A Perfect Day for a Party

We were blessed with perfect weather yesterday for Landen's birthday party. We had a great turnout for kids and they all got along great. I stopped counting when they started arriving five at a time! :o)

Playing Barbies

This morning Teresa pulled out her dresser drawers and crawled up to her Barbie for the first time. We had given her a John Deere Barbie for her first birthday, but I put it out of her brothers' hands when Barbie spent her first day with us losing her boots and crawling up the end tables only to plummet to the floor over and over and over again . . . .
However, this morning I found Teresa trying her put her barrettes in Barbie's hair and wearing one of her baby headbands for her own "pretty."
She will make a good farm wife someday. She's good with her "babies," but can always put them down to help out in the "field" when her brothers need her!

Circus Time

(Above: My "monkey" dressed up as a lion.)

Sometimes I get really down on myself because I feel like I am very easily flustered. But, after I take a figurative step back or a physical step away from my career as a mom, I wonder if I shouldn't give myself just a little more credit for the patience I do have.
After all, it usually is a three-ring circus around here. As the ring mistress, here are my instructions for anyone wanting to take on this job. Let's check it out:
Take a look at Ring #1, where we have the oldest of the circus performers--our chattering hyena. It is evident he is also very charming and bright--not to mention pretty handsome. He is big enough to do lots of things, and will tell you so, but he does not think he is able to play in any basement by himself. This results in his making his fellow performers enter his ring, only to emerge minutes later chasing them with the toy du jour because they won't do as he says. Sometimes the smaller animals will turn on him and chase him with the toy. Ear plugs are recommended when this happens as his scream can be deafening. You will want to keep you hearing because if you miss anything he says, he will remind you of what you absentmindedly agreed to do for days to come.
Now turn your attention to Ring #2, our bull in a china shop. Throwing is his favorite game and his aim is surprisingly accurate. A future start athlete? Maybe--but for now, it is best to keep him around soft objects. Do not put any furniture with a cardboard back in his presence or he will slowly dismantle it piece by piece. He will always be hungry, but hardly likes anything healthy--unless you refer to it as a "snack." This animal will do most anything for a snack, but we wary of the consequences if it is something high in sugar. His blue eyes will absolutely melt your heart.
Then we have our monkey in Ring #3. Oh, she is a cute one, but she is always planning an escape. Keep a close eye on the cage door--especially if she is sporting a blaze orange stocking hat. Nothing is safe from this agile climber. Donations to an almost inevitable arm or leg cast are being accepted at this time. It is best not to give the monkey any eye contact. She will then attempt to climb on you. When she finally does run away, she will trip, and come running back again.
Oh, what's that? The ring master is here? Be sure to give him plenty of attention as well lest he start to feel upstaged by the baby wild animals.
If you are lucky, there will be an intermission after everyone has visited the concession stand. You are responsible for supplying concessions--all the while keeping your eye on the show. Make sure to give all equal attention or the left out ones will start to do something they shouldn't to make sure they get attention.
Do not bother to sit down at any point of the show. Extreme messes will be made, they will all jump on top of you, or one or more will need you for something as soon as your butt hits any surface at all.
Every day brings a new show--you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll yell, you'll scream, you will wish you could trade jobs with the guy who scoops up the elephant poop. (Then you find the elephant poop department isn't hiring and there's no wild animal care around even if they were. Bummer.)
Eventually after a long day of performing, all of the animals will go to sleep and as you kiss them goodnight, you will thank God for these sweet-smelling angelic miracles. How could anyone become frustrated with such beautiful babies?
As you close your own eyes, you will thank Him for the chance to do your job all over again tomorrow--and hopefully a little bit better than today.

First Day

Here Landen is at 7am this morning ready to get on the bus! I am excited to hear all about his first day.

Kindergarten

We met with Landen's teacher this morning for a short conference before all of the kindergarteners arrive for the year. Landen will begin school on Thursday. The backpack is packed and ready to go. Watch out world--here comes Landen Melius!
I am very excited for him. He has recognized all of his letters and numbers since the age of 2, so it is time for him to enter this next stage of his life.
Mrs. Mitchell was so sweet and gave each of the parents a little care package containing a cotton ball to remind us of our child's soft spirit, a tissue to wipe our tears, and lemonade mix to enjoy after we return home.
I was so nervous about him starting Jr. K last year (and mostly handling the bus ride with the change in buses halfway through the route), that this year is a piece of cake. It will be different having him at school every day, but we will adjust. I am definitely not worried about him getting to know people--he already knows more people at school than I do! Thanks to him coming with me to drama practices, he has quite a few "friends" in the high school, too.
It is nice to know and feel comfortable with the teachers and aides who will be helping him learn. That is one of the biggest blessings of living in a rural area. Otherwise, sending my baby . . . um . . . big boy off to Kindergarten would probably be a little more traumatic for this otherwise overly sentimental mother.

Birthday Time is Around the Corner!

Guess what season is just around the corner? Melius family birthday season, of course!
Through no real planning on David and my part, God decided that our three children would all have fall birthdays. I always joke with my sister-in-law Angela that David and I only see each other in the winter time, so that would make perfect sense. (That is also why David's grandma, who has been campaigning for a February great grandchild, should not expect one from us. May is planting and spraying time. No good for great grandchild making.)
Our kids' birthdays, combined with David and my own fall birthdays, make for a very festive few months around here each year. Landen starts it all off on September 1. Then comes David on October 5, Teresa on October 31, Nathan on November 3, and finally me on November 12. (Both of my last two babies at one time or another had my birthday as their due date, but Nathan decided to come early and my Dr. wanted to deliver tiny Teresa two weeks early.) It's just as well, so we can party all the more!
Melius family birthday parties can be small or quite large--usually 10 to 50 guests depending on other obligations. Thankfully these are not all child guests--parents are invited as well. :o) Some people's eyes get very wide when they hear that number, but it's something I love to do. It is a chance to see family and friends we otherwise do not get to see that often, even if we only live a few miles apart. The kids have fun together entertaining themselves, there is plenty of adult conversation, and everyone leaves with their tummies full of cake and ice cream. What I really love is that nothing is centered on the gifts. I really don't think our kids would even notice the lack of them as long as their friends were able to come and play. (Well, Landen will probably notice if mom and dad don't get him the truck he has been asking us for for MONTHS already.)
Nathan and Teresa will share their party as they get older, although each will get to choose their own cake and theme. Last year, however, we were still combining corn in November and that looks to be the case again this year. They both had several small celebrations as their grandparents/aunts/uncles were able to visit. I can't say they minded at all, but I missed having the big gathering.
David and I do not get the monster bash the kids get, but we do have "Melius coffee" with whomever is available to come on the day of our birthday and we usually have a meal with our families around the time of our birthdays, too.
Birthdays were always made special as I was growing up, and I want to make them that way for my children as well. It doesn't have to be big or cost a lot of money--I just want them to know that the day they joined our family will always be a very special day.
Landen's invitations just went out today, so it is time to plan what I am going to serve next Sunday for his party. Guess what theme he chose? John Deere--for the third time in his six years!

On Alert

Some days I feel more like a warden than a mother.
Teresa has now learned how to open the door levers on our outside doors. What's worse is that she politely and quietly shuts the door behind her as she runs outside. (The boys each learned this at about the same age, but it was easier to keep tabs on them since neither ever closed the door behind him.) I've caught her several times in the past couple weeks playing in the landscaping rocks, running down the sidewalk, or rounding the corner of the garage as she tries to sprint to the swingset.
So, now until the weather gets cold enough to deter her escape, we get a deadbolt lock, or she is old enough to be outside on her own, I must be the door police.
This, added to my already full time job of snack police with Nathan, makes for a busy day for this warden.

Chow Mein Noodle Bars

Since there is nothing particularly interesting going on right now (unless you count the dried up dead toad I found in the toy room yesterday), I have decided to post another recipe.
These were originally meant to be Easter treats, but I modified them to fit into a small bar pan (8x8 or 7x11). These were given 10 thumbs up in our family! Remember--as with hard liquor, real whipped cream, or most any other recipe I post--enjoy in moderation! :o)

Chow Mein Noodle Bars
3 cups chow mein noodles
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 7oz. jar marshmallow creme
2 T butter, melted
1 cup M&Ms

Mix peanut butter, creme, and butter together. Stir in noodles and M&Ms. Spread into bar pan and let set before cutting.

Baked Caramel French Toast

My friend Tina sent this recipe to me after I posted the recipe for Ice Cream Caramel Rolls. Since she and her family were here this past weekend, Saturday morning was the perfect time to try it. It is SO good!
We made a 9x13 pan and made made another half batch of caramel to go on it. I'm sure it would be just fine as written, but a little extra caramel is never a bad thing! We 4 adults and 4.5 kids easily polished off the pan.
(Notice I had to purchase whipping cream again--oh darn!)

Baked Caramel French Toast

Caramel
1 cup brown sugar
6 T butter
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 T light corn syrup

Egg Mixture
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

6-10 slices Texas bread (depending on size of pan--squeeze as many in as you can)

Place caramel mix on stove over medium heat and melt until smooth. Spread in greased pan(s). Cut bread slices into halves and dunk in egg mixture. Place over caramel mixture making sure they are close together with no gaps. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Top should be slightly browned. Invert pan onto cookie sheet and scrape out excess caramel.

Harvest Time!

Spring wheat harvest is in full swing! I have learned to like this time of year, which I used to absolutely dread. As a newlywed with no children, these weeks of wheat harvest were lonely and seemed endless. I didn't dislike the soybeans and corn later in the year so much since I was teaching, but wheat--all wheat had going for it was that it was pretty as it waved in the wind.
I think my attitude changed around the time I realized harvest does not mean "two or three weeks of not seeing my husband," but rather, "our paycheck for many months of hard work." That is, of course, if God grants us something to harvest. A sign on our nearby highway recently read, "Man plants; God grants." This is so true. There are so many things that have to work together for a crop to grow, that I see God's influence at every step of the growing process. There have been years when we have had poor crops due to drought or hail and have had very little to harvest. As in all things, these years keep us appreciating the bountiful harvests when we are blessed with them.
When all yield monitors, GPS systems, augers, headers, etc., etc., etc. are working properly, things go very well. The boys take turns helping Grandpa, who is usually driving the combine. Next they prefer Grandma, who runs the grain cart and usually has fruit snacks or Smarties for them. Third choice is Dad, who is currently driving the wheat from the field to the grain bin. Last choice, which is what Teresa gets to do, is staying home with me--the cook.
Because we farm land at different points within the twenty miles between our farms, my mother-in-law and I used to have the system that when they were harvesting their land, she would handle meals and lunches and I would feed everyone on our land. Last year we decided that since Denise is now needed in the field and some of their land is only a few miles away from our house, I would be the full time cook during harvest. Of all the jobs, this would be my first choice. I love to cook and preparing larger meals for a few weeks is always a fun and creative challenge.
Now, allow me to explain the Melius family "lunch."
Lunches are the highlight of harvest and a big tradition in the Melius family. The mandatory ingredients are bologna on white bread, a quart jar filled with Schwan's vanilla ice cream tucked in beside a cold can of Pepsi and a long handled spoon. Various fillers of chips, fruit, cookies, and candy are welcomed, but not as coveted as the first requirements. Because I didn't have much experience in this, I thought all harvesters got these lunches. I have learned since that this is not the case. A few wives have told me, "Don't let my husband know that yours gets an ice cream float every day!" I did not start the spoiling of them. I am just a carrier of the torch.
Harvest lunches, of which I also used to fail to see the point, have become a welcome break in my day. It is the time when the boys either go out to help or come home from a day in the field. It is when Teresa can get her tractor or truck ride so she can be just like her brothers. It is especially nice when everyone can stop working and sit down to eat together at the edge of the field. All of our kids now each get their own scoop of ice cream in a pint jar with a splash of Pepsi from Grandpa & Dad.
Thankfully, as the years have passed and children have arrived, harvest has become more of a time of togetherness for our family. David mentioned that some families go through great lengths to spend time together. Farming keeps us all working together and depending on each other to reach a common goal. We cannot help but spend time together especially at harvest time.
That is not a bad thing at all. And neither is a Pepsi float on a hot August day.

Mud Magnet

Early this summer I mentioned to my mom that I had to find some clothes for Teresa to wear outside. She asked if she really gets THAT dirty. Let's see . . .

Garden Update

My bicycle garden has grown by leaps and bounds since the last time I posted a picture of it. Next year it will include more perennials and fewer annuals.
It's been a good year all around for gardening. We are presently enjoying the potatoes, green beans, and rhubarb. Next year we have to have farmer daddy put some nitrogen in our soil. He failed to tell me that nitrogen is needed for sweet corn to set ears. Obviously my garden soil is deficient, but we still have pretty corn stalks!

Storybook Land

On Friday, the kids and I took an impromptu trip to Storybook Land with Grandma Melius. Many additions and improvements have been made to the park since I was last there. Of course, there are still the old standby stops, too.
It was fun watching my kids having fun at the same stops I loved as a child. It is no wonder Aberdeen promotes the park so enthusiastically. It really is a beautiful addition to their city and our region of the state.
Afterwards we stopped at The Twist Cone for ice cream cones with eyes. That made it the perfect day!

By Your Side

Yesterday I was the pianist at a funeral held at our church. The deceased was someone I never met, a woman who had lived 95 years and who had seen her grandchildren and great grandchildren. The mass was comforting and a reminder of God's unfailing love for us all.
Prior to entering the church, this song came on KLOVE. It is a song I have heard many times, but just this past week really heard the lyrics. It is a beautiful reminder for all of us always. May God bless your day.

"By Your Side"
Tenth Avenue North

Why are you striving these days
Why are you trying to earn grace
Why are you crying
Let me lift up your face
Just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough
To where will you go child
Tell me where will you run
To where will you run

And I'll be by your side
Wherever you fall
In the dead of night
Whenever you call
And please don't fight
These hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands and my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in
And give you life
I want to give you life

Cause I, I love you
I want you to know
That I, I love you
I'll never let you go

Unbelievable

Today my heart aches. It aches for Jeanne Haugen, a 39 year-old mother who likely spent her last day as she would any other. It aches for her husband who was obviously so hopeless he couldn't see any way out. It aches for her son who came home to find that both of his parents were gone. It aches for their families who are left without answers. It aches for their friends who are left with the same.
You see, I only met Jeanne a few times as my friend Amy was preparing for her wedding. We chatted about Pampered Chef products at the shower. We sat at their guestbook together at the wedding. She was so warm and personable. I felt like I had always known her. It has been a few years since I talked to her, but I can still see her smile and bubbly personality.
My heart aches because I know that if my heart aches, I cannot imagine how much worse it must ache in those who worked with, lived near, laughed with, and loved Dennis & Jeanne Haugen on a daily basis.
How many lives did they touch? Can they be counted?
My heart aches because they never got to know.

We've Got Talent

I need to get my kids on America's Got Talent.
According to Landen, Nathan can bite himself in the middle of his back and kick himself in the tummy.
According to Nathan, Teresa can bite herself in the forehead.
Seriously, we should really cash in on this.

Whipped Cream--NOT to be Confused with Cool Whip

I never have cream in the house. Now I know why.
After looking for various recipes for peaches and rhubarb, I found many pies and desserts had cream in them.
I picked up a pint of whipping cream at the grocery store, but it never made it to a peach or rhubarb pie. I whipped it to serve over fresh peaches for dessert on Sunday. Oh my gosh--YUMMY!
I whipped the entire pint, and consequently had quite a bit extra, so I have been searching for things to cover in whipped cream ever since.
Whipped cream is very high in fat, but is the epitome of deliciousness. What could be creamier than cream blended with sugar, vanilla, and air? It is even better than ice cream. Besides that, it only takes three minutes or less to make.
My Grandpa Kallas, who was a dairy farmer for most of his life, still refuses to eat Cool Whip. He even corrects anyone who has the audacity to refer to Cool Whip as "whipped cream." I definitely see his point. No whipped oils and chemicals deserve that sacred title.
So, if you have a few calories and fat grams to spare, or even if you don't, pick up a pint of whipping cream the next time you are at the grocery store. Take it home, pour it in your mixer and whip it up with a little sugar and vanilla.
I promise you will not be disappointed--until you step back on that bathroom scale.

The Name Game

Last week in my cleaning out frenzy, I threw out most of the baby bottles. It was one more little reminder of my acceptance that the baby stage is probably over in this house. As I've said before, I'm surprisingly alright with this and David and I both agree we have a good balance right now.
I have to admit it really does make me feel old when I think that my pregnancy days are behind me. However, when I think of never going through labor and delivery again, "easy" as it was, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and relief.
There is still one problem. I still have more names to give out. I LOVE to choose baby names. I never had an Owen, Jonah, or Isaiah. My next daughter would maybe be Rachel or Reagan, although I'm sure David would probably win out on his choices of Allison or Erika. (He's been lobbying for those since #1.)
I am wondering if there is such a job that people would pay me to come up with a list of name combinations for their future children. Or, maybe I could get a job in the Cabbage Patch and name those babies as they are brought out of the garden.
I always kind of feel like babies name themselves. All of a sudden a name clicks and just feels right. (I always make sure it clicks before the birth.)
Landen was going to be Nathan until I was about six months along and I saw the name Landen spelled with an e. Prior to that, I liked the sound of the name, but it looked like a last name to me. I mentioned it to David for a boy's name and it was set. (The downside to the alternate spelling is that it requires some correction now and again, which I always hesitate to do. Now that he can spell his name himself, however, he usually takes care of that on his own and knows how to change an o to an e on most everything.)
When we found out that we were having a second baby boy, we chose Nathan. I had bought a new baby name book by then and found out this name meant "Gift from God."
Then there was Teresa. I spent many an evening huddled over the baby name book looking for the perfect girl's name. We had decided on Isaiah John for a boy, until just a few days before and then it was changed to Drew with a middle name never determined. I already have a cousin named Allison, who was born a few weeks after Landen, and--no offense to any Erika's out there--I like the name, but not enough to give it to my only daughter. We had discussed Katherine, but weren't quite sure. Then, once night after coming up short on the O, P, Q, R, and S names, I turned the page of the baby book and there was Teresa at the top. I asked my husband (who really doesn't get all that excited about the naming process) and he said, "Teresa Melius. I like that." I told him he could choose the spelling since I see it both ways. He chose without the "H" to keep it simple. (How ironic that most people automatically spell it with the "Th." And, so, I am left to uncomfortably correct people's spelling for another couple years when she learns to spell her name.)
On the Sunday before her Wednesday birth, we asked the boys what they thought about our name choices. Landen would not even discuss a brother's name since he was sure it was going to be a Teresa. Nathan voted for "Rhinoceros," but we politely disregarded his suggestion.
The other night I mentioned to David my desire to just name more offspring. He told me to name the cats.
I tried, but Melting Snowbank just doesn't look like an Owen.

Ice Cream Caramel Rolls

Since my mom is here for breakfast this morning, I decided to break the pancake tradition and make these rolls. I have always wondered why one cannot have a caramel roll for any other meal of the day, but it is acceptable for breakfast. Oh, well. I'm not complaining!
I assembled these last night and left them covered on the counter until this morning. They smell soooo good!

Ice Cream Caramel Rolls

1 cup vanilla ice cream, melted
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed (OR frozen dinner rolls, thawed, and cut into fourths)

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine the ice cream, butter and sugars. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Cut dough into 36 pieces; arrange in dish. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Serve warm.