Mel's Fantastical Insights

We love summer weather and we spend a lot of time outside. To prove this, the other day, I was on the phone while we were outside and I turned around and saw Alice dressed like this. Apparently I weed enough that the kids know how to dress for it. Daniel started preschool. Knowledge Explorers Preschool has been a great place for him. He loves going and this is a picture of his first day. Some of the kids were hesitant while Daniel just ran inside and never looked back. Although he usually is the kid trying to beat the door down when it is over trying to get out. So far his favorite things are that they get to cut, he learns new songs, and he always wants to make sure that Alice and I miss him. Alice and I get an amazing amount of work done while he is gone and Alice is even starting to talk a little more, so what are the odds. Do you ever spend a lot of time telling your kids what not to do? We yell at our kids all the time to sit on their butts at the table. We kept telling ...

So our X Box broke. We got the red ring of death, and the kids cried. Jason immediately announced we were buying a new one but it will have to wait. See the problem with losing the xbox is that we don't have cable, satellite, or anything else that plays DVDS. All of our viewing entertainment comes through that machine. It was kind of sad. At first I was really grateful because most of me hates the TV. Then there is that part of me that loves the TV because my kids and husband love the TV and it makes it easy if I need to do something they will just sit there and get mushy brains. Today I thought I would absolutely go nuts without the TV. Alice and Daniel both woke up with runny noses and I needed to keep canning tomato sauce. But oddly enough we made it through the day, with no TV, fewer fits, and 11 more pints of pasta sauce ready to store in the pantry. So I guess we can survive without it, and hopefully tomorrow still goes well. Alice tried to turn on the TV, I told h...

I cannot believe that so much time has passed. Obviously we have done more than just sit around the house. We went camping with all of us Daniels in July. I am sure I have pictures of Alice and Dax looking like coal workers somewhere. We spend a lot of time outside playing in the yard and weeding. Jason started a new job and so far things are going really well. We miss him now that he doesn't work from home, but not enough to want him back everyday. He and I have amended our lifestyle (we went on a diet) and both have lost a lot of weight so that has been nice. Being healthier and having more energy is nice when having young terrorizing children. Daniel starts preschool in two weeks and I am so excited for him to have this opportunity and for him to be someone else's problem for two hours twice a week. He can be challenging. Alice is still grumpy, hates people a little less, and is really cute. She loves to wipe up her tray when she is all done eating which is awesom...

Now that it is officially July I guess I should finally post something. I am not sure why I have such a hard time updating my blog as of lately but something tells me it is the small children constantly screaming in my house that make it hard. June went by quick. We had some fun garden adventures like watching the sunflower seeds come up, and then watching Alice crush them all with her tiny size 3 shoes. We went to Hawaii which in a nut shell was fun but one always is left wondering is it worth the travel. Daniel claims yes, Jason and I claim no. If I recall that is what we also claimed last time yet we ended up there again anyway. Alice loved the beach and enjoyed dumping sand on all things. I found a sand dollar which was awesome and we saw turtles and seals so Daniel loved it. He now officially loves his aunts and calls them that as if they are just a group, no individuals. Alice is a pain, loud, messy and stuck to her routine like glue. Here is a classic meal time with Ali...

Mom sent me this dress for Alice. It is beautiful, the picture is bad but hopefully you can get the idea.   Daniel loves Alice. He kept telling me that he looked handsome and he tells Alice she is so pretty. It is really precious.   Mom also gave her these cute pjs which she loves. My mother in law gave her some pjs with Disney princesses on it which she also loves but there are no pics of those yet.   Anyone else love that snow today? Anyone else loose a garden? Daniel just sloshed through the snow and had a blast. He kept hoping that the snow would be so bad that he would have to help Dad shovel the drive way. I am kind of glad that it never happened.

My kids love the dirt. They love being outside while I try to plant and do everything in the dirt. Alice rolls in, runs in, and eats the dirt. The grossest thing I have found lately is her with her mouth full of mud and a pebble in her hand and big smiles on her face. To beat that I have found her now three times with dirt in the mouth. Yuck! Today it rained. This has got to be the fifteenth day this month that it rained and my kids could not stand it. So eventually I told the kids to get their shoes (which makes Alice run to the door) and that we were going to IKEA. IKEA is a great way to spend the day. Daniel and Alice played in the kids rooms that were set up and ran through that little hole in the wall they have between two of the rooms. They loved it. One of the rooms had a slide in it which Alice discovered that she loved. Down the slide she went, over and over and over again. Then we came home and the crying and tantrums started up right away again. But for those two...

April was full of fun. First my sister Stephanie and her daughter Abby came to visit. Abby and Daniel love each other so much so they just played and played. Alice can keep up now since she is walking. It was really fun to have them in our home for a few hours.   Then all my sisters with children went to the farm (sorry Britt, you were excluded by distance not by children) and it was a blast. The cow that tried to eat Alice's stroller put Abby's whole hand and wrist into its mouth. It was kind of gross and Daniel screamed but Abby just stood there and wasn't scared at all.   Some of the kids got to pet the sheep that they were showing to a field trip group. Kids are so funny.   This is random but apparently Alice wants to be wearing shorts and thus, walks around the house doing this to all of her pants. I was lucky to get such a good view. Last but not least we had a fantastic mother's day weekend of laying sod. Yes it is worth the money to have someone else do...