Lilypie Pregnancy tickers

Lilypie Pregnancy tickers

Monday, April 28, 2008

Derek's Home!!!

Finally after 15 1/2 months and several delays Derek is home from Afghanistan. YEA!! He arrived at 2:40 AM on Sunday, April 27th. Here are some pictures of the joyous event.


Thursday, April 24, 2008

A BIG Mess!!

After reading this you will be glad that my children are not yours!!
Let’s see—where to begin. We were having a great evening. I was getting the kids ready for bed and all was going well. They were cooperating and we were on schedule. I was excited to think that I might even make it to bed early. Then the phone rang. It was Derek’s parents calling to tell Andrew a happy belated birthday. He talked to them and then handed the phone to me. I was updating them on what was going on with us and Derek and then was doing a Google search on the computer while I talked finding info for them. Well, while I was multi-tasking I forgot to add in the task of watching my three wild boys. Oops!! Andrew had talked to his grandparents about the cake he was going to have with green frosting. Apparently that got him thinking about the food coloring so he went to get it, and get it he did. Mind you, it was in the back of a top cupboard in the box and the box was in a ziplock bag. Once he had it the boys decided to open it and it went down hill from there. I think Timothy started it—that’s what Andrew says anyways. He squirted some on the floor. They thought it was funny so they all did it. Then they discovered that when they stepped in it they made footsteps on the floor so they started making footprints. Then somewhere in the mix they started squirting it on each other. Soon they were chasing and squirting each other. My house is set up so you can run a circle from the kitchen through the living room and back into the kitchen and that’s what they did all the while squirting and dripping more food coloring as they went. Too bad I have cream colored carpet in the living room. Needless to say I had to abruptly end my phone conversation.
I stood stunned, uncertain of even what to do and where to begin. The mess was HUGE!! I wanted to scream and cry all at once. I quickly pulled myself together as I knew time was of the essence here if I dared hoped to save the carpet. I knew I had to get the kids out of it and cleaned up so they wouldn’t spread it more but I didn’t have time to clean them and the house. So I sent Brian and Andrew to the bathroom thinking they could wash themselves and I picked Timothy up and put him on the counter. Well that was all a mistake. Brian and Andrew only made a mess of the bathroom as they played in the water and spread food coloring stained water all over. Timothy made a bigger mess on the counter and he wouldn’t stay up there. He kept crawling back down and getting into the mess. So I changed plans and took Brian and Andrew and sat one on each couch and let them sit and watch while I tried desperately to get the coloring from the carpet. I set Timothy on the couch too but of course he didn’t stay. He got up and sneaked back in the kitchen and got the food coloring again. He brought it back to the living room and proceeded to drip it all over the floor again right where I had already cleaned. Can this get any worse—um yeah it does, just keep reading.
Brian and Andrew sat quietly for the first little while but then they got restless and started playing. I was not going to have any of that I was too mad. So I marched them straight upstairs to bed. They cried for a long time but eventually went to sleep. To contain Timothy I strapped him in his high chair so he couldn’t get out (one of the only things he can’t get out of yet) and left him there while I scubbed away for a few hours. Yes I mean hours with an “s.” As I said it was a huge mess. The poor kid cried almost the whole time but what’s a poor mother supposed to do when she has only two hands and there is food coloring everywhere?
I have a Little Green Machine by Bissel (a hand held shampooer). I used that for a couple hours extracting as much dye as I could. Then I switched to my actual carpet shampooer. Once I started using the carpet shampooer I let Timothy out of the high chair. Bad choice! The carpet shampooer I have makes foam. You can use the foam and scrub stubborn spots. So I scooped up some foam and was scrubbing away on a stubborn spot. Well Timothy thought that looked like great fun so he went over and scooped up some foam too and started rubbing it into the carpet with his hands. Well his hands were totally covered in dye and it came off in the foam. It made a nice pink spot on the floor that didn’t come out. Too bad it was on a part of the carpet that was stain free.
Well, after over three hours of hard work I decided I had as much dye out as was going to come out and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Somehow without me noticing Timothy got the jar of Eucerin cream. He opened it and was scooping out the cream and spreading it on himself. When I found him he was covered in it. He had so much all over his head that it looked like it had been frosted. It was really thick. Eucerin is not water soluble so it was very hard to clean off. I shampooed his hair 4 times and it was still greasy all the next day. Needless to say I was very glad to finally get that kid to bed and be done with him. Through all this he went through 3 pairs of pajamas—one covered in food coloring, one covered in foam, and one covered in Eucerin. What a night! So much for my initial thoughts of getting to bed early, I finally made it to bed at about 2 am.
I’m sure you are wondering how the carpet turned out. Well, it’s cream with pink polk-a-dots. It doesn’t look too bad until the sun shines on it and then what I see makes me almost positive they will make us replace the carpet when we move out. Yea! The doorway from the kitchen to the living room is still pretty bad. You can see all the drip marks still and they are pretty dark. Too bad those are all the drops from Timothy’s second round. So if anyone has any great ideas of how to remove red food coloring from cream colored carpet please let me know. The blue, green, and purple came out. It’s mostly just the red and some yellow that remains.
The boys were, and still are, covered in dye too. Timothy’s face was totally covered. It was like cherry red with some blue dripped down the side when I found them. The next day when I was talking to Andrew about it he laughed and said how funny it was because Timothy looked like Darth Maul. (Yes, Andrew is a Star Wars fan and if you don’t know—Darth Maul is the bad guy from Episode I with the red and black face).
Never a dull moment at our house that’s for sure! At least now a few days later I can laugh about it all. Good thing I love my wild children. At least the carpet got shampooed and the floor got mopped before Derek got home!:)


The Budweiser Clydesdales

The Budweiser Clydesdales were here today so we went down to see them. I was amazed at how big they were. The boys enjoyed seeing them. We were there at the end and watched them unhitch the horses and put them in their trailers. Before they put the last horse in they let those of us watching come up and pet him and get our pictures. It was neat. The boys really loved that part. I asked the boys what the horse felt like and Brian said it felt, "like hair." Andrew said it, "felt furry." They are so descriptive!




Here are some interesting facts about the horses:

THE CLYDESDALE BREED
Farmers living in the 19th century along the banks of the River Clyde in Lanarkshire, Scotland, bred the Great Flemish Horse, the forerunner of the Clydesdale. These first draft horses pulled loads of more than one ton at a walking speed of five miles per hour. Soon their reputation spread beyond the Scottish borders.
In the mid-1800s, Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to the United States where the draft horses resumed their existence on farms. Today, the Clydesdales are used primarily for breeding and show.

THE BUDWEISER CLYDESDALES
They were formally introduced to August A. Busch Sr. and Anheuser-Busch on April 7, 1933, to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. August A. Busch Jr. wanted to commemorate the special day. To his father's delight, the hitch thundered down Pestalozzi Street carrying the first case of post-Prohibition beer from the St. Louis brewery.

HITCH REQUIREMENTS
To qualify for one of the six hitches (five traveling and one stationary), a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age. He must stand 72 inches, or 6 feet, at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, be bay in color, have four white stocking feet, a blaze of white on the face, and a black mane and tail.

FEED
Each hitch horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of feed, 50 to 60 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

HITCH LOCATIONS
Five traveling Budweiser Clydesdale hitches are based in St. Louis, Missouri; Menifee, California; San Diego, California; Merrimack, New Hampshire; and San Antonio, Texas. The Budweiser Clydesdales can be viewed at the Anheuser‑Busch breweries in St. Louis, Merrimack and Ft. Collins, Colorado.
The Budweiser Clydesdales also may be viewed at Grant's Farm, the 281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family, in St. Louis and at the following Anheuser-Busch theme parks: Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Tampa, Florida, and at the Sea World theme parks in Orlando, Florida; San Diego, California; and San Antonio, Texas.

CLYDESDALE OPERATIONS
Based in St. Louis, Clydesdale Operations is responsible for maintaining and scheduling the five traveling hitches. They receive thousands of requests for the "gentle giants" every year. Each request is evaluated on the type of event, dates, history of appearances in that particular area and other input from Anheuser-Busch management representatives.

STABLES
The official home of the Budweiser Clydesdales is an ornate brick and stained-glass stable built in 1885 on the historic 100-acre Anheuser-Busch brewery complex in St. Louis. The building is one of three located on the brewery grounds that are registered as historic landmarks by the federal government.

HANDLERS
Expert grooms travel on the road with the hitch. They are on the road at least 10 months every year. When necessary, one handler has night duty to provide round-the-clock care for the horses, ensuring their safety and comfort.

TRANSPORT
Ten horses, the famous red, white and gold beer wagon and other essential equipment are transported in three 50-foot tractor trailers, which weigh 24 tons when fully loaded. Cameras in the trailers (with monitors in the cabs) enable the drivers to keep a watchful eye on their precious cargo during transport. The team stops each night at local stables so the "gentle giants" can rest. Air-cushion suspension and thick rubber flooring in the trailers ease the rigors of traveling.

DRIVERS
Driving the 12 tons of wagon and horses requires quite a bit of strength and skill. The 40 pounds of reins the driver holds, plus the tension of the reins, equals 75 pounds. All hitch drivers are put through a rigorous training period before they are given the reins.

HARNESS
Each harness and collar weighs 130 pounds. The harness is handcrafted from brass and leather. Pure linen thread is used for the stitching. The harness is made to fit any horse, but the collars come in different sizes and must be individually fitted like a suit of clothes.

NAMES
Duke, Captain, Mark and Bud are just a few of the names given to the Budweiser Clydesdales. Names are kept short to make it easier for the driver to give commands to the horses during a performance.

HORSESHOES
Clydesdale horseshoes measure more than 20 inches from end to end and weigh about five pounds -- more than twice as long and five times as heavy as the shoe worn by a riding horse. A horse's hoof is made of a nerveless, horn-like substance similar to the human fingernail, so being fitted for shoes affects the animal no more than a manicure affects people.

WAGON
Turn-of-the-century beer wagons have been meticulously restored and are kept in excellent repair. The wagons are equipped with two braking systems: a hydraulic pedal device that slows the vehicle for turns and descents down hills, and a hand brake that locks the rear wheels when the wagon is at a halt.

DALMATIANS
Dalmatians have traveled with the Clydesdale hitch since the 1950s. The Dalmatian breed long has been associated with horses and valued for their speed, endurance and dependable nature. Dalmatians were known as coach dogs, because they ran between the wheels of coaches or carriages and were companions to the horses. Today, the Dalmatians are perched atop the wagon, seated next to the driver.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Happy Birthday Andrew!!

Today is Andrew's 4th birthday. We didn't do much though. We are waiting until Derek gets home to have his party. Which should hopefully be soon!!! Maybe the next time I post it will show pictures with 4 boys instead of 3. Yea!!

A Month in Review

WOW-- Time flies when you are having fun! I know its been a long time since I actually made a post but things here have been so busy. But that's good because we are getting down to the last few days before Derek gets home so being busy has made the time go by quicker-- at least that's the theory. :)
My Sister always laughs at me when I go for a long time and don't post and then suddenly post a ton all at once. Well laugh away Suzie!! Here's the last month in review:

A Day of Cleaning:
The boys decided to show off their artistic skills on their walls. They made quite a big mess. So we spent the afternoon scrubbing it off. I gave each one of the boys a piece of the Mr. Clean Eraser and made then help me.




Temples:
For Family Home Evening we talked about temples and then we built some out of sugar cubes. Brian and Andrew loved that. Brian was all in to how many spires, or "spiders" as he calles them, he could have. He ended up with 7 and he is very proud of them. Andrew was upset when we got done and he didn't have Angel Moroni on top of his. So I had to be creative and find something to be Angel Moroni. Good thing I had some yellow twist ties, they worked quite well.





Easter Morning:
Here are the kids on Easter Morning.



Spring Break:
Last year for Spring Break we ate popsicles and rode the jeep. So thats what we did again this year. We were still able to fit all three boys in the jeep together just rearranged differently. These pictures were taken almost exactly one year apart. The first one is March 30, 2007 and the second is March 28, 2008.





The Practice Run:
Our very good friend Scott got home from his deployment on April 5th. We went to meet him at Green Ramp (the place where the plane arrives). The boys were way excited to see him. It was our practice run to be ready for when Derek comes home I guess. Now we know exactly where to go and how it all works. Can't wait!! Welcome Home Scott!!!


Soccer Mom:
I am now officially a "Soccer Mom." Brian is on a soccer team. His first practice was April 2nd. At first he didn't want to play because he wanted to play football not soccer. But then he decided soccer would be okay too and he has been having fun. His first game was April 19th. He was having fun and all was going well until the 80 degree, sunny, humid weather got to him. Before the game was over he was too hot and tired to play anymore and just stood on the field watching. Now everytime we talk about the game he tells me that games, "make me hot!" It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season goes.





Lost!:

Recently I discovered that there were pieces missing to our chain link fence in the backyard. It appeared that they had been removed and stolen. Weird! Anyway, I had to call the MP's (Military Police) and make a report of vandalism. The MP came to my door and I went outside with her to show her the fence. We had been outside for only a few minutes when I went back inside to get something. As soon as I stepped in the door I knew something was wrong, it was way too quiet. I did a quick circle of the house to discover that Timothy was missing. He can open the door himself. Immedietly seized with fear I ran back out to the MP to let her know I needed to go find my child. Just as I stepped outside some people from down the street walked up carrying him. Ahh relief!! The neighbor 5 houses down the street had Stanley Steamer at her house. The Stanley Steamer workers found Timothy in her front yard and took him to her door thinking he was hers. She knew she recognized him but couldn't remember what house he went to. Then they looked down the street and noticed the MP's car and brought him down to us thinking that's why the MP was here. Luckily that's not why she was here and she knew enough about children to not think I was a terrible mother. We joked that if she ever did get a call for a child that had been found she would know right where it belonged. Crazy!! The even worse part is that he was still in his pajamas and bare feet. I really am a good mom! :)

I wasn't able to make it to the bus stop that day, I had an appointment so my friend picked Brian up for me. But anyways, I guess we were the big talk at the bus stop that afternoon and apparently the story has gotten all mixed up as it has been passed around. My very next door neighbor later told me that she heard that Timothy had gotten out and was lost so the MP's had to come to help find him. And now we know how rumors get started!

I now never leave him unattended even for a second. I keep the front door closed and locked but it doesn't help as he can unlock the dead bolt and still get out. Derek is hoping that I don't lose his son before he gets home. I am too!

Here's some cute pictures of the naughty little kid. He found the hat and flag in the drawer and pulled them out himself. So these pictures are just how I found him.