'clinging to the line' because I still have my line on my stomach from when I was pregnant with her. And basically, I feel like that is all I have left of my pregnancies. My boobs are dried up, my period is back, my hair has fallen out and coming back I guess? I have an extra ten pounds I don't care about nor am I trying to do anything about really so I guess I could claim that too. But I still have my line. All of my infant clothes are gone, all of my maternity clothes are gone. I even tried to throw my pump out but Chip thinks I could donate that so I am going to try.

I can't WAIT until Anna is like two years old. The crying will diminish, we can do fun things as a family. Not that we can't now but with a baby baby it is really hard. So I look forward to that. But knowing that my pregnant small infant days are done is kinda sad to me. But knowing that my baby bearing is over makes me sad in a odd sort of way.

What the Furman Five have been up to

Here's a quick synopsis of what everyone has been doing, and some things I really don't want to forget about the kids. They aren't really anything too interesting but things I think I will enjoy reading and remembering in a few years. First for the boring people:

Me- Pretty much I am working working working. I think non-teachers and even teachers like me who have been out of it for four and a half years forget how much time you really put into the job if you want to do it right. And I am not saying I am a top notch teacher. I want to be one some day so that is what I am striving for, but I also don't know any other way to do it. I get to work a half hour early each day but I leave when we can leave. I work ALL day when I am there, no down time at all and then I come home and after the kids are in bed I continue to do school work. I need to figure out how to work smarter, not harder. But for me it's sort of like starting from scratch again. I am figuring out things as I go. I think in a few years I can lay a little lower. But who knows. Teaching is hard. I had to hunt someone down just so I could change a tampon. You are trapped in your room pretty much all day until lunch and prep and mine is back to back. So by 2:00, I NEED to run to the bathroom.

Chip- He is cutting wood, cutting wood and cutting more wood since we are heating three houses. Also as I am typing this he is enclosing our back little porch thing so all the barn clothes can go out there in a month or so when the cows go in the barn. This is going to be SO great because now my house won't smell like manure all winter.

Adam- Adam's new thing is hide and go seek. He wants to play every day and tries to make Van play. Chip usually plays with him every night. It's cute. He also gets little notes from a girl in his class whom the aide told me seems to be quite smitten with Adam. It's funny. Adam said one day she was mad because he was playing with the boys or something. I guess he is planning on marrying her in the stone building. I saved the note.

Van- He is potty trained but every time (we think) he farts he thinks he has to poop so he runs to the bathroom a lot. My favorite thing he does is says 'Tum here Mommy' and puts out his little hand to show you 'come here'. He's cute. I put the picture at the top of how he does his hand and he always sticks the arm straight out. I can't move the picture down here where I wanted it.

Anna- She likes to eat. We go on Wednesday for her six month well check (sniff sniff) and I am anxious to see what she weighs. It took Van a long time to like food but not her. She is eating Stage 2 foods already, which I know is just more basically, the consistency doesn't change. But she enjoys her food and is VERY chatty during eating time. Something that she does that is funny is that she likes to watch Chip dance. (I mean who wouldn't.) But we have her in her bouncy chair and she will get fussy. So Chip turns on the Lady GaGa CD. (He wanted it.) And when he does, she stops crying, sticks out her legs straight and her eyes get all jumpy because she is excited. And then he (and the boys usually) start dancing and she calms right down. I really want to put it into America's funniest videos, it's that funny.

Pumpkin Party 2009

This year's float I think was the best one yet. The theme was 'Be creative at your library.' Can you be any more general than that? So we thought and thought about it and we thought of the the story, The Little Engine That Could. On the front of the box I painted, I think I can, I think I can be creative at my library. I posted the first picture because it is a really good shot of the train head.

I can take no credit for the train or giraffes what-so-ever and almost feel bad when we have our name entered in the float and we didn't do the majority of the work. My friend Stacy is oh so creative and her husband made the train. They are keeping it at their house for a play set for their kids which I think they will love. I made the box out of plywood that we used for other floats so really it cost us overall very little. I think the bell on the train was the best part. I was supposed to be a jack in the box and throw out the candy to the kids on the street. The told us this year as we set up ready to go, no one is allowed to throw candy this year. We were bummed and the kids were REALLY bummed because they enjoy throwing it.

We had a great time as always. We got first place by the way. We said we weren't going to do it next year, with me working and three kids, even the box was a lot for me. But now we are on a float high since it was so much fun and we won. We'll see.

Something that makes me smile

It's done

A few people have come up and taken pictures of it. Chip is very proud. I think that it will look great in the spring when we have some flowers planted around it.

Adam's first day of school

These pictures are put on backwards, and one is put on twice! Lovely. The first is Adam getting OFF the bus at home all dishevelled. The second you can see him really tiny in the khaki pants, being walked into school by the aide. And these last here he is all ready to go. We (as in Chip if he is off or my mother in law if he isn't) bring him to school every day because we live 7 minutes away and if he took the bus to school, he would be on the bus for 40 minutes. When he comes home, he is the first off so he rides the bus home.

When he came home the first day and I asked him what he did, he said 'Well, I didn't learn how to be an astronaut, drive a tractor or tie my shoes.' He had big expectations I guess. And of course he went in to school, never blinked an eye and loved it. According to people at school who saw my mom, a child was crying and Adam asked him why he was crying and he said he missed his mom. Adam told him that he would see her later and tried to show him his shoes. I don't think Adam has ever missed me! Which is a good thing I guess. But our little school boy is loving it, I am loving my job, so life is good on the Furman Farm. :)

My delicate little flower

Here are some pictures of our little darling. She is a piece of work. When I was pregnant, my friend told me, 'Oh you are going to LOVE a girl. I had a girl first and then a boy and I love how my girl makes soft little girl noises and plays with toys so delicately. My son grunts and screeches and bats at his things like a mad man.' Well, since I have only boys, I have never really noticed because that is what I am used to. My mother in law said to me the other day, 'What happened to this little delicate girl we were supposed to have, she sounds like a crow!' Ha! She is so loud and sort of growls and when she has her toys on this thing that hangs downs, she yanks them off and goes crazy. This is not some little delicate flower that's for sure.

Also, last night my mom and I decided to give her a little rice cereal. I wanted to wait until I got the 'official OK' from the Dr. which is next week but she is over four months, we decided to give it a go. With the boys, it took like a whole month until they got what they were supposed to do. Well she ate it like she has been eating her entire life and wanted more. She is something else. I love her to death though, my sweet baby girl.

Back to Work

So, I'm back to work. I am sure you will notice the lack in blogging. I have to admit that I have been dreading to go back to work the last few weeks. I remember all the work I put in, how it often would stress me out, and how tired I was. I have gotten used to staying home, waking up when I want (sort of) maintaining my home and doing the mommy and wife thing. I felt I was FINALLY in my groove of staying home, and now I am being thrown back into the work world. Not too exciting.

So with that being said, and I sort of feel guilty about saying this but... I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to work!!!! OK, granted it has been like four days, and only two of them I have had students, but I really do enjoy it. I don't mind getting up in the morning, I haven't been exhausted yet (and I have a sick baby waking up too). I like taking a shower every morning, putting on nice clothes and make up. It's GREAT! I get to eat in the lunch room with other adults, I don't have a kid on my lap while one is dumping spaghetti on the floor and the other demanding more milk. I am ready to deal with my kids when I come home. I only have to deal with them for like 3 hours so it's not too hard. I notice my house is cleaner. I was telling Chip today, I wouldn't say it is spotless but before I would pick up, pick up, pick up ALL day, and you would never know. Now? I only have to do it once or so, and the house isn't dirty like it was. I get to think about things like memoir units and social studies projects and benchmarking. I LOVE that stuff! Honestly, I am excited to teach it.

This is also what I have discovered in the last two days. I am a REALLY good parent. Sort of something you forget when you are holed up on the hill. And if you are reading this, YOU are a really good parent as well. Honestly. You are reading it, more than likely I know you, and believe me, you are a good parent. Holy Moley what I have forgotten. Let me give you just a little snapshot of my class which is probably better than a lot of other classes. I have three kids on a VERY high reading level, so much so that I need to go and read books to develop plans because I never have had kids that high. That's three out of the 20 which is unheard of. And then there are the rest: my worst behavior problem left and the stories they were telling me I am not going to get into. But home life was BAD and more than likely, someone found out so they ran. I have one kid that was born as a crack baby, taken away from his mom at birth, raised by aunts and uncles or something. My AIS teacher came in and was like, what is the deal with him? I explained and of course, and we just go with it. I said to my mom, remember when I was worried about drinking iced tea when I was pregnant? I bought decaf iced tea so not to harm the baby. This woman did crack. I have one kid that runs away. Last year she ran out of the building, down the road and the cops were called. Another came into my classroom with nothing on the first day of school. Not a thing, not a back pack, pencil or piece of paper. Nothing. Can you imagine putting your kid on the bus with nothing? And another has severe hygiene issues. He has to be sent to the nurse often for cleaning and clothes. And you go into the office and I hear the secretary on the phone, 'Yes well, we haven't seen this student yet and last we knew the parent was in jail and they got out and are supposed to be on probation or something but supposedly the family has that person in hiding so we may want to look into it.' GLORY!!!

I have decided that you really have to make a conscious effort not to do ANYTHING with your kid. I often think I don't do enough with mine. I think, man I should be working on letters with Van more, or reading with Adam. The kids that are in school that are like OUR kids (anyone reading) are few and far between. It's not just the district in which I work (even though I know my district is pretty bad compared to most) it's everywhere. So when you are beating yourself up that your kid didn't eat his peas, let me tell you, you are feeding him, he's clean, you talked to him today, he's going to be fine.

This is something I like about kids- they are very forgiving. I pretty much could not have a clue what is going on in my classroom, and they don't really care. I like that. I made many mistakes my first few days. For example, I wanted them to get out a composition notebook, then realized, I didn't, I wanted the spiral. So they all put it back and got out the other, no big deal. I don't know what made me notice it but I thought it was really cute. No stress, no biggie, roll with the punches. They are funny too. I have this whole prize box thing going. I am not going to explain it. But one kid picks a prize a week, it's a lotto. And you know what she picked? Lunch with a teacher and friend. Cute. But what's the big deal honestly? I don't know what it is but they all LOVE it. I find it cute.

And the kids? My kids? You would never know I'm gone. Which sort of makes me a little sad. I guess it shouldn't. None of my kids have EVER been the type to grab my leg screaming as I try to squeeze out the door. Like I said, I guess that is a good thing, but I wonder if they notice or care that I'm gone. They are too busy playing outside. And maybe it has to do with the fact that they are still here on the farm? I'm not sure. But so far, so good. I'll keep you posted.

Lake George

We went to Lake George for the better part of a week. We went camping there when I was a kid, I went in high school a few times, and we went when I was newly married. I always have liked it up there. It isn't too far from home but a nice little get-away. Since we didn't go to Ocean City this year (because we took Van when he was Anna's age and it was NOT fun) we thought we could go to Lake George since it wasn't as far and not the stop and go traffic.

Would I hop in the car again with a 3 month old and say it was the most fun experience of my life? No. But we still had a good time. It was nice just not to have to do laundry and cook for a few days, plus have some extra hands. I really have no complaints about Anna on the way up but the way home wasn't as fun. And she slept wonderfully next to me in the bassinet each night too, she actually started to sleep through the night. :)

We went to the beach, the Minne-ha-ha, mini-golf and water slide world. The kids really had a blast. I would like to go back again in a few years in the winter and go to the indoor water park!

One dirty boy

Chip made the mold with re-bar and chicken wire... or so it looks to me. And is going around the top putting the stones up. It looks pretty good.

Anna at 3 months

How Adam packs for vacation

Shaving Cream

I read in a magazine (and just knew from being an elementary teacher) that playing with shaving cream is a lot of fun. So I thought that while I cleaned up the mess from us making muffins, I would put some shaving cream in some baking pans and let the kids play. As you can see, it got a little out of control and I had to shower Van down afterwards. He was NOT happy. Next time, I will either wait until they are a little older, OR supervise a little better. :) Notice it on the chair under Van?

sweet baby girl

My little muffin.... she is a sweetheart.

Life is good

Dad and Adam coloring together at the table with a baby looking on. LOVE it!

How to keep a four year old occupied

Items you need:
-sidewalk chalk
-a bowl of water
-a dog house


Dip the sidewalk chalk into the water and decorate the dog house. Mom says pick your battles and this is one she has decided not to pick. Please take note of the blue knee.

Anna at 2 months

the doorway

and one of the windows

And now you know what I mean about the muddy laundry... :)