New Year’s Interview – 2015

Time for 2015 interview with the kids!  Maybe this will jumpstart my motivation to blog again?

Past Years:

2009

2010

2011

2014

So here we go for 2015:
ALEX – age 13.5
Favorites:

• breakfast – doughnuts

•vegetable – That’s a tough one.  Um, tomatoes and peppers when used in salsa.

• toy – Do gaming systems count?  My favorite toys is the X-box or Wii-U if including gaming systems.  If not, then my favorite toy is my Perplexes.

• TV Show – Big Bang Theory.

• game – Assuming video games count, I’d say Minecraft.

• book – Wesley the Owl

• restaurant – Maggiano’s

• holiday – Christmas

• animal – Either the barn owl or the snowy.

If you could change your name, what would
you choose?

I’d stick with my current name.

What do you love about each person in our family?

Emma reminds me that it’s okay to be young (oh, and she is awake).  Autumn reminds me that with enough determination, anything is possible.  Izzy shows me that a small package can have a lot of power.  Jackson reminds me that there is a time to be independent.  Mom shows me that just because a task is daunting doesn’t mean it’s impossible.  She does that everyday by taking care of us kids.  And dad shows me that just because you’re busy doesn’t mean that you can’t devote time to other things.  And Nova reminds me of the power of devotion.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

I’d really like to go to Great Wolf Lodge, but if I could choose anywhere, I would really like to go on vacation in the UK.

What are some of your wishes for this year?

World peace and a sandwich.  I’d also like to volunteer for a raptor rehabilitation center.

JACKSON – age 10

Favorites:

• breakfast – Biscuits and gravy

• vegetable – Spinach that dad makes

•drink – Chocolate milk

• toy – the X-box

• TV Show – Chima

• game – Terraria

• book – The Minecraft Handbooks

•restaurant – Olive Garden before they changed

• holiday – Christmas

•animal – Dolphin

If you could change your name, what would you choose?

I like my name how it is.

What do you love about each person in our family?

I like that they are my family.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

North Carolina

What are some of your wishes for this year?

I want to see a shooting star or a meteorite.  And I want to beat some of the bosses in Terraria.

IZZY – age 7.5

Favorites:

•breakfast – I like doughnuts!

•vegetable – broccoli

• drink – My body likes water.

•toy – My Perplexus.

• TV Show – My Little Pony

• game – I like my Spirograph.

• book – My SAM books.

• restaurant – I’m going to go with Autumn, Fazoli’s.

• holiday – My birthday!!!

• animal – Lion.  No, actually bald eagle.

If you could change your name, what would you choose?

I like the name Aerus.

What do you love about each person in our family?

I’m going to do individual people.  I like Jack because he’s always willing to play… well most of the time.  I like Alex because he gives me help when I need it.  I like Autumn because she’s so creative.  I like Emma because she’s always willing to play everyday.  I like you, mommy because you are my teacher and you’ve raised me since I was a newborn.  I like daddy because he works hard to earn our money so we can live in our house and have the food we eat.  I like Nova because he’s always there when you need someone to talk to.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

Wisconsin

What are some of your wishes for this year?

That Nova stays longer.  And that I get old enough to play Minecraft cause it looks fun.

AUTUMN – age 5

Favorites:

•breakfast – pancakes and hot chocolate

•vegetable – tomatoes

• drink – hot chocolate

•toy – my doll that I got for Christmas

• TV Show – My Little Pony

• game – Mariocart Wii

• book – Phoebe’s Sweater

• restaurant – Fazoli’s

• holiday – Christmas… or my birthday… BOTH

• animal – dolphin

If you could change your name, what would you choose?

Chrystalina

What do you love about each person in our family?

Because they love me back.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

The beach.

What are some of your wishes for this year?

That me and Zoe are sisters.

EMMA – age 2 (her first year answering for herself!)

Favorites:

•breakfast – Maybe some yogurt.  Pancakes are my favorite breakfast.

•vegetable – Peas.

• drink – Yogurt.

•toy – That one is mine.

• TV Show – Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

• game – Puzzles

• book – Clifford the Big Red Dog

• restaurant – Chicken

• holiday – Trick or treat!

• animal – Nova

New Year’s Interview – 2014

I’ve done this interview with the kids in the past and LOVE tolook back over them.  I’m sad that I skipped the past year or two, so I’m gonna welcome 2014 with the interview!

Past Years:

2009

2010

2011

So here we go for 2014:
ALEX – age 12.5
Favorites:

• breakfast – cinnamon rolls

•vegetable – corn on the cob

• toy – Kindle

• TV Show – Transformers Prime

• game – Minecraft

• book – Wesley the Owl

• restaurant – Maggiano’s

• holiday – Christmas

• animal – Owl

If you could change your name, what would
you choose?

I like my name the way it is.

What do you love about each person in our family?

Well, Jackson is really creative.  Izzy is quite intelligent.  Autumn is creative as well.   Emma, she is still learning.  Dad is very reliable.  And mom is always there when you need her.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

Great Wolf Lodge!

What are some of your wishes for this year?

This year, I hope to actually see our owl friend in the daylight.  I’ve never seen his plumage, and it would be quite interesting to observe.

JACKSON – age 9

Favorites:

• breakfast – Eggs and ham

• vegetable – Kale

•drink – Root beer

• toy – LEGO Hive Crawler

• TV Show – My Little Pony

• game – Wii Lego Ninjago

• book – The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

•restaurant – Olive Garden

• holiday – My birthday

•animal – Dolphins

If you could change your name, what would you choose?

Frost

What do you love about each person in our family?

That they are my family!

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

Great Wolf Lodge!

What are some of your wishes for this year?

That my birthday is a good one.

IZZY – age 6.5

Favorites:

•breakfast – IKEA cinnamon rolls

•vegetable – broccoli

• drink – chocolate milk

•toy – LEGO Evo

• TV Show – My Little Pony

• game – LEGOs

• book – Tiptoes Lightly

• restaurant – Red Robin

• holiday – Christmas!!!

• animal – Lion

If you could change your name, what would you choose?

I like Bella.

What do you love about each person in our family?

Jack is great with LEGOs.  Alex likes reading.  Autumn is creative.  Emma is cute.  Mom and dad care for me.

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

The Beach! Actually LegoLand.

What are some of your wishes for this year?

That everyone has a good year.

AUTUMN – age 4

Favorites:

•breakfast – cinnamon rolls

•vegetable – mashed potatoes

• drink – orange juice

•toy – Snow White doll

• TV Show – Dora the Explorer

• game – Wii Dancing with Dora

• book – Diego book

• restaurant – Red Robin

• holiday – When we go to Trader Joe’s

• animal – Bears

If you could change your name, what would you choose?

Izzy!

What do you love about each person in our family?

Because they love me!

Where would you like to go on vacation this year?

To Halloween!

What are some of your wishes for this year?

That My Little Pony was with us.

EMMA – age 1

Favorites:

•breakfast – eggs

•vegetable – mixed veggies

• drink – mama’s milk

•toy – doll

• TV Show – What’s a TV!?

• game – Itsy Bitsy Spider

• book – Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

• restaurant – Mama’s!

• holiday – Everyday!

• animal – Nova

Day 8: First Job

When I was a little girl, my favorite thing about Spring was that my mom would sign us up for swim lessons at the local high school.  I positively loved those 2 weeks of being in the warm pool each night.  It’s no surprise that I joined the swimming and diving team in junior high and continued through all of high school or that my first job was being a swim instructor and diving coach.

I loved teaching little ones to swim!  So many different personalities and so much energy radiated through the little ones!  Some were scared and I got to gently help them overcome their fear.  And some were fearless, I had to be creative with them so they were safe.  Sometimes, it was the older kids that gained their confidence in the pool that really touched my heart.

It’s a job that I have come back to over the years, teaching at a local YWCA in college and offering private lessons while we lived in Texas.  And now, I get to teach my kids to swim and THAT is really awesome!

Day 7: Pets

Thirteen and a half years ago, my husband came home from work, told me to put on my shoes and come with him.  He took me to a local pet store to show me the last 2 of 11 puppies in a litter of half black lab and half golden retriever pups.  We had been married just over a month and he was completely smitten with this cute little 4-lb fur ball.  We were on a tight budget and having had a dog most of my life, I knew a little bit about the costs associated with a dog.  I told him if he wanted to give up cable, then we could probably afford a dog.  He didn’t hesitate.  He was named before we even got home: Nova.

He was younger than we were told and my husband spent that first week rocking him and sleeping on the kitchen floor with him.  He taught us all the important stuff about being a parent: letting go of the messes, cuddling to sleep at night, playing being more important than working.  A year or so later when we brought home Alex, Nova licked him and made sure we always picked him up when he fussed.  He’s been such a great family dog and has tolerated crazy amounts of hair pulling, eye poking, food stealing, and teasing dished out by the kids over the years.

 He’s been everywhere with us: the beach, camping, family trips, law school, hiking.

He’s an old dog now and spends most of his days cuddled up with Alex, who is the one who now walks and feeds him.  He still plays a little fetch, but much slower than he used to.

 

Day 6: Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day will be a bit different this year.  My dear husband will be away so it’s just me and the kids.

So, I decided rather than feel sorry for myself, I will help my kids prepare for Mother’s Day.  Here’s what I’m doing ahead of time in order to make the day a success:

• Talking with them about what they’d like to do.  What does Mother’s Day mean to them?  What would they like to do to celebrate?  How can we make their visions for the day come to life?
• Giving them a pile of construction paper, glue, scissors, markers and crayons so they can make make cards if they want.  My 2 oldest can read and write, so they can assist the other two if needed.  And knowing my youngest, she’ll want to make pictures and cards for grandma more than anything.
• Meal prep!  If I spend the time with the kids in the kitchen today, I can set them up for breakfast in bed tomorrow with minimal clean-up in the kitchen.  Same goes for dinner.  Crockpot dinner – I think so!
• If I want flowers, then I better find a field where the kids can gather and pick them.
• If they want to get a gift, then I’ll need to take them shopping and give them money or the supplies they need to create their gifts.

Here’s hoping for a wonderful, memorable Mother’s Day!

Day 5: Fit and Healthy

I was tired from a long day and hungry, wanting to eat dinner, but I began running anyways.

I was slow and sluggish, but I ran anyways.

There were people watching me and I felt awkward and goofy, I looked straight ahead and ran anyways.

There was a hill that seemed a little bit steeper than last time, but I slowly put one foot in front of the other and ran anyways.

I was hot and could feel the sun shining down on my already sunburned shoulders, I ran anyways (hoping shade would be on the other side of the loop.)

There were athletes that were faster and stronger than me, that easily passed me, but I ran anyways.

I had a side cramp that hurt and I didn’t think I could go anymore, but I ran anyways.

My family was just on the other side of those trees, and I could catch a glimpse of them and hear their giggles.  I missed them, but I ran anyways.

I ran just as far as I did last time and tried to talk myself that it was okay to stop and not meet my goal today, but I didn’t listen and ran anyways.

It was 32 minutes of discomfort, me closing myself off to the world, yet opening my eyes to it.

Of setting my sites on that tree branch, a bench, a path, a rock, a road just a little bit ahead of me and making it there only to find another to help me go a little further.

I did it and I am strong.

Day 4: Five Favorite Blogs

A few months ago, this would have been easy.  I read my blogs every morning like my dad read his morning paper.  But Emma became mobile and Autumn is 3 so my time on the computer is usually in 2 minute increments and I’m lucky to play catch-up on my blogs once every week or two.

Posie Gets Cozy:  Such a lovely little space with a sweet little baby and yummy food, gorgeous pictures, and so much inspiration to sew and create.

Smitten Kitchen: Yum!  Love this blog for the recipes and the photographs of food!  I’ve made dozens of recipes from this blog and each and every one of them has been fantastic!

SouleMama: Love reading about Amanda’s adventures on her farm with her kids and all the sewing and knitting, gardening and canning, etc.  Just love all of it!

The Parenting Passageway: This is my favorite place to go to center myself for our parenting and homeschooling goals.  I love her child development posts!

Frontier Dreams: Another sweet, creative family that inspires me.

Day 3: A Day in the Life

(Yes, I know it’s the 10th and I skipped a few days, er, um a week or so, but I’m not going to throw in the towel yet!)

6:51 – Emma is smacking me in the face. I open my eyes to find her all smiles.  She’s reaching over me to either wake up Autumn in her bed next to us or get to the window so she can watch the birds.

 

7-ish – Coffee time! James makes the coffee and I start on breakfast and laundry.  By 8, they’re all up and hungry.  Alex does his morning chores, walking and feeding Nova, tending to the rabbits, and unloading the dishwasher.  Autumn clears and sets the table for breakfast.  The kids eat at the table, while I drink my coffee at the computer.  They finish and run off to play.  I get my own breakfast, a second cup of coffee, and nurse Emma for her mini morning nap.

9 or so – Encouraging the kids to get their morning-5 done so we can do some housework together.  It takes a lot of encouraging today.  I also do my own morning-5.  Then outside to hang-up laundry.  They all follow me out and water the garden and check out their plants.

10 – Alex is self-motivated and starts his math lessons and works on the rest of his school work.  I play with the little girls while Jackson disappears (usually trying to take Izzy with him) in an effort to avoid anything related to cleaning or lessons.

11:30 – Lunch time.  We’ve been working together at mealtimes so Jackson brings the PB, jelly, honey, and bread to the table, Autumn gets the plates, Alex pours drinks, and Izzy helps with the fruit.

1-ish – I read The Voyages of Dr. DoLittle.  It’s part of Jackson’s OM2 curriculum, and it has captured his attention.  Izzy is also over the moon with this book and listens intently.  We finish up the lessons for the day while Autumn is loud and active and baby Emma tries to avoid another nap.

3:30 – Lessons are done and the boys are begging to play wii.  Grumble.  I let them each have a half an hour of screen time while I try to get some lesson planning and more housework done.

5:00 – We load up the van and drive to the local state park.  The kids get to play at the playground while James and I take turns running.

7:00 – We’re back home, everyone oh so hungry for dinner.

8:30 – Bedtime!  Not that anyone is ever in bed at this time.  Teeth brushing, drinks of water, jammies (that didn’t get wet while brushing teeth), prayers, bedtime stories, hugs and kisses.

10 – They’re all asleep or at least quiet in bed and pretending to be asleep.  I’m exhausted!

Day 2: Spring is Here

Picnics outside on the blanket and diapers drying on the clothesline.

Leaves on the grapevines and potatoes starting to grow.Peas getting ready to climb.

Apple trees getting a little fuller.

Broccoli and tomato plants growing.

Asparagus and little ones filling up buckets at the rain barrel to water their plants.The first strawberry blossoms.

Herbs, some even made it through winter!
Salsa garden!Little ones helping to plan this year and next year’s crops.Our family working together outside everyday.Visitors to the garden to observe.Dandelions to pick!And many trips to the playground to play and swing!

Blog Everyday in May: Day 1

So my dear friend told me that she missed my blogging and encouraged me to join her in blogging every single day for the month of May.  Why not try!?

So Day 1 (cause I’m already playing catch-up just to begin, lol!):  5 lines to describe myself:

I love big and will give and give and give to those I hold dear.  I try to be the example for my kids and those around me.  I’m a scientist and research everything and then decide with my heart.  I need to be creative and have a project of some sort going at all times.  I am strong and smart and can do things that I didn’t think I could.