Happy Birthday, Teresa!

Our Teresa Rosemarie is 2 years old today! We think she is "boo"tiful even with the little black eye she's sporting on her birthday. :o)
Happy Birthday, Little T. What would our family be without you?

One without babies for birthday presents, that is for sure!

Halloween is Almost Here!

Good Morning!

Good morning! I am having a cup of Chai tea before my little two wake up. Then it's full speed ahead!
What a busy week! First, we were able to get a good number of soybeans through the combine before the most recent rain, which was a most appreciated blessing.
The next project: Halloween and birthdays.
I finished Teresa's monkey costume yesterday and just sent Landen off to school with his Spider Man costume (thank you, Walmart) and his treats for the party today. Nathan will be Spider Man, too, so all are taken care of. The only problem is that it is going to be so cold on Saturday, their coats will be covering their costumes! There have been requests to carve jack-o-lanterns and we do have quite the selection of pumpkins waiting in the shop. We will get to that one of these days. There is no school tomorrow, so that may be a good vacation day activity.
That just leaves birthday cake baking and planning/cooking for Teresa & Nathan's birthday dinner on Sunday.
Whew! I think I need another cup of tea . . . .

Baby Thomas Blake

Please pray for Thomas Blake, who is a baby boy of a friend of a friend of mine. His family lives in Redfield, which is not far from where I live.
I only know his story through the CaringBridge site, however he was born with an unexpected heart defect in May. Following one of his surgeries, his organs began shutting down. He is currently fighting for his life as his organs are all under stress. His parents are very faithful people and have been praying continually to all in heaven.
Please pray for his parents, four older sisters, and his healing. You may visit him on www.caringbridge.org/visit/thomas blake.

Harvest Communication

It must be harvest time again. The boys are talking into their hands to each other pretending they have two-way radios.

It's A Great Tradition, Charlie Brown!

I hope everyone gets to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" on TV tonight.
We try to catch all of the Charlie Brown specials every year. They never fail to captivate my children--and David and I as well.
My greatest family Charlie Brown memory so far is watching the Halloween special with our boys the night before we were to have baby #3. We went to drop them off at my in-laws and ended up staying to have popcorn and watch Charlie Brown with them. Now Teresa gets to join in on the fun--and she makes sure she gets her share of the popcorn!
Maybe Linus will see the Great Pumpkin this year. You'll never know if you don't watch!

Faces & Flowers

Here are a few faces from the anniversary party.
First, the October birthdays. Jordin was kind enough to share his Transformers cake with both great grandma (who shares his 10/27 birthday) and Teresa, who will be 2 next Saturday.

Now, my grandparents. Aren't they a beautiful couple? I just love them so much!!

Finally, a photo of some of the flowers they received.

Hands

Today we celebrated my Grandpa & Grandma Kallas' 55th Anniversary. It was truly another wonderful Kallas family celebration--lots of noise, kids, and food (especially desserts!)
I have wanted to use my sister-in-law Angela's idea to take a generational hand photo for quite some time. Today I was finally able to get it done! Teresa was so into having her hand photographed with mom, grandma, and great grandma that she threw both hands in.

As we were leaving, Teresa was giving everyone a high five and we just happened to notice how what a difference there was between great grandpa's hands and hers. So, I snapped a picture of that, too!

One Track Mind

For the past few days, David has started watching ESPN while we eat our breakfast. This would be OK for someone who can multitask, but I am thinking I may have to put a stop to this habit.
On weekdays, we eat breakfast with Landen before he gets on the bus. Nathan usually gets up when we are about half done and goes to take his bath. While he is doing that, I gather up the boys' bedding to put in the washing machine.
This morning David completely missed Nathan walking through the kitchen in his towel on his way downstairs to tell me he was wearing shorts today.
After I came upstairs, I told him (sitting back down with one eye still on ESPN) that Nathan probably could have started a fire in the dining room and he wouldn't have noticed.
"No," he answered. I would have seen the light in the window."
Ahh . . . a quick wit. One of the many things I love about my husband.

Fear Factor

It starts even before a mom-to-be finds out she is pregnant.
"Take plenty of folic acid or your baby may have spina bifida."
Then it continues after the little stick reads positive.
"Don't each cold meat or your baby could get sick. Don't garden where cats have possibly been. Don't take hot baths." And on and on and on . . . .
As the baby's birth nears, you start to think, "Wow. It has to be easier to have the baby out in the world. At least I can see him or her to make sure everything is alright."
Then you start to go baby shopping and find the fear is just beginning. Nearly every item of baby gear claims that you must purchase it for your baby or somehow he or she will die because of your cheap ignorance. The market has parents right where it wants them--"Would you risk the life of your child by not buying our special crib mattress, blanket, car seat, stroller, or other ingenious product?"
It seems like danger lurks around every corner anymore. The major source of that, I believe, is parenting magazines, which I have gradually lost interest in over the years. (For this reason and the fact that I can't remember the last time I followed any advice from a parenting magazine.) I understand that those who have lost a child would find healing in making sure a similar tragedy never happened to anyone else. The downside of that is we are inundated with horror stories of children who have died from medical error, a scraped knee, or passed away in their sleep for no reason at all. It is enough to keep a mom awake nights long after the initial danger of SIDS has supposedly passed.
The irony of this is kids lived in a much more dangerous world a generation or two ago. People just didn't have a way of knowing every danger that could possibly be lurking around the next mosquito bite or lead paint chip. They were too busy working! Their kids didn't have hand sanitizer. They ate dirt and were happy.
At this time we have decided not to immunize our children against the flu. The flu has already hit our school as well as several other area schools. From what I read in our regional newspaper, the clinics and ER have been flooded with those with flu-like symptoms, but none have been hospitalized. The story said that most of these cases have probably been H1N1 and the best thing for these patients is to stay home.
Every morning, The Early Show has a story on H1N1. A couple weeks ago, the lead-in to the story of the day was that there may be a shortage of children's Tamiflu this winter. By the end of the interview, I learned that children can take a smaller adult dose of Tamiflu, of which there is plenty, and most people who come down with
H1N1 won't even need it at all! Then, this morning I heard Harry Smith ask that million dollar question that can make any parent bristle--"Would you take that chance?"
I would never take a chance on my children's lives, but I do not believe in all of the fear-inducing hype the media has been throwing at us this fall.
It almost makes me yearn for the days when all I had to worry about was counting milligrams of folic acid.

Thought for the Day

"Youth and beauty are fleeting, but the ability to bake a good chocolate cake lasts forever."
-C. Browne

First 2009 Contest

I just have to announce that our Oral Interp team did very well yesterday. One of our girls made it to the Final Round in Humorous, which is a big deal since AA, A, and B students all compete against each other. (We are a "B" school--the smallest of the categories.)
I looked at the point totals this morning and also saw that we placed 3rd among the B schools there! We were just one place short of getting a trophy! Bummer--but definitely still something to be excited about.
Now we are getting ready for the local contest, where our competing team will be chosen. Then it's Districts, Regions, and finally State.
We still have a lot of work to do to reach our potential, but I am very proud of my students so far. They are a great bunch!

Nice!

I'm a "nice" girl. I was taught early to play nice, talk nice, and be nice. Now that I am 30 years old, I realize that it is not always "nice" to be nice.
This is not a new problem. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have said "No" to a volunteer position or something I have been asked to do for someone.
The times I have said "No," though, I have been thankful I've done it.
Let's see if I can remember a few . . . .
There was the time I was called in high school and asked to give blood.
Seriously, it is really polite to call a 17 year old girl out of the blue and ask for her blood?
There was the time I was asked to be an assistant girls basketball coach.
Ha! That would have been a disaster!
And then there was that time David insisted that we take in his church's old organ that the church hadn't even been able to trade in! He even proposed that we keep it in our entry way. If you have seen our entry way, you would know that a church organ would leave a closet and a narrow walkway at best.
You know, maybe I should have said "Yes" to that one. It would have been interesting to see how long he would have tripped over it before he hauled it out to the junk himself!
I do often hate to say "No," but sometimes it is necessary. For instance, due to distance, young children, and a husband who often works late, I despise having to go to meetings at this point in my life. I will contribute to organizations in other ways, but forget it if you want me to attend several meetings.
Someday I may agree to be an officer for the church ladies' group, but not anytime soon. I am thinking about age 70 sounds good to me. That way I'll only have the position for 25 years or so.
Where am I going with this? I don't know.
Sometimes I just think it would be nice if I didn't think it was so nice to be nice!

Readers Strongly Cautioned

Consider yourself warned if you check this blog before bed. This email made my day. :o)

Laura,
Just wanted you to know---I need to NOT read your blog before I go to bed at night. Last night in my dreams, I spent the whole night babysitting your kids, mainly Teresa, and I woke up just exhausted this morning!! I was chasing after her all over the place. From what I remember in my dreams, she is a very busy little girl!!!!!
Whew--I need a nap!!

Burt's Bees

Now that the biting flies and mosquitoes are gone for a few months--Yippee!--it is time to put away the Preparation-H.
It is now Burt's Bees time!

I had not heard much about Burt's Bees products until we had Teresa. Our labor and delivery nurse told us about their lotion as she was giving her her first bath. Shortly after, I bought a bottle of the Baby Bee lotion and ended up using it more on my skin than my baby's! We have gone through several bottles in the past two years.

I use it many times throughout the day. I especially like it when my fingers start to crack in the winter. If my hands are dry at night, I put a thick layer of the Baby Bee lotion on them and they are better by morning. Even thought Burt's Bees makes many other lotions and creams, this is my favorite because it has a very light scent.

I bought a sample kit recently so I could try out more products without making a major investment.

It was in this kit that Nathan and I discovered the hand salve. It works wonders on the eczema on his face. He even likes the herbal smell. (I didn't think he would since we are using it right by his nose.) I like it, too, and especially like to put it on my hands right before going to sleep. I think it is very relaxing.

We like other things, too--the baby wash, lip balm, and the shampoo and conditioner. (Although the citrus smell of the Grapefruit and Sugar Beet shampoo did take some getting used to. It reminded me of a car wash at first.) I still have other samples to try yet, too, and am sure I will find more favorites.

Have you tried Burt's Bees products? What is your favorite? Email me at wifeandmomblog@gmail.com and let me know. Here's wishing you soft hands as you snuggle in for the winter!

*Burt's Bees has not compensated the writer of this blog in any way. However, if they would like to, she would be more than happy to accept.

This Week in Pictures

Teresa playing in the first snow of the year

A snowy ghost? That just isn't right!

Nathan Appleseed

Teresa playing with my Cabbage Patch Doll in the dress my mom made. It just goes to show that good dolls never go out of style!

The "Hammerheads." They named themselves. Catchy name, but I'm not sure the level of talent is quite there yet . . . .

School Blues

Kindergarten is stressing me out!
It all started when we kept Landen home from school last Thursday with a slight fever and headache.
He returned home on Friday with a folder full of makeup work and another with homework for the weekend. He was concerned about it right away, but I encouraged him that we would get it done and sent him to the kitchen for a cookie. Silently, however, I wondered how he would get the five worksheets, coloring page, and fire safety packet completed over the weekend.
This is Landen's schedule. He gets on the bus by 7am every morning and returns at 4:30pm (at the earliest) every night. He and his brother go to bed between 7:30 and 8pm after we read 1-3 of his library books. He never complains about the long days. It is because of that I want to keep his home time as sacred as possible--time to play with his toys, his siblings, or help his dad outside.
So, I was pleasantly surprised when he completed his makeup work and homework, little by little over the long weekend, without complaint. I felt relief as I sent him off to school this morning with his backpack full of completed work.
I did not have long to pat myself on the back, however. Tonight as I was wrestling a very unhappy Teresa into her pajamas, Landen took a break from tonight's coloring page to shout down the hall and tell me that I needed to sign and return all of his booklets because he only has four stickers on his pumpkin. Supposedly his friends all have "10 or 16" on theirs. (I'm actually impressed that he has four since I don't remember signing that many.)
He told me I needed to sign a reading booklet after he read it to me several weeks ago. I didn't see any directions to do that, but I signed it anyway to appease him. I hadn't heard another word about the booklets since. As they came home, I looked at them as I do all of his work, and threw them away at an opportune moment. (It is important to me to see what he is doing in school, but I cannot keep everything.) Now I find out that my son is delinquent in his sticker gathering due to my ignorance. Did everyone else know about this? Somewhere along the line I missed the memo. I thought I was a pretty attentive parent, but maybe not so much.
Why does this bother me so much when the student himself remains completely fine with his reponsibilities?
Could it be my oldest-child, overachieving, people-pleasing tendencies that got me through seventeen years of my own education? I might have to look into that.

Happy Homemaker

I just finished reading an article in the November Parents magazine that covers the issue of men and women sharing household chores. Whenever I see such an article suggesting that 50/50 is the ideal goal in any marital situation, I have to admit I giggle a bit inside. Maybe that works in some parts of the world, but not in my little part.
I may sound all "Susie Homemaker," but I really don't mind handling most of the household chores. This is my job. I don't want to do David's job, so I don't expect him to want to do mine. Perhaps if I worked outside the home I would feel differently, but that still wouldn't change my reality. David's career just doesn't allow him much time in the house. So, I figure I might as well embrace the vacuum cleaner, stove top, or laundry baskets that constantly produce more clothes. If the kids and I waited for David to have time to do 50% of what I do, we would live on dirty floors, be very hungry and most probably naked.
I do not feel that women shortchange themselves by fulfilling the traditional roles in their homes. Would it give me more power to hound on David for not putting the laundry away? I'll save that battle for something more important, thank you very much.
Am I always excited about housework or cooking? Of course not! But, I know David is not always excited to work in the cold, rain, or wind either. Given a choice, I would MUCH rather mix up a batch of cookies any day!
Truth be told, I would rather David play with the kids when he is in the house, as he does, than to take that time to sweep the floor. So would they.
Have I become "too" traditional for you? Think that if you wish.
Just don't call me "Mrs. David Melius."

Sounds like Snow

If the weather man is at all accurate, we will be getting a measurable snow fall tonight!
After we sent the boys out to combine soybeans, Teresa and I went outside to finish cleaning out the flower garden and then put away the outside toys.
I hope the perennials and bulbs I planted in the past few weeks reemerge in the spring.
Here is a picture from last week as we were starting to harvest pumpkins. We had quite the bumper crop this year for our little patch. The pumpkins are now staying warm in the shop until we can carve them!

New Look

I gave my blog a makeover this morning. I hope you like the new look!

Dependent Independents

I present to you another item to place on the list of Things That May Eventually Drive Me Completely Crazy:

Dependent Child of the Moment: "Mom, mom, mom, mom, moooooom, I'm waiting! Mom, mom, moooooom, I need help, mom, moooommm!"

Me: (Walking to wherever I need to go to help.)

Dependent Child of the Moment: "No! I can do it myself."

Arrggggh!

Continuing my Fall Foods Obsession . . .

If there is a shortage of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in area grocery stores this fall, I am sorry. In the past couple weeks, I have already used more than my share of those spices as well as sugar, flour and butter. I just can't stop baking comfort foods. Fall foods are my favorite to both taste and smell. As long as I keep up my habit of stockpiling a majority of the goodies in the freezer, my weight gain, if any, will at least be gradual.
Yesterday I tried a new applesauce recipe and had apples simmering in the slow cooker all day. Today I ventured away from apples and now have a Baked Pumpkin Pudding in the oven, which is basically a pumpkin pie filling without the crust. It smells absolutely heavenly and came together in no time at all.
Baked Pumpkin Pudding
1 egg
2 cups canned cooked pumpkin (I used 1 can, which is a little less than 2 cups)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups fat-free evaporated milk
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, beat the egg, pumpkin, sugar, honey and spices until blended. Gradually beat in milk. Pour into casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake 50-55 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold. Garnish with whipped topping. Store in the refrigerator.
If you need any further encouragement to try this recipe, it is actually pretty healthy. One serving of the pumpkin pudding supplies 300% of daily Vitamin A.
I am glad tomorrow is grocery shopping day again. I have to replenish my baking supplies!

Bust a Move!

Today I put Teresa in her room for a time out. She threw a fit for a few minutes and then I heard some loud 80's music.
At first I thought my roofer/husband had become tired of the monotony of ripping shingles off the garage and had cranked his radio. Then I realized it was coming from Teresa's room.
As I opened her door, there she was dancing and having a great time.
So much for a time out!

Another Milestone

Landen lost his first tooth today! It seems as though we were just excited about him getting his first tooth. Now they are all getting ready to fall out one by one! Hmmm . . . I wonder what the Tooth Fairy is giving out these days. I hear either money or a present is acceptable. :o)

Grandma Kallas' Apple Crisp

Since the applesauce is finished, I have been using most of the rest of my apples to make apple crisp. I will have several in the freezer for cold winter days. Mmmm!
Here is my grandma's recipe:

Peeled, sliced apples (enough to fill 9x13 pan)
Cover with about 1 cup sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon & nutmeg, & add 1 T water
dot with butter

In another bowl, combine:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

Sprinkle over apples and bake for 30-35 minutes. (More if you like your apples softer.)
This is one of those "about" measurement recipes that grandmas are so famous for. I don't even measure the ingredients anymore when making this recipe and it still always turns out very yummy.

Snapshots

It is important to me that our home is decorated with photos. This art means much more to me than the most expensive painting or sculpture I could ever find in any gallery. I have some photos in every room--some old, some new, some professionally done, but mostly snapshots from our daily life.
My mom and her siblings are in the process of planning a small dinner for my grandparents' 55th Anniversary at the end of the month. When I started to work on the invitations, I knew the perfect picture to put on them.

I hope my grandparents agree when they see it. It is one of my favorites of them. For one thing, my grandma, as is the case with most mother photographers, is pretty scarce in early family photos. So, it is nice to have a candid photo of her. Mostly, though, it is SO real--taken on a normal day on the farm in between milking, cooking, and who knows whatever other responsibilites that faced them that day.

I had been meaning to make a copy of this one as well, as it is one of my mom's favorites and I only had one copy. I had climbed in the box on my own and how appropriate was that? My parents never did return me, and for that I am thankful.
Every time I sit down to scrapbook, I declare, "I take too many pictures of my kids!" But, I just can't stop. I hope that someday they will appreciate their old photos just as much as I do.

We Love a Parade!

The rains stopped just long enough for the Homecoming Parade this afternoon. That's Landen with the big green guitar. He doesn't look very excited on the picture, but he really did have a great time. The Kindergarteners all looked very cute in their fringed vests, beaded headbands, and other 60's clothing.
We all came home with LOTS of candy. Northwestern has the craziest tradition. When the kids get done with the parade, they line up by the fence on the playground. Then as all of the parade entries pass by, they throw their left over candy over the fence to them. It's a Tootsie Roll/Dubble Bubble free-for-all. (Honestly, I would have LOVED that as a kid!) So, between our collection on the parade route and Landen's post-parade candy toss, we have enough to get us through until Halloween.

I call this photo, "Anticipation." Besides the candy, isn't seeing the fire truck or marching band a block away and watching it get closer and closer the best part of a parade?
The boys were looking forward to going to a "real" football game with their dad tonight, but the rain & cold temps kept them at home. Maybe next week . . . . Nathan will just have to get his football fix while watching his "Bikings" on Monday night football instead!

As far as Teresa is concerned, any parade with lots of suckers--and ducks (see her hand)--is a good one, even if it is cold and rainy!