Spring Break - Days 2 & 3

These were our lazy days! The kids played and really just did whatever all day. I don't think they left the house either day.

I, on the other hand, got to go out both nights. On Tuesday I went to an MNO with ladies from MOPS at Chili's. Yummy! Wednesday night I went up to Arvada for a Pampered Chef party at my friend Jodi's house. I had a really good pasta dish with zucchini, artichoke, and chicken. Dessert was a brownie pizza. I'm pretty sure I'll be making it myself soon.

I also got a little sewing done. The fabric in the collage is being made into a nightgown for Lily. I've been extremely frustrated with my sewing machine and finally figured out what was wrong. Yeah! No more bent, broken, and stuck needles. I'm happy to have gotten it fixed since I have several projects waiting to be sewn.

Spring Break - Day 1

We had a busy day to start off the two week "break". First up was a trip to the dentist for the three oldest. No cavities!

Then we headed across town to play at a park. I chose to go far from home to a county that was not on spring break so there would be less kids at the park. A friend and her kids met us to play.

The plan for when we got home was to have some quiet time with a movie and video games. Unfortunately the power went out in the whole neighborhood right after I opened the garage. Instead the girls played outside and Adam relaxed inside. After about an hour we had power again. The kids finally got their video game time before dinner.

After Dinner we took a family walk and made a stop at the park so the kids could play some more.

What a great start to Spring Break!

Long Meadow Farm Tour - Feldpausch Family

Noelle, Lily, and I were lucky enough to go on a dairy farm tour today.  It was sponsored by LiveWell Colorado and Western Dairy Association.  We met at the WDA office in Thornton and rode a bus to the Long Meadow Farm run by the Feldpausch Family.  It was so much fun!  The Feldpausch family was really welcoming and friendly.

Riding on a charter bus!  Lily wasn't nearly as excited as I hoped/thought she would be.  She was such a stinker both going there and coming back.

Such an amazing view!  Very stinky though.  

Cows getting milked.  These particular cows are brand new to this farm and still getting used to their new environment.  The cows are milked robotically.  The machine cleans the udders, milks the cow, and then cleans again.

The milk is gathered and measured in the "basement" below where the milking is going on.

This vat/container holds fresh milk.  There was only a very small amount in it when we looked.

CALVES!!  The kids just loved the calves.  Most of them were afraid of us, but a few were very friendly and wanted the children's attention.  This one thoroughly slimed Noelle.

Lily found a friend.  She wasn't scared of them at all.

On the farm the calves are taken from Mom immediately. They never nurse from a cow, but instead are bottle fed for a short time until they can move on to feed and water.  Each calf has it's own little pen.  The majority of the male calves are sent from the farm early on and are usually used for ground beef.  Apparently dairy cows are not high quality meat.  My understanding is that they keep a few bulls around to "finish the job" when a sire brought in for that purpose fails.  LOL!

Me and my girls!  Also, the 20 week baby belly.

Lily tried to run right into this cow pen.  No fear from this kid.

The Feldpausch family was nice enough to allow us to eat lunch in the yard of their home.  LiveWell Colorado provided us with cold water, various flavors of milk, and an ice cream sundae bar!

Noelle LOVED her sundae!

Hanging out in the hammock with the Feldpausch girls!

SWAG!

One exhausted little girl!

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

Adam, Noelle and I just read Charlie and The Chocolate Factory for From Left to Write.  It was lots of fun to share the story with them and talk to them about the differences between the book and the Johnny Depp movie version (the only version they have ever seen).  

Back in May we toured Hammond's Candies with Noelle's Girl Scout Troop.  Reading the book reminded me that I never got around to blogging about it!  Adam, Noelle, and I had been before, but this was the first trip for Justin and Lily.  When you step inside the lobby it smells great.  First you get a colored sticker so you know when it is your turn.  Once they call your color you are led into a room to watch a video about Hammond's.  The video covers just about everything from when it was founded to how it is currently run.

Girl Scout Troop 4526 - As per usual for one of my children, 

Noelle is the only child's face you can't clearly see.

Don't Justin and Lily look excited?!  LOL!

After the video you get led back where all the action takes place.  You can see the workers going through every phase of candy making.  On this day they were making candy canes of various flavors and colors.

Noelle and Lily watching the action.

As you go down the hallway there are these placards that give a timeline of Hammond's Candies.

Watching the workers package and box up the candy!

At the end of the tour they let everyone have a sample, on this day it was a chocolate marshmallow candy.  It was a bit rich for me since I haven't been a fan of chocolate with this pregnancy, but the kids loved it.  After you get your sample you can browse the factory store and buy all the candy your heart desires!  They have a ton of very cheap stuff that is considered "seconds" since it is broken, close to expiring, or other such things.

Adam, Noelle, and Lily

Noelle, my 7 year old, says, "Reading Charlie and The Chocolate Factory made me want to live in a candy factory because then I would have all the sweets I want.  The book made me think of all the sweets, and new sweets, that would be made.  If I could run the candy factory then I would make a candy called "the water lemonade" and it would taste like lemonade with extra water and would be chewy."

Adam, my 10 year old, says, "Reading Charlie and The Chocolate Factory made me think about how some people don't have very good food and how I should eat my food instead of complaining about it.  Such as saying, "I don't like this!"  Also, that I should not disobey what adults say like the kids did with Willy Wonka's orders.  Otherwise I might be hurt or be in big trouble."  So far as liking the book he had this to say, "This was a very good book.  I wish I could read it again and again and again.  My favorite part was in the beginning when they introduce you to Charlie and his family.  They are very poor and it made me sad to think about it."

This post was inspired by the classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To celebrate, Penguin Young Readers Group, in partnership with Dylan’s Candy Bar, the world-famous candy emporium, and First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides books for children from low-income families, is launching a year-long international celebration.

Head over to From Left to Write to learn how you and your child can have a chance to win the Golden Ticket Sweepstakes where the grand prize is a magical trip to New York City plus much more! For every entry submitted, Penguin Young Readers Group will make a donation to First Book. Then, join From Left to Write on July 24 as we discuss Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As a book club member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Say what?

Parenting is a crap-shoot.  You just don't know what will happen from day to day.  And the second you think you have it figured out...it changes.  Something I can always count on though is laughter.  Whether I'm laughing at my kids, them at me, together, or at something one of us said I know it will be there on a daily basis.  Thank goodness for that, because parenting is hard work!

Here are just a few funnies I can remember:

Noelle telling my Dad, "Mind your own business Grandpa!"  

He had asked her to stop pestering her brother.

Said by me just last week, "Lily, stop rubbing your sandwich on your belly button."  

The kid is obsessed with her belly button, but that was taking it a little far.

A couple weekends ago we were attending a fairy gardening class.  The instructor was naming 

off berries and you were supposed to raise your hand if you liked them.  I didn't, even though I 

like raspberries.  Noelle turned to me with wide, piercing eyes and sternly says, 

"Moommmeee, raise your hand.  You like raspberries."  You would have thought I was 

embarrassing her.

I can't seem to think of any about Adam right now.  Usually his are because he says a wrong word or misunderstands what a word means.

What is the funniest thing you or your kids have said lately?

This post was inspired by the novel Dad Is Fat by comedian Jim Gaffigan who riffs on his adventures co-parenting 5 kids in a two bedroom Manhattan apartment. Join From Left to Write on April 22 as we discuss Dad Is Fat. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

...then comes baby in a baby carriage.

Justin and Charlotte sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage!  Yup, that's how it went.  Except it wasn't THAT easy for us.  Adam, our first was an 18 month process.  We ended up at the Endocrinologist's office and had lots of tests done on us.  I was diagnosed with PCOS and put on Metformin to regulate my cycles.  3 months later we were pregnant with Adam!  That first pregnancy was a breeze!  I swear that had we not been actively trying I never would have known I was pregnant until I started showing, or he started moving around.  LOL!

Adam Ronnie was born in April 2004 at 8 1/2 pounds.

Getting pregnant the second time around was actually easy.  I don't even know how long since it wasn't a big deal.  I don't think I went back on Metformin, but I honestly don't recall.  This second pregnancy was awful for me.  I had a little nausea, but so long as I ate very, very frequently it wasn't too bad.  I was working FT Nanny hours (50+ hours a week) taking care of 2 two year old boys and an infant.  My body would hold up all day, but the minute I walked in the door at night I would practically collapse.  The worst though were the varicose veins.  Yeah, NOT in my legs.  No, No, No.  For the last 3 months of the pregnancy, or so, it seriously felt like I had just given birth, vaginally.  It was not fun.  The girl never moved up!  She stayed low the whole pregnancy.  Thank goodness her birth was completely uneventful and downright fast.  :)

Noelle Justin was born in January 2007 and was my tiniest at just 6 1/2 pounds.

When we finally got around to wanting a third child it was once again not easy.  Metformin wasn't helping this time.  We decided to try an actual fertility clinic, but ended up canceling the initial appointment.  I figured that we had two children and maybe that's all we needed.  It seemed like the money could be better spent elsewhere.  Well, wouldn't you know we ended up pregnant a few months later!  15 months after we had started trying.  Even though I was working FT throughout the pregnancy I wasn't working as many weekday hours and they weren't nearly as tiring.  I was only caring for 1 baby and he was super easy going and happy.  I was still tired from the pregnancy and taking care of my other two children though.  I can remember coming home from work many times and falling asleep on the couch while life went on around me.  Baby #3 had to be induced due to gestational diabetes.  Her labor was my hardest and the only one I asked for an epidural during.  I technically got that epidural, but she "dropped" when I sat up for it and then was born within minutes.  

Lillian (Lily) Fae was born in February 2012 at 7 1/2 pounds.

Adam, Lily, and Noelle - January 2014.

This post was inspired by the novel  The Opposite of Maybe by Maddie Dawson. At the age of 44, Rosie finds herself suddenly single and pregnant. She tries to hide in her grandmother’s home, but meets two men that will change her life forever. Join From Left to Write on April 8 as we discuss The Opposite of Maybe. 

As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

*I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow to start, but once Rosie moves into her Grandmother's house the story really took off for me. It was an enjoyable book that was easy to read. I would LOVE to know your thoughts if you decide to pick it up!*

Those We Love Most

When my first child was born in 2004 I was on the verge of turning 23.  Even though I had worked as a Nanny and in childcare since I was 17 I had never cared for a child younger than 7 weeks.  Looking back now I see how naive I was.  It never occurred to me that he wouldn't wake from a nap or cry in the morning for me to come pick him up.

Adam 4/2004

Two years later when I became pregnant with my second child I was too busy working heavy full time hours and taking care of my son to even think something could go wrong with the baby.  Despite a lack of weight gain on my part, I took for granted that she would be born perfectly healthy and full term.

Noelle 2007

Skip ahead more than 4 years, and 16 months of TTC, and I'm pregnant with my third child.  That pregnancy was one big worry after another!  Just finding out I was pregnant was a fiasco.  It was the Saturday before Memorial day. I had woken with a pain in my right side and it had only gotten worse.  A pregnancy test came back positive, but had taken a really long time to give a result. Given the pain in my side  I was concerned I was having an ectopic pregnancy.  I went to the ER and they confirmed I was pregnant and ran some tests.  Definitely NOT ectopic though.  I had to go back in on Memorial Day for repeat tests and they said everything was going well.  (To this day I still have NO clue what caused the pain, but it went away.)

I was a nervous wreck throughout the entire pregnancy.  October, though, was the worst of it.  October just happens to be Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month.  There were posts in remembrance of babies who were miscarried or stillborn all over Facebook.  It was too much for me and I *almost* had to block a few friends.  I tried to stay off FB instead.  But before that it got to me.  I was working one day when I couldn't get the baby to wake up and move.  I had tried every trick in the book and she wasn't responding.  She hadn't moved all day.  I was terribly scared and went to the doctor for a heartbeat check and ultrasound.  Thank goodness she was fine, just stubborn.  I handled the rest of the pregnancy a little better but was so happy when she was finally in my arms and I didn't need to worry anymore if she was okay.

Lillian 2012

HA!  So I thought.  I was constantly worried about if she was still breathing in those first weeks.  The only way she would sleep those first 2 weeks was in our arms so we took turns resting on the couch with her all night.  I was worried sick she would suffocate as we slept.  Every time I twitched I had to nudge her until she moved or breathed.  Even once we got her to sleep in the co-sleeper I had to put my hand on her every time I woke.  It didn't help that she had apnea while sleeping.  I don't recall when I finally stopped worrying that her pretty blue eyes wouldn't open in the morning.  It was so gradual and now, at 16 months, I don't even need to check on her before I fall asleep at night.

The thought of losing one of my children still creeps up and scares me at times.  Especially with the constant reports of pedestrians/bicyclists being hit by cars, school shootings, and kidnappings in the news.  I can't help but worry to a degree, but nothing so bad as it was with my Lily Bug.

Adam, Lily, & Noelle 2013

This post was inspired by the novel Those We Love Most by Lee Woodruff. Every family has its secrets and deceptions, but they come to surface after a tragic accident changes the family dynamic forever. Join From Left to Write on June 6 as we discuss Those We Love Most. You can also enter to win a live video chat with Lee Woodruff! As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes.

Sunday Family Time

A couple weekends ago we were able to take advantage of some unscheduled time to have some fun as a family.  It was very windy out so we took down the big Dragon kite and headed up to the field.

Dragon Boy

Up, up, and...well, that's as good as it got.

The wind was actually TOO strong and unpredictable.  We just couldn't get the kite high enough to get in a good steady wind.  We had a ton of fun trying though!

Later in the day we headed over to Southlands to walk around.  We went into Barnes and Noble for a Starbucks and looked a little at the books.  Since it was a Sunday night there weren't many businesses open or people out and about.  It was nice out, but not very warm.

Just try keeping this one out of the water!

Getting chased by Sissy.

 

She wasn't interested in getting in on the action...smart girl.

She was soaked!