Glad. (I had a different title, but this seems to be the theme)

Howie
I pulled out this fleece today...

Yesterday evening there were some pretty nasty straight-line winds in PR. There's talk that there might have been a tornado. Pretty scary, but to make it worse, Eric drove right through it on his way home-he said he almost got blown off the road.

I told him he can now cross "drive through a tornado" off his bucket list.

I'm just glad he's still around to have a bucket list.

In other, less deadly, completely unrelated, humorous news...

I almost washed a kitten this evening.

It managed to sneak into the house and was blissfully sleeping in the mountainous pile of laundry. I imagine it was quite a rude awakening to be unceremoniously gathered up along with dirty pants, dumped in the washer and have water start pouring down on you...the look of kitten perplexedness was priceless.

I'm glad she found her way out before the lid was closed, however.

and had flashbacks...here's Oliver.

My boys, I think they look like brothers.

That, too, makes me glad.

A lost tooth and Happy Mother's Day!

I had one of those "I totally forgot about those" type of moments the other day when Oliver showed me his loose tooth. Immediately after that, I had a "Woah, he's getting older" type moment. The past week we've been updated daily with the status of the tooth.

Yesterday, while at his cousin's, the tooth came out. He lost it in the grass and never even mentioned it to the girls over there. When I picked them up, he was slightly concerned when I asked where it was-but, no fear, Oliver dictated a note to me, and the tooth fairy came anyhow...




And of course, she took the opportunity to use a little of her oomph to hype up the tooth brushing-no candy eating line.

When he heard her admonitions this morning, he said a sincere "Ok, I'll do that."

I like that tooth fairy.

I got a chance to go garage saleing in Fargo yesterday, sans kids.

That, was the perfect Happy Mother's Day present.

And, if you are a mother-Happy Mother's Day to you!

"I just have a big ol' smile on my face"

...said a bleary eyed Oliver upon waking on his fifth birthday.

And he did. A BIG ol' smile.

The smile continued all weekend, as we enjoyed days full of visiting, partying, saunaing, game playing and more visiting. My sibilings and I see each other infrequently, and I must say, I soaked up the time together.

My only complaint? It went by much to fast.

This morning I'm getting back into the swing of life...slowly, relaxing with coffee, snuggling my baby and reading my grinning five-year-old a book. The daughter is still sleeping...she must have partied hard this weekend.

It tastes like a snowflake!

I purchased a bag of Mint Truffle Hershey's Kisses the other day. Yum. I brought them to work with me, but there were a dozen or so left in the bag when I got home last night. This morning, Elsa found them when she sat down for breakfast, and promptly divided them into two piles, one for her and one for Oliver.

After eating breakfast at a breakneck pace (amazing what a little candy motivation will do to an appetite!) Oliver popped one in his mouth.

A minute later, he exclaimed "MOM! These kisses with snowflakes on the wrapper?! They taste like a SNOWFLAKE!!!"

A kinda funny flashback

Just the other day when I was uploading pictures I had taken of apple picking, this one popped up.

Check it out! Howie's sitting up already!


Or not.

I had left my regular, larger memory card in the computer, so I loaded the camera with the smaller sized card the camera came with...and evidently the last time I had used it, Oliver was about, ooh, 5 months or so. As you can see, he's a little bigger now, holding Howie. A fun, unexpected flashback.

***

This week has been filled with beautiful fall days. Mild, sunny, perfect. Last night I embraced that, and had ladies for a bonfire. It was a beautiful, starry, fall night. Apple cider was enjoyed, fun was had.

And it was the perfect end to my almost two months off.

Today, I start back to work. I only put in 5 days-evenings, actually- every two weeks, and for me it's been just the right time out/home combination. We'll see how it goes now with Howie.

Num.

Num. Rhubarb cake. This recipe I make is utterly delicious. I made one on Friday...and another today. (In my defense, I brought most of the first one to a family gathering. I only ate half.) Warm, with some coffee (finishing this morning's pot...I've been planning this all day, and saved the coffee.)

Fresh from a bath, Oliver wanted to help me. Feeling amicable, I told him to pull up a chair and had him dump in a few ingredients. Then to turn on the mixer.

Note to self: next time say "only turn it on a little bit" rather than, "okay, Oliver, turn it on." Cuz to him, that meant full. speed. And a flour cloud. And a giggle fit.

He kind of looked like this. Except with flour all over instead of cherries. And two years older.

The giggles brought Elsa, also fresh from a bath over.

By the end, she kind of looked like this.

Okay, not quite like this. Not even a fraction of this. This is a full bottle of power look. Tonight was only a light dusting.

No harm, the cake turned out even better than last time. Making regular recipes to gluten free sometimes takes a few tries to get it right.

Lots has been happening the last few days. I've been feeling productive, and could share...but really, this post is just me trying to delay the inevitable second...okay, third piece of cake...

Following is the recipe. Make it.

Enjoy. Savor. Inhale. Many pieces in a row. With coffee at 10:00pm.


Then I won't be the only one.

***
Rhubarb Cake
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
Cream these then, add:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Mix:
2 cups flour (I use a gluten free mix. Last year I used regular. Both are wonderful)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter milk
Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk

3-4 cup rhubarb
1 tbsp flour
Toss together to coat rhubarb, add to batter. Spread in greased 9x13 pan.

1/4 cup butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
blend together, sprinkle over cake.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

This is what happens

...when a very opinionated little girl finds the new garage sale purchases...
"Mom, I not going to sleep, I just wear this princess nightgown."


Saturday evening we kicked off Cabin season. Oliver was devastated that he didn't get to go out in a boat fishing due to expired boat licenses...until Grandpa took him in the paddle boat.

It didn't faze him that the boat was tied to the dock by about 12 feet of rope.

He put in 3 solid hours.

While I was at work Sunday afternoon, Eric and Oliver went fishing. In a real boat.

This boy L.O.V.E.S. fishing. He's been fishing in puddles around home for the last month.


And he had some great success. This morning's report was very entertaining, he's got the fisherman's talk down to a T...

He left out the part where he was terrified and told his dad he didn't want to catch "that big of a fish again."

Morning Chuckle

The scene: This morning. Our living room, Eric looking at Oliver's hair.

"Hey boy, you're getting kind of shaggy."
Oliver, surprised and indignant-like, runs his fingers over his cheeks and chin: No I'm not!

I think he'd be the first four year old to need a shave. Heh.

***

Another gray day in store. I could use some sunshine for drying the mountains of laundry I've been working on. And to get me out of this house and away from the munchies that seem to have consumed me.


But who am I to complain about a little grayness? This picture is from a year ago on a walk to our creek.


Compared to this one from the other day, short sleeves, no hats and mittens or snow-I think we're miles ahead on the nice weather thing, don't you?

And it's the end of the month.

What? Where did that go?

It's been a busy one. I've still been working a lot, which makes the day off busy as well...playing catch up.

Oliver just turned 4 last week, on the 25th...and I didn't even blog about it. Huh. He thoroughly enjoyed every minute of being the birthday boy, which around here usually lasts about a week. We usually have a party with each side of the family.

Birthday one..

And birthday two.
(Note Elsa's hair. It began falling out/breaking off in the front over the last two months...and was starting to look like a mullet. I trimmed it between the two parties. It looks a LOT better!)

The days have been full. Many days I've had a full post written in my head, but it just never got typed up. But onward:

This evening I just got home from Duluth and a fun filled girls weekend. This was the view off our deck, we had a "Bridge view suite."

My comrades.
These are the girls I grew up with (plus one, who's sort of a transplant.) The weekend was planned only in the last few weeks, but eight of us were able to drop everything and head to Duluth, a wonderful city that most of us actually lived in at some point in the years following high school. Now we're all but one married, with many kids between us...and it's already five years since we've all been together. How time flies.

It was a wonderful, rejuvenating weekend, full of reminiscence, good food, shopping, and laughing till our stomachs hurt. A great way to usher in spring...(fingers crossed.)


And now. Do you wanna know the real reason I've been a little slow on the blogging lately?

Because there's only one thing that's really been on my mind lately...and I wasn't ready to share it yet...

We're gonna have another baby!

Happy Birthday!

First of all: Happy Birthday to my hubby! You're gettin old!:) Love you!

I've been a slacking blogger. Mostly, I've just been catching up on family time after working extra hours over the last weeks. The weekend was a goodie, with a quiet family meal with the in-laws for Thanksgiving. (I say quiet, because there are 8 adults and our two kids in the usual family gathering there. Compare that to the 50 or 60 plus with the R. side of my family, and it's quiet.)

Friday was a relaxing one at home, then a warm sauna at my ma and pa's. Eric worked all weekend.

Saturday the kids, their Nanna and I ran to the cities for a cousin's wedding.

Oliver was very concerned Saturday morning when we were getting ready to leave.

"Mom, I want you to wear a skirt, not a dress." and "Mom, my baby (his baby has lots of opinions) doesn't like big ol' poofy dresses. You should wear a skirt." and on and on. I wasn't sure what he was getting at, but I kept assuring him that yes, I would wear a skirt. (Eric said, "Great, I don't even know the difference between a skirt and dress, but Oliver does...")

Turns out he didn't want us to be in the wedding. The next questions were "Mom, are you gettin' married?" then "Nanna, are you gettin' married?" He was happy to hear us say no, that we were already married, but wasn't fully convinced until after the wedding when he said "You didn't get married!!" with a big, relieved smile.

Maybe the poor kid will be able to relax and enjoy the next cousin's wedding this weekend!

Life is busy!

Unsuccessful (?) hunt

The result of Oliver's first foray into the woods hunting deer: a sound slumber and his dad having to carry him home. But only after sitting for a few minutes, then stating "Dad, I don't think the deer are coming."


Probably a better use of his time, they've not been big on the hunting success this fall.

Magic Pumpkins

My kids, well, they're young. They're just getting to that remember from year to year what different holidays mean stage. So when I launched into a "Hey! Let's carve pumpkins!" announcement, it was met with "Uh, okay. Here we go again, she's lost it" looks.

Never fear. In a stroke of wisdom, I pulled out the new birthday book Elsa got from one of her Uncs (at least I think it was an Unc, the only clue was the address on the package, and we don't know anyone named Amazon.) and we read about Max the bunny and how he went Trick-or-treating with his little orange pumpkin pail. I explained how Oliver had dressed up as Robin Hood (he LOVED Robin Hood,) Elsa wore a cow hat, and they went trick-or-treating last year. Then I explained that trick-or-treating is essentially looking funny and begging for candy. And that another thing people do at Halloween is carve pumpkins.



After that, it went something like this:

"So, should we go carve pumpkins?"


Resounding "Yeah!"

Alright.

Gathers pumpkins, knives, nose-picking-children and husband.


Draw pictures of what we'll carve. Start digging. (Notice Oliver's very apt tshirt. heh.)

Begin carving...
and carving.

And then:

Oliver: "We're gonna carve the pumpkins, and then they'll turn into CANDY!"

Catching on. It's a gradual process.

Tickeled my funnybone #5682

As he hung onto my leg yesterday, he jumped back and said "Ow!! You got WEEDS growin' there!"


In the evening, we could hear a siren going by in the distance. He jumped up, ran to the door, and said "It's a firetruck! Mom! Can we go to the parade?"


Maybe I should shave my legs more often...

Nah.

Gone Fishin'

Fishin' has been a favorite pastime of these two all spring. Never mind if there's no water, they'll fish in the dirt, the trees, whatever is handy.



So yesterday, when Eric and Papa were headed out fishing in the boat, this boy jumped right in. Unsuspecting fisherboy that he is, he couldn't believe it when they actually caught a fish.

The story went something like this:
"What is that?"
"A fish"
"But what IS that?"
"It's a fish, Oliver, that's what we're fishing for."
Thinks a bit.

And the light bulb moment.
"Oooooohhhhhh! A fish!!"

And here he thought you just threw that bobber out there for fun. Who would of thunk it had a purpose? That's him with the sunny he 'caught.' Meaning he reeled it in. I'm wondering just how long we'll get away with not putting a hook on his line...


And Elsa thought, "Hey, cool, a 'pish!' No way am I gonna hold that wiggly thing!"


Guess what we're having for lunch today?

Oliverisims

"It nice out now, mom. The trees aren't wiggly anymore. I can go outside now!"

Heehee.

Dadgum those wiggly tree days. What's a boy s'posed to do?