What a month!  We are living in Wisconsin now.  Greg started working at UMB Funds in Milwaukee.  Audrey is enrolled at Plat Elementary School and loves her 4K class.  I like the wooded rolling hills where my parents live and the genuine friendliness of the locals.  We are staying with Mom and Pop until we work out where to live and find a house.  Colin and Audrey seem to have adjusted quickly.  It helps when there are so many familiar faces each day.  We're only about 15 minutes from their cousins and we share a house with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Joe and Great Grandma.  Four generations under one roof!  Family is such a blessing.

After washing Colin and Audrey in the bath last week I left them to play for a while.  A dripping, naked Colin found me in the kitchen a few minutes later.  He was unhappy and mumbling.  I walked him back to the bathroom and found this

I don't know if it was a big sister dare or just little boy curiosity but I can't for the life of me figure out why he chomped straight through the entire soap bar.  I'd think that after one taste he'd give up.  He didn't.  And there wasn't much soap left in the tub so I believe he chewed and swallowed quite a bit of it.  I know we are safe for a while because when he saw the soap bar the following day a terrible look came over his face and I thought he might loose his breakfast.

I like to feed the birds.  The kids and I enjoy eating our breakfast and watching them on the back porch.  We pick out the brave ones and the timid ones.  Some don't mind eating on the ground, others prefer the feeder.  It's a very entertaining way to pass the time.  I went on the National Geographic site this week and printed some illustrations of birds in our area with the idea that the kids could identify them, learn their names and keep a tally of the birds we see.  Yesterday, Colin spotted a cardinal.  I asked him which bird it was.  He went to the wall of bird pictures and said, "It's this red one with the party hat!"

Illinois finally has some snow!  We took Audrey and Colin sledding for the first time last weekend.  I briefed them in the car on the only important rule of sledding - "If you sled down the hill you must walk back up the hill."  They seemed to understand that.  I imagined that Greg and I would take turns going with them but once we arrived on top of the hill Greg put the two of them in the sled and gave it a push.  Their fearful screams immediately turned to joyful hollers and they stood at the bottom of the hill with big smiles on their faces.  

I had to issue a couple more rules before the trip was over.  "Bring the sled back with you!" and "Keep your hands and feet inside the sled until the sled stops!"  Once our noses and cheeks were sufficiently numbed we headed home for Mexican hot chocolate.  It was a fun day.

I ought to be in bed snoozing away this extra hour I have found.  But I am too excited.  I just finished my last big project for the semester.  Do you ever have a day when your are so productive it blows you away?  If being in school this Fall has taught me nothing (not true BTW) it has taught me how much more I can do if I make a plan and stick to it.  I don't always want to be busy and productive.  I think I need to balance busy days with days for smelling the roses.  For myself and for my family.  But I love knowing what I am capable of doing - well no, I don't know that - I love knowing that I am capable of doing more.  I will call these sprints of checklist obliteration (because that's too long of a name) uber productivity.

Today I was uber productive, I : 

Put away laundry
Made doctor appointments
Cleaned the toilet (because at some point you look at that mess and say "I am better than this.")
Called the insurance company
Wrote emails for relief society
Wrote a Western Civilization essay and took a quiz
Cleaned the toy room - very messed
Built the BEST pretend castle-fort ever
Took Audrey to gymnastics
Took an Art History final
Wrote a long email to Art History professor to justify my "wrong" answers
Grocery shopping
Delivered dinner to a new family
Out to dinner with friends
Bathed, lotion-ed, brushed and tucked kiddos
Completed Jewelry final project and write-up

Now insert the all little side trackers that I managed without getting deterred like made beds, showered, dressedx3, fedx3, acquired toys etc, adjusted doll shoes etc, texts, personal phone calls, kids in and out of winter outerwearx6, made tunnels for matchbox cars, clipped coupons,  - WHEW.

It was an UBER PRODUCTIVE DAY.  Now, please let there be roses to smell tomorrow ;)

Audrey and Colin stayed at a friend's house for a couple hours yesterday.  My friend Lindsey, asked Audrey if Santa Claus was coming to our house soon.

Audrey quickly replied "Yes, I heard a song say Santa Claus is coming to town!"

We are home sick today.  Colin is convinced that Halloween candy will heal him and keeps informing me that he's "still not better" (and therefore must need candy).  Audrey wants the three of us to take on all the roles in the Rapunzel story and turn the day into full-costume dramatic reenactment.  Of course she plays Rapunzel and the good queen mother.  I am the "wicked witch."  Colin is the horse and  "prince."  He and I are not being very good sports.  However, after watching Audrey try to hold a blanket on her head as Rapunzel's "hair" I helped out by creating some long locks with a headband and an old ball of yarn.  This craft might make up for my unwillingness to act.

During a whirlwind house pick up today I was in a happy mood (induced by my Mindy Gledhill, Anchor album) and grabbed a handful of candy corn from the abused candy dish (perhaps the second cause of my energy surge:)

Distributing the goodies between Audrey and Colin,

Audrey asks "What's this for?"

"Because you two are soo cute," I reply.

A little while later Colin finds me and grins as he asks,

"Can I have some more cute?"

Audrey's 4th Birthday Party

John and Rachel's Wedding

I am in the kitchen cleaning. I can see the kids playing in the backyard. The sliding glass door is closed to keep the muggy hot air outside where it belongs.

I look up from my work to see Colin crouching on the patio and examining something. My gaze is redirected to a white and brown spot on the cement about the size of a golf ball. Alerts are sounding in my head as I nearly simultaneously 1. realize this is bird droppings and 2. notice Colin is extending a pudgy index finger toward the glistening smear 3. run across the kitchen 4. shout "Colin, NOOOOO!"

But he cannot hear me through the glass. Split seconds seem to pass as full minutes. Slow motion horror strikes as I'm dashing through the dining room, reaching for the door and see my pure, innocent baby dip and bring his once beautiful finger.....to his mouth.

A hair cut, and then another hair cut, and then one more

I quickly cut Audrey's bangs on Wednesday night after bathtime. When we were finished I lifted her off of my bathroom counter and I headed downstairs to take care of dinner dishes. I recall about halfway down the stairs thinking - "I should put those scissors away." But I was more intent on the kitchen and so I ignored the thought.

Fast forward 45 minutes. I discover long blonde locks littering my bathroom floor. I review in my head. I cut 1/4 inch of bangs. I left the scissors on the counter. I see 4 inch lengths of hair. A lot of them. I shout "AUDREY!!!!"

It wasn't pretty. She cut all of what she could reach on the sides and the back was left long. Like a mullet. On Thursday I took her to a friend's house who is a hairstylist. Much better. Audrey was very sad when she looked in the mirror and all her hair was gone. Maybe she will remember that feeling next time? Maybe I will put the scissors away too? She's better now. And I like her little fairy hair cut.

Yesterday while we were out a man asked the kids what their names were. Audrey responded appropriately and after thoughtfully watching his sister Colin smiled and said proudly, "My name Colin!" I think this was the first time anyone has asked him what his name was. A few hours later at the store the kids were looking at small fish in tanks. I noticed Colin was saying something so I stepped closer and heard, "My name Colin," he then turned his head toward another fish and repeated, "My name Colin." He probably introduced himself to six or seven different fish.

During the same run of errands I looked in my rear view mirror at one point and noticed tears streaming down Audrey's cheeks. A bit shocked, since I could recall nothing that would have brought on this emotion, I asked her what was wrong. Audrey sniffled and wiped a few tears before saying, "Everyone keeps thinking I am a little girl."

Greg is working some long hours as tax season hits high gear. The weather is getting warmer (40F?), the snow and ice are gone, and there is now an extra hour of sun - or at least not darkness. So in the last couple weeks the kids and I broke the confines of our winter quarters and have been exploring. The water in the ponds and streams near our house is high and fast. This makes it doubly fun for hunting and throwing rocks. The kids are great at spotting red-wing blackbirds, Canadian geese and ducks - all of which are plentiful. I learned that some post-melt gear is essential - like rubber boots. And my washing machine is feeling the brunt of our muddy excursions.

Today we went on our longest bike trip ever - to the toy store. I don't know how far it was but my legs are still warmly numb and tingly. Things grew very quiet on the ride home.

I am cleaning the TV room this morning and complaining aloud about how the couch is eternally sprinkled in crumbs. Audrey expertly tells me, "to clean the crumbs off the couch you have to jump on it an then to clean the floor you have to vacuum it."

Colin finds me at the computer yesterday evening and requests a "show on da pewter." I lift him into my lap and he helps me pick out a Thomas netflix. Its rare that I am granted an opportunity to hold my busy boy anymore so I relax in my chair to watch the show with him. The intro music begins and Colin slides off my legs and tugs at my pants saying, "soot, soot Mom." It only takes a second or two for me to translate, "scoot, scoot Mom."
"Scoot" is the word Colin hears when Mom is busy in the kitchen and doesn't want him or Audrey around :(

Audrey and Colin accompanied me to the DMV to register our car and get Illinois plates (that's right, we've been here nine months :) On the way out of the DMV I'm telling Audrey that Dad will put these plates with numbers on our car. After a minute or two Audrey asks, "Mom, why does our car need the brass plates?"

I was taught one more lesson in the differences between girls and boys tonight.

Audrey and Colin were in the bathtub. When I finished shampooing their hair I gave Audrey two small plastic dolls with accompanying plastic accessories and another handful of toys to Colin.

While cleaning up in the next room I can hear Colin repeatedly making a fake screaming sound, "Ahhhhhhh" (high pitch to low pitch) followed by his own hysterical laughter. After a few minutes of this I am curious so I sneak in and watch as Colin lifts one plastic doll to a ledge in the bathtub and lets her free fall headfirst into the water, simultaneously adding her screaming side effects. Following the tragedy he throws back his head back and laughs...

Audrey meanwhile is just trying to squeeze her little doll into a tiny pink dress.

What is a family blog if it is not for bragging about your family? Greg made blueberry muffins before he left for work this morning. All I had to do was pull them out of the oven. I'm feeling a little guilty that he didn't get to enjoy one but it was a yummy treat for the kids and I. Thank you, Greg.

In the middle of errands the kids and I splurged on McDonald's for lunch today. Five minutes into her happiest meal of the week Audrey says, "Mom, I don't like the fries at our house but I do like the fries from McDonald's."


I know exactly what she's talking about so after a chuckle I explain just why these salty golden bits of heaven taste better than our oven baked substitutes at home. Hot Oil.

Audrey is very aware of one type of oil. I make an effort to give her and Colin a teaspoonful of cod liver oil each morning. What? I'm not awful, it's lemon flavored.

Audrey considers the frying process for a few minutes and says something along the lines of how McDonald's oil must be better than our oil too...

Our little guy is two! Although I can still remember our first days together very vividly they feel like they were a lifetime ago rather than a short two years. Perhaps it's because we've know him for so much longer.


We celebrated Colin's birthday last Saturday with a family party. Kristin and Alan brought the kids down from Milwaukee for the afternoon. Colin likes playing with his cousins and was excited when I told him they were coming. Anna, who is six, is probably Colin's favorite cousin. She's always looking out for him and making sure he has whatever he needs or wants. She'll play trains with him for as long as he wants (which I can verify is usually a very long time) and she's an excellent track builder.

Audrey helped me pick out a Thomas the train cake from the grocery store during the week. I started to order one for Colin but was blown away when I realized that it was going to cost over 20 dollars. Greg kept Colin corralled upstairs while Audrey and I set to work making a train cake on Saturday morning. With a beginner cake decorating set and some ideas from the Wilton website, a pile of candy and cookies and cupcakes and buckets of frosting - we did it! I think Colin was just as pleased with my creation as he'd have been with the Thomas cake.

Today, Colin asked me "Why?" for the first time in his life.