"This is the way we clean the floors"

Here's the video of the kids cleaning the floor. Sorry, these are both from the digital camera, so not very good. Why would we take out the video camera and have good video when we can just use the digital camera. We're so smart. Not.

And one of Anna dancing to music. This was from Oct. 5, '07

Lunar Eclipse

The kids, well the boys anyway, wanted to stay up a little later to watch the lunar eclipse on Wednesday night. This is what we saw from Minnesota. We thought we would see the moon looking red, but there was not much of any color to be seen from here. The moon also looked quite small from here.

Follow the bouncing moon.

This is what we were hoping we'd see. Pictures are from www.spaceweather.com

The photographer had the shutter open for almost 3 hours in this picture. Emma said, "That looks like a ear thingy!"

It's a Jeep thing...

If you live in Minnesota, and you plan on going off the road, you better just get yourself a Jeep.

Brent's coworker/buddy, we'll just call him "Pete" here, needed a place to park a trailer that he was borrowing for a few days. So, he parked it in the empty lot next to us. While it was parked, it snowed, not much, maybe an inch. When "Pete" came back in his Ford Expedition (an off-road vehicle wanna-be) to get it, he couldn't even get all the way off the road on to the yard to get the trailer. Right where it's sitting in the picture is where he was stuck. Then Brent the Jeep Man jumped into action and pulled the big lug out of the snow bank with his super-lifted-big-tired-ultra-upgraded-finely-equiped-Jeep. No problem, like pulling a light-weight kid on a blanket across a slippery floor. After the big red bomb was safely out of the way, the Jeep got into the snow and pulled out the trailer. Again, no problem.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

No more duct tape on the floor! Yippee!
It's been a slow start, Brent's family came to visit on Saturday, so I had to give Brent the day off. Good thing it was actually somewhat warm outside, so they could all go out on the four-wheelers. Anyway, atleast the hallway is almost done and I'm not confined to just the kitchen any more. It's all the cutting for around the doorways that are dragging the project out. Paul C, you should be here for the cutting of the wood. You did a wonderful job cutting the tiles. Brent and measuring, they just don't really get along.The livingroom floor.... that should go faster since there is mostly just straight cuts out there.
If technology is on my side tomorrow, I will get a video up of the fun new way we clean our floor.

Boots

This is going around in emails. Thought I'd add it to here, just because it's so darn funny.

To all those who have taught or been involved with children...enjoy!And, anyone who has ever dressed a child will love this.

The Cowboy Boots

Did you hear about the Michigan teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots? He asked for help and she could see why. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn't want to go on. By the time they got the second boot on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost cried when the little boy said, 'Teacher, they're on the wrong feet.' She looked, and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as, together, they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet. He then announced, 'These aren't my boots.' She bit her tongue, rather than get right in his face and scream, 'Why didn't you say so?', like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, 'They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear 'em.' Now she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. But she mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again. Helping him into his coat, she asked, 'Now, where are your mittens?' He said, 'I stuffed 'em in the toes of my boots.'
She'll be eligible for parole in three years.

P.S. I sure hope you weren't picturing one of my sweet little innocent children when you were reading that. LOL

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all. My kids are so sweet and thoughtful. (most of the time, anyway) Elizabeth asked me if she could decorate a cut-out heart cookie. I told her yes, and a few moments later, she came back with the cookie that she decorated for me.

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Anna tried spaghetti. As you can see from the picture she enjoyed it. She enjoyed eating it, smearing it on her face, and she really enjoyed throwing it all over the floor.

She went in to the doctor today, because she has had a bad cough for 4-5 days now. Keeps her, and us, up at night. Turns out she has an ear infection in both ears. So, she started an antibiotic today, and hopefully she'll be feeling better in a couple days.

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Some homes have guard dogs, some churches have gargoyles, not us. We get to have a guard dragon. Sculpted and colored by Master Joseph.

The mail man hasn't come in a few days. You think maybe he's scared of the feirce looking dragon?

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You might be a RedNeck........

.....if you use duct tape to hold down your carpet.

Guess whats happening this weekend!

That stuff thats on the floor that looks like a sand box spilled... That is almost 15 years worth of dirt that worked it's way through the carpet and padding down to the floor. I was surprised. Guess I shouldn't have been with all the traffic going through this house.

Time to sign off and go fix the other computer. One of my most favorite jobs.

A high of -4F

This is such lovely weather we're having. Wind chills approaching -45F. J and M, I hope your enjoying your beautiful weather in Florida. And Brent's sister, hope you all don't go into shock when you get back here from vacation in Florida. And Grandma J, how was Hawaii?? Wish you could could have stayed another month or so?!?! I think the ground hog said like another 6 months, or so, of winter this year. OK, I'm done now.

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"Yer right Pa, she shore is a perdy girl, our little Emma Jean. How we ever gonna keep all them little boys from chasin after her?!?"

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Oh, Heaven help us with this child. She just may give Emma a run for her money. I wish I would have had the video camera for this. I never think of it until it's too late. That's just the way it goes, I guess.

Last night Brent watched Anna open the dryer, take out the clothes, put those clothes into a nice pile right in front of the door, and used that pile to climb right on in to the dryer. She thought she was so funny. She was laughing away inside of there. Then she'd take a look out to see who all was watching her. Then go on back in, check things out, giggle some more. This continued until she got the whole family gathered around the dryer to watch her entertain us. (LOL, man we need to get out more) She would have loved to just sit in there for a while but..... I had Brent grab her out when I saw Emma slowly get closer to the door with this look of "hmmmmmm, I wonder what would happen..... if I shut this door on her?"

Happy Birthday Anna Marie!

Picture by sweet big brother Joseph.

I can't believe my baby is already a year old. Time is flying by way too fast!

We are such awful parents. We didn't even buy the poor deprived kid any toys. All she got was practical gifts. Sippy cup, set of bowls and plates that sucktion to the table (this child loves to dump her food off of her plate or out of her bowl before she will eat it), non-slip socks, and pajamas. I suppose we will be blamed for years of therapy when she is older because for her first birthday she didn't get any toys. Hmmm... maybe tomorrow we should wrap up a few of the gazillions of toys we have laying around here for her to open up.

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This past week was a night-mare. Beginning last Sunday we had kids throwing up everyday. It went from one kid to the next to the next to the next....... all 6 of them! I only got vomited on once, that was by the baby. But that once was too many. I think the kids left their marks in pretty much every room in the house. And, we had the other problem that comes with rotten stomaches too. Yea, thats what was all over Anna in the picture. She was covered from head to toe. After a nice long nap she started crying, this is how she looked. Thankfully they are all done with the throwing-up, but they are still "running" to the bathroom. Brent and I have been spare.... so far.

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"Take a picture, it'll last longer."

The kitchen was clean so I took some pictures quick before it got messed up again. We had Brent relatives over for a Christmas party last weekend.

Brent and Paul got the floor done a couple weeks ago. They did a great job! Brent keeps reminding me we saved $1,100 by him doing it. He must want to buy something big.