Three is a Magic Number

We had a space commando, a doctor, and a poison fairy.  Every year Paul takes Samuel out a bit longer than the girls, but this year, Samuel elected to stay home and pass out candy to others, so Faith got to go out a bit longer.  Samuel commented, "Mom, I had no idea that so many people we know come to our house for candy."  He didn't realize his own friends came to our house.  His teacher too.  :) The pumpkins: Faith/Mom - Dragon Samuel/Afton - Cauldron Emilee/Jody - Kitty

This is just a funny picture from some of our time in Lanesboro this summer.  Samuel really want to bike ride, and this is what Paul rented.  It looks a lot more fun than it is.  Thank goodness for grandpa's help.

  I feel like I've spent the better part of my free time during the two weeks sewing on BS and GS badges to uniforms.  Between earning new ones and moving up in uniforms, it feels everything needs to be sewn on.  BS badges have to be sewed, but GS badges can be ironed--the ladies are smart.  BUT they really don't stick that well, so I sew anyway.  It is an excuse to take the Bernina for a ride.  My aunties would be so proud. 

A conversation Faith and Dad had coming home from piano lesson today, 10/13/10. Faith: So . . . what should I be when I grow up? Dad: Oh, well, I think a doctor. Faith: Why do you always say that? Dad: I think you’d be good at it. . . . You could be a teacher. Faith: Well, after I got used to the fur I could be an animal doctor. Dad: Oh, a veterinarian? Faith: Yeah. Or I could hide toys and people could find them. Dad: What? Faith: I could hide toys in places and kids would find them. Dad: What kind of job is that? Faith: Or I could sell furniture. Dad: Oh? Faith: I could sell furniture and clothes and hide toys. Dad: So you want to go into retail? Faith: What that? Dad: Selling stuff, like furniture. Faith: Or I could do food. Dad: Eating food? A job eating food? Anyone can eat food. Faith: No, not eating. Dad: Oh. Faith: It’s—what’s it called? Dad: A grocer. Someone who sells groceries. Faith: No, not that. Dad: A restaurateur. You want to run a restaurant...

We had a mouse in the garage.  We voted on what to do with it. Emilee - keep it as a pet Samuel - keep it as a  pet Faith - trap it alive and take it to a field Dad - trap it alive and take it to a field Mom - kill it Simply because we had some traditional mouse traps around and I was ready use them, the kids pooled their money to buy a live trap.  We trapped the mouse on Saturday night, and lost it on Sunday morning when we tried to put it in a box to take it to a field.  So, do mice learn?  Do you think it will go into the trap again?  Nope.  We think it left the garage.

We are back to school.  First day photos!  We are still not quite in the swing of things with the morning routine, but I told them today that I might just have to leave them at home if they can't get ready in time.  Urrrr.... Anyway, some funny things they've said this week: Emilee:  Out of the blue.  "I think when I grow up I will decide to be an American Girl." Faith:  We've been listening to Around the World in 80 Days.  We finised the audiobook, so Paul got an old movie of it from the library to watch.  Faith said, "I didn't imagine that guy looking like that in my head."  (referring to what she was imagining while listening to the audiobook.) Samuel:  "I am terrible at cursive! Why do I have to learn it if I never will use it?"  Oh, goodness, please don't start with questions like this already.

Samuel and Faith spent two nights, three days at Teddy Bear Camp at Camp Koronis last week.  They LOVED it!  Both lost their voice--I can't imagine why!  They love to sing and had also been coming off a week of VBS with lots of singing, so I am sure that didn't help. Prior to going to camp, I told them both they needed to take care of themselves.  That meant brushing their teeth, using soap when they showered, using bug spray and sun screen.  Well, Faith told a great story about sharing her body wash with four girls she took a shower with.  She said, "We used it aaaaall up!"  When I went to open Samuel's bag, his toothpaste and body wash had not even been touched. uffka. This is the camp that Paul and I also have volunteered at with friends and family over the years.  We likely are going to start deaning again next summer.  The dean of this very week (Teddy Bear, second week of Aug) wants to give it over to us....

I stole this picture from my little sister's blog.  My family decided to drum up old memories by butchering chickens this summer.  For me, it is a moral cause--I want to eat chickens that were happy when they were alive and raised by a real farmer, not a factory.  For a run down of the whole day visit Molly's blog at http://www.pairsquared.com/ .  The hillarious post is 100% true.  I thought I needed this one picture for my own blog.

We went to WI to practice for our big vacation to Disney World next year.  After a day in the Dells, we concluded that we won't be going to Disney next summer.  The kids were so thrilled with the Dells, and to be honest, they wouldn't know the difference.  So we figured we would save ourselves $2000 and just go back to the Dells one more year.  Maybe Disney in 2012?  A few pictures are on the sidebar.

Last weekend Paul and Samuel were at Cub Scout camp in Marine on St. Croix from Friday 'til Sunday.  It is an awesome camp as you can see.  Tenting, campfires, swimming, wall climbing, crafts, obstacle courses, nature station, boating, staying in a concrete tube during the storm, etc.... What fun!  I love to listen to their stories. On Friday, Faith and I were at Girl Scout Emcampment for our Unit in Hudson.  Games from around the world, crafts, parachute games, campfire.  Also fun, but our troop didn't stay over night.  We left just in time to miss the storm.  The "reminder" at GS camps is to "Camp like a Girl."  And I tell you what, at GS camp, we DO camp like girls.  Air conditioning, pizza ordered in, new buildings, flower gardens, leaving with tons of bling.  Far different from the Tee-pees I used to live in or the tents Paul and Samuel stayed in. Thank goodness other kids' parents take pictures to document t...

Last weekend Paul's cousin took some family photos of us in the backyard of the home Paul grew up in. She took more than 400 photos, and edited it to 250. Here are a FEW favs.

My sister-in-law, Jody, has an awesome house in the woods in Hudson, WI. I gave some of my perennials to her this year, with hopes she will be able to make them grow in her shaded yard. We'll see. While taking pictures at Chase's graduation party, I noticed this awesome three-pronged stump right along the side of her house. Must of been a HUGE tree. Perfect picture for three kids. Note, I made the outfits the girls are in--obviously a very easy pattern.

Well, I have went to doing a blog. Starting with Lutsen Video and Pics from Feb 19-21. The video is of Emilee making the cones--in purple. Lutsen ski school is the best! Very fun. Blast with nephews and nieces and brothers and sisters. Great digs, great weather, great conversation. It was all about skiiing, skating, and swimming. Hey Christensens, if anyone has skating pics, I'd love those. Kelly