Happy Thanksgiving!

Grandma getting Maggie ready to go out into the cold.

Here's Owen and Hannah helping Grandma clean.
Owen sacked out after a heck of a performance.
Maggie's new "do." She's finally getting enough hair to play with.

Owen and Hannah, partners in crime. Grandpa and Maggie.
Jeff, Jack, and Dave...I think the Huskers have lost by this time in the day.
Maggie's always ready to smile.

Not sure what they're up to here. All in all it was another successful Thanksgiving. Mindy's pumpkin pie was fabulous, my stuffing was pretty good and Jeff's smosted turkey got eaten in a hurry. (It was half smoked and then finished off by being roasted). Everyone got a long fairly well...even the two-year olds! The babies got along fabulously. Just wait until next year....We'll have 2-three year olds, 2 two-year olds and an almost 1 year old!

Fall Pictures

Pictures from the Louisville State Park. Saw the geese....paddle boats were all put away for the year. Owen was so disappointed that the teepees didn't have their "covers" on them anymore.

Owen and Maggie in their tent.

Owen helping Uncle Jeff pick corn.



Owen and Maggie helping with the garden harvest of potatoes and pumpkins.

Halloween

Amazing...two posts in one day. I'm actually doing some serious procrastinating. I am avoiding grading 144 "Eureka" stories. I guess technically only 139. I submitted 5 of them for our "Write Touch" contest. They were due to me about a week ago....but, I haven't started grading them, yet. I think there's some dishes to do....maybe some cookies to bake....too bad the kids are in bed, I'd vacuum!
Owen made this "thingy" all by himself. At first it started out as an airplane, and soon turned into a "thingy." He looked through it like he was sighting something...which makes sense, because we went to the Council Bluffs train museum yesterday, and he looked through a surveyor scope.
Here's Maggie, cute as can be.

No one believes me when I tell them I'm raising a monkey. Here's the proof. Curious Owen. We survived our first Halloween trick-or-treating. It really wasn't that great. We thought 5:30 would be early enough. So Dave took Owen out around that time, but only 1 person on our block came to their door. I don't think Dave really wanted to take him to a bunch of places where we had no clue who lived inside the house, so they came back, Owen's pumpkin only slightly full. The upside is that we don't have to worry too much about tooth decay!
Here's a happy Maggie....laughing at the monkey, again.

Here's Owen all serious. He loves his new church outfit. He was very careful to not get it dirty.

The last of Summer Fun

Here's the last of the summer pictures. It only took me 2 months to post Owen's 2nd birthday

party pics. The cute picture on the couch is right before church (Owen and Maggie were baptised, finally...same day as his birthday). The following weekend we went paddle boating.

I will try to post Halloween pictures soon! (Hopefully before Christmas! :-)

A few less leaves to rake this Fall...

We had quite the storm in our neck of the woods last weekend. (around 75 mph!) We had some slight tree damage, luckily the 30 foot limb did not land on our cars, the house or shed. Unfortunatly, the tree did suffer a split higher up, and will have to be repaired. If we don't repair the split, the next high wind, or heavy snow might result in a HUGE limb on someone's garage or house...I have to say we have some pretty great neighbors and family with chainsaws. We had the majority of the mess cleaned up by noon the next morning. Since all the wires (power, cable and phone) were ripped off the power poles we were without a few of life's little luxuries. I am very thankful it was a cool night! In a few days we were back up and running like "normal." Whatever that is. Until my family surprized us with their arrival, Owen, Maggie and I mostly stayed indoors. I didn't want to have to be carrying Maggie around and chasing Owen away from Mr. Nielson's chainsaw. Or, having Owen trip and gowging out an eyeball from the many other small branches that fell. Owen enjoyed helping pick up sticks after there was an extra eye to look after him!

Here's Maggie, cute as can be. The storm didn't bother her at all!

Mini-vacation and yummy garden goodness

First off, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to see Kerry Wood back on the mound a few minutes ago. Seems like years since I've seen him pitch. Also, I never can get these pictures in the correct order. This picture was supposed to be last, after the picture of the tomato in Dave's hand. (fresh picked, warm from the sun right outside our house)

More awesome summer veggie goodness from our neighbors yield. (The tomato is ours).
Owen and Maggie learning how to share.

We took a quick trip to Cheyenne, WY to visit my super-great friend Ann. This is not a picture taken in WY, though. On the way back home we detoured through Estes Park, CO. I had never riden a tram or ski lift up a mountain. So for $9, I got a heck of a ride. Before getting in the elevated cable tram lifty thingy I made sure to ask the attendant if she'd ever had any scary experiences riding up and down the side of the mountain. She assured me, that no, nothing bad had ever happened. However, she advised us not to look down on a very windy day. You'll see the cable wires going crazy, which I guess could be a little nervewracking. This picture was taken from the top of the tram ride before we got out to walk around.
This is about half-way up the mountain. Everything is getting smaller.

This is my friend Ann and her son, Lane. I've been friends with Ann since my "North Bend" teaching days. She's one of those gals that you meet, get to know and just want to stay in touch with for a very, very long time...

The first tomato of the season! It was yummy!

A good chuckle

Found this joke at one of my favorite restaurant's website, "Absolutely Fresh Seafood Company."

This has to b e one of the funniest things in a long time. I think this guy should have been promoted, not fired. This is a true story from the WordPerfect Helpline, which was transcribed from a recording monitoring the customer care department. Needless to say the Help Desk employee was fired; however, he/she is currently suing the WordPerfect organization for "Termination without Cause."
Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee. (Now I know why they record these conversations!):
Operator: "Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?"
Caller: "Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."
Operator: "What sort of trouble??"
Caller: "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."
Operator: "Went away?"
Caller: "They disappeared."
Operator: "Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"Caller: "Nothing."
Operator: "Nothing??"Caller: "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."
Operator: "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out??"
Caller: "How do I tell?"
Operator: "Can you see the 'C: prompt' on the screen??"
Caller: "What's a sea-prompt?"
Operator: "Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"
Caller: "There isn't any cursor; I told you, it won't accept anything I type."
Operator: "Does your monitor have a power indicator??"
Caller: "What's a monitor?"
Operator: "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on??"
Caller: "I don't know."
Operator: "Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that??"
Caller: "Yes, I think so."
Operator: "Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall.
Caller: "Yes, it is."
Operator: "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one??"
Caller: "No."
Operator: "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."
Caller: "Okay, here it is."
Operator: "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer." Caller: "I can't reach."
Operator: "OK. Well, can you see if it is??"
Caller: "No."
Operator: "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over??"
Caller: ; "Well, it' s not because I don't have the right angle -- it's because it's dark."
Operator: "Dark??"
Caller: "Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window." Operator: "Well, turn on the office light then."
Caller: "I can't."
Operator: "No? Why not??"
Caller: "Because there's a power failure."
Operator: "A power .... A power failure? Aha. Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff that your computer came in??"
Caller: "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet"
Operator: "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."
Caller: "Really? Is it that bad?"
Operator: 'Yes, I'm afraid it is."
Caller: "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them??"
Operator: "Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer!!!"
-- -- -- -- --

July fun, pain meds and Grandmas' gracious help

So much for lying around on the floor and doing "tummy time!" Maggie has graduated into the Hot Rod! Who-hoo, she's growing up! She can make it scoot backwards a few steps. And of course, Owen likes to scoot her around, too. Not mention, he likes to get in and out of it and play around and scoot across the floor. Although, I'm not sure how he does it since it's on the lowest setting and his knees practically drag on the floor, grass or cement....wherever it's at!
Peace Grandma (as Owen now refers to her. Translated = Grandma Spiehs) was very daring during her stay in Springfield and took Owen and Maggie to the zoo. We had just been there a week or two before with my parents, brother, sister-in-law and neice and nephew. Owen loved the entire trip, especially the monkies! If I'm having problems getting him somewhere, I can use the monkies to my advantage. "Climb up your changing table like a little monkey." "Scoot into the car like a monkey." To divert a screaming tantrum: "Go find your monkey book." (Curious George)What a smiler. The last few weeks Maggie's really enjoyed being in the jumper. She really seems to get a kick out of being able to control which direction she's looking and being able to stand on her feet. Just in the last few days she's figured out how to actually jump in it. Owen, of course (being the master hopper that he is) thinks he can teach her how to jump higher by grabbing hold of the bungee cords and jumping with her! Yes, she goes much higher that way.

No, we don't feed Owen in the highchair. I'm putting this on the blog so there's offical record that Owen chooses to climb into the highchair (usually once or twice a day). After we thought he had outgrown it (about 6 months ago) we got him a handy booster seat. He used that for about 2 months. (Although he'll ask for one at Peace Grandmas). We didn't argue too much with him about not using the booster seat. As long as he eats, we won't argue too much with him. Since Maggie has started using the highchair now a few times a day, he thinks he should get to sit in it, too. I thought at first that it was going to be a once time thing, and then he'd move on. Wrong! I don't think I'll argue too much with him on this issue, either. Six reasons. 1. He gets in and out of it himself. 2. He can't go anywhere once he's buckled in and has the tray on. 3. The tray is easier to clean than the table. 4. I can wipe his grubby mug and paws before I take off the tray and unbuckle him. 5. He's not running around the house. 6. He feels special because it's something that he wants to do and we let him.

You may have caught in the title of this blog "Pain meds and Grandmas gracious help." Vicodin is a great pain reliever! I ended up in the ER last week after having a seriously bad lowback spasm and couldn't walk or move myself very far. I've had a history of low back problems (the last 10 years). This last time I was putting Maggie down in her crib for a nap when the muscles just snapped and I couldn't move. My mother-in-law ("Done Grandma" as Owen now refers to her, translation = Grandma Hudson. He has the "D" sound and the last "N" sound, he'll get it, eventually!) was at the house, thankfully to help get me to the couch and the ice pack. Needless to say, I knew I wouldn't be any good for the kids; my mom was able to get to Springfield from Phillips in record time. (as Karen was heading out for Georgia that day). The next day actually was worse than the day of the spasm, which is when I went to the emergency room for some awesome shots and prescriptions for spasms and pain. The weekend came and went. I slept most of it away, if I had a burst of energy I tried staying upright for a while and walking and moving in a very cautious sort of way, almost holding my breath with every slight bend or twist of the waist. I can honestly say that the recovery from this back incident, was worse than recuperating from the C-sections. At least after the C-sections, when I was able to get up on my feet, I stayed up and was able to walk; I didn't have to wonder if the spasm I was having from trying to stand up was going to get worse if I stayed standing up or tried to sit back down. It spasmed whatever I did. Not sure how many times I heard Owen say, "Mama ouchie." We had a week of Grandma help. Grandma Spiehs from Wed - Sunday. And Grandma Hudson from Sunday to Wed. What a blessing to have such wonderful women in my life. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Since I was out of drugs and still in pain, I headed to a doctor on Monday. Got more prescriptions and an appointment for an MRI on my low back. I wouldn't call myself a claustrophic, but it's not a procedure I would like to have done too many more times in my life. Although it was a half hour laying down with no kids and listening to Van Morrison's, "Moondance." :-)

We'll know the results in a few days. Most likely it's nothing. Just a precaution to make sure it's nothing. So I'll try to remember to keep everyone posted.

June!

Here we are in June, already! The Big News of the Day is that Maggie has her first tooth! She took it all in stride. You really wouldn't have know that she was about to break through a tooth. She really didn't drool a lot, or carry on as if in more pain...Today actually was her 6-month check up! She got a thumbs up from Dr. Specht. Here are her stats: weight 17.15 pounds (86%); height 28 inches (99%).



The picture of me and Maggie was taken just yesterday. We were having fun with the sprinkler. More pictures of the sprinkler fun towards the bottom of this post. Not sure how I got the pictures so out of order! Let's see, the end of May marked the closing of my first year at Buffett Middle School. I am glad to be done teaching Journalism! Even more thrilling is that I will have only "prep" next year, as I will only be teaching 6th grade Language Arts; I will be covering writing, grammar and "word study." (spelling) Although the drive clear up to Buffett was a bit much for me, I have to think positively-next year we are not buying a house and moving, I am not switching jobs, and we are not having another baby in the middle of the school year! With that all in the back of my head, I have to hope that next year will not be quite as stressful. And possibly the stress lines in my forehead will fade a little!

So after school came to a close, Dave travelled down to Dodge City, KS with Owen for a weekend with an old high school friend, Aaron. Dave and Owen are sitting next to Aaron and his son Holden who is just a few months younger than Owen. Apparantly they all had a good time, and both Dave and Owen survived the 6-8 hour long drive down there! I have to say that the house was REALLY quite without Owen. I'm not sure Maggie really understood what was going on, but I think she kind of missed Owen!

Owen is having some fun with the sprinkler. It originally was located in a spot to water some flowers, but Owen thought it was much more fun to play with it, then just run through it.

Here's Maggie enjoying some rice cereal! She's graduated to eating food! So far, she's tried rice and oatmeal cereal, applesauce and peas. No complaints, yet!

Happy May!

Here's some pictures taken just this weekend. Owen's newest toy is the sand and water activity center. He absolutely loves it! So do mom and dad! Owen can hang out and race his boats and cars and pile up sand to his hearts content! He also loves helping Daddy out with the truck and car. He's getting very helpful when we need something....especially if it's on the floor.

Maggie has been pretty content the last few months. We've started her on rice cereal, and she's taken to "eating" very well! Hopefully the next picture of her will be in her highchair. We've really been procrastinating getting the highchair out of storage. It's ugly. It moves around too much, and the tray is a pain in the derrier to get on and take off. It's a good thing she'll only need it for a short time period in her life. Then we can burn the darn thing!

Now that school is coming to a close, (the kids are done this Friday, then the teachers have to go next Tues-Thurs.) hopefully I'll be able to update our blog more frequently.