What Girls Do

What sorts of things do little girls do? They do each other's hair and put on lip gloss. They wear their dance clothes while playing in the sandbox. They fight so badly that hair is pulled from the scalp. They love so hard that all is forgiven. They play house, but someone has to cave and be the daddy. They crawl around like kittens and try to dress up the dogs. They eat dried cranberries, love tea, and coo everytime a baby comes on t.v. They're little girls. They're my little girls. Now, I have some Barbies to play.

Ginger Cookies

One thing that screams fall to me is the ginger cookie. They're spicy and sweet, just as the fall weather here in the Midwest can be. When I made the cookies this weekend, Evelyn told me that she would help me make the "little mans," but these ginger cookies aren't really fit for cookie cutters.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Sea Monkeys

Dade has always wanted sea monkeys. Sea monkeys are a species of brine shrimp engineered specifically to live in little aquariums in the bedrooms of 11-year-olds. I'm not sure what's so fascinating about them. For his birthday we gave him a sea monkey habitat. Dade and my brother Adam got everything set up, and we anxiously awaited the arrival of the little swimmers.

The directions said the critters should hatch in about 7 days. After two weeks I was tired of looking at the water and decided to dump it and try to start over. As soon as I picked up the little tank, I noticed itty bitty creatures swimming around. The sea monkeys had hatched! They are now getting pretty big, but they're still only about as big as an ant. It's hard to make them out in the photo, but they're the little white floating specks.

Monday Night Football

The lights. The bleachers. The concession stand. I had forgotten how much fun a high school football game can be, even if it is just the j.v. team. My brother Alex who will soon be 16, played his last j.v. football game of the season on Monday night. Being the fabulously embarrassing big sister that I am, I enlisted the help of my little sisters to make a sign to hold up at Alex's game.

In the photo, you can see my dad in the upper left corner, my friend Sara in the red sweatshirt texting on her phone, my sister Corrin next to the word 'you', and my handsome hubby directly behind me trying to pretend we're not related.

My family knows that I have a very high threshold for embarrassment. Actually, there isn't much that's out of bounds for me, and I tend to be pretty outgoing. So, here I was at the football game leading cheers, holding up a sign, and yelling stuff at Alex while he played. My friend Sara came to the game with us, but she's fully aware of my inability to be quiet and subdued.

The Seward Blue jays didn't win that game, but I think everyone that attended is a little better off knowing that you don't have to be quiet at a football game.

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch

When we went to Norfolk this weekend to pick up our inherited van, the boys stayed in Lincoln/Seward with friends. It was a quiet trip with just me, Colby, and the girls. Oh, and the dogs, of course. Colby and I actually had lots of free time because his parents and sister took the girls to a wedding with them on Saturday. Evie insisted on going to the reception so she could eat cake. The girls had a great time dancing, but Soren would rather haved braved the bathroom with Grandpa than stay and dance with Jacob. Colby and I spent a whole hour taking in all the shopping Norfolk has to offer.

On Sunday morning, Carrie and Jacob took the girls to Poppy's Pumpkin Patch. Soren nearly died after Jake tried to put her in the carseat. A candy intervention was required to calm her down. I'm not sure why she doesn't like Jacob, but Evelyn doesn't seem to mind him. Once they got to the pumpkin patch all was well. The girls got to feed, pet, and get head-butted by goats. They went on the giant slide, walked through the trees, and got their faces painted.






Colby drove our new van back to Lincoln, stink and all. It's still stinky despite the ozone treatment and thorough cleaning by the auto detailer. Mmmmm, the smell of rotting mice in an enclosed vehicle. I drove the old van home with the girls and the dogs. But no stink. It's really a lovely van, but I hope we can get the smell out or it will be like that Seinfeld episode with Jerry's stinky car. . .

MRI Day

For the last few months I've had tingling in my hands and feet, some lightheadedness, and back and neck pain. Since I have a family history of MS, I thought I should have this checked out. My family doctor didn't find any symptoms of MS when I went in for a visit, but he said that I would never be able to put that to rest until I had an MRI. So today I had my very first MRI. The MRI itself was easy, but the iv injection of the contrast dye was hell on earth for me, the biggest needle wuss on the planet.

Despite all my worries, it turns out I don't have MS. The MRI was "unremarkable" according to the radiologist and my doctor. I do have a cyst somewhere in there which the doc said is very common and shouldn't ever be a problem. With my mind at ease, I now move on to try to find another explanation. My doctor suggested a vitamin imbalance, dehydration, carpal tunnel, and some other nerve issues (maybe pinched nerve in my back or neck). We just have to find out which one. My next stop will probably be the chiropractor to see if I can get my messed up back fixed.

This Week In Quotes

Evelyn while eating her roast and mashed potatoes: I'm gonna eat the crap out of this!

Brody on his day at school: I got tripped and flipped, pushed off the tornado slide, kicked in the balls, and pinched. (Probably only about 50% true)

Dade yelling to me when I'm across the street at the neighbor's house: I'll empty the litter box after I'm done taking a poop. (Hopefully not in it, I respond)

The neighbor boy Caeden came to Soren's birthday party and told me this little bit of info totally out of the blue: I can't see my dad cuz he tried to kill me when I was a baby. (Wow. Really??)

Brody in response to anything ever that gets him in trouble, for example, You hit your sister, You didn't finish your peas, You plugged up the toilet: Yeah, because of Dade!

The Process of Growing Hair

Ever since I first saw that fetal vagina on the ultrasound I've been planning all the pink hair pretties my daughters would wear. Thick and luxurious hair runs in my family, and I and my daughters are proud recipients of such. Unfortunately, my daughters dislike anything having to do with pretty hair. Evelyn is finally coming around and is ready to wear pretties and braids and bows. YAY!!

We've cut her hair short since infancy to make taming the mane a bit easier. It suits her very well, but she's decided to grow it out. It's already getting pretty long, so she likes me to braid it before bed and spend the next day showing off the resulting waves.

So, here's to the continuing growth of Evie's hair. Etsy, watch out because my debit card is ready to buy pretties.

Fall Soccer is Over and My Boring Life

Brody had his last fall soccer game last night. The Avengers lost, but everyone got a medal so I don't think they really cared. Not that they ever cared whether they won or lost. Four of the five boys really only cared that they got to breakdance, trash talk, or do cartwheels during the games.

I've spent the morning making phone calls and trying to get stuff worked out with the minivan I'm inheriting. I can't believe all the little things I do every day that seem so insignificant but aren't. I love the writings of A.J Jacobs who chronicles all the social experiments he tries: spending a year following the Old Testament word for word, reading the encyclopedia from cover to cover, and outsourcing his day to day dealings to an Indian personal assistant, among others. My favorite of his experiments is when he spent 30 days doing everything his wife told him to do. Everything. He was amazed at how much she did that he took for granted: remembering birthdays, buying shampoo, letting the dogs out to pee, etc. I'd hate to imagine what life for my family would be like if I died, not only because they wouldn't have their wife/mom around but also because no one would wipe pee off the toilet seat or order check blanks or take the dogs to get shots. Or pay bills or feed the dogs or clean the litter box or throw away rotten food from the fridge. Or brush their teeth. That reminds me, I should be working instead of blogging.

First Snow

We got the first fall snow of the year overnight. It's really nothing major, about 1/2 inch. As soon as the kids saw it they were ready to get on the snowsuits and dig out the sleds and snowboard. Colby took Evie to dance class, and the other three kids headed outside to play.

Soren's birthday party is tomorrow. I really didn't think it would be 40 degrees, so we planned a semi-outdoor party in our garage. We have such a tiny house that we barely fit here, so having a birthday party here without the use of an outside space will be tricky to say the least.


On Soren's actual birthday we had cake and sang Happy Birthday. It was one of those ordinary extraordinary moments, you know what I mean? It was a special day but spent with the same people we see every day, with the exception of Reese and Sara who are our temporary house guests. She won't have too many gifts to open from us, only one, in fact. We let her pick out a remote controlled puppy at the store which we let her have without wrapping. We have just one other present sitting in the garage ready to wrap. I suppose I should go wrap it now before I forget.

Happy 2nd Birthday Soren!

My beautiful daughter, my baby. Baby no longer, but a sort-of big girl. You came into this world giving your mommy troubles and were lucky to be born in the hospital and not in the van in the puring rain. Your birth was bittersweet for me as I was happy to meet my newest daughter but sad to know that I may not ever watch another baby take her first breath. Daddy and I decided that probably four kids is enough to make any family complete, but we talk daily about how much we miss the little pudgy bundle nursing on my lap. Yet, Soren, we have you, the one who's now officially a Terrible Two. The littlest Vesely, the one who says "poop" instead of "soup." The one who loves to listen to mommy sing and loves to jump on daddy. The one who is the greatest ending to the greatest bunch of kids ever. Happy Birthday, Soren. Mommy loves you.

I Knew This Day Would Come

Yesterday afternoon a police officer was in our driveway talking to Brody and his friend. It was the moment I always knew would come. What did Brody do? Whose window did he break or whose child did he assault? Turns out that the cop was there for Colby.

You see, Colby, Soren, Brody and Caeden were in the driveway playing with the foam swords made of electrical tape wrapped around one of those pool Funnoodles. They were Jedi warriors beating up on each other. Apparently, someone driving by or one of the neighbors didn't think Colby should be playing Jedis with the kids and called the cops on us for abuse. Yes, the cop came to investigate an abuse call because a dad was playing with his kids, ladies and gentlemen. To be honest, Soren was crying because she had gotten hit in the face by Brody's "lightsaber," and Colby whacked Brody with a "lightsaber" as, um punishment (?). I'm pretty sure you could whack somebody with all your might with one of those noodles and all would be well. The officer was quite candid: he really didn't want to be here, but because there is a child involved he had to come. He continued with a quick, "People need to mind their own business sometimes," and a "Hey boys, you wanna turn on the lights in my police car?" The officer was really nice and left without even a scolding. At least the boys got to push buttons in the police car, and no one will have a criminal record (yet).

I'll consider yesterday preparation for when the cops really do come knocking for good reason. The officer had to file a report (I'm sure he loves paperwork), but it will be noted as "unfounded." This time, anyway. The lesson here: it really is true that you can't do anything anymore without someone calling the cops. Don't spank your kid in public. For god's sake, don't play Jedi with your kids in the front yard.

New Friends

Our first week of daycare went really well. The girls fell into a really nice naptime/bedtime routine and have gotten along quite well considering that there are two almost 2-year-olds and a bossy 4-year-old involved. We played outside a lot despite the horrible wind and chilly air. Evelyn rides her bike nonstop, and the little girls (as I've taken to calling Soren and Reese) are content to play with babies in strollers or rocks.

Reese will have a bit of an adjustment trying to keep up with us. She's a little smaller and doesn't move quite as fast. She's starting to use the potty more, while Soren has decided that a pull-up makes a great dumping grounds. Reese is a thumb sucker, so Soren has taken a liking to her finger, as well. I wish the girls could trade good habits instead of Soren getting two bad ones. Oh well. I can only hope for so much.